I LOVE the first snow of the season! I love homeschooling so I can revel in the magic of it with my kids and/or listen to them whine, "When are we going to get the snow gear out so we can go play?!"
The first snow, and really all good snow storms, feel to me a bit like Christmas. (Is it any wonder I love winter?) There is something magical, unexpected and beautiful in a good snow storm. So this morning as I watched the flakes grow in size and felt my excitement, wishing my kids would hurry and wake up so they wouldn't miss it, I thought how cool it would be if we celebrated the first snow with a tradition.
Because I love to celebrate anything with FOOD, and it WAS breakfast time, naturally I turned to wondering what I could whip up that would be special and symbolically appropriate for the vision outside. The recipe I thought of WAS perfect. Sadly, we lacked an adequate supply of sour cream. But I'm going to share the recipe with you, just in case you'd like to stock-up for a magical snow moment of your own! (If YOU have a tradition at your house to celebrate the first snow, please share it with ME in the comments below.)
Anyway, I came across this recipe when my family studied Israel, so these are called Israeli Doughnuts. Feel free to rename them something more inspiring. And lest you have the same weakness I do with recipes involving yeast, fear not. These take no time to rise and contain none of that fickle leavening agent! Which is why I love them! The joy of doughnuts without the work of traditional bread dough! (Or rolling, or cutting, or flouring any surfaces... at least not on purpose.)
Israeli Doughnuts
1 C. powdered sugar (used after the doughnuts are cooked)
Oil (I use olive b/c we're used to it - used for frying the doughnuts in)
Mix: 2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Then combine: 2 eggs
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Stir the wet into the dry until very wet dough forms. Drop dough by tablespoons in hot oil. (If the oil is too hot, the inside of the doughnut will be raw.) Turn doughnuts over so they brown on both sides. Shake hot doughnuts in a bag with apx. 1 C. powdered sugar. OR, if you are celebrating a good snow storm, as I hope to have many opportunities to do this winter, better yet, stick some powdered sugar in a sifter and let your kids take turns snowing on their plate of doughnuts!! YES!!! (Best if eaten warm.) Enjoy!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Reason # 444: Going With the Creative Flow
I LOVE not having to start the day by telling everyone to hurry up because we need to get out the door at a certain time, being fed, looking presentable, and taking with us all the necessary items to get good marks.
Despite my desire to have us practicing Chinese by 8:30 in the morning, the kids, since the weather has turned cold, seem to need some extra sleep. Or maybe it's just me.... so we're going with it. And having let go of starting the day on a directed learning activity note, I've found the kids naturally get off on a creative foot, if given the chance.
Yesterday my 5 year old and I were snuggling and I asked her what she dreamed about. She launched into this fabulous story about a little fairy that came home in her pocket and saved the land from the Snow Queen. It was so darling, I typed it up for her and sent it to all the folks she loves before I even got out of bed.
This morning when I got up, I found my oldest working on an article for the local homeschooling newsletter, so after helping him with a few ideas, I came downstairs to find my girls happily playing. "Mom!" they announced. "We're playing doughnuts!" They had found two shoe boxes and filled them with their socks which they had rolled like various pastries. (Girls with appetites after their mother's heart.)
What is the value of playing doughnuts? I'm not sure. But I can't help but revel in the sweet creativity and imagination that drives dreams and doughnut games alike.
Despite my desire to have us practicing Chinese by 8:30 in the morning, the kids, since the weather has turned cold, seem to need some extra sleep. Or maybe it's just me.... so we're going with it. And having let go of starting the day on a directed learning activity note, I've found the kids naturally get off on a creative foot, if given the chance.
Yesterday my 5 year old and I were snuggling and I asked her what she dreamed about. She launched into this fabulous story about a little fairy that came home in her pocket and saved the land from the Snow Queen. It was so darling, I typed it up for her and sent it to all the folks she loves before I even got out of bed.
This morning when I got up, I found my oldest working on an article for the local homeschooling newsletter, so after helping him with a few ideas, I came downstairs to find my girls happily playing. "Mom!" they announced. "We're playing doughnuts!" They had found two shoe boxes and filled them with their socks which they had rolled like various pastries. (Girls with appetites after their mother's heart.)
