We even wore the dog out.

Christmas time, December, the most wonderful time of the year:  for kids.  I have a tendency to feel very rushed and chaotic.  To feel overwhelmed.  But my days and evenings at home with the kids, or quiet evenings with just one or a few friends always help remind me of the joy and gratitude of this season.  I wish I was better at making phone calls, or just talking on the phone in general with friends scattered to the four winds.  Time is hard.  And I have a hard time literally hearing a lot of times (good eyes, bad ears)--so if I do call and don't make any sense I am sorry.  But know that I think of all of you quite often throughout the year.

 So this holiday season doesn't just wear me out...we wore the dog out so much that she laid down on the steps yesterday afternoon and just waited for us to go upstairs to bed.  Too funny.  She was nodding off and I was afraid she would roll right off the step.

 It has been caramels week.  This is definitely one of the kids' favorite things to do with Jeff.  I tried for five minutes to capture these two talking and finally just made them pose looking at each other.  So sweet, the things they said to each other and to me for the pose.  Kinda killed the moment.  Oh well.

 We needed to catch up on science experiments so yesterday while Tanner went to a playdate we got started on the solids, liquids, and gases kit.  It turned into a full day crayon melting, beading, Christmas party extravaganza.  The kitchen was quite a mess!  So much for mopping the day before (at least the crayon couldn't stick to dog tracks anymore).  But I kind of like these big craft days.  We get a lot done and then the mess can be recontained and doesn't stretch on for days on end.

 Saw this on a blog (of course).  Bake rocks and then color on them with crayon and it melts as you go.  Pretty cool stuff, the kids thought it was very interesting so we had to go back out and get more rocks.

 The kit had us make candles.  It said to use crayons, but I forgot to add in the wax included in the kit.  Not sure if that made the difference, but our candles would not burn.  They crackled enough to make me worry and get out the baking soda though.

 Grandma had included some fake snow in our Advent gifts.  A powder that you just add water and then it expands, and then as the water evaporates it dries out later.  They really liked this stuff, but it did not replace the real stuff.  Annika especially is devastated that we do not have snow and that Iowa had a blizzard.

 Tanner had his Christmas preschool program this week.  He knew his words and actions, and he was loud. I was not surprised.  This kid has theater written all over him.  I love the tie and cowboy boots.
 He is such a hoot.

 We also had a pageant for church and Phoebe got to be Mary.  I forgot my camera in the rush, so no pics on here unless I can figure out how to move them from facebook from my friends at church.  She did a great job.  Again, another good little singer.

I hope you are all able to enjoy your busy season and find the God moments in each day.  Enjoy Christmas!

Annika Dominated

 She really did not dominate this month, but apparently in pictures, she did.  Homeschooling is taking a lot of my time and effort, which is good.  I enjoy it from the planning to the teaching, but not a lot of extra time for well, extras.  And I promised myself this month I would read two books instead of being on the computer.  And I did, but I didn't blog. 

Annika did make French toast for us one morning from start to finish.  I love that she enjoys learning to cook so much. 

Gaming on my phone and the Kindle Fires is out of control.  Whenever possible they are on them, so we have contained them to weekends and errands.  I do like them in the car and waiting in line!

We went to free day at the Field Museum.  The kids loved the dinosaur exhibit.  Were freaked out by the mummies.  And just too plain tired by the time we tried to go anywhere else.  It was a great day.  I love how excited and thankful they are for these adventures.

We did a unit in science on volcanoes (and I exploded a bowl, oops), earthquakes, Earth's layers, Pangea, and kinds of rocks.  Pretty interesting stuff.  I think I am learning all of it better this time compared to when I was their age!  This is Phoebe with one of our rocks, I think this was our version of igneous.  Anyways, we melted a whole bunch of stuff together and then ate it.  Well, tried, it was pretty sweet.

Annika's birthday was on Thanksgiving day.  Granny called the Sunday before and told only me she was able to visit.  Everyone else got their pants surprised off that Wednesday.  That was fun.  The next morning we were all up early and headed to State Street downtown Chicago for the big parade.  It was great weather and super busy.  But between Jeff and my shoulders and this light post the kids were able to see everything.  And I mean everything.  We stayed the full 3 hours.  We all had a great time.

Big balloons were the main reason we went and the kids were not disappointed.  They enjoyed the floats, danced to the bands, but the balloons stole the show.

