Resurrection Rolls - a simple Easter lesson and treat

I'm making these tonight with my Activity Girls (8-11 year olds) at church.  We made them in homeschool today so I could time how long it takes.  Everyone 6-17 years enjoyed making (and eating) them. 

 The butter represents the oils of embalming.  

The cinnamon and sugar represent the spices used to anoint the body. 

 All wrapped up in the crescent roll dough and ready to go in the oven (the tomb).

 Tater felt the need to roll his after pinching the dough closed.  Maybe that's why his didn't split open.

 Some were not sealed well and the marshmallow leaked out.  

This is our first pan.  We did two pans.

 This one was perfectly sealed!

 The tomb is empty!

Another perfect one!

• 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count)
• 8 large marshmallows
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1- 1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• paper cupcake liners

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
3. Separate crescent rolls into triangles and give each person one. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in after he died.
4. Give each person a large marshmallow. The marshmallow represents Jesus’ body. 
5. Have each person dip their marshmallow into the melted butter. The melted butter represents the oils of embalming. 
6. Then dip the buttered the marshmallow into the cinnamon sugar. The cinnamon sugar represents the spices used to anoint the body. 
7. Wrap the coated marshmallow tightly into the crescent roll. Pinch the sides to make a good seal.  Don’t roll up like a regular crescent roll.  This represents the wrapping of Jesus’ body after death.
8. When they're done forming their roll, place inside a paper cupcake liner and on a jelly roll pan (a baking sheet with edges).  
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  The oven represents the tomb Jesus was buried in. 
10. When the rolls have cooled slightly, everyone can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, for HE IS RISEN!

A brief language lesson

It's two days before Thanksgiving and I woke up with a horrible cold at 4 am.  I'm trudging along through homeschool lessons and come to this one for the 7 year old.

Thanks be to my Heavenly Father who knew I needed this today.  

Fool's Gold on Friday

Today we learned about Samuel Champlain and Henry Hudson's explorations hoping to find a quicker passage to India and China to trade for silks and spices in Story of the World Volume 3 chapter 4.

We got done early since Danny had taken Hammy to his speech therapy and Bun and the twins tagged along to help him run errands afterwards.

So basically I just taught Pookie, Gabbers, and Peach about the elusive Northwest Passage, while Biscuit played with Nippett (the dog we are watching for my friend).

We were kinda bored when we were all done with our maps, comprehension questions, coloring pages, dictation sentences and chapter test.

So we made our own version of "fool's gold" with white glue and gold glitter.  We made about 10 gold nuggets.

And we made Peach a potty training success chart.

And we twiddled our thumbs and wondered how quiet and peaceful the house is with four less boys.

And we may have had fun with a sharpie too.

Melting Crayons

I was having a very lethargic, morning sick filled morning about a week and a half ago (not unlike every day of the last month).  I was more than pleased after handwriting when the kids started experimenting with a magnifying glass.  After determining they weren't going to start a fire, I let them have at it with a bunch of broken crayons. 

This occupied a good hour and a half of our morning and we called it Science.  Plus there was no fighting.

*sigh* If only all my mornings flowed so smoothly.

Homeschooling in real life with 7 kids under 9 1/2

Yesterday at church when I was sitting in the nursery with Squdge, Tater, and Peach, another mother asked me how I homeschool with little ones in the home. 

I had to answer her honestly, "That is the hardest part of homeschooling:  What do I do with the toddlers and baby while I teach the older kids?"

Well, this is just a small sample of what may happen when I leave one of the school-aged children in charge of twins while I teach the other two school-aged children.

What isn't included in the picture of the four pack of yogurt (those are 6 oz. each by the way) is the yogurt covered table and splotches on the floor from the fridge to the table, Cheerios strewn from one end of the living room to the other, the turned over play kitchen, the half-dozen paper airplanes, the ripped off fridge lock, and two totally yogurt coated two year old twins (say that three times fast).

The baby escaped unscathed.

Ask the Audience: Pencil grip

Why is holding a pencil "correctly" important?  Why are some ways of holding it right and some wrong?

A few trips: Lunch, eyes, and overseas

Today we are going on a lunchtime playdate at a secluded park on the way to town.  It's a relatively short van trip there-- like 15 minutes.  With just a little prep of sandwich making and flavor-blasted goldfish bagging whilst 7 happy children bounce around with glee (yeah!  Goldfish!  Friends!) we will have the makings of a fun memory-filled afternoon.

Next week Danny turns 35.  I had the plannings in my head of a surprise get-together with friends.  But he's going on a trip instead.  He got pre-approved for laser eye surgery.  So it's his turn to be gone for 2 weeks.  His trip is about 5 1/2 hours by car.

Because we recently enrolled the oldest three kids in a charter program that teaches them Science, History, Art, and Music twice a week (and we homeschool the rest), we won't be going with Danny to his prep appointments, surgery, and post-op appointments.

We considered having him come home in-between some of the appointments-- but it's a 5 1/2 hour drive and gas prices are through the roof.  We'll be making nightly calls to catch up with him.

And the long trip.  Sometime between December and April, Danny will most likely be taking a very long trip.  We knew in the back of our minds that this could be a possibility being Air Force and all, but I hoped it would never happen.  And for this trip he'll be gone 6 months to a year.  This time the travel will be by airplane.  

We'll learn how use Skype to keep up with him and so he can see how much his babies grow while he's gone defending our freedom and serving our country.

Love your local homeschooler -- don't ask her any favors.

We started school this week.  I've been scurrying around trying to make sure I have sufficient curriculum and hoping there's a sale for the things I still need.

I've been reading Large Family Logisitics by Kim Brenneman after reading my friend Connie's excellent reviews on it, in hopes of learning better organization.  I have realized that I have a large family now and I need someone to show me the ropes.

My friend and neighbor's husband is gone again and she needs a break.  I couldn't say no.  I TOTALLY understand the need to escape from toddlers.  I didn't have the heart to tell her I wasn't accepting any extra committments this month. 

The printer/copier and I have been bestest buds printing out worksheets and lesson plans. 

I have a battery-operated pencil sharpener now.  No more blisters from sharpening dozens of pencils each week. 

I bought a 7 ft. by 3 ft. table at a yard sale for $8.  Eight bucks!  Yeah!!  It's now the school table in our classroom.

Danny re-broke my toe on Sunday.  Well, it wasn't intentional.  His busy feet clad in church shoes and my busy bare feet met in the kitchen with an unfortunate crack.  I think he may have laughed as I drooled chocolate macadamia nuts out of my mouth while telling him "uh caaahhhnnnt waahhhhhhk."

The kids start swimming lessons again today after a two week break.  I'm going to strap Peach on my back and the twins into their double stroller and read a book or two to Hammy while the oldest three attempt to not be sinking rocks.

I endeavor to start dating my husband again.

Sometimes homeschooling is too easy.

Pookie and Bun put together this world puzzle that Grandma W. gave them for Christmas.  

It was part of their homeschool history lesson for the day.  

They sang the continents song they learned from the K12 program they were in.  Actually we all sang it . . . about 12 times through.

and

They talked about different climates and landmarks.

and 

They talked about which was their favorite continent.

PLUS

They got along!