On September 23rd, we visited the Royal Farm Apple Orchard in Hebron, IL. We had fun picking apples, feeding the farm animals, eating apple donuts, and playing on the playground.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Extracurricular Activities
Below is a list of some activities that our kids might enjoy. Please let us know of any other activities that you hear about and we will add them to the list.
Legoland in Schaumburg
You must go to their web site and print out the Homeschool Days registration page and fax it in. Below is the link to the homepage. Click on Schools and then Homeschool Days.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com/chicago/us
The cost for the Homeschool Days is $7 per child, with one free adult for up to 5 children (limit 6 tickets). The cost includes a free 30-minute workshop where the kids will learn about structures, etc. The Homeschool Days is only offered on Wednesdays from now until mid November and then again from January through May. You must send in your request about 2 weeks ahead of time for a reservation. About a week before your requested date and workshop time, they will e-mail you a voucher that you need to print and bring with you. I have read some reviews that they are overpriced, it was overcrowded, and they were disappointed, but for $7, I think it's worth one trip, and I would expect the place to be pretty empty on a school day. They have a little lego museum of sorts to walk through, a slow ride, a 4-D movie, and a builders area where the kids can play Legos of course. I expect to spend most of our time there. The normal admission price is $19 for adults and $15 for kids. Please post a comment if anyone has already been there.
Right now, they are also running a special promotion of $5 per ticket if you come after school, arriving between 3pm-5pm, and they close at 7pm. However, each adult must pay $5 as well and it would not include the free workshop.
For fun at home, you can go to the link below and print out pictures and instructions of some lego creations that you and your kids can try to build. Under the "Inspiration" tab, there are some more pictures with a number to them. I believe you can plug that number in somewhere to get the step-by-step instructions on how to build those. I'm thinking we will be asking for Legos this Christmas. There is so much you can create, but it seems we don't always have all the pieces. Also, at the top, there is a "Play" tab where your kids can play some Lego games. My 9-year old loves this site.
http://creative.lego.com/en-us/Familytime/buildinginstructions/default.aspx
Swim & Gym
This is a class offered at The Centre of Elgin, off Route 31, across from the Elgin Library. The class is offered to homeschoolers between the ages of 5 and 15. It includes an hour of instructed gym time (much like a P.E. class), and then an hour of swim lessons (40 instruction time and 20 minutes of free swim). The days and times are 1:00pm-3:00pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. It is a 10-week class running through mid November. The cost is $54 for Elgin residents and $64 for non-residents. If you have a toddler, there is a parent-tot open swim from 1pm-2pm while the older kids are in the gym. Some of the classes are full, but if you do join now, you will pay a pro-rated fee for the remaining classes. Their phone number is 847-531-7000. Ask for Brett Lind.
For the younger kids, check out your local gymnastics gym for Junior Open Gym times. We go to Excel Gymnastics in St. Charles or Batavia. It's $5 per child for an hour (for kids under 6 only). Sometimes we do the open gym for older kids (6 and up) on Friday nights from 7-8:30pm in Batavia. The cost is $10 per child. They watch the kids for you. Most parents just drop their kids off.
Legoland in Schaumburg
You must go to their web site and print out the Homeschool Days registration page and fax it in. Below is the link to the homepage. Click on Schools and then Homeschool Days.
http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com/chicago/us
The cost for the Homeschool Days is $7 per child, with one free adult for up to 5 children (limit 6 tickets). The cost includes a free 30-minute workshop where the kids will learn about structures, etc. The Homeschool Days is only offered on Wednesdays from now until mid November and then again from January through May. You must send in your request about 2 weeks ahead of time for a reservation. About a week before your requested date and workshop time, they will e-mail you a voucher that you need to print and bring with you. I have read some reviews that they are overpriced, it was overcrowded, and they were disappointed, but for $7, I think it's worth one trip, and I would expect the place to be pretty empty on a school day. They have a little lego museum of sorts to walk through, a slow ride, a 4-D movie, and a builders area where the kids can play Legos of course. I expect to spend most of our time there. The normal admission price is $19 for adults and $15 for kids. Please post a comment if anyone has already been there.
