Friday, September 20th

Friday was a return to the normal schedule after two field trip days - we took our time, mostly focusing on math, reading, passport club (Argentina studies), and making sure to fit in tea & story time.  In the evening, Jim was finished with work just a bit earlier than usual and thrilled the kiddos by loading them all up and taking them to a huge, empty church parking lot to ride bikes for over an hour!  When they got back we ate dinner and I went to the gym, then came home to snuggle everyone right before bedtime. 

Victoria has really hit her stride with reading during the past couple of weeks, using what I am going to call my foolproof Skittle Program.  It's very scientific.  Essentially, we had a few frustrating spells wherein she was not wanting to put the required mental effort into reading, while I knew that SHE knew exactly what the words said.  I tested this theory by telling her that I would give her one Skittle at the end of every page she completed by herself and with no whining/fussing.  Amazingly, she started flying through books! ;-)  Here she is, sticker'ing yet another book she completed.

Waverly's expression every time Victoria reads "sawL" instead of "saw."

We do not think that word means what you think it means, Victoria ;-)

For passport club time, we discussed when Argentina gained it's independence and the meaning behind their national flag.  The kids were given blank flags to color, however Lincoln chose to use the time to practice writing his letters.  He is doing so well!  Look at those "N"s - superb! 
 :-)  I was hardly going to force him to color while he was writing so nicely, haha

Scarlett and Victoria busily coloring in their flags. 

The library books I had checked out for Argentina were due back, but while they finished coloring I read a couple of the books one last time.  In the "My Mama's Little Ranch on the Pampas" book, a family buys a ranch out in the Pampas of Argentina but when the school year starts they have to live in their apartment in the big city and the kids hate being away.  Scarlett said, "That doesn't make any sense.  Why wouldn't they just homeschool?"  Fine point :-)

During tea & story time, we drank a chai mate blend from Teavana - one of my favorites - and read "The Little Engine That Could" and "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything."  I think we've read that book 12 times this week!!  They love it.  It will make a nice kids'-level-scary ghost story at camping next month.

Before they left to go bike riding, Lincoln made me "leave a kiss" on him - I gave him a big smooch on the cheek and he ran into the bathroom and came out and said, "I can't see it really good! Put more lip stuff on!"  So I coated up and gave him another big smooch and he was finally satisfied that the world would see he was marked with mommy-love! lol 

Jim took a panoramic shot of the epic empty parking lot at the church down the road from us.  Perfectly flat and zero traffic! 

Jim and the kids invited Mr. Young and Charlotte (our good neighbor friends) to join in the biking fun - Lincoln thought this meant he needed to try to ride into Mr. Young as many times as possible :-p

Riding his big boy bike like a pro!