O.k. so there may not be a photo every week but we'll share as many as we can for the friends and family that can't be near. Enjoy! |
Photo of the Month
Classroom 2012
 Luckily we he grows developmentally he has also grown in height so we were able to add TALL bookshelves to give us even more space. We also rearranged the other furniture so we were able to keep all but one of the original "short" bookshelves. So far we are loving the new set up and are able to easily get to all of the material. I guess that's a good thing since we've added so much to our repertoire :) I've added a few more pics below for family!    |
From here to there...
  There were tonnes of Blue Jellyfish washed up on shore at the beach. They ranged in size from about an inch in diameter to 9-12 inches in diameter. Of course they expand and contract too...  This is where we had lunch one day. Absolutely beautiful :) |
Our First Snow!
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Summer in October
  We have had exceptionally great weather the last week here in Chicagoland. Today was a balmy 77 with clear skies and a light breeze - the perfect day for a bike ride through the nature preserve. The skies were amazing and we stopped along the way to see the wildlife. We caught a picture of a deer as it crossed our path. When we first happened upon them Taka slowly walked up to the deer and got within about 5 feet of them. It was a great day to be outside in nature |
Chickens and Go Carts and Bees - Oh My!
 We were fortunate enough to be invited to the farm of a fellow homeschooling family. We couldn't make it on the day the others from our group were going so we went today. All I can say is "WOW!". I'm still not sure how I managed to wrangle Taka' into the car for the ride home. I think it was shear hunger deprivation that did it, otherwise I don't think he would have ever left. When we first arrived we hung out with the chickens. These little ladies are about 20 weeks old and starting to lay eggs. These are no ordinary hens though! They not only lay brown eggs (as one would expect) but they lay blue eggs, yes, I said blue! As I recall they are called Easter Eggers. Truth is they are just plain neat! Next we headed over to the honey bee hive. We were so fascinated by the Bee's, watching them, learning about them, trying not to move suddenly, that I forgot to take pictures. Nonetheless, the Bee's were amazing. I never knew about the guard Bee's, about how swarm's of Bee's behave and move, the different layer's of the Beehive and so much more. Not only did we learn "about" the Bee's, they "spoke" to us! They told us that it was going to rain and when we looked up, sure enough there were grey clouds looming in the sky. From there we walked around the farm, talking about different trees, checking out the frogs and other wildlife so easily found in our journey and soaking in the absolutely beautiful day. Winding in and out of tree groves, passing by three (or maybe 4) different lakes and admiring the multiple gardens. It was breathtaking!  The boys found a zip line, fire truck and fort and of course had oodles of fun exploring each before we moved on to something else. The family we were visiting also broke out the Go Cart. Yes, the uber fast, four wheeled racing machine made for little boys with a need for speed! Although it may sound a bit dangerous, I have to say, I was really impressed with "J's" driving. He may only be 8 but he is a master wheel man :) Taka even got to drive, how cool!?!?!? You can check out the video below for a glimpse into the fun. And oh what fun it was!!!! At last, Taka was getting tired and so the boys decided it was Lego time. I'm not sure what, if anything, could have made this day better. Spending time with super great people, learning so many cool things just because we could, riding/driving super charged Go Carts, hanging off of zip lines, beautiful landscape and Lego's. I mean really, what could be better than that? Oh and we learned so many cool things about everything! Thank you to our friends who took precious time out of their day to give us the "tour", entertained us endlessly and warmed our hearts with kindness. I can't wait to go back and I know Taka' is counting down the days. |
Taking time to feed the pigeons
Last week we hopped on the El and headed into the city for an adventure. Our adventures are always fun but I'm always amazed at how "educational" they can be. For instance Taka used his mad skills to
It might not sound like much but how many 6 year olds can navigate Chicago with a map on the El? Actually it's probably a lot but it's still cool to know that my little guy is one of them :) Once we were topside (our stop was underground on the red line) Taka fell into what I call his "Urban Kid Mode". He spotted the nearest coffee shop and made a beeline to it. He confidently ordered his "Vanilla Milk" and happily chose a table at the window so he could people watch. He made chit chat with neighboring coffee house goers and had some silly face fun with other kiddo's hanging out.  Taka and a "friend" making faces at each other and laughing hysterically. Every time Taka would stop making faces to eat the little guy in the stroller would go wild trying to make Taka laugh. Back out on the street we started towards the Water Tower. While cutting through the park, Taka saw a man feeding the pigeons. Immediately the "please mom, can I?" came out and before I could say "yes" or "no" he was talking to the guy and feeding the pigeons. Normally I probably would have stopped him and quickly moved on. Today however, it dawned on me, why not stop to feed the pigeons? I liken it to "Stop and smell the flowers". I don't think it's so much what you stop to do but that you stop, recognize the opportunity here and take it. It was a special treat for Taka and he loved it. I know Taka will remember this for years to come and I hope, as an adult, he'll recognize that it's o.k. to stop and enjoy life. Below: Taka feeding the pigeons at Water Tower   |
Welcome to 1st grade
 Our "classroom" is a little different this year to address Taka's growth, increased maturity and passion for certain subjects. Here are a few pictures to give you a sneak peek! Whether you're starting anew or have never stopped I wish you all a great academic year! Good luck and have fun :)   |
Play Ball
 We subscribe to the philosophy that learning never stops. So although we've put the curriculums away, we are learning about the world around us in many different ways. Camps, field trips, adventures with friends and yes, major league baseball games are some of the ways we are learning this summer. This was taken at Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers. Cubbies Won! :) WOO HOO!!!!! Enjoy your summer! |
Happy Mothers Day!
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The Piano
   Wow, it seems like it's been forever since I've updated the website. We're here, we've just been super busy "doing". We've been to Ohio & Michigan, have had 2 holiday's and are working to "finish up" the "school year" and gear up for summer. I hope everyone is healthy, happy and having fun! |
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