I love days like these.
Days that have a schedule, but not really.
We have things to accomplish, many things to learn, but not a list of places to be with rigorous time constraints.
That's when our learning feels more natural.
Some subjects, like handwriting, really do require sitting at a desk or table. And with Evan, the core subjects work best at my desk because he understands he needs to try to focus when we sit there (although I do have to mix it up a bit with him to get his wiggles out).
But I love it when we can relax on the floor as the sun shines through, or get cozy on the couch as I read to the kids and we discuss history or their religion lessons. It just feels right.
I especially love it when it's in the middle of Winter, and it's freezing cold outside, but yet the sun is shining. And the warm sunbeams are streaming in through the curtains, stretching across the floor in our front room.
I can totally see why cats tend to sit right in those sunny spots.
I hope you are enjoying your Winter!
TTFN
~Tina
Days that have a schedule, but not really.
That's when our learning feels more natural.
Some subjects, like handwriting, really do require sitting at a desk or table. And with Evan, the core subjects work best at my desk because he understands he needs to try to focus when we sit there (although I do have to mix it up a bit with him to get his wiggles out).
But I love it when we can relax on the floor as the sun shines through, or get cozy on the couch as I read to the kids and we discuss history or their religion lessons. It just feels right.
I especially love it when it's in the middle of Winter, and it's freezing cold outside, but yet the sun is shining. And the warm sunbeams are streaming in through the curtains, stretching across the floor in our front room.
I can totally see why cats tend to sit right in those sunny spots.
I hope you are enjoying your Winter!
TTFN
~Tina
They immediately began digging through the pellets to find the bones of whatever small animal that owl had eaten. 
In an odd way, it was like a treasure hunt, and the kids were getting excited over some of their bigger discoveries, like a rodent's skull, with teeth still in tact.
Then we were off on a trail, with our scavenger hunt sheets in hand, to try to catch a glimpse of animals that the owl eats.
We were also looking for holes up high in the trees, where an owl might live.
We didn't find a lot of what we were looking for, but it was still an enjoyable walk. 
(
It was flowing much faster and seemed deeper than the last time we were here 2 years ago. The kids couldn't resist. Evan picked up some stones and began tossing them in the water. 
and Sky made a discovery
(which she put back where she found it). 
This week's lesson was on wild flowers. The same very knowledgeable mom taught the children the parts of a plant and the parts of a flower. She also taught about pollination and how flowers grow and tied it in a little bit with the lesson last time on seeds. She had some great handouts, too. The favorite handout was a list of wildflowers we might find in our area, with little photos of each. So the kids were off on their Wildflower Scavenger Hunt. 
There were quite a few beautiful flowers to see and....... lots and lots and I mean LOTS of mud to contend with. But in the spring, at a park such as this, that is to be expected. We tried to stay on the boardwalks and dry-ish land as much as possible, though. 
Of course the most famous wildflower that this park is known for is it's Bluebells. They were everywhere, creating a sea of light blue.
We ended up at another part of the creek and, though it was deep, it wasn't as fast moving. And you can see the many Bluebells on the other side.
He played with these with me and then got them out again, to play by himself later. He enjoyed showing the girls his little Lent Surprise, too. 
Evan and I made this little prayer box/center for Lent. I just made the pictures by gluing holy cards onto folded 
We then let the glue dry, trimmed the edges and Evan added stickers. The little battery operated 
Evan can set this up anytime he wants to pray or just talk to God. 
I placed some little Catholic picture books inside the box too. 
I will change the "altar cloth" and we'll make a new candle holder as the liturgical seasons change. I'll probably include some different books and add a rosary during the month of May and perhaps a little plastic Blessed Mother Statue.
We learned 4 different ways seeds are planted and what a seed needs to grow. We looked at seeds she brought, right there under the 
(Evan is 
Skylar found one pretty quickly. It was a black walnut (if I remember correctly). 
Evan found one, too. His was tiny and I'm amazed he spotted it. I'm not sure what type of seed his was. 
this flower I have yet to identify.
