Friday, March 30, 2012

The Easter Parade!







In my Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it!

Easter just wouldn't be Easter without a lovely
 bonnet and a stroll down the Avenue to show it off!

We made our bonnets by cutting out the center of cheap paper plates and inserting and
hot gluing a Chinet bowl into it. Then we stapled on ribbon ties and tissue paper flowers.

I'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade!

You can make anything from a paper plate!

Spring has arrived! - sort of!


Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson


It can't make up it's mind, one day there's snow on the ground the next it's sunny and in the sixties. But one way or the other it's Spring in The White Mountains and it's blowing a gale!


Spring wall pictures





Each Easter I make these cookies with my Grandkids the night before Easter. They are always very touched by this activity, sometimes to tears! An added bonus, the cookies are yummy!


   Easter Scripture Cookies

For this activity, you'll need:

1 cup whole pecans (or almonds)
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
Ziploc baggie
wooden spoon
tape
bible
2 cookie sheets
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg white to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us Life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing, are they? Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door closed. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Go To Bed!! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight; however, Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 & 22.

On Easter Morning open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9


Happy Spring!
Gramma Luvlee
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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Karate Kid Finale

Rice, Rice Baby!

Weird Al is alive and well and living at Camp Grammaluvlee! Mandy was the dance instructor for this beloved American classic


Alright stop, grab a table and a menu
Ice is back in his Oriental venue
Hungry for a little chop suey
I want Chinese not Hong Kong phooey!


You know what you want? Yo, can't decide
Column A, Column B, I like fried!
Barbecue spareribs, my fingers I'm lickin'
Waitin' for the main course, Kung Pao Chicken!

Sushi Masters

While Gramma made the real deal sushi the campers tried rolling dessert sushi for dinner.

Our ingredients included fruit roll up nori, rice crispie treats 
and twinkies for rice, swedish fish and twizzlers.







Japanese Tea Ceremony
Danii performed a Japanese Tea Ceremony. She learned all about it by watching and rewatching the Tea Ceremony in Karate Kid II. This is a very special event in Japanese culture.The hostess spends days going over every detail to make sure that the ceremony is perfect, and so did Danii!


The hostess purifies the tea container and tea scoop with a fine silk cloth called a fukusa.

She fills the tea bowl with hot water and rinses the whisk. At this point she lifts the tea
scoop and tea container and places three scoops of tea per guest in the tea bowl.


She ladles hot water into the tea bowl and whisks the tea to mix. Our tea ceremony was very authentic and took over an hour to perform. In that time everyone including a two year old sat completely quiet and enthralled!!

BONSAI!

In Karate Kid Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel-san of the calming effects of Bonsai raising and cutting.


We learned the art of Bonsai from our resident Bonsai experts.




The finished product and may I add, we're feeling very Zen-like and serene about now!

Japanese crafts


We used water colors to paint paper fans...


...and chopsticks and different craft material to make hair ornaments.




Chopstick Fly Relay

One of our favorite scenes in the movie is when Daniel sees Mr. Miyagi attempting to catch flies with his chopsticks.


For this relay the campers race against the clock to transfer as many plastic flies from one bowl to another in one minute. Oh, did I say they do it with chopsticks!


The flies were from an after Halloween clearance.

Japanese Dinner

Grandma Homey was our very special guest for dinner. The kids honored her by performing Rice, Rice baby!...

...showing off their mad karate skills...

...and by honoring her by serving her first in a tea ceremony.


Kamryn was hostess in tonight's ceremony.



Papa even joined in the celebration.



Sayonara from the Land of the Rising Sun!


Gramma Luvlee

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A little more Karate Kid!

Bento Box Lunch

Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japan. A traditional bento consists of rice , fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Our bento lunch had rice balls, fish sticks, fish eggs (grapes), pickled cucumbers, sushi and noodles (and in Japan it is polite to slurp your noodles!).

Sometimes it's just easier to use your hands!

Daniel-san Dash

I took all the famous scenes in the movie and incorporated them into a relay named after our favorite hero Daniel Larusso.


The two runners had to put on Daniels headband, run to a big pile of flip-flops and find two that matched (the little kids just grabbed the first pair they found, leaving the bigger kids tip toeing around in tiny little flip-flops!)...

Then they had to "Paint the Fence" in that precise up and down motion as instructed by Mr. Miyagi.




After painting they excercised specific muscles as they "Sand the Floor" in a circular motion.


Then it was on to everyones favorite, The Crane Pose!







After each Camper completed the gruelling Daniel-san Dash they became official

KARATE KIDS!
Jett-san


Merrill-san


Daniel-san Tuff


Pace-san


Kamryn-san


Rex-san


Korbi-san

Rex-san & his Sensei


Gramma Luvlee

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