Maria's Blog

Christmas Cookie Art

2011-12-22T11:47:00.001-06:00

We finally got around to decorating our Christmas cookies today. The natural vegetable dyes are not as vibrant and bold as the synthetic ones, but the boys and I don't mind. The decorating bottles I bought last year worked perfect for the boys and made it even more fun! The cookies we made are just a basic cookie recipe, but I used sprouted whole grain flour. They taste great!

Face of deception

2011-12-22T08:22:00.001-06:00

Cameron really wanted to try to eat a cranberry out of the bag. Carson told him it would taste terrible, but he wanted to try it anyway. He ate it and smiled and convinced me and Carson that he liked it. Then he urged Carson to eat one. After Carson tried one, Cameron rolled over in laughter. I took a picture of each of their reactions. Sneaky 4 year old - sure have my hands full with this boy!

Gaylord Texan

2011-12-22T07:55:00.001-06:00

Mark and I took the boys last night to the Gaylord Texan. They have it decorated so beautifully. We had a lovely dinner and explored everywhere. They even had a life-sized gingerbread house decorated with candy and chocolate!

Sorry the pictures didn't come out too well.

Yesterday afternoon, I also took the boys to meet up with their good friends to watch a fun marionette variety Christmas show. I was thrilled to spend some time chatting with their mom, my sweet friend Jen.

Homemade Snowglobes

2011-12-21T10:17:00.001-06:00

The boys and I just finished making snowglobes. Fun! We used pimento jars, glitter and plastic animals we already had. Here is a great trick I learned online: put 1 tsp of corn syrup into the water. It makes the glitter fall slower.

Big floppy sunglasses

2011-12-21T07:46:00.001-06:00

My four year old thinks these are cool sunglasses.

Skating with Santa

2011-12-16T14:29:00.001-06:00

I took the boys skating today with Santa Claus. Cameron followed him all over the rink and loved doing the limbo with him. (That is Carson in the background as a blur speeding under the limbo pole)

Reason #8,438 I homeschool

2011-12-16T08:47:00.001-06:00

Reading in front of the fireplace on a cold school day!

Budding Authors

2011-12-14T13:04:00.001-06:00

Yesterday the boys were each inspired to write a book about animals. We stopped all 'school' and just did this. I figured it covered almost all subjects and then some. I LOVE homeschooling!

Friends and fun

2011-12-11T09:30:00.001-06:00

My good friend's daughter just turned 8 years old. We had a wonderful time celebrating with them and all of their friends last night. One of my favorite evenings this year! Thanks Sree!

Another fun Christmas party

2011-12-09T13:24:00.001-06:00

The boys and I just got home from another fun Christmas party. It was a bunch of home school friends and the children did a fun ornament exchange. The kids ranged in age from baby to teenager. Great group of people.

Christmas party

2011-12-08T17:42:00.001-06:00

Heading out to meet Mark in downtown for a Christmas party. I love this time of year!

Gingerbread men

2011-12-07T11:09:00.001-06:00

Our advent calendar today was make gingerbread men cookies! They sure do smell yummy!

Yule Log

2011-12-04T13:55:00.001-06:00

The boys decided that they wanted to make yule logs. I went outside and found a small log and split it in half with a screwdriver and hammer. Then they hot glue gunned anything that they could get their hands on.

Homemade Advent Calendar

2011-11-30T22:48:00.001-06:00

My good friend Jen inspired me to create a homemade advent calendar. After a trip to the dollar store, I came home with these adorable little stockings that I numbered and clipped to a silver rope. Instead of the typical chocolate and toys, most days will be filled with a paper stating an act of kindness for the day or a non-tangible item (ex: make and send a card to someone special, make cookies for neighbor, play board games instead of doing school, etc.).

I can't wait for the boys to see this in the morning!

Homemade candy bars

2011-11-28T15:26:00.001-06:00

I made homemade candy bars this afternoon with the boys. Yum!

