Pumpkin Power

Len refashioned the compost bin this summer.  Now, in addition to an earlier remodel that made it possible to dump produce directly from the deck, the bin has two sections with removable sides.  Isn't it lovely?

Our garden did not do well this year.  It could be due to too much rain or not enough tending (I'm a big-time gardening slacker); we may never know.

Our most successful crops are our "volunteers"--pumpkins and butternut squash that grew from the compost!

My science program this year is inspired by Barb McCoy's nature study blog.  It's filled with an overwhelming number of lessons and outdoor challenges based on Anna Botsford Comstock's classic Handbook of Nature Study.  (free download here)  The book has a lesson on pumpkins, so we started our fall session in our own backyard.

The remaining comments will be from Rebecca (age 8).

The tendrils are searching for something to grab onto so they can help the plant climb.

Here is a tendril that's long and thin, and it's grabbing on to the fence.  It looks like it would feel squishy, but it actually feels like thin, metal wire.  In the background is a ripe butternut squash that we picked.  It had grown into the compost bin! 

This is a female flower, and the big bulb below the closed bud will turn into a pumpkin. 

The one above is also a female flower, but it is open.  Below is the same flower at a different angle where you can see the stigmas, which receive the pollen.

Here are two pictures of male flowers which make the pollen and do not produce any pumpkins.

The stems look fuzzy but are actually kind of spiky.  They're usually thick and strong enough to let the pumpkins hang without touching the ground.

The leaves are big and usually have five lobes.

Here are two unripe pumpkins.  They start out green but then turn orange.

This pumpkin is pretty big and it's almost ripe.  It's growing in between the fence of the garden and the fence of the compost.

Grandmas Aren't the Only Ones Who Like to Babysit

Co-op Craft

On Monday I led our small co-op in creating this Tiffany style art project.  I was efficient enough to gather all the materials, but unfortunately not so with-it that I brought my camera.  Thus, there are no pictures of the process or any finished artwork besides Rebecca's.

 

 I followed the instructions on Kids and Glitter--visit there for the details.  The children drew simple designs on cardboard and glued yarn onto the outlines.  The yarn was covered with foil, then colored with permanent markers and outlined with black Sharpies.  If the cardboard is cut to the suggested 6 1/2" x 9" it can be attached to colored cardstock to frame the picture.

We followed the suggested Lenten theme, but this technique can be used to make all sorts of beautiful images.  Enjoy!

Thank God for Aunts

My children are blessed with some wonderful aunts.  They love my kids, pray for them, offer treats and cousin time, and accept them unconditionally.  I'm so grateful to them all.

 

Len's sister lives nearest to us, and is a champion example of aunt-awesomeness.  (When I grow up, maybe I'll be as good as she is.)  She comes over regularly (even though most of the children are too old to be baby-sat) and spends quality thought, time, and resources on gift-giving occasions.

 

For example, to celebrate Joseph's birthday, she took him out to eat (twice in one day--those teen boy appetites!) and then to a rock-climbing class.

MA bought Rebecca a Sculpey starter set and project book for her birthday.  She took her out to eat, then came home to work with the clay.  The ladies created

colorful pony-tail holders (with a button kit)

 and twisted bracelets.

 Thank you, 'sters, for your gifts of time and love.

Tennis, Anyone?

I made a new friend last year. Her oldest is the same age as my youngest; we met through our daughters. We co-oped for writing, art, and science with a third family, and the girls shared a tiny homeschool ballet class.

J's role in the co-op was hosting a four-year-old boy so the co-op (which included older siblings) could run more smoothly. I think she would have enjoyed teaching, but with a napping toddler at home, it was not to be. And she was a huge help. The four-year-olds had more fun at her house, and the writing class was easier for us other moms to teach. I'm all for multi-age schooling, but some subjects are just plain harder to get through with an active non-reader looking for fun.

Anyway . . . This summer, J is sharing her expertise by teaching tennis to several little ones (5-7 year-olds).  She is an incredible teacher, with a long list of games, prizes, and motivational ideas in addition to her sports knowledge.  She is incredibly positive and patient with the group.  Rebecca is having a blast!

Lately I've been benefiting so much from the generosity of other women who have been willing to share their time and talents with my children.  Thank you, ladies!

Dreams of Bluebells

The topic of Lauren's most recent film assignment was memory, and with Rebecca as her model, she created a beautiful two minutes.  Our family doesn't spend as much time at Bull Run as Elizabeth's, but I'm glad to see (in this case, quite literally) how much the bluebells have meant to Lauren.