Right now, they are also running a special promotion of $5 per ticket if you come after school, arriving between 3pm-5pm, and they close at 7pm. However, each adult must pay $5 as well and it would not include the free workshop.
For fun at home, you can go to the link below and print out pictures and instructions of some lego creations that you and your kids can try to build. Under the "Inspiration" tab, there are some more pictures with a number to them. I believe you can plug that number in somewhere to get the step-by-step instructions on how to build those. I'm thinking we will be asking for Legos this Christmas. There is so much you can create, but it seems we don't always have all the pieces. Also, at the top, there is a "Play" tab where your kids can play some Lego games. My 9-year old loves this site.
http://creative.lego.com/en-us/Familytime/buildinginstructions/default.aspx
Swim & Gym
This is a class offered at The Centre of Elgin, off Route 31, across from the Elgin Library. The class is offered to homeschoolers between the ages of 5 and 15. It includes an hour of instructed gym time (much like a P.E. class), and then an hour of swim lessons (40 instruction time and 20 minutes of free swim). The days and times are 1:00pm-3:00pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. It is a 10-week class running through mid November. The cost is $54 for Elgin residents and $64 for non-residents. If you have a toddler, there is a parent-tot open swim from 1pm-2pm while the older kids are in the gym. Some of the classes are full, but if you do join now, you will pay a pro-rated fee for the remaining classes. Their phone number is 847-531-7000. Ask for Brett Lind.
For the younger kids, check out your local gymnastics gym for Junior Open Gym times. We go to Excel Gymnastics in St. Charles or Batavia. It's $5 per child for an hour (for kids under 6 only). Sometimes we do the open gym for older kids (6 and up) on Friday nights from 7-8:30pm in Batavia. The cost is $10 per child. They watch the kids for you. Most parents just drop their kids off.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Apple Recipes
To coincide with our unit study on apples and our field trip to the apple orchard, I'd like to collect all your favorite apple recipes! Apple pie, apple cobbler, apple cider, caramel apples, baked cinnamon apples, apple french toast, apple pancakes, fresh apple juice, smoothies...whatever you can think of! If you don't have a favorite, get with your kids and pull out the cookbooks (or get some from the library if you don't have any), or look up recipes online. Experiment with an apple recipe, and then share it with us!
Cooking with our kids can be a great real life learning experience, but more importantly, it's a time for making some great family memories. If you have little ones, let them help by dumping the measuring cups into the bowls. I always say, the measure of a mom's patience is her ability to remain calm when baking with little ones. :) Don't worry so much about the goodies coming out just right. Just remind yourself, you're not just making cookies, you're making memories! So, if your little one turns on the Kitchen Aid a little too high (or a lot) and flour goes flying everywhere, or if they turn on the smoothie maker before the cap is on and you have blueberries all over your kitchen (and your little one's head), just laugh and mark that one down for the memory book. Then, teach your kids the art of cleaning up. :) (By the way, both of those things have happened in our house - more than once!)
So, send me your recipes (to sheridavis27@mchsi.com) and if you have pictures, send those too! We'd love to see the fun you had baking together, or of your final product. Or, make one of the recipes listed here, and leave us a comment and let us know how you liked it.
Here is our favorite apple recipe. (FYI: My brand references are to the Feingold Diet which avoids artificial ingredients.)
Triple Berry and Apple Pie
You can buy a pre-made pie crust. I use one from Trader Joe’s. Take out of the freezer and let sit at room temp for an hour before using. Below is the filling and topping.
1 cup sugar
5 tsp of quick cooking tapioca (sometimes this is found near the canning jars for some reason)
½ tsp cinnamon
4 cups frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into small slices
2 TB butter, cut into small cubes (optional - see below)
Grease bottom and sides of pie pan with melted butter. Place pastry in pie pan.
In large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, tapioca, and cinnamon. Add the berries and apple slices. Toss gently till coated. Let stand 15 minutes.
Spoon filling into pastry lined pie plate. Dot with 2 TB of butter. (Do not need to do this if you are using the crumb topping below.)
If using a pie crust as a top, place pastry over fruit and crimp edges to seal. Cut 4 small slits in the crust near center. Cover edges of crust with foil (optional).
Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet to catch any over flow.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 30-45 minutes or until pie is bubbling at slits.
