Learning About Ladybugs

Ashley learned all about ladybugs when we bought a tub of them to release in our yard. We bought them at a local greenhouse.

Ladybugs are actually predators that feed on a variety of insects including aphids, moth eggs, mites, scales, thrips, leafhoppers, mealybugs and other slow-moving insects.

Early evening is the best time to release ladybugs. So, we waited until dusk to release them into their new home.

Now we are anxious for them start doing their job!

Opening Night for Oklahoma

Opening night for Ashley's first play, Oklahoma, was last week!

It was truly amazing to see Ashley perform in front of audience! During rehearsals she did very well. She always remembered her cues and was always where she needed to be. But once she got in front of an audience, she took it to a whole new level. She was so animated and reacted to the lines of other characters with such energy and enthusiasm! Her facial expressions were incredible. It was as if she had been doing this for years!

The rehearsals have been a wonderful experience for her. She has learned so much about what goes into a play production... costumes, set design, make-up, dress rehearsal, being backstage and, of course, opening night.

Ashley was so excited to perform in front of an audience. She was nervous and excited. But, she did fabulous. After each show, she had people telling her that she stole the show whenever she was on stage.

It has truly been a wonderful experience!!!

Ashley's First Play

Several weeks ago Ashley auditioned at a local theater for her first play, Oklahoma. She got up on stage and sang her solo and did a great job. Then she went through the dance audition with all the adults and teenagers and kept up quite well.

A few weeks later we got the news that she had been cast as the youngest member of the "towns people" (which is what she had auditioned for). When she found out, she was excited, yet nervous, to go to rehearsals. But after the first night, she decided that she really likes rehearsals. She loves being on stage and is so disappointed every time rehearsal is over!

What a great experience for her and a wonderful way to build her confidence of being on stage!

Fun Butterfly Craft

We have been planning fun crafts for Ashley's Fairy Birthday party and found a great butterfly craft that is easy to do!

You will need:

~ Scissors

~ Ruler

~ Scrapbook paper

~ Pipe cleaners

Instructions:

1. For each butterfly, cut two 2 1/2-inch squares from scrapbook paper. Trim the left and right sides of the squares to round them, as shown.

2. Accordion-fold each of the squares to create two sets of wings.

3. For the butterfly's body, cut a pipe cleaner in half. Fold one of the halves into a V-shape, as shown, and twist the ends together a few times just above the bend to create an abdomen (it should be about an inch long).

4. Sandwich both sets of wings between the pipe cleaner ends above the abdomen, and twist the ends a couple more times to hold them snugly in place.

5. Use your fingers to pull the wings open a bit, and then curl the tips of the pipe cleaner to shape antennae.

A Heart-Warming Experience

A little over a week ago we met a family that was facing the possibility of being homeless. They had experienced some difficult times and couldn't seem to get "a break". The father is currently out of work and the mother is disabled. The children are 18 months and 10 years old.

We knew that I could help them. First, we helped them find an affordable place to live. Then the next Sunday, we stood up in church and asked for help. The family had next to nothing. They had no furniture, no beds to sleep on, no table to eat at, no couch to sit on and no television to watch. So, we asked my congregation friends for "any household items that you are no longer using".

We received an overwhelming response! Some people went shopping for the family and bought them some basic household items. Some people chipped in money. Some people brought in household items that they were no longer using.

We had people calling me that weren't even from my church. They had heard about the family from members of my church. We had one person contact me and invite me to walk through an estate that they needed to empty and simply told me to "take whatever they need".

When we brought over the first truck load of items, the 10 year old girl was so excited! She went running into the apartment to get her mother.

When we walked into the empty apartment, it didn't even look like they had moved in yet (and yet they had). By the time we left, the apartment looked a little more like home. We were able to provide them with dressers and beds, a couch, a television, linens, dishes, kitchen appliances, books, pots and pans and much, much more.

It was truly one of the most heart-warming experiences we have had in a long time. It is amazing what a difference we can make in someone's life when everybody just chips in a little.

