Worms, camping and sleepovers!

What a busy weekend we are having. Its Ok though, we've been having a lot of quiet time recently so its good to have so many fun things on the schedule! This morning Maddie and I attended a 4H workshop about.....

I had to add this picture in...it cracks me up.....

Maddie really enjoyed learning about the worms and how to care for them. First we checked out some worm castings (aka worm poop!). It didn't smell, didn't look weird and it was Ok to touch with bare hands. Worm castings could also be called dirt. You can find them right on your lawn if you look close enough.

Sarah, the 4H coordinator for Schenectady county, let us check out her bins too! This way we knew what we were aiming for when we made our own.

Finally we built a worm bin (ok, getting fancy...a vermicomposting bin) using a sterlite container. Since there are holes in the bottom we also have a paint tray under it for any leakage. First we had to drill holes.

Then it was on to paper shredding!

and paper dampening...

Then some more talking and listening and question asking....the moms in the group had A LOT of questions. Gee, wonder why???

Wonderful Sarah!



After that we got some food ready.....

And finally....WORMS!

Maddie's worms are heading quickly for the dark under the dirt and paper. These worms are "red wrigglers" and they do not like the light. Plus the food was down there! It only took about 2 minutes for them all to disappear. Currently they are residing in the kitchen because I know our day care buddies will want to see them. Soon they will have a home in the basement. We will feed them fruit and vegetable scraps, stale bread and cooked pasta or rice, coffee grinds and eggshells. You cannot give them fat or salt. It will be interesting to see how this project comes along. I suspect we have a fair project in the making.

This evening we met friends at church for a night of storytelling and gospel singing. Maddie loved it! She asked "Uncle Kent" if he could tell a "Just So Story" again this year. She was in luck, he told one about night and day with bears and frogs. Maddie loves Just So Stories. They have been among her favorites for a very long time now. Last year he told her favorite one, How the Rhinoceros got his wrinkles (perhaps his skin?).

Emily came along too! Matching Maddie of course!

Good buds during a break.

 Kent telling stories. Maddie will get to hear more while at camp this summer I'm sure!

The gospel choir singing!

Maddie had a full, fun packed day. Tomorrow is promising to be more of the same! She is having her first sleepover with her buddy Norah. Maddie is soooo excited and thrilled. She simply cannot wait to go and cannot wait to have Norah come here sometime in the near future! Brian and I will probably be lost for a while as we usually are when Maddie is gone!