FIAR: 'Storm in the Night' and clouds

While doing our unit study on "Storm in the Night" by Mary Stolz, we took the time to focus on clouds.

We did:
I printed us off Cloud Viewers that I found via Pinterest so that we could ID the various types of clouds.

We made Cloud Dough:

This was a mostly for-fun activity. We made cloud dough (8 cups flour and 1 cup baby oil). Oh, so soft! Then the kiddos just played in it while I read them "Storm in the Night." Great tactile activity. Glad we did it outside because things got a bit white all over!

We made our own cloud shapes out with paper, glue and cottonballs.

"I looked up in the sky and though I saw a ________, but it was just a cloud in the sky."

I found a great web site that had several poems about clouds as well as fog, rain and the water cycle. We love the Water Cycle Song (sung to the tune of She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain). What a great way to learn about the water cycle! We even made up actions to go with it.

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
It goes up as evaporation
And forms clouds as condensation
Then comes down as precipitation, yes it does.

Then we made our own water cycle artwork to put into our Kindergarten Notebook.

We made Fluffy Cloud Paint (equal amounts of Elmer's Glue and Shaving Cream). The Girl spread the white concoction around on blue paper using popsicle sticks.

We read:
- "Do You Know that Clouds Have Names?" - Online book from The Globe Program
- "Clouds" by Anne F. Rockwell
- "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" by Charles Green Shaw
- "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle
One of The Girl's favorites
- "The Cloud Book" by Tomie DePaola
One of my favorite books
- "Thundercake" by Patricia Polacco
Polacco is a fantastic storyteller. "Thundercake" is about how a little girl shows bravery despite being scared of a storm. The Girl really wanted to make a Thundercake when we were done with this story!

Find other posts on "Storm in the Night" here.

FIAR: 'Storm in the Night' - weather experiments!

Our unit on "Storm in the Night" has been all about weather. There are so many fun weather experiments to do!

We read:
- "Down Comes the Rain" by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
- "Flash Crash Rumble and Roll" by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
I can't believe how much I learned about thunder and lightning in this story!
- "A Drop of Water" by Gordon Morrison
- "A Rainbow of My Own" by Don Freeman
- "Like A Windy Day" by Frank Asch
- "Thundercake" by Patricia Polacco
Polacco is a fantastic storyteller. "Thundercake" is about how a little girl shows bravery despite being scared of a storm. The Girl really wanted to make a Thundercake when we were done with this story!
- "Courage" by Bernard Waber
This story is about having courage, which can include during storms!
-  "Wind is to Feel" by Shirley Cook Hatch
As you read through this story, there are tons of tactile things for kids to do to help them understand wind better.

We did:

Making rain in a jar by observing how hot air condenses at the top and then drips back down. For this experiment you just need 2 jars and hot water. Put hot water into one jar and place the other one upside down over the first to capture the air.

We know a homeschool family with a middle schooler, and they're enjoying a bunch of chemistry experiments and games in a unit published by the American Chemistry Society. This was a great game that shows how water molecules like to join together, but you can separate them back out, too!

As we got ready for two of our experiments for the day, I read to the kiddos out of our DK Weather book.

We also made rain in a jar with shaving cream, water and food coloring. By watching how the food coloring finds its way through the shaving cream we learned how rain falls down from the clouds.

This experiment taught us a bit about tornadoes. We used the most clear soda we had on hand (Ginger Ale), added water and then agitated the water in a circle. A funnel formed! We did this one until my arm was too tired! So cool!

Salt and ice cubes in the can. Shake it up, and watch the magic! Frost forms!

Find all my posts on "Storm in the Night" here.

Five in a Row Book 2: 'Storm in the night'

We had a great time with "Storm in the Night" as it gave us an excuse to study the weather, water and more.

(Click here for other blog posts on weather experiments and clouds.)

We read:
- "Do You Know that Clouds Have Names?" - Online book from The Globe Program
- "Clouds" by Anne F. Rockwell
- "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" by Charles Green Shaw
- "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle
One of The Girl's favorites
- "The Cloud Book" by Tomie DePaola
One of my favorite books
- "Down Comes the Rain" by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
- "Flash Crash Rumble and Roll" by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
I can't believe how much I learned about thunder and lightning in this story!
- "A Drop of Water" by Gordon Morrison
- "A Rainbow of My Own" by Don Freeman
- "Like A Windy Day" by Frank Asch
- "Thundercake" by Patricia Polacco
Polacco is a fantastic storyteller. "Thundercake" is about how a little girl shows bravery despite being scared of a storm. The Girl really wanted to make a Thundercake when we were done with this story!
- "Courage" by Bernard Waber
This story is about having courage, which can include during storms!
-  "Wind is to Feel" by Shirley Cook Hatch
As you read through this story, there are tons of tactile things for kids to do to help them understand wind better.

