Santa, Angry Birds & A Christmas Carol ~ Collage Friday
Friday, November 30, 2012 at 5:01AM 
Are you getting ready for a busy holiday season?
While we are continuing with a normal school schedule in December, it is definitely more "light" . I'm trying to allow for time for field trips, art projects, music, and games.
We have a lot of performances, field trips, and commitments in December, and I don't want to get burned out trying to do too much.
This week was full of fun activities. As I look back on it, though, it was also full of learning. These are the weeks where I feel confident in throwing formal curriculum to the wind.
I think the singular best thing about homeschool is the ability to adjust your schedule and work load based on what is going on in your life at the moment.
While watching television last week Grant saw an advertisement for "Mingle With Kringle" in a local downtown area. He looked at me with such excitement and said "Can we go? Please???"
How could I say no? While Anna has stopped believing in Santa, for Grant the magic is still very much alive.
We headed downtown Saturday night and Grant sat on Santa's lap and gave him his list.
Let me tell you: When Santa arrived in an old fashioned fire truck, Grant was so excited. Being the sentimental soul I am, I sobbed as I watched his excitement. My husband and Anna were poking fun of me for being so weepy, but as I looked at my husband he was teary, too.
We know our children are growing.
When they were little everything was full of "firsts" -- now it seems that there are also a lot of "lasts".
One of the things on my local "bucket list" has been to see A Christmas Carol at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.
We went with our homeschool group this week. This Tony Award Winning production was nothing short of spectacular. Last year we attended a real life Dickens Village and read the book, so the kids remembered quite a bit.
The picture above of the kids hugging a statue is in honor of my addiction to COKE ZERO. The statue is Robert Woodruff, who was president of the Coca Cola Company from 1923-1954. The arts complex where the play was held is named for him. So, some local history was learned.
What'll Ya Have?
We had fun at the theatre, then went to a local favorite restaurant, The Varsity. If you've ever been there before you know that it's a rite of passage to eat there at least once. We've been MANY times, and the kids always sucker me into going when we're downtown.
The whole experience stresses me out because it's so crowded and the ordering is more than hectic. BUT, the kids love it, so I force myself to go there a few times a year.
{If you want to see what it's like... watch The Varsity Adventure}
- We are preparing for Advent. Our candles are ready and we will start Bartholomew's Passage this weekend.
- Free reading this week included Who Was William Shakespeare?. We are nearly done with The Story of The World Volume 2, and Shakespeare was our most recent chpater.
- The one thing that has stregthened by leaps and bounds this year is Anna's math skills. I attribute this to Saxon Math. She did not like it at first, but now she does the lessons willingly and is proud of her SOLID math skills.
- Grant has been looking up every YouTube paper airplane tutorial he can find. I think the tutorials in Spanish are the funniest. He prides himself on the fact that he can "understand Spanish" since he successfully makes the airplanes!
There has been an obsession with Angry Birds in our house.
Thursday morning I surprised the kids and declared it "Angry Birds Day".
We downloaded the Star Wars Angry Birds, played Angry Birds Space, and did a chalk pastel Angry Birds lesson from Hodgepodge Mom. This was our favorite resource this week!
It was a fun day, and I contend the kids learned just as much as they do on a structured school day. I could list the reasons why, but if you're reading this as a homeschool mom I think you get it.
Would you believe next Friday is the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Collage Friday?
I'd love to do something special. We have company coming for several days. It is also Anna's first Spivey Hall Children's Chorus concert and we are SO EXCITED! I may have to put off the celebration for the next week I think.
Odds and Ends
- I have LEGO Class Plans for download, along with a giveaway of a LEGO Stop Motion DVD.
- We have been watching Manor House on YouTube all week. What a GREAT show! It's been a great way to learn about the Edwardian Era in England.
- There is a lot of music in our house right now. We're preparing for a Christmas choral concert, a church children's play, and a piano recital. This is probably my favorite part of the holiday season: all the music!
I'd love for you to join me for Collage Friday.
