Wednesday Creative Project

"The Artist at Work"

"An Army of Ants"

"Oh wait! Here I am before starting the project!"

Wednesday's creative project this week. Its called an "Army of Ants" and I thought this would be a fun piece to do together. Tristan wasn't too interested in the taping the piece of denim to the cardboard, as he was sifting through his markers and checking out the electrical tape I used for the project. Yet, once we got to the part where we could decorate the fabric, he was all hands on deck to do his art-which I have no issues with; besides, the cutting of cardboard, taping of fabric to the cardboard piece will come along in time. His reaction to my applying the marker to the pads of his fingers was priceless; imagine having your mom applying marker to your fingers to create "finger print bugs."

I found this project in a great book about using art to learn and work through the alphabet; the book shows to work up to four projects in one week, making it 26 weeks to work through the alphabet but I've shortened it for us here at home by working through two letters at a time and one project per letter. The book is geared for older kids, like grade school but I believe with a little modification, we can still use some of the project ideas. Listed below is the activity and the supplies needed and directions to conduct the session.

An Army of Ants

Materials:

-thick cardboard

-scissors

-scrap fabric to cover cardboard

-masking tape (or tape that you can find that will secure fabric to cardboard)

-inkpads (or washable markers)

-fine tip markers

The Creative Process:

-Cut the cardboard into an 8" x 8" square.

-Cover one side of the cardboard square with scrap fabric and secure in place with tape.

-Draw a block-style letter "A" on the cloth covered square.

-Demonstrate how to create ants by covering finger pad with washable marker, color of choice, and press it onto the tablecloth. Place two prints beside each other, touching. Add legs and antennae with the marker.

-Encourage your child to place "ants" all over his/her tablecloth.

Reference:

-Campbell, Kelly J. "Art Across the Alphabet: Over 100 Art Experiences That Enrich Early Literacy."

Looking at our bugs, I was glad we used the black marker; something tells me if we had used brown, our ants may have taken on the appearance of cockroaches-run screaming from the room, please! Of all the bugs in the insect world, those are the only creepy crawlers I absolutely can't stand-YUCK!!!!!!

Our next letter is "B" and we'll be painting with paints that begin with the letter "B." Here's to Wednesday Creative Projects! ~Mom

The Last Wednesday of April, part three

"I think I'm done, Mom...."

"Homeschool Schedule for May"

Ahhh....part three....we worked with an art project today for our Wednesday Creative Project. We made the schedule for the month of April as well, and I did photograph it, I just didn't post it. Looking back, Tristan barely put crayon to paper then and with this time, he really went to town-note the Picasso marks in the bottom and in the upper right hand corner. I was so proud of him, as he didn't need prompting to do so-only to keep the crayons and markers on the paper and not on the coffee table we used as our tabletop to work our project. Homeschool preschool trials have been going well, and I find I'm getting better at schedules, organizing activities, making sure we get time for what I've sketched out for the day. We're also working on potty training, and we're seeing success. I keep in mind that Tristan may regress once the new baby comes in July but this is something that does happen at times with older siblings and we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Now that we have May and June schedules set up, I have to sit and work out the details to put it on the poster boards to post when the next month comes into view. I want to work on as much as we can, within reason and also to not put pressure or stress my lil' man out with learning, because as of July, we'll be working on our "Summer Reading Program." For the months of July and possibly half or most of August, we'll be reading, playing at the park, squeeze some swim time in there, and working in the garden. Ahhh...the joys of summer to come. ~Mom

The Last Wednesday of April, part two

So, after a bit of troubleshooting with internet speed and downloading, I've attached the links for my recipes for Sunday night's dinner that we had here in our home. I made Columbian & Peruvian dinner, as a treat for the interns who've been here in Vermont since mid-Jan. We've sponsored the Columbian interns since last summer, which has been a treat for improving my spanish and exposing Tristan to the spanish language to continue to grow and nurture our bilingual home. Anyway, please click onto the links below for the recipes in full, and remember, when life hands you lemons, launch them back like hand granades if you don't care for the prospect of making lemonade. Cheers!

Wednesday Creative Project

"I thought I moved these..."

"Pollinator Attraction Planting"

"Creative Project"

"My Little Gardener"

Gardening today, and it has gone well. I finally got all three of my raised beds moved, and can concentrate on working in and around them as the season unfolds. Now is a time for planting seeds, starting seedlings, taking inventory of my seed collection to see what else I'm missing for seeds and plants, track the lunar calendar to keep track of the right times to plant, keep the squirrels at bay so they don't end up in my soup pot-although, its been years since I've had squirrel for dinner, and to enjoy the season as it comes along.

