We got to host Daddy's side of the family for Christmas on New Year this year, so much of the early part of this week involved preparing for their coming. We made lots of cookies and did lots of cleaning. I think Monkey and Bug's favorite part of the cooking was pulling out their hammers from the playroom and helping me smash candy canes for peppermint sugar cookies. Yum!
Since Daddy didn't have to work much this week, they got out of one grocery shopping trip and most of the cleaning and spent some quality time with Daddy instead. Monkey and Bug helped him build their new climbing dome by handing him wrenches, nuts, and bolts, counting pieces, and working on their patience until they could actually climb on it. (For most of the building Goose actually came with me to the store for some just-Mommy-and-me time.) Unfortunately, the spaces in the dome turned out to larger than we expected and they can't quite get up it yet (of course, it had also been raining, which made everything a little slippery). But the whole entourage got a kick out of running around inside and around it. A little later in the week Daddy took them to the playground, while I got some cleaning done.
Walking!
Goose is now walking as her main method of transportation! And she's starting to gain speed--next week I may be writing that she's running! She is especially excited that she can carry things around now. Monkey and Bug also introduced her to Ring around the Rosies this week, which she loves, although she usually falls a little early.
Merry Christmas!
Most of the family arrived Thursday evening to be greeted by a very excited entourage! As usual they enjoyed having extra adults around to do things like read books to them and play games--in this case computer games. Two tablets arrived with the relatives, and the girls were introduced to games like Cut the Rope and Angry Birds--very popular!
Like Mommy's family, Christmas with Daddy's family means stockings (filled by Nana), sugary goodness, and a morning full of taking turns opening presents. Fortunately, the Monkey and Bug were entertained enough by their stocking stuffers--especially some new sewing cards--that the wait between their own presents wasn't too bad. Outdoor play seemed to be a theme this year: In addition to the climbing dome from us, they also received a small trampoline, a bouncy ball (the kind you sit on), a mini basketball hoop, and two scooters, all of which have gotten lots of play time already!
Everybody left on Sunday, and while the girls are always sad to Nana and Papa Bear go, I think they were ready to have some time with just Mommy and Daddy and the normal routine.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Merry Christmas! Part 2
The Drive Home
Our family spent the majority of Christmas Eve in the car, driving back home. We managed to keep them entertained,with minimal meltdowns and potty stops. To prepare for the trip, I made up a bunch of quart-sized bags with activities: pipe cleaners cut to different lengths, mini coloring books with a few crayons, sewing cards (Bug discovered she could sew two cards together), felt "paper dolls" with clothes, and popsicle stick puzzles (for future reference, these don't work very well in the car since they kept sliding around on the lap desk). They also spent lots of time playing with their iPods (Touches they received as hand-me-downs when Nana and Aunt S got iPhones) and watching Finding Nemo and Baby Einstein's Meet the Orchestra.
Only Goose and I went to church that night. We gave Monkey and Bug options, and they decided they would rather stay home and play with Daddy than have to face either sitting still through a service or playing in a nursery full of noisy kids. (By the end of a week in a house with 12 other relatives and of 5+ hours in the car, we could tell our active little introverts had reached their limits. Goose, who may be the lone extravert in our family, had no objection to the nursery time.)
Merry Christmas!
For Christmas morning we all snuggled up on the couch to watch Charlie Brown's Christmas before heading to church. And this time we all went to church together, just a short, casual service with lots of Christmas carols accompanied by guitar music. After church we opened our family Christmas gifts and had a viewing of Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer later that afternoon. After all the excitement of Grandma and Granddad's house and before all the excitement of Daddy's side of the family coming here, it was nice to have a "quiet," relaxing family Christmas (quiet being a relative term--it still involved the entourage playing a glockenspiel!)
Our family spent the majority of Christmas Eve in the car, driving back home. We managed to keep them entertained,with minimal meltdowns and potty stops. To prepare for the trip, I made up a bunch of quart-sized bags with activities: pipe cleaners cut to different lengths, mini coloring books with a few crayons, sewing cards (Bug discovered she could sew two cards together), felt "paper dolls" with clothes, and popsicle stick puzzles (for future reference, these don't work very well in the car since they kept sliding around on the lap desk). They also spent lots of time playing with their iPods (Touches they received as hand-me-downs when Nana and Aunt S got iPhones) and watching Finding Nemo and Baby Einstein's Meet the Orchestra.
Only Goose and I went to church that night. We gave Monkey and Bug options, and they decided they would rather stay home and play with Daddy than have to face either sitting still through a service or playing in a nursery full of noisy kids. (By the end of a week in a house with 12 other relatives and of 5+ hours in the car, we could tell our active little introverts had reached their limits. Goose, who may be the lone extravert in our family, had no objection to the nursery time.)
Merry Christmas!
For Christmas morning we all snuggled up on the couch to watch Charlie Brown's Christmas before heading to church. And this time we all went to church together, just a short, casual service with lots of Christmas carols accompanied by guitar music. After church we opened our family Christmas gifts and had a viewing of Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer later that afternoon. After all the excitement of Grandma and Granddad's house and before all the excitement of Daddy's side of the family coming here, it was nice to have a "quiet," relaxing family Christmas (quiet being a relative term--it still involved the entourage playing a glockenspiel!)
Monday, December 26, 2011
Merry Christmas! Part 1
Our first celebration of Christmas this year involved spending almost a week at Grandma and Graddad's house, leading up to Christmas morning being celebrated on December 23 (the one day my 5 siblings + spouses could actually be home for the holidays). The entourage spent lots of time playing with their relatives, reading books, playing with all the toys--especially the Little People town--and exploring the playground and woods outside. We had so much fun, and we seriously wore out the entourage!
Animals
I realized that over the course of the week we learned alot about animals. The major event was a trip to the science center, a large portion of which is a permanent exhibit of taxidermied animals. While the girls had fun identifying animals and a few skeletons and getting to feel a few samples of fur, they were very disappointed that there weren't more "alive animals." Throughout the day Monkey and Bug and I had long discussions about dead vs. alive and why and how those animals were dead. They are still confused about why anyone would want dead animals, and I defnitely had some trouble trying to explain that one. One of the temporary exhibits the girls enjoyed was actually about trees, but they spent the whole time exploring a "treehouse" that talked about what animals made their homes in trees and included lots of animal noises (photos on the floor you could step/jump on to get them to make noise). (The center also involved a kids section with puppets, blocks, bean bag games, etc. that they had fun with).
