Friday, March 2, 2012

The Snow Returns: February 25 - March 2

In My Life This Week
Whipped up some new recipes. Some good. Some flops. Walking through mud one day. Mountains of snow to shovel the next day. Lots of eggs. Decluttering bedrooms and piling up Boy Scout yard sale donations. Making camping plans for the summer and located the tent fly. Played many games of Words With Friends.

Cookin' in the Kitchen!
Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cupcakes from Sugar-free Mom! Yum! These are a perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack AND you can make them gluten-free and Diabetic-friendly and freeze them! Can't go wrong with that, huh? Oh, and toppings can be PERSONALIZED! We made plain, raisin and pecan, pecan, coconut-pineapple, maple syrup and brown sugar (like the saplings favorite flavor of instant oatmeal), and chocolate chip! Cool completely before trying to remove from muffin tin. ((wink)) Visit Sugar-free Mom here for the recipe!

Sugar Maple Whippin' up the Batter
Finished Muffins - Chocolate Chip, Raisin-Pecan and Pecan

Homeschool Happenings
White Pine finished reading ALL Joy Hakim's A History of Us books. His thoughts? "They're OK." High praise from the 13-year-old! LOL He'll start "doubling up" on another subject (of his choosing).

Sugar Maple and Balsam Fir finished up Apologia Astronomy and notebooking. They also FINALLY wrapped up their winter lapbook from WEEKS ago. Up next: Scholastic Easy Make and Learn Projects: Human Body!

The end of our year is "rounding the corner"! Whoop!

Yeah, I know it sounds like I'm excited about school ENDING. Why? There's something about wrapping up a school year that gives me a sense of accomplishment. (I hope the saplings feel this too!) Planning for another year gets my creativity going, but I can't do it until THIS year is over. And who doesn't look forward to warmer, sunnier weather? swimming in the lake? mowing the lawn? BBQing?

Anyway, we recycled brown paper bags (from the grocery store) into a basket this week. Pinterest find! (Don't you just ♥ Pinterest?) Once the glue dried on the basket, we painted it cool colors. Want to make some? Click here for the tutorial!

Our Paper Bags Cut into Long Strips and Folded
Paperclips Holding Weaved Sides Together Instead of Clothes-
Pins (as in the Tutorial) 
Bottom of Basket and Sides Started
Completed Unpainted Paper Bag Basket
Many Hands Make for an Interestingly Painted Bag
Surprisingly Sturdy, Interestingly Painted Woven Basket From
Recycled Brown Paper Bags

Oh, and Sugar Maple started Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Language Arts this week, dropping HER dreaded Saxon Grammar and Writing. (I still think Saxon Grammar and Writing is a thorough program, but I'll admit it's a bit, well, bland.) It's a free on-line K-6 Language Arts program with 100s of "reteach, practice and extend" printable worksheets.

Excellent Extras!
♣ Cub Scouts ♣ Boy Scouts ♣ Clarinet and Band ♣ Community Dr Suess Birthday Party ♣ Library ♣




Off the Bookshelf
One of my favorite books is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Jester. Have you read it? Oh, you should (if you haven't)! This is what Amazon.com says about it:

As Milo heads toward Dictionopolis he meets with the Whether Man ("for after all it's more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be"), passes through The Doldrums (populated by Lethargarians), and picks up a watchdog named Tock (who has a giant alarm clock for a body). The brilliant satire and double entendre intensifies in the Word Market, where after a brief scuffle with Officer Short Shrift, Milo and Tock set off toward the Mountains of Ignorance to rescue the twin Princesses, Rhyme and Reason. Anyone with an appreciation for language, irony, or Alice in Wonderland-style adventure will adore this book for years on end.

So, I started reading it to the saplings. 


On the Screen With Netflix
(Shhh! Don't tell him I shared with you, but White Pine thought "The Smurfs" was hilarious! LOL It WAS pretty humorous.)



Helpful Homeschool Hint
The Magic Tree House website is awesome! I can't wait for Balsam Fir to be reading this series! Have you seen it? Lots of great Science and History chapter books! The website has this really neat passport where kids can read the books, take an on-line comprehension quiz and earn stickers to put on their passport! My favorite FUTURE multiple subject resource!

One of Our Favorite Things
Cleaning the chicken coop and run! Ha! Ha! Just kidding! We did have to tackle this this week though. We've been using the "deep litter" method and it works just fine, but after 3 months we really needed to clean out the decomposing, um, "matter". (Contrary to what you may think, this method doesn't smell too terrible.)

