Harvest Time: Week 2 Review

Even before we began I considered changing the topic of this week.  Both of the girls are lactose intolerant and the idea of a full week on dairy, including dairy-making activities, seems a bit silly.  In the end I thought that it was still important for Soph to understand that most people use dairy as a staple in their diet and how it is made.   The only specific change that I made was to talk about raw and cultured dairy.  Seems a bit chemistry-like, perhaps a little over most toddler's heads, but homogenization and pasteurization were both discuss in the Aliki book. 

I supplemented the readings with a Snipp, Snapp, Snurr book and wow!  it is now a favorite.  I plan to take a few more out of the library and see where I can fit them into our reading time. 

We began mornings with Circle Time.  With the stress of moving and all that came with it this summer I got into the habit of allowing them a morning show as soon as we all came downstairs.  This gave (groggy and sleepy) me time to brew a cup of tea and to cook breakfast.  It became a habit because it worked so well.  So, in order for our mornings to be technology free (this, of course excludes my camera and computer!) I needed to find an activity that they both enjoyed just as much as Sprout. 

We break out the big white comforter and put it in the middle of the floor.  We pick comfy spots and sing and finger-play-away!

This week's Circle Time Songs:

Fall Poem

(I'm not sure where this is from.  My mother uses it in her public school classroom)

Red and Yellow, green and brown

(Count off the colors on your fingers)

Lives are falling to the ground.

(Simulate falling leaves with hands)

We pile them up OH SO HIGH:

(pile leaves with hands)

Then we JUMP in!

(pretend to jump in)

My dog and I!

Pup Pup and Soph enjoying the "leaves"

Five Little Chipmunks

(Betty Jones/A Child's Seasonal Treasury)

5 little chipmunks by the lakeside shore, 

1 fell down and then there were 4. 

4 little chipmunks running wild and free, 

1 fell down and then there were 3. 

3 little chipmunks over logs they flew, 

1 fell down and then there were 2. 

2 little chipmunks they would race and run, 

1 fell down and then there was 1. 

1 little chipmunk basking in the sun, 

He went to his hallowed-home and then there were none!

We colored leaves red and yellow, green and brown to match the Fall Poem and decorated our mantle with them.  Sophia really enjoys using the scissors so she's likely to tell you that this was her very favorite project of the week!

We decided to bake Applesauce bread to eat with our fresh butter.  (I am still having a love affair with my bread machine.)  Yum!  I tried really hard to pump Soph up for the Butter Battle.  Girl .vs. Machine.  Told her how the process worked and how it was like magic.  You pour the cream in and shook it and it came out butter.  I thought the wonder of it all would motivate her to keeeeeeep shaking. 

Excitedly pouring the cream into her mason jar!

Now, the rest into the mixer...

30 seconds later.....She was done. 

Well, folks...She fooled me.  I thought she'd make it a few minutes and then I'd have to shake the rest.  She made it about 30 seconds into it and hit herself in the face with the mason jar.  That was it.  It was over.  White flag. 

D.O.N.E.

The buttermilk is separating

BUTTER!!!!!

She was really interested, but I think in the end the country-girl-scientist-mama was more amazed at the whole process.  To her it was just natural.

And then there were tea parties with fresh bread, butter and chamomile tea.