We watched:
- The Magic Schoolbus Kicks Up a Storm
- The Magic Schoolbus: Wet All Over

We did:
 We made wind chimes out of paint, string and tin cans. And added a bit of sparkle with beads.

 We did a few books using a lapbook from over at HomeschoolShare.com. There wasn't one specific to "Storm in the Night", but there is one about weather.

 I tied in some of the Five Senses work we'd done previously when reading "Lentil" by talking about What Senses We Use on sunny days, rainy days, snowy days and stormy days.

We paid attention to our daily weather, making each day's temperature onto a graph I found over at http://homeschoolcreations.com.

We added in some math games, playing with our Tangram game (foam geometric shapes that can be assembled to create various patterns), and making a geoboard to practice The Girls math skills. I drove short nails in a circle, like the hours on a clock face around the board. Then my student could stretch rubber bands or string from nail to nail, creating geometric shapes.

The Bible Story about Jesus walking on water fit in perfectly with our stories about weather and water. Free printable.

FiAR: Five Senses as inspired by 'Lentil'

Robert McClosky's book "Lentil" also gave us a great incentive to learn about the 5 senses.

We did a number of hands-on activities:

Here, The Girl tasted the four main food groups: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. We used ice cream, sea salt, lemon juice, and coffee.

The Girl was blindfolded and got a taste of what it would be like to be blind. I made a bunch of mystery sounds (jingling car keys, shutting a door, flushing the toilet, snapping my fingers, crumpling paper, etc.) and had her guess what they were. We also headed outside and made a list of things we could hear.

After focusing on what we could hear when she was blindfolded, we learned about how the ear works. The Girl made a model of the eardrum, watching rice jump of plastic wrap when it vibrates just like how the ear drum vibrates!

We watched:
I found us a few videos and illustrations about how the inner ear works.

FIAR: Music in 'Lentil'

Rowing "Lentil" by Robert McClosky gave us a great excuse to learn more about orchestra instruments. I've been taking the Darling Girl to orchestra concerts since she was 2, and so she's familiar with the general concept, but I didn't know how much she knew about the individual instruments.

She loves violins and in absence of a real instrument, she made her own with a pencil and her arm!

We read:
I just have to say that I had so much fun with this collection of books. The rhythm of the words, the illustrations, everything was done so well.
- Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig
- Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss (SUCH a fun book!)
- Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer
- Animal Orchestra: A Counting Book by Scott Gustafson
- Duke Ellington: the Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney
- Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza
- Beethoven Lives Upstairs by Barbra Nicol
- Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
- Never Play Music Right Next To The Zoo by John Lithgow

We got a collection of Library books that included CDs and music!
-  Can You Hear It? by William Lach
This fantastic book links art pieces with musical pieces, and was so much fun. My daughter wanted to keep going all the way through in one sitting!
- Beethoven's Wig by Richard Perlmutter
This fun book includes silly lyrics that go along with some of Beethoven's masterpieces
- The Story of the Incredible Orchestra: An Introduction to Musical Instruments and the Symphony Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
- The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, The Music, and the Composers Who Wrote the Music by Robert Levine

We did:
I sat down at the piano and dusted off some of my books. The kiddos and I sang a bunch of songs. The Girl walked around for days with her toy harmonica, playing away.

We watched:
I found a bunch of YouTube videos where musicians from the Philharmonica Orchestra in London explained the ins and outs of their instruments.

For fun, we also checked out a Swedish musical group that included a harmonica!

Five in a Row: Book 1 - Lentil

Our Five in a Row study commenced this year with Robert McCloskey's timeless tale, "Lentil."

We had a few areas of focus, including Patriotism/Community, our 5 senses, and musical instruments. We talked about my daughter's gifts and talents and what onomatopoeia is. We meant to talk more about money. I really liked a 31-page unit study on Lentil I found over at Homeschoolshare.com. Sadly, they don't have them on all the Five In A Row books anymore.

