Schooling and fun stuff

Today we had another pretty good homeschooling day. We did all of our regular work (Phonics, handwriting and Math). Then I started Ashley on Math U See. She LOVES it! We are at the really simple stuff, (counting and identifying numbers 1-9) but I can already tell that it is helping her. She has a hard time counting. She usually doesn't count enough or she counts things over again to count more than enough. But by actually placing the blocks down, it is helping her keep track of what she has already counted.

Then we headed outside to make our craft. This week we are doing a unit study on India. We made rangolis. These are patterned art that the people of India would do on their streets. They used several different things to make them, but one that was suggested is to use colored rice. So that's just what we did.

Ashley said this was the best part of her day.

I think she will be crafty like her Mommy and Gramma.

Ashley insisted that I make one too. I'm glad she did I had fun!

Aussie likes crafts too, but he would rather play outside.

And as you can see I have no pictures of Mason doing this. He did it real fast with 2 colors and then he was off to play.

BUT Mason rode his bike for the first time by himself today.

He was so proud of himself and I was too!

Aussie is almost a pro at it. But here he is TRYING to run me over.

And sweet little tiny Ashley's legs are still too small for her to ride her bike. But she has no interest in trying because she whizzes around on her trike.

Now I know it wasn't too long ago that I said she was dressing herself and matching her clothes really well. I don't know what happened, but the last SEVERAL times she has come up with some very interesting combos. I've only told her to change one time, but most of the time I let her express her individuality.

Yesterday was another fun day. The weather was so beautiful that I decided to take a field trip to the zoo. So we met our friends Dalton and Braxton and even Baby Jack. He showed up a little later.

It is REALLY hard to get a picture of 6 kids! But I tried! They had a great time even though we hardly saw any animals. We saw the Macaws, Monkeys, Meerkats, The Crane eating a sunflower, and we went into see the "unseen world".

I learned something though. I don't really care to look at snakes, but I saw an Eyelash Vipor. I wouldn't normally get so close, even when they are behind glass, but when you look at it it has scales over its eyes that make them look like they have eyelashes. I thought that was pretty cool. You can click on this to see it if you wish.

Here are just a few pictures of individual shots:

I thought this was a beautiful flower coming up from the lilypads.

This is Baby Jack.

Then of course the kids had to do 2 things.

One EAT.

Then TWO: Play on the magnificent playground.

I told them in order to make this field trip count as a school day that they had to learn something. So I had them draw pictures of their favorite animal that we saw that day. Mason drew a monkey, Ashley drew an anaconda (she spelled it amacomda), and Aussie quickly drew a python and then turned it over and drew an entire scene of the playground.

Tomorrow we have co-op and actually go on another field trip. That's 3 field trips in 1 week. Sometimes my kids think school isn't very fun. Wouldn't have been nice to go to a school like mine?

9/11 Tribute - Lee Greenwood - God Bless The USA

Get out the tissues.

Do you remember where you were? I do. Greg was driving to work and he called to tell me a "little" plane just flew into the World Trade center and to turn on the news. And as I did I watched that second plane hit. It changed our world!

I want to thank each of you who are defending our country!

Adventure Science Museum

Well I took 60 pictures of our field trip yesterday, but it was very hard to get any good pictures. Here are a few:

Here we stepped onto the Magic School Bus to take our adventure. Mommy had planned to study the dinosaurs, but we were kind of scared of them. They moved and got too close. But we still learned a lot without even knowing we were learning.

We brushed teeth.

We fought germs.

We took apart a skeleton and put it back together.

We traveled to the moon.

Where each of us only weighed 6 pounds. (Well if we were actually on the moon)

Mommy loves this piano! Ever since she saw Big she always wanted to play on one. She has had several chances, but she still enjoys it each time.

But the very favorite thing we did was play on the "playground". It had a heart that we crawed through. And several slides and lots and lots of other fun things to play on and with. It went up and up and up and up. There was a point where Mommy stopped and just watched us go up and up some more. Aussie went to the very top and could see all of downtown Nashville from up there. We were afraid to go down this slide because it was so big. But Mason actually braved it first, then Aussie then Ashley.

Wow it was a great day.

Oh and we also went down a slide that was intestines. We were pretending to be food. When we got to the bottom we landed on a big Whoopee cusion painted on the floor and it made pooting sounds when we landed on it. Talk about FUN!

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I love love love this picture. The other night Ashley slept up in Aussie's bed. I just think it is so sweet.

Good day -but now I need sleep

I AM EXHAUSTED! I have so much to do, but I just need to go to bed.

