Strawberry Jam

What a good little helper--what a sweet face! June Bug worked hard and fast! Ladybug can't wait to be able to make jam on her own!
They all worked so nicely together- I would not have been able to do it without their help!

Linz

Strawberry Picking

It's strawberry picking time! Around here strawberries are a big deal (we even have a festival) and 9 farms around us grow them and let you pick your own. We picked 20 pounds! This is our second year picking ours and the kids love it--even though only three out of six kids eat them! Wheel Bug likes to look at his picture, he keeps saying "That's me picking strawberries, I put it in Mom's bag, I did!" Hopefully where you are you are enjoying this yummy fruit!

Linz

I'm Back!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I last blogged but I'm feeling better now! Usually I feel sick for months and months but this time I started feeling better around 15 weeks (I'm 17 wks now)!!My husband has been such a big help! He has done everything from laundry to cooking to taking the kids to the library. I am so thankful for him and all his love and support (he even worked from home for 2 months!). School slowed down for us over the last couple months - the kids read alot, watched educational movies from the library, went to passport club, participated in activities at the library and kept up with their math. This week Ladybug and Stink Bug are finishing up on a project for Passport Club and I'm getting reorganized. Next week we will get back in our regular routine. I will keep you all updated on the pregnancy and what we are doing in our school room! Stay tuned!

Linz

Passport Club part 2

Today was Passport Club for the younger group. It was still my turn to teach Spain. We started a little late cause I was running behind (Wheel Bug cried almost all night long and didn't wake til 11:00 am!). We started off locating Spain on a map and talked about the bodies of water near it. We read the older kids poster and talked about the similarities to our country. We listened to a tape on how to speak Spanish--that was fun. We read The Three Golden Oranges by Alma Flor Ada and Anno's Spain by Mitsumasa Anno. Ladybug told the kids all about Pablo Picasso and then we looked at some paintings online. We then did some of our own cubism by cutting up a picture in a magazine and rearranging them on construction paper. We ate some food from Spain (ham, boiled eggs, carrots, garbanzo beans, rice and sausage) and then the kids played for a little bit. After they played we colored Spain's flag and then we made flash cards with Spanish words for the colors. Then we were done! It was lots of fun! The kids learned a lot and enjoyed being together. We will be having a Spain party on March 1st. I'll post our menu soon.

Enjoy your weekend. We will be spending ours with family that we haven't seen since Christmas!

Linz

Lost Tooth

Stink Bug lost his top front tooth today at the museum! He has been waiting so long to lose a top tooth (it seems like all his friends have lost their top 2 already-sigh)! He was very excited! On the way home he realized he forgot where he put it. He searched and found it in the buckle part of his seat belt. I told him to give it to daddy so we wouldn't lose it. Guess what!? Daddy lost it!!! Stink Bug is in bed and asleep but still waiting for daddy to find it and put it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy. It is 11:00 pm and daddy still can't find it! He has walked all over the house retracing his steps and is very upset for losing it. I guess DADDY will have to think of something! Here is Stink Bug's picture!

Linz

Field Trip To The Circus

Today we took the kids to the VA Air and Space Museum. The museum always has a changing exhibit--right now it's the circus. The kids were able to walk the tight rope, jump with bungee ropes, dress up in costumes, see a flea circus and learn about what goes on in the circus. The kids had a fabulous time! We also saw a movie on the first flight and the history of planes---it's amazing how far we have come!! The kids (who have never ever been on an airplane before) got to sit on a seat in a plane and sit in the captains chair. We spent a lot of time on that plane! There was tons to do and everything was able to be touched and played with and educational. We had a great time! It's nice to be able to go to a museum and see nobody else in there except for the staff!

Linz

Circus

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers

Ladybug, Stink Bug and Lightning Bug went with some friends to an activity at the library this afternoon. The activity was all about "Honest Abe." They read some books about Abe Lincoln, made a log cabin house out of graham crackers, guessed how many pennies were in a bowl (there was $1.70), played pin the whiskers on Abraham Lincoln and made a book about him. The younger two had fun but Ladybug said it was more for younger kids and that she was a little bored. We love our library they have great activities for kids of all ages and do a lot for the homeschoolers.

Linz

Sweet Ladybug

Ladybug is such a sweet girl! Yesterday she followed me around the house just waiting to see if I needed help. I didn't and we just talked. She is always helpful around the house and usually doesn't complain when I ask her to do an extra chore. She helps the little kids whenever they need help and cares for Wheel Bug as if she was his second mom (in fact she is)! Today ladybug took Wheel Bug out to play in the snow, after they came in and took everything off Wheel Bug said to his sister, "I want to make a snowman!" Ladybug came right over to me and said, "Mom, he said he wants to make a snowman, he's going to make me cry because he is so sweet!" She is so sweet to say that--I love her--she is such a good girl!

Linz

p.s. the snowman was a success and he was brought inside to be kept in the freezer

SNOW!

We woke up to snow this morning! Where we live we don't get a lot of snow and when we do it's very little. Today it's not even an inch but the kids are so excited to play outside. They all got up ran in to my room pulled up the shade and said, "Mom, have you seen outside? There is snow everywhere!" I tell them no I haven't seen outside yet (and when I do look it's white yes but you can see all the grass through it) and I look outside with them. They all hurried to get dressed, brush their teeth and tidy up their rooms so they can go outside. As they clean I can hear Jitter Bug saying, "I'm gonna get you Stink Bug---I'm going to get you with a snowball!" After they cleaned they (Ladybug) insisted we put on snow clothes (they are in a box in the storage room and we haven't gotten them out since we moved here in 2004). In the end the kids felt I was taking too long to get the clothes so they went outside without them.

Ladybug, Lightning Bug and Jitter Bug only went out for a half an hour because their older brother was being too rough. When Wheel bug woke up Ladybug took him out. What a good sister! We miss being back home where the snow can be a few feet (and it stays for a week) and we can go sledding. Enjoy your day!

Linz

Number 7 On The Way!

For all of you that don't know yet we are expecting with baby number seven! That's right you heard me baby number seven is due in the beginning of October! We told the kids last night and they woke up being so helpful. The older ones remember how sick I get and where very sweet saying, "How are you feeling?" and "Can I get you something?" They are going to be such a great help to me during the next seven months. My hubby stepped right up and started taking over everything (breakfast, supper, cleaning-with the help of six little helpers, laundry ect..) and just being so sweet--well he is already sweet but, you get the idea. For those of you who don't know me or don't remember I have very hard pregnancies. I am very sick the whole pregnancy (vomiting anywhere from 6-12 times a day), I start contracting at three months, I am usually in and out of the hospital cause of dehydration and to top it all off my babies come early (4 out of 6 had to stay in the hospital after birth--one stayed a month!)! I'll be okay because I have such a good support team! If you are one of those many people who say, why do you do it to yourself? I'll say this I (we) don't look at those 9 months (it's really 7-8 mo.) of discomfort we look at what we get in the end......a beautiful baby-another little person to add to our family. My husband and I are so happy and are so very blessed with such wonderful loving children. We are so thankful to Heavenly Father for our family and friends and all of their love and support.

If my posts are slow I hope you forgive me, I will try my best it will just depend on the day.

Linz

Our Blue Period

Today we read all about Pablo Picasso. We talked about his life including; his childhood, how he was grumpy/happy at times, his blue period, his rose period, his artist friends, his protest to the Spanish Civil War and cubism. We decided to paint using different shades of blue (except Wheel Bug, he mixed his blue period with his rose period!) and create our own "Blue Period." June Bug and Stink Bug didn't paint with us, they will do theirs over the weekend.

It was an nice Friday--we got some work done, read together, painted, played outside and no one argued once!!! Linz

Wheel Bug Going Out

Wheel Bug wanted to go out with the big kids to collect bugs. He put on his socks and then came to me cause he couldn't find his shoes. Ladybug said she would find them and put them on for him. She and I talked for a minute or two and the next thing we heard was someone trying to open the front door. We walked over quickly and there he was with cleats and shin guards on! Apparently she took too long and he took matters in his own hands! I love this age, 2, they are just so sweet!

Linz

Word Wall #3

Lightning Bug's new words:

today

egg

cat

fat

mat

hat

have

day

sat

rat

yes

no

going

bring

Valentine's Party

We had a party for the kids today. At our house we had twelve kids (ages 7-15) and a friend of mine took six (ages 4-7) to her house. The younger kids made bread, exchanged valentines, played and ate lots of sugary treats. At our house the kids played cards and board games, jumped on the tramp, looked for bugs, burned blades of grass with a magnifying glass and ate lots of treats. They all had such a good time!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Linz

Paella

I made Paella for supper last night. Perfect thing to eat this month while we are studying Spain. Everyone loved it which made me so happy. I have one little girl who doesn't like chicken or any veggies (we do insist she eats them though--but it's not fun) but, she ate all her chicken last night! My husband, whose parents come from Guatemala and Columbia, has never had Paella and he loved it as well! I can't wait to make it for my mother-in-law. Anyone have any tofu recipes that kids like (and can't tell)?

Linz

The Giving Tree

A friend made my kids their own giving tree. It's just brown paper, about 4ft long, and every time you see someone (or read about someone) being kind you write their name on a heart and you glue it onto the tree. On Valentines Day we will read our hearts and congratulate everyone on their kindness. What a great idea!

I keep thinking to myself, has anyone seen me being kind today? I hope that is what is going through my kids heads---I know that they all want to have lots of hearts up on our tree.

Has anyone seen you being kind today?

Linz

Spain Lesson

Today was "Passport Club" for the older kids. We learned all about Spain. We started out with a look at the map-we pointed out the country, bodies of water, the capital and the surrounding countries. We then went around the table and talked about their reports. We learned about animals, food, government, climate, religion and sports. June Bug (he is not part of the club but he does help teach) told everyone all about Ponce de Leon and the Spanish-American War. Ladybug gave us a brief overview of Picasso's life. We watched a video on Spain. The video covered all of the history for the country and showed important places. After the video we learned some spanish and made some flash cards. June Bug taught them how to play dominoes while I cooked some Torrijas (fried sweet bread). The kids left with their passport stamped, with a guitar or a hot pepper, a miniature black and white picture of a Picasso, a timeline of Spain and a crossword puzzle.

I didn't feel like I had enough time fit it all in! Two hours is not long enough to fit a whole country in. Oh well...that's why this is just a kicking off for the country and (hopefully) they do more at home!

Linz

February Reads

June Bug: Little Men by Louisa M Alcott

Redwall by Brian Jascques

Ladybug: Franny K. Stein Mad Scientist by Jim Benton

Surf's Up, Geronimo! by Geronimo Stilton

The Wild, Wild West by Geronimo Stilton

It's Halloween You Fraidy Mouse by Geronimo Stilton

Mighty Robots vs. Mutant Mosquitoes From Mercury by Dave Pilkey

Stink Bug: Miss Nelson Has A Field Day by James Marshall

It's Halloween, You Fraidy Mouse by Geronimo Stilton

Cat and Mouse In A Haunted house by Geronimo Stilton

Miss Nelson Is Back by James Marshall

The Toothpaste Millinaire by James Merrill

Lightning Bug: Arthur, It's Only Rock n Roll by Marc Brown

Miss Nelson Has A field Day by James Marshall

Curious George and The Puppies by H.A. Rey

Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth

Maisy's Halloween by Lucy Cousins

Clifford's Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell

Little Bear by Else Homelund Minarik

The Sword In The Stone by Grace Maccarone

If You Give A Pig A Pancake by Laura Numeroff

I Did it, I'm sorry by Caralyn Buehner

Jitter Bug: Curious George Goes to the Beach by H.A Rey

Curious George takes A Job by H.A Rey

Miss Nelson Has A Field Day by James Marshall

Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth

The Life Cycle of a Bee by Lisa Trumbauer

Word Bird's Winter Words by Jane Belk Moncure

My "b" Sound Box by Jane Belk Moncure

Rain Makes Applesauce by Jullian Scheer

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Animal House by Melissa Bay Mathis

Read Alouds To All: The Magicians Nephew by C.S Lewis

Puss In Boots by Charles Perrault

Jitterbug Jam by Barbara Jean Hicks

These books are only the ones we remembered to write down-and-we are still reading :)

A Must Read

I just finished Carry On, Mr. Bowditch! It was really good! If you haven't read it--you need to! Happy reading! Linz