C is for Cow

Continuing the study of domestic animals, we started the year off with cows. Most specifically, dairy cows. We read several books about dairy farms and how they operate. From milking machines to homogenization. On the second day, we put cream in a jar with a clothes pin and shook until it turned to butter. Daddy was especially impressed by this trick. I had told him about it, but evidently he was skeptical until he actually saw it with his own eyes! We gathered up props to help us remember the nursery rhyme “Hey, diddle diddle!” and each of us took a turn holding up the props and saying the rhyme. It was interesting to me that the kids would learn the story easily, but then try to tell it without considering the rhyming aspect of it. They would all finish up with something like “And the dish and the spoon ran away together.” But after several tries, they got it right. We created a list of foods made from milk, and then went shopping. On the last day, we had a dairy party. We had kefir to drink, we ate baby cheese with crackers, creamy Swiss with grapes, cottage cheese with cucumbers, and string cheese. Followed by ice cream bon bons for dessert! We read stories about how ice cream is made and how mozzarella is made. We discussed how milk helps us grow. In 1 Peter 2:2-3, God’s Word is compared to milk that helps us grow spiritually. So, our words to remember were “God’s Word helps me grow”.
One library book we found about cows was called “The Cow who Fell in the Canal” and it took place in Holland. We found Holland on the globe and went through the book pointing out things that were uniquely Dutch. Then we learned about Pieter Brueghel, a Dutch painter from the 16th century. Then, the kids each tried to duplicate one of his paintings from memory.