Bug in particular really, really wanted to see alive animals, so the next day we got Aunt A (the resident biologist) to be our guide in looking for alive animals in Grandma and Graddad's woods. Although the only alive animal we actually saw was a huge earthworm--highly entertaining--we saw alot of signs of alive animals: tree stumps where beavers had been logging, deer paths and deer tracks, and mole tunnels. We also helped Aunt A look under rocks in the creek for any critters.
Back at Grandma and Granddad's house the entourage had the everyday learning experience of dealing with a 30 lb. sheepdog who would have loved to get more up close and personal than they were confortable with. Monkey and Bug were just beginning to gain confidence in telling her what to do, but poor Goose came away more traumatized than anything else due to the dogs multiple attempts/successes at licking her--she's frequently covered in food; it's just too tempting! (I now know what Goose's distinct "I'm scared" cry sounds like!). She came home and acted afraid of our cat whom she's always been fascinated with. Fortunately, a brief intentional reintroduction soothed all fears (at least from Goose's side; the poor cat is still scared of kids). Monkey and Bug also got to spend time watching and feeding Aunt A's snapping turtles--she has two that she picked up in the woods when they were babies and has kept for years in aquariums in her room.
Music
The entourage had a blast playing Aunt E's baby grand piano. This was Goose's first time to encounter a piano she could actually play, and she is a huge fan! Aunt E even helped her play it with her feet, which she thought was hilarious.
One afternoon Grandma pulled out the video of The Nutcracker, which the girls were enthralled by--especially since this version involved their Aunt K dancing the parts of one of the Chinese dancers and one of the butterflies (angels in many versions).
Christmas morning was also musical: among their other gifts they received a glockenspiel (very popular) and a CD of kid's party music from around the world.
Chrismon Tree
One of my family's Christmas traditions in going to see the Chrismon tree--not one like the little one in our living room, this is a 20 foot tall cedar covered in impressive handmade ornaments from all over the world. Honestly, I don't think the entourage paid much attention to the ornaments this year, but they had a grand time chasing each other around (crawling, so they weren't moving fast and getting underfoot) and playing with a music box behind the tree. At least I got to gather inspiration for our own tree.
Christmas Morning
Christmas morning at Grandma and Granddad's is not a rushed, tear-open-your-gifts affair. We start with stockings that the adults fill by spending $1 or less per person. Then breakfast involves singing Happy Birthday to Jesus around a coffee cake/birthday cake. Next to help the entourage kill time waiting for all the grown ups to be ready to open presents, we had Monkey and Bug sort the presents into piles. They told us what letter the recipient's name started with and we helped them figure out whose name it was. The entourage then attempted (with minimal success) to learn patience as we went around the room opening one gift at a time. Fortunately, they opened a few books and puzzles to play with to help keep them occupied.
The next day, the real Christmas Eve, we headed back to our house. To be continued . . .
Animals
I realized that over the course of the week we learned alot about animals. The major event was a trip to the science center, a large portion of which is a permanent exhibit of taxidermied animals. While the girls had fun identifying animals and a few skeletons and getting to feel a few samples of fur, they were very disappointed that there weren't more "alive animals." Throughout the day Monkey and Bug and I had long discussions about dead vs. alive and why and how those animals were dead. They are still confused about why anyone would want dead animals, and I defnitely had some trouble trying to explain that one. One of the temporary exhibits the girls enjoyed was actually about trees, but they spent the whole time exploring a "treehouse" that talked about what animals made their homes in trees and included lots of animal noises (photos on the floor you could step/jump on to get them to make noise). (The center also involved a kids section with puppets, blocks, bean bag games, etc. that they had fun with).
Bug in particular really, really wanted to see alive animals, so the next day we got Aunt A (the resident biologist) to be our guide in looking for alive animals in Grandma and Graddad's woods. Although the only alive animal we actually saw was a huge earthworm--highly entertaining--we saw alot of signs of alive animals: tree stumps where beavers had been logging, deer paths and deer tracks, and mole tunnels. We also helped Aunt A look under rocks in the creek for any critters.
Back at Grandma and Granddad's house the entourage had the everyday learning experience of dealing with a 30 lb. sheepdog who would have loved to get more up close and personal than they were confortable with. Monkey and Bug were just beginning to gain confidence in telling her what to do, but poor Goose came away more traumatized than anything else due to the dogs multiple attempts/successes at licking her--she's frequently covered in food; it's just too tempting! (I now know what Goose's distinct "I'm scared" cry sounds like!). She came home and acted afraid of our cat whom she's always been fascinated with. Fortunately, a brief intentional reintroduction soothed all fears (at least from Goose's side; the poor cat is still scared of kids). Monkey and Bug also got to spend time watching and feeding Aunt A's snapping turtles--she has two that she picked up in the woods when they were babies and has kept for years in aquariums in her room.
Music
The entourage had a blast playing Aunt E's baby grand piano. This was Goose's first time to encounter a piano she could actually play, and she is a huge fan! Aunt E even helped her play it with her feet, which she thought was hilarious.
One afternoon Grandma pulled out the video of The Nutcracker, which the girls were enthralled by--especially since this version involved their Aunt K dancing the parts of one of the Chinese dancers and one of the butterflies (angels in many versions).
Christmas morning was also musical: among their other gifts they received a glockenspiel (very popular) and a CD of kid's party music from around the world.
Chrismon Tree
One of my family's Christmas traditions in going to see the Chrismon tree--not one like the little one in our living room, this is a 20 foot tall cedar covered in impressive handmade ornaments from all over the world. Honestly, I don't think the entourage paid much attention to the ornaments this year, but they had a grand time chasing each other around (crawling, so they weren't moving fast and getting underfoot) and playing with a music box behind the tree. At least I got to gather inspiration for our own tree.
Christmas Morning
Christmas morning at Grandma and Granddad's is not a rushed, tear-open-your-gifts affair. We start with stockings that the adults fill by spending $1 or less per person. Then breakfast involves singing Happy Birthday to Jesus around a coffee cake/birthday cake. Next to help the entourage kill time waiting for all the grown ups to be ready to open presents, we had Monkey and Bug sort the presents into piles. They told us what letter the recipient's name started with and we helped them figure out whose name it was. The entourage then attempted (with minimal success) to learn patience as we went around the room opening one gift at a time. Fortunately, they opened a few books and puzzles to play with to help keep them occupied.
