The Best Of PA

My friend from Jillian B Photography took pictures for us last week and here is a sneak peak!!  There is so much I haven't blogged about like our 3 day canoeing and camping trip in August.  Then there was a weekend get away to Jim Thorpe for Danny and I.  And then we all got sick and there was Thanksgiving and Christmas. I need to get on top of it all!! Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

It was a busy July!  Here is what we did: 1) My brother Devin s graduation Party 2) Had a 4th of July Party 3) A one day Art Camp at Hendershots 4) Flint Hill Farm Boshkowskis 5) A visit to the local pool with Finkbeiners 6) Canoeing on the Lehigh River with Allreds 7) Carnival and Fireworks with Boswells 8) Pioneer Day picnic at Church  9) Shakespeare Camp 10) Shakespeare for Kids Play at DeSales 11) Celebrate Dannys Birthday 12) Pizza on the Grill with Finkbeiners What did you do in July?? Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Our very generous neighbors, the Kunsmans not only let us pick their apples but also let us use their pavilion, burners, pots, etc., to make applesauce. Plus we invited some friends the Lawracys.  We went home with a lot of applesauce! 😀  We have the most generous neighbors ever!!! Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

I was just taking notes for myself, after reflecting upon such a successful summer camp. It excites me and thrills me so much that I am already planning next year's.  Hope this helps anyone who wants to do this in the future! 1) Memorize something important such as historical documents or classic stories : make it fun with singing, hand motions and expression 2) Be theatrical when teaching: wear costumes, makeup, use fake accents 3) Crafts:  making things = making memories. Using your hands reinforces what your learning 4) Snacks:  Have yummy, healthy snacks to eat and the more themed the better 5) Games:  Trivia games and ones that get kids moving are stimulating and strangely calming for the learning moments 6) Performing.  When kids perform what they learn, not only do they have a good time but they also are more likely to remember it! 7) A finale:  There should always be something to look forward and work towards at the end: A reward, play, Big Game, CA...

Yesterday Hayzel got a hold of my lip gloss.  Brinley notified me right away. She then asked if she could wear some which I obliged.  Of course all three girls wanted lip gloss, so they all got some.  Hayzel is hilarious first insisting to put it on herself....until she realized that wasn't happening.  I showed her how I did it on myself and she pursed her lips.  Brinley was ready to go and walked the walk with her hands out and ready.  Elly did the same and then said: "Look, I'm a Mommy!"

So I was listening to this podcast about eating healthy. One of the hosts was explaining how he was always skinny and could not pick up weight.  Elly was in the room and she said: "I don't know why he would complain about that.  I like being skinny.  That's why I stretch everyday." Ahh if only streching were the solution to being skinny.  It is cute what a 7 year old thinks. Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

We are missing 2 girls, one just moved and another is on vacation It will be a year in September since we started our own kid book club.  It isn't anything fancy, usually I find a nice picture book and Read it aloud.     Their crafts, well okay apparently Brinley is holding Hayzels' craft.  It is flowers made from paint and toilet paper rolls     Then we discuss the characters, setting, plot etc. (About a 5 minute conversation...these are 7 year olds) Painting away     Afterwards we do a craft related to the book, then follow up with a treat.  The kids also get a chance to catch up and play. We have been consistent and the girls always look forward to it.    Painting away      This is specifically designed with Elly in mind, however I am starting an Alphabet Club for Brinley once a month.  A chance for her to get together with her friends, focus on a letter, read a...

 Elly has been blessed with a beautiful voice.  And seriously people, it's not just me with all my motherly admiration.  I have had people approach me and tell me she has such a clear beautiful voice. She has a natural gift my almost 8 year old.  And so we know another young lady in our church who is equally as blessed start giving Elly voice lessons a few weeks ago.  She loves it!  And look what her teacher Mrs. Cecliy made!! Awesome!! Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Our acting crew In the middle of a scene Today was our last day of camp.  I am so happy with how everything turned out. And can now take a sigh of relief.  Tomorrow we all meet up for "Shakespeare For Kids" play.  But this is what we did for our last day: Day 4 of camp: Human Tic Tac Toe 1) Play Human Tic Tac Toe.  It was a review game of all we learned the previous days before Goofy picture 2) Set Up our Stage Props and have a Dress Rehearsal.  The kids acted out the scenes where King Oberon puts the love potion in Queen Titiana's eyes and Puck puts the love potion in Lysanders' eyes.  Then we see Hermia wake up asking where Lysander went, Lysander waking up and seeing Helena, tells her he loves her.  Puck turns Nick Bottom into a donkey. Queen Titiana also awakes and beholds Nick Bottom the donkey and proclaims her love.  The kids REALLY enjoyed the acting!!  What a great way to end camp!! More Huma...

Out curtain backdrop Well if Shakespeare Camp wasn't fun enough already, my friend Anna take Wednesday and really piled on the fun!  This is what we did day 3: The Book Anna used 1) Went over all of lines again in song form with hand motions (Skip to my Lou) "I know a bank, Where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips, And the nodding violet grows, Quite overcanopied, With luscious woodbine, With sweet muskroses, And with Eglantine" Hayzel really tried to help out! 2) Anna gave us a lesson on the Theater and how Will Shakespeare got into writing and acting and creating a theater with friends.  She showed us pictures and quizzed us. 3) Craft Time: Then we set to it and got to creating props: Cardboard Trees and curtain backdrop to paint!  It was a blast and impressive!  The kids also colored woodland animals and cut them out to go on our backdrop and trees. finished product 4) Snack Time: We had apples, dip and nuts....

