The Walnut Acre Daily - Sight Word Fun and More

Words to Live By

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Homeschool Fun

Here are the videos Michael and Lauren watched this morning -  

Prince of Egypt - The Lullaby

Maths in Real Life

Rhyme Time

Then they had so much fun dot painting lots of sight words.

Austin and Amanda studied more about allergies and the immune system, we read pages 271 - 291 from Heart of a Lion, and we also read Proverbs 6.

Books We Enjoyed Today

Outdoor Fun

I gave Michael my phone and asked him to get some pictures while they played outside this morning. This is what he took for me. 

Just For Fun

Daily Deals

Today's Quote

Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live. ~ Margaret Fuller

The Walnut Acre Daily - Lima Bean Soup, Peppery Cheese Bread and More

Words to Live By

Psalm 136:1, 26

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. 

His love endures Forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever.

We Are Learning

Our three videos this morning were -

Moses in the Basket

Pre-school Kindergarten Math Numbers Song

Alphabet Song by the Alphabubblies

Here are the worksheets and coloring pages they did as well.

When they came in from outside we played a game of memory.

Austin and Amanda studied more about allergies and the immune system in science, watched a video called Gerunds and Gerund Phrases (Grammer), and in math did some more mental math games. 

Books We Enjoyed Today

In the Kitchen

Amanda put together some mixes this morning to make things simpler when we're busy (which is pretty much all the time!) She made Homemade Pancake Mix and Homemade Yellow Cake Mix. And for dinner this evening I made this wonderful Quick Peppery Cheese Bread. This was some of the best bread I've tasted in a long time. I love cheese breads and the pepper adds just a hint of spiciness to it. Served hot with soup it's a wonderful treat on a cold fall evening.

Also for dinner I made this Lima Bean Soup. I actually made a double batch so we'll have plenty of leftovers for the next couple days. 

Lima Bean Soup

1 pound dry lima beans

4 cups water

2 carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 teaspoons chicken flavor and tomato bouillon

6 ounces (about 12 slices) turkey bacon, browned and cut into small pieces

8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add dry lima beans and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the beans to sit for 1 to 2 hours to soften. Drain and rinse, discarding bean water.

In a soup pot saute the vegetables until onions and celery are translucent. Add lima beans and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add chicken tomato bouillon to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add broth to the vegetables and beans. Add remaining water, garlic powder and pepper and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

 

Outdoor Fun

We Are Going

We took Lauren to preschool this afternoon and also picked up a two of Michael's prescriptions at the pharmacy. This evening Austin, Amanda and Michael are at their grandparents house.

Daily Deals

Today's Quote

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~ Stacia Tauscher

~ Linking Here ~
Homestead Barn Hop, Fridays Unfolded, A Little R&R, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, The Better Mom, Titus 2sday, One Project at a Time,  Cast Party Wednesday, Homemaking Link-Up, Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Weekend Link-Up Party, Get Schooled Saturday, Creative Blogger's Party & Hop, Home Sweet Home, Show and Tell Friday, 

The Walnut Acre Daily - Homemade White Bread, Baked Tortilla Chips and More

Words to Live By

1 Chronicles 16:8-11

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name;

make known among the nations what he has done, 

Sing to Him, sing praise to Him;

tell of all His wonderful acts.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice,

Look to the Lord and His strength;

Seek His face always.

We Are Learning

We did our usual morning PreK/K routine today - 3 short videos covering Bible, Math and Phonics and then their choice of worksheets and coloring pages.

Austin and Amanda both learned about Immune Systems in Science and Austin had a grammar lesson on Participial Phrases and Participles as Adjectives. Amanda was scheduled for the same grammar lesson and they both had math in their schedules but somehow they got crowded out of their day. Amanda will make up the grammar lesson tomorrow so they both stay at the same place in Grammar and with Math we'll just pick up where we left off.

CJ had a good day at school and did well on his practice spelling test that he had for homework this evening. 

In the Kitchen

Both Austin and Amanda had cooking projects this morning.

Austin made bread for the first time and I was very proud of him and the effort he put into it. His two loaves of bread turned out very well. He used the recipe below.

Homemade White Bread Recipe

2 (.25 ounce) or 5 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 Tablespoons white sugar

2 1/2 cups warm water

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon salt

7 - 8 cups flour

In a large bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Mix in vegetable oil, salt and two cups of flour. Mix in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together knead for about 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer and allow the dough hooks to do this work for me.)

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (About one hour although this varies.) 

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume. (About 40 minutes although, again, this varies.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Amanda made Baked Tortilla Chips. The kids have been snacking on them all day. She said they were fun to make.

Baked Tortilla Chips

1 (27.5 ounce) bag 6 inch corn tortillas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut tortillas into quarters and arrange in a single layer on cookie sheets.

Mix vegetable oil and lime juice and brush liberally onto tortilla wedges.

Combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the tortilla wedges. 

Bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp. Serve with salsas, garnishes or guacamole. 

We Are Going

This afternoon we took Lauren to preschool and then had to go the grocery store for a few things and also to the post office. 

This evening was church - dinner at church at 5:00, Family Works at 6:15, and (for me) choir practice at 7:30. Doug and I were both teachers in Family Works. While Doug was teaching I took a couple photos. He had a fun object lesson for the kids and they seemed to be enjoying it.

Just For Fun

Just a few photos I took while the kids were playing today.

Books We Enjoyed Today

Daily Deals

Today's Quote

Begin each day as if it were on purpose.  ~ Author Unknown

~ Linking Here ~
Full Plate Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party, Creative Juice Thursday, It's A Party, Link It Up Thursday, Fridays Unfolded, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Homestead Barn Hop, The Better Mom, Titus 2sday, One Project at a Time, Cast Party Wednesday, Homemaking Link-Up, Weekend Link-Up Party, Get Schooled Saturday, Creative Blogger's Party & Hop, Show and Tell Friday, 

The Walnut Acre Daily - Cherry Enchiladas and More

Words to Live By

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

We Are Learning

As usual the younger kids watched three videos. This morning they were - 

Baby Moses

Learn to Count

Koala's ABC Phonics Chant

After the videos they had their choice of related worksheets and coloring pages to work on. I'm trying to get what I have printed used up because next week I'm planning to start to start some new things. 

Austin and Amanda started a new topic in Science today - Allergies. Today they looked at Understanding Allergies and Types of Allergies. In math they did some mental math exercises. This evening we read pages 253 - 270 from The Heart of a Lion by Gilbert Morris and our Bible Reading was Proverbs 5. 

In the Kitchen

Amanda made a batch of Cherry Enchiladas this morning that we had for dinner this evening. This was another new recipe for us and Doug, CJ and Michael especially liked it. I am good about getting photos of food preparation but just awful about getting the photos after it's prepared. I think it just disappears too fast.

Outdoor Fun

The rain and cold kept us from going outside much today. The rest of the week should be better suited to playing outside.

Just For Fun

Austin hanging out with his buddies, Christopher (on his lap) and Gage.

On My Mind

The question we were asked to think about at yesterdays Children's Ministry Meeting was this - What do I feel passionately that kids need to hear from the Word? We're going to talk about this and our individual answers in more detail at our meeting next week. I've been thinking about this all day and I think I have my answer. 

I feel that kids need to know that God is not some scary old man with a big beard somewhere up in the sky, but is instead a Heavenly Father who loves them beyond imagination, and who they can talk to about anything at anytime, knowing He will listen and respond. They need to know that He loves them so much He even sent His own Son to make a way for them to be with Him forever. They need to know that this love is not just some nice, warm and fuzzy idea but is real and active in their lives now. And they need to see that love demonstrated by those of us who are with them each Sunday morning and Wednesday evening and any other time we meet. We need to be willing to be truly involved in their lives and show them that love even if it means extra time and commitment from us. 

I'm curious - How would you answer this question? What do you feel passionately that kids need to know about God and His Word?

Books We Enjoyed Today

Daily Deals

Don't forget to check out my printable coupon page. There were lots of new ones posted today and they look pretty good. 

Today's Quote

A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange. ~ Author Unknown

The Walnut Acre Daily - A Reading Game, Children's Ministry Meeting and More

Words to Live By

Colossions 2:6-7

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

We Are Learning

Michael and Lauren watched three videos this morning  - 

Tell Me the Story - Baby Moses

Kindergarten Math Song (Add 1+1)

O Song - Hooked on Phonics - 

and did some reading worksheets.

While they were outside playing I printed three words they are learning on paper and taped it to a door. Then, when they came inside they took turns throwing the ball at the words and then telling me which word they had hit. They loved in and I can change the words often to keep the game interesting and them learning new words. 

Austin and Amanda studied Radioactivity in Science. Fission and fusion were studied today. With Doug they work on multiplying decimals by integers.  We read pages 237 - 252 from Heart of A Lion by Gilbert Morris and our Bible reading was Proverbs 4. We would have read more but I was getting so sleepy I was starting to read things that weren't on the page.

In the Kitchen

Amanda made two dishes of broccoli and cheese this morning - one for dinner here at home and one for me to take along to a meeting at church this evening.

Austin cleaned off the kitchen counters for me this evening. 

Outdoor Fun

Michael and I went for an afternoon ramble. He took the ball along and had so much fun throwing and catching it and kicking and chasing after it.

One of our cats, Scout, decided to go with us. Michael was worried he would get lost but of course he didn't, just enjoyed exploring and climbing.

Fallen trees are always so much fun!

Creating

CJ spent his free time this evening making paper Christmas ornaments (that he's planning to laminate) to hang on the tree he put in the yard Friday. He also made one for Lauren to take home with her.