The next day, the real Christmas Eve, we headed back to our house. To be continued . . .
Monday, December 12, 2011
Germs
We learned alot about germs during the early part of this week--mostly from firsthand experience unfortunately. We did actually talk about germs though, because Monkey and Bug, in typical fashion, were not satisfied with simply being miserable; they wanted to know why they were miserable. Thus, many conversations about how Goose accidently gave them germs that made their (and Mommy's and Daddy's) tummies sick. We all spent several days mostly lounging on the couch: watching TV, reading books, and sleeping. I always let the entourage choose the viewing and reading material (even Goose contributed a couple of book choices), and as a result we learned about: lions; penguins; how bees make honey; why birds migrate; how the mail gets sorted; the production processes for conga drums, pens, buttons, eggs, and plastic bottles; letter recognition and letter sounds; and of course any show involving a plotline involved discussing characters' motivations and reviewing sequence of events. And yes, despite the illness, I could tell they really were paying attention based on the comments and questions during and after the shows. That's what I love about homeschooling/unschooling: Even when we just sit around all day feeling crumby, there are no wasted days.
"Reading"
I actually started noticing this a week or so ago. Monkey and Bug are getting really good at "reading" books. For a fair number of our books, they either have the book memorized, or are at least familiar enough with the plot to retell it as they turn pages. After they go to bed, I can hear them reading books to each other for 30 minutes or so. They've also started enjoying the game where whatever adult is reading a familiar book to them replaces an actual word with a ridiculous one (i.e., "Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and pizza"). They think this is hilarious and love correcting the reader.
Goose has also taken a more active interest in books. She now brings me books to read and wants repeat readings (she'll cry when we get to the end of the book). She now has favorites and cares about what book we read. For example, at some point Monkey was reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear to Bug in Monkey's bed, but there wasn't enough room for Goose to snuggle in. She was SO disappointed, and my offers of reading a different book wouldn't cut it. Only when Monkey was done and I could read that book to her was she satisfied.
Snow?
This event started because I thought it would be fun for the girls to draw in shaving cream and figured the bathtub was the best place to do that with the least mess. They were really excited about this concept, but as you can see they decided there were better uses for the shaving cream than sitting neatly by the side and drawing in it.
Painters
We finally had painters show up to paint a couple of spots they missed when they built the house. The entourage was intrigued by the process. They watched very carefully and asked lots of questions, then decided they wanted to paint too. So we pulled out the paints, brushes and big paper.
Nana!
Nana came to visit this week. She arrived with a couple of new books from her recent trip to Arizona, which means of course that she spent a large part of her time here reading those books. Monkey and Bug seem particularly into the one about the life span of a cactus. I think the other one is about a boy making friends with a horse when he visits a ranch, but I haven't been asked to read it yet. Nana visits also mean shopping, and this time we were looking for Christmas dresses. Goose is oblivious, but Monkey and Bug are very excited about pretty new clothes! They were also very excited about eating lunch in a restaurant and getting to play in the mall play space.
We learned alot about germs during the early part of this week--mostly from firsthand experience unfortunately. We did actually talk about germs though, because Monkey and Bug, in typical fashion, were not satisfied with simply being miserable; they wanted to know why they were miserable. Thus, many conversations about how Goose accidently gave them germs that made their (and Mommy's and Daddy's) tummies sick. We all spent several days mostly lounging on the couch: watching TV, reading books, and sleeping. I always let the entourage choose the viewing and reading material (even Goose contributed a couple of book choices), and as a result we learned about: lions; penguins; how bees make honey; why birds migrate; how the mail gets sorted; the production processes for conga drums, pens, buttons, eggs, and plastic bottles; letter recognition and letter sounds; and of course any show involving a plotline involved discussing characters' motivations and reviewing sequence of events. And yes, despite the illness, I could tell they really were paying attention based on the comments and questions during and after the shows. That's what I love about homeschooling/unschooling: Even when we just sit around all day feeling crumby, there are no wasted days.
"Reading"
I actually started noticing this a week or so ago. Monkey and Bug are getting really good at "reading" books. For a fair number of our books, they either have the book memorized, or are at least familiar enough with the plot to retell it as they turn pages. After they go to bed, I can hear them reading books to each other for 30 minutes or so. They've also started enjoying the game where whatever adult is reading a familiar book to them replaces an actual word with a ridiculous one (i.e., "Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and pizza"). They think this is hilarious and love correcting the reader.
Goose has also taken a more active interest in books. She now brings me books to read and wants repeat readings (she'll cry when we get to the end of the book). She now has favorites and cares about what book we read. For example, at some point Monkey was reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear to Bug in Monkey's bed, but there wasn't enough room for Goose to snuggle in. She was SO disappointed, and my offers of reading a different book wouldn't cut it. Only when Monkey was done and I could read that book to her was she satisfied.
Snow?
This event started because I thought it would be fun for the girls to draw in shaving cream and figured the bathtub was the best place to do that with the least mess. They were really excited about this concept, but as you can see they decided there were better uses for the shaving cream than sitting neatly by the side and drawing in it.
Painters
We finally had painters show up to paint a couple of spots they missed when they built the house. The entourage was intrigued by the process. They watched very carefully and asked lots of questions, then decided they wanted to paint too. So we pulled out the paints, brushes and big paper.
Nana!
Nana came to visit this week. She arrived with a couple of new books from her recent trip to Arizona, which means of course that she spent a large part of her time here reading those books. Monkey and Bug seem particularly into the one about the life span of a cactus. I think the other one is about a boy making friends with a horse when he visits a ranch, but I haven't been asked to read it yet. Nana visits also mean shopping, and this time we were looking for Christmas dresses. Goose is oblivious, but Monkey and Bug are very excited about pretty new clothes! They were also very excited about eating lunch in a restaurant and getting to play in the mall play space.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Christmas Musical
On Sunday instead of normal services, our church presented this year's Christmas musical, Lessons from Christmas Past, which featured Scrooge several years after The Christmas Carol. The show immediately captured their attention when the opening number, "Little Drummer Boy," included a long snare drum solo. The production involved a huge choir, Victorian era costumes, a small orchestra and a fake snowfall. Monkey and Bug were mostly into the orchestra, so I wish we'd taken front row seats, so they could see them better. However, Bug did get an up close look at the trombone afterwards--her request as soon as show ended. Monkey fell asleep partway into the show, so she was still attempting to return to reality at this point.
