Welcome 2009

So, the end of 2008 has been everything all rolled into one. We've had the best Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years ever. We've enjoyed the company of family that we hadn't seen in so long. Yet, along with all of this we've been dealing with the struggling health of my grandmother. She has been a constant source of love and advice for me throughout my life. I have been taking BabyGirl to see her once a week to visit/clean for as long as she can remember. The relationship we have all shared together will be a lovely whispering memory that I will never forget. Like a song you keep hearing over and over again in your mind. One that you love so much. BabyGirl told me the other day "Mommy, I wish we could save Grandma." She was so sincere....and, I have to agree with her with all my heart....I wish we could save her, too...Please keep our family in your prayers as we walk this path with my Grandma....

We started school again today, and I welcome whole-hearted the normalcy. I really need this time together with BabyGirl to focus, have fun, learn, and get our minds going again. Right after breakfast she told me she was ready to begin. Welcome, another wonderful day together!

This month we are studying Earth and space. We started with the sun today. We had fun making signs for the Earth and Sun. We each wore one. The person that was the sun holds a flashlight pointing towards the Earth. The Earth slowly turns so that you can see the transition from day into night. It was a blast, and we practiced many times!

We are also working on South America this month. I worked this weekend on reserving lots of resources from the library, thinking out a field trip to the zoo, and coming up with some crafty ideas. This should be a fun one!

We will also be covering Wilbur and Orville Wright this month. I found some excellent resources from the library, and we'll be visiting the air and space museum. Again, one of our favorite places to go! I love how all of these things can just come together.

Our math, phonics and reading are coming along well. I've been gathering our hodge-podge curriculum for next year, and am looking forward to reading over it during dance and gymnastics classes. I'm pretty confident everything we have so far will go right along with what she enjoys and is passionate about. Of course, you never know for sure until you're there...

We've always baked/cooked a lot together, and lately has been no exception. I love to have BabyGirl work on everything she can by herself. It gives her such a sense of accomplishment to see the finished product and know she had a big part in it's making! We got a Paul Deen's My First Cookbook for Christmas, and we absolutely love it! We made monkey bread, fruit kabob's, and mini pizza's for New Year's Eve. It was such a blast, and I know these times we spend together are some of the most special. Today we are making a cake/frosting, and I look forward to seeing her eyes light up as she works her way through the recipe. We highly recommend this book for any family who loves cooking together! It is written in such a way that kids can read portions of it themselves, and it provides unlimited opportunities for children to be independent in the kitchen. Here's to making memories together.....

One last thought....yesterday I bought BabyGirl a pair of ruby red slippers from the thrift store. The minute we got home she put them on, clicked her heels together, and said "Hey, nothings happening!" I told her that was just a scene in the movie. She said " I know, but I still thought it would work!" I caught several other glimpses of her throughout the evening clicking those heels together......it makes me think of how lucky children are to have such powerful thoughts, imaginations, and dreams. To take life day by day. I can't explain the feelings I have when I think of the gift I am able to give BabyGirl of home schooling. To keep in touch with her dreams, her own personal goals in life, to be a FREE THINKER. To never give up hope that maybe one of the times you click your heels together something magical could happen......really, you never know......it might.