Thursday, February 25, 2010
Scant snow for us!!
Last Tuesday afternoon and evening, we got cold weather, rain, then sleet, and finally snow flurries -- but nothing "stuck." Fine with me! Cold, wet weather is one thing; cold, wet weather made colder by snow on the ground is another!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Field trip - Wunderlich Farm
On Feb 17, four of the 4th grade classes went on a field trip to Wunderlich Farm, part of the Klein, TX, Historical Foundation. The students have been studying Texas history all year, and this trip has been much anticipated!
Here's Kira before the students went into their groups for the tour.
Parent volunteers and teachers took the students in small groups throughout the grounds and read aloud the fascinating information about this museum/farm. Here, students were getting the idea what life without indoor plumbing was like!
This is a water well that the students could try to prime and pump!
All were interested in giving it a try!
Here is the smokehouse where meat was smoked/cured and stored (no refrigeration in those days, you know). Students found the branding irons most fascinating!!
Isabella is giving one of the smokehouse tools a try!
This is a manure-spreader, which was pulled by a team of horses and must have been welcomed by the boys in the family. Before these were used, the boys in each family had the job of breaking up the cow paddies by hand and spreading the fertilizer over the fields before plowing and planting.
One of the docents demonstrated the corn stripping machine - it took those kernels right off the corn cobs so they could be ground into corn meal!
And here is the grist mill, usually powered by a couple of donkeys, which ground the corn kernels into flour.
On our trip, students took turns providing the power to grind the corn!
Inside the farmhouse, in the parents' room, a docent demonstrated for the students how cotton and wool were made ready for the spinning wheel - and then demonstrated the use of the spinning wheel itself.
Even the boys were fascinated!
After we had toured all the stations, including the tractors, hen house, farm toolshed, etc., it was time for lunch. The weather was quite brisk, but thankfully, it was also sunny, so it wasn't too cold!
The restored house in the background is the Hildebrandt house. We didn't tour it, but it's clearly in very good condition.
Here's Kira before the students went into their groups for the tour.
Parent volunteers and teachers took the students in small groups throughout the grounds and read aloud the fascinating information about this museum/farm. Here, students were getting the idea what life without indoor plumbing was like!
This is a water well that the students could try to prime and pump!
All were interested in giving it a try!
Here is the smokehouse where meat was smoked/cured and stored (no refrigeration in those days, you know). Students found the branding irons most fascinating!!
Isabella is giving one of the smokehouse tools a try!
This is a manure-spreader, which was pulled by a team of horses and must have been welcomed by the boys in the family. Before these were used, the boys in each family had the job of breaking up the cow paddies by hand and spreading the fertilizer over the fields before plowing and planting.
One of the docents demonstrated the corn stripping machine - it took those kernels right off the corn cobs so they could be ground into corn meal!
And here is the grist mill, usually powered by a couple of donkeys, which ground the corn kernels into flour.
On our trip, students took turns providing the power to grind the corn!
Inside the farmhouse, in the parents' room, a docent demonstrated for the students how cotton and wool were made ready for the spinning wheel - and then demonstrated the use of the spinning wheel itself.
Even the boys were fascinated!
After we had toured all the stations, including the tractors, hen house, farm toolshed, etc., it was time for lunch. The weather was quite brisk, but thankfully, it was also sunny, so it wasn't too cold!
The restored house in the background is the Hildebrandt house. We didn't tour it, but it's clearly in very good condition.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Class Valentine Party
Kira was dressed up '50s style for her class's Valentine's Day party yesterday.
At the class party, Kira worked really hard decorating this cupcake. What a talented girl!
And a little limbo dancing, just for fun!
At the class party, Kira worked really hard decorating this cupcake. What a talented girl!
And a little limbo dancing, just for fun!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Some before-Christmas photos
The Christmas tree on Rockefeller Plaza. This was taken on Saturday evening, December 19th.
No, Robert isn't trying to strangle Simone! He's showing us the snow in her hair! It's also on his and Danielle's coats, in their hair, and on Danielle's hat ... everywhere. This is just inside the walkway that would take us into Grand Central where we waited for the next train to take us back to Scarsdale.
Robert and Ollie
Charlotte, snoozing in her favorite spot since Simone was a baby!
A very sacked-out Ollie!
No, Robert isn't trying to strangle Simone! He's showing us the snow in her hair! It's also on his and Danielle's coats, in their hair, and on Danielle's hat ... everywhere. This is just inside the walkway that would take us into Grand Central where we waited for the next train to take us back to Scarsdale.