We had a great homeschooling day today. The kids did well and we got all of our work done and then I decided to take them on a field trip to the Adventure Science Museum. They had a blast!

The Real Thing

I went back to the scrapbook store today and took a picture of the layout I did yesterday and left there. This is it. I'm using all Jenni Bowlin products. I'm loving the new colors she's bringing into her collections.

I didn't have my scrapbooking stuff with me today, so I just visited with Dana. Dana helped me come up with an idea for a class. So I need to be working on that pretty quickly.

Lots of layouts.

I got 5 layouts done today. Yipeeeeee! One is hanging up at the store. Here they are:

This one is actually just a circle. I tried to cut off the background and it gave it this lovely color blue.

This one I still want to sew on.

This one has hidden journaling about us finding this kitten and keeping her.

And I don't know how many years Aussie has liked doors, but I decided to do another layout out about his obsession.


And I don't remember when, possibly a couple months ago I did these three.
This one I scraplifted from the one and only Doris.
This one is so much brighter in person.

Then last weekend I got these 3 done:


I bought these pajamas for $3.50 at the Disney store! The kids wanted to put them on. I told them they could put them on in the car, but then they said, "Well then no one will see us" So we did a quick change in the bathroom. I think I'm a cool Mom!
I didn't intend for this to be a double page layout. I used the same papers and now it bugs me. But I won't do it over again.

I want to scrapbook more. Today I was in the groove and I just want to continue.

Grain mill

Man oh man! I really want this grain mill. BUT...my kids don't like the homemade bread. Greg and I love it! But my kids will have NOTHING to do with it.

What do I do?

Super Woman

Oh I forgot to blog about this...

Yesterday I needed to get some Cream of Chicken Soup to make Poppyseed chicken. So I told the kids we would go to the grocery store that had the little carts. So when we got there, I couldn't see any little carts. I went in and asked if they still had them. The lady came out and said, "yes, but over the weekend they put the big carts in front of them." Sure enough I look way in the back and there they were. Then she said to the kids, "If I was Super Woman I would fly over there and get them for you." And I said, "Well guess what kids, I AM SUPER woman and I will get them for you."

So Mommy saves the day. I just moved all the big carts and got them.

The finger in the water test

Ok many of you have asked about the finger in the water test.

It's very simple but it really works.

I grew up in a family with 6 kids. I think at any given time the most kids in the house was 5. When no one was fessing up to "whatever", my parents brought out the water test.

What you do is take a bowl of water and have them put their finger in it and hold still (don't touch the bottom).

Then you sternly ask the question, "Did you....?" If the water remains still they didn't do it. If there is any ripples in the water- you know they are the culprit.

Now this is funny:

I was trying to take pictures so I could explain this better. I told Austin to help me out with this. I said, "ok Aussie, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to lie to me." He said, "You want me to lie?" I said, "yes just for this experiment". So I asked him a question and he would said, "No, I mean yes" It confused him. So I started asking a lot of questions, some like are the lights on....Do you have a brother?...Did you get the milk out of the refrigerator? And even though I could tell when he was lying I couldn't snap a picture to show the ripples. So he asked me what this was for. And I said this bowl of water can tell me when you are lying. He was intrigued. I said let's try one more time. And in a stern voice I said, "Aussie, Did you write on the wall?" He jerked his finger out of the water and said, "I'm sorry Mom, I knew it was wrong and I was trying to wash it off." I looked at him and said, "You drew on the wall today?" And he said, "Sorry Mom" So I had him show me where he wrote on the wall. I didn't see that coming. It wasn't the reaction I expected, but hey I got the truth.

A very productive day

Lots and lots to share today!

We started off our day with using "The Real Thing" and made the geyser again. This time I had Greg do it so I could take a picture. It worked much better.

Then we had school and we made bread. All kinds of bread. The last 2 loaves I made turned out horrible...so this time I'm finally a bread "winner"! :) My bread rose which tickled me pink since that didn't happen last time.

We made Wheat bread, Oat bread, Flax seed choc. chip muffins and Flax seed blueberry muffins. The choc. chip muffins were quite dry. I think I'll add a banana next time to make it more moist. Austin gave me the thumbs down on it, but then ate 1/2 of them. He picked out all the choc. chips. Mason liked it all and kept saying it was Scrum dum delicious! And well picky Ashley didn't even really taste it.

Mason wanted to write a sign that said, Mason, Aussie, Ashley and Mommy's Bakery and put it on the door. He wants to sell it so HE could make money.

My three little bakers.