First, I started making a regular recipe of date nut bars in the food processor....dates, nuts, banana, vanilla, coconut, nutmeg. Then I melted some dark chocolate and spread it on top. They were a hit!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T19:33:00.001-06:00

The boys wanted to do some school today so in addition to a little of their regular curriculum, I came up with this Native American teepee scene idea. We went outside and hunted for tiny rocks and sticks. It turned out really well!

My amazing mom and dad came in the afternoon and brought a gorgeous and delicious homemade Thanksgiving meal! My only contribution were the pies. Fortunately, my sister and her family were able to make it also. It was such a nice time and we watched half of the Cowboys game after the meal. I just wish we had gotten a few pictures of the beautiful table and the yummy food.

I am so thankful for my amazing family, my incredible friends, and my special boys. This year, I am especially grateful to my mom and sister who are there for me when I really needed them. I am truly fortunate.

Thanksgiving Tree

2011-11-21T13:34:00.001-06:00

The boys and I collected twigs this morning that we put in a pot with playdough. Now we are making leaves out of construction paper to hang on the tree. The boys aren't wasting any time writing what they are thankful for on each leaf. 'Mom' and ' Homeschooling' are both of their #1. I am so thankful for these beautiful boys!

Dangerous Boys Club - Soap Box Car

2011-11-06T20:09:00.000-06:00

Mark took the boys to the Dangerous Boys Club this weekend. They made cool soap box cars! The boys really like them and especially enjoyed spending time with their Dad.

Halloween candy & Monster

2011-10-31T16:15:00.001-05:00

Cameron and I made some peanut butter cups while Carson worked some more on the front yard 3-headed monster he made with his dad. Fog will come out of the mouths. It is a bit freaky to me.

Fall Co-op

2011-10-31T16:03:00.001-05:00

The boys had a great time this year in our fall co-op. Here is a picture of them with Miss Lisa in one of their favorite classes, Ancient Greece.

Anatomically Correct

2011-10-26T11:50:00.001-05:00

At our preschool meetup and we made pasta skeletons. Here is a Cameron's creation.

Annual Halloween Fun

2011-10-25T17:15:00.001-05:00

The boys and I had so much fun at or annual homeschool ' Handy dandy no-candy' Halloween party. Did I mention homeschooling isn't just for the kids? I LOVE my friends! You girls rock!

Weekend fun around the neighborhood

2011-10-22T14:06:00.001-05:00

The boys and I are eating lunch on Starbuck's porch after doing some errands around the neighborhood. Mark went hunting so we have special fun day planned :) The day couldn't be more beautiful!

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

2011-10-19T22:30:00.001-05:00

The boys and I met up with a big group of friends to attend a Dallas Symphony Orchestra Youth concert. Afterwards, the boys convinced me to take them to a fancy restaurant since they were ' dressed up'. They were so handsome!

Camping

2011-10-19T22:22:00.001-05:00

Mark and I took the boys camping last weekend. Even though they didn't catch anything, fishing was a highlight for the boys!

Pranksters

2011-10-12T18:54:00.001-05:00

It looks like I'm raising a couple of pranksters. When I get in my van, sometimes I have a witch buckled into my seat belt. While getting ready for bed, this is what I find. Silly boys!

Arboretum

2011-10-11T07:19:00.001-05:00

Spent a lovely day yesterday at the Dallas Arboretum with friends. The boys had a really nice time playing with their friends. I loved catching up with my friend too! Love you Sree!

Camping

2011-10-11T07:10:00.001-05:00

Straight from co-op on Friday, I took the boys to meet with friends for an overnight camping trip. The boys and I were able to set up camp with some friendly help! Mark was able to show up later and the boys were so happy he made it.

Animal Fun

2011-10-11T07:03:00.001-05:00

The Fort Worth Zoo held their homeschool day last week. They have such a nice zoo and the weather was just perfect. The boys and I didn't have time to stay overnight with my parents since we had such a busy week, but we had a quick visit.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-11T06:58:00.001-05:00

The boys and I enjoyed the pumpkin patch with friends last week. The weather was beautiful!

