Williamsburg

Today was our first day to explore Colonial Williamsburg. Here are some shots of the kids. No particular order. They have not been touched up--I just wanted to get them on here quickly so the grandparents could see their babies. More on the actual sites, the group we are here with, and the family who we are spending so much time with, in a later post. (Sorry, Mom, that the prepositions are in the wrong places. I need a "whom" in there, too, but it does not sound like me when I write like that, so I'm leaving it out.)

Luci got lots of nice attention wearing her "President's Wife Dress." She really acted the lady (sometimes). This is not one of those times. That is Luci bending over with her knees all akimbo, playing in the rocks.

The character actors are wonderful. We learned so much by talking to them. It is more "Painless Learning" (learning so fun that you don't realize at the time that your brain is getting smarter).
JT got this toy--"guaranteed to leave children speechless." Because talking while trying to put the ball on the stick messes you up! The game is called Bilbo Catcher.
This was printed in 1483. Yes, 1483! On sheepskin. Amazing. It looks as good as if it were printed yesterday. Even JT was impressed!
What happens when you aim a gun at a girl?

She aims back!

Bryan's find. He was busy filming all day, wanting to make his own Patriot Story. (I promise I won't tell him he was learning today!! He filmed every speech, every fife and drum corps we saw.) When he was younger, he kept me busy making costumes for the many characters we read about. Now he wants me to make him an outfit "just like George Washington's."
Luci wanted a hat.
Pretty cute, huh?

Luci saw the carriages and you know what she asked...So she and I got a ride.
We went on a tour for kids and had a wonderful guide. At one point, he had the boys bowing and the girls bobbing right back.
Some boy must've made a face at her!
One day I will get a shot of the kids and they will all be looking the same direction. And smiling.
Luci saw a photo of what she thought was a parade in one of the brochures. "Mama, I have to be in one of those parades!" So, as the children followed the guide on the kids' tour, Luci was in 6th Heaven (7th Heaven was the carriage ride). Luci is holding hands with Rachel.
Running across the street as the boys look at the cobbler's shop.


End of the day! That's Rachel at the end of the bench.
Poor Luci. That was really not the end of the day. We went back to the van and ate our picnic lunch. Then back for the Citizens at War show. Amazing. Or perhaps Phenomenal is a better word.

Thirty Days of Thanks...

Homeschooling brings lots of challenges. One of them is teaching a foreign language adequately. My "thankful thing" today is the help I've found teaching foreign language. Here is our Rosetta Stone package for Mandarin (Chinese). Luci and I will start that after Christmas. The boys are currently studying Spanish (Latin America). We have the homeschool version of both, which keeps track of scores so I don't have to do that. I love the programs. They are fun. It is almost painless learning!
We also have the Muzzy language DVDs for Luci. They are cute, but not as highly polished as the Rosetta Stone. I watch them with her, with the closed caption turned on so I can translate. They must work because the other day, as we were watching, I was almost asleep and Luci asked me what "(a phrase I can't recall right now)" meant and I said (without even thinking), "It means, 'Where are you?'" and I was right!

We also have several of the Mei Mei DVDs. I like them a lot. Mei Mei sings songs, carries on short conversations with school children, and shows what life is like in some Chinese locations. I just found Vol 7 on amazon.com. It is a trip to Dawei village in Anhui province. I am going to make sure that Santa brings that for Luci. Another of these Mei Mei DVDs taught Luci names for parts of the body. She uses those Mandarin words in casual conversation.

Painless Learning

Luci is not joining the circus, even though it looks like she is flexible enough to be the "Rubber Lady." I found this game at Target the other day, and it is so much fun. It is Super Stretchy ABC game, the Dr. Seuss version of Twister. The kids put hands and feet on different letters--but that is not enough for Dr Seuss. You also have to put your ear on a letter, too! Hilarious. Perfect for the Kindergarten set. I love this game so much that I am going to look for other games patterned after Dr. Seuss books.

Gardening and Hummingbirds--Painless Learning

We went to Lowe's today and got our gardening supplies. We found quite a bit that we wanted. Luci and I had fun putting it in while John and the boys went to the movies. But it was hot! Whew!

Finally--a use for those obnoxious, noxious kook-aid drinks. Oh, wait, that is hummingbird food! When this runs out, I'll make my own. This female ruby-throated hummingbird found our feeder very quickly. Luci is fascinated by this little bird. This is the view from our living room.

John tilled the garden yesterday. Just below the surface is hard, reddish clay and rock. John says it is chert. It's a very rocky garden. Makes you feel sorry for the early settlers here who had to grow their own food to survive.We have peppers, tomatoes, carrots, corn, string beans, squash, cucumbers, marigolds, a few sunflowers and a whole lot of fire ants in this plot.

Oh--we also have a bird feeder set up. Not sure that's a good place for it at the end of the garden, but it will provide a lot of entertainment and "painless learning," as will the garden and hummingbird feeder.

The 10th Day of Christmas

Brought us things to make our brains think! Sudoku, crosswords, word search and a joke book (which JT is teasing me with, above), and some pretty cool mechanical pencils. I love all of these things! And don't tell the kids, but these fall into my "painless learning" category.

What do you get when you cross a piranha with a nose?

I don't know, but I wouldn't pick it!