Walking back afterwards we came across the polar bear float (still Annika's favorite animal by far) so of course we had to take a picture quick.

Then we surprised the kids with lunch at Rainforest Cafe which was another big hit!  Lots of animatronic animals, huge tanks of real fish, and delicious food.  We would definitely go back. 

And then home again home again for the smallest turkey feast ever, but just right, polished off with a pumpkin pie for Annika and presents.  It really turned out to be a special day for her. 

So October

This October was busy in a whole different way.  We made two trips to Iowa, each for five days, with only 10 days between.  One for the funeral of Jeff's Grandma Farm, she was 87 and suffered from Alzheimers.  He has very fond memories of her and definitely her cooking.  We visited Reiman Gardens in Ames one afternoon with the cousins.

October was baseball for Annika.  She enjoyed fall ball just as much as last spring and is still keeping up with those boys.  She takes after her Daddy and is an amazing catcher.  The travel league was looking at her, but politely asked them to back off, at least for a couple years.  (That is her on first.)

Her hair is FINALLY growing out.  It has taken us since last Christmas to get this long.  Part of the reason I always got so mad at the stylists that were doing the "trims/hacks" the past couple years.  This length is a good compromise, we both like it.  She wears that hat EVERYDAY.  :)

 I helped plan the Trick or Treat Tailgate at church again for the preschool.  Well, plan is a very loose term this year since a friend and I have done it now three years, or is it four.  Hmmm.  Anyway, another good turn out.  Our costumes were no sew this year (just no time this October, especially being gone and with homeschooling).  But they turned out really well.  Annika was Frankenstein.  She loved the mask.

 Phoebe was Frida Kahlo (one of my favorite female artists--a Mexican surrealist from the 1930's known for her unibrow, traditional costumes, pets, and self portraits).

 Tanner was a knight--Sir Mix It Up A lot, or Kiss Up.  On Halloween he morphed into a fruit ninja (the app game) as the knight pieces got uncomfortable.  It worked out great.

 See?  A good turnout, we usually have 150 people attend.  I am always in charge of the craft.  Which is actually hard for me to plan something easy enough for preschoolers, cheap, and simple for parents to do. :)

The annual jack o lantern fest was wonderful as usual.  They really do enjoy cleaning them out.  And roasting the seeds and then planning the faces.

Jeff is becoming a master carver.

Fangs, buckteeth, and Frankenstein.

Tanner has decided that he loves this truck.  It is a Chevy Silverado, to him.  And this kid is all about naming everything he plays with, so he always refers to it as Chevy Silverado.  That is what he wants when he is big enough.  I don't think Jeff even had to brainwash him to start saying that.

We had our own school party on Halloween day.  Our lunch consisted of mummy juice, goblin guts (peas), werewolf bones (pretzels and marshmallows and almond bark), alien skin (turkey), lizard eyes (grapes), vampire teeth (apples, peanut butter and more mallows) and pumpkin poo (cheetos).  They thought it was sooo funny and great.  I love easy stuff like this.

I had seen this Martha craft on Pinterest and a friend actually made it for a Boy Scout party and let us have the leftovers.  And then we played freeze dance and bingo, always favorites.  They wore their costumes all day.  We did a fun poetry project instead of school.  And then trick or treating ended the month on a high note.

Back to Her Funny Ways

Just yesterday I was all teary eyed thinking about what a positive change is happening in Annika.  I looked back at pictures from last spring and they made me cry.  Her eyes are glassy, yet dull.  Her smiles are strange.  She was so sad.  It made me realize how bad school was.  Because now, I haven't taken a picture of her this summer that she isn't being completely silly in. 

But even better, is all of the funny things she is saying again.  In the last half hour these are two direct quotes. 

"When you watch the baseball games these pros make it look so easy to catch the ball.  But, if you don't concentrate and you are running around in Lalaloopsy land popping wheelies on your pizza bike delivering pizzas your'e not gonna get 'er done."  (And she remembered it enough to repeat it to me to type.)

Followed by a Viagra commercial.  Which she then asks, "Jeff is your body healthy enough to have sex?"

Oh dear is she back.

Metaphors and Other Real Stuff

As I started typing I realized that our trip to the Arboretum was somewhat of a metaphor of our homeschooling journey so far.

