Week In the Life {Zayden's Moving On, Adventures in Sourdough, Travel to Africa}

Our Sunday was snowy - buckets and buckets of snow. Our church canceled service so we had worship at home. Mike worked on Valentine boxes with some of the kids and we just got ourselves ready for the week.

Monday, February 1st
Monday started with snuggles.

I also started a new Bible study on anxiety. Several of my friends are doing this, too, and it's nice to have accountability and someone to discuss the lessons with. It's also nice to have the Word back open with a purpose - a direction to study.

Tuesday, February 2nd

Natalee had PT on Tuesday and we schooled the rest of the day away. 

Mia and Zayden are making great progress individually in their reading and math.  Together they "traveled to Africa" in Social Studies and finished book 8 of the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series.

I've been trying to exercise daily and little Evie is proof that our children watch us...

Practicing our selfies....

Zayden and Theo FaceTimed in the evening.

Wednesday, February 3rd

Mike took Natalee to hippotherapy and she had a great session.

Thursday, February 4th

Last week Zayden finished his Kindergarten reading phonics work and readers.  I thought a lot about how to handle this - I've never had such a zealous little student at this young of an age.  

Ultimately I decided to order him the 1st grade curriculum work and just start through it, going slowly, and pausing when or if we need to.  He was SO excited to get the next book when it arrived Tuesday night and was raring to go Wednesday morning.

Maybe his finishing early was a God thing, as I learned that the company that I've used for all 4 kids and that I taught in public school before that, discontinued their line of books for homeschooling families.  It's a big disappointment to learn they aren't going to serve the homeschool community anymore, however I went ahead and ordered everything I would need to finish Zayden through his instruction and get Evie through.  I am too old and set in my ways to change curriculums with one kid left.

Zayden is also a very brave speller!

Thursday, such a cold day, this little cutie said to me, "wouldn't a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal be so yummy for lunch?"  So some of us had oatmeal and some of us had dash eggs.

Evie had her dash eggs and then her dad's when he came home on his break.

Reading time with Evalynn, before her nap.

Friday, February 5th

Our art was African sunset animal silhouettes since the little 2 were in Africa this week.  We painted our sunsets first, and then animals native to Africa over the top of them.  Everyone tried their hand at an acacia tree, also.

Natalee:

Xavier:

Zayden:

Ameliya, with Dad's help on the lion:

Evie tried a raw onion with her supper....she's a foodie.

I made a small batch of sourdough chocolate chip cookies with my sourdough discard.  I still don't fully understand what I'm doing, but it's fun trying.

Evie approved,

and washed it down with oat milk.

Saturday, February 6th

Saturday brought more snow, but we hit the ground running Saturday morning.  I had a grocery pick up at 7 a.m. and then came home and tried my hand at sourdough pancakes. I mixed the flour, starter, and water the night before but I think I didn't get enough water in there.  They were not perfect, but they were okay and everyone gobbled them up.  They had a very good taste, and I added a bit of milk to thin them out.

 

We still had our planned activities at the YMCA despite the snow.  Natalee began private swim lessons, and Xavier had his second basketball game.  It's a very small team, and they were missing 2 boys, so they played 3 on 3.  

The rest of the day we just relaxed, the kids played, and we enjoyed a day at home.  We ended the night by watching Duma, a movie set in Kenya.