Anastasia

Meet Anastasia!  She's our very sneaky and much loved Elf on the Shelf.  We adopted her last year and my girls could not wait for her to come back!  Most elves come on December 1st, but Anastasia likes to come to our house on Thanksgiving!  We really don't know why, our family tradition for the holiday is to go out to eat, so there are no leftovers or yummy sweets here...maybe she just misses hanging out with us and can't wait to come back!
This year she made her much anticipated return by repelling down the air vent into the tree!  My Clever Owl had spent the night with her friend next door and I laughed because she came home at 8 am to see in Anastasia had returned!  We look forward to seeing what crazy antics she will pull while she visits with us!!

Even elves need a sugar high

Peek a boo

A Delcious Fall Treat

Yesterday was cooking activity day at The Owl's Nest!  We were going to make tree treats, but I found this totally adorable acorn treat on www.pinterest.com, so we had a change in cooking plans!  They could not be easier to make too and that is always a plus! 

What you need:

Doughnut Holes
Chocolate Sprinkles or toffee chips
Chocolate Chips
Mini Pretzel Sticks

What to do:

Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl, dip the end of the doughnut hole in the chocolate, roll it in the sprinkles or toffee chips, and stick a mini pretzel stick in it, then enjoy your fall treat! 

My Owlets pretended they were squirrels while they ate their acorns! 

Fall is in the Air

The Tree I put in Dramatic Play

  Fall...I love fall...all things fall!  The colors, the smells, football (Roll Tide), the flavors, the crispness in the air, sweaters, and big, tall boots!  Fall and leaves are one of my favorite themes to do in school.  This weekend I have been busy creating fall in my classroom!  My hubby and I put together a tree and spent yesterday afternoon cutting out leaves an adding them to the bare branches.  I think it turned out pretty cute!
I have been coloring leaves, cutting out leaves, and laminating like crazy!   I had a lot of this stuff from before, but most of it got lost in the last three moves, so I started over!
 One of the activities we will be doing is a leaf memory game.  This activity was a favorite of the kids in my classroom when I taught before, so I went back to it!  I found it in The Mailbox Magazine from October/November 2003...wow!  My hubby drew the tree for me, but I photocopied the leaf cards and colored them myself...red, yellow, green, brown, and orange.  This is a great memory game!
I think one of the activities I am looking most forward to is the lovely leaf match!  I made twenty leaves from scrapbook paper, laminated them, and cut them out. The kids will match them based on pattern.
I have many more activities planned for our centers, group times, and special activities.  Pictures and details to come!  It's going to be a fabulous fall week! :)

My hubby drew this awesome tree for me so we can play a leaf memory game!

Leaf lacing cards

Leaf Match