Water Play!!!

So I found some really cute ideas for some water play and the kids loved it!  The stuff we already had was the water table, pool, and spray bottles.  I was so tired of water guns being so hard for the kids to re-load and then squirting one time, then empty...ugh!  I do not have the site reference (oops!), but I found where someone made an aquarium out of Tupperware and an under-bed storage container, colored ice cubes, and ribbon frozen into a bowl of water!  The idea here was to "paint" with the ice cubes and watch the big block melt and get the ribbons:).  We invited some friends over and it was a great day!

"HOLMESchool Happenings/Summer Fun

I'm too excited about about all of the things we are doing/going to do this summer!  We have already gone to different parks, libraries, and taken several trips to the sprayground.  Summer is SO fun!

Here are some things we've been up to in the pre-school department...

 Sensory Play/Coloring pasta

Filling our sensory buckets a little more

 Making igloos

 Fixing/finishing Singin' Diva's Spidey blanket and pillow

I made this matching activity to go with "Wocket in my Pocket" by Dr. Seuss.  I have been doing so much research on homeschool and been inspired by the creativity of the moms and dads I read about.  So I decided it was time for me to put my creative mind to work!  Each girl has their own "wocket" (no judgement people...he's REAL homemade...ha!) and matching fabric rectangles to match to the pockets.  I LOVE it and I know they will:).

...and painting!

If I'm being honest, I have been anti-painting at home.  When I think of the mess I cringe, BUT no more!  Dancin' Diva painted "brilliant" (her words) paintings for at least 45 minutes and painted again today while Daddy slept.  You see the sticker-filled easel above?  It's now a lovely shade of grey because of Daddy's little nap...ha! 

Next on our summer bucket list:

1.  Colored ice cube painting

2.  Spray bottle water play

3.  Chuck E. Cheese

4.  Bounce U (thank you summer reading program for the free passes!)

We hope you're having a fun-filled summer too!

P.S.  Lil' Bit just decided to walk across the room last night, but she hasn't done it since:(.  We'll keep practicing.

Homeschooling Update

So I got behind and didn't get this post out on Monday.  Oh well!  Here's an update in pictures of the fun stuff we've doing in pre-school.  Enjoy!

Homeschool Monday - The schedule

So I've been doing a lot of research on homeschooling and I can successfully say that I am obsessed...ha!  I love the idea sharing, the life sharing, and the love that is felt in each and every blog that I find.  So tonight I've decided that I would try blogging about our experience just to put it out there and join in on the love:).

The first installment will be our schedule.  Now I have to give a disclaimer that this is what I have down on paper, but doesn't always happen.  So part of the reason I am sharing this is so that I can be more accountable to the plan.

9 am Calendar Time (Days of the week song, Month song while we march in a parade with our instruments, weather, colors review with color circles, counting, introduce the letter of the week)
9:30 am  Story time (Right now we read whatever the girls want, but next year we will change it up a bit and include our Before Five In a Row story.)
10/10:30 am Letter of the week worksheets from "Confessions" (Dot letters, collage sheets, lacing pictures) and letter find worksheets from this site
10:30-11 am Craft Time (I tend to be free with craft time.  There isn't a theme right now and may not ever be for the moment.  The girls pick from our supplies we have in our school room and create!)

I do have a little one that doesn't do any school yet, but I do have some Montessori inspired trays where I put toys she can easily access.  So right now she just crawls over to the shelf and plays while I do pre-school with big girls.

After this the girls free play and I do my best to keep the TV off and play music.  My girls are always moving so on the days when the TV is on more I don't sweat it at all:).

So my dilemma has been how much to school the girls.  Right now, I'm very chill about school.  We either do Monday, Thursday, or both of those days depending on what I want to do or how much the girls beg me for school (I absolutely LOVE that they LOVE learning by the way).  Next year, though, I'm leaning towards a Monday, Wednesday, Friday (Friday is our library day).  However, we will do the calendar everyday (even weekends) to keep up with the order of things.  I am also tossing around the idea that I will school everyday in some way.  For instance, I came across this idea to map out where the food and other things you buy come from as a geography lesson.  So this is something that I could do with girls while I'm in the kitchen cooking.  We would simply have a map in the kitchen, take out an item form the kitchen or tag in someone's shirt, then put a push pin on the map and talk about that area of the country.  Simple learning that I can do on the "off school" days.  LOVE it!

So there you go!  Our schedule and my thoughts on the whole deal.  Anyone got any great ideas to share on how you school your kids?

I LOVE teaching my kids!

Here are some pictures from some alone school time with DD:). She was SO pleased with herself as we went through each activity today and I was pleased as well. I love seeing the twinkle in their eyes as they learn!