Weekly Wind Down {Sledding Party, Evie's Hair Salon, School Update, Sharing Germs} January 21-27, 2024

We started the week with frigid wind chills but made the best of it  We were all able to go to church Sunday morning, and attempted some sledding with some of our small group on Sunday afternoon.

Catch Ev in the back left playing the princess card and getting a piggy back ride from Ellie up the hill.

The snow was so deep it made it a bit difficult and the wind got bitey eventually, but children are troopers and dads are heroes.

Evie took over Mr. Fross and Mr. Ullerich's fort and commandeered it to play house.

I didn't take many pictures but snapped this of our line of people walking back.  We were quite a bunch.  Ev is again playing princess and got Mr. Fross to pull her back to the van in his sled.

There were big snow mounds in the parking area and the kids played on those almost as much as the sledding hill.  I wondered why we subjected ourselves to the wind on the hill when the snow mounds were about as much fun.

Not all of the children - some were warming up in cars - but some of them!

Ellie tried to photo bomb Mike and I but my arm isn't long enough so she wasn't actually in our picture.  Ha.

Matching green furry hood coats.  Zayden was recovering from his bout with the virus and was in the "wrung out washrag" stage.  Fever free for several days, just rebuilding strength and energy.  He was headed to the van here to warm up and rest.

lil besties and tag along sister...

Playing king of the mountain.  The sky was lovely.

Back to school on Monday and time for an update! 

In preschool, Evalynn is mastering numbers 1-10--writing, recognizing, and counting with 1-to-1 correspondence.  We are also working on what comes before, between, and after in her numbers 1 through 10.  We're practicing rhyming, writing her name on the lines, and just started a book about planet Earth that discusses all the different kinds of places there are in the world (rain forests, deserts, arctics, plains, etc.)  This week we are dipping our toe into letters/sounds, doing one at a time.  We read our Mr. Roger's poems and she watches an episode of Mr. Rogers most days.  We also do calendar together and do some cutting and gluing most days.  There are some days Evalynn doesn't want to do school at all, and some where she is ready the minute she hits the floor so we keep it flexible and at her pace.

Evalynn really loves rich literature.  She has been enjoying the Madeline Treasury, Little House Picture Book Treasury, Percy the Park Keeper, TumTum and Nutmeg, and books by Shirley Hughes.

The other children are in week 23 of 36 in their language arts, history, Bible, math, and reading.  The are about the same with their Science, so we are well on a good schedule to be able to close our formal books by mid spring.  We are reading beautiful books, having good discussions, and enjoying our days (usually) for the most part.  Natalee, Xavier, and I just got done reading two books set in Hungary, with the second taking us into World War 1.  Mia and Zayden just finished A Door in the Wall for their read aloud, which was not a favorite, but they have been enjoying their readers a lot!

Our morning time has greatly dwindled which is a disappointment to me probably the most, but we are reading through the Lithos Little Pilgrim's Progress picture books together and are on book 2.  Bible trivia is also a favorite for morning time, and our Cultured Donut art book when we make time to do it.

Monday started a warm up in Iowa.  I paid a couple kids to work on clearing the back cement that had inches of icy slush on it, so that we would have a dry/mud free place to get some fresh air as the thaw continues.

The Beelers have fought viruses all month long and this week was not exempt, with Xavier taking a turn.  I'm ready to put the thermometer away, that's for sure.

I made cheeseburger soup but also a pot of chicken noodle for the sickie and some children enjoyed dual bowls.

After weeks of practices canceled for weather, Zayden was glad to be back at the Y for basketball.

While Zayden was at basketball I wanted to sit down with my book.  Evalynn asked to do my hair and I agreed.  She would put in a few clips then take a picture.  Quite a progression.

But I got to read for 45 minutes and she's actually quite gentle.  Plus all that fine motor practice for her, right?

Mike counted 90 clips when he took them out later.

Wednesday...

We went to Awana/Youth Group Wednesday night.

Thursday....the Yoto gets such a workout all week long.  

Stories in the morning...

stories at lunch...

Natalee had hippotherapy and an online appointment Thursday.

Friday...

We spent some time doing science labs with groups, then back home to finish our own schooling.  I had everyone lay down for quiet/rest time and some slept.  While the temps have been warmer there has been no sunshine - coupled with varying stages of recovering from a virus and many welcomed the rest.

The kids finished their third puzzle of the year.

We've been trying to get outside in the warmer weather all week.

The big kids went to swim practice and we had early bedtimes since Saturday brought an early and busy day with the final swim meet.