Favorite Words Wednesday

I like the idea of my cousin Jerilynn's favorite things list, but I want to post my favorite words. This weeks favorite word is O-TAY said by almost 3 year old Caroline. I loved this word from the "Little Rascals" and I love it everytime she says O-TAY.

Look at this little rascal, dirty face and all! I love this picture of her, I think it portrays her perfectly!

Spinning

Here's a better picture of this woman spinning the Alpaca fiber.

Saturday, Alpaca Day Field Trip

Yesterday we went to the Alpaca Farm. Olivia really wanted to see them spin the fiber into yarn and weave it. They didn't have that last year, so I did not think they would have it this year and told her so. Well, lo and behold they did! We also got to pet the animals this year. The first picture is of a man carding the wool. One women is spinning the fiber (in the picture with Olivia) and another woman is weaving. I had no idea that they make new spinning wheels and weavers, but they do. In Boerne they even have a fiber fair called Kid and Ewe and Llama too(isn't that cute), in November (can't wait to take Olivia to that!). She is really interested in how things are made. I love homeschooling!

We belong in a different century, don't we?!

Kindergarten Science 101

Some of you know I'm a homeschooler and you've asked what we do. Olivia and I want to post some of the things that we do.

Here is a tomato hornworm that Olivia found on a bell pepper plant in our garden (I thought they only ate tomato plants, obviously not). She's been wanting to find a caterpillar on a plant so we would know what it eats and could capture it. We'll keep you posted and hopefully show you the moth or butterfly it becomes (I think moth). Just in case you wanted to know this caterpillar has really big poop. We'll post a picture if I get a good one. It's disgusting!

A lot of our homeschooling comes from the Bible, Library books, our garden, goats and conversations that we have. She loves science and arts and crafts. She knows her alphabet and the sounds of each letter and can write each letter. She's not quite reading, but probably will by the end of the year. We try to memorize a bible verse each week. This year I really want her to learn all the well known Bible stories.

I put the picture of the orange on here because a month ago she asked how a flower because a vegetable or fruit. I did not know, but we found out in a library book. In case you do not know how this happens; the insects take the pollen from one flower and take it to the ovule of another. As the seed swells and grows, the fruit around the seed also swells and grows.

I'm learning a lot in Kindergarten!

What's Cookin'? Chicken n Dumplin's

Here's are Friday night dinner. We love chicken and dumplins! Here's the dumplin' recipe. The rest is easy.

2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp shortening (I used butter)

2/3 c milk

Mix into dough and roll out thin, cut into squares and boil 5 minutes.

These dumplins are good, but I really prefer using canned bisquits. I should have skimmed the fat off the broth this time. I add some milk with flour into my broth and let it boil. We also like to add carrots and celery to our stalk.

THE SOUL IS HEALED BY BEING WITH CHILDREN.
-Fyodor Dostoevsky

Olivia's Quilt

Olivia had an idea for a quilt. It was a great idea, but as you can see it has a few holes. She says that it's good enough and she already wrapped it up and gave it to her sister. Does anyone have an idea for a yarn quilt for a 5 year old (and of course her Mommy) to make with a few less holes and a more complete look to it (Jerilyn maybe)?

Is it Singing or Jumping Lessons?

Marvelous Monday

On Monday's the girls and I take singing lessons. We have improved, but can still improve greatly. As most of you know I have no musical talent, so what this means is I can IMPROVE! Yea! I also take piano lessons. Again, no natural ability whatsoever, but, you guessed it, room for improvement! Hip, hip, hooray! It would be ever so boring to have natural ability! Ha, ha!

Only in Bandera

The kids and I went to Bandera today to the Grand Opening of Crawford Pharmacy for kid play and FREE FOOD. Well, what should our wondering eyes behold, but (no, not tiny reindeer) a real life baby buffalo on a leash!! Then the same man later had a camel. I saw him as I was loading up the kids and I hollered "Hey can we pet the camel?" So, we got to pet a baby camel, on a leash!! Wow, we really love the small towns around here! It's like a free petting zoo!! Ha, ha!

Caroline says ,"that baby buffalo was super hilarious."

Olivia's Beautiful Mud Cake

Here's one of Olivia's best mud cakes. She could make mud cakes, pies, and soups for hours. (Notice the pieces of grass around the edges of the cake, true dedication!)

Zucchini Creations

Olivia loves arts and crafts. She's very good at thinking up crafts we can all do. She told me yesterday that she dreams about arts and crafts!

She saw these zucchinis out in the yard that we had picked from the

garden and threw out. She thought that it would be a good idea to make flower pots out of them. Then one thing led to another and we carved a couple and put candles.

Olivia wanted a flower painted on her face. Lipstick probably wasn't my best idea! It took awhile to get off!!

I have a blog

Who knew I would be a blogger? Maybe I'll have pictures up soon. I'm trying!