I’ve been rather lackadaisical in posting lately, huh? :) We’ve been busy with little things– company on Saturday (and the return of the kids’ computer), ice skating and shopping yesterday, library books, Netflix movies, art projects and general life.
I didn’t even post an Unplug Your Kids project this week, even though we did a thankful project (watercolor leaves with thanks on them for hanging). It seemed rather predictable anyway! Doesn’t everybody do that project several dozen times over the course of motherhood?
It has been dreadfully cold but snowless, leaving us in a sort of winter limbo. It’s too cold to want to go outside but it doesn’t look at all like winter. I am not a fan of snow, but if it has to be this chilly I wish it would just dump a few feet on us so at least the kids could play and it would […]
Original post by Alicia
…We’ve done here lately:
1. Daryl and the kids stopped by the museum at Walnut Grove and talked to the new director of the summer festival about ideas for next year’s festivities.
2. Victoria started making her own earrings.
3. The kids played Kids’ Trivial Pursuit.
4. Alex did lots of art while the big kids and I did Story of the World. (Note: I really want something else for world history next time. Any suggestions?)
5. We have start putting puzzles together at night after Alex is asleep. Another note: Anna tends to model like she’s acting a part. I’m not sure what the faces mean!)
6. Victoria made a lion mask from a pizza insert. Here’s the work in progress.
7. The girls did vocabulary photos.
Here’s haughty.
Here’s morose.
8. I had the big kids run 10 laps each up and down the stairs. Victoria decided to challenge herself and go for 50, and Anna decided to […]
Original post by Alicia
I was without the internet for most of the day yesterday and off shopping (not the fun kind) today, so I really meant to blog a little.
But I have a sleepy, sad, sickie in my arms and I’d have to type one-handed when I could just go down and watch bad TV and snuggle my boy.
Oh yeah, and read “Story of the World” and do vocabulary photos and be fabulous to the other 3…. Okay, at least snuggle and be fun with all….
Original post by Alicia
Today we awoke to three things– fresh white snow, a rare day without anywhere to be, and miserable colds. We seized them all. I slept in while Daryl watched the baby and then switched off so he could lie down later. And we also filled the day with stuff you do when the world is white and you’re home and sniffly.
1. The big kids played in the snow. Oh wait, that’s PE.
2. I read the Berenstain Bears big science treasury to Jack. Oops, science and reading.
3. Anna decided to write a novel. It’s called “The Long Winter” (I’m not going to be the one to tell her the name is taken) and it is written in journal format about a little girl who moved from Boston or the South (she wasn’t sure at first and asked “which is fancier?”) to live in the plains of Nebraska in the pioneer days. […]
Original post by Alicia
What a busy few days! We barely unpacked from Nebraska before packing for Mankato for an overnight visit. A few highlights…
The kids and I volunteered at the Humane Society for our first time. Jack got to get into a pen filled with kittens and the girls and I brushed very loving (and appreciative) cats. Jack liked the kittens but there was a down side. They got all riled up and kept climbing him! Kittens have sharp claws when they suddenly scale you up to your noggin!
We spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa’s house. The kids played in the attic, used the computers, talked, ran errands with Grandma and generally just enjoyed their marvelous grandparents.
We hit homeschool swimming in Lake Crystal. I brought Alex this time since I knew he’d love the zero entry side and all of the fountains and balls. He did, but it certainly upped […]
Original post by Alicia
….We’ve done lately:
1. We went to Boo at the Zoo at the Lincoln zoo on Thursday.
2. Trick or Treated in the little neighborhood here on Friday.
3. The girls learned to sing “Red River Valley” and happily sang it for approximately 89 hours to the great disdain of several grown ups.
4. We visited the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha on Saturday. There were restored old-fashioned trains we could wander through and these fantastic statues all over this beautiful old train station depicting people from the old days who would be at the station. You walk up to them and they suddenly start talking! Couples discuss the war, old men tell who they’re waiting for, a young woman ask for tickets so they can visit her sister and the man behind the counter tells her the prices for various fares, soldiers chat… it’s really a wonderful idea and a bit […]
Original post by Alicia
We made it safely to Nebraska, despite a little drama in Hinton, Iowa, when we stopped for a potty break and the car wouldn’t start! I figured it had vapor-locked again and waited somewhat patiently with a horde of children until it would finally start about 45 minutes later. It did at last and we were back on our way. I was nervous the whole rest of the way but we made it and it was so nice to arrive!
