Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Yarn Along



After Sunday I feel like I should be working on more mittens! However the weather has warmed up quite a bit since then and I am still working on a Christmas project. I am making quick washcloths to go in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We are trying to do 3 this year so I am whipping up 6 washcloths to go along with some soap. 

I just started reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. So far I am enjoying it! The story certainly is a little quirky but so far it has a lot of mysteries beyond the big Mystery! I just picked up 3 books about Waldorf education. I won't be changing Maddie's routine but after hearing from a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher at the latest day care conference I may change up our day care routine. So far it certainly seems to fit with my philosophies but more reading is certainly necessary! 

What are you reading and knitting? Do you use Waldorf Education with your kids? 

Monday, October 19, 2015

Halloween Trial Run!

Maddie will not be trick or treating this year but has been invited to the 4H Teens Halloween Party and she also wants to greet the 5 or 6 kids we get in costume. She managed to put together her Luna Lovegood costume today! We need one or two finishing touches but I think she is looking pretty good!


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Mabee Farm Fall Foliage Festival....in the snow!

This morning we helped at the 4H table at the Mabee Farm Historic Site. It was supposed to be the Fall Foliage Festival but during the morning this appeared!

Yup, that would be snow!

Snow was flying by out on the river


I didn't envy the colonial reenactment guys down by the river with their boats at all. We were pretty chilly where we were but they must've been freezing at that point! 




Maddie worked at the 4H table in the morning. She talked to a couple of people about 4H and showed how to make (in theory!) felt marbles from wool roving.We also showed how the roving was easy to break until it was twisted. It ended up just too cold for sticking fingers in water and rolling wool about so we ended up getting out the rocket kits. Maddie enjoyed it and our time went quickly by because there were several people there.



After that we walked around and saw the sheep dogs herding ducks, owls, bought some potatoes, checked out the knitting/wool lady dying yarn using natural materials and just walked about trying to warm up! 





yarn dying!

Owl photos by Maddie with Momma's camera




Then it was home to get warm and finish chores!




Saturday, October 10, 2015

Camp in the Fall


Today we headed back up to Camp Fowler for the day. It was Creation Celebration Weekend and we had a lot of fun! We did not arrive in time to really join in the different morning activities. Maddie had fun just showing us around and being able to take some shots with her bigger camera. So we explored Lakeside, the beach, the outdoor chapel and the bug trail where we found more jewelweed! Then we headed back to Fenimore Hall to answer a trivia question to get in the building for lunch. Well, Maddie answered it! After a delicious lunch of a hamburger, beans, pasta salad and carrots just pulled from the garden we headed out to poke around a bit more. Maddie came running for Brian and I because she spotted a loon on the lake! "Come see!!" So we were all able to see the loon dressed in winter colors fishing for lunch. We headed out to the meadow to meet Uncle Kent for a nature hike. Maddie had so much fun doing that. She knew the way in parts and had fun finding things with Uncle Kent. Glacial erratics, sapsucker holes, pileated woodpecker holes, mosses, and wood sorrel were all things Maddie recognized. We learned about nursery logs which was really neat and Uncle Kent pointed out pitcher plants. After that we headed back home for dinner and adding some trees to the tree identification book! 

View from Lakeside

A Tom Bombidil tree

Maddie in her favorite spot. She told us she lets everyone else race to the Camp store while she heads down to the porch at Lakeside!



Watching the lake, clouds, colors!



Soccer!

Start of a trail

Attempting to take a heading with the new GPS


Answering questions and learning about nursery trees

all the kids in our group

More tree investigation




Moss on a tree that tipped over