Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
The “witching” hour
November 12th, 2009 | Author: Shannon
When my son was a baby 5-8pm at night was a time I tried to “get through” as quickly and methodically as possibly. As he grows that time is easier to handle, this past summer I’d send him outside to get vegetables for dinner, or play in his sandbox; now it’s DARK at 4:45pm and I’ve been brainstorming how to make this time work for our whole family. Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with for 5 o’clock blues with tired toddlers and preschoolers.
1) Make place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. Use card stock (or for the especially green mama use old paper bags) and pictures from catalogues or stickers or print out pictures of family members coming to the big feast, paste these items on the cards. Family members are sure to give the children lots of compliments!
2) Find some grape vines and make wreathes by weaving the vines in and out of each other. Using a glue gun, add shells, small rocks, driftwood, family photos, pine cones… use your imagination. Or find bittersweet, or evergreens to add to the wreath and then use for holiday decorations.
3) Paint on flat(ish) stones collected earlier in the day from stream or pond or the ocean. Paint as many as possible, then divide into groups of ten, put in bags and give away as “worry” stones to all your relatives. Or for smaller rocks make ornaments for the tree by gluing on a string loop.
4) Make Christmas tree ornaments. Growing up my family had a tradition and each year a family member had the responsibility of picking a theme for the tree- one year my brother and father made gingerbread men from thin pieces of wood using a jig saw and a cookie cutter outline. Another year we made tissue paper roses. It’s so fun to be creative and personal with these ornaments! Make extra to give away!
5) Make a menorah and candles. Drill eight holes in a sturdy branch, cut a flat bottom and voila! Purchase beeswax and candle wick. Melt the wax in a double boiler, tie the wick to a stick, weight the wick down, then dunk the wax- over and over and over again till the candles are big enough to fit in the holes of your menorah (more details on candle dipping).
Fun is the most important ingredient! Any of these activities serve as wonderful together time and prepare everyone for the joy of the holiday season.
What do you do as the nights come on earlier? Which other activities are fun to do with children?
Homemade Beeswax Candles
November 11th, 2009 | Author: Shannon
This time of year the darkness sets in so early that candles can be a really fun activity that can represent “lighting the way to a new year”.
Shopping List:
- Candle Wicks (available at craft and hobby stores)
- Beeswax (available at Amazon- might be available locally too)
- Other needs:
- Small sized coffee cans
- Newspaper
- Lots of pot holders
- A large pot
- Sturdy twigs
1) The beeswax comes as a big block; chop this up into small pieces that will fit into coffee cans.
2) Fill a pot with water and place cans of beeswax into the pot. Don’t let the cans float (remove some water if they do).
3) Allow the wax to melt in the cans. (Adding fresh chunks as the wax melts).
…….While the wax is melting.
4) Cut 12 inch wicks. Tie one end of each wick to a twig.
5) Remember to check on your melting wax! When the cans have 6-8 inches of melted wax, remove from the heat and place on a newspaper-covered area. (Note: use newspaper it’s a mess otherwise).
6) Dip the wick into the wax while holding onto the stick. “Dip it down; pick it up.”
7) Allow the wax to harden on the wick then re-dip… over and over and over again. Till the candle is large enough to fit in a candle holder. (To flatten the bottom of the candle, use wax paper and with each dip tap the candle on the wax paper- it will make the candle a tad easier to use in a candle holder).
Once you’re done, save the cans for next year (you can remelt the wax that’s left inside) and keep the newspaper for a fire in the wood stove (the wax on the paper will help the fire ignite).
Add some education to the process? Make honey cakes, use beeswax and talk about the gifts from the honey bees!
For more information or for guidance on making candles in a classroom setting, read Earthwaysby Carol Petrash.
Why I’m best at home in my backyard
November 11th, 2009 | Author: Shannon
I ventured out of my habitat this morning and am inspired to write a bit of a rant because I’ve gotta get this off my chest.
Why’d the anti-abortion community get the phrase “pro-life”?… it really doesn’t seem like these folks are really “pro-life” at all. And, although in conventional terms I guess I am “pro-choice” come on, who isn’t? (That’s WHY we have 6 different kinds of ketchup at the grocery store). I definitely am not “pro-abortion”.
I drove by Planned Parenthood this morning, all along the street were LARGE images of aborted fetus’, neatly propped up by well-meaning anti-abortion activists. Most of the images were very distorted, unrealistic and gross. I was horrified when I came to a full stop at a stop sign with my 3 year old son gazing out the window at these pictures. And the organizer stood by our car, a huge grin on his face, trying to hand us a leaflet. (I have studied the teachings of Ghandi and Dr. King and had to pull from this non-violent foundation to keep from ramming into this guy.)
Then, I got to thinking about how it would be for me if I was stuck with the “choice” of abortion and had to walk by these people. I am now convinced that anyone willing to go through that and actually follow-though is amazing, brave, courageous, and a lot of other things…. Is it really more responsible to bring an unwanted child into a world of violence or abuse?
I will not join a picket line to hand out “pro-abortion” pamphlets either. I feel that choice is between a woman and her God. And I can assure you, the guy grinning at my son was not “pro-life”; anyone with any sense would be embarrassed to have a child see those pictures.
With great relief I turned the corner to head home.
Back home to my natural habitat:
We watched a big tractor working on our street.
Did a little work in the garden.
Looked at some beautiful fall flowers still blossoming (and dying) in our yard.
Watched a blue jay eating at our feeding station.
Baked cakes in the sandbox.
And ate a “tv” lunch of fresh eggs and quinoa.
And THAT is what childhood is meant to be.
I have limitless gratitude that I was ready to be a mom when my time came; and I know my son is the one that benefits the most from this.
Children and Nature Movement in Rhode Island
November 10th, 2009 | Author: Shannon
“Perhaps because Rhode Island is the second most-densely populated state, Rhode Islanders have always promoted efforts to protect the natural areas that define their state through support of state and local bonds and creation of parks and preserves. The Ocean State boasts over 300 miles of coastline, and, thankfully, supports a number of growing efforts through conservation groups, schools and political leaders to get children out-of-doors to connect with the nature that they find in their communities. But like every state, Rhode Island can do much more — in fact, it could become the leading state in the children and nature movement.”
Thankful Thursday
October 1st, 2009 | Author: Shannon
Jeremiah was due on Thanksgiving and although he came a few days late, every six years {I think} his birthday falls on Thanksgiving. Today I have him featured here as the first entry of Thankful Thursday.
Creator, thank you for the gift of my son, for his health, happiness, strength, kindness and goodness. Thank you for showering him with abundance. Thank you for sharing him with me.
What are you grateful for today?