Projects
We made paper snowflakes! Monkey and Bug weren't quite ready to do this one on their own, so we had to deal with some frustration in trying to get the scissors to do what they wanted. However, they LOVED the finished product. They're big fans of practicing cutting in general, so I imagine we'll be making more of these over the course of the winter.
Next we made the angels telling the shepherds the about baby Jesus (construction paper/crayon shepherds, cotton ball sheep, angel printouts with glitter glue). After finishing this project Bug decided it would be improved by cutting it into separate smaller pieces for the shepherd, sheep, and angel.
Our final project for the week was supposed to be making Christmas cookies to take to a neighborhood Christmas party; however, Goose waking up with a stomach bug on Saturday morning foiled our plans. So, we made a handprint wreath instead (construction paper, contact paper, red ribbon).
Coloring
So, the good news is that Goose finally figured out what crayons are really for (coloring! not eating--who'd a thought?!). The bad news is that she discovered this on the wall of the study. She was SO excited about this discovery that I didn't have the heart to give her a real scolding about location. I just redirected her to a sheet of paper on the entourage's table, and Monkey and Bug chimed in with "only on paper!" This week when Monkey and Bug were working on the sherpherds and angels project, Goose insisted on being at the table with her own paper and crayons.
Exploring TV Shows
Since we've seen every single episode of Go, Diego, Go! multiple times, I decided it was time to branch out. In the past week and a half or so, we've sampled Busy World, Bob the Builder, Wonder Pets, Super Why, and The Smurfs (Monkey and Bug saw an ad for the recent movie that inspired this request, but we decided to go retro). We've also been watching How It's Made, a series of 10 minute documentaries on how they make things like kayaks, candles, jeans, violins, microchips, etc. Watching these has led to a lot more questions about where things come from (apples grow on trees), and how they're made. They're not actually intended for a preschool audience, but that doesn't seem to matter. Also, since it's been too dark and cold for Daddy, Monkey, and Bug to head to the playground for their weekly Daddy date, Daddy decided to start watching the old Star Trek episodes with them. I know that sounds weird, but we're sci-fi fans, the old shows are clean, and it's even been educational! That first episode led to discussions about outer space, space ships, and dream vs. reality.
This week the entourage and I also watched a movie of The Nutcracker performed by the Northwest Ballet. (We checked out a book from the library that they loved.) It was a huge hit. They were mesmerized by the Christmas party scene and fascinated by Drosselmeier, but once Clara and the Nutcracker arrived in the Land of Sweets (or in this interpretation designed by Maurice Sendak--exotic animals) Monkey and Bug were on their feet most of the time dancing along with ballerinas. The Chinese dancers were particularly popular; I was required to rewind several times, so they could watch that bit again. Sadly, Goose was down for her nap by this time.
Library Christmas Party!
Library day this week involved our attending the first annual recipe exchange party at our little branch library--quite the turnout with about 25 guests, mostly retirees and homeschoolers. (It was great! At one point I noticed the other end of our table was occupied by a group of teenagers and senior citizens talking and laughing about a library program they were all involved in. That's the kind of teenagers I want the entourage to be!) We got to try lots of really good food, and we came home with a collection of recipes, a new cookie cutter, and of course the usual armload of books:
The Friendly Beasts
The Nutcracker Ballet
The Three Little Pigs and Other Classic Tales for Children
Patterns
Pig and Elephant: Pig Goes to a Party
Finger Rhymes (kept from last week)
Za Za's Baby Brother (Ok, this book includes a line about how Za Za's mommy had a "big fat belly" because she was going to have a baby, so on Friday at the Y the entourage and I were standing the lobby when an overweight senior citizen walked by. Monkey announced: "Mommy, that lady's going to have a baby!" Me: "What?" Monkey: "She has a big fat belly like in the book! She's going to have a baby!" Oh dear. This little interchange led, of course, to a discussion about how babies come out and the logistics of a pelvic exam (the downside of having the entourage follow me everywhere). While I don't mind having that discussion, the venue could have been better.
And She's Off!
Goose is officially a walker, on Thursday evening she suddenly realized that walking (as opposed to cruising) wasn't just a game to play with Mommy and Daddy, it was actually a method of transportation. She can walk the entire length of a room if she wants to. There's no stopping her now!
On Sunday instead of normal services, our church presented this year's Christmas musical, Lessons from Christmas Past, which featured Scrooge several years after The Christmas Carol. The show immediately captured their attention when the opening number, "Little Drummer Boy," included a long snare drum solo. The production involved a huge choir, Victorian era costumes, a small orchestra and a fake snowfall. Monkey and Bug were mostly into the orchestra, so I wish we'd taken front row seats, so they could see them better. However, Bug did get an up close look at the trombone afterwards--her request as soon as show ended. Monkey fell asleep partway into the show, so she was still attempting to return to reality at this point.
Projects
We made paper snowflakes! Monkey and Bug weren't quite ready to do this one on their own, so we had to deal with some frustration in trying to get the scissors to do what they wanted. However, they LOVED the finished product. They're big fans of practicing cutting in general, so I imagine we'll be making more of these over the course of the winter.
Next we made the angels telling the shepherds the about baby Jesus (construction paper/crayon shepherds, cotton ball sheep, angel printouts with glitter glue). After finishing this project Bug decided it would be improved by cutting it into separate smaller pieces for the shepherd, sheep, and angel.
Coloring
So, the good news is that Goose finally figured out what crayons are really for (coloring! not eating--who'd a thought?!). The bad news is that she discovered this on the wall of the study. She was SO excited about this discovery that I didn't have the heart to give her a real scolding about location. I just redirected her to a sheet of paper on the entourage's table, and Monkey and Bug chimed in with "only on paper!" This week when Monkey and Bug were working on the sherpherds and angels project, Goose insisted on being at the table with her own paper and crayons.