Robert and Ollie
Charlotte, snoozing in her favorite spot since Simone was a baby!
A very sacked-out Ollie!
Some Christmas photos 3
The Spandaus' decorated house! Very cheerful!!
Danielle is helping Simone write her letter to Santa in one of Macy's windows.
Simone's letter, sent to Santa!
The Empire State Building, visible from in front of Macy's entrance.
The plaza in front of Macy's entrance - there are "dripping" lights in those leaf-bare trees, but they don't even show up well in a little video. They were fun to watch, though.
Danielle is helping Simone write her letter to Santa in one of Macy's windows.
Simone's letter, sent to Santa!
The Empire State Building, visible from in front of Macy's entrance.
The plaza in front of Macy's entrance - there are "dripping" lights in those leaf-bare trees, but they don't even show up well in a little video. They were fun to watch, though.
Some Christmas photos 2
Simone and Danielle, working on the gingerbread house.
The finished gingerbread house!
Simone, practicing piano in preparation for her upcoming recital.
The children's nativity scene at the end of Christmas Eve services. Simone is the angel, seated second from the right.
The Spandaus' Christmas tree.
Simone just unwrapped her Christmas Eve gift - a beautiful sweater with fur around the hood.
The finished gingerbread house!
Simone, practicing piano in preparation for her upcoming recital.
The children's nativity scene at the end of Christmas Eve services. Simone is the angel, seated second from the right.
The Spandaus' Christmas tree.
Simone just unwrapped her Christmas Eve gift - a beautiful sweater with fur around the hood.
Some Christmas photos
Robert and Simone, beginning to open things.
Simone, opening a gift card.
Robert and Simone, checking out the present Aunt Anne sent. Simone can add letters and decorations to a darling denim bag.
Simone, setting up and playing with her Littlest Pet Shop.
Simone, learning how to weave on her new little loom.
Simone, opening a gift card.
Robert and Simone, checking out the present Aunt Anne sent. Simone can add letters and decorations to a darling denim bag.
Simone, setting up and playing with her Littlest Pet Shop.
Simone, learning how to weave on her new little loom.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Christmas concerts
Last week and this week, the schools around here have been giving Christmas concerts. Kira is in her school's choir, and Parker and Austen are in their schools' bands. Overall, they were very good! (Just a little biased here!!)
This is from December 8th, when Kira's school choir and choirs from another elementary school, the nearby middle school, and the high school gave performances. At the end of the show all the choirs were onstage singing the last song together. It was wonderful.
Kira's school choir performed six different times between November 21st and December 10th. This is from the last performance, which included a play as well as the singing.
Parker's school band put on their concert on December 9th, but I didn't make it there, sad to say. My Achilles tendinitis was really acting up. =( I'll bet they did wonderfully well, though. The music teachers at the intermediate school are very talented at getting the best performances out of their students.
Austen's school bands performed last night, December 14th. The first video is of the Jazz Band; the second and third videos are of the Wind Ensemble, in which Austen plays clarinet.
(Cut short about 30 seconds when my camera ran out of space for videos!)
Merry Christmas to everyone!
This is from December 8th, when Kira's school choir and choirs from another elementary school, the nearby middle school, and the high school gave performances. At the end of the show all the choirs were onstage singing the last song together. It was wonderful.
Kira's school choir performed six different times between November 21st and December 10th. This is from the last performance, which included a play as well as the singing.
Parker's school band put on their concert on December 9th, but I didn't make it there, sad to say. My Achilles tendinitis was really acting up. =( I'll bet they did wonderfully well, though. The music teachers at the intermediate school are very talented at getting the best performances out of their students.
Austen's school bands performed last night, December 14th. The first video is of the Jazz Band; the second and third videos are of the Wind Ensemble, in which Austen plays clarinet.
(Cut short about 30 seconds when my camera ran out of space for videos!)
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Morning after...
On the morning after the super-light "snowstorm," we had very heavy frost -- heavier than I've seen since moving here. It makes sense -- lots of moisture still in the air and rapidly dropping temperatures. I think it was about 24 degrees here this morning, maybe less. All this melts pretty fast, though, once the sunlight starts hitting the frosty ground, roofs, plants, cars, etc.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Barely visible snow!
I doubt that much can be seen here, but there are eensy-teensy snowflakes coming down outside! I can see them easily from my office window, but when I go outside to take photos or videos, it's as if they all disappear! (Click on the photos to "biggify" them.) We had more than this last December!! ~~> Last December's snow
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