Eight Legs?

Isn't it fascinating how something so small can create something so magnificent?

Spiderwebs 

They are so cool to explore, learn about, and discover.

 

 

 

This time of year the spider webs just glisten in the morning sun.. Amazing how sturdy they are to just blow in the wind and not get destroyed!!

 

 

Fun Facts

-not all spiders spin webs.

-the silk is liquid until it hits the air and hardens.

-the silk is actually made of 4 strings combined together, not one.

-webs come from 4 glands on the abdomen called spinnerets.

-larger spiders can actually catch animals such as birds or bats in their strong webs!

 

 

Weaving Webs: Paper plate with whole punches along the edge. Tie a string onto one hole. At the other end of the string attach a small piece of pipe cleaner, this will be used to weave the web and when finished attach a spider ring to the pipe cleaner. This is great for fine motor skills. For younger children make sure the string isn't too long or it becomes frustrating for them to weave.
My preschoolers had a lot of fun with this project and they were extremely excited to take it home to play with. Next time I'd like to have some flies to attach as well.

 

For older children you could teach them how to make a dream catcher.

 (This site has a good tutorial - http://www.nativetech.org/dreamcat/dreminst.html ) Comparing a real spider web to your homemade dream catcher would be interesting.

 

 

Movie night:

Charlotte’s Web, the classic children’s story about Wilbur the pig and his spider friend, Charlotte.

 

 

We are going to try to set aside  this Saturday evening with no guests, no computer, no TV and all sit down as a family to watch a movie together, which will be "Charlotte's Web".

 

Spiders Still freak me out....

 

 

 

 

Full Bellies, Happy kids

Lots of parents are nervous about bringing their kids into the kitchen – I was too!

I was also doing that crazy balance of trying to entertain kids while cooking dinner and it never seemed to go smoothly. One day I realized if I have to make dinner I might as well bring in the kiddos to help me out, it will give them something to do and give us all time together. Sure there might be a few more messes and things might take a bit longer, but I’m spending quality time with my kids while accomplishing tasks (and I don’t have to do things like wash veggies anymore!).

Tips for getting your kids in the kitchen:

1. Take a deep breath and think of this as a late afternoon activity together with your kid.

2. Let go and let your kid have some control – it’s ok if it doesn’t look perfect and uniform. (an easy way to get egg shell out of the bowl of eggs it to use a piece of the shell!)

3. Make sure you talk to them about safety – like knives and sharp things and the hot stove, importance of hand washing and not putting fingers in mouth with raw chicken on them, etc.

4. I toss whatever veggies we having in the sink and let the kids wash them – they love this.

5. The kids either stand or kneel on a chair with a back on it and if they are working at the sink I put the back to the side that is away from me, I can catch them from my side or the back. If they are working at the stovetop I put theback of the chair against the front of the stove. This way if they lean forward they can grab the chair back, NOT the hot stovetop.

6. When beginning a dish, like adding olive oil and onion to pan, don’t turn the burner on until after they have tossed in the ingredients. This takes care of the pops and sizzles that bounce out to burn tiny arms.

7. When using the mixer I never plug it in until I am ready to turn it on and I unplug it when I turn it off. You never know when little hands will get curious with switches.

8. Remember if you are adding liquid to a hot pan it will steam and steam can burn, so add a little liquid to cool off the pan, then let your kiddo add the rest.

9. A great way to add veggies or chunks of anything to hot liquid is to use a spoon – there’s less splashing and hands are further away from the splash zone.

10. My kids and I like kid utensils, like plastic knives and measuring cups/spoon from "The warehouse" and regular table knives work great too.

11. Kids are great at grating, peeling and slicing soft fruit and veggies (strawberries, cucumber) with supervision.

12. Let your kids get creative, go through recipe books and let them pick out what to cook or for a more experienced mini chef, let them create a recipe.

Tonight James choose a recipe for dessert: "Peach upside down cake"

For the topping:
25g melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tin drained peach slices

For the cake batter:
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essance
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

 

 

 

Spread the topping mixture into a 20cm tin or dish, Arrange the drained fruit on top in the tin

Cream the butter, white sugar and egg together, then add the vanilla essance

 



Sift in flour, baking powder and salt

 

 

Add milk and mix well

 

 

 

Spread mixture evenly over fruit

 

 

Bake for 30-40mins @180c, Once cooked stand for 5 minutes then turn out on to a plate

 

 

Delish served with whipped cream and ice-cream!!

