Ham Gravy on Toast and More:The Walnut Acre Daily - Monday December 30, 2013

WORDS TO LIVE BY

And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. ~ Leviticus 26:12

WORKING, LEARNING AND PLAYING TOGETHER

Today we started working through the ABC Jesus Loves Me Preschool curriculum. While I'm not using it exactly as it's layed out on their site I am using it as a guideline. We will be doing this several mornings a week, the mornings we do schoolwork at my sister's place with the children there. This morning was one of those mornings. 

In the afternoons Michael will be doing his own curriculum and then we will supplement with other activities if there is time. This helps to keep the things he has already learned firmly in his mind by reviewing them with the younger kids in the morning while introducing new concepts in the afternoons.

We started with Jesus Walks on Water coloring sheet and story as suggested in week 1 of the lesson plan. 

We reviewed the letter Tt with a coloring page and capital and small letters cut from construction paper and glued to the backs of their coloring page. We reviewed the number 1 - gluing a paper number to a sheet of construction paper and then adding one paper shape to the worksheet as well. 

We made pictures with shapes cut from construction paper and talked about the colors and shapes we were using. 

We watched Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes

and colored a coloring page to go with the story.

After all our activities we had story time. A lot of the books we read reinforced concepts we had talked about earlier in the morning. 

Michael wanted to stay and play with his cousin when we were finished with his activities, so I let him stay until after lunch. I came home and read with Austin and Amanda while the younger kids did quiet activities like puzzles, flannel playsets, or played quietly in the playroom. Austin and Amanda have been on a lighter school schedule during the holidays. Today they both did Science and English and Amanda practiced the drums. 

This afternoon, after Michael did his lessons we played games. The kids chose to play Word Memory, Uno, Dominoes and Number Matching.




Books and Games We Enjoyed Today




   

After Doug got home from work today he spent most of the evening trying to find a part for a log splitter that he's working on for a friend from church. 

Besides his schoolwork Austin cleaned the kitchen after lunch and dinner, cleaned the upstairs bathroom, took care of the outside dog and the chickens both morning and evening,walked the dog, washed the kitchen floor, swept the porches, fed and played with the baby, and a few other odd jobs. During his free time he played games on his computer and his tablet.

Amanda did her schoolwork, made lunch, made a batch of cornmeal mush for tomorrow morning,  cleaned her room, made lunch, worked on laundry, did the evening cleaning in the living room, playroom, mud room and downstairs bathroom, cleaned the guinea pig cage, and dusted the living room. In her free time she watched movies on her computer.

IN THE KITCHEN

This morning I made ham gravy on toast for breakfast. We also had bananas and apple juice. 

Ham Gravy on Toast

2 packages ham

3 tablespoons margarine

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup beef broth, ham broth or water

3 1/2 cups milk

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

salt to taste

Melt margarine in large pan over medium heat. Stir in chopped ham and allow to brown slightly. Add flour to margarine and ham, mix well. Slowly add water or broth, stirring constantly. Add milk one cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow each addition to thicken before adding next cup of milk. Add seasonings.

Serve over toast or biscuits. 

Amanda made hamburger helper for lunch and we also had applesauce. I had asked her to fix some corn as well but she forgot until it was time to serve lunch so we decided not to worry about it and just eat. There was plenty of what we had. Amanda does very well with making lunch the mornings I am busy with the younger kids and I really appreciate her help. 


This evening we had baked chicken left over from lunch yesterday, baked sweet potatoes, peas and bread. 

FURRY, FEATHERED AND FOUR FOOTED FRIENDS

Mykalin had my camera this afternoon and I found these pictures of Amanda's cat, Sheena, when she gave it back. She's a spoiled rotten cat and we love her even though she sometimes makes us shake our heads in confusion. She regular falls asleep on the window sill and then falls off with crash that makes us all jump. Other times we find her asleep with her head in her food bowl. 

READING AROUND THE WEB

Eight Mom Tested Simple Organization Tips at Just a Little Creativity

TODAY'S QUOTE

The heart never becomes wrinkled. ~ Marie de Rabutin-Chantal


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