The rules are simple: Grab a Collage Friday button or text link to this post. Link up your post (which should include photo collages or many photos) about your homeschool week and then be sure to visit other bloggers on the list. This is a COMMUNITY of bloggers and we learn so much from supporting each
Reader Comments (15)
Some of my kids don't believe in Santa anymore and the ones that do are too afraid to sit on Santa's lap! Jonah would love the airplane tutorials on youtube, I'll have to tell him. This week they have spent time making paper snowflakes, I bet there are a bunch of tutorials on youtube about paper snowflakes too. I'm glad Angry Birds Day was a hit. Have a great weekend!
Oh what a fun week! Yes, I completely agree with one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling being the ability to adjust your schedule and work load with what is going on at the time. You've done a lovely job of that this week! The Varsity is a favorite - a must when you are in the downtown area! And, of course, I absolutely love your Angry Bird chalk pastels. You have some wonderful artists and I can tell they had FUN. (he, he, he on those bad piggies :)
Oh, I so much know what you are talking about in terms of the "lasts," but to tell you the truth, I have always been teary whenever they are excited or happy about a life event. Yes, I am teary a lot. The Hodgepodge art lessons have been a favorite resource for us for some time now. We love them. I think it is fantastic that you declared an Angry Birds day. I have been so grateful for your Collage Friday meme.
Oh, it sounds like such a fun week full of all the things you want to do at Christmas time. I'd love to see a production of A Christmas Carol this year, but I'm not sure I'll find one locally in time.
Don't you love being the cool mom that makes things wonderfully different and special, once in a while? It sounds like your kids had a great week.
Have a wonderful weekend.
You touched on a question I had...I was wondering if most families continue with a full schedule in December. I was feeling a little overwhelmed this week, and I noticed my kids also needed a little less on the agenda. I am looking at our plans for the coming weeks and making some modifications.
I feel your pain on events being the "lasts" instead of "firsts" since my daughter also no longer believes in Santa.
Kudos to you for declaring Angry Bird day--I bet that will be a highlight of the year for the kids! Definitely doesn't sound like a drill sergeant mom! :)
We'll be starting Bartholomew's Passage, too--I'm excited to add this to our traditions.
Happy beginning of Advent!
Wow! One year already?!?! That's fabulous!
I am with you Mary, it is bittersweet when the littles get big. My Nolan still believes in Santa, or he is humoring me, I am not sure.
It looks like you all had another wonderful week. Nolan loves the Angry Birds too!
I meant to tell you earlier this week, but I am SO PROUD of you for declaring an "Angry Birds" day for your son- you ROCK, Mama!
My two older children have been arguing about whether or not Santa is real. Still, when push came to shove, they both wanted to write and mail Santa letters. My oldest will be 8 in March, and I swear that I don't even know how that happened. I've been working a lot this year on being more intentional with my time with them because it seems that it's flying by.
A beautiful week:) A year of Collage Fridays?! My how time flies! I've been getting teary at all the "lasts" we've been experiencing. It seems as if we were just celebrating all the "firsts" just yesterday.
Isn't it sad when they don't "believe" anymore? My oldest son always questions the logical aspects of Santa and the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. It didn't take him long to figure it out. I thought my daughter (10) still didn't know, but she recently told me that she's known for years and didn't tell me because she didn't want to lose the fun for me! LOL I've been having to answer a lot of questions from my youngest lately; he's more like his older brother so I don't think it will be long for him either. :( But the MAGIC is always still there, right??
Hey! Thanks for hosting. I just started a new blog linky (today!) and would love to have you stop by to link up.
http://www.teachbesideme.com/2012/12/share-it-saturday-numero-uno.html
Thanks!
How fun! Angry birds day!
--Gena
Looks like a fun and special week...so many great photos!
The year for Collage Friday has flown by! I haven't linked in a few weeks...my weekends have been a bit busy, and that's usually when I do my recap posts. Hope you're having a nice weekend, Mary :)
What a great week, Mary! I love your enthusiasm for homeschooling.
I didn't make a collage this week (our computer is having issues), but I did share quite a few pictures from our week.
Have a blessed weekend!