{finding joy in the journey...}: The January That Slipped By... {X plays basketball, Lots of School, Snow Play, Art, Horse & Unicorn Land, Lauren's Daisy Award}

Friday, February 5, 2021

The January That Slipped By... {X plays basketball, Lots of School, Snow Play, Art, Horse & Unicorn Land, Lauren's Daisy Award}

January started with little Evie's coffee burn accident and so much of the rest of the month was spent helping her recover properly. We did our best to keep her healthy, away from any other germs, and healing. Her burns are really healing beautifully. We have a combination of donor breastmilk for her body and skin health, and vitamin e oil that we are using now that we're done with wound and infection prevention care. I'm still so sorry for what she went through, but we're so thankful for our village for lifting us up.

At her one week follow-up with the pediatrician.

Look how brave she is.

Siblings make the best healing buddies.

Evalynn's personality has blossomed this month, despite her injury. She's a comedian, book-lover, foodie, and snuggle bug.

Sweet friends lifted me with generous gifts in the mail...

Evie rested a lot this month. Growing. Healing.

Isn't she lovely?

Hanging with Daddy.

Evie tried out her big girl bottom bunk for one afternoon nap in January and she did so good. Such a big girl.

We read SO many books this month. Evalynn says "read," "book," and "up me" with a book in her hand.

Our pile one morning.

She loves wearing Zayden's blue light blockers and I can't stand the cuteness.

Evalynn has played with her babies so much this month - both her dollies and her little people baby set. She's at a fun age and learning to play imaginatively.

She really wants a hair fixin.' That barrette is hanging on just barely.

Squigz + light table.

We haven't been able to see our families much (combination of covid and weather) throughout this month, so we are trying to dive into school to keep ourselves busy and our minds occupied from the hard and heartache that, at times, seems to have become life.

Mia has really taken off with her Draw Write Now and writing journal prompts. Her handwriting is beautiful and her drawings are so detailed.

After a bit of thought, I decided to get Zayden a primary writing journal and let him start the Draw Write Now series also. He needs a bit of encouragement to take his time - his handwriting is improving and he is enjoying the work. He does an excellent job with his finger spaces, and I love what a brave speller he is when we do writing prompts outside of DWN.

I love Mia's "I have a dream...writings that we did the week of Martin Luther King, Jr. day.

I have a dream for my country that everyone will have a safe home. I have a dream for my family to get together. I have a dream for me. I want to be a famous ballerina.

Her dream for our family is so indicative of the year we've had. We just miss....our people.

I have more pictures of the younger ones, because their school is very mom heavy and interactive - most of my time with the big kids is spent reading together and discussing.

Math! Zayden learned the 100s place value.

Mia is learning to carry and borrow in math.

Natalee is helping Mia with some sight word bingo.

Mia and Zayden are still traveling around the world and have spent some time learning about India, Germany, and Russia. We try to do an art or food activity for each country at the end of the week.

Pre-teen sighting! Natalee often does her school at her desk in her room, but emerges to check with me, talk with me, or sit at the table.

Working so hard on all those sounds!

Using modeling clay to finish up Germany week, though I couldn't secure the beeswax clay that the curriculum suggested.

Sometimes the big kids come out for the art or activity. Big kids like fun, too.

We made new chalk pastels for our dining room frames using tutorials from You Are An Artist.

Winnie the Pooh

Mary Poppins

Frozen

Madeline

We watched a Reading Rainbox about pysanky egg decorating to finish Russia week.

The video was based in Ukraine, but the pysanky technique is similar so I thought it was pretty fitting. Mike blew out some eggs for the kids and they all got to try their hand at decorating egg shells. Our egg painting was no where near pysanky style decorating but we had a good time working with our fragile egg shells.

Evie woke up before we got done painting - you can't leave Evie down when paint is loose - so I tried to keep her busy in her chair. Markers lasted about 2 minutes...