Football

2011-10-02T14:13:00.001-05:00

Hanging with the boys. Watching the boys. Go Cowboys!

Jumpstreet

2011-09-26T17:23:00.001-05:00

There is a new indoor trampoline park that we enjoyed with a group of friendso today. I thought it was ready cool, but their service left a lot to be desired. Hopefully, they will improve that. Then, we headed to the park to enjoy this amazing weather and celebrate a friend's birthday.

Wedding Celebration!

2011-09-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

My good friend got married this weekend. She married an amazing man that is wonderful to her and her two sweet boys. I couldn't be happier for her!

Frog hunt

2011-09-24T12:56:00.001-05:00

A friend told me there is a creek with tons of frogs and we're searching for them today. Mark is out of town again, so I'm trying to fill the boys weekend with lots of fun. So far, no frogs but a lot of wet clothes!

Building Firetrucks

2011-09-24T12:51:00.001-05:00

I took the boys this morning to Lowes to build a firetruck. It was really nice that they had the tables set up outside with the nice cooler weather. They also had a real firetruck and firefighters to chat with!

Jailbreak Run

2011-09-19T00:08:00.001-05:00

My brother and I did the jailbreak run this weekend. The jailbreak run is a muddy 5K obstacle course. It was so much fun! I'm already looking forward to next year's race.

Evening Hike

2011-09-19T00:03:00.001-05:00

I took the boys for a fun evening hike while Mark worked late. We skipped rocks and explored in the woods. The weather has been perfect during dusk.

The wolves are out

2011-09-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

Great Wolf Lodge had their homeschool week and I managed to keep it a surprise. They had a great time playing with friends that also attended!

Free fort

2011-09-18T20:35:00.001-05:00

Good reason to buy a fancy enormous LED tv - you get a free fort with your purchase.

My birthday surprise!

2011-09-18T20:32:00.001-05:00

Ummm, honey I think we already covered this. I said '29'!!!

I am so fortunate to have such amazing friends and family! AND my sweet 7 year old planned a 'surprise' party all by himself. he called the family - my parents, nieces, brothers family, sister's family all came. My sister showed up with party snacks and my first cake in over 16 years!! It had MY name on it!

Fishing Day!

2011-09-10T13:27:00.004-05:00

The boys have been asking to go fishing for so long and today they had their chance! They have been also missing Mark so much and were so happy not only to have special time to spend with their dad, they caught some fish too!

Dallas Science Museum

2011-09-09T19:27:00.001-05:00

We had a free afternoon today and I decided to take the boys to the science museum. They have been asking to go for a while, but I wanted to wait until school was back in session. It was so nice to have all the exhibits to ourself.

Building Cowboys Stadium

2011-09-08T17:57:00.001-05:00

The boys and I had a couple of friends over to learn a little about the engineering involved in developing the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. First we watch a short show called 'Build It Bigger' that walked you through the engineering of the stadium. We also did a couple of engineering challenges including making a barrel bridge out of 1 sheet of paper that was able to hold the weight of an entire ream of cardstock. The bridge is able to withstand the weight in the same concept as the stadium. Quite an engineering feat!

Thank you cold front!

2011-09-05T12:05:00.001-05:00

A cold front came in and it is currently in the mid 70s with a nice breeze. The boys and I are took advantage of the weather by riding our bikes to Natural Grocers. It its so beautiful! You can't order weather this nice.

Labor day swim

2011-09-04T23:09:00.001-05:00

It might be our last chance to swim with family for this summer, so I decided to take the boys for a fun filled day. Had a ready nice time. Unfortunately, Abuelo wasn't able to make it. We missed you Abuelo!

City Development

2011-09-04T22:57:00.001-05:00

Carson is working hard on creating a mini city. Graph paper card stock and a little imagination.

Pizza and hot fudge!

2011-09-03T20:46:00.001-05:00

The boys really miss their dad when he leaves town, so I am filling their time with lots of fun. Tonight I made pizza and homemade hot fudge sundays! The fudge sauce was my best ever. It was SO GOOD!

