Month: September 2019

C is for Cow

Dear Sis,

Baby sister is 10 days old! She is such a great eater and sleeper!!! I got my easy baby second:) She has already fallen into schedule with our family routine. Josh suggested doing school on weekends until we catch back up to our planned timeline, so today we got back into the swing.

Our Daily Reading

Today’s fiction selection is Raisin the Littlest Cow by Miriam Busch. It is a story about a calf’s journey to acceptance upon the arrival of a new sibling. Any kid with a sibling can relate to feeling second sometimes, but the love of family bonds us together and teaches us not to be selfish:)

Today’s non-fiction selection is from Lightning Bolt Books, Baby Farm Animal series. Meet a Baby Cow by Buffy Silverman discusses the life cycle of the cow from birth to reproductive maturity. 

“C” is for Cow Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

  • Print C is for Cow Letter Craft Printable. I found this jpeg on Pinterest, but was not able to trace it back to its original source. 
  • Provide crayons, scissors, glue stick, and a sheet of green craft paper.

Student Assembly

  • Cut our or ask your grown up to cut out the C, cow head, and tail.
  • Paste the C to a sheet of green craft paper.
  • Paste the cow head and tail.
  • Color as desired.
  • Write or have your grown up title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio. 

How Many Spots? Counting Activity

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • With the number cards shuffled, we practiced number identification and names as we placed each card near it’s corresponding number on the puzzle.
  • Then, we chose a number to place on our How Many Spots? counting mat and counted out the correct number of spots. 
  • Count aloud together to check the answer.

William enjoyed eating two chocolate chips each time his work was correct!

Cow Size Sequencing Cards

These Cow Size Sequencing Cards are part of Simple Living Creative Learning’s Cow Life Cycle Printable Pack. We laminated ours for durability. First, William lined them up biggest to smallest. Then, we reversed the process and lined them up smallest to biggest.

Science: Butter Making

For our final lesson, we went to the kitchen and took out a high sided bowl, to help prevent splashing, a whisk, some heavy whipping cream, salt, a bowl of ice, and a pack of crackers.

I started by asking William what animal makes the milk we drink. Then, I explained after a cow is milked the thick cream is skimmed off the top of the milk. It can be used as is or beaten until it separates into butter and buttermilk. He was very eager to try it for himself.

We added the cream and a pinch of salt to the bowl and started whipping. William was not able to beat the cream with as much speed and zest as an adult, so we took turns whipping to speed the process along.

Once the butter and butter milk separated, we set the butter on ice to firm it up and rinse away any remaining buttermilk. 

The final step… the taste test:)

Baby sister woke up for her next feeding just as we finished our lessons. I don’t expect her timing will always be so perfect… lol. 

Love,

b

Deja Vu

Dear Sis,

Since I first held Charlotte in my arms, I’ve been having vivid memories of William as a baby! They look so similar!!!

They both love to have their arms up by their head when sleeping:)

Love,

b

Welcome Baby Sister

Dear Sis,

William finally got to meet baby sister! It was a long anticipated moment and it was nice to have everyone together for a few hours.

William was the first visitor to hold baby Charlotte.

Papa Jeff took a turn next.

Cousin Evelyn was very curious about the new baby, so Papa Carmin helped her take a look.

Charlotte has already stollen all of our hearts!

Love,

b

C is for Charlotte

Dear Sis,

The newest member of our family, Charlotte LeeAnn, arrived this morning at just after 8:30. She weighs 5 pounds 11 ounces and measures 18 inches. 

Love,

b

C is for Cat

Dear Sis,

William is very excited for your arrival later today. It motivated him through lessons very quickly, so he can play with Baby Em when she gets here:)

Our Daily Reading

Today’s fiction selection is one of William’s favorites right now. Max the Brave by Ed Vere is about a kitty who is going to show his bravery by chasing mice… too bad he doesn’t know what mouse looks like.

Today’s non-fiction selection is from The Cat in the Hat Learning Library: What Cat is That? By Tish Rabe. In true Cat-in-the-Hat style, the book is written in rhyme and is loaded with great information about wild and domesticated cats.

Breakfast: Cat Bagel

Cat Bagel
Serves 1
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Ingredients
  1. half a bagel
  2. 2 T flavored cream cheese
  3. 2 strawberry slices
  4. 3 raisins
  5. 6 pretzel sticks
Instructions
  1. Spread cream cheese over bagel, taking care to fill in the center, so it doesn't show.
  2. Add strawberry slice ears, eye and nose raisins, and pretzel whiskers.
Tag Sis, You're It! https://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

“C” is for Cat Letter Craft

Activity Materials

  • Print C is for Cat Letter Craft Template from Miss Maren’s Monkeys Blog, on card stock. 
    • Cut out “C,” ear, and nose portions of the template. We skipped the paper eye and whisker portions of the template.
  • Supply a sheet craft paper for cat (black, brown, gray, orange, white), a second sheet of craft paper for mounting, pink craft paper for nose, 2 large wiggly eyes, a pipe cleaner cut into six portions for whiskers.
  • Crayons optional to add pattern to cat. William wanted to add white stripes to his orange cat.