We Are Going

Michael and I took Lauren to preschool and then went to the post office to pick up the mail this afternoon. 

This evening the children's ministry team had a meeting at church. It was a dinner meeting, with several different people bringing food. It was an awesome meeting with people who are passionate about  bringing Jesus and the love and hope he gives to every child who comes through the church doors.  We will be meeting again in a week to work on more for the new year. I'm so blessed to be a part of this and it's exciting to watch it all unfold.  

Doug took Austin and Michael to their Scout meeting tonight. It turned out, though, that Michael's group was not meeting this evening so Doug brought Michael to the church and let him play with the other kids in the nursery while he sat in on part of the meeting. 

Just For Fun

Books We Enjoyed Today

Daily Deals

Free Shipping with code AFFCYBER at Burpee.com now through 11/28

 

Today's Quote

We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. ~ Mother Teresa

The Walnut Acre Daily - Cleaning the Shed, Animal Traps and Bacon Gravy!

Words to Live By

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. ~ Psalm 100:4-5

We Are Learning

Michael was trying to learn how to wrap a cord to put it away. He didn't quite master the skill but definitely earned an A for effort.

In the Kitchen

I was on a bacon kick today and tried two new recipes. The first one was Easy Bacon and Cheese Quiche. I made two for lunch and they disappeared quickly. 

The second was Bacon Gravy for Biscuits and it was a hit as well. 

Outdoor Fun

CJ pulled this branch out of the brush pile and said he was going to turn it into a Christmas tree. He and Michael worked for a long time to get it steadied - first in this little bucket and then the bucket was placed in the hollow of a block for more support. Now it's in the side yard waiting for decorations. 

This afternoon we worked on cleaning out the shed. CJ and Michael were a big help and we have almost a trailor load of junk ready to take to the dump tomorrow morning.

There was a table in the shed that had broken legs but I still wanted the top of it. So CJ and Michael carried it up to the garage and Doug cut the top off for me to keep. It's a sand and water table top and we can still use it.

Creating

Cardboard boxes, toothpicks and sticks were used this morning to make "animal traps."

Then they took the traps outside and set them up to see if they can catch anything overnight.

Doug built a corner shelf in the shed to hold some of his tools and equipment. 

We Are Going

Doug took CJ and Michael with him this morning to the grocery store and the hardware store. Austin spent the night at Grandma's house and stayed all day today. He called me awhile ago to see if he can stay tonight too. I said he could. I'm glad he's enjoying his Thanksgiving vacation.

Daily Deals

Today's Quote

Every survival kit should include a sense of humor. ~ Author Unknown

The Walnut Acre Daily - Thanksgiving

We spent most of today with Doug's parents and brother in Covington. It's about and hour and half drive for us and we don't get down there as often as we'd like. 

Doug's mother made an absolutely delicious Thanksgiving meal - turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, jello salad, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, macaroni salad,  rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of all that goodness! I guess we were too busy eating it.

The weather was beautiful and the kids spent a lot of time outside. I  thought I had more pictures but some of them just didn't turn out well and some I think were accidentally deleted. 

After we ate Doug and his brother, Kevin, took the kids out on the 4-wheelers. Amanda took these pictures for me. 

Traveling - thankfully we had a van full of good travelers and it was a fun ride there and back.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ~ Colossians 3:15

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Walnut Acre Daily - A Beautiful Community Thanksgiving Service and More

Words to Live By

Psalm 97:12

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.

We Are Learning

We are taking a Thanksgiving break so there were no assigned lessons today.

In the Kitchen

Breakfast and lunch were easy today - we used up a lot of leftovers for those two meals. For dinner this evening Amanda heated some chicken noodle soup and fixed a plate of raw veggies. My goal was to keep things as simple as possible since we were going to be gone this evening and again tomorrow.

Outdoor Fun

The kids were able to play outside quite a bit today. Amanda took this set of photos while they were out there. It's interesting how the animals always end up in her pictures. 

I'm not sure exactly what they were making but CJ and Michael were busy with sticks, containers of water and little plastic animals.

We also went for a short walk this afternoon. 

We Are Going

Our church hosted a community Thanksgiving service this evening and I am so glad we went. There were participants from four different churches (three different denominations) and it was such a blessing. Basically it was simply a time of thanksgiving and praise. People shared their own thoughts and the things they are thankful for. There were stories of healing from addiction and sickness, of times when even though a hard time had to be walked through God walked alongside, giving strength and comfort. There was thanksgiving for blessings, both material and spiritual. There was singing, prayer and laughter. And after the service there was pie in the Family Life Center and more sharing and thanksgiving and love and laughter. What a beautiful start to Thanksgiving.

Just Because

I asked Amanda if she could entertain Michael for awhile this afternoon and she did a great job. They had so much fun together with these toys Lauren's mother gave us yesterday. I think Amanda enjoyed the excuse to play with them.

Today's Quote

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy