Hanukkah '15

The kids were excited for Hanukkah this year, and we enjoyed our small celebration! We ate matzo ball soup and latkes, lit the menorah, read the Hanukkah story and played dreidel games! 

Lost Tooth #1

Hooray-hooray! After more than 2 years of waiting, Degen finally lost his first tooth! The tooth had been wiggly for a bit, and then while munching on a baguette at lunch, it got very loose. He had the tooth pulled by dinner! Our baby boy is growing up! 

Christmas in the Kitchen

Christmas! We work hard to give our kids a sense about the deeper meaning behind the Christmas season, which for us is about doing for others. Not shopping, but using the work of our hands to honor the ones we love and a larger service to honor them by helping those in need with donations to multiple charities. 

Darren sows and tends a garden throughout much of the year, the kids help with harvest, we pick apples together as a family, I spend days in the kitchen at the stove and Darren helps me with peeling & cutting there. Each year, the kids make ornaments to give as gifts, and this year, they helped put together a baking mix that we added to our Christmas boxes. Kyrie read the recipe and both kids measured & poured ingredients. They also decorated the labels. The kids enjoyed the work and creating gifts for the people we love. 

Living Herstory

Kyrie was very excited to learn that her Girl Scout troop would be working to earn the Playing the Past badge with a special Living Herstory party! Each girl chose a woman from herstory to study. Then they created a costume, made an accessory, wrote a speech and brought a dish to our Herstory Potluck. These girls (& their parents) did an amazing job! They looked great, and we had lots of yummy food to represent famous women. 

Kyrie chose Sybil Ludington who went on a midnight ride during the Revolutionary War (like her more-famous counter-part Paul Revere), though she was only 16 and her ride was twice as long as Mr. Revere's. Kyrie was excited to put her costume together and made a mob cap, a handkerchief, a bag and a lantern. For the potluck, she helped make yeast bread, corn bread and fresh butter (which we served with the family preserves). 

Homeschool15: Thanksgiving

Degen's unit folder

 We made it to Thanksgiving, which means that we almost made it to the end of the year! Whew! Holiday units are always fun, and the kids love learning the history of the First Thanksgiving. We spent a lot of time on both the history of the holiday, our traditions, and a focus on being thankful. 

Degen is thankful for...

Kyrie's unit folder

Kyrie is thankful for...

Kyrie's thematic writing project

Kyrie's 'country' study: Antarctica

I thought both of these were funny!

Kyrie's Mayflower model

Homeschool15: Farms (On & Under the Prairie)

Kyrie's unit folder

 Sadly, it has been quite some time since I updated the blog, and this unit was several weeks ago. During this unit, we talked all about farms, including: farm animals, gardens, and underground animals. This unit guides us into our Thanksgiving & Harvest unit. 

Kyrie also completed a country study about Australia during this unit.

Operation Christmas Child '15

The kids were very excited to participate in Operation Christmas Child again this year. We eagerly filled shoe boxes that we pray will safely travel to their intended destination and bless the hearts & lives of the children who receive them! 

St. Martin's Lantern Processional with OGLS

The St. Martin's Day lantern processional held by the Ohio German Language School is one of our favorite activities of the year. We were happy for mild weather and meeting lots of friends to join with us to hear the story of St. Martin, sing, parade and enjoy lots of delicious treats afterward!