Exploring TV Shows
Since we've seen every single episode of Go, Diego, Go! multiple times, I decided it was time to branch out. In the past week and a half or so, we've sampled Busy World, Bob the Builder, Wonder Pets, Super Why, and The Smurfs (Monkey and Bug saw an ad for the recent movie that inspired this request, but we decided to go retro). We've also been watching How It's Made, a series of 10 minute documentaries on how they make things like kayaks, candles, jeans, violins, microchips, etc. Watching these has led to a lot more questions about where things come from (apples grow on trees), and how they're made. They're not actually intended for a preschool audience, but that doesn't seem to matter. Also, since it's been too dark and cold for Daddy, Monkey, and Bug to head to the playground for their weekly Daddy date, Daddy decided to start watching the old Star Trek episodes with them. I know that sounds weird, but we're sci-fi fans, the old shows are clean, and it's even been educational! That first episode led to discussions about outer space, space ships, and dream vs. reality.
This week the entourage and I also watched a movie of The Nutcracker performed by the Northwest Ballet. (We checked out a book from the library that they loved.) It was a huge hit. They were mesmerized by the Christmas party scene and fascinated by Drosselmeier, but once Clara and the Nutcracker arrived in the Land of Sweets (or in this interpretation designed by Maurice Sendak--exotic animals) Monkey and Bug were on their feet most of the time dancing along with ballerinas. The Chinese dancers were particularly popular; I was required to rewind several times, so they could watch that bit again. Sadly, Goose was down for her nap by this time.
Library Christmas Party!
Library day this week involved our attending the first annual recipe exchange party at our little branch library--quite the turnout with about 25 guests, mostly retirees and homeschoolers. (It was great! At one point I noticed the other end of our table was occupied by a group of teenagers and senior citizens talking and laughing about a library program they were all involved in. That's the kind of teenagers I want the entourage to be!) We got to try lots of really good food, and we came home with a collection of recipes, a new cookie cutter, and of course the usual armload of books:
The Friendly Beasts
The Nutcracker Ballet
The Three Little Pigs and Other Classic Tales for Children
Patterns
Pig and Elephant: Pig Goes to a Party
Finger Rhymes (kept from last week)
Za Za's Baby Brother (Ok, this book includes a line about how Za Za's mommy had a "big fat belly" because she was going to have a baby, so on Friday at the Y the entourage and I were standing the lobby when an overweight senior citizen walked by. Monkey announced: "Mommy, that lady's going to have a baby!" Me: "What?" Monkey: "She has a big fat belly like in the book! She's going to have a baby!" Oh dear. This little interchange led, of course, to a discussion about how babies come out and the logistics of a pelvic exam (the downside of having the entourage follow me everywhere). While I don't mind having that discussion, the venue could have been better.
And She's Off!
Goose is officially a walker, on Thursday evening she suddenly realized that walking (as opposed to cruising) wasn't just a game to play with Mommy and Daddy, it was actually a method of transportation. She can walk the entire length of a room if she wants to. There's no stopping her now!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Suncatcher Christmas Trees
Monkey and Bug enjoyed this project (construction paper tree outline + contact paper + tissue paper squares), although Monkey decided to go minimalist on hers. Bug pointed out that Monkey's "lets lots of light through!" And, yes, I made one too--it's just such a neat project!
Grocery Shopping
The entourage and I did two grocery shopping trips this week, so this seems like a good time to talk about that routine expedition. I know alot of moms who love that they can go grocery shopping without their kids. Since my girls happen to be great shoppers, leaving them home would just be a missed educational opportunity: We cover counting, colors, and identifying foods ("I need 4 yellow apples, ladies!"), also measuring/numerals because Monkey and Bug have recently discovered scales and insist on weighing all our produce and telling me how many pounds it is. They frequently help locate other foods in the aisles too. We've discussed price comparison occasionally when picking out their treat* ("You can get 1 juice bottle with the character on it for X dollars, or you can get 8 juice boxes for the same amount of dollars.") Smart girls--they always pick the juice boxes. And we've talked about healthy food choices (why we buy lots of veggies, but not lots of candy). Depending on their energy level, this trip can also be PE since Monkey and Bug like to run sprints up and down whatever aisle we're on. Goose finds this activity particularly entertaining. (Despite appearances, my kids are not running wild--they stop at the end of the aisle or sooner if asked to, and with few exceptions come right back when I call them. They're even getting better at pausing the running when someone else is coming down the aisle, so we're working on courtesy too.) And, of course, they learn basic life skills like waiting our turn in line and the fact that we have to pay for our food before we eat it. Whew! All that in a 1 1/2 hourish shopping trip!
Fun with Math
Speaking of grocery shopping treats, on our first trip this week, Monkey and Bug asked if we could get M&Ms for our treat, so we could actually do the M&M counting book they checked out from the library last week. We did the sections that involved colors, sorting, patterns, and counting up to 12 before they lost interest, and we decided to just eat the M&Ms. Something tells me the M&M math books are going to be a recurring element in the entourage's education; there's a whole series of them. I also made them a numbers game out of frozen juice lids, with numeral stickers on half and hole-punched dots stuck on with contact paper on the other half. They had a good time working on matching them up: Monkey and Bug can do 1-3 very consistently, but they still have to be convinced to actually count out the 4-6 dots instead of just guessing at random. Goose likes them too--she's been happily banging them around and industriously shoving them under the couch (that's fine motor skills practice, right? :-)
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| Airplane! |
While unpacking the Christmas decorations, we discovered the long-lost "how to build things" instruction book that came with their workbench. Daddy and I have both been helping Monkey and Bug build things. They pick out a project and locate all the pieces we'll need step-by-step. At this point Daddy and I do most of the actual building, but we'll be working on that. Right now it's a good exercise in sorting, counting, and following directions, not to mention the cool toy they end up with! (Goose supervises and chews on the construction supplies).
Aunt E!
Even Goose was mesmerized by the impromptu concert. E also let the entourage peruse her sheet music collection and pick out what piece they wanted her to play next. At some point Monkey and Bug hunted down their recorders in order to play trios with E. They even insisted they have sheet music too, so they would know what notes to play. For a while E played familiar kids songs by ear; although Bug confessed to me afterwards that her recorder didn't play softly and it didn't really play the Itsy Bitsy Spider like E's did.
Library Day
We came home with these books this week:
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
Freight Train
Snowballs!
Fox in Socks
Finger Rhymes
The Shapes We Eat
The Ants and the Grasshopper
Potential favorite Christmas memory of the year:
We turned on Nutcracker music earlier this week, and Monkey and Bug started ecstatically dancing around in circles in front of the Christmas tree, breathlessly explaining to me that they were Christmas angels dancing to show people where to find Baby Jesus.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Advent Begins!
