Classical Charlotte

For our last Another Celebrated Dancing Bear lesson, we learned about Russia.  Doo easily found it on the map (she already knew where it was) and we looked over some Russian facts such as the capital and how lovely Siberia must be.

We then headed to a Russian deli about 10 minutes from our home.  The deli was inside a Russian market plus there was a bakery as well – “Fairytale Bakery.”  Doo helped pick out some items for lunch and we also grabbed a couple of bags of Russian cookies and a juice.  The woman at the cash register started to speak Russian to me until she actually looked at me and immediately spoke English.  I guess nothing about me appears Russian.  Maybe it was the L.L Bean sweater?

Our lunch consisted of some sort of veal and rice dish (I did not know it was veal until I had it in my hands – it was Doo’s choice.  That aside, it was delicious), stolichniy salad and beet salad.  There was also wafer cookies, a chocolate-type of cookie and cherry juice.  Doo did pretty well with the new flavors and consistencies.  She was not a fan of the beet salad and definitely preferred the veal and rice the best.  I liked the rice a lot plus the stolichniy salad.

In Another Celebrated Dancing Bear, the two bear friends drink tea and dine on bread with strawberry preserves.  We put on some Tchaikovsky, drank chamomile tea and ate toast with strawberry preserves.

Boris the bear takes dance lessons from his friend Max in the story so Doo also “took” a ballet lesson via her DVD from her Ballerina book.  She loved this lesson and even stopped the DVD midway through so she could deck herself out in silks and an old, ratty tutu I made for her years ago.

(Paper bear wagon from here.)

Yesterday we studied bears for Another Celebrated Dancing Bear.  We learned bear facts and read about how to stay safe in bear country.  We also watched some bear videos – the one of the cubs playing was Doo’s favorite.  The bluff charge and salmon fishing videos were also very interesting.

Afterward, we made bear claw biscuits.  I made them sugar and gluten-free since that’s how I eat so I invented the recipe myself.  I personally thought they turned out blah and way too spongy but Doo gobbled hers up and asked for more today!  So what do I know.

Gluten and Sugar Free Bear Claws

Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Pancake Mix

Cinnamon

Agave Syrup

Almond slices

Make TJ’s pancake mix according to the package.  Add cinnamon to taste.  Pour into muffin cups and bake at 350 for around 15 minutes.  Pop out of the muffin tin and, while still warm, poke 4 almond slices into each “paw.”  Mix agave syrup and cinnamon to taste and spread onto each one.

Voila!

Another Celebrated Dancing Bear is about a bear from the circus who teaches his friend how to dance.  His friend then joins him in his circus act.  The story takes place in Russia during “the days of the czar.”

We reviewed some vocabulary from the Five In A Row manual before our first reading, such as “samovar” and “czar.”  Two words I feel should have been added to their vocabulary list was “preserves” and “phonograph” – definitely two words not in Doo’s regular rotation!