We enjoyed a low-key Spring Break and are back into the routine of homeschool and me trying to teach kids to read from home.
This made me chuckle:
Fortunately both kids have held pretty good attitudes about the work they're given by their teachers. They have specific tasks to do online in math, 20 mins of reading and an activity from a choice board for reading, Willow has specific science and english skills to practice online as well as a specific writing prompt, and Owen has a choice board for writing. In between all of that we have technology, art/music, exercise, and snack. Owen's grumbling is usually because he's done WAY too many money and 2-digit math problems. Willow's struggle is usually responding well to her "new teacher" trying to help her with her writing organization.
I had both kids write a letter to the governor:
Some of Owen's writing from his choice board:
He was to pick an item from the pantry then make a recipe for it!
He enjoyed getting an extra Kiwi Crate box from the Caldwells for his birthday. He picked this pinball machine!
Owen has spent HOURS drawing videos from the Art for Kids Hub YouTube channel. He has 17 Star Wars drawings that he put into a book and now he's been really into drawing characters from Minecraft for a book. In between that he's made Easter cards for each of us as well as some neighbors!
Willow helped me put together this bookcase for our room:
Alli thought it was great too!
She's been able to complete some random boxed activities that she's been gifted in the past year or two. This one was Oozeys:
I think she's been missing social interaction the most out of the 4 of us. She named 5 girls from school and I set up a Zoom call for them. Thankfully all of them were able to get on and they talked for 2 HOURS!! They only got off because I told her dinner was ready. It was good to hear so many giggles coming from her room though!
Willow has been REALLY in to games. We all enjoy games as well, so it's been fun. But when Willow gets hooked on a game, it's all she wants to play. She's done that with Sushi Go, Sleeping Queens, Catan Jr., and now Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza (our newest favorite!!).
She lost another tooth!!
She's also growing so much that Chris has a hard time determining whose clothes are whose anymore. Here she is in one of my shirts that was in her closet by accident:
I've been able to pack up all of my stuff from school to bring home since I'll be starting a job in a new school system next school year. I'm doing my best to teach kids to read that don't have internet access or always parents that make them sit down and do the work that's available for them. Alli has made it interesting to record videos from home:
I've enjoyed step-by-step drawing too but my favorites are from Rob Biddulph's YouTube channel. I sent these to the kiddos from school who haven't joined my online class yet :/
I've completed other various organizational and cleaning tasks that just never happen to get done. One was organizing our Christmas cards. Who knows what happened to all of them from 2012???
My other challenge I'm taking on is the dandelions taking over our yard:
Bags and bags of dandelions!!! A friend told me that they're really good for you to eat. We've pondered it but not tried them yet...
Our power went out for 20 hours after a wind storm and our cable never reset. This poor man from Cox isn't able to go into any homes (understandably) so he was Facetiming with Chris to walk him through what to do. Unfortunately it took 3 boxes to get one to work :(
Outside of the dandelions, we do have lots of beautiful blossoms around the yard!
The apple tree is doing well! Owen will excited once it's ready to product fruit!
We were able to look at the kids' report cards online and were proud of the nice things their teachers had to say about them:
Our church has tried to keep the kids connected through different weekly challenges and Zoom Sunday School lessons. We enjoyed this challenge on Owen's birthday:
Take One:
Take Two:
Alli seems to be enjoying having people home more and is soaking up the extra attention/napping spots:
Our Spring Break plans included camping at our friends new campground (
Emberglow) in their family size treehouse then joining the Caldwells, Nana, and Grandpa at Great Wolf Lodge (the kids didn't know). Since BOTH places are closed, so we decided to camp out in the back yard instead.
It was a pink moon that night!
These kids can't eat breakfast or lunch without a book to read!
The Murrays really sparked a love for swinging with this gift!
Nana and Grandpa came by for a quick lunch, Easter egg hunt, and gift drop-off outdoors and at a distance. Thankfully it was warmer than forecasted so it was nice to be outdoors and see them!
Willow got this ball for her birthday 4 years ago and the kids played with it a lot then, but after it got left out in the sun and rain for too long it got pretty nasty, so we hosed it down and put it in the garage....to be forgotten apparently. We remembered it and brought it out and the
kids have LOVED it! They've spent HOURS in it and have
made up their own games with it.
It makes for a good reading spot too!
This mom loves when everyone's happy!!
Dinner outside...before the flies and humidity get too bad!
When you're talking to Gramma but still need two hands to play:
And a sad Corona virus update:
