School Daze

 

Here's an assortment of school related snap shots. Can't believe the school year has breathed it's final breath.  I almost did too. Thought we'd never get here, or that I'd survive. This was my 2nd year homeschooling, and I'm quickly learning that the first 3 months are SuPeR tough, then the next few ramp up in intensity academically, but go pretty smoothly ~ everyone knows what's expected of them, and they know that no matter how relentlessly they torture me, we are still doing school. And then comes April. April means I would rather do just about anything than school, and they feel the same way. As soon as the gloomy, cold weather takes a turn for the better, I find it hard physically painful staying inside doing school. This is one of the few reasons I'm grateful that I'm Type A. I think if I weren't it would be too easy to ride that slippery slope: "let's just skip..." But much to the kids' dismay, we don't skip, but keep persevering. Knowing that carefree summer days, and all the blissful happiness they bring, are just around the corner.
And my little Pre-Kinders have grown up so much this year. Charlie stopped crying when he was away from me, even at church. Mitchy has been sounding out words for his little pictures and stories for a couple of months now. It makes me smile to reflect on how different they are, although I notice Charlie is aware that Mitch can do things he can't. Mitch could write his name a year ago, Charlie has just now almost mastered his. Mitchy makes neat, detailed drawings, Charlie...not so much. But Charlie is wired to be more naturally athletic and aggressive and passionate. So we praise them for their strengths and encourage them where they need it. I imagine twins get compared to each other a lot, especially when they are the same gender, so we do our best to make sure they don't feel pressure to be the same. I think the fact that they look nothing alike helps everyone see them as the separate little people they are.
Here's a fly-on-the-wall look at our Monday through Friday grind during the last half of the school year. I wish I had some videos of me yelling at the kids, or of their power-whining, and calling me a mean Mom, that would make this photo montage more accurate;)

An extra set of lungs!

We did a "walking on eggshells" experiment, and even I was skeptical! But we successfully walked on the eggs without cracking them, and then ate egg salad for 3 days.

Charlie chose these out of the Blessing Box. He surprisingly never got in trouble at school. I was shocked.

Dawson sanding his Pinewood Derby car.

One of the many parties our little social butterfly fluttered off to.

Dawson took 1st place in his den at the Pinewood Derby. I love the look of anticipation on his face, his hands squeezed tightly together, as his car came down the ramp in the final heat!

Art class revolved around birds one week, and all of the kids developed their unique spin on the lesson and have been making gobs of bird drawings ever since.

One of Charlie's many spills, this time he caught his fall with his face.

A sampling of Mitchy's drawings for the day.

Pancakes and Pajama Day!

Cookie pizzas. See, fractions can be tolerable!

My own mini art lesson, eye balls, accompanied by my after school snack.

More of Mitchy's whimsical art, I can't get enough! More birds, of course, this time with our swing set and house.

Ella traveled through a new country every couple of weeks in school. We tried to cook something from each region as we learned about it. This was Greek week. We made home made hummus, home made pita chips, and some fruit and veggies for lunch.

Mitchy's jibberish along with his first time sounding out "Mom" and "Dad" on his own.

Here's a good example of how different the twins are. When I asked Charlie about his rainbow, he said "mine was attacked by leprechauns!" His teacher and I couldn't stop laughing.

Mitchy hard at work again, I love that his cheeks are blue from painting himself earlier that day. 4 year olds are the best.

Trike-a-thon!

The Bigs had a spring Evening of the Arts at NWC Homeschool Link. Dawson wasn't thrilled about having to go on stage and dance.

I looked over during opening prayer to see the most precious sight. A home run, slam dunk, straight A...those all pale in comparison to the joy this brings my heart.

Ella at her table displaying some of her art creations.

Dawson's display.

Ella in her thinking cap {brain map} and internal organ shirt she painted.

 

One of Dawson's favorite people, Titus.

Their dances were ADORABLE! I was too busy filming to take pics of it, but the PE teacher did an amazing job choreographing the night's performances.

We went to cousin Torre's basketball game, and I told the kids they could buy a Laffy Taff, but I only had a $10 bill. I told Ella to make sure to get change, and she thought I said "you don't need to get change." So they bought like 172 Laffy Taffy's. The look on Dawson's face was priceless as he realized their mistake. And I, being fresh out of surgery, almost lost my remaining ovary laughing so hard. So I had them pass out a Laffy Taffy to every child in the entire auditorium, and we still had a handful left. 

  

Twins' well child exams at Dr. T's. Always entertaining, and exhausting.

Ella was writer of the week thanks to her suspenseful clown page turner;)

Jump n Party. I was actually grateful I was just a few weeks post-op because I didn't have to climb all the flippin' jumpy things the whole time with the kids. Okay, confession, I do like the big slide.

The Fire Department, every Mom's favorite field trip;)

Ella's Arabic alphabet.

My kids are so inappropriate. They giggled and giggled after making my little piglet figurines sniff the Mommy pig's butt. One of course has passed out.

Scooter tricks.

100th day! I had the kids draw a picture of what they think they'll look like at 100 years old. So adorable.

 The kids are really starting to play together as a team. I love that they make up games to play, and there are enough of them to play baseball or soccer together. On this day I looked out the kitchen window to see that they had gotten yard bags out of the garage and were having sack races.

 A little treat for my Baby Girl to sweeten the school day.

 Mitchy's art class paper.

Charlie's art class paper. You can see his little finger there, he wanted to tell me that he messed up on that one so it "doesn't count."

 Math with a dose of Vitamin D. One of the many blessings of homeschool.

 A petting zoo came to Pre-K! The lady rescues animals and then adds them to her petting zoo. After seeing a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds attack these poor creatures, I'm thinking "rescued" may not be the right word to describe these animals. Um, what's with Mitch chatting it up with that girl?

 The biggest rabbit known to man. Scary.

Charlie was 90% certain this sheep was going to eat him.

 Last day of Pre-K! Photo credit goes to Ella, our photographer.

NWC Homeschool Link Awards ceremony, Ella was awarded most enthusiastic;)



Dawson received the friendship award.

 It was absolutely freezing cold on their Field Day, so I can only imagine how much regret the Dads who volunteered to go in the dunk tank felt. Hose water bath on a 50* day, super fun. Of course my Ella was the 1st one to dunk someone. She out threw all the boys;)

Dawson also dunked a Dad and was so proud to be one of the few kids that did. He was a little too happy about it, he may have an evil streak.

 They had face painting so Mitchy asked to be an evil Minion.

Charlie was a Storm Trooper.

 Ella making a Faberge' egg for Russia week. My Mom, Ella and I had a good laugh poking a hole in the egg and then blowing out all the egg "diarrhea" as Ella called it. Not the most glamorous art project, but when in Russia...

 

Dawson's last journal entry for 1st grade.