Wordless Wednesday ~ Big World, Lil Man

Preschool ~ First Initial Activities

Preschool ~ First Initial Activities

Here are a few quick and easy preschool activities to do with your child!

1. Cut their first initial out of their sandwich.  

Save the crusts in a bowl and put it on the table!  No waste here!

The kids eat those faster than the the rest of their lunch! 

The apple sauce goes in cups with a straw.  You should see how fast they slurp it!

 2. Have them say the name of their letter and the sound.

 3. Have them trace the letter with their finger.

 4. Have them say words that start with the same sound as their first initial.

 5. Have them guess animals that start with the same sound as their first initial.

 6. Eat it!

 Print off coloring pages and Bingo Dauber pages with their first initial on it.  You can Google it or use the pages I found by clicking HERE!  Make sure that you stress dabbing only on the circles.  This will teach listening skills and following directions.

 While passing out lunch and their papers work on Please and Thank you.  If they already have that down teach them Por Favor (Please), Gracias (Thank you) and De Nada (Your Welcome).

Teaching them Spanish words is actually very comical! 

Have fun!  

Now you have some fabulous works of art!

Family Night ~ Backyard Campout

Hi Everyone!  It's me, Middle Sis!

Two weeks ago, Daddy called home with some pretty exciting news!  Are you ready for it?  Daddy got a job as a Middle School teacher!  We wanted to celebrate so Momma and all of us came up with a fun plan!  We decided to surprise Daddy with a Backyard campout! We set the tent up and everything!  We made our own little campsite! When he got home we told him we had to show him something in the backyard...he thought it was going to be Big Sis's bug collection!

 Here is the checklist for our Surprise Campout!

Tent, Camp Chairs, Fire Pit, Hammock, Sleeping Bags, Ice Cream Maker, Ingredients for Homemade Ice Cream, Borrowed Projector, Library Movie

 We celebrated with a Pizza party! 

(Frugal Mom tip: Pizza Hut has been running a $10 any size unlimited toppings deal for the past couple years.  You have to ask specifically for it and pick it up.  They also have had a coupon in the Sunday flyer for $6 off if you order online. Plus, they gave us a key tag for $1 off any purchase. This amount of food equals 2 meals at a little less than $2 per person.  Not to shabby for Pizza Party night!)

 We made Homemade Ice Cream by stretching an extension cord to the Backyard!

 Here is Lil' Bro showing off his moves! He is so funny!

 We also tried a Campfire treat that Mommy has had her eye on all summer.  She found it on Pinterest.  She loves Pinterest because it makes being creative easier!  This recipe though, was a complete FLOP.  No one wanted to eat it.  At least the Homemade Ice cream was good!

 Don't get me wrong, this was fun to make!

It was just so gross that no one wanted to eat it!

Here is the recipe if you want to try it...I just do NOT recommend it! hahaha! 

Ingredients

Banana, Chocolate Chips or other Chocolate, Mini-Marshmallows

You can add other additions including chopped pecans, coconut, peanut butter chips, etc.

Directions

Combine on tin foil, fold the tin foil over and place on fire for a few minutes until the marshmallows are "melty"!   The bananas were mushy and gross.  I never thought I'd say that!  The chocolate didn't melt right.  Let's just say that the ice cream couldn't cover up the grossness!  It was downright EEEEEWWWWWW!  ...and we are not picky eaters here!

 It was fun to make it!

 Deserts done!  I just wish it was good!

 Next, on to some fun!  Momma stretched the extension cord into the tent!  We used a borrowed movie projector and Disney's Have A Laugh 4 DVD that we checked out from the library.  The best part is that the Have A Laugh movies are the shorts and shows from when Mommy and Daddy were little.  

They are so funny!  I laughed and laughed!

 What's funnier than Donald Duck's tail feathers on fire!  We were laughing so hard.  

Daddy told us to laugh quiet so we wouldn't wake up the neighbors!

Daddy's Surprise Celebration Camp out....Success!  

He absolutely LOVED it!

We love you Daddy!  We are so proud of you!

Recipe of the Week ~ Homemade Ice Cream

 Homemade Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 4 cups half-and-half or light cream (you can also use whole milk or heavy cream)
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• Chopped Frozen Cherries or other fruit, jam, or pie filling
• 
  

 Here is Lil' man showing off his moves!

• Directions
• In large bowl, combine the ingredients minus the fruit; mix well. Pour it into your ice cream freezer container. Freeze according to your Ice Cream Machine Instructions.  When Ice Cream is almost done, add in your choice of flavor!  It is best eaten right away. Freeze leftovers.
• 
  

Here is a picture of our Homemade Ice Cream with our Campfire treat behind it!

This was good, but I am on the hunt for an even Yummier Recipe! 

Lil' Bro and Cousin Time!

 Megan just got her braces off this morning!  I love your smile Meg!

 Lil' Bro wants to show off hie pearly whites too!

 The girl cousins on both sides of our family definitely outnumber the boy cousins

....so we boys have to stick together!

 A Lil' Lovin' by Aunt B!

We'll Miss you!  Safe travels!

Recipe of the Week ~ Fresh Pear Pie

 This weekend I had a special delivery straight from Edgewood Orchards located on Catawba Island! I was so excited to see these pears arrive! I had a pie recipe that I wanted to try but waited until I had some absolutely beautiful pears to make it out of!  This recipe was said to taste similar to apple pie and when it was all said and done and eaten it did!

Fresh Pear Pie

• Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 5 cups peeled and sliced pears
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon rind in mixing bowl. Toss mixture with the pears.
2. Arrange pears in layers in a 9 inch pastry lined pan. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll out remaining dough; cut slits for escape of steam. Moisten rim of bottom crust. Place top crust over filling. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge. Moisten top crust and sprinkle with a little sugar.
3. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes.

I found the original recipe Here, but made a few changes to it!

Add a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream and you are ready for a little slice of heaven!

 Enjoy!

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!