Bear Tales...The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny

Louise de Marigny Smith

(written when age seven)

Hop, Hop, Hop

Goes the Easter Bunny;

Hop,Hop, Hop

From door to door, 

All there is, is

Snore, Snore, Snore

Busy little Easter Bunny;

Now it's almost day;

Busy working, busy working

Eggs are on the way

Chocolate Marshmallow Fondue

 Use this "fondue" while playing table games with your family, friends or at your Easter Celebration.

Gather up some fun DIPPERS like:
Hulled strawberries, Banana Slices, Apple wedges, Fresh Pinapple chunks, Graham crackers, Pretzels, Vanilla Wafers, or whatever sounds good covered in chocolate!

3/4 cup milk
1 (6 oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup marshmallow cream

Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the chocolate chips and let them stand for 1 minute to soften. Then stir until they're melted and the mixture is well blended.
Stir in the marshmallow cream.
Whisk the sauce unitl smooth
Pour it into a fondue pot with flame to keep it warm (or small slow cooker set on low)
serves 4 to 6

Egg Hunt Ideas

The Golden Egg: Spice up your Easter egg hunt by hiding surprises along with your usual hidden eggs. Hide a golden egg with a special gift inside, such as a gift card or something that can be traded for a special toy.

Flashlight Hunt: On Saturday night, hide your eggs and have an evening hunt with everyone using flashlights to scan the dark lawn for eggs.
 


Color-coded egg hunt: Do you have different age groups hunting for eggs?  Assign a dingle egg color to each age group. This way, the  younger kids' eggs can be more easily spotted and won't be scooped up by all the older kids.

Easter Store: Instead of candy, fill your plastic eggs with fun coupons and "bunny money". At the end of the hunt, kids exchange the coupons for items that wouldn't fit into the eggs, such as pencils or notebooks.
Make your Easter store by setting up a table displaying a variety of inexpensive toys and treats.

With girlfriends you laugh

With Girlfriends you laugh

until the tears stream down your face.

Then you wonder together what was so funny.

Sidewalk Monsters

R.J. and Sariah with their own Monster friends "The Hooogys"!! find them at reneesworkshop.com

What you will need to make Sidewalk Monsters is:

• Paper and Pencil
• Tape
• Large bucket of sidewalk chalk (at least 12 pieces)

1. Begin by cutting the paper into strips
2. Label each strip with a name of a body part: ear, eye, nose, feet, hair, horns, claws and other monster parts
3. Tape one label onto each piece of chalk and then put all the pieces into the bucket.  

Start the game by drawing an oval ( or other shape) for the head
Have each person take a piece of labeled chalk from the bucket  and see what the label directs.
Now they add to the monster. (If they pull out a chalk that says ARM they would add that to the monster).
Allow lots of room for creativity & remember it is a monster and 6 eyes or lots of arms or legs are acceptable.

Drawing these monsters will bring out the "inner monster" in everyone. 
Just have fun!

ASL word of the day...Candy

Candy n, A confection made with sugar and flavoring:
a box of chocolate candy
Same sign used for Sugar

(Similar to sign for sweet) Bring the fingers of the right U hand downward on the chin with a repeaded movement, bending the fingers down each time.

Alternate sign:
Twist the extended right index fingertip in the right cheek with a repeated movement.

Double Crochet

Double Crochet: Twice as tall as a single crochet

Yarn over and insert hook in the 4th chain from hook
Catch yarn and draw a loop through the chain (3 loops on hook)
Yarn over hook  and draw through 2 loops
Yarn over and draw through the last 2 loops

Make 1 double crochet across the row
After last stitch, chain 3 and turn
Yarn over, insert hook in 2nd stitch to start next row.

