Best. Day. Ever

That is what Claire said to Will when he came home from work on Monday. 

 

Claire got to visit a 1st grade class at a private school we hope she will be attending next year.  They made her fell so special and everyone was so excited for her to be there. 

 

The school sent this fun little photo page home with her.

 

 

She really is a little sad that she can't return there for the rest of the school year.  God made it VERY CLEAR that we made the right decision to send her to school next year instead of homeschooling another year.  Claire told me that she "forgot all about me" while she was at school today.  Gee, thanks!  But, I am glad she had fun and felt welcome.  She is super-pumped to start school in the fall!

 

{Photo editing note: I had to delete the teachers name and cover all the school insignias on the private school uniforms.  In case you were wondering what all those dark sploches were on their shirts.}

Hatcher Dairy Field Trip

Claire and I took a little field trip to a local dairy farm back in October.  (Hello, I'm really behind on my blogging!)  We joined up with another homeschool group and had a fun little day.  After the dairy tour, we got to sample fresh milk and butter.  Yum! Yum!

 

 

A fun "milk mustache" contest before the tour.

 

First stop: cow pasture.  This is all the pregnant cows.  They don't have to milk while they are PG.

 

These are the milk cows.

 

 

And some sheep.

 

And some chickens.  (The dairy sells eggs too.)

 

The chicken coop.

 

 

 

 

This is the farm "pet" cow.

 

Claire didn't want to get too close!  But she did pet him.

 

This is the barn where all the babies calves are kept.

 

Cute babies!

 

Delivery truck loading up with fresh milk!  This dairy delivers milk to the store within 48 hours of milking.  That is fresh!

 

This milking chamber.

 

Inside the factory where the fresh milk is processed and bottled.

 

Fresh butter.  This stuff was good!

Claire and her buddy McCall.

 

Obligatory cow photo.

 

Claire and McCall try their hand at "milking".

Despite the cold and mud that day, this was a fun field trip.  And we brought David and Will home their favorite fresh chocolate milk!

First Grade Craftapalooza!

Claire and I got a little behind on her art project from her homeschool program this year.  Art is once a week and is always the last class of the day.  Many times she would watch the video and start the project, but never get it finished because it required help from me and I was tied up doing something else.  So, we spent the last day of school before winter break catching up on several unfinished art projects (and doing a few other activities).

 

(Claire is enrolled in an accredited program so we are required to complete all the work.  Otherwise, we so would not have finished these things up!)

 

1.  Felt pencil can.

 

 

2.  Christmas placemat.

 

 

3.  String painting.  (David's project is blue; Claire's is red.)  This was fun!

 

4 and 5.  Draw and penguin and a pig.

 

6 and 7.  Make a duck and a bear out of circles.  (Luke added some decoration to the duck's face.)

 

8.  Christmas tree with sequin ornaments.

 

 

9.  Christmas bell.

 

10 and 11.  Indian vest and headband.

 

 

I hope and pray we never get this behind on art projects again!

Tiny Olympians

I volunteered to help with the "Olympics" at David's preschool back in October. 

 

{I really just volunteered so I could go take pictures.}

 

Here is David's class marching out to the playground.  (Each class had their own sign.)  I love the hand print owl!

 

 

Class photo.

 

 

David and his best buddy J.  He is dying to have him over to play.  The mommies need to get it worked out.

 

A better picture of the sign.  So cute!

 

 

Time to get started!  There were 4 Pre-K classes and 4 events.

 

 

 

First event: parachute play.

 

Event #2: Hit the bucket (I'm not really sure what it was called ... they were trying to throw a spear made of drinking straws into a wastebasket.)

 

 

Event #3: bag toss.  It looks like he threw his bag behind him, but he really didn't.

 

Event 4: obstacle course

 

David's friend J.

Claire was an excellent helper!  Doesn't she look thrilled to be there?

 

Balance beam on the obstacle course.

 

Running with the torch on the obstacle course.

 

David receiving his medal from his teacher.