Playing with Meeps

It was so great to have Meeps visit and stay with the kids while Mom gave parent conferences and Dad went to his regular school days.  She played many games of Candy Land, but I am not sure they ever actually finished a game of Monopoly.

Whoopie Pies

When Braeden gave me the beautiful cookbook he made he said, "Now we can make whoopie pies!"  We didn't have all the ingredients (I am not really a New Englander and do not keep Fluff in the house), but we complied them and made a batch on Sunday after our trip to the farm.  They turned out pretty well even though my friend Michele who is the school's resident chef, says an ingredient was missing.  Maybe they'll be even better next time!

Just in case you want some, the filling is butter, shortening, powdered sugar, corn syrup, and fluff--not the stuff of a healthy diet, but a lovely treat!

Farm visit

Meeps is here to visit and to stay with the kids while Mom holds parent conferences.

Sunday was such a beautiful day that we decided it was perfect for a visit to Coonamessett Farm.  We visited with the animals and had lunch.  There is not much ready for picking yet--but strawberries should be ripe soon!

We saw Peanut, the African Spurred Tortise.

Braeden and the donkeys.

One of the alpacas.

Our main purpose for the visit was to see the new lambs.  These little guys were born in early May, right around the first.  There is one more who was born May 4.  They are no longer wobbly, but are fun and playful and just as cute as can be!  Braeden and I saw them on a field trip on May 5 and Teagan has been wanting and waiting to get to go see them.

We went to the Middle School while we were at the farm.  

This beautiful piece of art work is the soda can world cut, pounded, and shaped by the middle school students and Liz.  No one lost any limbs, but I think it was close :)

The solar car which won the local races.  It was fastest of the 31 cars entered!  Next stop is Springfield for more races in early June.
The boat--this is actually at the farm, in the pavilion.  The launch needs to be soon since there is only one month left of school.  They have done a phenomenal job on this boat!

Ancient China Fair

Our lower elementary class has been studying Ancient China.  In Montessori, we study civilization by looking at how they meet the fundamental needs of a civilization.  We thought the fundamental needs for a civilization were food and water, shelter, transportation, defense, religion, each other, communication, clothing, arts, and health care.  Each student researched a specific topic in their fundamental need, such as bamboo writing, acupuncture, junks, gunpowder, the Great Wall, and kites, then we prepared to share the information by writing about it so that other people could learn from us.  We created posters, dioramas, and sculptures to help people understand what we had researched.  We wrote haikus (even though that is more Japanese), put them on rice paper, and painted pictures to go with them in the style of the Ancient Chinese, we painted on Sumi paper, and painted pictures like Chinese clothing.  

We also wrote and performed a play about the legend of the Chinese Zodiac.  On the day of the fair we shared our information and performed the play 3 times!  Everyone remembered their lines and really enjoyed the experience.

Sharing information about bamboo writing, bamboo books, oracle bones, and paper making.  You can see two of the haiku papers on the table.

Waiting to start the play.  Everyone, all 24 students, had a part.  

We had two Jade Emperors so one person didn't have too many lines to remember.

Taking a bow.  Everyone made their own mask.  The people who did not need masks (the river and the narrators) worked on the background.

All the animals have crossed the river.

What a beautiful dress to wear for the Ancient China fair!

Sharing information with our parents.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day started off with Jeff trying to let me sleep in and Teagan tossing confetti (painstakingly made by her) outside the bedroom door and saying "Happy Mother's Day!"  They all presented me with beautiful cards and a booklet of promises for how they would try to remember to act.

Then they tried their best to clean up the house (this is what I had asked for).

Jeff and the kids made a delicious Mother's day dinner of pizza and salad with chocolate breakfast muffins for dessert.  Braeden has been cooking in school and they made a beautiful cookbook of recipes they had made, complete with watercolors of each recipe done by Braeden.  The chocolate breakfast muffins (frosting was added since we made them for dessert) came from this cookbook.

Braeden's beautiful cookbook.  I am going to need to copy it and use the copy because I am afraid to get it dirty and cookbooks need to be able to get dirty!

Friends visit

Braeden and Teagan had their friends Noah and Miles visit on Saturday.  They stayed here while Chris and Liz went to support Jeff at a Middle School Open House.  Liz teaches art at the Middle School and Chris is on the board.  

Liz brought these great cardboard dresses for the kids to decorate.  I got out markers, glitter glue, and a box full of collage materials.  They had a great time despite the rainy weather!

Sandwich Montessori Auction

Saturday night we had an auction to support SMEAF, the group which provides financial assistance and enrichment opportunities at school.  I was a part of the auction committee and had a great time helping with the auction, even though it was a ton of work!  Since I had my Seacoast seminar in New Hampshire on Friday and Saturday, I came straight to the auction.  

We raised over $7000 and everyone who attended had a wonderful time.

This is the quilt made by all the students and teachers of Carriage House.  Everyone drew their self portrait and then added texture with embroidery.  Braeden's square is furthest right, third from the top.  He is wearing a blue shirt and has various symbols swimming around his head.
This is one of the class baskets--the money tree.  I just love how cute it turned out!  Parents in the class donated scratch tickets and a parent donated a ficus tree for us to hang the tickets on.  The winner got to take it all home (she was very excited).
Liz, auctioneer, art teacher, Mom, and friend extraordinaire.  These beautiful pieces of heart and flower art work are by the children of Friend's House and Children's House (Teagan painted and punched out one of the flowers).
Bidding on some of the wonderful items in the silent auction.
Let the auction begin!  Liz had us laughing and bidding.