Bookworm Gardens

I can't even believe a month has gone by since my last post.  Time has been flying by!  During this past month we've been having lots of fun being outdoors most days and I've also been tackling some necessary housekeeping projects.  There are so many things that have been pushed to the side for the past two years as I was pregnant (and sick), then we moved ten days before delivery of our twins and then those two beautiful babies came into the world and have been keeping us busy (along with their brother) ever since.  It's been a really slow process getting our house in order since we moved almost two years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) but I am determined to make some significant progress. So I've been tackling some of the projects that I'm finally making a priority and I'm happy to report that although progress has been slow, I'm actually seeing some decent results.  Mainly I've been purging unnecessary items from our house, especially from our basement, and I've been working on organizing everything that needs to be organized.  I really want to get our house in order by September when Snootz starts 4K at home and Kitty Cat and Tootsie Pop start "2K".  I feel the only way we will be successful is if we have our materials organized and our house decluttered.  We also need a daily schedule that works for all of us but that's another topic. 

Anyways, I want to tell you about this awesome place we visited last month.  We took a mini-vacation as a family over Memorial Day weekend to Sheboygan, Wisconsin.  We went to a wonderful little place for children that's located on the UW-Sheboygan campus called Bookworm Gardens.  It is the perfect place to take young children where they can connect nature with literature.  There are different themed sections of the garden that have been created around various children's storybooks.  It was a dream come true for me and our children :) Seriously, I loved it and I even think my husband enjoyed himself!  

The grounds are beautifully kept and it is such a peaceful place, even with all the children milling around.  They have books that can be taken out of little cubby holes in various places throughout the garden and there are plenty of spots to sit down and read a book.  Of course, our children wanted to keep exploring and playing but Snootz did actually sit and enjoy a book for a while and we all sat down for story time and were able to listen to books that were read aloud by a volunteer.  And that's one of the amazing things......the garden was created and is kept up by donations and volunteers. There's not even an admission or parking fee charged!  So, if you are ever in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin area I encourage you to visit Bookworm Gardens with your children.  It's a hidden gem!

Main Entrance

Hansel & Gretel House

Snootz sitting and reading in The Magic Tree House

Enjoying Story Time

Dinosaur Bones

Snootz the Paleontologist

Horton Hatches the Egg

Washing Harry the Dirty Dog

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog

Harold and the Purple Crayon

The Magic School Bus

Winnie the Pooh

One Leaf Rides the Wind

Let's Get Reading!!

Ok, so I told you last month that Snootz will most likely participate in one of the Summer Reading Programs.  Well, he is super excited about it but we actually chose two programs with LESS structure, rather than MORE structure which I had said "we" needed.  I was probably just feeling overwhelmed that day and thought I'd need more structure in order to help Snootz follow through.  But after I thought about it I decided that Snootz doesn't need more structure.  He loves reading and we should have no problems going to the library to pick out ANY books that he wants to read and then I can help him keep track of them.

Sooooo, I talked to Snootz yesterday and he decided to participate in the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program and the Half Price Books Kids Summer Reading Program.  The Barnes and Noble Program looks to be for children as young as first grade but I have read comments on some blogs and it seems like it won't be a problem that Snootz is younger.   He's reading independently and should be able to fill out the form (with help).  If it turns out they won't accept his form then I'll just purchase the book that he has already decided he wants as the reward book.  Barnes and Noble provided a short list of books to choose from that the child receives free once they read and record 8 books they have read on their own and take it to their local store.  Snootz already looked at the list and decided which book he wants!

The Half Price Books Program tracks the number of minutes read each day.  Children need to read at least 15 minutes each day and once they reach 300 minutes they can take their completed form to Half Price Books to receive a book voucher for $5.00.  The nice thing about the Half Price Books program is that they allow children who are learning to read to participate.  So they allow 15 minutes of reading OR being read to per day.

We will probably also participate in our local library's program but first I need to look into that more so that I can understand the requirements.  But we are definitely planning on the Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books Programs.  We printed out the tracking forms yesterday, we have them posted on our refrigerator and we are ready to go!!

Math with Unifix Cubes

This week Snootz worked on math using Unifix cubes and he did really well.  Sitting down to read a book, complete a writing worksheet, or work on math problems is very calming for him.  He really enjoys it which is awesome!

Snootz picked out a worksheet on the KidZone website and chose Addition Math Tables with a picture of a dinosaur on the page (he was really excited about the dinosaur).  So, I printed it, pulled out our Unifix cubes and got to work (we purchased our Unifix cubes preowned from a seller on eBay).  I explained how the math tables were set up and then we started counting out some Unifix cubes to put into groups.  Then Snootz added the number of Unifix cubes so that he could find the answers to put into the tables.  He did so well!  For the last two tables he asked if he could add an additional number and find the answer.  Well, of course!  So he added 5+6+6 as well as others.

This was our first time using the Unifix cubes for a guided math session and they are exactly what we needed.  Using wooden blocks for math was good but these are even better because they snap together and don't tumble over if you accidentally knock into them (well, the whole row might tumble over but they probably won't break apart).  Snootz was also able to put them on the table horizontally or vertically and he could pick up the groups and compare their lengths (i.e. a set of 6 Unifix cubes is taller or longer than 5 Unifix cubes).

