The One That Was [kind of] Like Spring Break

This week was a week that ended up being a lot like spring break. We had my twelve-year-old brother visiting. And all the neighborhood kids were off of school. So it was a little different.

We did accomplish some thing though. Hunter read aloud for several hours. We read together a good handful of times. We played quite a few little math games. Hunter continues to be constantly interested in botany and bird watching. And Mom got quite a bit of lesson planning done.

This little journal definitely doesn't reflect every little thing that we did this week (whether educational or otherwise) but just the few little tidbits I remembered to write down. Enjoy!

The day with the new book 3.26.10 - Friday

Mom pointed out that the wildflowers had opened in the sunlight. Hunter was very distraught last night, when he observed that they were closing and "dying". A little lesson in botany and why flowers need sunlight, and some species close during the night, etc.

Hunter watches science movies for a great deal of the morning with uncle David while Mom goes on a laundry and cleaning marathon. Hunter normally joins Mom but relaxed with company for the day.

Hunter decides to read Mom Go, Dog. Go! Mom learns that Hunter is becoming increasingly good at reading unfamiliar words without audible "sounding out". Mom also learns that Hunter knows all the color words.

Hunter over-analyzes book to the extreme while Mom passes the time editing a parts of a bird coloring sheet and producing more math lotto games. "The red dog doesn't like the green dog, but he does like the purple and yellow dog" and "That house looks like it is about to fall" and "What on earth? They are sleeping with their hats on?" and  "I think this pool belongs to him, and he doesn't want the other guys swimming in it" and so on and so on and so on. After reading, Hunter returns to his new book repeatedly throughout the day.

Hunter spends a lot of today playing outside with neighborhood kids. Mom meets the neighbors that live in the house that is attached to theirs, but have been on deployment since we moved in. Can't wait to meet the kids.

Mom sends Hunter to bed and then goes to fetch his sheets from dryer, only to go upstairs and find that Hunter has already gotten new sheets from the closet and is making a feasible attempt at putting them on. Independent little guy, he is.

The day with the army in the bathtub 3.27.10 - Saturday

Mom found Hunter outside with the hose, again. He said, "I am watering this flower [a miniature bloom on a weed]. Mom, how does the tree get water? I need to water the tree." Hunter has quite a fascination with botany lately. Watering the yard, talking about plants, and many similar incidences, are pretty much a daily occurrence.

Hunter announced that he had mastered the "types of triangles" slide on his vintage Vtech World Wizard game. He has been toying with that slide for the past few days.

Hunter spends some time with Mom in the kitchen, counting and playing with numeral magnets, but most of the day outside and/or watching movies with uncle David. Hunter makes quite a creative set-up in bathtub (picture above) with his growing number of water-side toys he now enjoys. Today's new addition: "army guys".

The day with the perfect notebook 3.28.10 - Sunday

Hunter's most strange comment today was probably when, while we were making lunch, he informed Mom that he would like to try mixing ranch dressing and cherry 7-up, "Just to see what happens" (and not eat it, he assured). Mom and Hunter tend to do a lot of kitchen "experiments" and it is quite humorous seeing the things that he randomly decides he would like to try.

Mom and Hunter read the story of Palm Sunday, since it was today. Whole family had lunch on the grill, which later turned into a water fight.

Hunter helped Mom grocery shop (checked off list for her) and got a new notebook, Mead's Stage 3 Primary Composition early creative writing tablet. This is the next step up since the "Learn to Letter" paper he has been working with is too large now, yet he still really needs the type with the "top, middle, and bottom" lines. This notebook is perfect.

Mom attempts giving Hunter haircut with a pair of clippers that are in dire need of oil. Clippers won't cut properly. Mom makes Hunter wear hat until she makes it back to the store.

While Mom works on planning biology lessons Hunter rushed into the room, asked where his new notebook was, excitedly wrote down "St" and then ran out of the room. Mom laughed. And declined to ask what that was about. Hunter later joins Mom in her lesson planning, and did USA puzzle multiple times, read some books, and played more with Vtech World Wizard, this time mostly the planets and constellations slides.