Drawing Upside Down

Our tiny homeschool co-op (6 students, 3 families) meets weekly for poetry recitation and writing.  We fill the rest of our time with science projects or drawing.  For the most part we're using Mona Brookes' Drawing With Children, but this week another mom found something different.

We gave the children an upside down line drawing to copy.  Even though most of them figured out what the image was, they focused on following the lines and curves as presented.  After turning their pictures around, they added watercolors for beautiful results.  See for yourself:

 by Rebecca, age 7

by Marianna, age 11

Dinner With My Girls

Planning and preparing meals is supposed to be a monthly homeschool event, but we haven't been on our game for a good long while.  Marianna and Rebecca each spent time cooking with Mom these past two weekends, however.

First up was Marianna.  Her dessert required the most effort:  tin roof ice cream.  One day we made the fudge ripple sauce, chocolate covered peanuts, and custard base.  On the next we froze the custard, stirred in the peanuts, and layered it with the ripple.  That's a lot of work for a heaping quart of ice cream, but it was delicious and satisfying; a little goes a long way.

Marianna also prepared what we call "super supper salad", Italian bread (a blend of different recipes), and pasta carbonara, which I had never made before.  I've always been somewhat nervous about tossing the raw eggs with hot pasta--would that really be enough heat to cook them safely?  We combined the cream, eggs, and cheese, and warmed them slightly in the microwave before tossing with the linguine.  I checked the temperature with an instant read thermometer.  I don't remember the exact number, but it was high enough to satisfy me (so over 140).

Marianna and I enjoyed our planning and cooking time, her best friend stayed for dinner, and we all tried a completely new (for us) dish.  A successful event!

On Saturday Rebecca and I worked on her meal.  I knew she had picked a labor intensive menu, so we were supposed to begin our preparations on Friday.  That never happened, so instead we spent hours (and hours and hours) cooking (and cleaning and cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning) on Saturday.

The most unusual and effort intensive dish was meat pasties from The Narnia Cookbook.  We mixed and rolled a boatload of pastry.  The filling required us to saute onions and garlic, blanch tiny potato cubes, and finely chop meat in the food processor.  This was put into circles of dough for individual pasties.  By the time we reached this stage it was obvious that time and energy needed conserving, so we made a few individual pies and then created a family-sized one. 

Also on the menu:  veggies and dip, pesto pasta salad, and crepes (something else I'd never made before).  We made ranch dip.  We prepared several fillings for the crepes, including fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream mixed with homemade lemon curd.  (Nutella was also available, although we didn't make that!)  By the end of the day I was exhausted!  We had a great time, though.

Rebecca cut and arranged these vegetables, and took the picture.

The pasta salad was delicious.  As the crepes were flipped out of the pan one by one, people filled them with the myriad of toppings displayed on the island (sorry, no pictures).

Reversible Tote Bags

It took us several sessions (including a trip to the quilting store for fabric), but the girls and I have finished their reversible tote bags.  I am so impressed!  They're roomy and beautiful and we made them!

Here's Rebecca sewing across a corner to make a flat bottom for the bag. 

Becca used a chopstick to turn the handle right side out.  I think the instructions in the book had us cut the strips too narrow, so we made Marianna's wider. 

 I love this peek inside . . .

 The outside of the bag and its handles were sewn inside the lining--counterintuitive for beginners.  Reaching in to pull everything right side out was so much fun!

 After cutting, stiching, pressing, etc., Marianna finished her project by topstitching around the tote's opening.

 Ta da!

Aren't these fabrics gorgeous?  Yes, I influenced Marianna's choice, steering her away from polka dots and puppy dogs.  She will not outgrow this bag.

Rebecca can rarely be persuaded away from a choice once she's made it.  She has a strong sense of personal style.  In this instance, I'd call it  . . . preppy? 

Flour Tower

Rebecca found this game in a book that was just lying around.  Quite the persistent child, she managed to pull Marianna and me into the simple fun:

Compact flour in a small bowl.  Turn it out onto a cutting board and top with a penny.  (Sorry for the fuzzy photo!)

Slice away chunks of flour.

If you topple the penny, you lose! 

Second Try

While Marianna was shadowing at next year's school, Rebecca and I had another go at gathering and dipping leaves.  This time we used beeswax (instead of candle scraps), with beautiful results.  The leaves smelled better, of course, and their color has held up reasonably well.  They are fading and browning, but more slowly than our first batch.

Becca and I sewed a few garlands, too.

 Can you see the other end of Becca's thread taped to the door handle?

 One garland drapes between the kitchen and family room.

 Two more hang from the school room and kitchen chandeliers.

By the way, these are the ten-days-old leaves.  They were stunning a week ago!