And yes, Snootz is still wearing his pajamas at 2:00pm in the afternoon.  That's the beauty of being able to learn at home.  If you are having a tired day, you can just stay in your pajamas :)

Why Homeschool? and a Glimpse into the Past Couple of Weeks

Stacie at Motherhood on a Dime did a wonderful post today on her reasons for homeschooling.  I think it is beautifully written and includes several of our own key reasons for deciding to homeschool next year.  I would encourage you to read it if you are interested in knowing more about homeschooling and why someone would choose to do it.  I plan to do my own post on our reasons for homeschooling at some point in the future.

On another note, here is a glimpse into some of the fun things we've done the past couple of weeks.  Many have been great learning experiences for the children.

Two weekends ago we took a family trip to the zoo.  Tootsie Pop & Kitty Cat took their first ride on the zoo train.

This was the closest I've ever gotten to an elephant.  The children were fascinated as this elephant balanced on the edge of the structure and reached out with his trunk to pull leaves off the bushes right in front of us.

Then a little over a week ago Snootz and Daddy built a rocket together!  Snootz learned a bit about chemistry and physics along the way.

We went to the park to launch the rocket but Daddy shook it too much and the baking soda and vinegar "popped" too quickly.  Unfortunately, it resulted in an unlaunched rocket.  Oh well, everyone had fun anyways and we'll try launching it again soon.  Plus, now we know not to shake the bottle!

Since we were at the park we decided to have some fun on the playground.

And play some tennis (without rackets) after Daddy found a tennis ball.

Kitty Cat is such a loving little mommy and had to make sure her baby was taken care of before we left to go home.  She insisted on pushing her baby in the stroller for part of the way home.

As for this week, it has been a very good week so far since our recent sicknesses have passed and everyone has been happier.  On Monday, Snootz and I had an opportunity to bake some Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.  Yum!

Baking and cooking has been great for Snootz as he's been learning how to read and follow a recipe, and he's also been learning about measurements and various ingredients.  In this case he also enjoyed eating the result of his hard work!

Kitty Cat & Tootsie Pop have recently grown in their love for their babies.  I often see them feeding and putting their dolls to bed.  It's a lot of fun to watch them be so nurturing.  Of course, there is the occasional temper tantrum which results in baby getting flung onto the floor.  :)

I love this picture of Tootsie Pop.  She looks so happy holding her little doll.  (I really need to cut her bangs though.  The poor girl has her hair hanging in her eyes.)

And we also played dress up.  Well, that didn't go so well....... But Kitty Cat looked pretty even though she really didn't want to wear the dress.

I look forward to more fun days this week as we get together with friends and celebrate Mother's Day this weekend with our families. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!

Summer Reading Programs

Several days ago Money Saving Mom posted a link to Saving Dollars and Sense where Kristie posted a list of FREE Summer Reading Programs for kids.  I am really excited about this because I'd like to sign Snootz up for one of these programs.  I haven't talked to him yet but I'm fairly certain he'll be interested in participating.  I looked at the options and I think Book Adventure through Sylvan will be most appropriate for him but if he is more interested in one of the others we can certainly consider that.  I like that Sylvan's program has an online comprehension test for the child to take after they've read each book.  I think Snootz would really enjoy that (he loves working on the computer) and I also think he'd enjoy working towards one of the prizes they offer.  I looked at their book list and they offer a wide selection of books, many of which should be available at our local library.  I also like Sylvan's search tool and that the books are leveled.  Some of the other programs are more open-ended so you can read whatever books you choose but we may need something a little more structured right now.  We will likely participate in other Summer Reading Programs in the future.

Will your child(ren) participate in any of these programs?  Do you know of any other Summer Reading Programs?

Miss Spider's Tea Party - Free iPad App

For a limited time you can get the Miss Spider's Tea Party app FREE on your iPad!  We have several of the Miss Spider books in hard copy and they are so cute.  I love the colorful artwork.  We will certainly enjoy this ebook as well.

The Funny Things Children Say

The past four weeks have been unbelievably busy as we've battled sicknesses at our house, celebrated Easter, got items ready for the Just Between Friends consignment sale, and then tried to catch up on everything that got put aside through all the busyness, like cleaning and laundry.  The children and I have also spent a lot of time outside enjoying spring and some fresh air.  Today our four-year old said something so adorable that I need to take a moment to share it with you.  I hope you get a chuckle out of it.

My husband has been working long hours for the past couple of weeks and hasn't been able to join us for dinner most nights.  Tonight he came home for dinner but then had to go back to work to finish some things that need to be completed by tomorrow.  As we were eating, our four-year old, Snootz, was disappointed when he realized his dad was going to have to leave right after dinner.  Snootz asked him, "Why do you have to go back to work?"  My husband thought for a moment and then said, "Well, there are deadlines......"  Snootz was silent for a moment and then in a serious voice he asked, "Why are there dead lions at work?"  My husband and I looked at each other and laughed.  We have both been feeling pretty tired out lately but who wouldn't laugh at a response like that?  We of course proceeded to tell Snootz that Daddy has deadlines he needs to meet.......work that needs to get done by the end of the day.  After we explained it to Snootz I think he understood but honestly I think it sounds a lot more exciting for his daddy to have dead lions at work.

These are the stories we need to remember and tell our children when they get older.  How fun for them to hear the cute and silly things they said and did when they were little.  I am not very good at writing things down......hence this blog!

Have your children said or done anything cute lately?  (All the time, right?)

No, I didn't put a picture of a dead lion on my blog page.  He is just sleeping.  Zzzzzzzz.