Merry Happy Everything! (129/180)

We celebrated Christmas:

We visited a dear friend with a week old baby (no pictures, since they haven't shared any publicly yet).  While we were there, the kids visited the Masonic Temple and the Torpedo Factory art galleries.

We visited with family, and celebrated New Year's Eve:

Which included playing a lot of board/card games.

W, R, and D worked with LOF.  W and R read independently and D practiced reading.  

I read to the girls: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss


The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

This week included 3 days of instruction.

Getting ready for holidays (126/180)

This week included a lot of holiday preparations!

W, R, and D worked with LOF.  W and R read independently; D practiced reading.

We went for a hike.

D and J participated in a Nativity Pageant, which W and R attended.

We continued our holiday book readings:

The Nativity by Julie Vivas


The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas by Madeleine L'Engle


The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree by Stan Berenstain


A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz


How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss


Jingle Bells: A Magical Cut-Paper Edition by James Lord Pierpont


This week included 3 days of instruction.

Quiet before the holiday (123/180)

R attended one of his classes at MAHC.  Unfortunately D was sick which meant that the rest of us did not attend.

W attended his Teen Program classes.

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

W, R and D worked with LOF.  J worked with Explode the Code.

W and R read independently and D practiced reading.

I read to them:


The Snowman by Raymond Briggs


The Christmas Snowman by Diane Sherman


My First Chanukah by Tomie dePaola

This week included 4 days of instruction.

J turns 5! And it snows. (119/180)

R and W went to the dentist and had no new cavities per se.

All the kids went to their MAHC classes.  This is a new session so they had new classes.  J is taking the 4s/5s class.  D is taking Warrior Women, Art Through the Ages, and Winter Crafts.  R is taking Capture the Flag, Card Tricks, and Lego Mini Figure Customization.  W is taking Capture the Flag, Programming in Python, and Lego Mini Figure Customization.

W's new Teen Program classes are Logical Thinking and Countries of the World.

J celebrated her 5th birthday!  And it SNOWED!

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

W, R, and D worked with LOF.  J worked with Explode the Code.  W and R read indpendently.  D practiced reading.

I read to them:

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert


The Sun Is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch


Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Barbara Shook Hazen


Winter Story by Jill Barklem


Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy by Carl R. Sams II


Santa's Surprise Book by Joan Potter Elwart


Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell

This week included 6 days of instruction.

Home again, home again (113/180)

We went for more hikes:

And some playgrounds:

Then we drove back to our home.

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

W and R read independently.

We are celebrating Advent by reading holiday books:


Muhammad by Demi


Clifford's Christmas by Norman Bridwell


This week included 4 days of instruction.

Thanksgiving Trip (109/180)

We drove to Austin, Texas to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family.  On the way we listened to a lot of podcasts, some with actual educational value ...

J baked with her cousin:

We all went to The Thinkery, a sort of science/maker museum/play space.  The water room was the biggest hit with the widest range of ages:

The kids all experimented with their uncle's virtual reality setup:

D (and to some extent J) did a lot of sewing, enjoying using her grandmother's classic Singer sewing machine.

R did some archery.

We went for a hike:

And D and J went to an Anglican worship service and made Advent wreaths afterwards:

This week included 5 days of instruction.

Yellow Fever (104/180)

R played soccer!

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.  W attended his Teen Program classes.

W played D and D.

We went to a Yellow Fever interactive workshop at the Pennsylvania Historical Society.

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

W, R, and D worked with LOF.

R completed Life of Fred Kidneys by Stanley F. Schmidt

W and R read independently.  D practiced reading.  J worked with Explode the Code.


The Little Bear Treasury: Little Bear/ Little Bear's Friend/ Little Bear's Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik


Making Tracks by Stephen Savage


The Little Lamb by Judy Dunn


Having a Friend by Betty Miles

This week included 7 days of instruction.