For a crumb topping: (If you use this topping, you won’t need to dot top of pie with 2 TB of butter as per above).
1 cup of flour (I like to use King Arthur unbleached flour but any will do)
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed (Light Brown Domino Sugar)
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup of butter (1 stick - Land O'Lakes or organic)
Combine the above ingredients. Blend until crumbly (I cut up the butter with a butter knife into small cubes), then sprinkle over fruit. Bake as above. Allow pie to cool for a while before cutting (at least an hour - but who can wait!). Top with vanilla ice cream (Breyers All Natural Vanilla or Haagen Dazs). Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Boston Market Cinnamon Apples
6 apples, peeled and sliced (once sliced, cut slices in half)
1 1/3 cups of water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar (Domino Light Brown Sugar)
1 TB of flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp butter
2 dashes of salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. Then add the flour, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and butter. Place the sliced apples in an 8x11 baking dish. Pour the cinnamon mixture over the apples. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes, or until apples are tender, stirring every 10-15 minutes. (I doubled this recipe. The original recipe called for 3 apples and to cook them for 40 minutes. When I doubled the recipe above, it needed to cook much longer. I think 60 minutes will work.) Sometimes I set the timer for the first 15 minutes, so I don’t forget to stir them. Serve alone or over vanilla ice cream, pancakes, apple muffins, whatever you can think of. Store in the refrigerator.
Cooking with our kids can be a great real life learning experience, but more importantly, it's a time for making some great family memories. If you have little ones, let them help by dumping the measuring cups into the bowls. I always say, the measure of a mom's patience is her ability to remain calm when baking with little ones. :) Don't worry so much about the goodies coming out just right. Just remind yourself, you're not just making cookies, you're making memories! So, if your little one turns on the Kitchen Aid a little too high (or a lot) and flour goes flying everywhere, or if they turn on the smoothie maker before the cap is on and you have blueberries all over your kitchen (and your little one's head), just laugh and mark that one down for the memory book. Then, teach your kids the art of cleaning up. :) (By the way, both of those things have happened in our house - more than once!)
So, send me your recipes (to sheridavis27@mchsi.com) and if you have pictures, send those too! We'd love to see the fun you had baking together, or of your final product. Or, make one of the recipes listed here, and leave us a comment and let us know how you liked it.
Here is our favorite apple recipe. (FYI: My brand references are to the Feingold Diet which avoids artificial ingredients.)
Triple Berry and Apple Pie
You can buy a pre-made pie crust. I use one from Trader Joe’s. Take out of the freezer and let sit at room temp for an hour before using. Below is the filling and topping.
1 cup sugar
5 tsp of quick cooking tapioca (sometimes this is found near the canning jars for some reason)
½ tsp cinnamon
4 cups frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into small slices
2 TB butter, cut into small cubes (optional - see below)
Grease bottom and sides of pie pan with melted butter. Place pastry in pie pan.
In large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, tapioca, and cinnamon. Add the berries and apple slices. Toss gently till coated. Let stand 15 minutes.
Spoon filling into pastry lined pie plate. Dot with 2 TB of butter. (Do not need to do this if you are using the crumb topping below.)
If using a pie crust as a top, place pastry over fruit and crimp edges to seal. Cut 4 small slits in the crust near center. Cover edges of crust with foil (optional).
Place pie on a foil lined cookie sheet to catch any over flow.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 30-45 minutes or until pie is bubbling at slits.
For a crumb topping: (If you use this topping, you won’t need to dot top of pie with 2 TB of butter as per above).
1 cup of flour (I like to use King Arthur unbleached flour but any will do)
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed (Light Brown Domino Sugar)
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup of butter (1 stick - Land O'Lakes or organic)
Combine the above ingredients. Blend until crumbly (I cut up the butter with a butter knife into small cubes), then sprinkle over fruit. Bake as above. Allow pie to cool for a while before cutting (at least an hour - but who can wait!). Top with vanilla ice cream (Breyers All Natural Vanilla or Haagen Dazs). Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Boston Market Cinnamon Apples
6 apples, peeled and sliced (once sliced, cut slices in half)
1 1/3 cups of water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar (Domino Light Brown Sugar)
1 TB of flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp butter
2 dashes of salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. Then add the flour, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and butter. Place the sliced apples in an 8x11 baking dish. Pour the cinnamon mixture over the apples. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes, or until apples are tender, stirring every 10-15 minutes. (I doubled this recipe. The original recipe called for 3 apples and to cook them for 40 minutes. When I doubled the recipe above, it needed to cook much longer. I think 60 minutes will work.) Sometimes I set the timer for the first 15 minutes, so I don’t forget to stir them. Serve alone or over vanilla ice cream, pancakes, apple muffins, whatever you can think of. Store in the refrigerator.