The day with the Easter party 3.29.10 - Monday

It is spring break around here so Mom and Hunter went to an Easter party at the community center with some friends. Hunter enjoys running around, decorating a bag, coloring eggs, hunting for plastic, treat-filled ovoids, eating lunch, and doing some finger plays and songs.

Mom and Hunter use this opportunity of transporting back and forth from center to go on a mile run. Hunter doesn't do so well and complains about lack of water.

Friend comes over for the day and the afternoon and evening are spent running throughout the house with swords, guns, and talk of Buzz Light Year and Spiderman. Got new physical excellence equipment and worked on some punches, kicks, and blocks with Brandon. Opened some more birthday gifts.

The day with the fire extinguisher  3.30.10 - Tuesday

Hunter starts the morning with birdwatching from the school room. "Look at that bird!" Mom and Hunter watch for a while, talking about the reflective, light-bending feathers on its back. "Ah, it flew away!" he moans. "It's ok though, we'll see another one."

Chart weather again and it is actually cloudy for the first time in weeks. Our rain gauge hasn't gotten a drop still and it's been over a month.

Hunter colors, does USA puzzle again (three times), plays math lotto game, reads a few books aloud, and comes up with a Go-Fish style game with his math cards. Mom and Hunter read about rocks and minerals and a little from a science book. Hunter works on coloring more sections of his Book of the Century time line (pictured) while Mom edits old math schedules for friend. Hunter informs Mom that, when the colored pencil is sharpened at both ends, "It looks like a light saber!"

Right before bed, Mom sends Hunter to retrieve a plastic bag from under the sink and hears a spray. "Why did you do that?" I say yell as I rush into the room and see what lays before her.

"I just wanted to see if it worked."

Mom sends Hunter to bed without a story or geography time. Mom googles "How to clean up after a fire extinguisher" and is reminded, though she may sometimes forget, that her five-year-old is definitely not beyond the age of curiosity-led mischief making.

The day with the photo shoot  3.31.10 - Wednesday

While charting the weather today, Hunter tells Mom, "It looks like stairs, doesn't it?"

Mom and Hunter notice that their flowers are on their last line, and note the pollen that is all over the window sill. Talk about pollination, reproduction, and bees.

During lunch, uncle David tries to hide the box of noodles and tells Hunter, "Shh.. Don't tell your Mom" just to be silly of course. Hunter ruins the petty joke and immediately tells Mom. "If someone ever tells me not to tell my mom or dad I tell them right away" he says.

Oh. Yeah. Mom forgot that she had taught him that important little safety measure. Another old lesson is brought up today when Mom and Hunter were reading an ancient history book and Hunter reminds Mom of the modesty of the discus thrower.


Mom and Hunter have a photo shoot today for new blog title. They are graduating to Life with a Kindergartner soon. *Sniff*

Mom and Hunter do some more writing, reading, and math games in the evening. Watch some rented videos for David's last night.

The day that was Passover  4.1.10 - Thursday

It was April fools today. Mom and Hunter toy around with the word jape and play a few on each other.

Mom and Hunter do a little reading and upload some old videos from their early days doing Doman. Mom is excited to edit these and finally get them on the blog. Hunter is extremely amused by himself at age two.

Hunter and mom get out math playing cards and do some equations. They toy with some algebra and greater and less than. Hunter for some reason always wants to do more equations whenever playing this game. Mom has to remember, always stop before your child wants to stop - leave them hungry for more. It seems to be working.

Mom and Hunter also toy around with the Wahoo Word Lab game. Hunter had fun and is still reading quite fast. More on that later.

It was Passover today and Mom was totally unprepared. Mom and Hunter talk about it and watch a short video. Hunter is quite touched by the story, especially the part about him being the first born. Mom works on touching up last year's Haggadah (guide book) and plans tomorrow's Seder dinner.

Whole family kicks off weekend early by going out to see How to Train Your Dragon and going out to dinner, a rare treat they thoroughly enjoyed.

Mom comes home and blogs. Works more on Haggadah and is excited about tomorrow.



Share with the other moms what you're doing with your little one on Homeschool Creations' theme blog Preschool / 5K Corner.

"And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship"

Exodus 35:31

Hunter is 5 years, 0 months old