Garden time!

Can't wait to see how the harvest is this year!

15th Anniversary Trip

Tony and I had a Staycation for our 15th Anniversary trip.  Thanks to grandparents for taking the kids and entertaining them for us!  We enjoyed going down to Pepper Place Farmer's Market, visiting the Birmigham Museam of Art, browswing 2nd and Charles bookstore, staying at Aloft in Homewood and just simply being lazy and without the responsibility of children!  It was a nice break away!

We had a view of Vulcan from our hotel room!

We ate frozen yogurt late at night, slept in and enjoyed bruch at Another Broken Egg. 

Very nice trip indeed!

How did the First Year of Homeschool Go? Part 1

Well, we did it!  We are finished with our first year of homeschooling!  Let me first of all just say that I am thrilled!  While I knew I could do it and that we would get through it, I also want to celebrate the hard work.  When we first started considering this as an option I was worried about a lot of things.  But God is good and He provided.  We have finished and my kids did learn! 

What did we gain from homeschooling?

When you are with your kids ALL day, EVERY day you know them better.  You know their strengths and their weaknesses.  You probably already knew most of these, but now you are reminded of them daily.  While those weaknesses are probably going to be the things that irritate you, by being with them daily you can work on them.  If I am sending my children off to school it is more difficult for me to correct and work with them on these behaviors because I don't get to see them as often.  Additionallly, a classroom teacher will probably not have the time to do so or the authority to do so.  Now I am not saying we have corrected all of our weaknesses...this is a life long process.  But I'm glad I have this opportunity.

We have read some really great books together.  We have tried to read books together that go along with our history or coordinate with something we are learning.  I love reading GOOD literature with my children.  I love the discussions we have and the connections the kids can make.  I love being a part of that! 

Faith based focus.  Since we are at home we can relate all things to the Bible and our faith.  This is something that my kids will never be able to get at Public school.  We studied Creation through Christ for our history time period this year.  We studies the things that were happening in the Bible with how they are related to other things going on in history!  It was fascinating and it helps you to understand the Bible better when you study in this way. (*Did you know that Augustus Ceasar, who called for a census which forced Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem to fulfill Old Testament prophecy, was the man who defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony in the Battle of Actium?  I find this just fascinating!)

No homework.  Being done with schoolwork around 1 pm every day and having the entire afternoon free is certainly a nice feeling!

Leaf Moth?

This little guy has been hanging around our porch since this morning.

End of an Era

All of our kids have attended the WEE Center.  Noah attended for 3k and 4k and the other 2 attended there from 12 weeks through 4k!  Zeke finished up 4k this week and this was his last program at WEE Center.  Definetly bittersweet for me.

 Zeke wasn't really interested in singing, but at least he didn't cry.

My pictures of Zeke getting his "certificate" are blurry because he wouldn't slow down long enough for Mrs. Diane to hug him or me to get a picture.

Mrs. Diane has been a part of our live for so long.  Luckily, it is not just school, so we will still be seeing her but it will still a little sad for me.

Bug math

 Another activity I used with my preschool class back when I taught. Each spider web has a number on it and I asked Z to put that number of bugs into the spider's web.  Cute, fun, little game!

Still love to Dress Up!

Fraction math game

 We really LOVE our RightStart math.  One of the best things is that math games are used to help reinforce concepts.  This was a game where you have to make 1 with different fractions.  E always does better when he has a snack with his math!  ha!

Roll and Write

 This is a fun activity I did with my preschool class when I taught 4 year old preschool.  I pulled out these foam dice and let Zeke roll them then write the number.  This can be a little tricky at this age.  Some kids can count the dots and know the number but then can't remember how to write that number unless you have a chart for them to review.  Zeke did well though with no chart!

Rosie turns 1!

My sweet neice, Rosie, celebrating her 1st birthday!

Mother's Day

This year I really wanted to be sure and get a picture of me and my mom and Tony with his mom.  We don't have any recent pics of us with our moms so this was on our priority list.  Sadly, I forgot to get any of me with my own kids!  Oh well - you can't win them all!

Strawberry Picking

We went out to A&P Farms to pick strawberries for jam.  It was muddy but the kids had fun!