We’re having a wonderful time, as always.
Alex woke me up at 4:30 this morning so it was an early start to the day. I got a little nap on the couch with him later on though, so I should be able to do “Boo at the Zoo” with the gang later today without needing to superglue my eyelids up!
The girls started the day dressed in matching “school” uniforms, begging for class […]
Original post by Alicia
We went lots of places today… Old Country Buffet with Grandma, Menards home improvement store (which my sweet little small town girl said was so incredible and enormous!), Lowes, a thrift store and even Taco Bell for drive-thru.
Three trips were especially fun though…
The Betsy & Tacy Society’s Halloween Party where we sang Halloween songs, colored pictures for a coloring contest (Victoria won first prize!), made new friends, listened to a story, got treats and played in costumes with lots of other goblins, knights, princesses and spider girls.
The Humane Society where I filled out the form to become a volunteer with the kids and we got to see many sweet kitties. We are now officially invited to come by to play with cats, walk small dogs, make posters, raise funds, help at special events and whatever else we’d care to do to help. We may foster an animal in the future, […]
Original post by Alicia
Today was a gorgeous day so we headed outside with our pumpkins to do some pumpkin homeschool and some jack-o-lantern carving.
The kids had the neat idea of weighing them before we headed out, and started estimating weights, adding them together and so on. How cool, I thought, they’re homeschooling themselves!
We set up on the picnic table and I gathered some supplies. The kids had already traced their patterns with pencil the night before and I told them they could hammer nails in along the design (or anywhere else) if they wanted. We’ve been nailing pumpkins for years because it is so darn fun.
I gave them clothespins to hold the nails if they were afraid of pounding their fingers. They weren’t, but I made Anna use one to show the basic idea.
Jack had lots of fun yanking his back in and making patterns
while Victoria went to work […]
Original post by Alicia
We’re chugging away at our “How Low Can We Go?” challenge of keeping the heat off. Last night the kids slept under 2-4 heavy blankets each. Even Daryl, who likes to say things like You don’t get to be this size by being a picky eater and my people are built for the tundra, was wearing a sweatshirt to keep warm this morning. It’s nippy!
Jack snuggled under his blankets and watched a phonics DVD instead of being his usual bouncy, morning self.
But he took breaks in the subzero air to play with Tuxpaint on the computer.
I made Mix and Match Quick Bread (today’s add-ins: pear sauce, shredded zucchini and chopped peaches, with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon) to help warm up the house.
Victoria, Daddy and Alex drove back to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum to retrieve this hat she left yesterday. She sang Alex to […]
Original post by Alicia
Today has been a rather lazy day here. I woke up with a terrible migraine and neckache so it took a long time to get going. I didn’t get much accomplished but there’s a lot of days left in the year so I’m okay with that.
A few things we did do…
Made ooblek
I read “The Pirate’s Night Before Christmas” and a Dr. Seuss book to Jack, Alex and Victoria. The pirate book is hilarious. I want to buy a copy. Do look for a copy at your library, especially if you have pirate lovers. Aaaarrrrr.
Played outside, though not for long because it was a bit nippy!
Made Mix and Match Bread to warm up the house (add ins: Grandma’s pear sauce, smashed banana and shredded carrot)
Simmered dried beans for dinner, again to warm up the house!
Victoria finished a book about Pilgrim eating habits […]
Original post by Alicia
From yesterday and today!
Original post by Alicia
We’re back just for the night and then heading out again tomorrow!
We had a great little trip. Daryl taught lots of people lots of stuff about the atlatl — so much so that he nearly lost his voice by the end of the session today. He also really wrecked his legs from standing too long and is in pretty extreme pain, poor guy. I know he enjoyed helping out though, and he taught so many people so much fascinating stuff.
The kids and I did some exploring while Daddy did that and managed to have some fun, learn some things and enjoy some wonderful weather (and some dreary weather!).
Stops included: the St. Peter Pearly Gates and Chamber of Commerce, a lovely natural food coop with a hot deli (we loaded up with plates of hot, homemade cuisine from around the world), the Sioux Treaty Site, […]
Original post by Alicia
The other day I joked with Victoria “What, I have to give you life AND feed you?”. That’s not all I have to do, it turns out! I have to school these people too.
Real school. No more of that relaxed, fun, child-led business. Oh no. They want school, and lots of it.
Starting at 8 a.m.
With homework.
And pop quizzes.
Oy.
Today we did our first full day of an honest-to-goodness math curriculum. I had a complete, like-new set of A Beka 5th grade, which just happens to be Victoria’s grade. I asked her last night if she’d like to use it and she surprised me by saying heck yes.
We are really not A Beka kinda people. I am the kind of homeschool mom who does math by tossing chocolate chips into my children’s mouths when they get the right answer, the kind to write out story problems involving six-legged cats who […]
Original post by Alicia
It’s nice to be home for a bit.
Today is shaping up to be a nice lazy day. It’s beautiful weather and Anna has set up a family pedicure stand outside. For 5 cents she’ll paint your toenails! I had her do it outside to keep freshly painted toes from marking up carpets and such, and also to keep the fumes out of the house.
Victoria and Alex started the morning bird watching from the window seat.
The girls got out altered books earlier and made some neat pages in them.
I also read a couple of chapters from Story of the World. It was a very interesting bit!
The baby played with watermelon playdough and bouncy balls, Jack made a magnet sphere and I’ve started doing some fall cleaning.
Oh, and I transplanted some geraniums and herbs into a window box for inside. I always bring geraniums inside since they bloom most of the winter […]
Original post by Alicia
We’re back from our overnight trip to Mankato and packed in lots of wonderful stuff.
We started out attending a homeschool potluck picnic, where we all ate great food and played/yapped with friends until well after dark….
We got to Grandma and Grandpa’s house pretty late, with just enough time to play a little and listen to Grandma finish up Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Daryl and I stayed up too late watching TV together and paid the price today. In the morning Grandpa made eggs, I went back to sleep for a couple of hours and we packed up to hit Bethany College’s “Art on the Green” event.
Art on the Green had bouncy rides and lots of fun art activities from sun prints to painting to making funny portraits on the computer. We had very little time to do anything but got to visit with fun friends yet again.
Then we were off to the […]
Original post by Alicia
On the one hand, there’s a little voice telling me all the things I should be doing and all the ways I am rotten, rotten, rotten.
A good mother would have gotten to history today instead of just looking through the book and leaving it for the baby to attack.
A good mother would have done more math drills with the girls.
A good mother would have followed up on that Zebra letter of the day page with Jack.
A good mother would have done a craft. Messy, at that.
A good mother would certainly have this place looking better. The beds would be made, surfaces clear, darling decorations would abound and she’d be ready for 30 guests to stop by for tea. Or at least she wouldn’t be embarrassed for the UPS guy to see the porch.
On the other hand…
I managed to put together a pretty good, quite healthy supper when all I wanted […]
Original post by Alicia
We met up with some fabulous friends who were in Sioux Falls Friday and spent the night at a lovely hotel together. It was so nice to see them and we had a blast! Bigger blog post tomorrow!
Original post by Alicia
Every homeschooler knows that learning happens all the time. It’s easy to fall off the structured wagon and think you’re not doing anything, though. I am the queen of spin when it comes to turning everything into homeschooling! Here’s some accidental homeschooling we’ve done while avoiding anything schooly the past couple of days.
Victoria helped make dinner last night (stuffed shells– yum!)… Home Ec!
While doing our Unplug Your Kids project, Victoria had to figure out how to do a perfect square for her quilt, so she measured her paper, figured out both sides had to be 8 1/2 ” and then needed to cut that number in half for some measurements… Math!
