Snow Dump

So, just like most of the people I know we were effected by Winter Storm Jonas. Or the Blizzard of 2016. We are at the very northern limits of the storm so it seems almost ridiculous to say this, but we "only" got a foot of snow. A foot of snow at any other time would be quite respectable.  Twenty miles south of here got 2-3 feet of snow.

Anyway, here is a photo dump of the end result of a pretty big snow storm!

This was Lucy's first venture into snow.  Once she was bundled up not only could she not walk but she could barely stand unassisted.  I tried to get a video of it but I messed something up on my camera.

So she sat in the sled and we took turns pulling her around until she said, "Cold....in house!!"

view of our front yard

Sasquatch or Claudio?

always love the curl of smoke coming from the chimney.

And Then There Was None

Front teeth that is. 

He is one of those kids with no front teeth.

Ben-O-Lantern

It has been almost a year since Ben has lost a tooth!  This is #3!  He looks like a big Jack-O-Lantern.

He has been nursing this tooth for a while.  Yesterday the kids got lollipops at the Allergist's office, but no one thought to grab one for Lucy.  So when we got home Lucy was besides herself without a lollipop of her own.  I asked Anna if she would give up her pop for Lucy and she did.  Today I had to run into CVS to grab a prescription and I bought Anna an enormous Blow Pop for the sacrifice she made yesterday.  My kids have a disgusting habit of sharing lollipops (*gag*).  So after hours of Anna nursing this enormous lollipop Ben grabbed it and popped it in his mouth.  Anna, grabbed the stick to pull it out of Ben's mouth and pop....out came the lollipop AND the tooth!

In continued grossness....Anna offered Ben the bubblegum from inside the pop so he could practice chewing with one less tooth.

How A Seven Year Old Recites Poetry

The Moments I Love

My oldest and my youngest cozied up for some reading.  What's not to love?

The Flag Goes By

How Lucy Enjoys The Trampoline

Enjoy the bit of drama there at the end from Anna. Be assured she was absolutely fine.

Windy Nights

Anna just finished memorizing her first poem of 1st grade.  Windy Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Peak Into Our Science Lesson

 Benjamin is studying Botany this year and one of the first lessons he had was to better understand Taxonomy, or how scientists break down and classify different organisms.

His job was to collect a variety of shoes (and bonus....organize the breezeway in his quest).

On the chart he then decided what main groupings or Kingdoms he would use to classify the shoes.

sneakers, boots, crocs, sandals

 And to put the shoes into piles depending on those Kingdoms.

breaking them down further...into smaller groups.

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order

 A job well done!

The Fruits Of Our Labor

The first of several batches I hope.  I am picking and processing as they come

A Tooth and a Miracle!

****disclaimer: I just got a new camera and my already poor photography skills are made so much worse due to it

Anna lost her first tooth today. I doubt anyone has ever lost a tooth to as much cheers and congratulations as this girl received!!  She has been talking about it a mile a minute ever since and was very excited about a visit from the tooth fairy.

We carefully stored the tooth in a tiny little miniature cup with plans to put it into a ziplock to store under pillow.  While I was at soccer practice with Ben I am not sure exactly what happened, but it sounded like she took the tooth from the cup, put it in a ziplock herself and then went out to sit in the grass to wait for me to get home.

When I pulled in the driveway I found a very frantic and tearful little girl.  The tooth somehow magically fell out of the ziplock into the grass.  Wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I can only imagine it was a miracle that lead Claudio to actually find this tiny tiny little tooth in the grass after looking for about 20 minutes.

So Annabella is tucked safely into bed with her tooth tucked on her pillow.  And the tooth fairy should be here any moment!

School Day 1 - And Curriculum Choices

traditional first day of school breakfast: scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls

Why yes that is a toddler on the table driving us all insane!!

So day 1 of the 2015-2016 school year is over.  Ben and Anna worked steadily and got through their school work accurately and quickly...with nary a whimper for either of them.

Beatrice and Lucy on the other hand.  Whoa baby!  They seriously may not make it through this school year alive.  There was much screaming, complaining, wailing, peeing in pants, and demands.  I am considering velcro and duct tape for tomorrow.

So our curriculum choices for the year.  We sort of loosely follow Mother of Divine Grace as our backbone or jumping off point.  As you will see there are a lot of modifications though.

Annabella Grade 1 -
Religion: St. Joseph First Communion Catechism as well as a few other little books we will read together
Math: Abeka Arithmetic 1
Phonics: Little Angel Reader B and Workbook B.  We are just finishing up this from last year and will soon be moving to C.
Poetry: recommendations from MODG syllabus
Handwriting: Writing Our Catholic Faith Gr. 1

Benjamin Grade 3 -
Religion: St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 1
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 3A and 3B
Language Arts: Primary Language Lessons
Poetry: Recommendations from MODG 3rd grade syllabus
Latin: Prima Latina
Science: Exploring Creation With Botany with the Junior Notebooking Journal
History: How Our Nation Began along with a long list of biographies and living history books that you can find on the MODG website or in the syllabus
Handwriting: New American Cursive

School All Ready to Begin a New School Year 8/10/2015

It is certainly not the most glamorous.  Or even Pinterest worthy.  But it is our little corner of the house where school happens.  We are about to embark on a new school year.  Anna is in 1st grade and Ben in 3rd.  I will hopefully get to sharing our curriculum choices soon.  I am excited and ask, in your charity, to please pray for another successful year for us.

The Book of The World

Ben and Anna have been enjoying writing, illustrating, and "publishing" (adding binder clips) their own books.Anna created this one today and I just thought it was wonderful.

The Book of the World

Adam and Eve in the garden by the apple tree with the serpent hanging down.  See the apple in Adam's hand?

Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell

Moses and the Ten Commandments

On Lent Christ is Dead on the cross. On Easter alive.

An Easter egg

This cracks me up.  They always create a barcode on the back of the books.