Homeschool Dinosaurs

After learning about the earth we learned about dinosaurs.

We LOVED having an annual pass to the Arizona Science Center and we were lucky enough to have a dinosaur exhibit there while we were learning about them.

Parker posing with a dinosaur bone.

They had this big sandbox type thing where the kids could dig up fossils:

The two big kids standing by a skeleton

We also checked out dozens of dinosaur books from the library. 

And several times we dug for dinosaurs at home. We froze toy plastic dinosaurs into layers of ice and the kids then use hammers, nails, screwdrivers, and a saw to break them free. (they were closely supervised) They loved that and asked to do it several times, though it worked best in the summer since the heat melted the ice so it went a little faster

Piano Player

Just cute Terra trying to play the piano like her big brother.

Homeschool: The Earth

So I was going to post stuff about each unit we learned about for school. The last one I posted was about space. Next we learned about the Earth. The kids didn't get obsessed over this like they did with space, but we still learned a lot.

A lot of school involved going to the science center. There they learned about erosion, weather, rocks, etc.

Here's one picture I have of learning about the earth

We put sand in cups and squeezed a tube of toothpaste through the bottom to be the magma, pushing through the earths crust, we got to see mini earthquakes and volcanoes in the sand cups.

Learning about the earth also involved learning a bit about weather.

Making 'rain with shaving cream and food dye, which turned into a sensorial activity

And then learning about condensation by making rain in a jar: 

Little Chefs

I started teaching some piano lessons again, and it didn't take long for the girls to realize they were not being watched very closely during lessons. so they would go into the kitchen and 'cook'.

One week Aria got out the pots, and bottle of maple syrup and a can of cocoa powder; she poured and stirred and just made a big mess, but she just thought she was making lunch.

Here's one involving bananas

And once they were hungry for chocolate. Aria cut open the bag of chips and poured them all onto those two plates. 

I guess I should be grateful she was trying to share?

While the messes were frustrating it was hard to actually be mad. She was not 'trying' to make a mess or do anything bad, she was just trying to feed herself and her little sister. Fortunately she has grown out of this, though!

Dressing up

Just some pictures of my kids wearing silly clothes. For a while they really loved to play with their 'disguises'

Mining Camp

Early in January the kids and I went with my parents and the Willmans to the mining camp restaurant out near Apache Junction

A couple pictures of the kids playing outside:

And one of the whole group inside waiting to get our food

Picnic Dinner

One nice day in January we decided to eat dinner and play at the park near our house and here are two pics from the evening:

Miss Terra drinking a smoothie

Daddy playing with the big kids

New Years Eve

For New Years Eve we met up with the Willmans at my parents house and counted down to the new year, which conveniently happened at 7pm.

Most of the activities had terrible pictures (if any at all) So I'll just be linking to some videos on Youtube

We popped a balloon each hour and did an activity that was listed in the balloon.

One balloon said to have a dance party- which basically involved me dancing around like an idiot trying to encourage 6 preschoolers to dance with me (without any luck) Fortunately for you there is no video of this part of the evening.

We also had treat bags and the kids enjoyed their snack and I have a video of them snacking and my niece thinking she is drinking Elmo

Katie had printed out some sheets for asking the kids questions about the year and I decided to film my kids answering the questions, just for fun.

Here's:
Parker
Aria
Terra

One activity was based on some Japanese New Years tradition, like pin the tail on the donkey, except it's pin the features on the face, I guess.

And the biggest hit of the night (other than the junk food) was wrapping Grandpa Murphy up with streamers and then having him break out

Then the countdown

We went home and slept most of the night (except when our neighbors were shooting off fireworks at midnight) so we could be ready for our busy day the next day.
 New Years morning we had family pictures with my family, traditional "Hillbilly Special" brunch at my aunts and then a birthday party for my nephew, who just so happens to have been born on New Years Day.

Parker turns 5

Parker turned 5 at the end of December and we started the day with our traditional "birthday child chooses WHATEVER they want for breakfast". 

Parker found Cookie Crisp cereal and was blown away by the idea of eating lots of cookies for breakfast so that's what he had picked out.

So excited to eat cookies for breakfast

He loves reading the box, including nutritional info... He tried to convince me that they weren't unhealthy because of all the added vitamins (Nice try buddy)

He spent more than a month looking forward to his 'Space Party' because he was so in love with all thing space.

And it was hard for him to understand why we would wait until the day AFTER his birthday but eventually the day came and he was so excited. We decorated with a few decorations and the piles of space stuff he already owned from our homeschool unit and Christmas presents.

Space stickers

Start balloons, streamers, and not one, but TWO solar system models

Part of the 'decor' was also this chart that Parker and I made together, so that Parker could find out what the favorite planet is:

We have to wake Aria up at 4pm each day so we know she'll sleep at night, and she didn't feel like partying, she wouldn't change out of her pajamas, leave her blanket or move from that chair

Parker also helped me make a planet pinata and he decided to paint it like the Earth

Terra, trying to break the pinata

Ryder, with a bit more gusto

Parker's turn

Just a goofy picture of Parker

Opening presents

A couple days later, Parker made me a card that said "I love you and I appreciate your present for me" (though appreciate was a bit hard to translate from his spelling.) 

We had gotten him a book and a telescope.

I had a coupon, so I just got a store bought cake, and I made the cake pops to look like our Solar System

And here is a video of us singing Happy Birthday

Christmas 2012

So I'm going to begin catching up on the blog.

First we had our traditional Christmas Eve eating and presents at The Murphy's

All the cousins, except Jovi, at the time (9 kids, 6 and under)

Opening presents:

Then Christmas morning at home:

About to open pressents

Some of which included disguises:

And Umbrellas, which may have been the favorite, at least at first.

Then later that day we went to the Tiemans and had some brunch and opened presents:

Here they are playing with the remote control helicopter 

And then playing outside