Thursday, March 28, 2013

Home "School"

Since Kenzie's birthday is in December, she kind of falls into that awkward age for school. If we put her in preschool in the fall, she will still be 4 when she starts Kindergarten. So, we have decided to let her start preschool the following fall. But, of course, we couldn't keep her from wanting to do school-like things while at home so we decided to home "school" her until then. After doing some research online, there is an abundance of resources available for those who choose to do some home schooling before sending their child to preschool. We decided to go with God's Little Explorers curriculum, a preschool learning experience that focuses on the Bible from beginning to end, while teaching letters, numbers, shapes, and all disciplines through hands-on exploration. Here are some snapshots of what we've done so far:

 Kenzie now has a gallery wall in our dining area where she can display her latest projects. 

The first letter of the week was the letter X. The theme of the week was Explore. We started with a treasure hunt to find various school supplies I had wrapped up for her: pencils, scissors, glue, etc. We explored her Bible, looking at the pictures and talking about God and His Word.



 The second letter of the week was the letter G. The theme was Garden. Naturally, we planted a garden! It's just a little toliet paper roll garden in an old baking pan that sits in our greenhouse window. I was worried at first that when we planted the seeds, nothing would end up growing. Boy was I wrong! We read the Creation story in the Bible, and made a Creation book that showed each day of Creation and what God had made. 


 The next letter of the Week was A. The theme was apple. Kenzie LOVES apples so it was a fun week of eating lots and lots of apples. We even cut apples in half and used finger paint to paint with apples. Kenzie also practiced her handwriting on these little apple cut outs I made. We used the cut outs to play a pattern game, which was a little tough for both Kenzie and I to grasp/explain but we'll keep trying! We read the story of Adam and Eve, and had some great talks about sin and obeying God. She, in her sweet literal 3 year old mind, thought that meant we weren't allowed to eat apples anymore either. But, hopefully I cleared that up! 


This week is the letter Z. The theme is Zoo. We've read the story of Noah and the Ark, made some great rainbows and are taking a trip to the Honolulu Zoo tomorrow. I've planned a scavenger hunt for Kenzie using a grid with pictures of the different animals for each letter (some are a stretch!). Hopefully it goes well! I'll be back to post pictures of our adventure.

And of course, what would school be without some red glitter. Okay, not just some, the whole entire container. All.Over.The Place. 





Easter 2013


Wishing you all the hoppiest Easter ever! 





Honor Rose- 4-5 month catch up!

Gah! I'm such a neglectful blogger! So sorry. I know family at home loves to check in on us through this blog so I REALLY need to do a better job at keeping it updated. I will though! Or at least, I'll try!! Honor is now 5 months old and growing like a weed. A really tough, strong weed for sure but she is a joy beyond belief!

4 months


Stats:
Weight: 16.09 lbs (85%tile)
Height: 25.9 inches (92%tile)
Head: 16.9 inches (88%tile)

Like I said, a growing weed right???? She is HUGE. But oh so cute! She's busted through her 3-6 month clothing, didn't even touch her 6-9 month outfits and is now wearing 9-12 month. I just sewed her a romper the other day and had to use the 12-18 month measurements for fear she'd only be able to wear it for a week and then outgrow it! 

FAST FORWARD to present day...

5 months




She has the best smile, which she will most assuredly share with you if you just take a glance in her direction. The most beautiful eyes...check them out...





She has now started eating some purees, rice cereal, Mum Mums, and some of Kenzie's Sesame Street cereal. She is getting pretty good at grasping for the food and putting it into her mouth. No doubt something a 6-9 month old should be doing but I am not surprised our little chunk is already mastering the art of feeding herself. She has rolled from front to back, although she despises tummy time with passion. She will pull down any toy hanging from her play mat, she will grab for any food or drink (note to self: coffee mugs are no longer allowed to be used!), and she will most likely be making some sort of noise at any waking moment of the day. Poor Brett has already decided he will never be getting a word in around his girls!!

She is such a joy and blessing to us. We are so thankful for her and her adorable BIG self. Her most recent trick: the full belly laugh. Check out this hilarious video from last night's bath time. Oh yes, her biggest fan and #1 hero is her Big Sister- just watch.