Love, Reading, and All Things February

 Who says you can't do anything fun in winter? We've had a full month of activities, mostly because it hasn't felt much like winter at all. We've been able to be outside, spend time with friends, and everything in between. For starters, I hosted a Valentine's Day party at our house with our homeschool co-op. We had 14 kiddos plus moms and that wasn't even our whole group! It was a lovely day of games, crafts, snacks, and hands-on fun. 

Isla was waiting for her friends to arrive!

The preschool teacher in me came to life and we started with a discussion and story about Valentine's Day. Nobody could tell me why we celebrated Valentine's Day, except for one little friend that thought we were going to eat some turkey and gravy :)

And just like a preschool classroom, I thought it would be best to split up into smaller groups and rotate through stations. One station was crafts, one was games, and one was hands-on STEM where they had to build something using candy.

Ewan could not understand why I was blindfolding him for "pin the heart on the lovebug". He took it off and said "I do it this way. I can't see with that thing on!!"

After stations, we made a friendship love mix. Every friend brought a piece of the trailmix and we worked together to make something yummy with all the parts. (Can you find Eleanor? Poor baby is just along for our crazy rides).

Following snack, the kids got to give their valentines to all their friends. Just because we are homeschoolers, doesn't mean we want to miss out on the fun parts of school. So just like in a classroom, everyone decorated their own box and brought it to receive their valentines!

After the party, the kids had to read through all their valentines. Of course, being the group we are, there were things like seeds and bookmarks in the boxes instead of candy. The one piece of candy they did get was an organic, sugar-free sucker. I think I found my people haha!

It was a fun, chaotic day!

Later that week, we went out to eat. Following that meal my stomach started cramping. I spent the next couple days in bed, writhing in unbelievable amounts of pain and nausea. Even looking at these pictures makes me sick because it reminds me of that awful weekend. I can only assume it was food poisoning as noone else really got sick. But I was down for the count. 

After that episode of torture, life resumed as usual for us. Lots of crafts, school, baking, playing, and adventuring. One of the kids favorite things to do lately is make a trip to the library. We try to go weekly and the kids just adore it. They pick out books, find their favorite chairs, and sit there and "read" while I search for books too. I love that they love reading. It really is like offering them the world. We get books on everything there is to read- art, trucks, scientists, nature, families, princesses, tacos, worms, ogres, dragons, bears, school... every subject, every topic. I can't think of a better gift to give my children than the gift of reading. Last year I finished the book called The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mckenzie where I was reminded of all the good things reading offers. Reading aloud and often is what makes successful children- in academics, in their reading abilities, in language and communication, in knowledge, in focus, in family bonding, in brain growth, and so much more! And as the author says, "We read with our children because it gives both them and us an education of the heart and mind. Of intellect and empathy. We read together and learn because stories teach us how to love". And I agree.
Isla and I set a goal to read a chapter book a month together (although we've been overachievers). January was Charlotte's Web and Mr. Popper's Penguins. February was Skunk and Badger and the entire Princess in Black series (10 books, each book is a short chapter book that we can finish in a day). And we are currently reading through The Wizard of Oz as she prepares to be Glinda the Good Witch in her ballet recital. 

I have also made it one of my goals to read 2 books a month, one for pleasure and one for learning. They say one of the best indicators of having good readers is to be a reader yourself. And to let your children see you reading. January was The Midnight Library (my pleasure book- all about regrets in life), Balanced and Barefoot (my learning book- all about getting outside), and A Wrinkle in Time (I'm trying to read the classics I never did before). This month I finished The Dutch House (my pleasure book- a modern day fairytale) and I'm working on Unschooled (my learning book- all about the homeschool philosophy of unschooling). This month I joined a book club that my friend started so I'm also reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done ;)

A great aspect of staying home with the kids is that we can spend a lot of time learning how to be responsible and independent. We have lots of time and with lots of patience, the kids can contribute to our household. They love to cook/bake with me, help with chores, and work hard to help our house run smoothly. They don't love picking up their own toys, but other jobs are a joy for them :)

The last two weeks we've taken a break from our curriculum as we've been busy with life, but we've still spent time doing more "school-like" activities. Lots of games (totally counts as math), art, and word work.

Other happenings:

And this sweet thing turned 4 months old. She is grabbing things, babbling, giggling, and almost rolling all the way. She just wants to chat and run with her siblings and spends all day watching them intently. She, like the other two as babies, is attached to mama. Poor daddy can't put her to sleep or feed her, which means poor mommy never gets a break. But we love her just the same.