What is the value of playing doughnuts? I'm not sure. But I can't help but revel in the sweet creativity and imagination that drives dreams and doughnut games alike.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Field Tripping in Northern Utah
After reading my previous post about bad homeschooling days, you may wonder why I would want to even homeschool, let alone TAKE my children anywhere. Maybe YOU aren't wondering that. Maybe I am. Don't you get sick of days when everyone is fighting, and for ridiculous reasons? Like accidentally being smacked with a baggie of carrots.... Why are we swinging baggies of carrots around, anyway? And can it really hurt so bad the neighbors across the street are wondering if they should call 911?
Yes, sometimes I'm tempted to run away. If you are having one of those days, take your kiddos with you, and hit an adventurous learning opportunity in your running! It CAN* be just the thing to get everyone out of their funk. *NOT guaranteed to be just the thing, and if the field trip fails, I'm sorry. And you can cry on my shoulder! :)
Anyway, below are a few fun destinations in the Weber County area. Many of these are so fun, and so close together I'm thinking a good stay-cation is in order! A few of them are quite handy for killing time or pulling off the road while you wait for traffic to clear, so keep them in mind for all sorts of emergencies!
Destination: Hill Aerospace Museum (right off I-15 near Roy)
Time: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9am - 4:30pm
Cost: FREE
Review: I've had this museum in my sights for years, namely because we've driven past it on our way to Salt Lake for years, and as a homeschooling field tripper, I can't help but feel a little guilty passing somewhere year after year without checking it out. So finally we did! And WOW! A natural hit for me for the cost (free!) and lack of crowds on a Friday afternoon. AND I have a little guy who LOVES airplanes, and this museum is FULL of them. The kids were bummed they couldn't actually climb into any of the planes, but you can get up close and personal with the planes both inside and out. Aside from general airplane interest, it's a great place to learn more about the Cold War, women pilots, prisoners of war in Vietnam, or the beloved Candy Bomber of WW2, Gail Halvorsen. The other thing I loved about this museum, that we didn't utilize this time around, was the Air Force Veteran Volunteers. We went completely unprepared with specific questions or curiosities. But we found quite a few volunteers available who seemed friendly enough I wished we were able to pause and glean their wisdom and experience. It's nice to know where to find great, living resources who are willing to share! We were there for almost 2 hours and barely laid eyes on it all! Due to an event at the museum that evening, we completely missed the flight simulation corner, which the family we were with raved about. But in general, Fridays are the best time for a random group of homeschoolers to catch it open. (Otherwise you can pre-arrange for it to be available for groups Tuesdays through Thursdays.) We also didn't utilize the photo treasure hunt on the desk near the entrance. I have loved such resources to maintain interest and keep us learning and moving through museums. I don't know if we learned a ton, but movement was NOT a problem. Seriously, so much to see we could go back another 3 or 4 times and still find new things we hadn't noticed before.
Destination: Catholic Monastery
Time: A great trip for the summer or fall
Cost: FREE
Review: Did you know we have a Catholic Monastery in our very own backyard? My kids were shocked to learn this, and excited to check it out after we'd learned a bit from history about some of the roles played by the Catholic church and of monasteries. I've mentioned the disaster of our field trip to the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity in a previous post, but that was due to MY kids having an off day. What should be said about this destination is this: It's a perfect day trip for the fall when the leaves are turning. It was a GORGEOUS ride there. And the town of Huntsville was darling and called to me to come play, relax, and enjoy the reservoir in the summer. As for the Monastery itself, there isn't much to see. The bookstore is small. If it had been manned by a monk, we may have enjoyed a visit, but a volunteer from the community was there and very occupied with another patron. Otherwise, we timed our visit just right and were able to catch a prayer period at 12:15. It lasted for only 10 minutes, which was 5 minutes too long for a 2 year old, but just right for a 5 year old. If I had older kids I would try to catch the evening Vespers at 5:30. Perhaps because we saw a minor prayer period, or maybe simply because there are not many monks left at the monastery (11 total, I think, at the time of our visit which is greatly diminished from the monastery's glory days), there was only a few monks who prayed Sext. So it's not Sound of Music in any way, shape, or form. But if you go with simple expectations, you will likely find it interesting enough.