We read:
- "Lentil" by Robert McCloskey
- "My Five Senses" by Aliki
- "Sounds All Around" by Wendy Pffefer

We watched:
 - "The Miracle Worker" - The story of Helen Keller and Annie
- "Helen's Big Dream: The Life of Helen Keller" by  Doreen Rappaport

We worked on memorizing:
- The Pledge of Allegiance using the great tool found in a 31-page Lentil unit study from Homeschoolshare.com.
- The Star Spangled Banner

We did:
- We cooked Lentil Soup and The Girl said it was the best soup she'd ever eaten!

We learned about our place in this world and our own communities by making a little book that talked about our communities from small to global. We put in pictures of our family, state, etc.

This copy work was included in the free Lentil download from Homeschoolshare.com. The copywork was perfect for my just-barely a kindergartner.

Cultural identity

What do you consider your cultural or ethnic identity? What traits or practices do you associate with that identity? Are there things you would like to do to enhance that part of who you are?

It isn’t easy for me to trace my ethnic identity and find any cultural practices in my daily life, or really even in the way I spend my holidays.

There’s a Norweigian prayer - the one my dad taught us as kids, the one his Norweigian Grandmother Cora Christensen taught him as a kid. I bought a plate with that prayer and it hangs on my stairwell, a reminder of our Norweigian heritage.

I Jesu navn
gar vi til bords
a spise og drinkke
pa ditt ord
Deg gud til aer, oss til gavn
sa far vi mat
I Jesu navn

When my Grandpa David Christensen was alive, my dad would venture up to Day each Christmas and buy him pickled herring. Occassionally lefse appears on our holiday table when someone is feeling adventurous - but it’s been many years since it did. We do inhale pickles and olives, however, at Christensen family gatherings.

I feel that void that comes from not having a solid heritage, so the past few years I’ve been working to gather family history. I want to know the details of my ancestors. I’d like to know the work they did, the food they cooked, and why they picked the names of their children. I started a blog to collect and share that information.

When Axel was born, I scoured through lists of names that I had gathered (which was pretty incomplete), and we settled on using the middle name of my husband’s great-grandfather on his mother’s side. To give my children a sense of continuity, I’ve given them each a middle name that was passed on from us. Christopher is my husband’s middle name, and Mae is mine. Mine was also my grandmother’s on my mother’s side, and recently I discovered it was also the middle name of my Great-Grandmother on my father’s father’s side. I love discovering those connections. Because then I feel connected to those who have gone before me.

I was thrilled to learn last summer at a family reunion that 2 or more folks on the Folger side were newspaper people. I am not the first writer in my family.

This past summer, I enrolled my daughter in a Swedish Culture Camp at West Riverside School in Cambridge. I’m not Swedish, but she is on her father’s side. I hope to make that a tradition. She was introduced to fun Swedish games, to Swedish culture (think Midsommer pole), Swedish songs and Swedish games. This year I want to visit the Swedish Institute near our home in South Minneapolis, and perhaps the Danish museum, as well.

I want to give my kids a sense of their heritage, while also broadening their views of the world by introducing them to other cultures. It’s not only important to connect them to those who came before they, but it’s also just plain fun!

I also hope to create my own family traditions at holidays so that my kids have something to hold onto and remember as they get older and have their own families. Thank goodness for Pinterest and idea boards!

Girls Night Out @ Vinaigrette

Grab your book club (or another group of girlfriends) and head over to Vinaigrette Gourmet Olive Oil and Vinegar Shop (locations in Minneapolis and Minnetonka) for a fabulous evening out.

We bought our books, of course. And salads that the shopkeeper provided dressing for. When he saw that we had a gluten-free pumpkin pie, he brought over an amazing Fig Balsamic Vinegar that added the perfect dash of pizzazz!

There's a small area in the back of the shop that was perfect for our group of 7. At the very back, a table was set up before we arrived for us to spread out our potluck dinner on.

At Vinaigrette, we were encouraged to try everything there, and so we did our best! 

Balsamic vinegar with blueberries... raspberries... pomegranate... cherries. Ooo la la! Golden balsamic vinegar. California chardonnay, cabernet, and champagne. (Fit perfectly with our books and wine night!).

Then there were the olive oils... Basil... Chili... Garlic... Lemon ... Tuscany herb... Rosemary... Lime... A bit of heaven. 

We learned that we had just missed the release of a bunch of new flavors by a few days. I guess it's just incentive to return!