 *Turning chains*
At the beginning of each row there is a certain number of chains needed to bring your work up to level.
The chain usually replaces the first stitch in each row.
When instructions place the turning chain at the end of a row,
your should turn work right to left to avoid twisting the chain,
after turning, insert hook in the sttich that is spacific to your pattern

Circus *

Circus*
Eleanor Farjeon

The brass band blares
The naphtha flares,
The sawdust smells,
Showmen ring bells,
And Oh! right into the circus ring
Comes such a lovely, lovely thing
A milk white pony with flying tress,
And a beautiful lady,
A beautiful lady in a pink dress!
The red and white clown
For joy tumbles down
Like a pink rose
Round she goes
On her tip toes
With the pony under
and then, oh, wonder!
The pony his milk white tresses droops
And the beautiful lady,
The beautiful lady,
Flies like a bird through the paper hoops!
The red and white clown  for joy falss dead
Then he waggles his feet and stands on his head,
And the little boys on the twopenny seats
Scream with laughter and suck their Sweets.

Rock candy

Supplies:
1 glass jar
1 piece of cotton string
1 pencil
1 paper clip or washer
4 c sugar
1 c water
food coloring



Heat the water and dissolve 2 cups of sugar in it. ( do not boil sugar). Add as much sugar that will dissolve in it. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until solution is clear. Add a few drops of food color if desired.
Pour solution into glass jar. Tie a piece of string to the middle of the pencil and on the other end tie the clip/washer. Moisten the string and roll in a bit of sugar. Place the pencil over the top of the jar with the string hanging down inside. Leave undisturbed for a few days. You should see the crystals growning in a few hours, but to get the bigger crystals leave for up to 7 days.

Blow Contest

Do you have a package of bubble gum? Then try this fun relay.
Form 2 different teams and line them up.
The first person in line runs over to a pile of bubble gum, unwraps and chews a piece and as fast as they can blows a bubble. Once the judge has seen a real bubble, the next person in line does the same.
The first team to finish wins!

Historical fact:
Although chewing gum as been around since the time of ancient greece, it was in 1848 the John B Curtis made and sold the first commercial chewing gum. But it was in 1869  that William Finley Semphheld the first papent on chewing gum.
In 1928 Walter Diemer created "Bubble Gum" by accident while working on some different gum reciepes, he noticed that the gum ended up with bubbles.

believe in your dreams

It is when you believe in your dreams 

that the stars within you shine

It's when you trust in yourself 

that you can do anything.

wendy beaumont

Paper Mosaic

Items needed:
Piece of paper, cardstock or cardboard
Old magazines or construction paper
Scissors
Pencil
Glue


Directions:
Lightly draw a picture on a piece of paper,but do not shade it or put a lot of details in it.
The objective is simply to create an outline for the image you will be creating

Cut your colored paper/construction paper into small pieces of paper in different sizes
You can use squares, triangle, diamonds, or let the shapes be irregular

Glue your pieces of paper over the sketch you just made...Leave a small gap between each piece for a tiled effect or place them close together or overlapping for a different look

Let it dry.

You can make your mosaic from rice, paper, candy,. basically anything you want.

ASL word of the day...Green

  Green adj. Of a color between blue and yellow: the rich green shades of summer foliage.

(Initialized sign) Twist the right G hand, palm facing left, back and forward with a small repeated movement in front of the right shoulder.

Veras Potholder

To Make 1 potholder:

• 1 skein Cotton Yarn
• Size H/8 crochet hook
• Blunt point yarn needle

Chain 37 stitches. Single crochet in the first chain next to your crochet hook.
Single crochet in each chain until you reach your starting point (36 sc)
Single crochet into the other side of the first chain and into each ofthe other chain stitches (36 sc)

Single crochet into each chain creating a continous round. Your pot holder will begin to look like a "canoe" by the time you have made 4 or 5 rounds. Continue for approzimetely 18 or 19 rounds until the sides of the canoe meet in the middle.
Fasten off leaving an 18" tail.

Using the blunt pointed needle and the "tail" from above, slip stitch the two sides together.

To finish the potholder, single crochet one edge of the potholder (18 - 20 sc), then 3 single crochets in the corner, repeat for all 4 edges.
Add a loop for hanging if you desire.