 Sometimes it feels like we are at the beginning of a long maze.  We have definitely taken some wrong turns! I just ordered spelling books, and ditched the old plan.  After being completely overwhelmed by my idea to study the states, I listened to the girls and their interests and we switched to learning about our ancestry.

 We have definitely had moments when I was spitting mad and the kids were having a wonderfully funny time.  And we have had even more when all of us were laughing and enjoying as we learned.

 No metaphors here.  Just beautiful leaves with fresh raindrops and the last of the zinnias (one of my favorite flowers) of the season.  Or maybe that mix of new and old and change is the metaphor itself.  All the beautiful colors mixing together.  The strong branches.  Hmmm.  Maybe I am just trying to be too poetic.  Wouldn't have anything to do with the poetry unit I have been planning to start next week.

 Yes, this photo is literal.  She pumps me for information constantly.  She challenges me in a lot of ways, but they are good.  Our relationship is getting better and stronger all the time.

 Just three great kids.  ***Interesting how when I when I published and was looking for errors I realized their pictures lined up with the blog ones.  Even though they have grown a lot in the past two years, they still look an awful lot the same!

 The water pond was beautiful, and one lone lily survived.  The children's garden was fabulous--so much for the kids to do.  So much more we will be able to learn and do the next time we come next summer.  So many opportunities.

 They are climbing and growing as much as I am.  Pushing themselves academically, as siblings, and as individuals to figure out where we all stand.  I love that we are all so much closer as a family.  I love hearing them play and laugh again.  Even after the knock down drag out they just finished.

 That one orange tree really struck me.  It was interesting how a lot of the under tree growth had not turned colors.  But then there was this clearing glowing with color.  It was gorgeous.  But alone.  I have been struggling with this aspect of homeschooling.  Thankfully this week I got some much needed girl friend time.  But I feel isolated sometimes already.  It is hard to talk on the phone when I am supposed to be teaching and with all three of them home.  But at the same time, I feel like this is my chance to shine for my kids.  I was a good teacher, darn it :), and now it is so fun to share this side of me with the kids.  

 After several twists and turns, the road opened up onto this field and this was straight ahead.  Hope.  Knowledge, it will be worth it.  They are already learning so much more.  Are already so much happier.

 So thanks for listening to me.  Thanks for being another outlet for me.  Thanks for being interested in what we are doing.  It means a lot.

So other things we have been doing..and not in quite such a deep thinking mode...

Art class studied Amadeo Modigiliani this week (I still have two other girls who come for this).  I was amazed with our results.  I got this lesson from my fave, www.deepspacesparkle.com.    But it turned out even better than I hoped.  We looked at images of his artwork, and the kids all understood the melancholy feeling behind the paintings.  We used chalk pastel on black. 

 Annika's

 Phoebe's

 And Tanner's...this is pretty cool because this was the first time he drew clothing on a person, a huge developmental step.

 Our human body unit has been so much fun.  Above is the lung we made.  They pull the bottom balloon/diaphragm and the balloon inside "breathes" --inflates and deflates.  The girls love watching the Schoolhouse Rock videos on youtube and the ones on www.makemegenius.com are wonderful as well.  We have been able to do so many experiments, many that would never work in a public school classroom.  

The kind that will never be forgotten.

 They will say many years down the road, "Do you remember when mom used oatmeal, a paper towel tube (esophagus), a baggie filled with orange juice (the stomach and acid), pantyhose (the intestines), and a strainer (liver and kidneys) to teach us the digestive system?  That was soooo gross!"  No pictures of that, it was pretty gross and messy, but sooooo cool!

This was a spinal cord/vertabrae. 

Lungs with trachea. 

The circulation game.  Tanner is completely grossed out by this.  

And we made "blood" to see all of its parts with candy, marshmallows, and raisins.  We turned water red and blue and then used a turkey baster to move it from dish to dish like the heart.  We listened to our hearts. All sorts of cool stuff.  Very fun.  I was very blessed to find it all on Pinterest.  And through there was able to find even more blogs and internet sites that have been so helpful.
We still have a couple weeks left in this unit.

More fun stuff will be coming!  Lapbooks about the President and the election.  Our unit on ancestry started with family trees and now we will study Norway, Germany, and England.  I am excited about the poetry unit as well.  We just finished tall tales, so hop over to the girls blogs now to read those.  I also added pictures of artwork that accompanied some already published works.