Raw virgin coconut oil

Raw agave nector

Cocoa powder

Vanilla extract

Dangerous Boys Club

2011-09-03T18:18:00.001-05:00

One of the dads in our homeschool group began a new group, 'Dangerous Boys Club'. The boys have been so excited waiting for the first meetup to begin. Although their dad was going to take them, he realized he wouldn't be able to make it because he had a friend that wanted to go hunting with him in Alaska during that same time.

Fortunately, my brother happily agreed to drive all the way from Weatherford to fill in for him. They were so happy that he was coming that they waited out front while riding their scoooters at 7am!

The boys had such a fun day making bows and arrows with their Uncle Chuckie! They can't wait until next time!

Do the three of them look Dangerous!? The last photo was their 'Dangerous' pose.

Science Class

2011-09-01T09:22:00.001-05:00

Carson starts his weekly science class today. He's never taken this class and he is really excited. We have a lot of friends that have taken Dr. Reeds class (http://www.thinkingreeds.com). I know he's going to love it.

Weather Excitement

2011-08-30T08:32:00.001-05:00

It's not yet 9 am and the boys have been outside all morning excited about the clouds rolling in. It has been so dry and hot all summer. Dark clouds and a few sprinkles are bringing out two giddy boys. They have pitched a tent and are having so much fun. I decided to make a big breakfast with french toast and bacon, fruit and fresh squeezed orange juice. I guess we'll put school off for a bit today :-)

Anniversary Special

2011-08-26T07:29:00.001-05:00

The boys know it is Mark and my 16th Wedding Anniversary today. They have me a really sweet surprise!

Pie Anyone?

2011-08-23T14:38:00.001-05:00

Mud Pie, that is! Why did I wear a white shirt today?

First Day of School 2011

2011-08-22T21:38:00.001-05:00

I say first day of school, but I actually mean first day of school for children that GO to school. We actually school year round with lots of breaks and fun days, and our school day only last for a small part of our day.

Today, we had our NOT Back to School party at Amazing Jakes (pictures coming soon). Our homeschool group filled the place just right. It was SO much fun and the boys and I loved it! We were there until they opened until 8pm! Friends (mine and the boys'), food, games and rides. What's not to love?

I took these photos this morning before we left for the party (well, some random guy that was working on my neighbor's lawn did LOL!). Welcome back to school everyone. I can't wait to hit the museums now. Woo Hoo - no lines!

Don't lose your marbles!

2011-08-21T08:17:00.001-05:00

I've been reading about different ways on how to motivate your children to do chores and help around the house. My boys actually help out quite a bit, but I get tired of reminding them and they get tired of being reminded.

Today I started a new marble chore system. I found the idea online http://www.amomsyear.com/2011/01/06/marble-jar-chore-system-redux/

I made and laminated chore cards last night. Green cards are chores specifically for my 4 year old and the blue cards are chores specifically for my 7 year old. The white cards are for both boys. When their jars are full, they earn $10.00.

I do not take away marbles for poor behavior. I really don't like the idea of that. When they work hard and earn something, I see that it is theirs and not mine for taking away. Can you imagine if that happened to adults??! Your boss could take away your paycheck after you've already received it! No way.

Well, I don't know what is in the future for this but I can tell you that I have different children this morning. They were stumbling over each other trying to get more and more chores done. I couldn't believe it! Wish me luck that this keeps up!

Geography Club - Terrarium

2011-08-17T22:03:00.001-05:00

At geography club today, the boys learned about soil and made a terrarium. Carson really enjoyed himself.

4D Human Ear

2011-08-16T16:21:00.001-05:00

We just started a unit on Helen Keller and today Carson gets to put together a model of the human ear. He loved it!

Lemonade Stand

2011-08-14T12:29:00.001-05:00

The boys are making some money today. We have such wonderful neighbors :-)

Kid's workshop

2011-08-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

I took the boys to the Lowes workshop. Always something new to build!

