HaPpY HaLLoWeeN!

We got dressed up and headed to the trunk-or-treat and then went to a neighborhood to go to the houses. This is the first time they have ever gone to houses except one time to a couple of my parents neighbors, but I think then it was only Savannah. My poor kids! They loved it, and by the end of the street I think they got the concept. When we were kids we were racing to the next house, but these guys took their sweet time haha, they are so cute!

I had fun with their costumes, I am old fashioned and like them as homemade as possible, or pieces put together. I LOVE using sweats. So they use them once for their costume, but then they keep them to wear for jammies for the rest of the year. That way accessories are there to fit anyone of any size and they get new sweats and jammies every year!


My monsters :) Ready for the Trunk Or Treat then off to some houses! Mom painted the skeleton costume a few years ago and it is probably my most favorite costume!

 

Getting some goodies

She was the perfect Vampire - totally fits her nature :)

Ahoy there Matey! Super cute pirate if I say so myself :)

Purple Fairy Princess - pretty much sums this little one up. I wanted her to have purple hair, but she was set on red. Ended up pretty cute!

Like Father Like Son - gotta love them beards!

Honestly there are days that I feel like this is what I look like, not just on Halloween! haha

Baby E's first halloween - gotta love it! Isn't my mom so talented?!

Painting Pumpkins

Jessa's Bat

Savannah's finished pumpkin

Jessa's pumpkin

Dechlin's pumpkin

My little cuties :)

Dog House

On our list of many things to have done before Winter, building a dog house/shelter was one of them. I was thinking something enough that they could fit in, but it was Stephen's project and he was the designer. I have to say, as simple and basic as it is, it is probably the coolest dog house ever. We made it for the cost of screws - $12.00, because we got all the wood free from his work. SO awesome!!


The beginning of the frame

 

He has really good helpers

 

 

Finishing touches

A place to all home :)

 

Goofy puppies

HomeSchool - 1st Qrtr

We have loved doing home school SO much! I am so grateful to my mentor and sister Elisa, for taking me on her journey of the last 10 years. She has shared with me, taught me and inspired me to do what I feel is invaluable for my kids :) Her trials and learning's shortened my learning curve in doing this so that it has been an awesome experience and one I think will continue to be so as I develop with my kids. Life couldn't be any better! We follow the Thomas Jefferson Method - creating leaders and statesman :)



Painting

Our "school" area. 

Savannah making pizza dough - by herself, kneading and all!

Dechlin chopping the veggies

The final product :)

Dechlin writing his name by himself - only took a few times for him to get!

Dad painting with the kids

Dechlin's soccer was a part of his schooling - PE :)

Building a dog house

Painting pumpkis

Making Halloween Decorations

 

Using imagination! I love how Dechlin's mind works. This is his city he built. He had made "chimney's" for all the houses by placing bits of charcoal on the roofs. SO creative!

 

 

Dechlin

 Dechlin writing all the letters he knows - he has taught them all to himself, by himself! I am so impressed with this kid!

 Dechlin's painting from when they painted with Dad - Next Picaso?

A journal page entry. He draws a picture and then tells me about it. I love this one. This is how he sees himself when he is yelling :)

 Some of Dechlin's copy work. He is not real interested in learning letters and things like that, he just wants to write. So I write something for him and he does his best to copy it. I have to say, this principle is so awesome!

Dechlin has been teaching himself how to tell time, and gets the concept of 20's, 30's and so on really well. He also has taught himself the phonics of letters, and not only recognizes them at the beginning of a word, but he pays attention to what is in the whole word and tells me what letters are in it. He even wrote his cousin Kimmy's name by himself by sounding it out when we were at General Conference. He wrote it, Kimperly - I was SO impressed with him!

Savannah

 Savannah's painting when they painted with Dad

Savannah taught herself cursive in a matter of a week and a half. I have to say she does a pretty darn good job!!

 Some more writing practice.....

A page of Math. We are using Life of Fred math for Savannah. She likes it but is really into her reading and writing right now. Which is why I love doing school this way - THEY are in charge of their education and get to choose. And when they choose, they jump all the way in and soak it up like a dry sponge. 

 A journal page in her writing journal. She writes paragraphs about things she is learning and reading, then I correct them and she writes a final draft. This is from one of the chapters in the Little House in the Big Woods book we read.

We go every other week to a home school group called a Statesmanship club. Savannah is in the Liberty Girls group and I am over that. We are reading the Little House on the Prairie Series and we do activities based on what we are reading. It is a LOT of fun!