Last couple days...

Toast for breakfast...Gene and Lucy can make it now by themselves if they're still hungry...


When we go out in the car, usually I am the last one out of the house, and the kids can go out and get in the car by themselves. This is what I saw one day when I finally came out:


We got some yardwork done, sticks cleaned up from the backyard...



Then we mowed the lawn...

Lucy worked on an art project using some fun "quilt square" papers...


Then back outside again...


Gene just learned how to get started on his two-wheeler all by himself!


The frequently-run dash to the fire hydrant down the street...



And then, time for sleep (Jane likes to make herself a bed on the floor at random times of the day. Never actually sleeps there, though.)

Day at home (mostly)

Morning reading session... (we keep a book box on the floor, so books are often read on the floor)...


Lucy checks her morning chart to see what to do next... (those are popsicle sticks, glued to magnets...she and Gene move them over to another part of the door when they've done what the stick says)



Lucy is learning to use Microsoft Word, and is all about the Wingdings right now:)


Jane pulled out some beads to string...



Then on to gymnastics, where Lucy had a great time as always and then we enjoyed a sunny dandelion covered hill near the gymnastics facility...


Gene said, "Take a picture of me shaking this branch!"


Gene goes outside often...today was a "take your shoes off when you come in" day because it had rained yesterday and the ground was damp (and beginning to be covered in "helicopters" from the maple trees, and some other reddish little flower/seed/something that falls on our patio this time of year. Sticks to damp shoes like crazy!


Rest time drew near, and Lucy opted to play with the pattern blocks...



Gene is taking a liking to reading in the kitchen...


After rest time we generally fold laundry. Today Jane folded some washcloths.


Then she just wanted to "sleep"...


I FINALLY figured out how to have the kids help with washing dishes/other objects. It is totally Montessori, but it works for our house. I'll explain it sometime, but let me just say it enables a child (say, Lucy) to set up, get water, wash something, pour out the dirty water, and clean up and put away her supplies. Wonderful- for all involved.


We finished off the day with Gene's second baseball game. His first was on Saturday, and if you see him he'll tell you all his stats- strikes, hits, outs, bases run, etc... He's loving it, though!

Tuesday

We had a very uneventful morning...slept in (a bit) and didn't take a single worthy picture! Gene did a few school-ish things, but then the kids just goofed off upstairs while I puttered around. Then we made lunch, and the kids helped...

Everyone took a turn poking holes in the sweet potato before we microwaved it...


Jane filled a measuring cup with cottage cheese, Gene was in charge of the blender...


Jane thought the blender was too loud...


Lucy stirred...


And we all ate pancakes and mashed sweet potatoes for a yummy lunch!

After lunch was art-time, and we tried out some new oil pastels (never used them before...like glorified, messier crayons...


Rest time next...Lucy never sleeps but she can bring things up to her room...she built some elaborate block structures, then read with me...



More art after rest time, on the girls' initiative...they wanted to do something with some flowers they had picked- gluing to black paper was fun...



Gene chose to read on the kitchen counter at some point:)

Gene's swim lesson finished up the night- now, bedtime!

The kitchen wastebasket is a favorite work spot...



The kitchen floor is another (Memory this time)

We spent this beautiful warm, sunny day mostly outside. I worked in the gardens, the kids did various kid things...

Lucy got her occasional hankering to wear a bucket for a backpack.


Gene began transforming this stack of unused firewood into a "fort"...

Lucy organized and stored her "food" in her "house".

Gene and Lucy began learning the names of the letters in the Spanish alphabet, so we practiced saying them and "wrote" them on the front lawn...ABCDE (can you tell?)

We built sculptures for lunch today (not a regular thing, actually the first time we tried it)

Here's Lucy's:


And Gene's (the apples are waves, the nuts and cranberries boats, and the spinach leaves passengers on the boats...)

And Lucy had her first official swimming lesson in the evening. No pictures of actual lesson, so a locker room shot will have to do.


Gene had his third baseball practice, and Opening Day is on Saturday!

Tomorrow we hope to be outside again, and Gene will have a swimming lesson too...