Student Assembly

  • Trace and cut out or have your grown up trace and cut out the “C,” 2 ears, and a tail from cat colored sheet of craft paper. Trace and cut out nose from pink craft paper.
  • Paste “C,” ears, and tail to the mounting sheet of craft paper.
  • Optional: Add stripes, patches, or spots with crayons, as desired.
  • Paste on wiggly eyes and whiskers.
  • Write or ask your grown up to title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio.

Cat Matching Memory Game

Print Cat Matching Memory Game from Sunny Day Family, on card stock. To finish the game for use, cut cats out, back them with scrapbook paper, and laminate them for durability.

Matching Game

  • Place half of the cards face up and half the cards face down.
  • During turn, player flips a face down card and finds its face up match.

We played this version once before moving onto small scale memory game play.

Memory Game

  • Choose 4-6 pairs of cards. Shuffle and place all face down.
  • During turn, flip two cards. If they match, the player keeps them and has the opportunity to flip two more cards in search of another match. Continue until a match is not made.
  • Play transfers to the second player. Process is the same. 
  • When all cards are collected, they player with the most cards wins.

Cat Whisker Lacing Cards

Print Cat Whisker Lacing Cards form Your Therapy Source, on card stock. Cut out cats, laminate, and punch two holes on each side of nose with hole puncher. Supply pipe cleaners cut in half, for lacing.

Love,

b

C is for Caterpillar

Dear Sis,

Our Daily Reading

Today’s fiction selection was the children’s classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. William has loved this book since he was about 7 months old. He knows it so well he counts the fruit by himself and says, “but he was still hungry” on each page.

Today’s non-fiction selection was From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Camilla de la Bedoyere. It is a life cycle book with just the right amount of text and wonderful photography!

“C” is for Caterpillar Letter Craft

Parent Preparation

Student Assembly

  • Color letter C with crayons.
  • Cut out or ask your grown up to cut out the C and the caterpillar head.
  • Paste the letter C to a sheet of craft paper.
  • Paste caterpillar head, eyes, and antenna in place.
  • Paste pom-poms as desired.
  • Write or have your gown up title, name, and date your work, for your homeschool portfolio.

Butterfly Color Sorting Mat

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • Begin by asking student to name the color of each flower.
  • Then, naming the color of each butterfly as they go, have student place butterflies above the color match flower.

Butterfly Life Cycle Wheel

Activity Materials

Our Process

I handed William the life cycle wheel and started asking him questions. His responses were a mixture of verbal and visual using the wheel. Prompt ideas:

  • How does a caterpillar enter the world? 
  • Once a caterpillar is large enough, what does it become?
  • After a few weeks as a pupa, what emerges?
  • How do adult butterflies make new baby caterpillars?

Caterpillar Egg Counting Mats

Activity Materials

Our Process

  • First, we discussed that zero meant their were no eggs anywhere.
  • Then, we matched the puzzle numerals with the numbered leaf cards. 
  • Next, we placed the correct number of egg counters on each leaf, counting with each addition.
  • For leaf 10, we moved the one and zero numeral puzzle pieces before adding egg counters.

William worked out of sequence, on his own accord, and I didn’t try to correct him. He still successfully placed the proper number of egg counters on each leaf:)

Love,

b

Anniversary Treats

Dear Sis, 

Today Josh and I are celebrating 5 years of marriage. William and I spent the afternoon making treats for the occasion.

Fresh Peach Pie
Serves 8
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Ingredients
  1. double refrigerated pie crust
  2. 5 c peaches, peeled and sliced
  3. 1 T lemon juice
  4. 1 t orange zest
  5. 1/2 t almond extract
  6. 1 c sugar
  7. 1/4 c cornstarch
  8. 1/2 t nutmeg
  9. 1/4 t salt
  10. 2 T cold unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
  1. Line a pie plate with one crust, vent with a fork, and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400.
  3. Toss together all ingredients except butter. Pour fruit mixture into crust lined pie plate. Scatter butter cubes. Top with second crust. Tuck edges and press to seal. Vent top with a knife.
  4. Bake 45 minutes. Cool 30 minutes or more before serving. Cover and chill leftovers.
Adapted from Taste of Home - Shirley Olson
Adapted from Taste of Home - Shirley Olson
Tag Sis, You're It! https://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

While the pie was baking, we made S’more Popcorn Balls. 

S'more Popcorn Balls
Yields 8
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Ingredients
  1. 1/4 c salted butter
  2. 1 (10 oz) pkg mini marshmallows
  3. 1 t vanilla extract
  4. 4 c popcorn (1/4 c kernels)
  5. 2 c Golden Graham cereal
  6. 1 c milk chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Melt together butter and marshmallows, on the stovetop or in a microwave safe bowl, until smooth.
  2. Stir in vanilla. Fold in popcorn and cereal. Cool enough to handle easily.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips. With buttered hands, shape 8 balls and place on waxed paper until set.
  4. Wrap balls individually in plastic wrap to store.
Adapted from I Heart Eating
Adapted from I Heart Eating
Tag Sis, You're It! https://www.tagsisyoureit.com/

We mixed in our chocolate too soon, so it melted:)

Love,

b