After a long day of baking. Austin really wanted to do HIS experiment. So I pulled out the little marshmallows and spaghetti and we built towers. I was so proud of Ashley because she actually figure out how to do it.

And the last thing I need to share today is that Ashley made me a purse Saturday. It is so precious!!! I used it for Church on Sunday. She came up with the concept and drew it. I helped her tape it together.

And I HAVE to scrapbook this picture:

That's my girl. This is what she picked out to wear today.

8 interesting facts

Alright, Alright---I've been tagged. First by someone and I don't remember who it was. I went looking for the information and couldn't find it. Then by MG. I think the first one was to name 8 wierd facts about yourself and MG's was to name 8 interesting facts about yourself. So I have combined them and here are my 8 facts:

1. I like to "try" to read the shampoo bottle in all the languages it's written. Of course I have no clue how they are really spoken.

2. I got bit by a snake when I was younger (10 ish?) and my Dad and Uncle took turns sucking the poison out of my leg.

3. I co-piloted a Sesna airplane. It scared me so bad, I locked my legs and pushed down on the floor. My Dad had to slap my leg to get me to quit because I was making the plane turn left and right.

4. I LOVE cheap chocolate betther than the expensive stuff. Give me Peanut M&M's anyday!

5. When my college advisor asked me what I wanted to do when I get out of college, I just said, I want to be an educated MOM.

6. This one is interesting, but on most things where you "tag" people to answer questions- I purposely don't read to the end so I don't know if I've been tagged or not.

7. I sang at Carnegie Hall when I was in college. I sang in the Choir performing King David.

8. Thankfully I haven't had to use this yet--But I know the perfect way to know when someone did something and is not fessing up. It involves a bowl of water and each person dipping their finger into it.


Now I tag:
Renee
Dana
MO
Jill
Jann

Aussie's video

Greg and Aussie worked on this yesterday and today. Aussie is SO PROUD! This was his idea--his dream--and daddy helped him make it come true. It's a double feature, the second one is much better than the first.

I got to scrapbook yesterday and today. Yesterday I got big whopping 1 layout done-but I love it. And today I got 2 done, but I'm not crazy about the 2nd one I did. It's funny how it can take several hours to do one layout. I'll try to take pictures tomorrow to show you.

School Daze

Today was a pretty good day! I love co-op days. The kids like their class. This morning Austin leaned over and whispered, "I like this school better than your school." I just stuck my tongue out at him. I can see why though. We have to do the learning to read and math stuff. And in co-op they have fun unit studies. Oh well, it didn't really bother me.

Then in the morning I have 1 hour of freedom. Today I ran to the post office and Wal Mart during that time. Then I came back to help with the 2nd and 3rd graders.

Then after school they had drama and ballet. When I walked in the room during drama, Mason was crawling on the floor saying MOOOOO! It was really cute.

Then Ashley got dressed for her ballet class.

I brought that mirror in for them and the other little girls wanted to see too. That little girl on the left is such a doll. She's always that "prissy" or maybe I should say "dainty". Anyway, she makes me smile when I see her.

Someone asked if the boys were going to be in ballet. And I said, I didn't know it was open for boys. I asked Austin if he wanted to do ballet, he said, "No ballet is for girls, and I'm a boy." Then the lady said, her grandfather was a famous dancer and many boys do it.

I said to Austin they are letting boys come in, do you want to do it? And he said yes. His smile lit up the whole room. I peeked in on them and gave him the thumbs up. And he whispered, "This is fun!" We think another boy might join next week. I need to go out and find a boyish "gym short type" outfit for him.

Oh I also asked Mason if he wanted to take ballet and that was the fasted no I've ever heard! LOL! Mason and I had some one on one time, which was really nice!

When we got home I took a nap. (BIG SMILE) The kids watched some TV and then they played school. Ashley was the teacher.

They had all their stuffed animals in all the little chairs and pillows. She would pretend to read the story, making up her own words. Then she would hold up the book and ask if everyone could see it. Then Austin or Mason would chime in for their animals answers.

Then she gave them homework. They all made valentines. And Elephant and Moose did theirs first so they got "chips or tokens" (Poker chips I got from the $1 store that I give them when they have completed something for school.)

Then I got to go grocery shopping. I know most people hate this chore, but I know I'm not the only one out there that LOVES to go grocery shopping. Unless I have to hurry for some reason or have the kids with me, then I think it is very relaxing!

It's nice to finally have food in the pantry, money in the bank and be able to sleep in and then go scrapbooking. Ahhhh. I look forward to tomorrow!