One of Jack’s bedtime books (”Alicia Has a Bad Day” — my sister in law thinks she’s clever!) taught him the word “lugubrious” (dark […]
Original post by Alicia
…we’ve done, learned, played lately:
1. Each big kid did a workbook page of math before dessert tonight (Breyer’s chocolate chip ice cream with crushed oreos on top!). Jack did addition. Anna did rounding to tens and hundreds. Victoria did division (and survived).
2. I stayed home and cleaned while Daryl took the kids to the petroglyphs and fixed their darts (flying spears, he makes ‘em) and then to Windom for happy meals and playing in the park with friends. Jack fell and got a swollen lip, which earned him a Dilly bar to help with the swelling from Daddy. Daddy is in their lives to balance out my all-natural, organic, vegetarian, nutrient-crazed self.
Here’s Jack after. Blood, dirt and red dye #40, yum!
3. The big kids and I held hands and ran in the wind across the field across the street to the playground. We spun in circles, sat in the swings […]
Original post by Alicia
…that we’ve done, seen, learned recently:
1. The Penny Experiment
We put 10 dirty pennies in 10 cups of various liquids and left them for 2 days. We talked about acidity and how Coke is supposed to eat the rust off of things because of how acidic it is. We had cups of things like homemade pickle brine, salt water, mustard, baking soda and water, baking soda and vinegar, soapy water and plain water. Then we cleaned them off and decided which liquids cleaned best. The winners were mustard, brine, Diet Coke and milk (which was a big surprise to the kids). The only one to get really dirtier was the plain water one, which got nearly black. Salt water also got worse. The rest all got at least a little bit cleaner.
The Diet Coke one evaporated and the middle of the penny ended up out of the liquid. The penny ended […]
Original post by Alicia
The past couple of days here in pictures~
We’ve played in the sandbox…
Taken up the guitar…
Blown bubbles…
Started learning to ride a two-wheeler…
Sat in the swing with Mama…
Made a leaf rubbing book…
Found an extra caterpillar in amongst the two we’ve been raising…
Made computer programs…
Eaten lots of tomatoes straight from the garden…
Played with brothers…
Birdwatched…
And generally had lots of fun!
Original post by Alicia
We’re still at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and we just got back from the lake. They live 2 blocks from the city park and one of the city lakes, with a sand beach and lots of fun stuff to play on.
The girls happily swam in the lake until we dragged them out for supper. I called them over at one point and pointed out that their daddy swam at this very same lake when he was a boy, hundreds of times, so long ago.
Having grown up without a solid home and family, I am always so amazed by the contstancy of home for many people. I love that Daryl can come back to the house where he grew up and that we sleep in his old bedroom. I love knowing that this is the hill that he sped down on his sled in the wintertime. I love thinking that this […]
Original post by Alicia
It’s day two at Grandma & Grandpa’s house and we’re having lots of fun. We’re heading to their cabin at the lake in a few minutes so I thought I’d jump on and do a quick post.
Here’s 10 random things we’ve done…
The girls are writing a newspaper together with family news.
Victoria and I hit clearance sales and had to figure out what 60% off various prices was.
Grandpa gave the kids notebooks from the VFW that listed all the foreign wars American has been in, and we checked dates for various wars.
We visited Great Grandma Lueck for her 92nd birthday at her house by Betsy and Tacy’s houses and talked about what it was like for Grandma H to grow up in that house back then.
We hit the library and got a pile of library books that we’ve all been reading together.
Jack, Victoria and Anna made homemade cards for Great Grandma L’s birthday. […]
Original post by Alicia
We had a really great day at the Walnut Grove park on Saturday. They run special events on weekends while the pageant is running and the newspaper editor had asked us to come by at 1 so he could take a picture of Victoria with the Greenbush twins (I’ll be blogging about that later!).
Some of the fun to be had included making homemade butter in a jar, browsing the homemade goods for sale and watching the guys reenacting battles.
Jack, Victoria and Anna each got to make their very own glass bead, which was VERY cool….
They had to cool for an hour and then the kids got to keep their beads (for free)!
The kids also enjoyed riding on the kiddie train– even Alex, who howled when he had to leave.
There is a large Laotian community in Walnut Grove and we’re used to having fabulous eggrolls (way better […]
Original post by Alicia
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