Pita Surprise!

The Little Boy created a new healthy snack in our Health, Hygiene, and Nutrition class. ;) We did this because many snack foods, such as chips and cookies, are not healthy. He called his new snack "Pita Surprise" and it sure sounds yummy!

Ingredients:
Pita pocket bread
American cheese slices
Ham
Turkey breast
Cottage cheese (with or without chives)

Snack-Making Steps:
Open the pita pocket and spread cottage cheese inside. Put american cheese slices over the cottage cheese, then layer ham and turkey slices over the cheese. Close the pita pocket and cut into triangles, like a pizza! :)

Now, doesn't that sound delicious? ;)

Shining's Orphan and Saving Shiloh

Little Miss is reading Shining's Orphan, by Joanna Campbell. She states that, so far, the book is very interesting. "Samantha McLean was going to check on her orphan foals when she spotted a young girl cuddled up with them, sound asleep." Take note ~ the book has to do with horses. :P Anyway, she continues: "She woke the little girl and she told her that her name was Cindy and she ran away from her foster home. Samantha felt bad for Cindy after she told her what she had gone through and she let her come into the house. They've been trying to keep her there because she loves the horses and is a big help. I think, in the end, Samantha will talk her parents and the authorities into letting Cindy stay at Whitebrook Farm, where she will be happy and never run away."

The Little Boy is reading Saving Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. He isn't as far along in his reading as the Little Miss is, but says he thinks he's going to like this story "because it's about a family who saves a dog, just like us." :)

As you can see, the children are closely supervised while doing their reading. :P I trust Scribbles' supervisory skills completely. Nothing gets by her.

Both children will write a summary about the books they're reading, as they have done with other books they've read. This is the first time, though, they were allowed to pick their books. In an attempt to broaden their horizons I had previously chosen their books for them. We will see how their enthusiasm compares when they are reading books of their own choosing. ;)

*Snowflake Season*

Psalms 19:1, 2 state that "the heavens are declaring the glory of God; and the work of his hands the expanse is telling. One day after another causes speech to bubble forth, and one night after another night shows forth knowledge."
We entered a new season, which causes us to "bubble forth" with praise to our Creator as we marvel over the wonders of winter. In a research project on snowflakes, Little Miss enlightened us with the following information:
"Snowflakes begin as snow crystals which develop into tiny cloud droplets, about 10 micro meters in diameter. Cold environments cause column-like development, but warmer temperatures cause thin and flat crystal development. Shapes emerge as the flake moves through different temperatures and humidity. It's impossible that two snowflakes are exactly alike because roughly 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 water molecules that make up a snowflake grow at different rates and in different patterns."
An amazing testament to an intelligent Creator, indeed!
We can also praise God for the fact that he made winter precipitation fun. Did he have to? Certainly not! He didn't have to make it beautiful, either, but there is endless beauty to behold in a freshly snow-covered scene. Some of the enjoyment we find when the flakes are flying has been summed up by the Little Boy:
"In the winter it gets cold. So cold that you have to wear a hat, mittens, and a heavy coat. In the winter some people like to build snowmen or igloos, and some people like to go sledding. Some people like to drink hot chocolate after playing in the snow or shoveling."
:) It is truly a fun season!
We've been making and hanging paper snowflakes, as well as other wintery decorations, and we've enjoyed the first snowfall of the season here in New England. The transition to winter gives us the opportunity to reflect on the One who made the seasons and all their splendor, and gave us the ability to enjoy all they have to offer. To ponder over God's creation reaffirms that "everything he has made pretty in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)