Holiday Vacation and 2014 Goals

                As homeschoolers we have the choice and opportunity to decide when we will school. Since summers are hot and at times too hot to be out playing we/I decided to school through the summer. This gives us the time to take the fall/beginning of winter off. This year we took All of November and December off and were able to enjoy our time together. We spent lots of time with family and friends. Started a regular play date with some friends. Had an amazing Christmas season and best of all spent lots of time relaxing together. Liam had his first birthday and soon Jared will have his third birthday. Now that the holiday crush is over and things are settling down we are ready to start back with school on January 12th! Here is to an amazing 2014.

   School Goals 2014

              Sight words- he is starting to pick a few up but we need to put more emphasis on it.
              Handwriting- Now that he is showing interest in writing his words we are going to have to put more emphasis on it and by the end of the year I would like him to be writing his letters without the dotted lines.
              Hand and eye coordination- I would like to see him able to start lacing and manipulating smaller things and possibly put puzzles together.
              Social Skills- This is Jared's weakest spot. We will be getting him his evaluation and hopefully some answers. I would like to be able to start taking him to the local library story time without him panicing and melting down.
              Math and Science- I want to have a small garden and grow some seeds. There are also a few other science projects such as ooblong I would like to do this year. We will keep building on counting and working on getting up to 100 by the end of the year.
              Language- This year Jared, Liam, and I will start working on some Spanish (I have lots much of what I learned years ago). I would like to see them able to name basic things if not more by the end of the year.

Fall/Halloween Weeks 3 and 4

  This last two weeks were a blast! We painted, picked apples and pumpkins, enjoyed the last days of warm weather.

Leaf Prints! I let Jared hunt out all the leafs he wanted on one of our many walks.

I adore these footprint Ghosts. I have done one every year since Jared's first Halloween. So neat to see the change each year. This is the last two.

Leaf Rubbings. Jared thought it was cool but it wasn't easy for him. 

Hand print spiders. The both loved these.

Our first attempt at Caramel Apples. Jared didn't like touching so he just directed me on what to put each apple into.

Our big pumpkin

Liam was curious and yes he tried to eat it.

Jared wouldn't touch it but liked watching and Directing me how to make the face.

Recently got these from a co op and love them for moments like the pumpkin decorating.

Jared was very proud of his paint job.

All of our pumpkins on the porch ready for Halloween!

Liam picking his first apple!

Jared really had the hang of it this year!

Jared picked the perfect Pumpkin

Liam with his perfect Pumpkin.

The Perz Family! 

And just a plug for something coming up that is awesome for the littles. ReindeerCam! Every day starting Nov. 1st Santa will be out feeding the reindeer and you can watch it live! He made a surprise appearance a few nights ago and watching Jared light up about Santa was wonderful. 

We have more cute and fun crafts in the works. Please visit our Facebook and the Website.    

Fall Theme Week 2

We did more worksheets and a few projects. LT (Liam) is really getting into doing projects with us. I made a separate sensory box that is safe for him to play with while we work. I set him up in the playpen with his box and let him explore while QC (Jared) and I work hard. Go HERE to see all of our pictures for this theme.

A few shots of our hard work!

This one was so much fun for Jared! He got to pick it from my fall pinboard! 

His pencil grip is getting so good and he is more and more refusing to use his left hand (which he has better control with) to use his right. Just need him to grip lower on the pencil to have more control.

G's were hard but he is loving making his letters.

Liam Safe Sensory play. I still need to stay with him to be sure he doesn't eat anything. A paci in his mouth is wonderful at keeping things out of his mouth. Pom Poms, Halloween Erasers, Foam Gourds, Felt Leaves, Felt bats and spiders. 

Playing in his high chair.

Playing together in the living room. Jared did NOT want to take his new lighting jammies off that day.

Liam hard at work painting his pumpkin.

Liam is on the left, Jared's is on the Right! Jared chose to paint with a paintbrush

Fall Week 1

QC and I are already loving the longer themes. We aren't feeling rushed and he is able to skip a day if he isn't feeling it.

    Every day we do a few practice writing worksheets, a worksheet with cutting and glueing, dots! QC loves his bingo daubers so we do one or two a day, he has the option to color or do a project from our pinboard, and we got the new sensory box made up for independent play.

We took this activity from our Kiwi Crate and adapted it for leaves. Colored with markers then sprayed with water.

We are starting to work with pattens.

My beautiful Fridge full of artwork!

QC's Trees

QC's hand leaf

LT's first painting!

Our fall Sensory box

Swt out our car rug in the kitchen so that he could play while I cooked breakfast! 

Love these puzzles.

For all of our pictures visit us on Facebook HERE