Kindergarten, Week 21

     In my last post I mentioned that we were already in the middle of Week 21.  I'm not even sure how we got through that week with all the things I had to cross off of my to-do list, but we did!

     Our week began with a last minute painting party.  We were invited to join other CC families to view the Christmas lights at nearby neighborhood.  Every house in this cul-de-sac goes all out with Christmas lights and décor.  It's closed off to vehicles so only foot traffic is allowed.  We wanted to do a quick, but cute craft with a couple of friends before heading out and luckily I had all the supplies so we went for it!


      We had canvas, paints, foam brushes and paper plates.  We had one foam brush for each kid, which was all we needed to get paint on the their hands.  Can you tell what was going to happen?

    
     My son couldn't wait to get the paint off of his hands, which is why his hands are almost clean.  My daughter, on the other hand, couldn't get enough paint on hers!  Below is their finished pieces.

     I baked Chocolate Peppermint Muffins to share with the other families we were meeting at the block display and asked The Principal to pick up some hot chocolate to share as well.  As soon as he got home we headed out.

     We got to our destination and shared our goodies.  This year the weather was perfect.  In previous years every time we've gone to see this Christmas display it's been cold and wet.  No umbrellas required this year!  We even had enough muffins and hot chocolate to share with strangers after our CC friends had their fill.  That was my favorite part.  People were amazed that we were just giving it away when they tried to pay us.  I think it's something we may do again next year!

     A lot of our stories this homeschool week were about sharing the Good News.  I'd like to think that the small gesture of giving away hot chocolate and freshly baked muffins to strangers reminded them about the Christ in Christmas.

     Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!



Kindergarten, Week 18

     Week 18 has come and gone and according to our curriculum, we are half-way through our first year of homeschooling and half-way through Kindergarten.  My, how time flies!

     Our week was jammed-packed.  With Classical Conversations, then a Christmas party planning meeting for me, a play-date for my daughter, then my birthday, plus having to help out with a science project; needless to say it was all a blur.

      Let's start with Classical Conversations.  Every week the kids are to prepare a presentation for their group.  This week my daughter shared her experience at Pitfire Pizza (where one of my step-daughters is the GM).  As I mentioned in my last post, there is a pizza making event every week.  On one of those occasions, I snapped pictures of my Little Toughie during the pizza making process.  I loaded them onto my tablet and she shared the pictures, telling the group what she was doing in each one.  The group thought it was pretty cool.  I enjoy that fact that the children get to practice their speaking and presentation skills at a young age and as they continue to do this they will hone those skills.  By the time they reach high school, they'll be able to present anything with eloquence.  I can only imagine how that will permeate their higher education and later, their careers.

     We had a play-date where my aptly named Little Toughie showed she could hang with the boys.  She was playing with twin boys and while running she was tagged just a bit too hard.  She fell, using her nose as a brake. (Gah!)  Her nose was scraped (Pretty good!) but there were only a few tears before she was ready to go again.  I even observed her standing up for one of the twins when another boy at the playground starting calling him a "little girl".  Ever the diplomat, I saw my daughter take her friend by the hand and approach the offender.  I couldn't tell what was being said, but since my daughter is always very animated when she speaks, I could tell that boy was getting a good talking to!  Later, I asked her what she was saying and she said, "I was telling him that it's not nice to say things like that, but he wouldn't listen."  I pray she will always stand up and speak up for herself and for those who can't.

     The rest of the week was filled with a meeting and my birthday plus a science project for my son.  As I type this, I'm waiting for him to get back so that we can finish working on it.  My kids were so excited it was my birthday (I think it was the fact we were all going to have cake, including myself!) and were telling everyone who would listen.  I was getting birthday wishes from people passing out samples at Whole Foods!

     That was our week.  As we head into Thanksgiving, I pray that you are surrounded by loved ones and take a moment (or a few) to count your blessings and share what you are thankful for.