Potty Training

All three of my children are officially potty trained and my life has been changed.  No more worrying about a diaper bag or changing diapers on a nasty public restroom changing table. Brooke was BY FAR the easiest to train.  We made the switch to panties one morning, she had three little accidents where she immediately stopped herself and started fussing about being wet.  A couple of days later she had two more small accidents, but I believe that is what made her transition from me taking her to the restroom regularly and her telling us when she has to go.  She stays completely dry during nap time and over night, so no more pull-ups for us. And to think I was worried she would be my most stubborn to train. ha!

School Fun

This has been a busy, fun filled year for my two school girls.  It has been interesting balancing schedules and work loads for both, but I like a challenge.  Well, I like a challenge that I can succeed at. ha!

Macy is finally getting to do all of the fun stuff that she remembers her sister doing two years ago.

And Wednesday treats are always something she looks forward to.

And it was her turn for Pancakes with Papa.  I helped coordinate this event, so I got to be a fly on the wall.  I just love seeing all of these little heads bowed in prayer. 

Kayla had her first research paper to write.  I'm sure this is the first of many, but she had such fun researching the giant panda and making this model.  He turned out super cute if I do say so myself.  Other than using the hot glue gun she did the entire thing herself.

  

Here she is giving her report.  I love that her teacher seeks to involve parents in the class and WANTS them to come in and see what their children are doing.

We have also had field trip craziness going on.  Normally we wouldn't attend all of the field trips, but so far I have felt that each one was important. For five weeks we had a field trip every week except for one.  It was crazy, but the kids had a good time.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to do these types of things with my children on a regular basis.

Macy's class trip to the pumpkin patch - probably not necessary in the scheme of educating my child, but a necessary fall event nonetheless.

So what does this picture have to do with school? Everything! It was obviously a pajama homeschool day, and this is how I managed to get a 2 year old entertained while I taught history to Kayla. While I refuse to sit Brooke in front of a television every day while I homeschool, some days I just need a little help.  Nothing wrong with trading a little Curious George for Mama's sanity!

This has been the year of sickness.  Kayla has managed to get pink eye and strep throat so far this school year.  She might get sick twice a year, so twice since school started is strange.  Macy has been dealing with congestion and sinus infections on and off for months.  Throw an ear infection into the mix for her as well. Marc and I have been battling the sore throat stuff for a few days too, and Brooke is starting to get congested now too.  This is SO unusual for us. Thankfully since they are actually in school for only two days a week they aren't missing a lot.  Homeschool goes on unless you can't get out of bed. :)  Kayla did miss one day due to strep, so I made her work on her paddle dolls (ancient Egyptian toys) for Market Day.  She is very meticulous, and it took quite a while for her to finish, but she did get a good dent in the project done that day. 

And Brooke wanted to join in on the coloring too.  She colored for over an hour.  I was able to get so much done around the house that I wouldn't normally be able to get done with her wanting attention. She is so used to having someone in the house to play with that it is hard to accomplish anything on school days. I have to keep reminding myself that is okay. She is only little once and before I know it I will have three girls in school and I will miss this time.

Market Day finally arrived.  We were able to borrow a costume from a friend, which I am thankful for.

The kids played games, made bricks, ate food that the Egyptians would have eaten, and did other fun stuff.

Bartering.  

They had such a good time trading the goods they had made. Mrs. Foster did such a great job making Ancient Egypt into a wonderful hands-on learning experience.

And of course we can't forget Pajama Day.  I think someone was a tad bit excited to go to school in her pajamas.

Apple Picking

So after the fair on Thursday, zoo on Friday, we took the girls to the apple orchard on Saturday.  This year was much more enjoyable than last because the bees weren't quite as numerous as last year. 

We did, however, start off with a grouchy two year old.

 

 But after a few bites of apples (and the novelty of choosing your own apple off the tree kicked in) that particular two year old was in a much better mood.

This has definitely become a fall tradition for our family now.  And there is just something so much better about an apple straight off of the tree.

Zoo Field Trip

So the day after the fair we woke up early for the zoo.  We had to be there at the gate at 10, and you just never know what Atlanta traffic will be like. This was a field trip for Kayla's class. Both girls worked extra hard to get all of their school work done in advance so that we didn't have to worry about it for Friday.  Brooke has never been to the zoo (that she would remember) and we have been wanting to take her.  The group school discount provided a great excuse for us to make a family adventure out of it.

Some of the sweet girls in Kayla's class that went on the field trip.

Of course they remembered the parakeets. 

A lot of the animals that usually lurk in the background were out and about today. This elephant kept walking out of the building, rang a bell, and returned into the building.  The girls chased him back and forth checking out the two viewing areas.

It's usually hard to see the tiger, pandas, and lions up so close. 

Kayla is researching pandas for a report so she loved watching these guys.  This is a mama and her cub snuggling.

This adorable little monkey got tired of swinging with it's mama so it decided to hang off of the hammock and swing.  It was really neat to watch the mama interact with her baby.

Another fun fall day, but this wasn't the end of our weekend.  One more adventure awaited us on Saturday.

North Georgia State Fair

We discovered the fair a few years ago, and now it has become an annual tradition.  This year we happen to go on opening night.  Since we home school I try to choose a school night to go to the fair hoping that it will be a lighter crowd.  This year it happened to be on fall break, but the girls were still able to hop on most every ride without having to wait.  I was sure to explain to them that this would more than likely NOT be the case when we go to Disney in a couple of months.

This was Brooke's first year to really have a good time.  We measured her at home and she was exactly 36" with her tennis shoes on.  The majority of the rides require the kids to be 36", so we were glad she would be tall enough.  Despite the fact that the person who measured out the heights onto the measuring stick was a good 1" off on their markings, most ride operators let her on.  The few that stopped her willingly let her on when we told them she had been riding those rides all night. She had an absolute blast.

Of course there was a stop at the petting zoo.  

I wouldn't be surprised if this child works with animals when she grows up or buys a farm.  She could have stayed here all afternoon.

The fair was the beginning of our crazy fun weekend.  We did stay out a little too late considering the next day was a field trip day to the zoo with Kayla's class.

Brooke's First Haircut

I have bee at a loss as to what to do with this child's hair.  She is the only one who got the curls, but you would think I would have some clue what to do with it. She has the most precious curls underneath the top straight/frizzy layer.  I really would have to wet it and put some sort of curling product in it every morning and after nap time for it to look good.  I'm too lazy for that.  ha! So I finally broke down and took her to see my friend who cuts my hair. 

Before

She was SO serious the entire time.

After

And voila! Jessica added some layers and evened everything up.  Her hair can still get crazy at times, but it is much more manageable.  When I do take the time to wet it and add some product to it the curls are so cute. The top layer is still just wavy and the bottom layer is very curly.  It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years.