Winter Fun!

Playtime is Learning Time

One reason that preschool at home is great for my kids and our personalities is because we love the flexibility of it.  I've learned that my daughter, very much like me, is not a morning person.  There are many mornings that we take our time to get dressed and eat breakfast.  

I am thankful that we don't have to be out the door by a certain time every morning.  Community Bible Study on Tuesdays has been our one activity where we must be there by 9:15 if we don't want to miss anything.  It is never easy to get out the door on time.  So, I'm glad that for now we only struggle with this once a week.

Another thing I think has been great for my kids is that they are able to play as much as they need to.  I love to read and research things, and so of course I read all I can about homeschooling.  Lately I've read a lot about how play is one of the most important things for preschool age kids.  I like having some structure to our days, and so I still try to maintain a loose schedule, but it's also reassuring to me to know that good old fashioned play is even enough quite often.  There are plenty of days when Jaren is extra fussy, or I'm dealing with too much of a laundry mountain, or we all are dealing with a cold, and all my plans for neat preschool activities go out the window.  (Maybe half the year this happens if you were to add it all up).  Is this just life with young children?  In any case, I am glad that we have the flexibility that  we do.  I'm trying to learn for myself to be more laid back, to relax when things don't go the way I was thinking they should.  In the end, learning happens everywhere and anytime, in the midst of anything.  

Lately we've even been having some pretty deep conversations in the car while I am running errands.  Right now Joelle is fascinated with the idea that people on the other side of the world have night when we have day, etc.  Frankly, I do not remember teaching her that.  But, in any case, she asks about it frequently while we are out driving.  She likes to ask about what the places are called where people we know live (as in, "what state"- but she doesn't always remember that word) and then she likes to ask about who lives on the other side of the world, and what time of day it is for them.  This makes for great "educational" conversations!  

A couple weeks ago when it was actually looking like spring around here, we went for a long walk around the neighborhood and Joelle picked some flowers.  We just happened to have an alphabet flowers book from the library at the time that listed all kinds of different flowers.  So, when we got home she was eager to look up what flowers those were in the book by trying to find the matching pictures.  Unschooling, delight directed education at it's best!  Not that I'm going for being an "unschooler," but the moment really made me think of that. 

We thoroughly enjoy things like going to our museum and browsing around (some of the displays are really fun for my girl, and she has a great attention span for it), spending time at the library, going to storytime at the library, having tea parties, hosting and going to playdates, and reading books.  My kids and I are so ready for some warmer weather (please be soon!) to get outside more.  We have been spending as much time in our yard, on walks, and at the park as we can when the weather is nice.  I'm hopeful for spring!

My Little Man's new favorite thing to do is walk 

around in just his diaper.  Growing up so fast!

Little Miss and Little Man, and some dolls, enjoying a tea party.  Awhile back I found my blue flowered china tea set that I used when I was a little girl.  It's so fun to pass it on to my girl and see how she is enjoying it too!

Sensory Bin Fun!
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My kids love sensory bins!  I kind of love them too!  They are so entertaining, sometimes for up to an hour!  Plus, they are pretty and really fun to make.  And pretty cheap too!  Our February Bin is probably one of our prettiest, and most appealing to the kids.  I got everything for it from the dollar tree (actually it was two or three years ago when I first put it together).  I store each of my seasonal sensory bin contents in an extra large ziploc bag.  It is easy to store them from year to year and just pull them out during the right season.  I have seasonal sensory sets for Fall, Christmas, January, St. Patricks Day, Valentines Day, and Easter.  If you need inspiration, just go to the dollar tree around a holiday and you will find so much to put in a sensory bin!  Each year I tend to add a couple things to the bin as I see them and feel inspired.  

I've seen how educational these bins are.  The kids will count, sort, work on fine motor skills, and make up little games, all while playing with one of these sets.  And this is all completely on their own, unprompted and uninterrupted by me.  Preschool in a box right here!  So fun for my little ones!  Lately Jaren has been loving the bins too.  I always sit next to him and watch him closely, but he is very good about knowing this is not stuff to eat.  He wants to be involved as much as possible.

 

So Busy!

All our pretty scoops, measuring cups, and heart containers came from the dollar tree.  Sensory Bins are pretty cheap and easy to put together, and worth it!

Play is hard work!  He couldn't stay awake through lunch!

Hang on!

Daddy taking the kids for a ride!

The Epic Storm of 2014!

I don't think I have ever seen this much snow at one time in Bend, all accruing over one weekend.  It made me feel even more like a person who really belongs in Hawaii or maybe Arizona, or somewhere in California.  Not a huge fan of snow.  But, I am a fan of living in the same town with both sets of Grandparents, so I try to cope with winter anyway :) At least this made for a great opportunity for both of my children to wear their snowsuits and ride on the sled.  We got them all bundled up, and it was pretty cold out so they only lasted twenty minutes or so.  But, it was a fun little memory for them.  Fun times in the snow!

"I can barely walk with all this stuff on"

Joelle was excited about making a snow angel

That was our backyard!

That heap buried in the snow was Chad's car!

Winter has been fun in it's own way.  We are excited for Spring though, and counting on warmer days.  Life is always busy, but wonderful!  Thankful for all that we have!