At our house, the first Sunday in Advent means turning up the Christmas music, putting up the tree, and decorating the house! We pulled out the two big Rubbermaid containers of Christmas decorations, and I'm pretty sure Monkey and Bug thought it was Christmas morning already as they opened boxes and unwrapped decorations. In addition to the random Christmassy things, our decorations involve about a dozen Nativity sets, two of which are extremely kid-friendly and currently strewn about the living room. Obviously, we've been talking alot about THE Christmas story instead of Santa Claus now that baby Jesus keeps popping up everywhere at home.
Monkey and Bug were incredibly excited about getting the tree up; Bug had been telling me for days that she "so, so, SO wanted to set up the Christmas tree." Instead of a traditional Chrismas tree, we do a Chrismon tree--all the ornaments are white and gold handmade Christian symbols. (Want to know more about Chrismons? Click here.) Of course, the entourage helped decorate the tree, which means most of our Chrismons are now at 3-year-old eye level.(Goose wanted in on the action too: We wouldn't let her touch the Chrismons, but she kept trying to hang her pacifier on the lower branches.) I try to add a Chrismon to the tree every year, and this is the first year that Monkey and Bug were capable of making their own Chrismons to add to the tree. I kept it super easy and understandable: I cut epiphany stars out of stiff white felt and let the girls paint them with gold glitter glue.
We actually don't have an Advent calendar going, much as I'd like to, because at this stage I think it'd be confusing: We're celebrating Christmas twice with different sets of family, and neither celebration is going to occur on Christmas day. We still have lots of fun Christmassy projects planned for this holiday season though!
Monkey and Bug were incredibly excited about getting the tree up; Bug had been telling me for days that she "so, so, SO wanted to set up the Christmas tree." Instead of a traditional Chrismas tree, we do a Chrismon tree--all the ornaments are white and gold handmade Christian symbols. (Want to know more about Chrismons? Click here.) Of course, the entourage helped decorate the tree, which means most of our Chrismons are now at 3-year-old eye level.(Goose wanted in on the action too: We wouldn't let her touch the Chrismons, but she kept trying to hang her pacifier on the lower branches.) I try to add a Chrismon to the tree every year, and this is the first year that Monkey and Bug were capable of making their own Chrismons to add to the tree. I kept it super easy and understandable: I cut epiphany stars out of stiff white felt and let the girls paint them with gold glitter glue. Saturday, November 26, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
Preparations
The family went home on Sunday while we headed to church, and life returned to normal. We're looking forward to seeing them (and the rest of the clan!) at Christmas.
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| part of the flock of hand turkey place cards |
We started one last Thanksgiving project at the beginning of the week--hand turkey place cards. We did the tracing and coloring onto notecards, I started cutting, and then in all the excitement of family and food we completely forgot to finish and use them! Oh, well, maybe next year.
This week instead of involving the entourage in housecleaning, our next door neighbor, Miss N, offered to let them come over to play with her daughter, LA, on Tuesday morning, so I could actually get everything done before our extended family arrived. Our girls love LA, and they started begging me to take them next door from the moment they got up that morning! They had a grand time playing with LA, sharing snacks and all her toys, and soaking up some Spanish. (Miss N is from Mexico, so she and LA are biligual. Monkey, Bug, and I had a long conversation the other day about different languages, talking about how they ask for something--"water, please!" how LA asks--"agua, por favor!" and how Goose asks "Waaaaah!") AND our house was completely clean, top to bottom, all at the same time! I took a few moments to just admire it before sending Daddy to pick up the entourage.
The gang's all here!
This year we had Grandma, Granddad, Uncle N, Aunt A, and A's friend from college here for the holiday. Monkey and Bug love having the family here: More people to build with blocks! More people to play games! More people to read books! In fact, they were so busy playing with everybody that they didn't end up getting involved in all the cooking on Thursday (usually they love helping me cook). Goose still has some anxiety about all these "strange people" in her house, but she had mostly warmed up by the end of the visit. In addition to the full-scale feast, this side of the family's Thanksgiving traditions involves going for an after-meal walk around the neighborhood, then coming home to pies, apple cider, and board games. While they were here we also went for a more picturesque walk along the canal. We got to see kayakers (including a father and son team who were just getting in the water and let us get a close look at the kayaks), turtles, a comorant, and lots of dogs.
Aunt A and Uncle N are both musicians and brought their instruments with them to practic (saxophone and trumpet respectively). After hearing A and N practice for a little while, Monkey and Bug were really excited that they got to push the buttons while A and N played. Discussion followed about how the trumpet had 3 buttons and the saxophone had LOTS of buttons. The girls also spent time figuring out the saxophones system (some buttons close multiple holes).
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thanksgiving Projects
We had two projects plus worksheets this week. First, we made Pilgrim and Indian puppets out of TP tubes and the Mayflower out of a shoebox, paper towel roll, and piece of paper. Then we reenacted the story of the first Thanksgiving, using the two extensions of our sectional couch as England and America (I know they went to Holland before America, but we're keeping it simple, folks) and lots of plastic food for the feast. Many trans-Atlantic voyages followed. Goose tried to get in on the action too, of course, and she did eventually manage to rip the head off an Indian. Fortunately, the novelty had worn off by then, and the tragic incident did not result in a major meltdown. 
Our next project was making turkeys out of construction paper hand and foot prints (discussion followed about how turkeys are like really BIG chickens and how we're going to cook one when Grandma and Grandad come visit).
The girls also completed a stack of Thanksgiving-themed worksheets (counting, matching, finding differences, pencil control). (A note: At this point, I don't usually sit them down and make them do worksheets. They have access to a file box full of worksheets, coloring sheets, mazes, construction paper and plain paper. They get into this box almost everyday, but the worksheets they tend to do in spurts. They'll whiz through a dozen in a day, then not look at them again for a couple of weeks.)
Library Day
We were back at the branch library this week, and I had an additional preschooler for our informal storytime on the floor of the children's section. A little girl about Monkey and Bug's age joined us in a rousing reading of The Cat in the Hat Came Back, accompanied by a lively discussion about appropriate house cleaning methods (Me: "Do we clean bathtubs with dresses?!" Girls: "NO!" "With soap!" "With sponges!") This week it was Goose who had a meltdown when I declared it time to go home: she was engrossed in a puzzle, but the rest of the entourage was getting hungry for lunch.
