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 20

     Better late than never, right?  Week 20 was a complete blur.  It was also our last week of Classical Conversations before the Winter Break.  The hustle and bustle of the season descended upon us and I have to admit, as busy as it is, I am enjoying myself.  We've attended more holiday gatherings this past week than we have in the past 4 years!

     Our week started with a cookie making party hosted by one of our lovely friends.  It was a delightful time spent with friends old and new, but most of all the kids had a great time making and then devouring cookies.  Plus, they had plenty of time to play and work off all that sugar.  (No, the cookies weren't Paleo, but I'm a little more flexible with treats for them this time of the year.)  The adults spent plenty of time chatting and just enjoying each other's company.

     We attended two more holiday parties a few days later.  One was a gathering of our Classical Conversations community and the other was hosted by a CC family.  Both parties were a blast!  I got to bake too!  I whipped up some Black Currant and Walnut Rugelach, as well as some Pecan Pie Brownies.  This is the time of the year where I get to bake a lot and give it away.  Sometimes I'll have a taste, but most of the time I bake it to share it.

     Oh, and yes, we did school work!  We began a short study on World War II and the human body.  Our study on WWII included the book Twenty and Ten, a short book that gave some insight into what some of the children had to endure during those tragic times.  Our study on the human body was more like review since the kids and I read (and watched) plenty of The Magic School Bus books about the human body and senses over the summer.  It was nice to see how much my daughter remembered!

     That's it for now.  We're doing one more week of homeschooling (we're in the middle of Week 21 right now) before we take our "break".  It's a break from the usual work, but we'll be doing a short and fun study on the Nativity from Intoxicated Life.  I'll also be using math sheets from Blessed Beyond a Doubt since my daughter loves practicing her addition and subtraction.  My son gets to join us as well since this is his last week of school.  We'll also do some arts and crafts and likely some more baking!