Out With the Old

The girls and I frequently take short trips down to the town park.  We are fortunate enough to live within walking distance.  So on nice days, we'll walk down and the girls play while I run or walk on the half-mile trail that runs around the perimeter of the park.  In this way we get to enjoy the outdoors and get in a little bit of exercise too.

The park has a big wooden playset that has been there for maybe ten years or so.  It is on a raised mulch surface, with all the modern safety precautions that are required these days.  Another area of the park houses older equipment: a metal slide, huge swings, a climbing gym, and a merry-go-round that were all there back when I was a kid.

Lately the girls have been playing on the merry-go-round quite a bit.  They invented a game where they get it spinning and then one is supposed to hop off and built a volcano in the dirt on the ground as quickly as she can.  They've even involved other kids in this game, when they're around and seemingly interested.

About a week and a half ago, we took a trip to the park, as we've done so often, and found that all the old playground equipment had been removed.  Only the new wooden playset remains.  We had just been to the park not a week before, when the girls had been playing their merry-go-round/volcano game.  Then POOF! it was all gone.

So this past Wednesday, when we had a half day of school because of accreditation, we ventured to the Timberville park instead.  We used to go there when we lived in Timberville, and they have a merry-go-round there that I thought the girls might enjoy.  They also have a see-saw... who has those death traps anymore?!  The girls didn't spend much time on the merry-go-round, but they did enjoy a new park with different equipment.  They spent the first ten minutes running from location to location, showing each other all the "new" things.  They really didn't remember this park since it had been awhile since we'd been there.

On the twisty slide

Pajama Reading Day

Pajama Reading Day is a favorite and time-honored tradition at EMES.  Friday was the long-awaited day.

The girls wore their long flannel nightgowns that I made them for Christmas.  They took sleeping bags, pillows, stuffed animals, Banky, books, slippers, etc.  I really should have taken a picture of them with the mound of stuff they each took along to school that day.

Friday started off cool and rainy but turned warm by the afternoon.  By the time we got home from school, they were ready to be out of the flannel PJs!  I'd love to make them some light summer nightgowns, but I'm not sure when (or if) I'll have time this spring.

Photo courtesy Mary G-H

At school they had multiple DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) times throughout the day, as well as having their teachers and other adults and students read to them.  A special snack of animal crackers and hot chocolate was enjoyed in the morning.

Silly faces!

It is really special that their school encourages such a love of reading.  Both girls were excited for this day and reported that they didn't tire of the extra reading.  We are very fortunate to be able to give them such an education.

Chess Club

On Thursdays during the months of March and April, Hannah and Sophie have been participating in chess club after school at EMES.  Neither had really played chess before beginning the club, but both now enjoy playing and look forward to Thursday afternoons.  They have a snack after school and then begin playing chess, playing multiple games with different opponents until 3:45 or 4pm when I go to pick them up.  They are even learning fancy French rules (such as En Passant) that I never learned back when I used to enjoy chess.

Sophie giving me the eye while finishing a game

Hannah playing against Audrey (photo courtesy Jeanine S.)

Sophie might have gotten a little bored on this particular Thursday afternoon

Breadmaking

I spent yesterday with my Sunday school class making 24 loaves of oatmeal bread, 15 challah loaves, and 4 dozen cinnamon rolls to donate to our church youth group for them to sell and raise money for a summer trip.  Here are some blurry pictures to document the day:

Mixing the dough while figuring out how to measure out the proper poundage of each ingredient

A couple of our little helpers

Laura manning the huge, industrial mixer containing dough enough for 12 loaves

"Muffin-top" bowls of rising dough

Rolling dough for challah

Ellie helps brush the egg wash on the challah

Shaping the oatmeal loaves

April hacking off portions of oatmeal dough with a machete-like knife

Lots of bread ready for the oven

Amazing-looking challah

Oven full of oatmeal bread

One pan of delicious cinnamon rolls

Getting ready for lunch while the bread cools

The humongous deep dish pizza we made for lunch

Enjoying a meal together while the last of the bread bakes

Bagged and ready to be sold

Nearly all gone!

Tales from the Fridge

More of what's been posted on our refrigerator lately:

Hannah's READO chart for March reading month at school

Not exactly new, but Sophie sometimes turns into a lean, mean, cleaning machine and gets very excited about the extra money she earns cleaning toilets and bathroom sinks/counters, wiping the table, washing dishes, etc.

Hannah's truly awesome farm drawing

Hannah's drawing of a tropical bird on my whiteboard at school

Sophie's depiction of her dad at work.  Isn't it great?

Not exactly a tale from the fridge, but here they are sitting on "thrones" while watching TV

Art-Filled Birthday Party

Last weekend Sophie went to a classmate's birthday party held at an art studio.  She came home with the awesome face-painting job you see above.  Unfortunately, it was dinnertime when she returned home, and she was singing in church for Palm Sunday the next day, so we didn't get to enjoy it for too long.

While at the party, they made fairy wings and a wand, which you see below.  I would never have thought to have a party at an art studio, but she has a wonderful time!

She also got a book of construction paper, watercolors, and glitter as her party treat.  So she and Hannah made quick work of putting them to use.

Here's some of what they created:

by Hannah

by Sophie

by Hannah

Our Easter in Pictures

Hunting Easter eggs at the church egg hunt

My beautiful girl

Checking out their loot

Easter eggs colored with Granny (Hannah's)

Sophie's

Hot cross buns for Easter breakfast at church

Finding baskets on Easter morning

Obligatory picture in Easter dresses

Indoor Easter egg hunt because of the rainy weather

Cheeks stuffed full of Reese cups

They were allowed to eat as much Easter candy as they wanted between lunch and dinner

Don't miss out on the Passion Walk that the girls led us on later in the day on Easter Sunday.