Our Learning Room

We finally did it earlier this year. You know the room that you have that's crammed too full of stuff and you just keep adding more junk to it? Well, we got tired of not being able to use that room and did something about it! We turned it into a craft/school room. Ah. We purchased some kids tables and chairs and cleared out everything that didn't need to be there. Since I only have a preschooler and a toddler, our needs are pretty basic until they get to be school age. For now, we enjoy sitting doing crafts - coloring, do-a-dot markers, gluing projects, etc. I've started working on the alphabet with N and will be putting all of his alphabet collages on the wall. So here is the final result of the room.

Since I am linking up to the Homeschool Link-up Party at Joys of Home Educating, I am adding a few more pictures of our learning areas around our house.

The Living Room, where lots of reading happens and jumping off the couches of course.

The Garden (taken last summer!)

The Dirt Box

Fire! Pretend of Course...

My son and I have been looking for firefighting adventures recently. Here's some of the adventures we've been creating:

• I traced this image and then had my son glue small squares of tissue paper for the light, windows and wheels. Then I cut a pipe-cleaner and helped my son to glue the ladder pieces together. Just a quick fun project that helps him with finger coordination and learning about different art mediums.

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• Today I took a cardboard box and cut out some windows and slapped on a thin coat of black paint and added some red and yellow flames. We then got out all of N's firetrucks and played firemen. You can see a cat in one of the windows that is waiting to be rescued, then my son put him in the ambulance and took the cat away to the hospital. Kid's imaginations are so cute!

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• And while we are on the firefighting crafts subject...a year ago for my sons birthday, he had a firetruck party, so I made a firetruck from a box. Again, just some quick coats of paint and paper plates hot glued on to the side as the wheels. The kids had lots of fun riding in the firetruck. Oh, and don't forget the firetruck cake!

Wordless Wednesday - A Day at the Lake

It was a beautiful day on Saturday so we took advantage of it by going to a nearby lake and visiting the ducks. It was great to have a taste of spring!

Linked up at: Mama to 4 Blessings

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Okay, so fall is over...but that doesn't mean the pumpkin has to go away! I still have lots of cans of pumpkin in my pantry and had some eggnog to use up also, so I whipped this pie up and it is scrumptious and as most of the recipes I use, easy to make! The pie was devoured to fast for me to take my own picture of it!

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
• 
  FILLING:
• 2 eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• In a food processor, combine flour and salt; cover and pulse to blend. Add shortening and butter; cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While processing, gradually add water until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until easy to handle.
• Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, eggnog, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until blended. Pour into crust.
• In a small bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Stir in pecans; sprinkle over filling.
• Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Taste of Home