Do It My Way

The kids have a chore chart we follow.  It works on a three week rotation.  That way no one is stuck doing the same chore over and over.  It also allows them all to learn how to do different household chores.

Hannah's least favorite week is probably the week she has to do the dishes.  I laughed out loud when I walked into the kitchen and found this sign taped over the sink.



Bake Day

We started our Valentine's Day the way we do most holidays, with a morning sugar rush.  Everyone received their own special treat.

 

PK's favorite.

 



Nail polish for Rachel because she can never have enough.

 



 

Hannah loves those ponies.

 

Yoda for Aaron .  Need I say more?

 



Rachel asked if she and Andy could have a "bake day" at our house for Valentine's Day.  I thought that was a great idea.  They could spend supervised time together and not feel the need to buy each other an expensive gift.  Andy had never been to the commissary, so we took their list and went shopping.

 

They spent the entire day making desserts and then Andy's family came over to enjoy Nacho Bar with us for dinner.  That way they were able to share in all those desserts.

 



They made each other the same gift.  They were shocked that they did the same thing. 



A Warm Day

The weather report called for temperatures in the upper 60s today, so we knew we needed to find something to do outside after church.  Hannah suggested the zoo and we happen to have passes.  Rachel had plans with Andy, but the rest of us got out in the sunshine.  The high actually reached 70 degrees and it was a beautiful day.

The parking lot was pretty full when we pulled in, so I guess the rest of Hampton Roads wanted to get out and enjoy the long awaited warm sunny day at the zoo as well.

I know the warmth was just a teaser, but it was a nice break from the winter weather.

Cracks, Crevices and Crawlways

That sounds like it might be a bit treacherous, but it was a day of fun.  I was able to chaperone with Hannah's Girl Scout troop on a trip to the local camp.  The camp offers a caving program for girls who are at least twelve years old.  Each year they put together a day of activities to simulate what the girls might learn or experience when they are old enough to go caving.

Many of the activities start with a cardboard box and black tarps to simulate a cave.  The first one allowed the girls to experience what it is like to army crawl through a tight space in the dark.

Then they were told they might find a cave where they had to navigate over and under things, so ropes were added.

Then they had to work their way around stalagmites and stalactites
. 

 

This poster listed some of the equipment used in caving.

 And, of course, the girls were able to try on headlamps and see what it is like to crawl through a dark cave wearing one.

 

There were several activities that stressed the importance of communication and teamwork in caving.

 

The girls had a great day and they are all certain they will try real caving the first chance they get!



Art Class

Hannah started taking an art class once a week just after school started last fall.  She has been sketching pictures for a long time and had started to watch "how-to" videos online.  From the first day of the class I was very impressed with what she can do.  The teachers give the kids verbal guidance so the finished product is all produced by the students.

 

The caterpillar was from her very first class.  She started with a reference picture that showed which shapes to use to form the caterpillar.  She has since progressed to no-step which means she has to come up with the shapes to form the picture on her own.  The background and added objects are from her imagination.

 

 

The parakeet was a new concept because she had to figure out how to make the bars look curved.

 

 

Some of these photographs of her work are kind of fuzzy because I took them with my phone instead of my good camera, but I think they still show the progression in her work.  She has a done a couple more in class, but I haven't taken pictures of all of them.



Mom, I Need More Science



Hannah has loved animals her entire life and for several years has talked about being a zoologist when she grows up.  She loves learning about math and science, so I won't be surprised if she chooses a career path that involves both.  She has a way of taking a math problem and turning it inside out in her head and making it look easy in the process. 

One of the things I love about homeschooling is when Hannah wants to know more about a subject, we can take the time to investigate.  Earlier in the week she mentioned to me that she doesn't think she wants to be a zoologist any longer.  She still loves animals, but she said she is becoming more interested in space and thinks we need to learn more about that in science.  She also told me she thinks she would like to work for NASA.  I know she will probably change her mind a thousand times, but allowing her to follow her interests is a great way for her to learn.  Field Trip Friday rolled around and I knew I needed to find something to build on that interest.

The Virginia Air and Space Center was perfect.  It is the visitor's center for NASA Langley Research and Langley Air Force Base. 

 
The very first exhibit is on the Wright Brothers and the exhibits build from there to space exploration. 

 

Not only is there information to read along the way, but many hands on activities which further explain the concepts of flight and space exploration.  Before we had been there five minutes, Hannah told me we would have to come back because she was going to need to reread all of this information.

This is the cockpit of an F/A 22 Raptor.  Hannah wasn't happy to pose for pictures, but I managed to get her in a few.

 

Here she is reading another sign.  That is what she really wanted to do.

 



This was a mini-theatre designed to look like a rocket.  We are fans of the Stargate tv show, so we said we found our own stargate.  Ha!

There was an observation deck on the top of the building.  I was looking across the water admiring these beautiful old brick building when I realized that it was the VA where PK worked.

Hannah and I picked up a membership on the way out, so she will be able to go back and reread her signs over and over.  We received tickets to the IMAX theatre with our membership.  PK, Aaron, Hannah and I took advantage of those yesterday afternoon.

Bead Up Your Nose Moment

When Rachel had just turned four, she had a "Bead Up Your Nose Moment."  She actually gave the phrase meaning.  I was very pregnant with Hannah and was in the garage assembling our new triple stroller.  I heard PK yelling for me from inside the house.  I thought he was saying Rachel had a bee in her nose, but he was saying bead.  She had played with beads since she was old enough to string them.  She was never one to put anything in her mouth and I never considered she would stick something up her nose.

The bead was just far enough up her nose that we couldn't reach it, so PK took her to the ER.  The doctor came in with a bag of scary looking tools that he would need to safely remove the bead.  He didn't want to traumatize Rachel, so he had one idea to try before using his tools.  He had Rachel push against the open side of her nose and blow in her mouth as if giving mouth-to-mouth.  The bead flew out.

We knew Rachel knew better than to stick the bead up her nose, so since then when one of the kids does something we know they know they shouldn't have done or their decision lacks common sense we call it a "Bead Up Your Nose Moment."

Aaron had such a moment last Friday.  He came in the front door after school and I told him hello and asked how his day had been.  I received the usual mumble which meant it was fine, but he wasn't willing to admit it was better for fear that I might think he likes school.  He walked into the family room and said, "If you stick an eraser to your face, it leaves little marks."  He was talking about the type of eraser that fits on the top of a pencil.  He was squeezing it and letting it hang off of his face.  This was the result.

It is obvious by his expression that he wasn't bothered.  PK and the girls also found it funny.  I was not amused.  He looked like he had chicken pox or a bunch of mini face hickies.  Luckily, the spots faded in just a couple of days.  All I could really do was shake my head and say, "That was such a bead up the nose moment."