Sunday, March 1, 2009

Life Learning Center

NATURE IN OUR OWN BACK YARD

Did you know that the California state bird is the Quail? These pictures were taken from our Greatroom windows. Emry and I were sitting at the table one afternoon and Emry said "look Mama, Quail!" I didn't believe her until I look out the window and saw it with my own eyes and one even jumped up on our snow-covered deck. We have seen this family 2 other times over the last 2 summers but never in the winter. I was amazed, the birds were beautiful, much more beautiful than in the summer and they had a brillant dark blue around their necks, not noticable in the photos.







A MATH SELF PORTRAIT

Here you see an Emry self-portrait out of math rods. The assignment was to make something out of the rods--she was not happy with this task but whenI came back into the kitchen she had made herself and a dog and said "look Mama, it's me and my dog (no, we don't have a dog)."



Also this month we have been doing a unit study on George Washington, I wanted to include pictures of the lapbook we are making but we are not yet done with it--so next time. Along with the unit we played some children's games popular in the colonial period like Leapfrog, Marbles and Blind Man's Bluff. We also finished reading the biography of George Muller--what a wonderful, wonderful testimony of God's provison for George, his family and thousands of orphans. Our current read aloud is the Thornton Burgess book The Croooked Little Path--A Book of Nature Stories.

Emry continues to progress in her reading surprising both myself and her when she can randomly read a sign or some other literature. Some people might think "I could never teach my child to read" but I must say, "you can!" You just provide the tools and the time and the child does the rest.

Check out the 2 toddler wiggits on our sidebar. I found some great toddler activities (but I bet my 2 older ones would enjoy them as well) here--just the refreshment our home needs.

Until next month.....

Snowplay Day


Snow Girl

It was a beautiful snowfall--we all doned our garb and went out to the snow hill behind our house. The snow was falling lightly and the temperatures were warm. It was a much needed jaunt in the fresh air I could have stayed out all day.


Kensley the snow baby


Snow Boy

Brady Brayd is 5 months!


This is a shot of Brady's first meal--do you think he liked it? It took about a week for him to get the hang of it but now instead of this disgusted look it is an impatient cry for more.


Just a cute bright eyed picture.


So this is what it is like to be the 4th child--Emry put the Mr. Potato Head glasses on Brady when I wasn't looking and not a peep out of him for the torment.

Happy Birthday Ayden!


Ayden is now 5 and it had to be a Wall-E celebration. In this photo he is wearing a Wall-E mask and you can see Kensley in the background with one as well.


Ayden with his much wanted Wall-E transformer. The boy loves anything that transforms, some of his favorite things to transform are office boxes, 3x5 card boxes make great planes, salad spinners are great and his latest discovery the silverware holder in the dishwasher makes a great car park.


So I got to try my hand at some cake creativity--a Wall-e cake.


Ayden eating his breakfast of choice--Daddy's crepes--mmm good!