Destination: Dinosaur Park
Time: We've had great luck in the off-season late spring and early fall
Cost: Homeschool Rate of $3/person!
Review: My kids, in breaking with the norm as I suppose, aren't that into dinosaurs. Not one of them. Not yet. So it's significant that they love this park. And who wouldn't? The dinos on display are in full color (rather than just the bones) posed around outside, so there is a sense of discovery as you find them hidden behind trees or tucked away into some bushes. AND there are sound effects to boot. The museum also offers "Field Books," to pull the less engaged through the displays to learn. The books are darling, free, and you get a treat for filling them out. Pre-readers will LOVE the playground. Heck, everyone in my group loved the playground. Give yourself at least a couple of hours, and bring food so you can linger and relax, while you enjoy all there is to take in. Rock and gem/geology enthusiasts will love the displays inside upstairs. MY kids preferred the fun holograms and Jurassic Park-like animatronics display found there too. If you leave wanting more, however, you should consider a family membership to the Ogden Nature Center - so keep reading!
Destination: Ogden Nature Center (right off I-15 on Ogden's 12th St. exit)
Time: We loved it in the early fall, closes at 5 on weekdays and 4 on Saturday, is closed on major holidays
Cost: Adults $4; children ages 2-11 are $2
Review: We passed the Ogden Nature Center on our way to the Dinosaur Park. Once again, that homeschool guilt kicked in: how could we just drive past a learning and exploration opportunity? So I made a mental note to return and check it out. Glad we did. First, it seemed pretty reasonably priced, and it felt like we had the place to ourselves. (As you've already gathered, I LOVE it when places meet these criteria.) My kids loved seeing the birds of prey and the walk-in eagle nest. We loved the observation tower and full size teepee. A trip to the bear den raised a bunch of questions and curiosity about bears, and I LOVE questions because they lead to more learning. We were in a time crunch, sadly, so we didn't make it to the tree house, which was most highly recommended by a five year old regular we visited with as we were entering. And speaking of walking in, the bird houses on the way to the entrance sparked fun discussion and imagination. We were there in early fall, but it seemed like a fun place to revisit throughout the year to note the seasonal changes. And the BEST part of getting a family membership to the Ogden Nature Center, aside from going back all year long, is that it's membership INCLUDES the Dinosaur Park Mondays through Fridays, but costs $15 less than the Dinosaur Park's family membership. SCORE! (Also included is Tracy Aviary on the first Thursday of each month, and another museum in downtown Ogden which we have yet to hit.)
Destination: Treehouse Museum
Time: Important to note that during the school year, this museum closes at 3pm on Mondays
Cost: Children 1-12 are $6, 13+ are $5
Review: I confess that for this review, I'm drawing on my memory of this museum from a few years back. I believe it was one of the wisemen who gave us the gift of a family membership to this museum for a year, and we loved it! The slogan for Treehouse Museum is "Step into a story," and that is just what the exhibits invite you to do. It is a fabulous museum for kids who like to explore and pretend. That being so, my 10 year old was almost too old to enjoy it when we went back for a random visit after our membership had expired. (Almost. Not totally.) But for the 8 and younger crowd, it's a solid hit. I loved the cultural themed exhibits. What is cooler than stepping into a mini Mongolian yurt!? My kids gravitated to the dress-ups and stage with an Arthurian theme. Doll lovers would love the extensive doll exhibit. My littler people could play with the trains for hours. And the huge tree? Well, we could climb and explore that forever too. We were there often enough to get to enjoy some of the storytimes and other live presentations, which were big hits. This museum is almost always busy, and I definitely think the crowds cause it to lose it's charm. (Not a surprise.) So pick a solid school day, and you could even call ahead to confirm there aren't any field trip groups scheduled for the day you chose. There is NOT a lot of measurable learning to be done (though we love the imaginative sort), so for me, the cost doesn't deliver an educational bang for one's buck. But the kids will have a blast, so find a day that you can spend AT LEAST 3 hours there, and enjoy yourself. It's pretty much right across from the Ogden temple, so if you are LDS, go with a friend, and you can take turns watching the kids while the other mom hits a session! (The link above is actually to the discounts page of the website. Go there to get $1 off/person admission for visiting the site!)