It amazes me that even though I moved bulbs and plants, somehow they seem to pop up in the places I've moved them from. Roots? Perhaps, and something I'm not too concerned about. Move them again and again until all are moved, I suppose. I love letting some things grow and go where they will, as it creates color to appreciate for the time we have it; its when it gets out of control that I have to take a step back to access the situation of moving or totally taking out and giving away just to get rid of it. Looking for a plant/seed swap....

It was supposed to rain this afternoon; my plans to clean the house, work on tonight's dinner, and the seemingly never-ending sweater project to finish are still being carried through but augh! Who wants to be inside on a day like this? I love days when the sun shines all day; makes me want to hire a housekeeper just for those days....yeah right, like that's going to happen. Right now, I'm focused on prepping dinner and cleaning the kitchen to start with. I'll move around the rest of the house, along with shutting down the garden project and cleaning off the back porch to move into the late afternoon and early evening.

Tristan and I put together a pollinator planting box; he made the box @ one of the kids' building workshops we take him to on Saturday mornings. I thought it was a cute building project and to use the project for a school project was great. We planted sunflowers, marigolds, moonflowers, and morning glories to attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds to pollinate our gardens for this year. I still have seeds left over that I will start and transplant as we garden along. Next week may be an art project but if its this nice again next Wednesday, we'll be utilizing the back porch for our creative time. ~Mom

Efficiency

-"I don't know everything. I just do everything." ~Toni Morrison

Wednesday Creative Project

"Off to the hose for water..."

"I might need some help...."

"Urban Homesteader......"

"How about a clean driveway?"

Here we are, a beautiful sunny day in Vermont! Perfect gardening day, and I think we made the most of the morning. I decided at 7:15 AM today that going outside would be the best idea after a day of what appeared to be chaos from yesterday. You know, those days when you clean an area and your kids come through and bring you back to the starting point all over again? Yeah, it was one of those Tuesdays; this was after a great morning at the library and wandering through the produce section of one of the local markets to identify foods....of course, we had to look at the "organics" section as well.....

This morning, we spent time digging in the dirt, planting seeds-turnips & early greens with pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, etc...in containers to wait until mature enough to plant and especially after the last spring frost. Yes, I plant the old way-lunar calendars, farmer's almanac, and sage wisdom from people I've known my whole life to propagate food from the soil. Tristan planted pumpkin and watermelon seeds, watered everything he could pour water on-including the driveway-and played with his trucks while I worked the soil to plant grass seed in bare spots, turn the soil over, work on the compost pile, and till over in my head how to better manage things. We tried potty training right there on the back porch, had three accidents, ate lunch outside, and came in to clean up, read books for nap time, and when I heard the snoring of a toddler snuggled in my arms, I knew that I did the right thing by making the morning an outside learning experience.

After a short rest stop for me, cleaning the house (I always leave it for the afternoon because our morning hours are focused on homeschool), laundry (I have a feeling I'm going to be going food shopping tomorrow and clothes are piling up), some research, and found a great way to make better use of my time. Thanks to a tip about schedules coordinating creativity, business, home management, time with the kids, and making time for yourself, I'm ready to bang out another schedule but this is a monthly set up; I already have a weekly schedule and a daily schedule, so I would say this makes sense. I was never one for schedules but once I signed on for my third attempt for an undergrad degree back in 2001, I managed to keep my spontaneous nature and learn how to schedule at the same time. Now, with being a parent, running my own business, and everything else I have on my plate, it comes in handy to schedule-I feel like my "free time" is spontaneous these days....oy! ~Mom

"Let each man exercise the art he knows." ~Aristophanes, 450 BC-388 BC

Wednesday Creative Project

Juice pops were on the list today for a creative project, working with materials from right here at home. Washed, recycled applesauce cups with a straw cut into thirds, a banana cut into thick slices, and orange and grape juice to make the main body of the pop.

Of course, as you can see, we had a couple of "floaters." For whatever reason, the grape juice pops ended up being interesting looking with their sticks kicked off to the side but I bet they're just as edible.

In the freezer, Tristan and I went outside to enjoy the wonderful weather we had this morning, once again after lunch, and we're on day two of no nap. I think nap time is going through another major adjustment due to the fact that his bed went from crib status to big boy bed by taking down the crib railing and putting up the toddler bed bumper. At least he's not falling out during the night onto the air mattress that I set up on the floor underneath the bed. The first night he rolled, bounced, and landed in the middle of the mattress-never woke up during this acrobatic feat.

Other notes, we're working on homeschooling and I think its going well. We have a schedule hanging up, a notebook to keep track of daily work, and my little sponge is quite the learner. I'm glad I made the decision to try homeschool, and hope that each day that comes, Tristan will continue to learn and flourish.