Play Dough Fun

PLAY DOUGH is something every child loves to play with and something every adult remembers. This simple doughy stuff can be transformed into an infinite number of shapes and forms – the only thing your child has to add is his or her imagination.
Working with play dough allows your child to express and develop their creativity from an early age. It requires neither special tools nor the mastery of difficult techniques. Just give your child a lump and they’re away, entering worlds of dinosaurs, spaceships, pirates, fairies, racing cars…

But times are tough and buying the commercially made product might be more than the weekly budget can stand. Fortunately, help is at hand – you can make play dough at home for a fraction of the cost.

 

Heres the recipe we use:

 

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup of salt

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 cups of water

Food colouring

A saucepan

A wooden spoon

• Place the water, oil and food colouring in the saucepan.
• Slowly mix in the flour and salt.
• Place the saucepan over a medium heat and stir constantly.

As the ingredients heat they will form a dough that looks like very stiff mashed potatoes. Once this dough begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.

When the dough is properly cool, knead it thoroughly until it achieves a smooth texture.

If the dough still feels sticky after you’ve done this, it means you haven’t cooked it long enough. You can return it to the heat to dry it out a little more and then knead again.

If you want to make several colours of play dough, but don’t want to go through the cooking process over and over again, you can make the play dough as above but omit the food colouring.

Then, separate your play dough into several batches. Form each batch into a rough ball and make a depression in its centre. Add a teaspoon of liquid food colouring to each depression and knead until the colouring is evenly mixed through the dough.

If the colour is not strong enough, simply add a little more and knead through again.

Storage

Your homemade play dough, though it will provide hours and hours of fun, does have a finite lifespan. Eventually it will dry out to a point where it is no longer fun to play with. When this happens you’ll have to throw it away and make some more.

You can, however, prolong the life of your play dough dramatically by storing it when not in use in a zip-loc bag or containers in the fridge.

A Sheet load of fun!!

The outdoors is the very best place for preschoolers to practice and master emerging physical skills. It is in the outdoors that children can fully and freely experience motor skills like running, leaping, and jumping.

 

 

Who knew playing with a sheet could be so much fun!

 

 

When parents think back to their own childhoods, chances are some of their fondest memories are of outdoor places and activities. (I know most of mine are!)

 

 

 

When we show an appreciation for the great outdoors, the children in our lives will follow our lead.

 

 

Almost half of preschool children aren't taken outside

to play by their parents on a daily basis.....

 

 

 

Next time when you take your children to a park or beach, allow them to explore. Let them decide which trails to take. Stay nearby for safety, but don't interfere or help unless asked.

Chocolate Brownie anyone?

This week’s I-dare-you-to-look-away recipe came from the kids great grandma.

 

White Chocolate Brownie

 

I’d been dying to make these brownies since forever and finally managed to bake them today. I've had the recipe sitting in the back of my cookbook or years but have never got around to trying this super EASY recipe. (dont know why I didnt try it before now). Its differnatly a keeper and will be the go to recipe for choc brownie.

 

 

These are definitely a good middle of the road brownie – not too fudgy and not too cakey; very much so what you’d think of when you think “classic brownie”. If anything, they’re a little more on the fudgy side than the cakey side.

Recipe

Melt 140g Butter, then beat for 2mins or until pale

Add 4 eggs and 300g sugar beat till fluffy

Then stir through 150g flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 75g cocoa powder

add 100g chopped walnuts (I used white choc buttons instead)

Spread in a slice tin and bake for 20mins @180c

 

I’m not sure I’ll ever need to use another brownie recipe ever again.

Pure perfection (I underbaked just a bit… but only because I couldn’t wait any more).



 

 

So…THAT is what brownies are supposed to taste like!!! They are the best brownies I have ever made!

Rain rain go away!

It started pouring last night again and has been raining ever since. 4th day in a row we have had rain. With 3 more days forcasted rain its going to be a noisy, busy house with the kids being kept inside.

