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From trash to treasure . . .
Things to do when camping . . .
Drink hot cocoa.
Do your part to help set up camp.
Eat delicious fruit cobbler cooked in dutch ovens.
Enjoy some smores by the fire.
Help catch crawdads.
Nap in the afternoon on warm rocks.
Make your own outdoor potty with twine and three rain ponchos so you don't have to use the gross public outhouses.
Partake in skits and songs around the campfire.
and enjoy hanging out with friends.
Gone camping with the cousins. We'll be back soon!
We always enjoy Bill Martin Jr. picture books. On our last trip to the library I stumbled across two I hadn't read before. Both are simple and poetic ~ lovely to read aloud.
"Listen to the rain, the whisper of the rain, the slow soft sprinkle,, the drip drop tinkle . . ." ~ Listen to the Rain by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
"I love our earth . . . for wet forest that drip, and dry winds that drift . . ." ~ I Love Our Earth by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson
We'll be using this sweet little book of prayers to help us learn our days of the week this year. I always love Cynthia Rylant picture books.
"Monday make me good and kind to all creatures that I find. Help me love God's whole creation. Make my life a celebration . . . " ~ from Give Me Grace by Cynthia Rylant
If you use a daily shower cleaner you know how costly they can be. We have finished off the last of our daily shower cleaner so I thought I'd try out this homemade shower cleaner.
Clean Shower
2 cups vinegar
1 tsp. liquid dish soap
1/2 cup rinse agent (like jet dry)
Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle.
**Update: this works great!
If your daughter (or son) is as much of an imp as mine is ~ you'll love this warm and silly book . . . and so will she!
Has Anyone Seen My Emily Greene? by Norma fox Mazer
Giving me joy this morning. . .
watching all the new baby birds come out to play!
We are loving this little book right now. On the back of the book it states that it is a book about "the hidden potential all around us". I feel that statement falls rather short. Too me it speaks of Transformation. A transformation to new life. A new life that enriches life for others. The last page is not quite what I would have wanted it to be . . . but a beautiful, simple little picture book nonetheless. Rose Red loves it. I would recommend this one .~ simple but rich.
'In the Fiddle Is a Song' by Durga Bernhard
Monsoon fury unleashed itself around us last night. I love a good monsoon. It's so dramatic. Intense winds, cracking thunder and lightning and the long awaited downpour of cooling rain. We opened all the doors so we could breathe in the damp and soak in the moisture.
The peace of morning after is so calming . . .
although a few drops remain - reminding us of the night.
I thought I'd try my hand at some of those homemade jams I've been seeing around blogland. Never having done it before it took me awhile to brave it out. Finally Jaime Oliver 'at home' (one of my favorite cooking shows!) made it look so simple I broke out the summer berrries. And it was simple ~ sooooooooooo simple! I chose to make a strawberry-rhubarb jam simply because I love rhubarb and it's all in season now. I purchased the smallest glass jars I could find (because not only were they the cutest but we don't go through that much jam over here). Yummy! Sweet, tangy and delicious. Now we have enough jam to last through the year - unless of course I share some of it. Hhmmm, looks like I might be whipping up another batch . . .
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, crushed
1 1/2 cups finely diced fresh rhubarb
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar
1 - 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 - 3 oz. pckg. strawberry gelatin.
In a large kettle, combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and pineapple. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Pour into glass jars, leaving 1/2 in. headspace. Let stand until cooled to room temperature. Top with lids. Refrigerate. Yield: 5 1/2 cups.
Remember what trouble we were having with our 'fun with rice' back when I was having her play with rice in her water table (without the water)? We are back to having fun with rice and this has been our way of making it less of a mess! I purchased a plastic round tablecloth and put the rice in a large plastic tub. When she plays I place the tablecloth down on the tile floor and the tub smack in the center of the plastic tablecloth. When she is done I lift off the tub and gently pour back into the tub any of the rice that found it's way on the tablecloth. Less waste, less mess = happy mommy. Oh! and the tub has a lid so it's easy to store. I just lock the lid back on, fold up the tablecloth and place it on top of the lid. Simple and neat = happy mommy.
Today we are taking some of summer's bounty and recycling to make new playthings. After these roasted corn cobs dry up in the hot sun Rose Red will be able to use them in her play. They are supposed to be lots of fun to 'grate' by rubbing two cobs together making "corn dust" among other things. I can't wait to see what she does with them!
We had a lot of fun on the beach today!
Rose Red's self portrait. That's her name she wrote at the top. I particularly like how disconnected her ears are from the rest of her face ~ she is very into drawing the ears on (or should I say 'off') things lately.
And the rest of the family . . .
Dad, Mom, Oldest Brother (Thor the Mighty), Rose Red, Middle Brother (River - formerly Wide Receiver but no longer playing football so now he is River). River, I guess, only has one eye and looks suspiciously like an amoeba . . . but Dad looks right on! I'm a little concerned about the whiskers I apparently have growing out of my chin . . .
So there you have it ~ our new family portrait.
It has begun . . .
the monsoon season is upon us. Our first storm brushed by us last night ~ mostly wind and dust down here in the valley with just a splattering of rain.
Look whose busy cleaning today. By the looks of it she means business (she even put her apron on) !