It truly is a good life!

Ashley Meets a Real Author

One of our local libraries recently sponsored a special "Shape Capers" event with a local Maine author/illustrator, Cathryn Falwell.

"Shape Capers" is one of Falwell’s children’s books. The event included a treasure hunt crafts, games, movement, music making, and all kinds of fun activities focused on "shape making fun".

Ashley had a great time participating in all of the activities. But, she was especially excited about meeting the lady who actually wrote children’s books that we have at home.

Of course, Cathryn Falwell signed one of Ashley’s books with a personalized little note to her. Ashley was thrilled!

Falwell's books are all written with a lesson in mind… counting, telling time, perseverance, team work, dealing with new siblings, etc. The illustrations in her books are wonderful - they all done in cut-paper collage. We have really enjoyed her books.

Be sure to check out her website. She also has some fun activities for kids (which are also included in each of her books).

Have Fun Learning How Chocolate is Made

The Hershey's Chocolate Tour Ride in Hershey, PA is a FREE tour and a wonderful way to learn about where chocolate comes from.

Once you board the indoor trolley, the ride takes you through a simulated HERSHEY'S Chocolate Factory that shows you the entire chocolate-making process. From harvesting the cocoa beans in the tropical rain forest where cocao beans grow to wrapping you favorite sweet treats. You can even smell the chocolate as the cocoa beans make their way through the mock manufacturing process.

It is truly a fun and informative ride that makes learning about the chocolate-making process very easy. Ashley even wanted to go on it a second time and had lots of questions!

After the ride, Ashley became an official chocolatier at HERSHEY'S Kissworks attraction where she got to package her very own HERSHEY'S KISSES chocolates. She even had her picture taken for her very own badge as an official chocolatier!

What a fun way to learn about how chocolate is made! And it's FREE!

Learn for FREE in D.C.

What better place to expose your child to US History than our very own Washington DC? Not only is a wonderful way to learn about our history, but admission to everything is FREE!!!

While we were in Washington DC, Ashley got to see where the President lives, the Capital Building, Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, among many other important buildings. At each of the stops we discussed the history and significance of each building/memorial.

We also visited many of the museums, which are also FREE. Ashley learned about space and flight in the National Air and Space Museum. Along with many other exhibits, she got to see the Apollo 11 Command Module and got to go into the cockpits of aircraft and spacecraft exhibits. She also learned about the Wright brothers' historic flights and got to see the Wright Flyer, the world's first successful airplane.

Ashley’s favorite museum was the National Museum of Natural History. We could have spent all day in this museum alone. Ashley is fascinated with dinosaurs and just loved seeing the exhibits. She finally got to appreciate the actual size of the dinosaurs, which you really cannot grasp looking at a book. Ashley also got to explore a living butterfly house (not free) where butterflies sat right on her finger! She also got to see some amazing gems and minerals, many prehistoric animals and some interesting reptiles and amphibians.

I have also learned that the Smithsonian offers some wonderful lesson plans and web-based activities online at http://www.mnh.si.edu/education. Be sure to check it out!

What a great resource for homeschoolers!

Haven's Candy Factory Tour

Ashley went to a special tour at Haven’s Candy Factory. It was so much fun!

We started out by putting nets over our hair before entering the factory. In the first room they were coating popcorn with caramel for caramel corn. We got to pack our own bags of caramel corn to take home with us.

In the next room of the factory we got to see how they created chocolate in molds. Ashley got to take a turn filling the molds with the chocolate by squeezing the handle.

Then we got to cover our own treats (pretzels, Oreo cookies, wafers, and orange creams) with chocolate. We took our treats and lined them up on the conveyer belt. We watched them go through the machine that covers the treats in chocolate. Then we each got to decorate our treats with sprinkles before they continued down the conveyer to the cooler.

In the final room, Ashley got to try twisting taffy into wrappers. After the girls showed her how to "roll and twist" a couple of times, she tried it on her own. She very neatly folded the wrapper around the taffy, folding over each end (not twisting), and then somehow convinced the girls that she needed tape to hold the ends.

