Monday: Today was a big day, for me anyways. I have had my blog for over a year now. But over the past few months I have been working towards making it geared more towards homeschooling. Both for myself to have easy access to all the links I love, and books I have read, as well as for others to find things that might be new and useful to them. I was thrilled when I was offered the chance to add a giveaway to the review I was already doing of the game Pick and Draw. The drawing is open until Wednesday the 23rd so hop on over and check it out. Maybe even link up to myself or Rich’s blog and earn some extra chances to win. If you really love the game like we do you can click on the links there and order one for your home.

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Tuesday: This week we started what we are calling “Independent Projects”. Chloe and Jayden each had a week to pick a topic of interest to them. We discussed what they might be interested in, as well as how, depending on the subject you could present it differently. Chloe chose a squirrel monkey and Jayden Florida. They each are spending time on the internet doing research, as well as making a trip to the library on Thursday to find resources there. Jayden is doing a notebooking style “report”, where Chloe is doing a written report. Jayden is working on hand drawing a map of Florida with the cities labeled. For the project part he will be doing a salt dough map. Chloe is making a presentation board, science fair project type of set up as well as using modeling clay to create her monkeys for a diorama of their habitat she is constructing in a shoe box. I did this on a whim and so far it seems to be a fun and interactive way for them to learn about something they are interested in, that is outside of our regular studies.
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Wednesday:

Storytime with Mr. Mike was packed full this week. He did Ten on a Sled by Kim Norman. He of course added fun, interactive sound effects like swooping your arm as if it were a wave and going “whooosh” every time another animal is propelled from the sled. This is a great winter time book to share with children. The words are a play on the kids song 10 in the Bed. It includes fun and interesting outdoor animals (moose, seal, walrus, hare, squirrel and more), sledding and snow!

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After lunch a Wednesday we indulged in a very special treat! The Tom Wahls was running a 55th Anniversary special and offering cones for 99 cents. The kids begged to have some so I gave in and they all had ice cream. The cones were huge! Ava had her vanilla (she is not my offspring because of this), and the other two had chocolate (they must be mine!). Ava was wearing her tutu and matching flower headband that she was given for Valentine’s day. How can you resist that face?

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Thursday: Thursday has now become a busy, busy day for us. Between ice skating and Ava’s Daisy Girl Scout meeting we have to be out of the house by 11:30am and do not return home until 5:15pm after dropping Chloe off at the gym for the evening.  This was Ava’s first “badge ceremony” with her troop.  It was like Christmas for her!  She earned a badge for their sledding last week, for planting a sunflower, a homeschool badge, her girl scout pins and all two of her petals for her daisy flower.  It is great for her to have some girls her own age to spend time with.  Plus I love her getting a little time having to follow directions from someone other than me.  Now that she is getting older we are finding more and more opportunities like this.  From swimming lessons, and soccer, to zoo class and Daisy Girl Scouts.

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