Books we checked out this week:
The Vegetables Are SleepingQuiet as a Cricket
The First Thanksgiving
M&M's Counting Book
White-tailed Deer (we saw a 4-point buck on our way to the library!)
The Pigeon Found a Hot Dog
The Mitten
I Am America
A Christmas Story (a retelling of the Christmas story from the perspective of a little girl, Mary & Joseph's neighbor; we've also been reading the nativity story in their kid's Bible)
Santa Who? (a history of Santa Claus from Bishop Nicholas to the current guy in the red suit. Santa is everywhere already! A note: We aren't going to have the entourage believe in Santa, as in the fat old man who stalks kids year round, then breaks into their houses on Jesus' birthday--sorry, I know he brings cool gifts, but that's just creepy. We still do stockings, but we talk about the St. Nicholas story and focus on Jesus birthday.)
Sewing Cards
At Bug's request we made new sewing cards this week (shapes cut out of an old cereal box, hole punch, yarn). Bug and Monkey let Goose play with/taste one of their old, beat-up cards while they played with the new, more complex ones. I love this activity because it also buys me a little time to work on my own sewing project (a cross-stitch at the moment) while the entourage is awake.
"Gym"
Daddy has started indepently studying Japanese swordsmanship and restarted practicing kung fu. As a result our garage has been cleaned out (hooray!) and a good-sized part of it cleared for practice space. The benefit for the entourage: it's enough space to ride trikes and play with outside balls now that it's getting darker earlier and getting colder. Monkey and Bug have been teaching Goose how to throw and roll balls.
Walking
Goose has progressed from taking 4 or 5 steps as a game to walk between Mommy and Daddy to walking 2 or 3 steps all on her own just to get from point A to point B. Yes, this girl is going to be running frighteningly soon!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Fingerpaint
Operation Christmas Child
Words!
Goose is slowly building her vocabulary. The word list now includes: Mama, Dada, yeah, and nana (as in banana. Sorry, Nana, I'm sure your name will come later). She also shakes her head "no" pretty emphatically.
Library Day
This week we went to the main library, so we actually stuck around for storytime. The theme this week was dinosaurs, and Monkey and Bug got to make paper, stand-alone dinos. Monkey and Bug really like this libray because it has a puppet theater inside and a playground outside. (The downside of this library is that it's bigger and more crowded, so they and Goose can't have the freedom to wander that they enjoy at the little branch library.)
Books we checked out this week:
This week we made fingerpaint. Monkey and Bug loved helping me pour in and mix the ingredients and choose the colors. (They noted that "it was like making food, but paint not food.") Next we took our containers of paint to the garden tub upstairs and turned it into a colorful masterpiece! Monkey loved this activity! Bug enjoyed enjoyed it for a little while, then asked (very urgently) to get out and be cleaned up, because (oh, the horror!) she was getting messy. Since I stripped the girls first, this made for super easy clean up. Goose was asleep for this, but since the paint is actually safe to eat, we'll get her involved next time.
We got a shoebox to fill from church that's due back this Sunday. So, this week we went to the dollar store, and Monkey and Bug got to choose gifts for "a little girl just their size whose Mommy and Daddy couldn't buy her presents." This also turned out to be a practice in math skills ("Yes, that's a neat gift, but will that 4-foot-long, plastic crayon fit in her Christmas box?" "Is it full yet? Do we have room for another toy?") Goose chose to sleep through this activity too.
Words!
Goose is slowly building her vocabulary. The word list now includes: Mama, Dada, yeah, and nana (as in banana. Sorry, Nana, I'm sure your name will come later). She also shakes her head "no" pretty emphatically.
Library Day
This week we went to the main library, so we actually stuck around for storytime. The theme this week was dinosaurs, and Monkey and Bug got to make paper, stand-alone dinos. Monkey and Bug really like this libray because it has a puppet theater inside and a playground outside. (The downside of this library is that it's bigger and more crowded, so they and Goose can't have the freedom to wander that they enjoy at the little branch library.)
Books we checked out this week:
- Giraffes
- Berenstein Bear's Nursery Tales ("Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "The Little Red Hen," and "The Gingerbread Man")
- We're Going on a Bear Hunt
- Max the Music Maker
- How Long Is It?
- Why We Have Thanksgiving
- Yoga Bear (we actually renewed this one; it's a book of yoga positions for kids that we've really been enjoying doing)
Current and Ongoing Interests and Activities
Some topics and activities are ongoing in our lives, so here's an overview before I get into posts involving specific highlights. I'll try to do one of these overviews every so often as interests develop.
Animals: This interest is mostly pursued through Diego the animal rescuer. We usually watch an episode while we snuggle on the couch first thing in the morning, and frequently follow it up by searching for YouTube videos of the featured animal. Episodes usually inspire us to look for books about particular animals at the library and play games Monkey and Bug invent based on animal characteristics.
Music/Instruments: They have a number of instruments (bongos, drum pads, recorders, maracas, xylophone) that get pretty frequent play. Lately Monkey and Bug been requesting drum music, so we've been doing Pandora searches for music that's heavily percussion and watching drum solos on YouTube. They have an app on their iPods that gets them to identify instruments by sound. They pay very close attention to any instruments or choirs used in music at church. They also have a collection of kids CDs that we sing along to while we're in the car.
Arts & Crafts: Monkey and Bug do a lot of coloring (coloring pages, coloring on plain paper or the white board). They also like to practice cutting and gluing with construction paper, and I've been doing more organized craft projects with them. Goose is very interested in crayons, but at this stage she mostly tries to eat them. We're working on it. :-)
Reading/the library: Our house is full of books! We read lots of books together, and all three girls like to spend time "reading" books on their own. Monkey and Bug each have reading lights, so that at night if they aren't ready to sleep yet or get up too early, they can look at books. We're also regulars at the local library, so this blog will include weekly updates on what we're checking out.
The YMCA: We're there three days a week. I get to take exercises with other grown ups, Monkey and Bug get to play on a huge, foamy climbing thing and play with other preschoolers, and Goose gets to play in a nursery with new and exciting toys.