Top Quality Vinegars:

18 year aged Balsamic vinegar, Balsamic vinegar with Fig, Balsamic vinegar with Pear, Balsamic vinegar with Raspberry, Balsamic vinegar with Cherry, and Golden Balsamic vinegar. We also offer California Chardonnay, Cabernet and Champagne vinegar. - See more at: http://www.vinaigrettemn.com/_o/index.html#sthash.qcNsUZ3f.dpuf

Even the art for sale on the walls is amazing!

Owners Richard and Sarah Piepenburg are passionate about food and cooking. As they say it on their web site:

"...on one of our trips back to Northern California for tours through the wine country, we had an epiphany. One of the wineries had started to grow olives on their property, and offered samples of olive oil and wine vinegar along with their wine tasting. We loved it! The first dinner we prepared with the oil, vinegar and wine we had tasted then purchased was amazing! - See more at: http://www.vinaigrettemn.com/_o/about-vinaigrette.html#sthash.reByzJQy.dpuf

As time went on, we thought about all the different oils and vinegars we had fallen in love with and thought “wouldn’t it be fun to be able to taste Greek olive oil beside an Italian olive oil and really decide which one we preferred”.

Thus, the idea for Vinaigrette was born. We started looking into getting the variety required to really do side by side comparisons. The tasting experience is what we wanted to share with our family and friends. We wanted to get the freshest, best tasting product at a reasonable price with unmatched customer service.

At Vinaigrette, we provide a retail experience that is unlike anything many people have seen. We can tell you when the olives for our oils were harvested and pressed. You can taste an Egyptian, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Syrian, Tunisian and Californian olive oil side by side to see what you prefer. We go beyond just extra virgin olive oils - our fused oils allow you an even richer tasting experience. Try different flavors like Basil, Garlic, Lemon, or Orange (to name just a few) and decide what you like and decide how much you would like to purchase while standing right in the store! Our balsamic, flavored balsamic and wine vinegars are unparalleled, and you get the same tasting experience - you taste and decide what you like.

We look forward to seeing you at Vinaigrette to find oils and vinegars to tap, taste and treasure for years to come."

IF YOU GO

Vinaigrette • 5006 Xerxes Avenue South • Minneapolis, MN 55410-2226 • 612-922-9192 • Email: info@vinaigrettemn.com

Vinaigrette • 5006 Xerxes Avenue South • Minneapolis, MN 55410-2226
612-922-9192
Email: info@vinaigrettemn.com
Hours: M-F 11-7, Sat. 11-7, Sun 11-5

Top Quality Vinegars:

18 year aged Balsamic vinegar, Balsamic vinegar with Fig, Balsamic vinegar with Pear, Balsamic vinegar with Raspberry, Balsamic vinegar with Cherry, and Golden Balsamic vinegar. We also offer California Chardonnay, Cabernet and Champagne vinegar.

Exquisite Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

California, Egyptian, Greek, Italian Organic, Italian Unfiltered, Spanish, Syrian, and Tunisian.

Fused Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

Basil, Chili, Garlic, Lemon, Orange, Oregano, Porcini Mushroom, Rosemary and Truffle.

- See more at: http://www.vinaigrettemn.com/_o/index.html#sthash.qcNsUZ3f.dpuf

Top Quality Vinegars:

18 year aged Balsamic vinegar, Balsamic vinegar with Fig, Balsamic vinegar with Pear, Balsamic vinegar with Raspberry, Balsamic vinegar with Cherry, and Golden Balsamic vinegar. We also offer California Chardonnay, Cabernet and Champagne vinegar.

Exquisite Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

California, Egyptian, Greek, Italian Organic, Italian Unfiltered, Spanish, Syrian, and Tunisian.

Fused Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

Basil, Chili, Garlic, Lemon, Orange, Oregano, Porcini Mushroom, Rosemary and Truffle.

- See more at: http://www.vinaigrettemn.com/_o/index.html#sthash.qcNsUZ3f.dpuf

Top Quality Vinegars:

18 year aged Balsamic vinegar, Balsamic vinegar with Fig, Balsamic vinegar with Pear, Balsamic vinegar with Raspberry, Balsamic vinegar with Cherry, and Golden Balsamic vinegar. We also offer California Chardonnay, Cabernet and Champagne vinegar.

Exquisite Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

California, Egyptian, Greek, Italian Organic, Italian Unfiltered, Spanish, Syrian, and Tunisian.