Yes, sometimes I'm tempted to run away. If you are having one of those days, take your kiddos with you, and hit an adventurous learning opportunity in your running! It CAN* be just the thing to get everyone out of their funk. *NOT guaranteed to be just the thing, and if the field trip fails, I'm sorry. And you can cry on my shoulder! :)
Anyway, below are a few fun destinations in the Weber County area. Many of these are so fun, and so close together I'm thinking a good stay-cation is in order! A few of them are quite handy for killing time or pulling off the road while you wait for traffic to clear, so keep them in mind for all sorts of emergencies!
Destination: Hill Aerospace Museum (right off I-15 near Roy)
 |
| The airplane of the Candy Bomber! |
Cost: FREE
Review: I've had this museum in my sights for years, namely because we've driven past it on our way to Salt Lake for years, and as a homeschooling field tripper, I can't help but feel a little guilty passing somewhere year after year without checking it out. So finally we did! And WOW! A natural hit for me for the cost (free!) and lack of crowds on a Friday afternoon. AND I have a little guy who LOVES airplanes, and this museum is FULL of them. The kids were bummed they couldn't actually climb into any of the planes, but you can get up close and personal with the planes both inside and out. Aside from general airplane interest, it's a great place to learn more about the Cold War, women pilots, prisoners of war in Vietnam, or the beloved Candy Bomber of WW2, Gail Halvorsen. The other thing I loved about this museum, that we didn't utilize this time around, was the Air Force Veteran Volunteers. We went completely unprepared with specific questions or curiosities. But we found quite a few volunteers available who seemed friendly enough I wished we were able to pause and glean their wisdom and experience. It's nice to know where to find great, living resources who are willing to share! We were there for almost 2 hours and barely laid eyes on it all! Due to an event at the museum that evening, we completely missed the flight simulation corner, which the family we were with raved about. But in general, Fridays are the best time for a random group of homeschoolers to catch it open. (Otherwise you can pre-arrange for it to be available for groups Tuesdays through Thursdays.) We also didn't utilize the photo treasure hunt on the desk near the entrance. I have loved such resources to maintain interest and keep us learning and moving through museums. I don't know if we learned a ton, but movement was NOT a problem. Seriously, so much to see we could go back another 3 or 4 times and still find new things we hadn't noticed before.
Destination: Catholic Monastery
Time: A great trip for the summer or fall
Cost: FREE
Review: Did you know we have a Catholic Monastery in our very own backyard? My kids were shocked to learn this, and excited to check it out after we'd learned a bit from history about some of the roles played by the Catholic church and of monasteries. I've mentioned the disaster of our field trip to the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity in a previous post, but that was due to MY kids having an off day. What should be said about this destination is this: It's a perfect day trip for the fall when the leaves are turning. It was a GORGEOUS ride there. And the town of Huntsville was darling and called to me to come play, relax, and enjoy the reservoir in the summer. As for the Monastery itself, there isn't much to see. The bookstore is small. If it had been manned by a monk, we may have enjoyed a visit, but a volunteer from the community was there and very occupied with another patron. Otherwise, we timed our visit just right and were able to catch a prayer period at 12:15. It lasted for only 10 minutes, which was 5 minutes too long for a 2 year old, but just right for a 5 year old. If I had older kids I would try to catch the evening Vespers at 5:30. Perhaps because we saw a minor prayer period, or maybe simply because there are not many monks left at the monastery (11 total, I think, at the time of our visit which is greatly diminished from the monastery's glory days), there was only a few monks who prayed Sext. So it's not Sound of Music in any way, shape, or form. But if you go with simple expectations, you will likely find it interesting enough.
Destination: Dinosaur Park
Time: We've had great luck in the off-season late spring and early fall
Cost: Homeschool Rate of $3/person!
