Plum Picking and Other Things

A week ago while on a run, Zoe and I spotted a plum tree that was hanging over the fence and onto the sidewalk.  We picked a couple and continued on our run.  A few days later we picked a couple more and then knocked on the door to see if we could pick a basket full.  No one answered ;(  

Yesterday, my friend Jami texted me to let me know that she saw a house advertising "free plums".  I knew exactly the house she was talking about.  I packed my whole family in the car, and Ben drove me over.  I brought a stool with me and grabbed what I could from the street, but only managed to grab maybe 5.  And so.  I knocked on the door, introduced myself, and asked if I could come in their backyard to pick.  He said YES!  He already had a ladder out and everything.  I frolicked back to my car to grab my bucket and was met with anxious and curious eyes from my littles (and Ben, he must've thought I was crazy).  He let me in his yard and I went to town picking plums!  

I was so giddy.  I filled my bucket to the top, and I wished I'd brought another.  I picked around 20-25 lbs worth of plums!  I will be attempting a Honey Plum Preserve recipe later this week.  Here they are:

Later that night I made a quick run to the store for some essentials.  I bought huge bag of "ripe" bananas for $1.49.  Oh, and I forgot, I picked peaches at my friend Trista's house yesterday, too!  I went home, peeled, sliced, and froze the bananas and peaches.  If you ever see those "ripe" bags for super cheap, or if yours just start to go downhill, freeze them for smoothies!

Pictured above are some frozen peaches and bananas.  Lay them flat on wax or parchment.  You can even do a couple layers (with the paper in between each).  Once frozen, you can move them to a bag in the freezer.

This morning I made baked peanut butter oatmeal.  It is a family favorite.  If you like peanut butter, you should definitely give it a try.  The recipe is in the pic below, but you can find it HERE.

While that was in the oven, I sewed 5 more budgeting envelopes and puffy-painted their purpose.

Ben left for work, and the kids and I got started on the front planter area.  It is quite large, but it's mostly in the shade so I've avoided it.  We have a ton of seeds left so we figured we'd just plant a few different things and see what grows.  I was surprised to find that the soil was actually quite nice and moist.  Ellie was excited that there were lots of bugs and worms, and Aaron was excited that he was allowed to sit in the dirt and dig with a mini shovel thing.  Zoe was unknowingly our photographer and had a multitude of unflattering pics of my butt.

We planted some lettuce mixes, zuccini, watermelon, carrots, and basil.  I am hoping that at least a few things will grow.  We'll see soon.

And now it's nap time.  Beautiful nap time.  

Summer Fun Theme: Worm Week!

It's summer time!  Yay!  I'm still teaching at the preschool/kindergarten for the school aged kids group (5+) two days a week through the summer.  Week one's theme will be Wiggling Worms!  Want to join me in all the fun?  Plan a fun week for your kids at home by doing some of these great activities!  Try one or all!

Read the Story:  Diary of a Worm (you can check it out at your local library)

Sensory Activity: Buy a small tub of worms at a local store (I've even seen them at grocery stores in the sporting goods section).  Also buy a small amount of soil.  Dump both into a large, lipped tub and allow your children to play with them!  Talk about the way to treat worms (gently).  Can they think of names for the worms?  Which worm is the longest?  Can they draw a picture of what the worms look like; maybe use a magnifying glass?  When you're done, release them into your backyard!

Physical Activity: Have your child use chairs or other objects to create a "worm maze" they can slither through.

Food Activity:  Dirt cups!  What child wouldn't enjoy pretending to eat dirt, mud, and worms?  This recipe is super simple and your child can do it all by himself.

1. In a bowl, mix together 1 small box instant chocolate pudding, 2 cups milk, and 1 small tub of cool whip (optional, but super tasty).
2. In a ziploc baggie, place 3-5 oreo cookies (per dirt cup/child).  Have the child crush up the cookies inside the bag until they are in small crumbs.
3. Give the child a clear cup (if possible).  Have them scoop out HALF of the oreo pieces into the cup.  This will be the dirt.  Then, scoop some pudding mixture into the cup.  This is your mud.  And finally, have your child pour the rest of the oreo crumbs on top.
4. Wiggle a couple of gummy worms into the top of the soil.  Place in the fridge to cool and set.  Enjoy!

Write a Book:  Have your child write a book about "If I had a pet worm".  Younger kids may need more prompting (i.e. start their pages for them with ideas like: "if I had a pet worm I would name him:____" or "if I had a pet worm we would play _________").  Older kids, most 5 and ups, can probably write their own story on wide lined paper.  Encourage them to be creative and to color the pictures to go along with their story!

Worm Painting:  You have a few options here:

1. Paint with strings of yarn to simulate worms.
2. Paint with worms (this would require touching the worms, which some kids are not fans of)
3. Place spots of paint on a piece of paper and allow the worms to crawl through the paint and around the paper.  Kids who don't enjoy touching worms may prefer this option.

Can you think of any other fun worm activities for young children (2-8's)?  If so, leave us a note in the comments section!

Looking for other book themed activities?  Check out my activities for Eric Carle's book, The Very Busy Spider!