Fiber projects are coming together in completion. I have one I'm struggling with, so I set it aside to focus on others to give myself a break from racking my brain to figure this puzzle out. Writing is coming along, one step at a time like it usually does and I have no complaints.

Warrior Mom

-"Even the most courageous warriors need to remember this simple wisdom: there is a time to take on the world and a time to rest, replenish and reflect." ~Jillian Klarl

Am I in a Warp and Don't Know it?

Ok, this is the second time posting and issues with trying to post more than one pic at a time. Not sure what that's all about but hey, we'll get through it, around it, over it, whatever it takes to move on from this realm of sticky goo. Pictured to your right is our Wednesday creative/science and math project-Onion Bagels. We also made Dill Cream Cheese to go with them, which I have to say, early in the morning, these are great! Absolutely love them! Even Tristan likes his bagel, excluding cream cheese but warm from the toaster oven all the same. My little helper appears to have a tendency for baking-not a bad thing, I have to say. Ok, I just tried something and I think I'll be happy with my posting and my pic layout for this post. Here's the recipes for the bagels and cream cheese; the bagel recipe is from a bread cookbook I have and the cream cheese recipe is shooting from the hip......enjoy!

Onion Bagels

4 1/4 to 4 1/2 c. bread flour*

2 packages active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water (110 degrees)

3 Tbsp. agave nectar*

1 Tbsp. salt

*Notes: I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour, as I find it rises better for me and I work with my dough a bit less than the average or professional baker. I substituted the sugar for agave nectar, which is a great non-processed sweetening alternative.

In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 c. of the flour and the yeast. Combine water, sugar, and salt. Add to dry mixture in mixer bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 1/2 min., scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 mins. at high speed. By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 mins.). Cover; let dough rest 15 mins.

Cut into 12 portions; shape into smooth balls. Punch a hole in center of each with a floured finger. Pull gently to enlarge hole, working each bagel into uniform shape. Cover; let rise 20 mins. (Optional step for glossy, smooth surface: Place raised bagels on greased baking sheet and broil 5 in. from heat for 1 1/2 to 2 mins. on each side).

In large kettle combine 1 gallon water and 1 Tbsp. sugar; bring to boiling. Reduce heat to simmering; cook 4 or 5 bagels at a time for 7 mins., turning once. Drain. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 mins. (For bagels that have been broiled, bake about 25 mins.) Makes 12.

Onion Bagels: Prepare bagels as above, except cook 1/2 c. finely chopped onion in 3 Tbsp. butter til tender but not brown. Brush onion-butter mixture over tops of bagels after first 15 mins. of baking.

Dill Cream Cheese

1 brick softened cream cheese (bargain or name brand is choice of baker)

3 Tbsp. dried Dill

Place ingredients into bowl, using fork to fold dill into cream cheese. Enjoy on your bagel!

So, there it is, our Wednesday project for this week. Love, Mom

"The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it."

~Plutarch, 46 AD-120 AD

A Day Later But Never Too Late For Apple Tart

Tarte aux Pommes

2 lbs. medium cooking apples, peeled, quartered & cored
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. raw sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
3/4 lb. shortcrust (homemade pastry)*

Cut each cooking apple quarter lengthwise into two or three slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar and toss to combine. Melt the butter in a large heavy frying pan over medium heat and add the apples. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 12 mins until the apples are just golden brown. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 12 in. round and trim the edge if uneven. Carefully transfer the pastry round to a baking sheet. Spoon the apple slices onto the pastry round, heaping them up, and leaving a 2 in. border all around the edge of the pastry. Turn the pastry border and gather it around the apples to enclose the outside apples. Bake the tart for 35-40 mins. until the pastry is crisp and browned. Serve warm, with crem fraiche or cream, if desired. ~Serves 6.

I chose to sub the sugar originally stated-superfine-with the raw. I also make my own pastry (2 c. flour, 1/4 c. oil, & enough milk to moisten & form into pliable dough) as opposed to buying pre-made dough, and love the results of leaving my edges rough, as it adds to the "rustic Farmhouse charm" of this tart. To me, I consider this the pie before pans were such a needed element to pie recipes. The best part, aside from the end result, pictured above before cutting and loving, was the added hand I had in prepping the apples before folding into the crust and baking.

"I'm helping, really I am...."

We were a day late on our typical Wednesday project but hey, sometimes that's what life does-creates a change in our days to help us see that a schedule is made to shape and bend just as much as following it to the nose. I also feel like I'm preparing for becoming more flexible about schedules and getting things done so that I can savor the most important moments of life-my family and my time spent with them. Running errands and keeping appointments are important but to keep in mind that time for those priceless moments come and never come back. Take each moment for what it is, and savor each second. It all passes away so very quickly. These are days to remember....Love, Mom

"All my possessions for a moment of time." ~Elizabeth I (1533-1603)