School

I don't post much about school, but that's what happens all day every day around here, so I've got some pictures of some of the fun things we've done over the last month.

Kole likes to color, the floor's an aok place he thinks.


One morning (not long after the trip to the fab children's museum) the kids got inspired to make a store.
I printed out some money and they designed it.

Isbella organized the store, for the most part. Each bin is priced and categorized.

She also made herself a cash register. She would dearly love to have a real one, but this one worked.

They each took turns being the store owner or the shoppers. I think the setting up of the store lasted longer than the actual play, but they had fun anyway.



Here's Xander doing some of his hands on math.

Story time.

Ari has really gotten into writing these days. She loves to carry around a note book and just write and write. She's in the phase where what she writes looks like mountains \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ pretty much, but it makes her happy.
she's also working on her prewriting skills. We are using a curriculum from confessions of a homeschooler
a little dance break in the living room
Ari having some fun with one of our favorite websites Starfall


we are studying countries and cultures around the world and recently had some fun studying through France. We made some bees.




Studied some of the famous French artists, here we got to make our own version of Picasso's Sunflowers

and some Monets


We built the Eiffel tower out of pretzels and marshmallows.

We started out trying to make them stand up but that just wasn't happening, so they went 2d.




Any time we can read a book and then watch the movie that's a big hit. Some of our favorites have been Nim's Island, Swiss Family Robinson, How to Train Your Dragon, Caddie Woodlawn, Sarah Plain and Tall, and many many more.
Here, Sophia's reading us Madaline (which takes place in France)

and then we watched it.
and to finish up our French study we made croissants, which were a big hit.



Sometimes school is fun :)

Walking down the aisle

Xan and Ari walking down the aisle at the wedding. Xander got a little freaked out at the end and didn't want to complete the journey. He had practiced it with Levi in the lead and then Levi was sick and wasn't leading so I think Xander wasn't sure what he was supposed to do!

Valentine's Day

We had a fun Valentine's day around here. Faron and I got to go out the Friday before when our church hosted a "couples night" and provided free babysitting. We got to go on a nice date while the kids had a blast at church.

So, when Valentine's day rolled around it was all about the fun with the kids. We have established a "rule" that Valentine's gifts have to be handmade, so the kids have been making cards and little gifts for a week or two.



Papa and Xander whipped up a couple chocolate pies.


here's Xander framed by the lovely flowers that Pop sent me on Vday


Koley reading Isabella's card to him.

Xander's light saber shaped card

The kids got inspired to make valentine's boxes, so they spent some time earlier in the day decorating them and got to walk around delivering them to each other.

Ari's crown shaped card. The down side to waiting to do valentine's stuff while Papa's here, is that it all happened right after dinner, so all the kids faces are exceedingly messy!!


I made this little heart guy for Kole. He calls it his heart monkey.

The girls headbands.

Ari's heart shaped pillow, and dirty face.


Xander got a cool scarf. He needed a nice manly one.


Sophia wanted a treasure hunt, so I hid their candy Easter egg style.



Kole, post dinner and pie. What mess?

Snow

So, what's been up since the trip to Washington? Well, most of that time was filled with snow.
On the day we flew to WA there was a big ole' snow storm, we missed it all thankfully, but we did come back to our car being covered in 6 inches of snow in the air port parking lot.


6 inches is a pretty goodly snow, so there was a snow man built, and some snow play that happened.

no one was really interested in helping Isabella build the snow man, so she had to go it alone. She got it done though.

Her scarf and some leaves make the hair. Cucumber eyes, carrot nose, twig arms with gloves and grass for the smile.

Not too long after we got back we were in for another big storm. I think this is the biggest one I've got a memory of. I don't recall ever having a "blizzard warning" before. But we sure had it that day. Blizzard winds and lots of snow. I think we got 12 inches.


The drifts were higher.

Xander was not too happy that the only pair of snow pants that fit him were purple :) guess I need to get some new ones.

Kole and Ari discovered that the snow didn't accumulate much around the car, so that's where they hung out. walking through 12 inches of snow is even tougher when your legs aren't much longer than that.

during the storm while we were away someone hit our mail box. It was still standing, but severely leaning. Well, the second storm did it in.It came all the way down, Faron thinks it was from the snow that got plowed into it from the road. So, he and Xander fixed it up for us so we could start getting mail again.

Kole is not a big fan of playing in the snow. He won't keep gloves on and really doesn't like getting cold, so it's not a good combo!


The other kids thought snow was fun though!