Nap Time

This is how EG's nap time goes:

Go potty.

Put on diaper.

EG says "love you mommy."

I say "ohhh, EG mommy loves you to" and I give her a big squeeze.

We sit in the rocking chair with three books. I no longer read. She flips through the book asking questions. These books end up in crib with her. Along with the six other stuffed animals and three blankets.

Sometimes a stuffed animal has to sit with us. She use to sit in my lap when we rocked. Now she has to sit next to me.

After we "read," I sing her Rock-a-Bye Baby twice. Sometimes in a silly way. Sometimes softly and then she will say "louder mommy, louder."

She dives into her crib and requests that, not only do I cover her, but I cover her Abbie, her Build-A-Bear rabbit that is on loan from Nature Girl.

I say "nigh-night, EG. Love you."

She says "Good night mommy. Love you."

Then I shut the door.

She now continues to yell two or three times "love you, mommy." And I continue to say back two or three times "ohh, EG mommy loves you too" . . .

Super Bowl Sunday

We watched the game as a family and had a pretty good time. We had a traditional Wisconsin meal. Brats. And the kids had a picnic in front of the T.V. I think they even enjoyed watching it. Including the commercials.

So, so, so glad the Pack won . . .

(Borrowed your pictures, Katie. Hope you don't mind.)

Silent Sunday

Fun Friday

Last night the boys, daddy, Boop, his friend JD and his dad all went to the Monster Truck show. Before they left, Boop said his stomach was up to his neck he was so excited. This is the second time he has been and he loves his Monster Trucks!

He has two big toy trucks, Grave Digger and Bounty Hunter. And about a half dozen little ones. And he plays with them pretty consistantly. But, to go see them in real life. Beyond excitement. Can't say as I blame him! It looks like a ton of fun!!

When the boys came home, after 10, these were the highlights from Boop: they shot a lady out of a cannon, one truck ran into the wall and they had to hit the kill switch, he thought Batman wasn't there but then he came out, and you crawl into the truck from underneath.

Both families met at our house and we ate pizza together. Then the boys went to the show and the girls went to the mall to shop. We went to Justice with Little Mama, Nature Girl, EG and our friends E and M and their mom. The big girls picked out outfits and had a little fashion show for us. Very cute!

My girls had Christmas gift certificates to Justice from Auntie Karla and they each bought an adorable summer outfit. (See pictures below - a big Thank You to Auntie Karla!!)

A great way to begin the Super Bowl weekend. Go Pack, Go!! . . .

FIELD TRIP!!

The kids just love those words. Field Trip. Today our field trip was to the downtown library. We have not been there in years. (We frequent the branch down the road from our house.) When we pulled into the parking lot, Nature Girl asked "Is that whole big building the library?"

I said yes and told them that it even has stairs! They were amazed. (OK, so we don't get out much.)

Anyway our purpose was a scavenger hunt and we were meeting three other families from our book club there. We divided into two groups and off we went. The following are some examples of the 20 things we needed to find:

A book published in the 1700s.

A dictionary published before 1970.

A book about U.S. presidents.

A book that showed Michael Brady's work.

The card catalog. (Which is no longer available!)

The reference librarian's desk.

The copy machine.

This is just a few of them. It really was quite a list and each team found everything. Well, except for a book published in the 1700s. We tried to look up some of Benjamin Franklin's writings in hopes that it would say originally published during his time but we couldn't find one. The closest we got was a book with a copyright of 1928 or so. As we explained to the kids, if there was a book published in the 1700s it would most likely be on display somewhere.

I think the moms had just as much fun, and probably learned just as much as the kids. . .

History

I still remember, in college, sitting in a huge auditorium for a British History class. I even remember the teacher. He was a tall fellow, lean, with brown hair. He was a runner and always wore khaki pants and tennis shoes. And, he was boring. I remember staring up at the big screen, trying so, so hard not to fall asleep. Yet again. (I think the class was right after lunch.)

Anyway, I LOVE history now! I have read with Nature Girl and am now reading with Little Mama, the history of England. The same stuff that bored me to tears in college. Yesterday LM and I read a portion of history when King Harold lost the battle of England to Duke William of Normandy. At the same time, LM and I are reading The Little Duke which is about an 8 year old boy who became the Duke of Normandy and his father's name was William. So, now our goal today is to find out if they are one in the same.

The book we are reading is called Our Island Story and Nature Girl is just a little further along then Little Mama. Each girl is reading living literature books that are centered around the time period they are reading about in the Island book. Nature Girl is up to the Pilgrims and is reading The Landing of the Pilgrims, which will lead into American History once we start our fourth grade reading books. I am also reading to the girls This Country of Ours which is American History going all the way back to the Vikings. Again, Nature Girl is further along than Little Mama. I enjoy reading it twice because I miss stuff the first time around.

Nature Girl should be reading all her books on her own. But, she doesn't. I still read them to her. Because I love history so much I don't want to miss anything. I guess next year I will read what she is reading on my own.

I know I have said this a million times on my blog, but this whole homeschooling thing is giving me the chance to learn right a long with my kids. By the time I read the same history books toEG and Boop, I just might be a history expert . . . .

Ring Leader

I don't like when any of the kids are sick. But, I take it especially hard when Nature Girl is. She is the ring leader in the house. Because of age and personality. When she isn't feeling well, the others just seem to float around. Not particularly directed toward anything.

This afternoon she is finally feeling better. I think she might even be fever free. Anyway, she is walking around the yard with a book called "What Shall I Grow?" and all the kids are trying to find something in the book they can make. Of course, it was all her idea. And they are just tickled to death to do almost anything she says.

Should be interesting to see what they (she) come up with. . . .