Military Homeschool Playgroup: A once-a-week gathering in which a bunch kids, birth to teen, are set loose in gym with lots of balls and occasionally hula hoops. Part of the afternoon involves an organized gym class for those interested, and the big kids are usually in and out between the gym and other classes (art, drama, etc.) All three girls love chasing balls around the court, and they get to have positive interactions with big kids who help/teach them instead of just running them over.
Church: We're there Wednesday nights for dinner, and Monkey and Bug go to choir and a Bible class (Goose is in the nursery). Sunday's involve Sunday school, and Monkey and Bug come with Daddy and I to "big church."
EVERYTHING: At this stage my life is a constant stream of answering questions about anything and everything. I try to answer as accurately as possible and am usually amazed by what they are capable of understanding and remembering.
Animals: This interest is mostly pursued through Diego the animal rescuer. We usually watch an episode while we snuggle on the couch first thing in the morning, and frequently follow it up by searching for YouTube videos of the featured animal. Episodes usually inspire us to look for books about particular animals at the library and play games Monkey and Bug invent based on animal characteristics.
Music/Instruments: They have a number of instruments (bongos, drum pads, recorders, maracas, xylophone) that get pretty frequent play. Lately Monkey and Bug been requesting drum music, so we've been doing Pandora searches for music that's heavily percussion and watching drum solos on YouTube. They have an app on their iPods that gets them to identify instruments by sound. They pay very close attention to any instruments or choirs used in music at church. They also have a collection of kids CDs that we sing along to while we're in the car.
Arts & Crafts: Monkey and Bug do a lot of coloring (coloring pages, coloring on plain paper or the white board). They also like to practice cutting and gluing with construction paper, and I've been doing more organized craft projects with them. Goose is very interested in crayons, but at this stage she mostly tries to eat them. We're working on it. :-)
Reading/the library: Our house is full of books! We read lots of books together, and all three girls like to spend time "reading" books on their own. Monkey and Bug each have reading lights, so that at night if they aren't ready to sleep yet or get up too early, they can look at books. We're also regulars at the local library, so this blog will include weekly updates on what we're checking out.
The YMCA: We're there three days a week. I get to take exercises with other grown ups, Monkey and Bug get to play on a huge, foamy climbing thing and play with other preschoolers, and Goose gets to play in a nursery with new and exciting toys.
Military Homeschool Playgroup: A once-a-week gathering in which a bunch kids, birth to teen, are set loose in gym with lots of balls and occasionally hula hoops. Part of the afternoon involves an organized gym class for those interested, and the big kids are usually in and out between the gym and other classes (art, drama, etc.) All three girls love chasing balls around the court, and they get to have positive interactions with big kids who help/teach them instead of just running them over.
Church: We're there Wednesday nights for dinner, and Monkey and Bug go to choir and a Bible class (Goose is in the nursery). Sunday's involve Sunday school, and Monkey and Bug come with Daddy and I to "big church."
EVERYTHING: At this stage my life is a constant stream of answering questions about anything and everything. I try to answer as accurately as possible and am usually amazed by what they are capable of understanding and remembering.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Intro
Why a blog?
It's an experiment in record keeping (which means it may fail to suit my purposes and suddenly stop--my apologies). We could be described as uptight unschoolers or really relaxed homeschoolers, so keeping records of the entourage's education isn't going to be as simple as writing down grades from tests or assignments. I'm trying to find a system that works for us before we actually have to start reporting to the school system. Another mom recommending starting a blog to keep track of highlights and current interests with little write-ups and photos and to share with interested friends and family what we're up to. My hope is update this blog weekly at least.
Why "the Entourage"?
Partly out of necessity, partly as part of our parenting/education philosophy, our daughters go with me everywhere--the grocery store, the doctor's office, the DMV. They usually get involved in the at-home chores too. At some point my husband (Daddy from here on) and I began referring to them as my entourage, and he even came up with positions for them. Monkey (3 yrs) is "the muscle," Bug (also 3 yrs) is my "hypeman," and Goose (almost 1 yr) is "arm candy." (Any family members who need help figuring out who's who, send me a message, and I'll enlighten you.)
Why homeschooling?
Before we had kids Daddy and I assumed we'd send them to public school. Then in August 2008 two things happened: Monkey and Bug were born, and Daddy starting working as a teacher in a public school. Daddy very quickly became disillusioned with his job choice and the educational system in general. We joked about how our girls "would learn more if just didn't send them to school" (disclosure: the district we were in was facing a state take over, so we were looking at one of the worst districts). It didn't take long for the joking to turn to serious thought. We liked the idea of letting them learn at their own pace, allowing them to follow their own interests, and encouraging more freedom and creativity than they could have in a classroom environment. We also realized the homeschool lifestyle would work well with Daddy's new career in the military and all the traveling that can entail. So here we are!
It's an experiment in record keeping (which means it may fail to suit my purposes and suddenly stop--my apologies). We could be described as uptight unschoolers or really relaxed homeschoolers, so keeping records of the entourage's education isn't going to be as simple as writing down grades from tests or assignments. I'm trying to find a system that works for us before we actually have to start reporting to the school system. Another mom recommending starting a blog to keep track of highlights and current interests with little write-ups and photos and to share with interested friends and family what we're up to. My hope is update this blog weekly at least.
Why "the Entourage"?
Partly out of necessity, partly as part of our parenting/education philosophy, our daughters go with me everywhere--the grocery store, the doctor's office, the DMV. They usually get involved in the at-home chores too. At some point my husband (Daddy from here on) and I began referring to them as my entourage, and he even came up with positions for them. Monkey (3 yrs) is "the muscle," Bug (also 3 yrs) is my "hypeman," and Goose (almost 1 yr) is "arm candy." (Any family members who need help figuring out who's who, send me a message, and I'll enlighten you.)
Why homeschooling?
Before we had kids Daddy and I assumed we'd send them to public school. Then in August 2008 two things happened: Monkey and Bug were born, and Daddy starting working as a teacher in a public school. Daddy very quickly became disillusioned with his job choice and the educational system in general. We joked about how our girls "would learn more if just didn't send them to school" (disclosure: the district we were in was facing a state take over, so we were looking at one of the worst districts). It didn't take long for the joking to turn to serious thought. We liked the idea of letting them learn at their own pace, allowing them to follow their own interests, and encouraging more freedom and creativity than they could have in a classroom environment. We also realized the homeschool lifestyle would work well with Daddy's new career in the military and all the traveling that can entail. So here we are!
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