Review: My kids, in breaking with the norm as I suppose, aren't that into dinosaurs. Not one of them. Not yet. So it's significant that they love this park. And who wouldn't? The dinos on display are in full color (rather than just the bones) posed around outside, so there is a sense of discovery as you find them hidden behind trees or tucked away into some bushes. AND there are sound effects to boot. The museum also offers "Field Books," to pull the less engaged through the displays to learn. The books are darling, free, and you get a treat for filling them out. Pre-readers will LOVE the playground. Heck, everyone in my group loved the playground. Give yourself at least a couple of hours, and bring food so you can linger and relax, while you enjoy all there is to take in. Rock and gem/geology enthusiasts will love the displays inside upstairs. MY kids preferred the fun holograms and Jurassic Park-like animatronics display found there too. If you leave wanting more, however, you should consider a family membership to the Ogden Nature Center - so keep reading!
Destination: Ogden Nature Center (right off I-15 on Ogden's 12th St. exit)
Time: We loved it in the early fall, closes at 5 on weekdays and 4 on Saturday, is closed on major holidays
Cost: Adults $4; children ages 2-11 are $2
Review: We passed the Ogden Nature Center on our way to the Dinosaur Park. Once again, that homeschool guilt kicked in: how could we just drive past a learning and exploration opportunity? So I made a mental note to return and check it out. Glad we did. First, it seemed pretty reasonably priced, and it felt like we had the place to ourselves. (As you've already gathered, I LOVE it when places meet these criteria.) My kids loved seeing the birds of prey and the walk-in eagle nest. We loved the observation tower and full size teepee. A trip to the bear den raised a bunch of questions and curiosity about bears, and I LOVE questions because they lead to more learning. We were in a time crunch, sadly, so we didn't make it to the tree house, which was most highly recommended by a five year old regular we visited with as we were entering. And speaking of walking in, the bird houses on the way to the entrance sparked fun discussion and imagination. We were there in early fall, but it seemed like a fun place to revisit throughout the year to note the seasonal changes. And the BEST part of getting a family membership to the Ogden Nature Center, aside from going back all year long, is that it's membership INCLUDES the Dinosaur Park Mondays through Fridays, but costs $15 less than the Dinosaur Park's family membership. SCORE! (Also included is Tracy Aviary on the first Thursday of each month, and another museum in downtown Ogden which we have yet to hit.)
Destination: Treehouse Museum
Time: Important to note that during the school year, this museum closes at 3pm on Mondays
Cost: Children 1-12 are $6, 13+ are $5
Review: I confess that for this review, I'm drawing on my memory of this museum from a few years back. I believe it was one of the wisemen who gave us the gift of a family membership to this museum for a year, and we loved it! The slogan for Treehouse Museum is "Step into a story," and that is just what the exhibits invite you to do. It is a fabulous museum for kids who like to explore and pretend. That being so, my 10 year old was almost too old to enjoy it when we went back for a random visit after our membership had expired. (Almost. Not totally.) But for the 8 and younger crowd, it's a solid hit. I loved the cultural themed exhibits. What is cooler than stepping into a mini Mongolian yurt!? My kids gravitated to the dress-ups and stage with an Arthurian theme. Doll lovers would love the extensive doll exhibit. My littler people could play with the trains for hours. And the huge tree? Well, we could climb and explore that forever too. We were there often enough to get to enjoy some of the storytimes and other live presentations, which were big hits. This museum is almost always busy, and I definitely think the crowds cause it to lose it's charm. (Not a surprise.) So pick a solid school day, and you could even call ahead to confirm there aren't any field trip groups scheduled for the day you chose. There is NOT a lot of measurable learning to be done (though we love the imaginative sort), so for me, the cost doesn't deliver an educational bang for one's buck. But the kids will have a blast, so find a day that you can spend AT LEAST 3 hours there, and enjoy yourself. It's pretty much right across from the Ogden temple, so if you are LDS, go with a friend, and you can take turns watching the kids while the other mom hits a session! (The link above is actually to the discounts page of the website. Go there to get $1 off/person admission for visiting the site!)
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