January

January?
How the crap did that happen?!?
We're enjoying the last few days of quiet before activities kick in again...
Blogging has been sparse.  If the kids see me sitting at the computer, they think I"m doing something fun, like playing a game.  It doesn't occur to them that I might be paying bills or ordering groceries (Walmart Grocery Pickup = Best.  Thing.  Ever) or checking the news or blogging. 
They just see me at the computer, pull up a chair and start chatting.  Or they try to sit on my lap.  Or play with my hair.  After a day of homeschooling and being "on" - most days I'm just not in the mood to have anything breathing within arm's reach after 5pm.  So I give up and let them have the computer. 
But...today the little girl from next door is over - so I'll give it a try. 
And - get this - the kids are playing school. 
Like it's not enough that they live at their school. 

Because we were on our own for Christmas, we continued with school right on through - taking the day off for Christmas, but not much else.  It made the time go faster and gave the kds projects to work on. 

Nate saw Sam writing a paragraph and he decided to write one of his own.
 Typed it himself and everything. 
I never knew he thought his name was weird - that surprised me.
However, I was not surprised that he signed his writing as "Bob". 

Sam did the draft for this paragraph.  He typed it.  No tears. 
It was a Christmas Miracle.  

Two things that need to be put on the Homeschool Supply List are salt and flour. 
Seriously. 
5 pounds of salt and 20 pounds of flour have gone into making salt dough in this house since Thanksgiving.
The kids wanted to each make their own Sphinx. 
Ben got frustrated and ended up making ruins.  
 

 Here is what a typical day looks like. 
Chaos reigns. 
But somehow, stuff gets done.  

After spending two weeks reading a biography of Jackie Robinson,
Sam is starting to read "The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" -
 so we did some work on the Chinese Zodiac to figure out what the year of the Boar was all about. 
The Youngers were intrigued.
I have no idea when Chinese New Year is - but I told them we needed to decorate for it. 
There are now signs with Chinese writing and colored pictures of animals hanging prominently. 
Everywhere.  In.  The.  House.  

Nate was born in the year of the Tiger and Ben the year of the Dragon. 
They spent most of the day wearing these. 
It was cute. 
Mostly because it muffled their voices. 
But, hey. 

I was happy to get some sewing in.  I found the fabric for $1/yard and had to put it to good use. 
It's a little too long for a tunic, but she liked it.  

Ain't it the truth.  

We we able to use our membership to the Science Museum Oklahoma.  

It's awesome.  The kids can't wait to go back.  

Nate, in fact, declared that he wanted to homeschool if it meant he could go to the museum more.  

That's something.  

He enjoyed laying down on a bed of nails. 
Huh.  

Sam was spinning testing centripetal force until he turned a little green.  

He enjoyed driving. 
And the siren.  

There was a water table that the boys could make dams and redirect water at. 
They were able to make a water wheel work.
Both boys were at the table for 45 minutes.  

 Riding the Segway was a big hit. 

Our Peeps. 

The whole second floor of the museum is filled with games so big you have to stand up to play them. 
Think "Battleship" with a 7' tall board and checkers on a 20'x20' rug. 
Pretty cool. 
I imagine that it can be quiet there during the week - especially in the afternoons. 
It's going to be great.  

 Then we got home and people decided to try their own science experiments. 
This is why we can't have nice things. 
Sigh.