It's All Fun & Games

In the evenings we've been playing games.  Mommy does much better at playing games when their is a second adult to share the "fun" with! :)  

Uno

Skippo!

Daddy teaches Paigey Battleship and Connor lends a helping hand.

We also try daily to beat Steve in Bumper Pool, but so far the challenge is still to be met.  We're determined to beat him, at least once, before we leave!

We've also had some great squirt gun wars. It's not easy to get picture of such times because

1) The photographer was participating and 

2) Water near the camera is not a great idea

So for memory sake here is a reminder pic:

The boys set up the tubes for shooting practice targets ...

Florida-School Days!

I have to be honest, at about this time last year, when we began seriously considering homeschooling for the year, I had visions of the winter months with inches and inches of snow on the ground and the kids rushing to get their school work complete so they could go out and sled and make forts and snowmen in the never ending piles of snow.

Funny thing is here we are and we have had one of the most snow-less winters I can ever remember! We've had weeks of bitter cold, but never enough so to do much in.  But let me just say that that didn't make us any less ready to break away for a warmer climate.

I negotiated well, when I proposed that if we homeschool we spend a month of  Winter in Florida! But, don't you worry, we're doing plenty of school work. It's not ALL fun and games.  (Well, yea, maybe it is, but we're learning in the process!)

Our mornings are spent doing Math.

Writing in our journals or maybe a post card or letter to a friend back home...

Several evenings have been spent snuggled up together reading our Science text on God's fifth day of creation- all those ocean animals!

We've done lots of science experiments! Like this one where they're seeing how the ocean currents travel...

We've created a "Sea Life Box" to put all the sea creatures that we've been studying on to display.  Here they are creating the animals out of clay.

Paige even made a scuba diver...

After the clay creatures were baked. Jake laid seaweed, shells and rocks in the bottom of our box to create the sea floor.  It looks really cool, but using real shells, etc. makes it smell very fishy. Which is not fun when your sitting on the couch next to it trying to read!

Friday, March 9, 2012 Paigey finished her Kindergarten Math book and will be moving into First Grade math! We made this into a really big deal and celebrated her and the gift that God has given her to be so good with numbers.

And if you have to do reading for school, you may as well do it outside in the sunshine, right!?  

Now THIS is how you do school!!!!

Florida-The First Few Days

For some reason I have this notion that when one takes a long trip south, one should breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  I've made mention of this to Steve in the past and a time or two he has obliged me, but imagine my surprise when he gave up a FREE breakfast at our hotel to give our children the experience of Cracker Barrel!  It hasn't changed one bit since we were there last. Still the same peg game and yummy food and fully stocked store of all sorts of unique items you'd love but don't really need!

The kids did amazingly well on our two day journey.  They read books, played games, drew pictures, talked Star Wars,  listened to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe on CD and watch a couple of movies (Thank you, Grammy!!) 

Upon arrival we settled in and got straight to the fun! We've been doing lots of puzzles!  Jake started this 500 piece puzzle and when the kids went to bed, Steve finished it!  Oops!

Bumper Pool is set up smack dab in the middle of the family room.  The first few games Steve gave lots of tutorial. Now, I think  he's wishing he had just let them be. 

(They're all getting pretty good at it!)

Steve's at home this week for business and I think he might be surprised when he returns  to see how skilled they've all become.

The pool sticks often double as light sabers!

Paigey lost a tooth our first day!  She will likely loose at least one more before we leave!

Whew! The tooth fairy even comes to Florida!! 

We packed her fairy pillow in anticipation of such an event! 

And here she is toothless with her pet lizard.  

(at her request!)

Aunt Pat is only a 40 minute drive from our home so we went to her condo one evening and out to dinner. The kids LOVED her back yard which was full of lizards.

Apparently Aunt Pat has not been running after them and picking them up, because she was quite entertained by the kids ability to catch them and their willingness to hold onto them.

Jake is by far the pro at catching (and holding on to) them!

Can you tell which one has been in Florida a while and which one just arrived? :)

Everyone on a hunt for poor, unsuspecting lizards...

 Pat lives in The Villages and we got a great tour of the property and town. 

It is really quite a set up!  A retired person's dream!! 

We had dinner at Johnny Rockets and everyone enjoyed shakes and smiley ketchup! :)

Paigey had the best seat in the place while watching  an oldies band play in the Town Square.  The kids loved dancing and can't wait to go back again!!

Steve donned the glitter from Paige's shirt  in his hair and on his neck for the rest of the evening! :)  Such a good Daddy!