Fun with neighborhood friends

2011-08-11T12:51:00.001-05:00

Some of our good friends in the neighborhood are soon to go back to school. We decided to do a play day before they have to go since we don't see them much during the school year. The boys told me that they are sad they won't see them until snow day and the school is cancelled.

Alien Armor

2011-08-09T18:40:00.001-05:00

I walked in on the boys after Carson made Cameron alien armor and was fitting it to him.

Rainbow Rice

2011-08-09T15:24:00.001-05:00

I found this wonderful project online at http://foresterclan.blogspot.com/2008/08/homeschool-thursday_21.html and decided to do it with the boys. It was so fun and turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would be. Once it is dry, we will be playing with it and then eventually making I Spy bottles with it.

Cameron is doing it!

2011-08-05T22:45:00.001-05:00

This is a video of Cameron on his own! He can now rollerblade unassisted! He even participated in the limbo and races today. I'm so proud of him.

Lego Jr Robotics Camp

2011-08-05T08:08:00.001-05:00

Carson had Lego Jr Robotics Camp this week. It was his first summer camp and maybe his last for a while. It was ok for a couple of days but then he started to realize that he was there for a long time and he has to build what they wanted him to build. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of parents treat it like a daycare and there were a lot of kids in the class. What bothered Carson the most was how the director continued to threaten the kids with kicking them out of class if they didn't build what he said. Carson doesn't do very well with threats even though he wasn't ones of the ones that was threatened. Sounds like a pretty stressful environment and not what I wanted when I put it in there. So much for a fun camp. Win some, lose some.

Ice cube sail boats

2011-08-03T22:58:00.001-05:00

We froze water in a party cup with a straw through the middle. The straw became the mast and the boys made felt sails. It worked out well until Cameron's boat capsized. They've decided to re-freeze in a different mold to try to prevent another capsize. Let's hope it works better to prevent another meltdown.

Genghis Khan Exhibit

2011-08-02T11:41:00.001-05:00

The boys and I went with a group to the Irving Arts Center to see the Genghis Khan exhibit. They loved touching the real chainmail and playing with the trebuchet.

Sarah, Plain and Tall final project

2011-07-30T20:28:00.001-05:00

Carson recently finished a unit based on the book Sarah, Plain and Tall. Part of his final project was to put a party together from 1910. He created decorations, planned party games, squeezed lemons for lemonade and made an authentic molasses cake. He was so creative! We went through an obstacle course that he made of natural materials, did archery and played tag. The molasses cake was certainly something you wouldn't find today. It was cooked in a bundt-shaped pan and it called for 2 cups of black strap molasses. I thought maybe I had misread the recipe, but I verified it online. I was actually pretty surprised to find out it tasted alright. The boys loved it - but they also love black strap molasses mixed into their milk. The boys especially loved that Mark joined in :) Fun family night!

Letter Q fun

2011-07-28T10:44:00.001-05:00

This is how we use q-tips. Now off to quarter fun :) Cameron is doing so well with school.

Construction Zone

2011-07-24T10:52:00.001-05:00

The boys decided to make an entire town out of boxes today. With Mark out of town, this is my one shot to get something done this weekend. Wish me luck!

Helping hands

2011-07-23T19:06:00.001-05:00

It was so sweet watching his friends help Cameron learn how to skate.

Topography

2011-07-23T18:51:00.001-05:00

The kids learned about topography in geography club this month. They did a really cool activity where they built a mountain out of salt dough and then cut it horizontally with dental floss and then traced each layer. Voila...a topographical map!

Multitasking

2011-07-19T09:24:00.001-05:00

Teaching while I get ready for my day. Am I the only homeschooler that does this?

Caratacus Potts

2011-07-18T20:29:00.001-05:00

The boys put on a performance for me in our homemade theater.

Another Engineer

2011-07-17T08:37:00.001-05:00

Cameron is now fully able to follow the instructions and build his own circuits.

