Merry Christmas

Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas day!  (Photo inspired by Lisa Leonard)
Cheryl

Our Winter Solstice

I know the official first day of Winter was a couple of days ago, but we just couldn't get to any fun activities to celebrate until today!  So, the Bach Family decided to celebrate our first (officially celebrated) Winter Solstice a couple of days late.

While I wanted to recognize the event, I also wanted to keep everything as simple & easy as possible.  We started our Solstice day by cutting out paper snowflakes and decorating the house with them:

Our house looks beautiful...but very snowy & cold!  We found a great website where you make your own online snowflake that you cut & design by clicking your computer mouse.  It's really cool - here's the link.  Of course, we also did some the old fashioned way!

After our morning craft, we went on a winter hike at Three Creeks Metro Park here in Columbus, OH.  It was a chilly day & there was still snow on the ground, but it wasn't too cold to keep us away.  I packed three big travel mugs with homemade hot chocolate - a definite must!  Here are a couple of pics of our excursion:

And finally, this evening we read a few Winter-related stories.  All of them were very sweet & perfect for our Wintery day.
Grandmother Winter
Lucia and the Light
The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice

I'm glad we were able to take a little time during this crazy holiday season to slow down just a little and have some Solstice-y fun!

Cheryl

Winter

Blow, North Wind, Blow

All the leaves are falling;

Cold, frost and snow

Winter comes a-calling.

Mother Nature sleeps now,

All the earth is bare;

Deep in the ground

She guards her treasures rare.

-Margaret Morgan

Happy Winter!

Cheryl

Book Nook - The Shortest Day

DH and I both come from families that celebrate Christmas and now that we have our own little family, we continue to celebrate the holiday.  But lately, we've been re-evaluating our traditions and have tried to incorporate things that are important to us.  One of those new traditions (for us, at least) that we are going to try to include in the season is the recognition and celebration of the Winter Solstice. 

The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer is a great introduction to Winter Solstice.  The science behind the solstice is explained, as well as the history of many Solstice celebrations in different parts of the world.  The text informs without being too complex or lengthy for its intended audience - children being read a picture book.  There's a lot in here that grown-ups might not have known.  For example, I didn't know that the Incas of Peru used a reflective surface to light a fire from the rising Winter Solstice sun & kept it burning all year.  I also find it so interesting how we continue to hold onto some traditions - such as decorating with evergreens, putting lights on a tree - that are thousands of years old.  Interestingly, these traditions are associated with Christmas, but they're really a combination of different cultures all celebrating the same thing - a celebration of light and the joy of knowing that warmer, longer days are just ahead.

At the end of the story, there are a few pages with "Solstice facts" and activities.  These are really interesting, science-based observations and activities that kids can do.  I also love the pages on "have a Winter Solstice party" and "have a Winter Solstice party for the birds."  These are all great ideas for kids to explore the topic even further.  The pictures are lovely and colorful while at the same time invoking the subtle colors & soft light of Winter.

I've been thinking a lot about how our family can celebrate the solstice & what kinds of activities we might do.  It's really like a blank canvas & we can choose to celebrate it however is the best fit for the Bachs.  I'm sure it will take a little trial & error, but I really think it will be a lot of fun!  DH and I are true nature lovers & we are hoping to instill that into our children.  Solstice is a perfect celebration because it's all about nature and the rhythm and cycles of our world.

I'll blog later this week about our first Solstice Celebration!
Cheryl

Book Nook - When It Starts to Snow

It is currently about 11 degrees here in Central Ohio, and we have a bunch of snow from yesterday's storm.  It was so pretty, but very cold, this morning & Little Dude and I just sat on the couch and watched the beautiful soft light of a mid-December sunrise.  Tiny snowflakes were gently falling & it was so cozy & wintry.  He & I were just chatting & he asked about "Crawly," his woolly bear.  Did I blog about our woolly bears?  I can't remember, but in case I didn't, we currently have 2 woolly bear caterpillars hibernating at our residence.  I explained to Little Dude that Crawly is hibernating, and I couldn't help but think of this week's Book Nook book.

When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator is a sweet book about what various animals do when the snow starts to fall.  Throughout the book, there is a very catchy phrase that keeps repeating:  "what if it starts to snow?  What do you do?  Where do you go?"  And then each animal tells us how/where it hibernates.  Or maybe not - some animals (like the barnyard animals featured) just hang out in a warm place.  Did you know that turtles and frogs go deep into the mud to hibernate?  I didn't know that & had never really thought about what they do in the Winter.  Or how about stoats?  What's a stoat, you ask....check out this link.  There's lots of great information in this book, so even adults can learn a thing or two here - I did!

There is a little boy we catch glimpses of throughout the book & at the end, he gets a chance to tell us what he does when it snows.

I just love the illustrations, done by Martin Matje.  All of his animals are interesting to look at & cute, but not over-the-top cute.  I like the fact that there's a great deal of browns & grays, along with the white snow.  It feels just like a cold, snowy day.  Just like the one we experienced yesterday, as a matter of fact!

This is a very timely read about animals in the Winter.  I really like how the book approaches the subject - the rhyming words and variety of animals in it are just right for little ones.  Read it to your child on a cold, blustery day (while all the woolly bears snooze away)!

Cheryl

Snowy pics and a special gift

When I woke up this morning (around 9:30, an absolute treat), it was raining.  By noon, it was a complete blizzard!  I was amazed at how quickly it was coming down (the snow and the temperature).  I thought I'd share a few snowy pics from our winter wonderland:

Obviously, it was just starting to snow when I took the pic of the Christmas lights.  And then it just kept going and going and going!

I also wanted to share a very cool gift that I recently received.  My camera club gave me my Best of Show picture framed, with an engraved title.  It was such a thoughtful, completely unexpected gift and was so sweet!  Thanks again, Lens & Leaves - I love it!

I hope you are all staying warm & cozy on this cold, blizzard-like evening!
Cheryl

Buckeye Balls

Today, we made buckeye balls for a holiday potluck at my camera club meeting.  When I was rolling the buckeyes, Little Dude came into the kitchen and asked me if I was making a "yes-cipe."  He laughed, but if you think about it, if ever a food should be deemed a "yes-cipe," buckeye balls are indeed that food.  Oh yes!

It's been a long time since I made buckeyes, as I purposely do not want them lingering in my house (they don't linger too long - that's the problem).  Little Dude asked, "eye balls?"  No, buckeye balls!  He was so cute, I need to write his little quotes down on my "cute kid quotes" page I have hanging on the fridge.

Anyway, here are a few pics of the buckeye balls, in all their glory.  And, we have some extras, hanging out in the fridge.  Not for long, of course!

Do you have any yes-cipes?
Cheryl