Bear Tales...Fairy and I

Fairy and I
Marjorie Allen Anderson

We planted both our gardens
My fairy friend and I;
I didn't really see her
But I knew she was close by

I hoed and raked my garden
And made it soft and new
While near me in the bushes
I could hear her working too

And now our little gardens
Have suddenly sprung up
In mine are tine carrots
And in hers - a buttercup! 

Leprechaun Pudding

1 tbsp instant pistachio pudding
1/2 cup milk
ziplock baggie

put the tablespoon pudding mix and milk into the ziplock bag.
Close and seal the bag
Mush it together with your hands
Eat your pudding once it is nice and thick

Don't Have Pistachio pudding? No problem use vanilla with a drop of green food color

Blarney Stone

The famous Blarney Stone is not pretend. It really does exist! It is set in the wall of the Blarney Castle in the Irish village of Blarney. You can visit and kiss the stone, but it is not easy. To reach the Blarney Stone you must lie down on your back and bend your head backwards and downwards to reach it. It is said that kissing the Blarney Stone will give you the gift of Blarney or speaking convincingly to all you meet.

How to make your own Blarney Stone:

Go on a hunt and find a  nice rock that would make a good paper weight
Wash it well...wipe dry
You can paint the rock green and write the words
Kiss me or Blarney Stone

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sunshine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields and 
until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand

Glider Airplane

To make your own glider plane you will need 
a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.
scissors,
paper clip 
a ruler.


How to make:

• Fold top edge of paper to right side
• Fold right side of the paper to the left side
• Fold tip (nose) of the paper over until it touches the bottom of the fold
• Fold paper in half again, Form a keel by making a "W" fold in center of paper. Paperclip the keel so it stays tight togther
•   Unfold paper and fold sides upward to form fins. Make them 2" wide
• Make 2 slits on both wings: move up or down to control flight
• On fins fold 2" on end to make a rudder. Bend left or right to guide turns

ASL word of the day...Kite

Kite n. 
 A light frame covered with some thin material, to be flown in the wind at the end of a long string.

Holding right hand with palm facing to left. Using the index finger,place on lower part of palm. Sway hand in a upward motion. The handshape and movement represents that of a kite flying.

Crochet with Renee' ... Half Double Crochet

Half double crochet (hdc)
This stitch is slightly taller than single crochet, has a pronounced ridge. Its texture makes a firm fabric.





Make a chain stitch the length you need + 3 chains
Yarn Over (yo) and insert hook in 3rd chain from hook , catch yarn and draw a loop through the chain
(you now have 3 loops on hook) yarn over and draw a loop through 3 loops to complete stitch.

Make 1 half double crochet in each chain across the row.
After last stitch, chain across the row. After last stitch, chain 2 and turn.
Yarn over, inset hook in 1st stitch to start next row.

Bear Tales...Why the winds blows

 

Why the winds blow

Caroline S. P. Wild

I Know!

I Know!

Whey the winds blow;

If the winds didn't blow

The leaves wouldn't flutter

If the leaves didn't' flutter

The shadows wouldn't dance!

I love the dancing shadow leaves

and that is why I know

It is for my fun with shadows that is sweet winds blow.

Kite sandwiches

March is the time for Wind and Kites!
After everyone is finished running, looping and sailing their kites, serve them Kite Shaped Sandwiches.
Guaranteed to make everyone smile!

Ingredients
1 piece of firm bread
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Carrot or bell pepper, peeled

Trim the edges of the bread to create an elongated diamond and place it on a plate
Spread peanut butter and jelly in a decorative plate.
Use a vegatable peeler to shave a long thin sripe from the sideof the vegataable.
Curl the shaving into a kite tail and tuck one end under the lower corner of the bread.
Put it onto a blue plate, so it look like it is in th clear blue sky!

WIND FYI:
The world's windiest place is not Pocatello, Idaho or Chicago Ill. The windiest place is Antarctica, Where the winds regularly  gust at more theat 60 mph.