 James watching his bike get soaked outside in the rain, I did tell him yesterday to get it in the shed before it rained...

 

I am such a hibernator when it rains. I love sitting in my trackies and slippers, with a hot milo while reading my book (Kindle). Although this morning as much as that idea sounded great, it didn't happen quite the way i wanted.
I ended up making a hut with the kids and having morning tea together. (Was much nicer/bonding than sitting reading my book.)

 

We've had flooding, severe winds that knocked out power for 2-3 hours at a time, and destroyed several houses in the area. This next photo is the paddock behind our house that backs on to a stream, which runs in to the river. This photo shows you the start of the flooding early this morning.

Lucky hubby got the stock out of the way in time.

 

 



Is Raising Free Range Kids Irresponsible or Brave Parenting?

Of course, there is no one right way to parent. But growing children need to learn to rely on their own instincts and independent problem solving. Instead of overprotecting them, let's get back to teaching children how to safely take risks and take care of themselves.

Let your kids make some decisions on their own. In the beginning, these can be as simple as yogurt or nuts for a snack, alloted tv time after breakfast or before dinner. It will make them feel more involved, confident and prepared to make choices as they get bigger. It’s been said before, but experience is a great teacher.

Resist taking on chores that now should fall to them. These too can start small. As much as putting their clothes in the laundry, setting the table and making their beds have been part of your job description so far, it may now be time to pass the baton.

Focus on their positive qualities. Think of reasons to support their evolving ideas as they begin to feel better about expressing themselves. And remember that another part of their training right now is to learn about the joys and responsibilities of more freedom and independence.

Practice open and honest communication. Talk out any conflicts or misunderstandings. Use the same conversational etiquette that you would with anyone else you care about and respect. Teach your kids active listening skills it's a gift that will last a lifetime.

New Zealand at it's best

Kiwis! We love sharing our spectacular country with visitors and in turn seeing it anew through foreign eyes. We never tire of being reminded of the rugged beauty of our beaches, mountains, fiords, glaciers, native forests and thermal regions. And once you experience these natural highlights, you won’t tire of reminding us.


On top of our looks, New Zealands islands’ rich Maori culture, passion for rugby, sheep outnumbering people, and exquisite sauvignon blanc create a country that defies even the most imaginative adventurers’ expectations.
But it’s not all look and don’t touch. In New Zealand, adventure sports rule. This is, after all, a nation so dedicated to doing odd things with bits of rubber and plastic that it invented bungee jumping, black-water rafting and zorbing. Whether you’re climbing the Fox glacier or skydiving over a stunning patchwork of mountains and fields, New Zealand is certain to get adrenaline coursing through your veins.

Having this on your back door step every day - Priceless

TUTU Cute

I remember when I was a little girl and always wanting to play dress ups. The changes of clothes was endless and my mother would have a fit every time I changed my clothes (which was at least 5 times) and back then we didn't have the dress ups like they do now. Good old mums purse and high heel shoes with a big rimmed hat always did the trick.

So today I spend the day essentially playing dress up with my daughter.
I have always loved pretty, girly, frilly, things, especially dresses/skirts, the poofier and more tutu-like the better! Not that I would EVER be seen in public wearing any of the above.

My Little miss Georgia loves dressing up in her tutu skirts. Teacups and shortbread was on the menu today and I must say it was gorgeous to spend the time with Georgia watching her prance around in her dresses/tutus. Must do it more often.

The country life at its best

The benefits of raising my children in a farm environment are many. Not only do they get fresh air, and lots of it, but they get to see what happens in the cycle of life, at an early age, giving them a better understanding and respect for nature. The child who lives on a farm will always have the rolling hills and colors of the seasons to look back on when they grow up, and the natural feeling of ease with life, because the calm environment instills a sense of belonging.

The countryside gives a great backdrop to a childhood, since it offers a wealth of adventure which is relatively safe. A child will play outdoors more, and enjoy and appreciate those facets nature presents, such as paddocks of grass, rivers and trees, building a life with their friends which depends heavily upon nature and making use of it for enjoyment. The stimulation of nature encourages good exercise, rather than confinement.

James in the river behind our house

 

Little people in my life

James 4 Years old and Georgia 2 Years old