Bananagrams...

On New Year's eve we played a new game called Banana Grams...I absolutely love it!
So, for fun learning, we are playing it for spelling.  The coolest thing is that we didn't have to go and buy the game, we're just using our Scrabble letters.  I like it so much more than Scrabble because we don't have to wait to take turns...everyone picks either eleven or twenty-one one letters, depending on how many are playing and then you play your own game.  If you can't use a letter, you 'dump' it, and pick up three more.  If you use all your letters, you say, 'peel'. Then everyone has to pick up one letter...the first one to use all their letters, wins!
I was quite impressed when Caleb spelled DEFINITELY!  Genius!

Why can't learning be fun?

Yesterday, I needed time off!  So we headed out to the library to pick up a book Isaac had put on hold and then headed to the Japanese Tea Garden and took in the beauty and lots of pix!

The first creature Isaac found:  a stink bug...and do they smell bad!

I think posing is their favorite thing when the camera is on!

The caretaker of the Gardens asked if they'd like to feed the giant fish~that was so cool.

Rocks and boys go together like peanut butter and jelly...until the workers come around...they got down before they were noticed.  What is a mother to do?

Just to get a picture of the size of this building...

Unscheduled days off are great every once and a while, don't ya think?

Warm weather and cereal!

Duck/Chicken boys...

Some days, things are just funny...and they intentionally work to make me laugh.  That was this day.  Pringles are great for this.

Mom is gettin' it together better everyday.  This week I sat and, once again, typed out a schedule for them...THEY LOVED IT!  It helped so much to bring order to their day, my expectations, the time they could say, 'we're done...sign here, mom.'  Whew...it was worth the hours of arranging, praying, thinking, and then finally printing a copy for them, me, and Love...school went sooo well this week.  Kinda like when I start and restart to exercise...no guilt that it failed in the past, cuz He is Lord of today and tomorrow and though I(we) fall, I (we) shall get up again and run the race set before us...but if there is nothing 'set', how can I (they) run in any direction...
It seems the hardest part is consistency...working with my parent's to STOP COMING INTO THE SCHOOL ROOM AND JUST TALKIN' ABOUT WHATEVER!!!  One day, not sure which, dad recognized how he'd frustrated me and so he came home with a candy bar, sat it down next to my computer and walked out...then later told me it was for his annoying me~!  I smiled.
Life is good, full of surprises and good things. 

Savor each day.

Last Sat., we had planned on dropping the boy's off at church to serve, but First Sat. Serve was cancelled, so we headed to Home Depot and it just so happened to be the kid class day and they wanted to do the project...they're just about too old for this, but until then, I'll just savor the desire.