100 Days

Homeschooling is like anything else.  Some days it's great, and some days it's not so great.  Today was a great day.  It was our 100th day of school!  We keep track of each school day and have a celebration when we reach 100 days (much like I did as a teacher in the public school).  The problem is, I have the same students every year, so...I have to switch it up a bit (thanks for the ideas, Jen!).  ;-)    

 This year, we started the day with cookies...

 for breakfast (actually, they were cookies after breakfast and yes, I made them brush their teeth)!

This guy didn't get cookies for breakfast.

 After breakfast, I sent them to do some '100' art.  

 They turned the numbers 1-0-0 into a picture (L made the owl, I Man the bee) and drew themselves today and at age 100.  Their comments about these pictures were priceless.  First, L asked me if people really live to be 100 and then she said she'd heard of someone in the Bible who lived to be 100. years. old! (I'm pretty sure he was older than that, ahem).  Other observations...I Man's nose is bigger and his lips are crooked because he doesn't have any teeth?  L's lips are blue and she has dirt on her face, because "she's too old to take a bath."  Ha!

 While they created masterpieces, I hid 'treasure' all over the main level of the house.

(They LOVED this!)

 Once it was found, we had to make sure it was all there (wink, wink)

...so we made a giant hundreds chart!

 This was a lesson in perseverance, but they were happy to complete it.  It may have also helped that I let them eat their favorite number!

 LJ was there for this part too, but he mostly played with the magnets and mopped the floor with his belly.

 Once LJ went down for a nap, the kids made Lego creations

 (with 100 Legos).

We finished off the day by reading 100 pages (some read by L, a few 'read' by I Man, and a lot read by me)!

Yep, today was a great day.

Ten Months

LJ is ten months old today, and somewhere in the past month I've started to remember just how fast the 'year of the baby' goes by! Maybe it's because he's sleeping better again or because he's finally feeding himself (or at least trying to).  Maybe it's because he's already in dire need of a haircut or because he's mobile and starting to get into stuff like a toddler.  Maybe it's because he is nothing like the teeny, tiny, little bundle of baby boy we brought home ten months ago.  Whatever the reason, I have to admit...it really does go by fast!  Shhh...don't tell D I said so!  ;-)

This month LJ celebrated Christmas with Grandpa and H, helped I Man celebrate #5, and became very mobile.  He can now sign 'all done,' 'more,' and sometimes 'please' but he still prefers to shriek (instead of using signs).  He doesn't have any teeth yet, but I can see them just under the surface.

Christmas with Grandpa and H.

 He still loves to jump in the exersaucer and consequently, he's broken a spring on one side.

 He's never happier than when playing with anything that does not belong to him!

 He now rolls all over his crib and sleeps on his side, tummy or back.  When you go in to get him he peeks his head up at you, like this.

 He's resourceful in getting what he wants.

 He still love, love, loves tubby time!

 He's not crawling yet but sometimes he gets up on his knees.

 He loves to stand (until he falls).

And if you try to re-enact that top picture (from when LJ was almost one week old), you'll only get the bottom one...

or any number of these instead.

Yep, he's nothing like that teeny, tiny, bundle we brought home ten months ago.  Sigh!

To Infinity and Beyond!

 He's five today (I can't believe he's 5!) and this past weekend we celebrated him (and Great Grandpa!) with a Toy Story party...

Decorations were simple, I used alphabet blocks, army guys 

 and other Toy Story toys we already had around the house

 (like Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head)

 I found and printed some 'etch a sketch' labels and added my own wording (this one was for the party favor bags)

 Add in some themed party food (which was easy thanks to my crockpot and Domino's)

 a Toy Story coloring station,

 and a cute baby (who has no interest in the camera) and you've got yourself a party!  ;-)

 Uncle J made the cake and it was {once again} amazing and delicious.  (See those five stars?  There are 88 all over the sides of the cake in honor of Great Grandpa...so cool!)

 I Man loved it, thanks J!

 

 Somehow, we managed to find a couple of gifts that Great Grandpa didn't already have!

 And I Man, well he got more than his fair share of gifts, too!

Today, he's officially five!

(for the record, I did ask him if we could just celebrate 4 again, but he didn't think it was a good idea.  Sigh!)

Nine Months

LJ is nine months old today and his personality is beginning to show more and more every day. 

This month, LJ enjoyed his first family Christmas (and even more Christmas here).  He can now roll from his back to his tummy and has quickly learned to 'roll around the room.'  The big kids think this is great and L keeps telling me that next he'll be walking; but in reality it just means t.r.o.u.b.l.e!  ;-) He still adores both L and I Man, but can also get quite upset with them if they take something that is 'his.'  He seems to have zero interest in putting food (cheerios, fruit puffs etc.) into his own mouth (suggestions, please!) and does not yet have a tooth.  He has recently been fighting a cold/the flu which has thrown both his eating and sleeping schedule out of whack (not to mention the whining and clingy-ness).  He does seem to be feeling better, though, and I'm praying he returns to 'normal' soon!  He seems to understand the signs for 'milk,' 'more' and 'tubby' but he doesn't make any of them consistently (to be fair, I haven't been working on these like I should).  He sometimes claps when you sing patty cake and sometimes waves when you say, 'bye-bye.'  And if you ask him to say 'mama,' he always says, 'dada.'

 (see?  determined.)

 (this is his "i don't want to smell that/taste that/eat that" face affectionately known around here as 'fish lips')

 (sometimes we get LJ ready to go and then set him down while we get everything else ready)

 (on Monday, he rolled from one side of the living room to the other...

and was quite proud of himself, too!)

And so, life begins with a baby on the move.

(See those towers L built just for LJ?  Too bad he only has eyes for I Man's Legos.  Trouble I tell you, t.r.o.u.b.l.e!!)