This week we are taking a much needed Spring Break. No school for anyone but a great week of Field trips to celebrate the great weather. We started our week with a Monday trip to the Zoo....
The Crew with the giraffes, ostriches, and there is a zebra back there I promise......
Had a great talk with the keeper of the Bush Dogs.
Po the 3 year old panda was very playful today. She kept diving into her hammock and eventually broke it. The kids were amazed to see that she tried to fix her toy after it was broken but just couldn't manage it.
Mei Lun and Mei Haun the 6 month old Giant Panda twin cubs.
We also got to see the 4 new Lion cubs, the Male lion actually move ( he's always sleeping when we go), and the Black Rhino. It ws such a temperate day for "Hotlanta" it was great to get to see everyone enjoying the weather!
Day 2 was another beautiful day so we headed to the Chatahoochee Nature Center. We did some hiking and learned a little to about the watershed that provides our drinking water. They were most intrested in just hiking and using their bodies today, but I know we will be back for some of there educational programs.
Kingfisher pond- Sunning turtles, tadpoles, Canadian Geese, and lots of fish!
they want one for the back yard....
Neat illunstration of how rain becomes our drinking water.....
After we finished up at the Nature Center we stopped and had lunch along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Then the kids played on the banks and found tons of small muscle shells.
Wednesday was spent playing at a local park and creek. Daddy got to come and play some soccer in the morning with us. The water was still pretty cold but they kids had fun anyway.
Thursday we took off for Chattanooga. Had a great time at the Tennessee Aquarium and then followed it up with some free play at the Creative Discovery Museum. This is were I make my mommy confession. After a frustrating bit keeping Taz in control and off the railings, in the dark I spanked someone else's kid! Talk about being mortified and convicted by God all in one moment. All I can say is God in his infinite mercy put a heart of understanding in the other mother. It was dark, I had my four lined up in front and in a split second this poor little kid slipped in the middle of my line and started crawling on the railing. In a not my best moment i picked him up and swatted his behind. When that poor kid turned around with utter surprise on his face I literally about died on the spot. But on the upside my kids got to see Mommy make a mistake and immediately apologize for it. The other mother was so forgiving and understanding I just started crying.talk about Mommy overload.
Peep Peep Peep was a very inquisitive Gentu Penguin
Largest breed of owl in the world. a Eurasian Eagle Owl.
We got some Free play time and much needed relaxing break for Mommy @ the Creative Discovery Museum.
We finished the week off with a walk to our local Doughnut shop before Mommy had to go to work. Fun week "off"of school!
This morning a robin hit our car. I got out and found him stunned in the road. We picked him up and brought him home. The kids made a soft next of dryer lint and grass in a box and laid "Mr. Robin" to rest. The bird was stunned, not fighting, but obviously alive. I was pretty sure he wasn't going to make it due to blunt force trauma but we gave it the best we had. We continued on our field trip and left Mr. Robin in care of Daddy, but unfortunately he died shortly after we left. When we got home this afternoon the kids buried him and had a memorial service. It was very sweet. Before the "service" we did take some time to carefully look at his features. This robin was obviously in prime health and honestly didn't have a scratch on him.. Ying commented that if she hadn't seen him alive before, she would have thought he was a stuffed animal. The kids picked out a beautiful spot in "Periwinkle Grove" and made a small headstone. Yang was very concerned that when we mowed the grass we would hit the robin but I assured her we buried him deeper than the lawn mower would ever be able to dig into the ground. They each said a prayer for the robin and then preceded to ask him to meet them in heaven so they could see he was happy. It melted my heart.
So this week we did the Dakotas. Spent a lot of time on Mount Rushmore. But let me be honest... Spring fever took over. We wrapped up studies in LA, Math, Spelling, History, and Sci in prep for our Spring Break! So there is not much to add this week.. here's the brief over view......
Reading- Ying finished up the Tales from the Odyssey series with The Final Battle. Yang Read Sarah, Plain, and Tall.
Math- Reintroduction of multiplication through arrays. We will start on the memorization of facts after the break.
Spelling- Lesson 31
Language Arts- We are nearing completion of time4learning 2nd grade LA. few more lessons and then we'll have to see where we go....
Read aloud- We tried a book called Navigating Early. I had pre-read parts and the story is great but it just didn't work as a read aloud with my kids. Its very complicated in style. I am sure a great middle school read but not for 2nd and pre-k even as read aloud... So we've moved on the recommendation from our children's librarian that's totally from left field called Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe.
Science- The girls put together there whole human body they had been working on in co-op. We also study more about forces and engerey ( ya that lap book didn't work but the info was great... we just ran out of time and attention span!)
History-- We read the assigned stuff on the northern plains but the girls are still very into the Civil War so we revisited one of favorite local site the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield. We spent a little time in the museum and watched the movie about the battle for Atlanta. Then we walked the trails and looked at the old fortifications and talk about the battle.
Hulk turned 5 this week! He had a great birthday party at a local martial arts studio with some friend from his class and families from our church. Hulk's favorite part was getting to cut his cake with a real Samurai sword.
It's hard to see but there are Ninja's hiding in this construction site...lol
This week we've covered the transcontinental railroad. MFW does a nice glossy version of the tale which we expanded on to show a bit of the uglier side. I don't really like just showing the up side of history, because very rarely was history a win-win proposition. We read a lot of books but also found some great resources online to include Math problems involving the railroad and great videos on You-tube. Here were our favorites: Video from Education portal on transcontinental railroad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl0lxIMMb9E
Free reading comprehension worksheet on the Transcontinental Railroad. Listed as 4th grade:
Science- We have Skipped over magnets because the girls did an extensive study in K. We have been expanding or study of Energy and forces. We are using a lapbook I found to do some hands on motion labs and to wind up our study prior to Spring Break!
Math- We are moving forward after a long period of review of adding and subtracting with regrouping, and reintroduced multiplication. We are mainly focusing on concept and will being with memorizing facts after spring break.
My girls are playing their first season of U8 recreational soccer. It's going to be a long season. You know that team in every rec league that's so green you feel kinda guilty playing them? You can tell them because the kids don't know what's going on, how to score, and the coach is practicing meditation on the sideline to get through the game. Guess what? My girls make up 1/3 of that team. We probably won't win a single game. We may not score a single goal. But I will still consider it a winning season for my girls. In fact, they will learn more from this season then any other they will play.
In the age where "everyone's a winner", my girls are learning to lose. They are learning to handle their disappointment. No fits. No stomping off the field. No taking our ball and going home when things don't go our way, or a referee makes a poor call. They are learning respect for authority,teammates, and opponents. They are learning to shake hands, and hold their head high because the soccer score does not define them. They are learning to show the love of Jesus Christ even when it doesn't feel good.
Their parents are learning how to lose with them. I grew up playing sports. I spent most of my time on the team at the other end of the spectrum. I was a ringer who played on a team of ringers. We won a lot. Not all the time but a lot. I learned from that but not this lesson well. I find myself having to step back. Having to pause the rephrase my criticism as encouragement. Having to remind myself that this is good. No,it's no tons of fun to watch. It's natural to want to win. But my attitude is the model for theirs. If I scowl and pout, so will they. If I choose my words poorly, so will they. So, I vow I won't because this is about something greater than a ball and a goal.