We had a great time touring the candy factory. It was a lot of fun!

Never Too Young For Guitar Lessons

Ashley wanted to learn how to play the guitar so bad. But, at 5 years old, it is not easy (although not impossible) to find a teacher that is willing to teach at such a young age.

It seems as though it was meant to be when we met a great teacher that was more than willing to take Ashley on as a student.

His learning approach to playing the guitar makes it so easy for a young child to learn. Each of the strings have a color assigned to it. The strings are easy to remember with a fun phrase that he uses... "Elmo Always Dances Goofy Before Ernie".

In just a couple months time, she is able to play three songs and three chords. It is not easy to get her to practice at this age. But she loves the lessons and loves jammin' on her guitar.

Check out the video at the bottom of our blog to hear her own personal version of "Happy Birthday" for Gramma.

What a Difference Swim Lessons Make!

Local colleges are a wonderful resource! You may not realize it, but they frequently offer some great activities for kids.

One of the many activities we take advantage of at one of our local colleges is swimming lessons. They even have lessons for babies!

Ashley did not have a lot of confidence in the water. So, swimming lessons seemed like a good idea.

When she started out, she had some "catching up" to do compared to the other kids in her class. But after just a couple weeks, she was consistently out-swimming everyone in her class. By the time she reaches the edge of the pool, all the other kids are a half a pool length behind her.

Swim lessons have made a big difference for Ashley. She loves going and is always dissapppointed when it is time to leave!

Factory Tour at Stonewall Kitchen

Ashley recently had an opportunity to visit Stonewall Kitchen for a factory tour!

A friendly staff member shared her years of knowledge with us as she guided us through the each of the departments that "make it all happen". When we went in to view the production line in operation, Ashley got to wear a special hair net and white coat, just like the workers.

It was interesting to learn about the manufacturing process. Each of the production area has a sign identifying what the machine does... filling, capping, cooling, labeling, testing and quality control.

After the tour, we got to sample products from the store’s demonstration kitchen. Yum!!!

We often look for opportunities to visit places that offer factory tours. It is educational and fun!

Free Workshops at Home Depot

Did you know that Home Depot offers free workshops for kids?

The first Saturday of each month, our local Home Depot offers a class where kids can learn how to build things. They give each child an orange Home Depot smock with their name on it. For each activity the child participates in, they get a new pin for their smock.

Ashley loves going to these workshops! After each class, she likes to walk through the store pretending that she works there.

So far, she has made some really nice gifts for people that she got to make at these great work shops. She has built a memory box with a sliding top, a tool box (for art supplies or small tools), a football rack, a bug catcher and a plant holder (for seedlings). Of course, some of these projects she chose to keep for herself.

Of course, she typically needs help with the projects; but it is always a "joint effort" and a great way for Ashley to learn how things are made.

She really enjoys it and is always quite proud of the new items she gets to make.

Ashley Learns How to Make a Hoola-Hoop

Have you ever made your own custom hoola-hoop?

Ashley went to a class where she learned how to make her very own hoola-hoop, custom-made just for her height.

Made from black plastic garden tubing, first they measured the size that would be best for her. Then they used tubing connectors to connect the ends together.

They heated up the tubing with a hair dryer to make the plastic shrink tightly around the connectors.

Once the hoop itself was complete, Ashley got to decorate her hoop with colorful electrical tape, wrapping it around and around and around.

After making her custom hoola-hoop, she even got a lesson on how to use it!


What a great idea that was tons of fun!!!

Ashley Learns How to Use a Pottery Wheel

You are never too young to learn how to use a pottery wheel!

Ashley got to go to a pottery wheel class, where she got to try it out all by herself. It was rather messy ~ buy lots of fun! She got the hang of it pretty well ~ with some help, of course.

Once the bowls hardened, Ashley got to paint them pretty colors.

She made two bowls ~ a small one a medium one. They turned out great!

What a fun day!!! She can't wait to go again!!!