Mustard Says, "Bock!"
A Photo, Video, Link, or Quote to Share

Linky Love
Favorite Resource This WeekThe Homeschool Mother's Journal
Tots and MeClassified: MomPinterest Monday From Musings From A Stay At Home MomHip Homeschool Hop ButtonMagical Mouse SchoolhouseTeach Me Tuesday at Preschool Powol Packetslearning ALL the time!!
Chestnut Grove Academy3Boys&aDog DEALS!Photobucket

24 comments:

  1. Mowing and swimming in the lake seem pretty far away today :-D

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    1. LOL Absolutely! We're facing a lot of shoveling later this morning! ((sigh))

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  2. We watched the Liberty's Kids in our history last year. Looks like a pretty awesome week. :)

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  3. Looks like a great week! :-) I love all of the photos. The muffins look SO good. We love to bake here, too. Hope you have ag great weekend! :-)

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  4. I always enjoy reading what you and the littles are doing...Friday marks the end of our 3rd 9 weeks and the beginning of the 4th. It continues to be a good school year for us, but I gotta admit I'll be glad when Summer vacation arrives.

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  5. great week! we're not getting out as much as you are- but we will soon! love the cookin in the kitchen! we are loving liberty kids too - on our 2nd time through it - it's a great fit for what we are studying! enjoy your weekend!!! see ya on tues for the kids in kitchen link up :) awesome that you have joined us!

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  6. Thanks so much for linking up! :-))))

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  7. I am also glad that the end is in sight! It is a huge accomplishment, but it's also the time for a little more "free range" learning to happen. I know they need the basics, but what they find on their own is so wonderful!

    Amazing LOVES the Magic Treehouse books. There are so many to choose from. I haven't been to the website though. We'll have to check that out! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Cool baskets. Those muffins look really good too. Thanks for stopping by Second Star Academy at Chaos Cottage. I love getting comments from my visitors. Have a terrific weekend with your family.

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  9. I think I pinned those muffins, but haven't tried them yet. Looks like another good week for you guys :)
    We have really enjoyed Liberty's Kids, too.
    I agree with you on the Magic Tree House site...we have LOVED the Magic Tree House books for many years now. Thanks for linking with Favorite Resources!

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  10. Hey, Smurfs is funny! It looks like you had a great week. That basket is super cute. I am thinking of some fun possibilities for it. And the muffins look delicious. I am trying to improve our breakfast food rotation- they would be perfect for the "run out the door" breakfasts!

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  11. Lots of great stuff happening at your house! That basket looks amazing. And isn't The Phantom Tollbooth terrific? Thanks for the tip to check out the Magic Treehouse site. ;-)

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  12. I have those muffins pinned. I need to make them. I want to cut way down on purchasing snacks.

    Love The Phantom Tollbooth! That was one of my favorite reads as a kid.

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  13. We love the Magic Treehouse Series! I love kids in the kitchen, the picture is too cute. The basket looks like a ton of fun to make. Thank you for sharing.

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  14. Thanks for mentioning the art program. Ill have to investigate it. I have a 4.5 year old who completely loves art.
    Looks like a great week and those muffins look delicious.

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  15. We haven't actually been to the Magic Treehouse website even though all 3 of my kids have read the books. Will have to check it out.

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  16. Hi--another homeschooling mom. Found you on Pinterest Monday. I love your baskets. I think we'll be working on making some of our own this week. And I'm super jealous of your chicken compost! Wish I had some to put in my garden.

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    1. Hi MissMoe! I'm not able to access your blog for some reason. Perhaps I can find you on Pinterest Monday? Thanks for poppin' in!

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  17. Yup - these are yummy looking - pretty awesome that you can personalize the toppings! Thanks again for joining us at Kids in the Kitchen ;)

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  18. Wow, you did a lot of stuff! The baskets are really neat!

    Thanks for linking up with Pinterest Monday! Hope to see you link up again next week!!

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  19. I love this... I think your week always looks like so much fun! CUTE chicken pics!!!!!!!!! And Your kids int he kitchen pics are adorable! :)

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  20. I love that weaved bag! Thank you for linking with "Look What We Did"!

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  21. I especially love the cupcakes and the woven bag--very, very cool! Thanks for sharing your week at Teach Me Tuesday!

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  22. Thanks for linking up with Brag Time Thursday (sorry I am late...we are moving)! I love the baskets, finishing up a year, and the Magic Treehouse website (I didn't know about it)! Also, we will be trying those muffins...thanks for sharing!

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