Year 3, April 23rd-25th, 2018: Normal Happenings

Blah, blah, blah, this pretty much sums up the beginning of the week.  It's almost a week later and I've had to work on some other posts first, so I don't remember what we all did except the normal.  The big fun happened later in the week . So, enjoy what pictures we did take!

Abishai's first ring pop and he didn't chew it!  He actually sucked on it until the very end!  He's growing up!

Playing with his duckies, telling a story about the mommy, daddy, and kid ducks going to sleep!  He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES telling stories with characters!  I have some of it on a video that I can try to upload.

Mrs. Barbara Bush passed away last week after an illness.  I met her when I was 8 years old I think, for the 1989 NH primary I think.  I'm sure she will be missed by all.  Our grandparents' generation seem to be passing away one right after the other, but it's time.  Then our parents are the new retirees, and we are the new mid life crisis population.  Phew, time flies!

We were trying to finish up Ben-Hur and somehow Jared got on the copyright screen and, no joke, the warning came in like 2 DOZEN languages!!!!!  Craziness!  I liked Ben Hur and I think everyone should watch it once as a great testament to how you can make a great movie without special effects, blood and gore, sex, and swearing.  Definitely a classic like I've been told it was!

Next up is the boys' current writing papers! Benaiah had to write a persuasive essay (informal) for his English teacher and he choose to talk about how to make chapel better.  Grandpa gave him the suggestion to use three words that all start with the same letter (something Gary has done in his sermons regularly), and it works!  I think he needs to do some polishing because it sounds more like a speech, but his teacher said it's fine.  Either way, I know he'll do great because he's always been one to lay out a great argument to his benefit.  Then Justin had to type (his first time typing!) a 1,000 word essay on the Devil as he and Gary have been learning about in their study about the book of Revelations. Justin typed it, I did some light editing, and that was about it.  He did have a couple of iffy theological points, but overall, he used everything that we have been working on in our IEW writing course.  He didn't do a keyword outline, or a more formal outline, but you couldn't tell that from his writing because it flows so nicely (unlike mine).  Just a reminder: Justin is only in 7th grade.  After the minor grammar mistakes were fixed, this could easily be a late high schooler paper.  We need to work on citing our resources and make sure he's not just copying and pasting from other books and the internet directly. But I think 95% of this came from his learning and in hid own head.  One of my biggest goal for homeschooling is to make sure the kids can communicate well, including writing.  I think we've nailed that part down!  So super proud of them!

Having yet another PJ party.  Their favorite!

He brought out all of his stuffed animals and all of his books from our bedroom, too!  During clean up time, Justin put the books all away n the shelf and I just about panicked because I couldn't find his favorite Richard Scarry Car and Truck book, which is an exact copy of the one Jared had as  a kid.  I store his copy with the photo albums.  But we found it and life moves on.

So this happened!  We had some very wide open stay home days, so I did what I could to keep the preschool activites going.  I feel like I've done more things with Abishai than I did with Justin and Keturah, and probably Benaiah, too.

I bought the paint probably 7 or 8 years ago here in Indianapolis.  We brought to Canada and back in one piece.  Just your normal washable kids' paint from the education store.  I'm so glad I bought the cups, too.  Some were dried out, but the pain just peeled off the plastic.  And some were still wet paint!

Then we took our play dough cookie cutters to make prints!  He loved that!

He even tried to paint in the shapes!

Beautiful mess!

Stand up straight boy! Anyway, yes, that's pain on his left side!

There's an alligator in the right hand corner.

Star prints with an attempt at coloring it in.

Lots of shapes!  Cows! A circle, a Daddy and a Baby.

Then he quickly moved onto his sandbox.  That was short lived because he wanted to add more vehicles and I wouldn't let him.  So at some point I have to clean out all those cars.  It's pretty easy because I just shake them and use a tooth brush.

Yup.

Genius is using the hook of the tow truck around the pegs of the puzzle and then pulling the puzzle piece up and out!

Stretching at gymnastics.

We brought books this time so we didn't have to borrow from a friend.  But they did end up sharing cars again.  He also LOVES his new shirt and said, "My favorite monster truck shirt! Yeah!" when I asked him what shirt he wanted to wear today.  He has a huge vocabulary and says very clear and complete sentences.

Using the uneven bars practicing her swings.

Hanging out during gymnastics.

Same thing as last week: get up into a handstand and then tuck and roll.

Working on her cartwheels.

Playing a racing tic tac toe game!  We might take a break from gymnastics, regardless if the coach takes a break or not.  We would like to have out Wednesday mornings back.  But we'll see.

"I play outside, Mom! I play outside!  'struction turcks working!"

Aw, he brought me a flower!

Oh yeah, this was the day he had his harmonica and then would walk a ways with his truck, find a space to plop down and then play the harmonica.  Then he would get up and do it again! Our neighbors must think we're crazy.

I made Abishai a little vase for his flowers from the empty Cracker Barrel syrup jar and put it at his place at the table.  How cute!

Working, working, working.  He would be outside all day if I let him.

Playing his harmonica behind the tall flowers.  Adorable!

See, he keeps finding new seats!

King of the yard!

"I got get Sissy from rehearsal. Time to go!"  He said something more precious than that, but I can't think what it is.

Good bye!