Wildlights 2014

Our busy schedule had us visiting Wildlights a lot closer to Christmas than usual. We had a chilly evening for the event, which made it feel nice and Christmas-y! We went to several indoor exhibits and rode the carousel and the train, but missed out on seeing Santa because the line was too long. We had a great evening and warmed up with sips of hot chocolate & coffee from thermoses. We stayed until it was nice and dark and left as the crowds kept coming! We had dinner at our traditional post-Wildlights eatery: Culver's! Yum!

He wanted to act like the crocodile was going to eat him!

We really enjoyed the musical light show on the pond.

Kyrie & Darren on the "Polar Express."

Degen & me!

I love this photo of Degen on the train!

Girl Scouts: Wonders of Water

It has been so much fun to be a part of Kyrie's Girl Scout Brownie troop this year! As a co-leader, I was able to help the troop wrap up the Wonders of Water Journey that they started last spring. The troop ended the calendar year and their journey with a holiday potluck and a presentation of skits about saving water. This is a great group of girls, many of whom have been together since their Daisy troop started in Kindergarten. The girls did holiday-themed activities, presented their skits, received the badges they earned the past few months and their participation prizes for the fall fundraiser. It was a great evening to celebrate their accomplishments with all the troop families! Special thanks to our troop leader, Rachel, for all the hard work she does!

Kyrie presenting her water-saving skit with one of her Girl Scout sisters.

The kids waiting for the badge presentations.

Kyrie was honored to be top seller for the fall fundraiser. 

Homeschool: Christmas

Our last unit of our homeschool year! Hooray! Our last unit is a focus on the Biblical story of Christmas. Though we read a Bible story for each of our homeschool units, religion is not the primary focus or reason why we homeschool, but we think this unit is important in building the kids' faith & understanding. During this unit, we learn about the story of Jesus' birth, and we talk about the meaning behind many of the Christmas symbols we see this time of year. This is a thoughtful & celebratory unit that focuses our attentions on love & family. 

Degen's unit folder

Kyrie's acrostic poem

Two of Kyrie's journal entries from this unit.

Christmas tree by Degen

Kyrie's unit folder

This is a nice book I found on-line that we use to talk about the meaning of different Christmas symbols.

One of Degen's unit words

Kyrie's narrative writing for this unit.

Though Christmas is the primary focus in our home this time of year, we believe it is important for our children to understand & honor the Jewish faith because it was the practice of Jesus, and also because we have several dear friends who are Jewish. We read about the re-dedication of the temple, light a menorah, eat traditional Hanukkah & Judaic foods and play the dreidel game. 

Degen's unit folder included a Hanukkah picture

Kyrie & Degen playing the dreidel game on the first night of Hanukkah.

We also briefly learn about the celebration of Kwanzaa, which is a wonderful look at how to celebrate African-American culture & community this time of year. This is an acrostic poem that Kyrie did about Kwanzaa. The kinara is the candle holder, Nia is one of the 7 principles of Kwanzaa, and zawadi are Kwanzaa gifts.

Christmas at the Conservatory

This rotating display really wowed us. Upon each revolution, we would find some new detail that enchanted. 

We took an afternoon field trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory to see the gardens in all their Christmas splendor. The kids always enjoy a trip to the Conservatory, and winter is a delightful time to go as there are few people there so the kids can run around a bit while they explore. We loved the bright poinsettias and cheerful decorations, but the highlight of our trip was probably the gingerbread houses that were there for competition. We oohed & aahed over the beautiful confections, and each cast a vote for our favorite. 

Kyrie & Degen looking at the gingerbread houses.

Degen's favorite!

Kyrie's favorite!

My favorite!

We loved the details inside this bakery.

These are some of the houses that we thought were extra-special for one reason or another. 

We laughed at the Frozen-themed one.

I loved the neatness & detail of this little town.

We liked the candy garden of this Africa-inspired gingerbread scene.

Degen loved the Grinch in the sleigh in this scene in Whoville.

A lovely afternoon!