Spring Tea
Month: March 2015
Maple Syrup Update
It has been a crazy year for syrup. We started tapping in January, but then the weather turned very cold and we did not get any sap for a few weeks. It warmed up and we brought in a few gallons of sap before the weather froze up again! We still have buckets out, but we have not had enough cold nights and warm days to collect sap.
We are often asked how much sap is needed to make syrup. We usually boil down around 35 gallons of sap for each gallon of syrup. The kids check the trees most days to make sure the buckets do not have mold. They empty the sap collected to store in the shade so it does not spoil. Once we collect enough sap, we do most of the boiling down outside.
Even with the crazy weather, we were able to can 6 1/2 pints of syrup. We are hoping for more, because that won’t last very long. But we are all thankful for what we were able to get.
Half
Today is Megan’s half birthday. She is now “two” years old.
This morning, she started asking me, “Where’s my birthday cake? It my half birthday. I 4 1/2 but everyone tease me that I am only 2”. She asked about her cake a lot!
We tried to keep her cake a surprise, but I think she knew that we would celebrate. The kids gave her some small gifts and Megan was very happy.
Nine
Adrian turned nine on Saturday!
Adrian is growing so quickly. He loves to read and does well in most of school subjects. He does not have any favorite hobbies or activities, but enjoys doing a little of everything, though soccer and playing catch are very high on his list!
I am so thankful for you Adrian. I am glad that God blessed us with you! I know that God has wonderful plans for you.
Crocuses
Our neighbor has a garden full of crocuses. His flowers are usually the first up every spring. Yesterday, the kids noticed that the crocuses were blooming, and went over to ask permission to go over and admire them during the day.
We went over this morning when the flowers were still closed. We discussed why the crocuses “sleep”. Then we returned later when we thought they would be opened.
Not only did we learn a little science, we also spent some photographing them. If you want to check out Adrian’s picture, his turned out the best!
Spring!
We discovered our first spring flowers at the park today.
Spring is officially here!
Signs of Spring
For many, seeing the first robin is a sign that spring is very near. Tapping maple trees and discovering crocus shots emerging are good signs also.
However, at this house, the first mud fight proves that spring is here!
Squirrel
I think this is an American Red Squirrel. I love to watch his antics by the feeder!
Salamander Class
Megan attends her own science class once a month. Miss Krista, her teacher, has taught each of the children and does a wonderful job. Megan gets practice sitting still, raising her hand, interacting with other children and learning really neat science.
Today, Megan learned about salamanders. The older kids all remembered when they had that class and asked to tag along. Everyone held the salamander and helped out where they could.
As the weather warms up, you may be able to find salamanders under logs and leaves. They lay their eggs in water in the spring. We have never found one around here, though some friends find them often at their house. We will be looking for them once the snow melts a little bit more. And, in case you are interested, holding a salamander is fun!
Snowmen Contest
For awhile, the weather was perfect for making snowmen. Even though it was really wet out, the kids had fun designing snowmen for our snowman contest.  We are hoping that it cools down enough to freeze the snowmen so we can enjoy them for a few days before they melt.
Which is your favorite snowman?