Pin Wheel

• Find a piece of paper to use for your Pin Wheel. You can use scrapbook paper, origami paper or create your own paper using white paper and color with some fun designs
• Cut the paper into a square. 4 to 6 inches is a good size. 
• Fold in half diagonally and in half again then unfold
• Cut  2/3 of the way to square's center dividing each corner into two points
• Bring every other point to the cent so points overlap. Hold in place.
• Poke a pushpin through the center and keeping points in place, remove the push pin
• Insert a map pin into the hole formed. (the pushpin hole is slightly larger, enabling the pinwheel to spin)

Thread a small bead onto pin behind the wheel and poke into the eraser end of a pencil or into a dowel.

Happy Person

The Really Happy Person

is one who can enjoy the scenery

when on a detour

Ron, Jordan, Jennifer and Steph enjoying time at the Great Salt Lake. Despite the physical hardships of life, we can all stop and take time to enjoy the scenery that the Lord has given us.

Rainy Day Fun Box

Have your family make a Rainy Day Fun Box. Gather crafting supplies and place inside the box to use whenever the weather keeps you in,

Paper, construction paper, foam sheets, scissors, paints, markers, crayons, brushes, chennile sticks, pony beads, twine, glue, bling and anything else they can think of  to put in the box.

Now when the weather gets too yucky to go outside to have fun, you can stay inside, have some family crafting time and let their creative juices flow.
While they are busy creating, make a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies for everyone to enjoy.
Now that is FuN!

ASL word of the day...Wind

Wind n. moving air: a strong wind.
Same sign used for Storm

(represents the action of wind blowing)
Beginning with both 5 hands in front of the left side of the body, palms facing each other and fingers pointing forward,move the hands back and forth in front of the chest with a repeated movement.

Crochet Hook Holder/Jewelry Roll

Now that you have learned to Single Crochet (sc) we will make our first project. This is a great time to work on your gauge . Make the first one for you and then make some to give as gifts.
Increase the size of your chain stitch to make this bag to fit Jewelry,
eye glasses or a holder for your crochet hooks

• Chain stitch 21 stitches , sc (single crochet) in the second stitch from the hook 
• sc in every stitch to the end of the row (20 stitches)
• Chain 1, turn  sc in every stitch to the end of the row. 
• Repeat this row until you reach 7".(It doesn't have to be exact)
• Lay your work flat so the the long end is at the bottom, fold up 2 inches to make your pocket
• Thread a yarn needle and whip stitch the 2 side edges of the pocket. 
• Weave all the loose ends of yarn into your work. 
• Make a chain about 15 inches for your tie. 
• Turn your bag over and weave the tie through a couple of rows of crochet at the very center of your piece. 
• Pull the ends of your tie really tight and then cut them short.

Now you bag is ready. 

Next week: Double Crochet

Bear Tales...Wind

Wind

mildred bowers armstrong

I wish that I could see the wind,

Could look upon her face.

She walks across the tops of trees

With an unfailing grace.

So kindly is Her Majesty,

The smallest flowers and grasses

Bob up and down to welcome her

Everywhere she passes.

cranberry apple punch

Swinging in the Wind!
After an afternoon at the park enjoying the nice weather with a gentle breeze, come home and feed them cookies and this great punch!

Cranberry Apple Punch

Mix together 2 quarts of cranberry juice, 2 cups of apple juice, and 2 cups of lemonade. 

Pour into a pitcher, add ice and it's ready to serve.

Wind and Air Experiment

Items needed:
Straw
Cotton Ball
Scrap paper





Let the kids experiment with these items
Can you feel air?   
     Blow through the straw against your handCan you make a cotton ball move without touching it?
      Blow on the cotton ball through the strawCan you pick up a small piece of paper with a straw? 
      Place one end of your straw on the top of the paper and suck on the other end.


FYI: Wind facts

1. Air cannot be seen but is all around us
2. Wind is air that is moving fast
3. Wind makes usch things as windmill, kits and clouds move
4. Wind is important part of our weather
5. A weather vane show which way the wind is blowing