Maple Syrup Fun and Theater Shows!

After our last hurrah in the snow going snow tubing, the weather turned delightfully warm and was in the 60s all week (as high as 70 degrees, setting a record one day).  We had fun playing outside and enjoying nature.  We also got to see a couple theater shows.

Sarah, Trevor and I went to Twelve Dancing Princesses at Stages Theater while Austin was in school on Thursday.  It was a fun show and the kids enjoyed our morning out.

After that, I took some random cute photos of Trevor playing at home.  He was hugging his puppy stuffed toy and making me pretend pancakes by using the plastic slices of bread from the play kitchen and a pillow as the griddle.  I couldn't pick just one, so here are a few cute shots of my baby boy.

On Saturday, while Daddy was working hard for the busy season, we found a fun class at the Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington all about maple syruping.  We got to have a little class in the outdoor auditorium area about the trees, the sap, when and how to tap the trees, how to measure the sugar in the sap, how to boil it into syrup, etc.  We got to sample the sap and the finished syrup, then go on a nature hike out to tap a tree.  The kids all got to use the hand drill to make the hole in the tree.  It was lots of fun and the kids all had a blast!

Checking out the filter they use when making the syrup. 

We learned that the Native Americans used to heat up rocks in a fire and then use sticks to put them in a trough with the sap to boil the sap into syrup.  Labor intensive for sure!  Here is Austin trying out the rock transfer.

And Sarah taking a turn too.

This is a pitcher of sap with a tool to measure the sugar content of the sap.  This pitcher had a high sugar content at a whopping 2%!  Most are around 1%. Sap earlier in the season is typically higher in sugar content than later in the season.

Sarah was very intent on counting the lines in the cross section of a tree.

Next to her is "fake" syrup like the kind in the grocery store - basically made of corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors. 

We like to buy the real syrup even though it is pretty pricey!  Now we know why it is so expensive - to make syrup, you need LOTS of sap and a lengthy process to boil it down to syrup.  For a sap that is 2% sugar (high amount of sugar as typical taps go), then it will take 43 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. If it is 1% sugar, then it takes 86 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Usually it is somewhere in between.  The syrup has to then boil to a temperature of 219 degrees (7 degrees above the boiling point) and make it to a concentration of 66.9% sugar to be maple syrup.  And wow, is it tasty! If you continue to boil it down, you get maple sugar (shown in a jar in the picture above).  I got to open the jar to check it out and the smell is like heaven! Yummy!

Austin showing Trevor the sugar measuring tool.

Off on our nature hike...

Trevor found a tree that had already been tapped and was checking out the sap in the collection bag.

 Trevor taking a turn drilling.

 Austin's turn.

 I couldn't get a good angle on Sarah's turn, but she got a chance to try it too.

 Trevor trying out the sap dripping out of the tree we tapped.

Sarah taking a taste too.

 There was a pile of trees made into a rough enclosure and Austin decided it would be a great idea to climb up inside it. 

We then headed further down the trail at the nature center to see the "bee tree".  This tree has a hallowed out part in which bees have made a hive.  You can see the honey comb if you peek in the hole like Austin is doing in this photo.

 Enjoying the nice day, running down the trail.  Trevor was a good little hiker and kept up with the big kids pretty well.

 Then, since it was 3/14/15 (Pi Day!) we stopped at Baker's Square on the way home to get some pie!

 We then enjoyed more play time outside!  The cozy coupe is still one of Trevor's favorite toys.

On Sunday, our neighbor came over to hang out with Trevor while Steve and I took the big kids to see the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast at the Orpheum.   We have been listening to the original Broadway cast recording in the car for the past couple months in preparation for seeing the show and the kids knew all the songs already.  They really enjoyed it and we had a fun afternoon with our big kids!

 That's all we've been up to for now.  We're getting closer to Easter and then the end of busy season (tax season for Steve).  It looks like our lovely weather may continue, so we'll hope to continue enjoying some outdoor play!