Our Mission Statement
Cornerstone Enrichment Co-op Mission Statement
Cornerstone is a private cooperative group designed to offer enrichment electives to local Preschool-5th homeschooling families. We meet in Elgin, Illinois, on Thursday mornings from September through May (2009-10 academic year). Our mission is to collaborate with other parents, in order to supplement and enhance our children’s education in a God-honoring way. Our program can only happen with the cooperation and partnership of participating families.
As this is our first year of operation, our class framework was established based on the needs, interests, and resources of our initial participating families.
Our values are as follows:
1. We desire to enrich our children’s home education experience through group participation in subjects such as creative art, music, writing/presentation skills, and science/outdoor education.
2. We come together in order to enhance our children’s education at home, not to replace that experience.
3. We commit to train our children in godly character through Biblical principles, using God’s Word as the foundation to all our learning, both in Cornerstone and at home.
4. We provide an opportunity for our children to inspire and encourage one another through social interaction in a shared learning environment.
5. We expect parents to be responsible for the behavior of their children at all times.
6. In the spirit of cooperation, we ask all parents to assist and participate in Cornerstone in some capacity. Please contact Kristen Baker, our coordinator, to discuss the best option for you.
7. Payments are to be paid in full one month prior to the start of a new semester. (August 15th and December 15th) A late fee of $15 will be incurred if not paid on time.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or would like to join our group, please contact Kristen Baker at 847-553-1193, or e-mail to kristenbaker11@yahoo.com.
The address for mailing is:
Cornerstone Enrichment Co-Op
P.O Box 5686 Elgin, IL 60121
For questions or comments regarding our blog, please send to Sheri Davis at sheridavis27@mchsi.com.
The address for mailing is:
Cornerstone Enrichment Co-Op
P.O Box 5686 Elgin, IL 60121
For questions or comments regarding our blog, please send to Sheri Davis at sheridavis27@mchsi.com.
The Co-Op's Schedule
The co-op meets from 9:00am to 11:30am at Hawthorne Hill Nature Center, 28 Brookside Dr. Elgin. You can check it out any Friday between 1-4pm.
K-5th will be doing Art Appreciation/Drawing, Music History, and Book Club with a variety of assignments. Science will be filled with our Outdoor Ed lesson and creation-based activities.
Preschool kids do a variety of hands-on activities that are theme-based as well.
Our Co-op dates are as follows:
January 14 - Nature Center (Oral Presentations for Book Club)
January 21 - Field Trip - Sledding at Randall Oaks (canceled due to weather)
January 28 - Outdoor Ed (Please dress warmly)
January 29 - Mom's Night Out at Sara Green's house
February 4 - Valentine's Theme (please bring Valentine's cards)
February 11 - Off
February 18 - Outdoor Ed
February 25 - Field Trip to Cocoa Cabana (Cost: $6 per child. Sign up for a time slot.)
Please bring the following with each child every day:
Backpack-labeled
Extra sweatshirt -labeled
1-inch,3-ring binder with 3 divider tabs labeled: Unit Study,Music/Art, Book Studies
Add loose-leaf paper to each section. (not needed for Preschool)
Pencils and eraser
A healthy snack and water bottle
Art smock/old large T-shirt folded in a 1-gallon ziploc bag
Bible- ESV (for sword drills)
Let's lift one another up! If you would like to share a prayer request, please email it to: melissaprice@comcast.net and she will gladly email those out to our group.
If you would like to contribute to our blog, we would love your input! If you would like to write a post, or have some great web sites or insights you'd like to share, please send them to Sheri Davis at sheridavis27@mchsi.com. Let's learn from each other as we embark on this journey together with Christ by our side.
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