Thanksgiving

Last week was the eye of the storm. We took a break from the travel, holiday festivities, and impending Annie mayhem to just relax and enjoy each other.

We started each day slowly.



More than anything, this toy is what they remember about Thanksgiving and the story.



Some reading time with Grana...


...and reading with each other.



Happy Thanksgiving!!!



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Family Christmas

We practiced some valuable skills this weekend:

Movie watching


Tree decorating


Gift counting



Quilt opening (check out that amazing NYC quilt - thanks Grannie!)


Picture taking



Singing on stage


Snuggling



And being thankful for family. Merry Christmas in July at Thanksgiving!

Teamwork

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving (and Christmas) in Snyder later today. But first, some card writing,

A fun new magnet activity,



Some math facts made fun by turkeys on them,



More Bob books,



And some nice teamwork reading. Zoe whispers in her ear when she gets stuck. And I can finish making the cakeballs!

Pumpkin Decomposition

We are back from fall break and were pleased to see the gross yet fascinating progress in our pumpkins' decomposition in the woods where we threw them.

Fall Fun

The Smithey Academy is on our annual week long intensive study in Nashville with Professors Nonnie and Papaw - Professor Mom is relaxing at home and finally getting caught up on many things, one of which is this website!

October has flown by, and blogging has not risen past all the other thousands of things that demanded time.  Sorry to get so behind.  In addition, many of my pictures of our students hard at work were lost during a phone upgrade (but boy is my new iphone's camera great!).  So rest assured, while we have had more than our share of halloween candy, Annie rehearsal, travel, and fun, we have also been doing lots of reading, math, and writing.

Both girls are getting faster at their math facts and math in general (Lucy just listens and jumps in - she typically wanders over every day at math time and just watches quietly over Zoe's shoulder).  Reading is amazing some days and agonizing some days, and songs, stories, notes, and spelling lists are written every day.  I'll do a better job of keeping you updated.

Our study of Egypt led Zoe to decide to be Cleopatra during August and she never wavered.  And while I would like to think that our real life observation of the butterfly life cycle last spring inspired Lucy's costume, I think it was the big sparkly wings.

Texas State Fair

We had a fun (and very pricey) day at the State Fair.  

Of course, no trip is complete without a ride on the Texas Star, the largest ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere (212 feet - the Academy students were impressed!)

There was an amazing area where kids walked through and performed tasks and received payment - they watered trees and got to pick fruit, milk a cow and take a carton of milk, plant seeds, and pick a vegetable, etc.  Then, they took their products to the market where they got a dollar in exchange for their bucket of items.  Finally, there was another store with "real" stuff  for a dollar! It was a well done and our students approved (they bought Cheetos and Doritos - cheesy goodness all around!) 

After a final run down the log ride, an award winning corn dog and some salt water taffy, we took our sticky hands and empty wallets home.  We'll be back next year!

Spooky Spanish Science

I was the scientist in resident at Spanish Schoolhouse, and we had some Halloween fun!  Every kid in the school got to experiment with dry ice, make an orange volcano, make instant snow, and play with and take home orange slime!  It was hard work and lots of preparation but a great day!

We observed dry ice and then put a little piece in a test tube with some soapy water.  The bubbles came pouring out the top of the test tube and they were filled with smoke!  They never got tired of popping them or just watching the reaction.  The kindergarteners seemed to grasp the idea that it was changing from a solid into a gas and not a liquid like regular ice.

Zoe and her buddies make snow

Just as I was leaving the police officers came for a visit.  Of course, I had to grab a picture of Lucy getting out of the back of a police car.  You know, because it is the only chance I'll ever have.

Best Field Trip Ever

We had the most amazing time in New York.  It was the perfect trip with the perfect kid to the perfect place at the perfect age.  Thanks to Aunt Emmy for making it even more special!

Zoe sees Times Square from our hotel room - she was speechless!

At the top of the Empire State Building.  It was especially fun to find the Chrysler Building since that is one of her lines in Annie.  Emmy walked us around the whole perimeter pointing out the sights.

We met a real Rockette!  Morgan was amazing and wonderful to Zoe.  When Zoe told her about her dance recital song "I Want to be a Rockette" Morgan said she sang it when she was little!  They were buddies by the end of the conversation and Zoe got a picture with a sweet note and autograph.

We got a rare shot of the famous red steps in the middle of Times Square - they had just opened and are usually completely full.

I just wish she had some fun on the trip...

She loved the Museum of Natural History much more than I anticipated.  

We spent several hours exploring.

During our boat tour, Emmy told Zoe what we were passing.  When they walked to the other side of the boat, Zoe asked what they were looking at.  Em said, "New Jersey."  Zoe said, "I don't want to look at New Jersey, only New York.  Let's go back to the other side."

Hailing a cab like a pro!

We got an amazing Lion King backstage tour after the show.  

She was in awe.

That's the real Baby Simba from Circle of Life!

There are certainly times when I doubt the whole homeschool choice, but this trip was the perfect example of what it can be at its best.  What an experience - even if we do nothing else, she was able to see the world for first grade, which is what she asked for after all!

A Little Culture

...because a trip to NYC later this week just isn't enough. Our expert was very pleased with the production. Later in the day, she touched a corn snake at science class and had her first "Annie" rehearsal. Tuesdays make me feel like I have a Senior in high school.




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Field Trip Planning

We are in full NYC planning mode.  Zoe is making careful notes in her New York notebook of all the things she wants to see and do, and we are learning to read maps and reading about the history of the city.

We are also focusing on subtraction in math.  She did well on her math test and we are moving forward pretty easily.  So far, so good on Singapore 1A!

Our youngest student continues to make progress every day in reading.  Here, she copies words onto her dry erase board.

And we usually enjoy pulling a Halloween book out of the basket when our work is done for the day.

Fine Arts, Continued

Recent Lessons: Be Gracious to Your Fans: A+
(Thank you so much for coming!)