Starting Term 2 off with preparations for Christmas.
We enjoyed a quiet day with Christmas music, Christmas smells (cinnamon...), and making many handmade Christmas cards for family and friends.
The girls helped me make Eggnog Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip cookies.
Daddy took the girls to the playground for an hour so I could get some purging done.
Daddy took the girls to Play Abby for 2 hours so I could get some more purging and cleaning done. Place is starting to look quite nice.
The girls helped to decorate the Christmas Tree. It was so much fun going through all the ornaments, and remembering creating a bunch of them.
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It has been amazing around here - 6 days in a row that have been quite pleasant. No major meltdowns or difficult battles.
I have gone back in time to see what has been different about our time... There has been 4 days of being able to wear jammies and just create and do as we please. (lots of coloring, cutting, stickering...)
We finally got a call to get Little A into Sunny Hill for her assessment... I feel terrible that I have to sabotage the good days...
I have been pleasantly surprised with my attempt to sabotage...
Little A knows something is wrong with her body with all these food dyes... she ASKED for her mini trampoline so she could bounce some of the extra energy out :) Very proud of her for this - Not sure what I will do tomorrow - I need to be less accommodating to get the worst out of her...
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SOCIAL STUDIES: COMMUNITY
Dec 1 - The girls, Big A's SEA, and myself headed off to help assemble the Christmas homeless packs for our friends at 5 & 2 Ministries. The girls had a great time, and did an amazing job. I was very proud of both of them. I was also impressed that the girls decided to donate so much of their allowance, savings, and clothing money to donate to purchase all the socks, kleenex, soap, and food for the gifts.
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| Sorting and preparing the items for the gift bags. |
January & February.
We have been taking walks and drives around the community - finding our favorite places to visit& places we visit often.
We are also comparing different types of homes. We live in an apartment. Big A has a friend that lives in a town house, and another friend that lives in a regular house.
We have been enjoying watching the progress of a building being built from the ground up in the Mall parking lot. We were not able to get photos of all the stages - but we do have a few. We watched them start by demolishing the previous building, dig up ground, pour concrete, put in poles and bars, and now they are just starting to put up some of the walls on the structure. We are very curious as to what may go into this building. We talk about how to be safe around people building...
SCIENCE: BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES... I see a Lego Unit coming together!!
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| Working hard creating names |
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| A spy house |
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| With a draw bridge |
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| Big A built this lego house on her own following all the directions. (Front) |
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| (Back of the house) |
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| Big A assembled this beach house on her own. (Front) |
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| Back of beach house |
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| Creating a functioning marble maze structure |
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| The finished product - all working |
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| Creating with different structures. |
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| Bedroom Fort. |
READING & COMPREHENSION & ACTIVITIES : CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Big A is working on reading and answering comprehension questions about the story in a workbook.
Jan 10th - Big A finished reading Charlie & Choc factory - now to finish the writing questions.
WRITING:
Big A started a new writing journal. She is writing every day. She is enjoying this writing tool - right now I am just encouraging her to write. Starting in January we will work on expanding her thoughts. Then we will start working on punctuation.
Big A wrote & created all Christmas cards that she gave out. To all |Grandparents / Aunts & Uncles & Sunday School friends.
MATH:
Girls are enjoying extra board games this month in addition to the Jump Math 3 book.
*Monopoly Jr (sisters played together)
*Sequence for Kids (sisters played together)
*Candy Land (sisters played together)
*Sequence for Kids (enjoyed this game with mommy and Grandpa F)
*Sorry (enjoyed this game with mommy and Grandpa F)
We are also doing a lot of baking...and eating (the girls are helping with some of the making and more of the eating).
*mini banana bread
*baked donuts
*chocolate covered pretzels
*peanut butter fudge
*garlic cheese bread
*clack bean brownies
CHRISTMAS.
