Well, we have finally started our around the world curriculum.  It's been a good six months in the planning.  Friday, September 16th in the evening, the girls decorated their notebooks.  I had stickers of globes and flags from different countries for the front and different types of animals for the back.  We talked about the different flags and different animals and that we were starting this new curriculum.

On Saturday we tried a new dance class.  It had mixed reviews by the girls.  They were tired out by it (good for Mommy), enjoyed learning new things but Jessica definitely did not like the teacher.  I think that it had a lot to do with the teacher's cultural background.  The girls were the only white faces in the class.  Both Mark and I think that it will be a great experience for the girls all the way around so they will be returning.  Best of all the class is free in cost-still have to buy the tights and tap shoes.  This means the girls can have dance and gymnastics.

On the 18th, we went to Murray Farms after church.  The girls went immediately to the sandbox which is filled with corn kernels to dig in versus sand.  While they were playing, we got to watch a truck burning on the highway.  The truck had driven down the mountains from Tehachapi and the brakes caught on fire.  It happens frequently.  Luckily the truck was full of water bottles.  About 2/3 of the truck burned.  Once the fire was put out we went to the orchards to pick apples.  We didn't want to get too close to the truck burning as ash was flying in the air and at the time we didn't know what was burning in the truck.  Anyway, we picked 3 1/2 flats of different types of apples.  The other 1/2 flat was avocados and pomgranates.  We also took home a seedless watermelon.  This trip we did not pet the animals or go in the hay maze as the girls were tired.  On the way home we sang "Apples and Bananas."  Lots of apples needed for the next 2 weeks of apple curriculum.  After naps we did a Josephina activity (American Girls).  We drew pictographs on a paper bag.  Before Angelina woked from her nap, Jessica and I read book 2 of Josephina.  Nice start on our around the world curriculum.

Today, the 19th, we went up to Tehachapi for co-op.  It was so wonderful to see our friends up there.  Been missing them and wish we were living up there-soon, soon we hope!!!  God willing!  I did a workshop on King Tut.  We are going to the King Tut exhibit on 10/10 so doing a lot to educate the girls about the exhibit and time period.  They watched a movie on the exhibit with some background on King Tut and colored some pictures about King Tut.  It was only about 40 minutes long-just long enough to keep interest.  Next, Debra (our good friend) did a workshop on The Wild West.  The current book we are reading for Magic Tree House is on this subject.  The girls really enjoyed the games outside.  They was a type of tag based on cowgirls/cowboys and horses/cows.  The girls got to dig for gold in the dirt (yellow painted rocks).  It was great fun.  Afterwards, everyone left except for Fiona, Deb's children and us.  We started our around the world activities with Fiona (3 1/2 yrs old), Janella (3 yrs old) and our girls.  We read the book, "How To Make An Apple Pie and See The World."  Did several of the FIAR(Five In A Row) activities and some counting of people, cows, flowers, etc.  Next we made a passport.  The girls all glued their pictures in their passport and the flags of Jamaica and Sri Lanka.  We again tied it in with the book.  We tried an activity that had to do with salt and evaporation but not enough sun to evaporate so all will try this at home.  Nice beginning of activities together.  When the girls went outside to play, Deb and I came up with the actitivies for the future regarding American Girls.

Mark spent two days doing major cleaning in the house.  Finally all the camping gear got put away.  I was so impressed and grateful that the house was cleaned up!!!  Mark works so hard while I sit on my butt at work.  Work was very, very busy this week.  I had my 4 MSW interns start this week and trying to coordinate them all was a challenge.  I was very tired on Thursday and Friday in particular.  But it will be worth it.  I love working with interns and teaching them what I know about my love of social work.  It is a nice benefit that later in the school year they can do some of my work in seeing clients and the paperwork as a result of the visits.  Right now it is a little overwhelming.  Plus this is my first year as field instructor.  In the past I have only been the task supervisor.  Field instructor needs to make sure all the students' paperwork is completed and tries to tie in their internship with their classes at school.

Anyway on Thursday (9/22), Mark and the girls got some reading done and lots of worksheets.  The girls also went to gymnastics.  They are enjoying this more and more.  Mark and I had talked on Monday and we are in agreement that the girls need to stay in gymnastics.  Next September we will look at ballet classes for them if still interested but for now, they will be doing gymnastics and the free dance class.

Friday was the first meeting of Kids Discovery Day-Science.  This was a little smaller group than the geography one per Mark.  I did not take off work.  I will in January when I have to do the dinosaur class.  Today the co-op was about bats.  The girls got to eat a bat cupcake and for the most part, just played with their friends on the playground.  It was okay though because that evening we did bats, bats and more bat activities.  The girls brought everything home and we had bat night.  Lots of fun and worked out just as well.

Saturday was the first class of Kids Sports Camp.  The girls did this class through the city Parks and Rec during the summer.  This class was through North of the River Parks and Rec.  Anyway, it is a class where they do a different sport each session for 5 classes.  It is for 3-6 yrs old.  The girls learned how to play paddle soccer.  Overall, it was fun.  They were both a little close and clingy at first.  Jessica found that she enjoyed being the goalie and Angelina got bored/tired the last half hour.  Afterwards, we played on the playground for about a hour as we had never been to this park.  We then went to Berean Christian Store where we usually go for American Girl Club.  However, today was Kids Day.  The girls got their hands painted-Angelina got a heart and Jessica a dolphin.  They colored pictures of Strawberry Shortcake and got lots of stuff to take home.  Later in the day, they watched two free DVDs that they got of Strawberry Shortcake.  They also got stickers which we put in their sticker books.  Busy day for all! 

Mark has been working lots of hours on Saturdays and Mondays for the last two weeks.  They are short two employees at his work.  We are pleased as it means more money going into our savings for that down for our Tehachapi house.  The end of August we opened a new account just for that!  We have been blessed with the money showing up for that account!!!!  Thank you God!

Yesterday, Sunday the 25th, was a busy homeschooling day mostly at home.  We had planned to take the girls one last time to Hurricane Harbor Water Park but the weather has cooled into the 70s.  We decided we didn't want to be in the water all day with it that cool.  Also the gas prices are high ($2.93 a gallon) and it is a 1 1/2 hr drive one way.  Saving that money made more sense. So....we kept the girls busy.  Mark cleaned the kitchen, stripped the big bed and vacumm the whole house.  I got the girls to clean up all the house but their toy room.  That will be tomorrow's project.  They did some minor cleaning in there.  We did tons of apple activities.  The girls painted with apples, did an apple puzzle, talked about whole/half/fourths regarding cutting up apples, talked about different types of apples, read books about apples.  We also talked about desert animals to tie in with Josephina and Jessica colored some beautiful pictures of desert animals (decorating our wall now).  We got on some of the bat websites given to us from Friday's co-op.  Printed out 4 bat pictures for each child.  Cute bat picture of a mommy bat and baby.  While Angelina was sleeping, Jessica did some cleaning of the toy room and Mark and I worked on getting 4 flats ready for returning home.  We have been very active in a flat travelers homeschooling group.  Going to slow it down here soon.  Bringing all the flats in for a break from their travels.  Anyway all were pleased with our busy and active day.  Tomorrow is a trip to the fair.

Hear Angelina crying-time to sign off.  Till next time!

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