Homeschooling today

Yesterday we started our new curriculum. We decided to stick with Sonlight, Jeb is doing Core A. Core A includes bible and memory verses, literature, cultures, biology, physics, and he's doing 1st grade reading and math. The math is Horizons, which is one of many options got math from Sonlight, but I didn't realize it was a Christian curriculum. Yesterday we read the creation story in the bible, and today in his math book he is writing the numbers to the corresponding day of creation. So far he is still really excited to do the work, he LOVES his reader and wants to just read the whole thing. He did not enjoy the copy work exercises, which work on handwriting and sentence structure. This morning he asked if be could only read and not write :) and he enjoyed science and math yesterday too.

The swingset project, phase 1

We finally found a swingset that we liked, and bought it right away, since the store only had 3 of them. Then it sat in our garage while we patiently awaited the end of winter in Michigan. We're actually still waiting, it's snowing outside right now, but we did have a few nice days last week to get started.

The kids posing by the boxes. The boxes behind the grill are all the heavy wood pieces, and the slide is to the left.


My dad, aunt, and uncle came over to help, and the kids were eager to help too. We started on a Thursday evening and worked until dark

The million lb bag of bolts and screws-very intimidating!




We didn't get very far that night and decided to keep working on it on the next warm day-Sunday. Vivi had the flu so I stayed inside with her all day, but they got a lot accomplished!



Hopefully it will only take one more day's worth of work and we'll be able to really enjoy it!

Hands On Museum Fun

The house that Journey built


Vivi and Jeb built this house all by themselves!



It took poor Journey forever to finally get her feet up on that bottom step, she was so proud!

Random happenings of March

Jeb's half birthday, we celebrated by singing 'happy half birthday to you' and the kids ate pear sauce (like applesauce, but pears) with sprinkles on top.



Even though it didn't go well last year, we still had some seeds left over so we decided to plant some inside and give it another shot.

Our new business venture/science lesson

We had these strange visitors in our yard, then they caused a scene crossing the street. My kids thought they were peacocks, the Jeb's friend across the street thought they were ostriches. I think they are some kind of crane, but you definitely don't see them around here! I hope they are making a nest in the woods behind our yard so we see them more often!

Wintry Easter Egg Hunt

Good old Michigan! Last year this past weekend was hot. We ate our meals outside, the kids wore t-shirts and shorts.This year, snow!

A friend of ours put on a really fun egg hunt and pot luck and even though it was wet and snowy and cold, we still had a blast!

Digging in the snow for an egg


There was a game where kids had to eat a marshmallow peep from a string without using their hands. My friend was so thoughtful and made sure there was a dye free sucker for Journey to have. Marshmallow peeps, even the white ghosts at Halloween, as well as most regular white marshmallows have dye in them believe it or not! Either yellow or blue, supposedly to make them look a brighter white. Journey was so excited to get to participate!


Really...I have to do this??



This makes me think of a wild animal snapping at its prey


How did you do that, brother? Vivi got frustrated and needed some help, but eventually ate the whole peep

Then the bunny pointed the way to more games and prizes!

Journey's 3rd birthday

Yesterday was Journey's 3rd birthday, I'm still in denial!

We started the festivities with our new tradition of filling the birthday child's bedroom with balloons. Since Journey lacks depth perception and can be a little wobbly in the morning, we decided not to fill the room completely and just put about a dozen balloons in there.

She was very serious about it, but eventually started playing and throwing them around with her brother and sister

I ordered some natural food colors from this cool online store (by the way, if you use that link to make a purchase I get free stuff!), so I was able to make a purple 3 in frosting (leftover from making her cake the night before) and we stuck 3 candles in her pancakes


Crazy hair!


Some sister cuddles


Journey's birthday girl shirt, and notice the purple earrings! All she wanted for her birthday was purple cake and to get her ears pierced :)



And her lunch choice-the purple box of Annie's mac and cheese! I served it with a red cabbage coleslaw and some purple cauliflower


My parents surprised Journey with a big girl bed! She was just sleeping on a toddler mattress on the floor because for a long time she would roll off the mattress multiple times a night. She doesn't do that much anymore so we thought with the guard rails, she was ready to have a big girl bed frame


Ready for cake!

Purple cake-Journey asked me for a purple cake for her birthday all the way back in November at a friend's birthday party. I'm so glad I was able to come through with the natural dyes and natural sprinkles! Although she did end up taking a bite out of the not-naturally colored candle...






Two 3 year olds sleeping in their big girl beds!


I almost forgot to put in her birthday 'picks'! For each child's birthday, they get to pick some special snacks and foods for their special day. Usually they get to pick a juice, chips, ice cream, cereal, and of course any fruits or veggies they want to eat. Journey picked the purple box of Annie's mac and cheese for lunch, Kashi berry blossoms cereal (purple of course), Edy's Real Strawberry ice cream, which is naturally colored so she gets to eat pink ice cream and thinks it is pretty awesome. She also picked purple cauliflower and we had cranberry juice at home for a special purple dinner drink. Over all a great birthday!