Fused Extra Virgin Olive Oils:

Basil, Chili, Garlic, Lemon, Orange, Oregano, Porcini Mushroom, Rosemary and Truffle.

- See more at: http://www.vinaigrettemn.com/_o/index.html#sthash.qcNsUZ3f.dpuf

Day trip: Ride along the Cambridge-Isanti Bike Trail

Take a day-trip up to Isanti County, Minn. and check out the Cambridge-Isanti Bike Trail. It runs from the soccer fields on the north side of Isanti to the southern edge of Cambridge. With the toddler in a bike seat and the 5-year-old in a carrier on a super windy summer day, it took us about 1/2 hour to traverse the trail one-way.

Tailgating at the soccer fields

We made sure to stop at the Congressman Oberstar overlook midway to appreciate the bogwalk.

You'll go through corn fields, wooded areas and swamp. Enjoy the wildflowers, butterflies and songbirds.

First we enjoyed nature's sweet treat: raspberries along the path!

DQ is at 8th and Main Street in Cambridge

At the edge of town, we kinda lost the trail, but proceeded on roads until we wound up at Dairy Queen at 8th and Main Street. It was a great treat midway. If we would have had more time, we would have headed over to the Rum River Park to run around on the playground.

After working for the newspaper in Isanti County for 10 years, I'd followed the drive to install the bike trail between these sister towns, and it was very exciting for me to finally see the finished product and bicycle along it. It was bittersweet to realize that one of the main supporters, Congressman Oberstar, had died a few months earlier. I wonder if they'll change the plaque to honor him in a larger way on the bogwalk. His support was instrumental in getting federal money to help build the trail, which had been a dream of the Cambridge and Isanti school children for 25 years. (Read story in Isanti County News about the opening.)

In Isanti, maybe you'll be able to catch a soccer game. The BMX track and new cablewakeboarding are also pretty close, as is the playground at Bluebird Park. If you find you need another sweet treat, they make great pies at the Creamery in downtown Isanti (104 W Main St.)!

Things my mother taught me...

- Think outside the box
My mom has never been afraid to live outside cultural norms. Whether its deciding to homeschool her children, use nontraditional medicine, or grow most of her own vegetables, my mom does what she thinks is right for her and her family. She lives according to her own conscience, her own deeply held principles, and she holds on despite persecution from others.

- Eat a healthy diet
I am so very grateful for all of the homecooked meals and nonprocessed foods I ate growing up. My mom cooked simply and from scratch, using items from her garden and the local natural foods co-op. We bought in bulk, and shied away from popular items like Kraft Mac N Cheese. I know that I’m healthier because of the decisions my mom made for her children, and I know that I am making healthier decisions for my family today because of that. It’s not something I need to work so hard at because I have a solid foundation. She taught me to weed, pick my own vegetables and to can.

- Live simply
We didn’t have a ton of stuff when I was a kid. It wasn’t just because my dad was a self-employed contractor who was without work many winters, but because my mom made a conscious choice not to be overrun with clutter. When it was time to buy us bicycles or walkmans, they bought high-quality items that wouldn’t need to be replaced all the time because my mom doesn’t want to fill up the landfill. So, we had some toys, but our drawers weren’t overflowing with them. There are some days that I’m frustrated that I can’t find many toys to pass down to my kids, but then I realize that the lesson of not having so much is more valuable. It also makes for a simpler, cleaner house that is filled with a sense of peace. I can relax at my mom’s house.

- Rest when you need to
My mom has always paid attention to what her body needs, and when its rest she makes sure she stops for a nap. I think that’s a pretty valuable lesson. She doesn’t try to fight what her body tells her it needs, but she pays attention and responds.

- Volunteer and do for others
My parents were both models of giving selflessly. They brought us to Mexico and Papua New Guinea to help others through missions work. They sought to show God’s love to others by doing and not just saying. My mom drove us to the library each week when I was a teenager to not only encourage my voracious love of reading but to also put in volunteer hours in the basement. Like most moms, mine put aside some of her own desires to do what she felt was more important, to be a mom who was there for her kids. As we grow older, I think I value this more and more, and see how important it is to live unselfishly. We should live fully as ourselves, but that often means looking beyond ourselves and being a part of a larger effort to love each other. My mother has been an example to me of this.

- Support your children’s dreams
I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Not once did my mom tell me I should go for a career that was more steady. Instead, she encouraged my dreams every step of the way and did what she could to pave the road for me. Thanks for that, mom. And for everything else I didn’t mention in this post.