Rollerskating

2011-07-15T12:37:00.001-05:00

We were so happy to find out that homeschool skating continued through the summertime :)

Six Flags

2011-07-14T19:35:00.001-05:00

I took the boys to Six Flags today. We received free tickets through their reading program that had to be redeemed by mid August. I figured it wasn't going to get any cooler.

This was our first time going and we had so much fun! I was shocked to find out that none of their restaurants carried fresh fruit or any kind of real food. Pretty disgusting. But we made out out okay with the food bars that I snuck in and buying a smoked turkey leg. I seem to forget often that I am the minority that we feed our kids food. Oh well. We had fun :)

Future Cobbler?

2011-07-13T13:49:00.001-05:00

Last night, Carson made shoes for Cameron and himself out of felt. The ideas to create are endless.

The guilty party

2011-07-13T13:48:00.001-05:00

We caught a baby bunny in our garden. Of course we let him go. He was so cute!

Making butter

2011-07-11T16:17:00.001-05:00

For our current curriculum unit, today we're studying about modern vs. farm life of long ago. One of the activities we did was make butter. We put a little cream and a marble in a mason jar and shook. I was surprised it took less than a minute.

The boys said that it tasted better than the farm butter that I buy. Lol..it's the same stuff! They also enjoyed drinking the buttermilk.

Of course they did it wearing their capes...Super Butter.

Ranch Visit

2011-07-09T22:56:00.020-05:00

We drove to my in-laws ranch for the weekend to visit my husband's parents. The extended family also held their annual family reunion. It was a really nice visit and the boys enjoyed playing with their 3rd and 4th cousins.

Independence day 2011

2011-07-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

We had a really fun day this year that started off with the boys riding in our neighborhood parade. They decorated their bikes and helmets and looked adorable.

Later, we went to a neighbor's house and I chatted with the mom while the dads and kids swam. It was so fun and unplanned (which are sometimes the best times!).

Later we we enjoyed an early meal and ate the homemade red, white, and blue popsicles that I made the day before. What a hit they were! We finished the day of enjoying a fireworks display. It was a great time!

It's the simple things

2011-06-30T16:06:00.001-05:00

I saw another mom online write out their children's summertime wish list and thought that was a great idea.

This morning during breakfast, I asked the boys to tell me all of the things that they would like to do this summer. Here is their list that I will frame and hang so we can see it every day and not let the summer pass us by!

Pied Piper's Magic

2011-06-28T14:16:00.001-05:00

We saw a performance of the Pied Piper's Magic at the Dallas Children's Theater this morning. We met up with friends we haven't seen in awhile. The performance was really great and we had a lot of fun.

Morning babies

2011-06-25T07:10:00.001-05:00

Aunt Sloanie and Cousin Annie. Love!

Just being guys

2011-06-24T22:52:00.001-05:00

It's way too late to be up, but spending time together is way too important. I blinded them with the light, but I couldn't help taking this picture.

Dentist visit

2011-06-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

Cameron getting his teeth cleaned

Hard earned prize

2011-06-18T13:06:00.001-05:00

Carson insisted on taking his own money to the Home Depot today. He spent almost all of it on hinges and and a latch. He has so many ideas to create things. It consumes him.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

2011-06-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

Zeus the Dolphin and Carson swimming FAST!

Kiss for me :)

Kiss for Cameron

Mark, Cameron and Zeus

Cameron was totally comfortable with the experience by the time I took this last photo

Showing me their tough boy stance

The largest peppermill I've ever seen!

Me and my big boy!

On the front of the Catamaran ready for snorkeling the reef

Carson did a wonderful job snorkeling!

We found a live starfish while snorkeling!
The boys were facsinated for the few minutes before we put him back


Weather conditions were good, so the captain offered to sail the spinicker Mark flew in the kite-contraption. It was fun!

Back at our condo, the boys read about what to do next

Cameron enjoying the in-pool bar, cocktail and fresh fruit

I'm realizing that Carson is becoming a pretty good chess player

Hi Mom!

They called this "Num Num" castle. Num Num is breastmilk.

Sweet Cameron helping to build the castle

The water was lovely and warm.

Mayan drum and fire show

This parrot flew off his perch to get a closer look at the humans

Xcarat

Snorkeling the undergound river at Xcarat

We've only seen hermit crabs at the mall before. This one just crawled up to us

Xcarat

Mayan warrior at Xcarat

Xcarat

Travel goodie bags

2011-06-09T12:35:00.001-05:00

I turned the boys' backpacks into travel goodie bags that I gave them after checking in at the airport. They loved everything I filled them with - old and new.

Poor Mark has spent a good part of the day working. Hope he can leave that here.

Jam Session

2011-06-08T09:25:00.001-05:00

The boys called me from the back bedroom where I was doing some work to come hear the jam session. This is what I walked in to see. Seriously, it doesn't get any cuter!

Growing way too fast

2011-06-07T15:00:00.001-05:00

I stopped by the mall to pick something up and Cameron wanted to play in the play area for a few minutes. It's first time that Carson chose to sit with me and read rather than play with the children. He's getting to be such a big boy.

Birthday Ball

2011-06-06T16:52:00.001-05:00

My parents stopped by to tell Cameron happy birthday and give him a birthday gift. Needless to say, both boys had a BALL!!

VIDEO OF RIDING IN THE BALL

Homemade Rocket cake

2011-06-02T11:12:00.001-05:00

I took a photo of Cameron and laminated it for the photo in the rocket's window. Using natural candies without synthetic dyes, the colors almost came out like a 'flower child' rocket. Oh well, we send peace to all aliens we encounter.

Happy 4th Birthday Cameron!

2011-06-02T07:15:00.010-05:00

Today is Cameron's fourth birthday and as we get ready for his space party, I reflect upon the 4 years we have been so fortunate to have him in our lives.

Anyone that knows him knows what a joy he is. He always has a smile on his face and rarely gets down. He is tough as nails and is built like a rock. He is a pleasure to be with and spending time with him makes you want to spend more time with him. I have never known anyone so full of joy and happiness almost always. What a true inspiration you are my sweet boy.

Love always, Mommy


I made homemade jet packs for each of the children. I made them with 2liter soda bottles, party cups, aluminum duct tape, silver spraypaint, red crepe paper, elastic fabric straps, and LOTS of hot glue. I even made little ones for the 1year olds with 12oz water bottles. They were so cute! Needless to say the homemade jetpacks were a BIG hit! Fun!

Exploration Education

2011-05-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Earlier this month at the homeschool book fair in Arlington, I bought the Exploration Education science curriculum (http://www.explorationeducation.com). I bought two of the K - 3 (one for each boy). We just received it and did the first lesson this morning. I just have to say....WOW! Thoroughly engaging to both boys and fun! They have 'younger' and 'older' activities and were very appropriate for both of their ages.

Sandy Lakes Amusement Park

2011-05-26T20:43:00.001-05:00

I took the boys to the homeschool day at Sandy Lakes Amusement Park today. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed being with friends. I sure do love spending my days with these two amazing boys.

Geography Club

2011-05-26T20:32:00.001-05:00

Carson and some friends started a boys geography club this week. They had a great time. Carson especially loved Geography Twister. Even the younger brothers had fun!

Going Mudding

2011-05-23T13:51:00.001-05:00

The boys decided to go 4-wheeling after a big rain storm. Our yard is like a swamp. I'm looking forward to having the drain company here tomorrow.

Math Fun

2011-05-23T11:34:00.001-05:00

I made these counting tiles with siding samples from the home improvement store.

Birthday countdown

2011-05-23T09:30:00.001-05:00

Around 2 weeks before a special event, I make a number line for the boys. Each morning they cut off the largest number to reveal how many more days left. Cameron is counting down to his fourth birthday. Only 9 days left!

Scarborough Faire

2011-05-21T16:49:00.001-05:00

Enjoying the day with the family at Scarborough fair. Beautiful day.