S-N-O-W

Snowsuits- finally used!

The kids have been waiting all winter for a snow that stayed long enough to get out and enjoy it. After schooling this morning, they finally got their chance. After rounding up their snowsuits (that had yet to be used this year!), their boots, then finding their coats, mittens and hats we went out to PLAY!

This was Ellison's FIRST time going out to play in the snow! She wasn't really sure what to think of it. She did laugh out loud lots watching the kids chase each other, throw snowballs at Daddy, and roll big snowballs.

Snow angels, snow forts and snowball fights. Classic snow fun!

Grace makes a snow angel

Zoe's turn

The kiddos and I in their snow fort

FAT TUESDAY and the FLU

MARDI GRAS!!!

KID STYLE!!!

Well, as you know with kids, things often have a way of not going the way you planned. The flu has been taking people out left and right and we had been very lucky that it hadn't gotten us yet! Well, the Friday before Mardi Gras Ellison got the stomach flu. So not awesome. I've been very lucky that she is the first one we had get it that young (she's 1.5 yrs). She's at that age where she is too old to make them stay put and too young to get them to aim at anything when getting sick if you know what I mean. As I said, not awesome. Brian came home from work as early as he could Friday, but had to be out of town for soccer all weekend so I was in the trenches with Ellie.

So, anyhow, come Sunday night I think it was (it's all a bad blur now!) she was better and big shocker, I got it. Thanks Love Bug! It came at a not so great time as we had big events that week: Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, a Valentine's Day party that was actually on Ash Wednesday and then Valentine's Day.

I did manage to take a few photos of the kids doing their Mardi Gras crafts:

Cian making his mask.

Zoe makes a crown and a mask. 

 Grace's mask

 Ellison's crown

I did talk to the kids a little about Mardi Gras. That the season begins on Epiphany (hence the crowns of the Three Wise Men) and goes until the day before Lent begins called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. We talked about how people used to get rid of all the items they would fast from and have a big feast on Fat Tuesday. I also told them about the King's Cake I had in New Orleans that we have made a new tradition for our family. Last year I made one, this year I was sick! Luckily a friend told me of a local store that made them so my mom went and got one for us! SOO sweet!

(She also hooked me up with some flu meds and my FAV ice cream!!!)

Enjoying the King's Cake:

100th Day!

Today was our 100th day of homeschooling! Ever!

I wanted to make it a very fun day for the kids so we eliminated most of our textbook work and did some hands-on learning today at a children's museum.

We even snuck in a little MATH...........

and GEOGRAPHY....

 

PHYSICS.............

and BIOLOGY!

FOREIGN LANGUAGE IMMERSION.... okay, we just had a craving for Mexican food! 

And to finish the day- a cool treat for my little STARS!!!

 

Stop and Smell the Roses

Weird huh, second title with roses... maybe a subconscious hint to my hubby for Valentine's Day, lol!

I picked that as my title as I need to! I have come to the conclusion that some people just like to be on the go. I think I might be one of them. Is there a support group for that? ;-)

I am always going here and there and thought I am busier now than I was before we homeschooled, but really I think I have always been this way. In college I was in a ton of clubs, the first few years of traditional school my kids were in lots of extra-curriculars and now that we are homeschooling our schedule is just more flexible to be busy. So we are.

I have a friend that bought some girl scout cookies from Grace (thank you!) and I am trying to coordinate getting them to her as we live about 30 minutes from each other. You would think it would be super simple, but when I looked at my upcoming week we have AT LEAST one thing every day.

Cian soccer practice
Grace soccer practice
Zoe soccer practice
Zoe soccer game
Cian soccer game
Grace soccer game
Mass on Sunday
Tumbling for Zoe, Cian and Grace
Art Class for Grace and Cian
Swim lessons for Grace, Cian and Zoe
Nature homeschool class
Orthodontist appointment Grace
Dance class Zoe
2 dance classes for Grace - at least they are back to back!

Phew! I am tired and the week hasn't even begun! Throw in a 1 1/2 year old and there you go.

So...
I decided a couple weeks ago that something had to give. I decided that I need 1 day a week that we don't go anywhere and another day a week that we are normally home. I leave that second day of the week for the monthly orthodontic appointments or field trips. In order to have one day of homeschooling that we don't leave the house during the "school day" I had to quit a local group I had joined. I always feel bad when you can't do everything, but that's just it. Nobody can do everything.

I also decided to drop out of a homeschool group. When I first moved and started homeschooling this summer I joined the 3 that are near me. They all have great events and super nice people, but you can't do everything. I have totally clicked with one group and have made some AMAZING new friends. It was a no-brainer for me. That's my group. I hate disappointing people and even more so, hate hurting anyone's feelings. But sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses. (Even if I do have to pencil it in to my schedule, lol!)

"Raindrops on Roses..."

These are a few of our favorite things!

DANCE! 

Cue the jazz hands! Zoe's dance started up again! She was SOOO ready for it to start again this semester! Grace's began last week, but since Zoe's is on Mondays and last week Monday was a holiday, Zoe had to wait until this week. Not only did she get to have class this week, but THEY GOT TO TRY ON THEIR RECITAL OUTFITS!!! Cute!

 SOCCER! 

Grace, Cian and Zoe are all playing indoor soccer this winter. This is our first time having indoor games. In the years past we had indoor clinic with skills and short scrimmages.

 PIRATES!

 Arrgh! The kids saw a production of "How I Became a Pirate." I LOVE this show! Cian and I had been before, but Grace and Zoe hadn't seen it. They all loved it! The kids got to take a photo with Jeremy Jacobs (the boy in the book and musical who becomes a pirate) and 2 of the pirates. Zoe was a little too scared of them to get in the photo.

 BOOKS! 

Ellison got her first TAG JR. for Christmas and is enjoying playing with it. You place it on the board books and it will read the story or say something about whatever picture you place it on. Very smart invention!

 

 ART!

The kids are really enjoying their new art class. I'm really glad we enrolled them in it! This week they did Chinese lanterns for the upcoming Chinese New Year. This was Cian's.

 TIME WITH FAMILY

One of the best things about homeschooling has just been time together with my kids. This is Zoe and a mini shopping cart. Even the ordinary can be special.

Aarrr Matey!

Pirates!

During our week on Hawaii last week, I found a cute little pirate map on the geography of Hawaii on enchantedlearning.com and the kids had fun working on it.

 SOOO, I decided to work on one for them for fun around our house and this is what they did:

I made them a map with directions to hidden treasures

Ellison wanted to be included in the fun adventure so....

When she went and got her Explorer Backpack!

The map gave them directions to follow to find each hidden treasure. Here they are on their adventure:

 

 

The final treasure- frozen gogurts! Yum!

Aloha

Each week we cover a different state and if I can, I match it up to Zoe's preschool Letter of the Week. Last week we were on letter H, so you guessed it, HAWAII time!

If I didn't still have all my picture albums, keepsakes, photos and more still in boxes (yep, it has been 6 months since we moved and I still have boxes!), I would have tried to find photos of our honeymoon in Hawaii to show the kids. We even have a video of us in a helicopter over a volcano!

Here are some things we did do for Hawaii:

We made a Hawaiian dessert:

We made leis:

We had our own little luau party with Hawaiian food, okay, kind of Hawaiian food, lol: