Reading (180 + 11 weeks)

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.

W attended Teen coop.  He also played D and D three times.

D attended her Circus Class.

All the kids attended their Religious Education classes.

W did a lot of piano playing, teaching himself theme songs from favorite cartoons or video games:

R's reading is really coming along.  One morning he picked up this book and told me he didn't want to read it to himself because the typeface was too hard (it's a courier font). But when I came back from walking our dog, this is what I found:

He read the whole picture book to his sisters!

W, R and D worked with LOF.  

R read this book (over weeks of time):

Your Grandparents Are Zombies! by Anson Montgomery


And some of this book: The Warning by Katherine Applegate

D read this book (over weeks of time and mostly by memorization): Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems


I read to them: Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea by Joyce Carol Thomas


The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty & the Beast Tale by Laurence Yep


Gold Fever by Rosalyn Schanzer


The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer


When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots by Lynne Cheney


Alligator Sue by Sharon Arms Doucet

Riding a bike! (180 + 10 weeks)

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.  R's Move It Move It class did a zip line!



W attended his Teen MAHC class.

D attended her Circus class.

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

W played Dungeons and Dragons three times.

W listened to a lot of podcasts.  He is enjoying absorbing everything he can around storytelling in Dungeons and Dragons.  He lights up when he hosts his friends for a game.

R did a lot of 'tinkering'.  We bought a bike at the thrift store which he tuned up and stripped down.  He bought a monitor and looked up correct cables etc. to get his grandmother's old computer working again to have for himself (still a work in progress.)

D spends most of her time crafting or playing socially with her sister and the neighborhood friends.  She is rarely bored (but when she is bored, she is VERY bored.)  After days and days of fights over our rope swings, she and J finally found a way to swing together (not to imply that the fighting is all over. Apparently that's got enough entertainment value to continue on the daily.)



J is also very busy most of the time, a snuggle bug ... and learned to ride her bike no training wheels herself today!

Passover & Easter (180 + 9 weeks)

We attended a Passover Seder:


We went for several long walks, including to the library.

D attended her Circus class, and W played Dungeons and Dragons twice.

There was experimentation with melting glass.  There was learning how to do a flip backwards off a swing (both R and then he taught D.)

There was deep concern on learning of a health challenge being faced by a cousin (so we learned a bit about it.)

There are no pictures of Easter because Mama don't have no time for that on one of her most complex work days of the year.  But everyone colored eggs, found eggs, and attended Easter activities at church.

W, R and D worked with LOF.  R and D practiced reading.  R read a few chapters of this before getting bored with it: SEA CREATURES DO AMAZING by Arthur B. Myers

I read to them: Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace


I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way by Thad Krasnesky


The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes


Grandma Chickenlegs by Geraldine McCaughrean

Building (180 + 8 weeks)

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.

 W attended a production of Coriolanus at The Lantern Theater. He also attended his Teen Coop classes.

 D attended her Circus class.

W played Dungeons and Dragons three times.

R worked on his dirt bike track and built a jump for it:

All the kids attended religious education classes.  Some were at the congregation I will be working at come July this summer (Main Line Unitarian Church).  I went to introduce myself to the congregation, and the minister invited the family to light the chalice:

Talent Show! (180 + 7 weeks)

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.

 W attended Teen Coop classes.

 D attended her circus class.

W played Dungeons and Dragons three times, including planning an adventure and leading it for a Dragon Weekend at a local independent bookstore.  So many people signed up he had to find another DM at the last minute!

We attended a Talent Show at MAHC.  J danced with two friends, all in their princess dresses:

And D showed a drawing (pictured above).

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

The Geocache R and I placed a couple of weeks ago was approved, and three people have already found it!  See https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC72MZM_hermits-wildflower-patch to follow it.

R read to me, and I read to all of them:

I Yam a Donkey! by Cece Bell


Can't Scare Me! by Ashley Bryan


Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed

Geocaching (180 + 6 weeks)

J went to her last dance class for a while.  She's been on strike from her classes in general, and clearly needs some time away.  But she was having fun this time!

We celebrated the first day of spring with free ice cream AND water ice.  Fun!

All the kids attended their first week of the new session at MAHC.  W is taking Practical Lego Building:

This was his lego dice roller!  He's also taking History Through Music and Craft-A-Doodle.

R is taking Move It Move It, Fiber Arts, and Craft-A-Doodle.  D is taking Chinese Language and Culture, Fiber Arts, and Art from Junk.

W went to his Teen Program at MAHC.  D went to her Circus Class.  W played D and D twice.

I took R geocaching.  We found three caches and tried to place a cache.  We're waiting to hear if it's in an acceptable location. 

All the kids attended a square dance at our Fellowship.  R in particular danced all the dances!

All the kids attended a worship service and W attended his RE class.

W, R, and D worked with LOF.  R and D practiced writing.  Lots of documentaries were watched and podcasts listened to.

I read to them:

The Moth and the Sun by Gary Bernard


Daisy Gets Dressed: A Book about Patterns by Stella Blackstone

Snowstorm! (180 + 5 weeks)

J went to her dance class.

We did NOT have MAHC classes due to a late snowstorm! It was a bit disappointing in terms of total accumulation, but it was great for sledding and snowboarding and snow cave construction and everybody had a good time.  Here's R with a friend:

W attended his MAHC Teen program.  He also played D and D multiple times.

D attended her Circus School class.  

They all attended their religious education classes.

W, R, and D worked with LOF.  D completed 

Life of Fred: Butterflies by Stanley F. Schmidt

W completed
Life of Fred: Fractions by Stanley F. Schmidt

R and D continued practicing reading and writing.  R is reading about a page a day from one of the "Amazing Things" science books which I have from my childhood.  It is very slightly too hard for him, which makes it good practice.  He also read:

Monster at School by Ellen Blance








Lots of documentaries and podcasts!

I read to them:

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes


Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth by Molly Bang


The EARTH Book by Todd Parr


Everyone is Yawning by Anita Bijsterbosch


Blown Away by Rob Biddulph


Wolf! by Becky Bloom