We spent the rest of our afternoon going from activity to activity, as I got them ready (I was a little bit ill prepared this week).  The most fun for the kids were the paper cherry trees we made.

I cut out bare tree trunks and branches from brown paper, then we pasted them to white paper.

Then, we adhered green leaf bunches, cut from green paper with deckle-edge scissors. The trees began to resemble bonsais….and a future crafty idea was born and tucked away for later.

After the trees were “dressed,” we dipped our fingers in red tempera paint to cover the trees in cherries.

I told them the tale of the chopped down cherry tree, and I was so happy to see the kids grab ahold of the moral within the story….honesty is always right.

Gardner was intrigued by the story and wanted to do another paper tree collage, this time with the tree splintered and laying sideways, but he soon diverted to another painted picture and didn’t mention it again. (Now that I think about it, that would’ve been funny.)

We did a tray activity before dinner, one which quickly frustrated G: Coin sorting. With him, it’s best to keep the most tedious and/or challenging tasks in the morning hours….by late afternoon, he’s already tired and ready for bed, despite having a rest time after lunch. (He hasn’t actually “napped” since he was barely two years old.)

The most challenging part was telling the nickels and quarters apart, and by mid-task, he was spent. At least it was a fun introduction to the metals used in money as well as face value, not to mention another subtle tribute to our past presidents.

Today we are supposed to start on a new unit study, focusing on a book by Ezra Jack Keats. We will have to play that by ear, though….as both my husband and I have a nasty head cold, complete with sinuses that threaten explosion and a throat that feels like we swallowed a woolen scarf. Did I mention I’m anxious for spring?