Wow. Its hard to believe we are already done with week 3. This week we learned all about butterflies.
Lucas getting ready to hold a butterfly. We couldn't snap any pics fast enough to capture it but we got this one!
Our reading list: Where's My Mom?-Very cute story about a butterfly helping a lost monkey. Lucas and Edward both enjoyed this funny little story.
Butterfly Butterfly-My boys both made me read this one at least 10 times. Was their favorite.
Tweak, Tweak-Another cute story more about an elephant then butterflies but I found it at the library and thought it was cute. The boys liked it.
Follow Me Mittens- Another story about a cat more then a butterfly but it was cute and funny as the cat follows the butterfly. Perfect for Edward to read on his own.
Face to Face with Butterflies- This was my favorite! Has lots of fun pics for the boys to see real butterflies and I read it and learned alot about butterflies. They loved the pics.
Joseph the Dreamer- A pop up story book about the story of Joseph from the Bible. We did this because of the coat of many colors. Tied in with our butterfly theme. Lucas loved it as he loves pop-up books.
So for the most part all are books went over well with the boys and myself. I search the local library online and then go in and sometimes hold books that seem to fit our theme.
So in my last blog you'll see we left off where the caterpillars all made cocoons. Look closely see the blood.I was super worried we took the cocoons out of the jars too soon. It seemed faster then I expected. It got to be about day 7 of living in their cocoons and there was NO movement and according to the instructions it says they should hatch by day 7. I thought great! I killed our precious caterpillars we had 10 of them. Only 9 turned into cocoons. So we lost one. :(
So I prayed over my cocoons and the next morning and I mean like 5 am in the morning. I awoke to see blood and butterflies emerging from their cocoons. Praise the Lord, I'm not a killer. giggles.
I went and woke up Lucas since he was the one who truly loved and cared for these guys from the beginning. I also tried to wake Edward but he wouldn't get up. I don't blame him.
Lucas and I rushed outside and got some leaves and made some sugar water and dropped it on the leaves for our new butterflies. We wanted them to eat well! Look closely see 2 staring at the camera.
If you look to the left in this pic where the blood spot is you will see a butterfly emerging from his cocoon. Man were they bloody!
See the light cocoons and the very dark one above them? The dark one is getting ready to turn light and hatch. The light ones are already hatched.
In our book I found out that the caterpillar inside the cocoon turns into liquid and that's how it turns into a butterfly. Crazy, right?
Edward finally got up around 6 am and Lucas was so excited can you tell?!
See the butterflies. When they are first born their wings are wet and it takes awhile to dry and them to spread them like this. Then they start to fly after about 2 hrs!
They are called painted ladies. Aren't they beautiful?
We got 9 butterflies!!
One out of 9 was born with crippled wings. We called him Wingless! He was our favorite. So of the butterflies one in particular picked on him as he cannot fly or barely walk. Poor guy!
Enjoying his butterflies.
I read that they love fruit so one nite I made a homemade peach cobbler. We had a little left over and I said I'm going to give it to the butterflies to drink.
Man they ate that peach up! See this one eating away!
Check out his tongue!
Then the day came to release them. Lucas threw a fit as these were HIS butterflies and he didn't want them to leave. I explained they had to go into the wild.
Man, they took off so fast!!
See I couldn't even snap one pic of them!!
Two flew up into our tree if you look hard enough you can see one!
We painted butterflies for a craft.
We painted on one side and folded in half to see.
A Butterfly! Of course the boys ended up painting on both side to make it darker.
Lucas painting.
Then we made butterflies out of construction paper and popsicle sticks.
I swear I've never seen Lucas color so much before!!
See the popsicle stick become the weight in the middle and you can hold it and the wings flap on either side.
Lucas making his fly.
I also added pipe cleaners by stapling them to the popsicle sticks.
Okay this has Nothing to do with butterflies but its still my family blog and we made this and I have to share the recipe with you. My wonderful cousin who I hope knows I love very much and admire very much. I also see myself in her as well. Shared this recipe via Facebook its called Upside-Down Caramel Apple Rolls. you can find the REAL recipe here:http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breakfastbrunch/upside-down-caramel-apple-rolls/
I made a cheaper faster way cause I wanted it and just used what I already had in my pantry and fridge. My recipe:
Jess' Upside Down Apple Rolls
1 can of cinnamon rolls (the rolled up ones not the one with the cinnamon pieces on top! I used the cheaper version so my advice Don't get Grands.)
1/2 C of chopped pecans(you can use more or less or another nut like walnuts use what you got)
1 Can of Apple Pie filling(make sure it has sugar in it otherwise you'll have to add sugar and it might be more sugary then desired!)
2 TBSP of butter melted
4 Tsp of sugar added to butter after melted
Dump Apple pie filling into bottom of round pan if you have a deep enough one other wise use a brownie pan. 8x8 or 9x9. Cut cinnamon rolls into pieces and dunk into butter/sugar mixture. Then place over the apples. Add your pecans or chopped nuts and be sure to scatter and let them fall in the cracks and not just sit on top. Bake at 350 degrees until your rolls come clean when poked with a toothpick. Then take out cool a bit and flip onto plate. Then take the frosting and put in microwave safe bowl or cup and melt for 10-30 seconds. So its more of a glaze. Then spoon over cake and eat and enjoy. Perfect way to ring in the Fall season. Plus the smell it will give to your house. YUM!!
Between Gary, Edward and me we finished the plate. Lucas didn't care for it at all!
Back to Butterflies....We made butterfly sandwiches. These were my favorite growing up. My Mother made these for me all the time. First you take bread I prefer wheat and cut off the crust and roll out with a rolling pin. You want these to become flat.
Plus the kids love rolling and helping make their snack they always seem to enjoy eating what they make!
Next spread with peanut butter needs to be creamy, crunchy won't work here, folks. Those with allergies: May I suggest jelly or butter with sugar or cinnamon sugar, or honey butter spread. My Mom used to make this with peanut butter and jelly. But get this... when peanut butter and jelly mix. I get sick! I can't eat it I'm allergic to it. So to save my kids from getting sick. I just stuck with peanut butter, I know they can eat that.
Next roll up like a jelly roll. Then slice into pinwheels.
Next buy Pringles cheese um flavor(i also got whole wheat, I love the freckles on them) and place four to look like wings and stick 2 pretzel sticks into top for antennas.
My boys loved them!!
They decided to use their pretzel sticks like chop sticks to pick up their pin wheels.
As long as they eat and enjoy a little playing doesn't hurt.
Then we did dot to dot butterflies. In my day it was called connect the dots. Now its called dot to dot! This is Lucas'.
This is Edward's.
Last we made candy butterflies. Out of DOTS and mini pretzels and pretzel sticks. Slice a Dot 3 times and place sticky side down on top of mini pretzel, cut pretzel sticks small enough to look like antennas and stick in the top dot.
I think these are just too cute!!So to sum up the week:
Home school Theme: Butterflies
Week Number: Three
Books we read: Where's My Mom?,Butterfly Butterfly,Tweak, Tweak,Follow Me Mittens,Face to Face with Butterflies, and Joseph the Dreamer
Crafts we Made: Butterflies painted wings, Butterflies
Snack we Ate: Butterfly sandwiches, Butterfly candies
Chapel Bible Lesson: Joseph
Friday Free Day: Watched our butterflies fly away
Games: Butterfly chase
Highs: Seeing the butterflies hatch and learning something new as well as teaching my kids about butterflies.
Lows: None this week we had fun!