The GREAT Outdoors!

Today we took some time to head outside! I love this about the weather in Tennessee! We can be outside playing in light jackets, or enjoying a heavy snowfall (all within about a week and a half time span!). The kids loved it! It was close to 60 degrees out, so we bundled up the baby and took to the outdoors. The kiddos played on their playground, rode their scooters, and we all three took a walk around our driveway (a good distance). It. Was. Wonderful!! Even Jasper seemed to enjoy it. Aside from Levi falling on his head out of a swing (literally falling on the top of his head--still not sure how he managed that) it was a great time. :) Gillian collected about 42 tiny blue flowers and Levi was on rock collection patrol. As always. :)

This past weekend we visited the fire station for one of Levi's little friends' birthday party. I'll post pics as soon as I upload them. The kids loved it. We spent some time last week studying fire safety and read lots of books about fire fighters in anticipation of the event. This week we are going to recap those lessons to wrap up that special unit.

Today we have started a "review board." We're keeping track of what we learn in each subject and make a one- or two-word note on the chalkboard about it. This way, at the end of the day, we can go back and review what we covered (this helps Gill a lot). So far it is going great. We've finished a snowman craft today (which I think took us 2 weeks to accomplish--LOL!), studied Math, Reading, and Bible, and also worked on handwriting. We were able to add some new vocabulary words from our studies today:
--sequence
--semi circle
--Emmanuel

Gillian also worked more with measurements today, using a ruler. We'll be working more with this in her Math lessons this week (although she already has some familiarity with it from her Map Skills unit in Geography last fall).

Levi joined us for Bible time. We're using a resource I wrote when I worked for the publishing company--Bible Stories to Color & Tell--for our activities to go along with the stories. It is so much fun to get to do these crafts/activities with my own children, seeing as how I didn't have children yet when I wrote the resource! How amazing is that?! I love the activities in the resource--each one helps children retell a Bible story in order of the events--especially helpful since we're studying sequencing in Math this week. It's just neat to see something like writing that resource and now using it with my own children come full circle. And I love Dan Grossman's artwork in the book--very kid friendly!

We're using the Jesus Storybook Bible to review Bible stories every other day. (We first tell them using our Bible curriculum, which is the Route 52 series, then review them the next day using this Bible). The kids love this Bible. A friend told me about it a long time ago, and then I received a copy as a gift at my baby shower before Jasper was born. I love it! Every story alludes to Jesus in some way, whether it is an Old Testament story or something actually from the life of Christ. I highly recommend it!

We still have some activities/lessons to finish up today: a state study for History, our fire safety review, and a handwriting activity as well as some read aloud time. I am also headed to the library tonight to pick up several resources I have on hold (to add to my LARGE collection of library books! LOL!). It never ends . . . but that's a good thing!

I hope to post some pictures from our fire station trip soon! Blessings for a wonderful Monday all!