Tot School: Garden and Vegetables/Week 4 July 2012

7/19/2012

This week has been a good week. We definitely all had some challenging days, but I pray they will prove to be fruitful in the long run. I have been trying to cling to this verse in those tough moments when my role as Mama, Emily and Em-ie (as Leila so cutely calls me) can be challenging...

"For in the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11 ESV

I have really been meditating on this verse this week in many ways. My goal for these girls ultimately is, first, that they would come to know and love the Lord, and second, that they would learn how to love, interact and serve the many people God will place in their lives well. Ultimately, I want them to find peace in Christ, I pray they root their worth in Him and know how much they are loved, and I hope to assist them in discovering the specific ways God has gifted each of them and to find the passions He has placed in their hearts to love and serve well.

With that said, we did have some fun with our garden theme and the Book of the Week, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, but sometimes it is good to take a "time-out," assess, re-focus, and then, by God's grace, move forward. Amen!

BOOK OF THE WEEK:

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!
By: Candace Fleming

BIBLE VERSE:
"Don't forget to [be nice} and to share; for such things please God."
Hebrews 13:16

"I planted, [another] watered, but God made it grow."
1 Corinthians 3:6

BIBLE STORY:
Joshua and the Falling Walls of Jericho, Joshua 6:1-27

Building the Wall of Jericho

Singing and playing instruments while marching around our City of Jericho for the 7th time.

"And the walls came tumbling down..."

MUSIC CONNECTION:

Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho,
Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho,
And The Walls Came Tumbling Down!

CRAFTY CORNER: Create Your Own Garden Plot

This was a fun project. The girls requested different fruits and vegetables for their "Garden Plot," and then I cut their request out of paper. They asked for carrots, tomatoes, blueberries, eggplant and pumpkins. I encouraged them to put the matching fruit/vegetables in the same row. Overall, they did fairly well lining them up.

    What you will need:
        - garden plot
        - various pictures of vegetables
        - glue and scissors

LITERARY CONNECTION: Dramatize the Story

Using your tot’s garden plot from CRAFTY CORNER, have her act out parts of the story. Cut out bunny shapes out of cardstock and laminate. (We used stuffed bunnies. We just happen to have three!) Create a fence/gate, create a brick wall, create a moat, and then a barricaded wall. Let their imaginations loose!!!

The girls had a ball with this. We have read the book, Muncha, Muncha, Muncha, many times this week. The girls giggle every time the bunnies end up in the garden again night after night and "muncha, muncha, muncha." They had fun acting out the story with props. Elmo, who isn't pictured, was our Mr. McGreely from the story. Too cute!

TOT LAP BOOK:

This is my first lap book. I have seen many other moms use them and decided I wanted to give it a try. It was quiet a bit of work to make, and, honestly, really easy for the girls to unintentionally destroy even though I tried to use cardstock, and laminate as much as possible. As cute as they are, and as much as the girls loved all the interactive components, I think I may revisit this when the girls get a little bit older...

The link for all the parts needed to create this lap book (and many many others) is above. Just hover over the word "lap book."

SCIENCE CONNECTION: Continue to water our garden...

WE HAVE SPROUTS!!!

FOOD FUN: Honey Carrot Chips and Crispy Kale

Honey Carrot Chips
I found this recipe on a great mom blog called, One Handed Cooks. It is a blog devoted to quick and easy recipes that are kid-friendly. The girls did such a great job taking turns brushing on the butter and honey mixture!

Ingredients
        2-3 carrots, peeled and cut thin rounds
        1 tbs butter, melted
        1 tsp honey

Directions:
        1. Preheat your oven to broil.
        2. Combine the butter and honey.
        3. Lay the carrot chips on the baking
             sheet. Brush the honey mixture over
             the top.
        4. Bake chips for 5 minutes, turn, bake for
            another 5 minutes or until golden (This
            ended up taking much longer than 10
            minutes. You just have to keep an eye
            on them so they get crispy, but not
            burned.)

Crispy Kale Chips
I started making these chips last summer when our farm share provided us with more kale than I knew what to do with. This is a yummy, super healthy snack. Kale is full of calcium and lots of other healthy goodness. This is a great way to get your kids to eat it without them knowing it...hehe.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups of kale, washed and spines removed
olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions:
1. Rise the kale and cut out the spine of each
     leaf. Cut the kale into chip-size pieces.
2. Spread kale on a baking sheer (I put foil
     over it to make clean up a little bit easier.)
3. Brush on oil and sprinkle with salt.
4. Place in oven pre-heated to 375 on the top
     rack for about 5-10 minutes. Check
     frequently. You want to leaves to be crispy,
     but not burnt.

Moments to Remember was developed as a simple way to look back on our week as "home-schoolers" and find photos that encompass the memories we want to remember. The week may have been tough, there may have been more bumps than smiles, but in the end these are the moments that keep us going, the ones we need to remember!
~ Taken from 1+1+1=1 and Homeschool Creations