Elly making her fairy wings For our second day of Shakespeare Camp we did the following: These kiddos are ready for anything! 1) Review our Shakespeare lines in song form (Skip to My Lou), but also added these lines: "Quite overcanopied,  with luscious woodbine, With Sweet Muskroses, And with Eglantine" 2) Then we sat down on blankets by a nearby tree (me on a chair) and I read to them the kids version of "A Midsummer Nights Dream."  It was the Shakespeare Can be Fun version by Louis Burdett.  It is great!  I read in funny voices, act it out and ask questions every 2 pages.  They were all very engaged!  And I take a break half way through to play a game. 3) We played Shakespeare Jeporady: Combined the kids into 2 groups  Wing Making Table 4) Craft Time and Face Painting!  We made leaf crowns, paper plate wings and decorated water gun swords.  Did more face painting. 5) Break!  Let the kids play tag and run ...

  Hayzel and friend This week is Shakespeare Camp!  I have been hosting and organizing Summer Camps for five years now.  Since basically my kids were so young they could not truly appreciate it.  But that is alright because I love doing it and learn how to throw a camp together a little better each year.    In the past we have done different themes: Native Americans, Little House on the Prairie, Around the World, Science Experiments and this year Shakespeare.  The camp lasts four days and on the fifth day this year we will attend a local university to watch a kids version of Mid Summer Nights Dream.  I will tell you the day by day version of our camp in individual posts.  Today we will go over Monday.    Creating our Medival Poems Monday:   Review Our Lines in Song Form.  We are memorizing some lines from Mid Summer Nights Dream.  I set it to song (Skip to my Lou) and hand...

Went to the carnival tonight.  The girls went on a few rides and we got ice cream.  We went with our friends the Boswells. Then we saw the most AMAZING fireworks.  They were set to music and they were INTENSE!!!  Seriously very Cool. Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

We are prepping for a canoeing, camping trip this August.  Little Hayzel is too small to truly enjoy it so grandparents will watch her.  This evening we went with Elly and Brinley for an hour and a half.  The Allreds helped us on our first family canoe trip ever. It was fun. Brinley was pretty scared but it was our first time so I suppose that could be expected.  All in all it was good fun!   Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Well our picnic went out with a BANG!!  Family and friends came for food and games....games such as.... -Seed spitting Contest (Cherries) -Pie eating Contest -Revolutionary War Trivia -Folding a Flag Correctly (without letting it tough the ground) we had 3 military veterans there -Face Painting -Horse Shoes -Ping Pong -Croquet -Sparklers -Prizes I LOVE to plan a party and get in some learning at the same time!! more pictures to come.... Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Well in June we managed to: 1) see a Rapunzel play 2) go on a pontoon boat ride 3)visit a lavender farm 4) participate in a one day science camp 5) have a poetry tea party with frienda 6) have a Fathers Day meal with Lawracys 7) visit Grandma Cooper and cousins at Cabelas and Cracker Barrel 8) have pioneer planning meeting with friends and girls got to make fruit loop necklaces there. Elly and Danny joined the church choir. Elly has a beautiful voice and we are trying to share her strenghthen and share her talent.  None of that hiding it in the ground.☺

At the dinner table we play all kinds of games, and the other day it was a game of obse rvance. Danny was in charge and asked the questions.  Daddy:  who is the tallest in our family? Elly & Brinley: DADDY!! Daddy: Who is wearing pink? Elly & Brinley: Mommy and Elly and Hayzel Daddy: Who weighs the most? Elly: MOMMY! Gulp....no Daddy...oh well The picture is me attempting to unsuccessfully row a boat with Brinley and Hayzel in it as well as some friends. My floppy hat makes it hard to see.  Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

  leisure time of drawing, reading and climbing up tables to look out the window   Warning: This post is a brag session, which can be entirely annoying, but it is also a form of journaling all those warm fuzzy moments I want to remember.  And it is all true.  I can complain about the messes, whining and frustrations another day.   As you know we are BIG into reading aloud.  We read some picture books, but most of my time is spent reading them poetry and chapter books.  The girls are now 7, 4 and 1, which are perfect ages for picture books.  And they do plenty of thumbing through those on their own.  I read them many picture books, but I LOVE reading longer stories with them and for me .  I started when Elly, my oldest was 4.  At that time she did not have the attention span of lasting through a whole chapter.  Now she doesn't want me to stop, while the 4 y...

   This picture is from this past Sunday September 28th Boiling down maple sap into syrup    Well I can not believe it has been 10 months since I last posted; but life gets busy and before you know it, winter, spring and summer has gone and we are in a crisp fresh, fall.  In winter we had a baby and tapped our maple tree and made maple syrup.  In the spring, my sister and her family moved from Utah, back to Pennsylvania and is living in the same town as me (dream come true.) The summer was a the girls dance recital, trip to Lancaster and vacation to Myrtle Beach with Cooper Family (where we all got the flu, but still had a blast) and now we are entering the fall where school and activities began. I am soo happy October has arrived.  If you know me at all, then you know it is my VERY FAVORITE month!  It is so beautiful outside. Girls dance recital       ...