Reading

Just a dad (and I of course mean the most awesome dad!) reading to his kids. 

 

And it must have been fascinating...

Oops! Sweet dreams little Colt!

First Cereal

Today Colt got to try his first bowl of cereal WITH milk!

He thought he was Mr. Big Stuff!! Haha! Silly boy :)

Cooking Experiences

Something that is really high on my homeschool priority list is cooking experiences. Up until recently I was not very competent or confident in the kitchen. I really want my children to know that cooking/baking is not only very doable but can be fun! 

And as a bonus, cooking and baking work on a lot of skills! With all the measuring, adding, subtracting, fractions, and counting there is some serious math going on. Mixing different ingredients and learning their properties is beginning science. It is also a sensory activity because, for example, flour feels, tastes, and smells different than sugar or baking soda and yet all are white (so cool!!). We are working on social skills when we take turns and we learn new vocabulary with each experience! It's amazing what one activity can incorporate. Not to mention it is a good life skill to be able to cook food for yourself :)

The cooking activities I plan are as hands on as possible. I let the kids do pretty much everything: measure and dump, break eggs, stir, pour, use the mixer basically everything but using the hot stove because they are not physically able to. I love this because it gives them a chance to learn and experience. Saffryn is actually really good at all the above and rarely gets shells in her eggs! All because we practice!!! I plan to do at least one a week and can vary from sweets, to lunches and snacks to breads...anything!

So one activity we just recently did was sugar cookies. You know I had never made sugar cookies before. I didn't even own a rolling pin and had to get one for this activity (see competent or confident until recently!!!). So it was a first for all of us! 

Here are some pictures:

And a fun thing about making cookie dough...it tastes good! Haha!!!

So I tried to get Colt involved and set him in his high hair with some flour for a sensory and he had NONE of it! He just kept telling me all done. So I got him out of the chair and the silly boy climbed up into one of the "big" chairs and was content to eat raisins and watch the big kids make and play with the dough! Lol!!!

Once the dough was made I let them play with it and experiment with it and of course taste it! They had a blast trying out my rolling pin!

Then eventually we were ready to make shapes. Now most of you know my dislike for sea creatures so you may be surprised to see the shapes...but that is all we have! And there are a few random blobs they wanted to add. Ha!

Yes those are whales (shudder). 

Moving on...

They ALL enjoyed decorating and eating them!

It was a fun project. But I have to be honest, by the time everything was cleaned up my bigly pregnant self was feeling all the standing, moving and cleaning that went along with it! Only 11.5 weeks left...I think I can, I think I can... 

Yellow Submarine

On New Years Day Saffryn asked for me to get out some markers to draw. This is by far her favorite activity. She loves to do art. So I get them out and she sits at her kid table while I chat with my friend who came to visit. Saffryn informs me she is making a boat. She also wanted to do a pattern. She works hard for a long time then brings me the picture. It looks just like The Beatles Yellow Submarine!!!! She hasn't even seen that album or movie before so her imagination just happens to match my favorite things! 

I love how the fish have faces. Actually I just really love everything about this picture! It makes my heart happy. 

Dentist

The big kids had their first trip to the dentist this week! 

Saffryn was up first!

She did so great! She was very excited and asked a ton of questions! She got a clean bill of health...yay! 

Next up was Pierce!

Pierce did so well, too! He was super cooperative! He hit his front tooth a week or so before Christmas and it is now starting to turn colors because of nerve damage. I was glad to have the dentist look at it. He assured me it was nothing to worry about and everything else looks fine!

Colt tried very hard to be patient and didn't have any major meltdowns! He did spend a lot of energy trying to get away from me though. Lol. But really overall I was super proud of all 3 of them!

Since we got new toothbrushes from the dentist we put our old ones to a good use...art project!

We used them as paint brushes and Saffryn and Pierce thought that was so fun and silly! 

Disclaimer: NOT a good project for your 16 month old. 

Hahah. I thought it probably wasn't going to be, but he wanted to try so I let him. 

He already wants to put everything in his mouth and he knows a toothbrush goes in your mouth so he was very confused. Lol! After a bit he did kind of get it, but thought it was pretty lame. He would have rather just brushed his teeth!

But Saffryn and Pierce loved doing it! Here are the paints we most often use in our art projects. Saffryn got it as a gift from a friend last year! We love them!!!

A fun way to extend our trip to the dentist! 

16 Months

So I somehow missed Colt's 12 AND 15 month pictures and posts. Sheesh. Poor kid. So here is his 16 month post. 

He is a big boy!!! His height and weight are both in the 90ish percentile (can't remember exacts). He weighs close to 30 lbs and was 33.5 inches long. He is in size 5 diapers, size 2t clothes and size 7 shoe. He has almost all of his teeth now as his incisors are trying to push through. He has light brown hair and bright blue eyes!

He is a really busy boy. I think sitting still is his least favorite thing to do. Well that and being quiet. He is literally the loudest child I have ever met. He doesn't scream really anymore he just makes a lot of noise and his voice carries. I mean he is LOUD! He loves to climb, jump, run and throw. He is very physical!!!

