April Zoo School

Just a few pics from April's zoo school session. We are winding down our 'school' year activities...and I am trying to figure out all our summer activities. The kids were excited for two 'touch' animals: a penguin and an alligator. We learned lots and look forward to the last session of the term next month.

Awww! Rats!

We told Kyrie several years ago (upon her inquiry) that she would be allowed to get a pocket pet of her own when she turned 9 or 10... if she could prove responsible enough. She kept us to our word, and in the months preceding her ninth birthday, we helped her prepare for her pets. First, I did my research and learned that rats were the best first pets for children. Then, we set Kyrie down at the computer so that she could research what she would need to be an owner of pet rats. Darren did his own research and then bought Kyrie some books on rat care. She spent hours reading and learning. Our birthday gift to her was a cage for the rats, but we told her that she would be responsible for purchasing the other things she would need for their care & keeping. 

The evening of her birthday, we surprised her with a trip to the pet store to choose her new pets. She picked out two small rats and named them Sugar Pie & Honey Bunch. In the next days, she bought the things she would need to give them a good home.

They have proven to be very good pets! She spends time each day socializing with them, making sure they have food & water and keeping their cage clean. It has been a great experience thus far!

Homeschool15: Spring (Easter & Passover)

Holiday units are always fun. This unit we read about spring and its celebrations: Easter & Passover. We dyed Easter eggs, visited the Easter Bunny and had a chocolate Seder. Both children continued on their regular practices in reading, comprehension and math. For French, they reviewed numbers and colors. 

That face! Ha!

Some of Degen's journal entries. The illustration of the bunny shows his belly full of carrots while he thinks about a carrot.

Kyrie spent time this unit learning about plants & flowers. She completed her unit study about Egypt, with a side "trip" to Morocco. 

Kyrie's unit writing project was an informational piece about plants.

Kyrie's acrostic poem about Easter.

As part of her Egypt study, she had to figure out how to write her name phonetically using Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Easter 2015

What a week for celebration! My birthday was Wednesday, Kyrie's Thursday, Passover Seder Friday, Easter Sunday and Darren's birthday Monday! Whew! 

The Bunny did not disappoint this Easter! The kids woke up with nearly empty baskets (save for a chocolate bunny apiece) and within a few minutes they had filled those baskets to the top with candy and eggs and a few toys, too! It was a beautiful day to be together!

The kids were surprised with baskets from their Nana Billie & Papa Derrel!

The kids had fun dyeing Easter eggs on Saturday evening.

Some of our Easter candy!

Our Easter table, set with Darren's grandmother's dishes. 

Chocolate Seder

Last year, we were grateful to join good friends at their family Seder. This year, we had our own Seder... a chocolate Seder to celebrate Passover. I was a little nervous about arranging everything (which is part of why I chose to do a chocolate Seder, though in the end it seemed to be about the same amount of prep as a traditional Seder), but it came together easily. I found some very nice Haggadahs on-line to help me plan for the evening. The kids were excited, and it ended up being a wonderful time of reflection and celebration for our family. I hope that we will have the chance to join our friends again next year, but if not, I am more confident that we can have a "successful" family Seder at home. 

Happy Birthday, Kyrie! (#9)

Wow! It is hard to believe that our baby girl is now 9! We started her day with a traditional birthday doughnut... that was so full of candles that we decided we might have to change how we candle next year. 

Kyrie was happy that her best friend was on Spring Break on her birthday. We met at a nearby mall for our traditional photo with the Easter Bunny before visiting some of our favorite stores and enjoying a delicious meal. It was a happy day! 

Later that afternoon, the kids & I went to see "Cinderella" before having a family dinner at Kyrie's choice: Steak 'n' Shake. Then... SURPRISE! Darren suggested that we go check out the pet store to see about the selection of rats that had come in that day. 

We had told Kyrie years ago that when she turned 9 she could get a pocket pets. I did some research and learned that rats were the best pocket pets for kids. A few months ago, Kyrie started her own research about what she would need to own rats. Her research started on the internet, and then Darren bought her a rat care book that she began to study in earnest. As her birthday approached, we bought her a cage (which was our present) and helped her plan for the things she would need to purchase (with either her allowance or money/gift cards she received from her birthday). 

We set the cage up and told her that she could go pick out her new pets the weekend after her birthday... then the Friday after her birthday because Darren took the day off... and then SURPRISE! Darren was telling her we could go pick them up the evening of her birthday! She picked out two, small female rats, and we took them home. It was a very happy birthday for our little girl!

Kyrie's birthday cake!

Homeschool15: Home & Community

Degen's unit folder

During this unit, we talk about homes and communities, including community helpers. We are working our way through our spring units, which cover studies about our world (big & small). 

Kyrie's unit project was to draw a map of a town that included necessary features of a community (and somehow I didn't get a pic of it). She chose to write an opinion piece about the best kind of house for her unit writing project. Her country study was about Egypt, which she finished up at the conclusion of our next unit. 

Kyrie's riddle poem

She loves these practice sheets and thought this was funny!

Degen is doing such a good job building his phonics and pre-reading strategies. During this unit, he focused on the difference between the city and the country and jobs in the community.