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| Our Christmas Tree after the girls decorated. |
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| The stockings and wreath |
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| Just a small portion of her gifts |
READING (December)
Bear's First Christmas - by Robert Kinerk
The Night before Christmas - by Clement C Moore's
Joey's Christmas Gift - by Clare Mishica
Merry Christmas Mom & Dad - by Mercer Mayer
Silent Night - by Juliet Groom & Tim Warnes
The Christmas Story - by Jane Werner
The Christmas Story - by Patricia A Pingry
Christmas in the Big Woods - by Laura Ingles Wilder
The Hat - by Jan Brett
A Porcupine in a Pine Tree (A Canadian 12 Days of Christmas)- by Werner Zimmermann
The Usborne Little Book of Christmas Carols
Hibernation Station - by Michelle Meadows *(one of our favorites)
The Gingerbread Man - Retold by Jim Aylesworth
The Gingerbread Girl - by Lisa Campbell
The Legend of St.Nicholas (a story of Christmas giving) by Daniel Daley Mackall *(one of our favorites)
Candy Cane Christmas - by Helen Haidle *(one of our favorites)
The Snowbelly Family of Chillyville Inn - by Cheryl Hawkinson
The twelve Days of Christmas - by Lousie Brierley
Ten Gingerbread Men - by Ruth Galloway
The Littlest Christmas Star - by Brandi Dougherty
The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree - by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
You are my Miracle - by Maryann Cusimno Love & Satomi Ichikawa
Joy to the World - Retold by Dina Anastasio
No Room at the Inn - by Jean M. Malone
Christmas Movies we enjoyed this month:
*Elf
*Polar Express
*Barbie - and a Christmas Carol
*Barbie - A perfect Christmas
*The Search for Santa Paws
*Prancer
*Arthur
*Charlie Brown Christmas
*Penguins of Madagascar Christmas
Fine Motor Activities:
Theraputty
Glitter Playdough with Christmas Cookie cutters
Scented Playdough
Dec 7th - Today was a beautiful day. Daddy took the girls to the park and let them ride their scooters. 2.5 hours of so much fun they had :)
JANUARY:
Jan 5th - Today was little A's first time on ice skates and big A's second time. They did such a great job! I hope there are many more of these days ahead!
Jan 16th - We spent 2 hours at Play Abby. Climbing, Sliding, Jumping on the trampoline, Playing with others - meeting new friends...
Jan 25th - 3 hours at School playground with daddy.
Jan 26th - 2 hours at Mill Lake playground with mommy.
Books Read:
Just the Way you are - by Max Lucado
With you all the way - by Max Lucado
Because I love you - by Max Lucado
All you even need - by Max Lucado
The Little One. The Story of the red-Tailed Monkey. by Kaitie Afrika Litchfield
Frozen - Read a long Storybook
Bambie Grows Up. by Walt Disney
Angela's Airplane. by Robert Munsch
It's an Ants Life. My Story of Life in the Nest. by Ant, with help from Steve Parker
Ribbon Rescue. by Robert Munsch
The Poppy is to Remember. by Heather Patterson
Amelia Bedelia and the Baby. by Peggy Parish
Frog and Toad are Friends. by Arnold Lobel
Amelia Bedelia. by Peggy Parish
Merry Christmas Amelia Bedelia. by Peggy Parish
Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia. by Herman Parish
Days with Frog and Toad. by Arnold Lobel
Blizzards. by Eric Charlesworth
Lightning. by Jeff Bauer
Stop, Drop and Roll. by Margery Cuyler
Hurricanes. by Alyse Sweeney
Floods. by Alyse Sweeney
Why I love my Mummy.
Why I lovr my Daddy.
Along came You. by Karona Drummond
Jan 26 & 27 during free time...finished Brookfield Days (caroline #1) by.Maria D Wilkes.74 pages 9 chapters
Math -
Addition (ex 29+16) with carrying.
Bible:
Bible / Art Journal
Daily Devotions
Writing:
Daily writing calendar questions
Reading:
Big A is learning how to do research. Learning about Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries, and Atlas.
Where to find information on how to spell something or find a meaning on a specific word. Where to find information on a person, or a place in the world.
Extra :)
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| Mommy & Big A completed this 750piece puzzle together. Jan 2015 |
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| Big A reading to Little A. |
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| Big A's leg braces. |
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| Enjoying the Sunshine in January :) |
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| Taking a break from pushing Little A on the swings. |
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| Little A watching Big A play...this is typical around here - would like to see them play together more, and be able to see Little put her imagination to use and be incontrol sometimes too. |
Science & Nature - 3 hour nature walk in the city :)
Jan 31st - Girls and I took our church bus to Vancouver Missions Fest and spent the day learning and exploring. What a great experience. We had a great time researching all the summer camp options, as well as other school options. Big A learned a new heartbreaking word (abortion). We had great discussion on this. Another new word (persecution). Big A has been praying for the Christians in jail as well as for mommy's to not kill their babies :)
February:
- Church (missions theme)
- 2.5 hours playing at Play Abby indoor play place.
- Math (multiplication)
- Art (design a new candy bar package cover)
- Writing (write about what you want to be when you grow up)... a horse trainer.
- Science (ipad question challenge game (Classify It)
-worksheets for Charlie & Chocolate Factory story
-2 Hours playing at Grant park
-2.5 hours playing at North Poplar School playground
-worked on answering questions in the Charlie & Choc Factory workbook (almost done).
*** Oral presentation to Sunday School Class on her favorite local ministry (5 & 2 Ministries).
FEBRUARY BOOKS READ:
Caroline & Her Sister (chapter book) 74 pages. by Maria D Wilkes
Frontier Family (chapter book) 71 pages. by Maria D Wilkes
