wrapping up week #30, spring #6

It was a miserable week weather wise -- although there were two days it didn't rain, it was, for the most part, cold and wet all week. Fortunately we had tons of indoor things to do. Like our Monday homeschool classes, where we made butter in addition to other fun stuff. And the kids' Tuesday museum class about the artist Jackson Pollock. And two classes on Thursday (one for each of them) about flowers.

The kids were thrilled to have a "Daddy Day" on Tuesday, while I was at a herding trial. Here Zoo Boy takes advantage of having The Map Man at the museum with him. This was the 2nd week of our Five Little Ducks adventure circle (details still to come), and our curriculum story this week was "Peepers", an Enki Nature Story, which tied in well with both our vernal pool adventure from last week, and our duck adventure story (which is based around a pond as well).


This weekend we helped The Map Man celebrate Beltane by having a fire. It actually SHOULD have been a bonfire, but it was cold and rainy and miserable outside, so we opted for a fire in the fireplace instead. In this photo, Zoo Boy is helping to get the fire started. A Maypole will have to wait until next year and hopefully drier weather.

The kids enjoying themselves by the fire. Our Family Story Time stories this week were Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett (a silly tale that the kids enjoyed); Raccoon on his Own, by Jim Arnosky (one of my favorite offerings by one of my favorite children's nature authors!); and The Mountains of Tibet, by Mordicai Gerstein. That last one was a lucky find I made while surfing around the Internet -- it's an amazing introduction to the concept of reincarnation. WONDERFUL book, I am absolutely thrilled to own it and be able to share it with my kids!! The kids, spiritual beings that they are, embraced the book and it's message, and talked about all the things they might be born as, and all the places they might be born in. The book was billed as a good non-Christian source for helping children deal with losses, but I think it's a wonderful book for ANY time. MANY thumbs up around here!!

Here's J working on a self-directed project this morning, from a suggestion in a book he was reading. He's making a chart of special talents. He drew in pictures of himself hanging from a bar at the playground and walking. He asked Zoo Boy for his special talents too, and drew in pictures of a moon bounce and of The Boy dancing. He also drew a picture of a cat, and when I asked him about it, he said that his cat's special talent is jumping.

Tonight we also finished up our 2nd chapter book, House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne. We'll be delving into Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White next.

And one final, MASSIVE announcement -- this week, Zoo Boy officially stopped wearing pull-ups during the daytime!!! HOORAY FOR ZOO BOY!!!!! The trick that finally worked, you ask? An appointment with a Nephrologist to run some tests to see if there was an actually physical reason he wasn't able to hold his urine for more than a few minutes at a time. We never actually made it to the appointment -- once Zoo Boy started asking what types of tests the doctor was going to run, and he found out that it involved needles and blood, he found the inner motivation he needed to potty train once and for all. Four days and only two accidents later, we pulled out the underwear and put away the pull-ups. At least during the day. He insists he can hold it all night too, but since that has NEVER happened yet, I'm not risking any mattresses! But I have no doubt that skill is not far behind.