Merry Christmas

Thank you all for helping to make 2006 a wonderful year for me. I cannot tell you how much your children bless me each week. God always seems to send such wonderful families my way and in turn, blesses me with wonderful friendships. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas!

Nativity Snack We gathered up snacks that would help reinforce the story of Jesus's birth. Here is what we came up with and what we ate in class today: Star cereal- represent the star of Bethlehem which the Wisemen followed. (Matthew 2:1-2) Cheerios- remind us of the hallos of angels that sang at the birth of Baby Jesus. (Luke 2:13-14) Animal Cookies- Remind us that Jesus was born in a stable. (Luke 2:7) Pretzel sticks- (shepherd's staff) remind us of the shepherds that came to see the new born king. (Luke 2:15-18) Marshmallows- Remind us of the pure holy baby that came to save us and wash as white as snow. (Luke 2:11) M&M's (we found this poem online): As you hold these candies in you hand, and turn them you will see. The M becomes a W, an E, and a 3. They tell the Christmas story. It's one I'm sure you know. It took place in a stable. A long, long time ago. The E is for the East where the star shone so bright. The M is for manger where Baby Jesus slept that night. The 3 if for the Wisemen, bearing gifts they say they came. W is for worship, hallelujah, praise His name. So as you eat these candies or share them with a friend, remember the meaning of Christmas. It's a love story that never ends.

Happy 4th Birthday Halei!

We created some beautiful ornaments today but that was not the highlight of our day. We got to see a live bat hanging like an ornament from Mr. Joe's (Granddaddy Joe) four-wheeler. We got to see the bat upclose but we made sure that we did not touch the bat (since we all know that they can carry rabies like any other wildlife animal). Mr. Joe did touch the bat and Allyson told us before lunch that he needed to make certain that he washed his hands. The children had a lot of questions about the bat. I did a little research and I will post the links here. I found out that bats are mammas and they nurse their young. Their faces looks similar to a fox. I also found that bats are very useful creatures. They prey on pesky mosquitos and other insects. See, we learn something new all of the time! www.incrediblebats.com See you at Tinsel Town at 4:00 on Friday!

Here is a picture from our hayride yesterday. Thanks to the mothers for bringing in delicious dishes for lunch. I had a wonderful time. Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a quiet day today. However, we got a lot accomplished. We spend most of the morning working on activities for our Thanksgiving booklets. Today was our "apple tasting day" and we tasted four different varieties of apples. We graphed our favorites on a chart. We used the flannel board to tell our story about the apple star today. Our story was about a star that was looking for a house with no windows, no doors, and a little brown chimney. Of course, in the end, the star found his home in the apple. We discovered that the star in the apple is what holds the apple seeds. We later read a book that taught us about how apples grow. It discussed the apple blossom's five points just like the ones within the apple. We have a few more weeks to left in our study of pumpkins, apples, and fall. November seems to be flying by! Next week, we will be eating a meal together in celebration of Thanksgiving and fall. The children will be dressing up in costumes. See you then!

Thanks for coming out to the Farmers Market on such a rainy and cold morning. Jackson and I had a fun time. I realized that I need to visit there more often. The Pineapple salsa was wonderful. I ate half a jar with our dinner that evening. How were the apples that some of you purchased? Jackson told me that tasting the apples was his favorite part. He also said that he enjoyed the "honey suckles" but I think he is referring to the sticks of honey. Maybe you can have your child post her favorite part of the field trip on this blog.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 large egg 1 small container of egg substitute (equivalent to two eggs) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon unsweetened baking cocoa 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips We added a teaspoon of vanilla syrup (used for coffees) but vanilla flavoring would also work Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, egg, egg whites and oil. Beat until blended. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, salt: beat until batter is smooth. Stir in morsels. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares when cooled.

Last week, we read a story about how pumpkins grow. We then took a walk over to the garden where Jackson's Granddady, Mr. Joe, showed us his vegetables. We tasted greenbeans and we picked peppers. Mr. Joe taught us about reaping and sowing. He told us about the parable in the Bible. We were encouraged to "sow good seeds" and do good things.

Don't forget that our field trip has been rescheduled for next week. Please let me know if you are attending.

Did you all get a chance to taste the Pumpkin Brownies that we made in class today? I will post the recipe soon. They were delicious and the children enjoyed them as much as I did. Here is a picture of Jackson, Allyson, & Halei waiting for the brownies to finish cooking.

Hey You All. I am going to try this and see how it goes. I thought it would be a safe and cheap :-) way to publish our class pictures online for you and your family to view. Please feel free to post your comments on here too. This is for all of us to enjoy! Thanks for adding more joy to my week. I always look forward to spending time with your children. Love, Anna