He really loves his siblings and wants to do everything they do. This can be such a frustration for him because he can't always accomplish what they can. But I am continually underestimating him. Just when I think he can't do something he proves to me what a big boy he is and does it no problem!

He loves music. I have recently started doing a circle time with my kids for homeschooling and of all the surprises I think Colt likes it the best! He will sit and sing songs with us and do flannel stories and finger plays with a big smile on his face. It is so fun!

He is a great eater (obviously). He has started drinking from big boy cups without spilling it everywhere. He still has a paci which I tried to get rid of recently. It was so funny because he did great during the day and for naps but had a really hard time at bedtime. He had a hard time falling asleep and then would wake up several times during the night. So we are compromising with a 90/10 rule. He has it for 10% of the time and I am really okay with that for a while. 

He jabbers constantly. It is so cute! He also has a few words now: ahh duh (all done), ada (again), no, ju (juice or really just drink), moe (more), nie nie (night night), ball, bye bye and my favorite...Mama!!! Which by the way he says about 100 times a day. He always checks on me while he is playing or eating or if he is sad or excited I hear "Mama. Mama" He signs please and eat. 

His favorite song is "We will rock you" by Queen. He says "ada" after we hear it once and will start getting fussy until it's back on then he immediately gets quiet and dances when it comes back on. We listen to that song several times a day. LOL!!!

He is a hoot! Though he is busy and loud and determined to get his way we all think the world of him! He is a joy and makes our world a little brighter (and louder). 

Projects

Warning: long post!!!

So for those of you who don't know and actually care (lol) we have decided to homeschool our children. Let me go ahead and answer a few questions before I continue. 

1)How long? I don't know! Maybe we will only homeschool for a year and find out it doesn't work for us. Maybe it will be a few years. Maybe it will be until they graduate high school. I don't know. And I don't think that is an important thing to know right now. It is completely overwhelming to think about me teaching my children high school subjects...eek! So I am just taking it one year at a time. 

2) Aren't you worried about socializing your children? YES!!! I am worried about a lot of things. I agonized over this decision for a long time. I researched, thought and prayed about this. And the truth is there are 101 reasons to homeschool your children. There are also 101 reasons to send your children to public or private school. So this is not a cut and dry subject (also please know I don't care to debate this subject. I want you to choose what is best for your family. Our answers to that question may look different and that is OK!!!!) At the end of the day it really excited me to try this. I will do the best I can knowing I will fall short in some areas. And remember answer 1? I am not tied to this forever. If this isn't a good fit we move on. That is incredibly freeing! 

Wow this is going to be a long post. 

Ok moving on. 

Today was a no nap day. Do your kids ever have those days? You just know nap time is failing? Well that was today. And instead of fighting it I embraced it and decided it was time for a homeschool "project" as I like to call them. 

I needed to have something all of the kids could participate in. I decided an art one bc we haven't done one in a while. How about car painting?!?! The boys love cars and it will be a great way to incorporate art. I originally thought about doing it at the table but realized Colt wouldn't really get to participate. So I took a deep breath and did it on the kitchen floor. I told the kids the rules (stay on paper, no throwing the cars) and let them loose. 

So fun!!! I was thrilled that they all enjoyed it so much. They did great following the rules...even Colt! 

They then tested the waters by getting their hands and feet painty. 

Now about this time I was obviously a bit distracted with the hands and feet painting. Colt decided to use his speedy quick ninja moves to drive his tractor on me...

Now I need to clear up a misconception about me. People seem to think messes don't stress me out at all and I welcome them with open arms. While it is true some messes don't stress me out (spilled drinks, some sensory things,ect.,,) some very much do. And about this time I. Was. Feeling. It. 

So I took a deep breath and told myself "it's only paint. It can clean up." But looking around I honestly didn't know how that was going to happen. How was this going to not turn into a giant disaster? I tackled Pierce first and just wiped his feet off with a wipe, took off his clothes and diaper and sent him to the tub. I then did the same to the other 2. Then I had a brilliant idea (if I do say so myself). I put the cars and paint buckets in the tub and asked the kids to help me clean them up. They thought it was a great idea and loved being able to help!

While they got started I quickly ripped off the paper and wiped down the floor. Good as new!

Then I rinsed our clothes out in the sink next to them and stain sticked everything. And the paint all came out! Phew!!! The kids loved playing in the tub and helping clean up. They did a great job!

The best part? It took all afternoon! It was a great project and one that makes me so excited to be homeschooling! I am looking forward to many more "projects". And while it's true I loved doing these things before I decided to hs I love having a clear vision as to why I am doing it and being more intentional and consistent. 

Also here is the end paper. I love how it turned out!

The kids kept saying, "Dad is going to love this." Weeeell...your dad puts up with my crazy antics not sure he loves them! Lol!!! 

Thanks for always supporting me Dan! You are the best!!!

Anyway, look forward to more blog posts of "projects" as I navigate this whole new world of homeschooling!