Spring it is coming, is coming, is coming.

Spring it is coming, with flowers and rain.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping.

Spring, it is coming with flowers and rain.

-this is a song/movement verse that I created to usher in the first bits of Springtime

It is obvious that Spring is on her way.  The air is getting a bit warmer, the birds are chirping a bit louder…heck, I am even starting to have worms creep into my laundry room after a rain storm.  She is on her way.  Breathe her in deeply, let her surround your being…..exhale her slowly and see the life of your breath fill the space around you and others….She is here waiting on the doorstep…just as the seeds of peas, radishes, beans, and lettuce seeds that we  have started in the past two weeks are waiting.  They are all waiting for the rain, the sun, the nourishment of the soil…

In class, this has become more than obvious…the coming of Spring.  Not creeping in ever so slowly…but instead…like a spring rainstorm that comes out of nowhere.  It’s persistent, and creates a yucky mess while it lingers.  The good news though is that it dries up quickly and you are left with lots of little flecks of green…a lot of new growth, new life, new development…this rings so true when speaking of the past couple of weeks in class.  

Like a troop of busy little birds, the children in class have been no where close to stopping.  Well, except for right around snack time or lunch.  These two times have again become the favorite parts of the day by just about every child (and myself).  Recently we have made everything from pancakes to pizza to what has become Our classroom bread (that we bake every Wednesday and eat every Thursday)… the Flax Seed Whole Wheat Loaf.  The recipe follows…..

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Flax Seed Whole Wheat Bread

2 lb loaf

1 1/2c    water

3T            oil

1/4c       honey

2 2/3c   unbleached bread flour

1 1/3c    whole wheat flour

1/3c       milled flax (substituted for 1/3c dry milk…the mille flax makes the bread sooo much yummier!)

2 1/2T   flax seed (although I tend to add A LOT more of whole flax seeds—I even let the children decorate the dough with flax seeds during our bread modeling time)

1 1/4T    gluten

1 1/2t     salt

2 1/4t     one packet of yeast

Combine ingredients—with hands or mixer—cover and set in a sunny window until the dough has doubled in size…then gently turn out a few times and place in a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 325-350 degrees for as long as it takes (usually an hour and a half; but will depend tremendously on the oven you are working with) to have a brown crust.   You may also use this recipe in a bread maker!

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A lot of other great things have been moving, shifting, growing….but I will save that for another post at another time.

I hope all is well in your world….and that the beginnings of Spring are starting to creep into your life ever so slowly.

With Many Blessings of the coming Season,

Michelle