Degen's 6th Birthday Party: Star Wars

We had a blast at Degen's 6th Birthday Party! We were at the kids' gymnastics center for a Jedi Training Academy and lots of Star Wars themed fun. The day Degen's party was scheduled we were hit with record-breaking snowfall, so we rescheduled for the very next day and were grateful that almost every guest was able to make it. It was such a treat having all our friends together!

One thing that made this party fun was all the themed food. The kids got such a kick out of the menu with everything from the drinks to the cake including a fun Star Wars label. While the kids ran through an obstacle course, jumped in the "cheese pit" and bounced on the trampoline, the adults snacked & talked. Soon enough, our hungry Padawans were joining us to refill after their training academy adventures.

When unloading the car, Darren didn't realize that he was picking up the cake and slung the bag the cake box was in like it was just a bag. Thankfully, there was only minor damage.

After they ate, the kids used stickers to design their own droids. They loved this and did such a great job. We named their droids (a la R2-D2) using their initials and favorite numbers. They also had a coloring picture they could work on. These were nice fill-in activities as the kids finished up their meals before we served cake.

This year's cake turned out really well and was not overly difficult to put together. I used a rectangle pan, a circle pan (halved) and 4 square cupcakes to put together R2. Degen requested a rainbow cake, which I simply colored using food coloring... unfortunately, I thought this year's cake was a little dry. 

The Birthday Boy!

We had Star Wars themed goodie bags with an assortment of school items (eg. markers, notebooks, rulers, etc.), as well as some small toys and Star Wars gummies. Each child also received a Jedi certificate and a pool noodle light saber. The kids really loved the light sabers, which were micro-sized, which I loved because it meant that the outbreak of Jedi fights was fractionally less chaotic. 

I think a good time was had by all, and we are appreciative for all the families who came out to help us celebrate! May the force be with you!

The Padawans!

Happy 6th Birthday, Degen!

Our little boy is growing up! He had an amazing day that began with a traditional birthday doughnut! We went to Chuck E. Cheese, one of his favorite places, for lunch & play... and he & Kyrie won A LOT of tickets and had lots of fun!

Degen's birthday dinner was at Steak 'n Shake where he was so excited to get his very own birthday shake! Then we went to see Disney On ice. Darren surprised us with amazing seats, and we let the kids pick out a souvenir treat (which we never do). The show was great, and we all had a great time. Kyrie declared that Degen had "the best birthday ever."

After the show, Degen opened his gifts. He was very excited for all of his presents. This was a great end to a wonderful birthday for our little man! 

Homeschool15: Valentine's Day/Love

Holiday units are always fun and a little busier with extra activities. The kids made Valentine's for family and friends. During this unit, we talk about the holiday, as well as, wrap up discussions about the relationships that fill our lives with love. The kids also experimented with magnets. 

Degen's unit folder

Degen learned about the colors in French.

Some of Degen's journal entries.

Degen continues to work on phonics skills.

Kyrie's French assignment.

Kyrie's thematic project: a love poem.

Kyrie's unit folder

Kyrie's unit writing project about love.

Homeschool15: All About Me!

The kids had fun exploring favorites, senses and feelings during our All About Me unit. 

Degen is going over the alphabet again.

Kyrie's folder of favorite things.

Kyrie's unit independent project

Kyrie's unit writing project

Mad River Tubing

We were excited to try out a day of tubing for the Girl Scout Day at Mad River, a nearby ski park. It has been so cold lately, that it is hard to believe that this single day saw temps in the upper-40s. We bundled up and hit the hills and had a ton of fun! It was warm in our cold weather gear (which we kept on for the waterproofing quality), but we loved speeding down the hills as singles, doubles or altogether as a family. We got there first thing in the morning, but as the crowds grew and the weather got warmer, the hills got slushy...which ended up being perfect timing as both kids were tired. It was a lot of fun, and we look forward to tubing or maybe trying out skiing next year.

Heading up the 'magic carpet.'