Vacation Pictures

It seems like we've been back from the beach for a long time, but I still haven't posted about our adventures. For that matter, I still haven't put away my toiletries bag or suitcase yet either. Some things just take time! ;) So, finally, here are some glimpses at the fun we had on our Myrtle Beach vacation.

We really enjoyed seeing COTTON fields on the drive South!

As soon as we arrived, we had to go down to the beach.... even though it was quite chilly!

There was no way Adam and Ray were going to just go down and "check out" the beach. They were in the water - in their clothes - in a flash! The pier you see in this picture was right next to the condo where we stayed. We walked on the pier and saw fishermen catching SHARKS!

Snuggling with Adam on the (windy, but awesome) balcony of the 18th floor condo.

Ray under the pier.

We stayed in this building - Margate Tower - in a beautiful condo owned by my dad's sister.

Dad and Ray on the pier (looking down at the SHARKS!)

We headed to the aquarium right after church on our first full day at the beach. All of our ocean learning really came alive here. The boys made lots of connections between what they saw here and what we had been reading and learning as part of our ocean unit. It was awesome!

Dad giving a high five to the aquarium diver :)

At the aquarium, we rode on a conveyor belt and watched the sea life swimming all around - and over -us!

Very strange sea creatures!

Adam sketching a giant jaw bone at the aquarium

Jon enjoying the waves

Mary (my dad's wife) did such an awesome job of weaving together fun and learning for the boys. She brought her collection of shells and other marine treasures for the boys to study and sketch.

Beach Scavenger Hunt!

Sand castle engineers! Adam made Jon dig a trench all the way down to the water to fill up the moat!

Dad flying a kite. Most days were pretty overcast like this, but we fair skinned folks really didn't mind! In this picture you can see me scanning the water for sharks! ;)

A Fire Station Field Trip

Sunday was a beautiful Autumn day here. We took an afternoon bike ride down to the annual Fire Station Open House. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot too. This was a great way to kick off some discussions and lessons about fire safety.



Adam's First Soccer Game

Adam played in his first soccer game on Saturday! It was a cold, windy morning.... but that didn't stop the soccer action.

 Adam got to be goalie during the first period. He was so thrilled! He jumped up and down, danced, and smiled the entire time. And he stopped every goal attempt! He was really good at throwing and kicking the ball back out each time.

 He also loved being on the field during the second period. He did a great job!

After the game the coach gathered the team in a huddle and complimented their efforts. He reminded them of the three rules of their team: 1. Have fun. 2. Try hard. 3. Have fun! Great coach!

Adam is "unlucky" number 13! :) He told me he's going to be so great that he's going to "turn that into a lucky number."

Ray is also playing soccer again this year. We love this rec center league because it's pretty laid back and both boys have practice on the same night and games with staggered start times on Saturday mornings. Ray had fun in his game too, but I didn't get any good pictures this time. Next week he'll be the "main feature." ;)

Reading!

I can read this, yes it's true!
I can read this book to you.
I can read it here or there.
I can read it anywhere.

Ray is reading!!!!

*This picture is brought to you by the color orange! ;)

Our Beach Vacation... aka "Shark Week!"

Things have been quiet here BECAUSE.... we just returned from a great 10 day vacation to Myrtle Beach! We planned this trip last spring, when I realized that our first grade curriculum included an ocean unit. It ended up being a really wonderful experience for our family. My dad and his wife, Mary, live at Myrtle. We got to spend a whole week with them.... having fun, seeing the sites, relaxing a bit, and of course doing some hands-on ocean studies.

I just finished going through the 700+ pictures that Mary and I took. Wow! There is so much I want to share here.... but for now I'll just give you this teaser....

We have nicknamed this vacation "SHARK WEEK!" The shark pictures in this collage are all from the wonderful aquarium that we visited. However, our shark sightings did not end there. We saw people catching small sharks from the pier near the condo where we stayed. We saw sharks... mostly small ones (it's "baby" season) VERY CLOSE to shore in the surf EVERY DAY except for one. So, my husband and children were swimming in SHARK-INFESTED WATERS and I was mostly playing lifeguard and praying the Rosary! Mary was trying to go out far enough to see the sharks up close (!?!) and my dad and I were watching the water carefully and calling the boys in whenever we saw something. It was really amazing - but scary - to see them so "up close and personal." Fortunately, we got everyone home in one piece!

So we've spent the past few days unpacking and getting back into a "normal" school routine. I will be posting our vacation pictures and stories in bits and pieces over the next few days.

All-American Learning Adventure

Our Monday co-op class ("AEP" ... aka "Academic Enrichment Program") has an American theme this year. Each Monday afternoon we gather with about 15 other families to learn together. We begin with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic songs, and discussion of American saints and historical figures.

Adam's class (preschool and Kindergarten) is going on an American Alphabet Parade, focusing on patriotic themes that go with each letter of the alphabet. The first through fourth graders are going on a State-by-State Adventure, learning geographical information and basic facts about each state. They will be enjoying stories, snacks, crafts, and other activities related to the states they are studying each week. They also will be receiving materials to use to put together State-by-State scrapbooks. Ray is happy to be in the 1st/2nd grade AEP class and I am excited to be teaching the 3rd/4th grade class.

The older children are engaging in some book studies, debates, and writing projects... all with an American theme. It's going to be a very busy and fun year!

Our classes began last week. Adam learned that "A is for America." He had fun writing A's on a map of the USA and making an apple print painting. Ray's class (and mine) started by learning a bit about Washington DC and our first State, Maine. Here are some pictures of the wonderful 3rd and 4th graders in my class making a light house craft.

Here's Ray showing off his "Washington Monument" craft.

Here are my boys modeling this week's craft, Uncle Sam's masks:

Uncle Sam was allegedly born in New Hampshire, one of our States for this week, although he later moved to New York. We can't go through a year of Americana without learning about Uncle Sam!

Hopefully, I'll be blogging about our State studies periodically this year. You can see where we got lots of our ideas at Shower of Roses and Pinterest.

"Oceans of Fun!"

Here's a peek at some of the great fun we've been having with our cross-curricular ocean unit!

"Characteristics of Oceans" by Ray

 Almost all of these ideas came from Pinterest and Enchanted Learning. We've been reading lots and lots of great ocean books, fiction and non-fiction. (I'm sorry I don't have time to put up a list right now -- maybe later.) Each of the boys has a folder of ocean-themed activities they are working on and they are so excited about all that they are learning.

It's amazing to me how much we've covered in just a few weeks of school.... and how much I'm learning right along with the boys.