Christmas Break 2014

We had a busy and fun Christmas time. Tomorrow, we go back to official homeschooling and regular life. The decorations have been put away. The house has been put back in order. This time of year I always feel conflicted. I am sad that the Christmas season has passed, but I'm happy to be back to the regular routine again. Here are the highlights from our Christmas.

One of the first things we did to celebrate the Christmas season was go to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. We got a great deal from Busch Gardens. We got tickets for $12 each. They were only to be used on certain dates, but we made it work. Kaylee and I actually went twice. We went once as a family and then we went with friends.

Kaylee posing in front of a Christmas tree. The weather was pleasant the day we went as a family.

We went to see the penguins.

Kaylee and Frosty.

One day during the week, we went to the mall to see Santa. Kaylee had a Christmas list to share with Santa. 

Kaylee with Santa. Her doll Kirsten that she got for Christmas last year also went to see Santa.

Our homeschool group offered discounts to Great Wolf Lodge for certain days in December. We took advantage of those and spent two nights at Great Wolf Lodge. It is a resort and indoor water park.

Kaylee at Great Wolf Lodge.

We attended the homeschool Christmas party at the bowling alley.

Kaylee loves to bowl with her friends! 

At the Christmas party, we paid extra to go to the mobile gem mining lab. 

There were also discounted tickets to the ICE! show at the Gaylord Hotel in the new National Harbor right outside of Washington DC. We really enjoyed this event. I underestimated how cold it was going to be. It was 9 degrees. They gave us parkas to wear over our regular coats. Brrr. 

I found that the best way to enjoy this show was to step outside and warm up, then go back in again. As far as I know, you can do this as many times as you would like. Those hand warmer packets helped, too. We enjoyed the Frosty the Snowman theme. Our favorite part was sliding on the ice slide. 

The ICE! show was Frosty the Snowman theme. 

Kaylee all snug in her parka in an ice tunnel.

We loved the slide made out of ice! 

A slippery and cold ice slide. 

Family photo!

We decorated gingerbread men and a gingerbread house.

Kaylee showing off one of her gingerbread men.

Of course, Kaylee helped make Christmas dinner.

Kaylee helping to make dinner rolls.

Then, it was Christmas morning. Santa was generous, as usual, to Kaylee. We had a great Christmas. 

Kaylee with her doll Kirsten and her new doll Isabelle. 

Kaylee trying out her new pogo stick. 

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a blessed New Year. 

A Montessori Thanksgiving 2014

The main goal of a Montessori education is to promote the joy of learning. It is a process that is child directed and at the child's pace. This brings satisfaction, confidence, and independence in a child. Independence is fostered through teaching life skills that Montessori calls Practical Life. Montessori children learn from a young age to dress themselves, hang up their coats, put away their toys, help cook, clean, and basically be an active member of their family and community.

Kaylee often enjoys helping prepare dinner and helping around the house. She especially enjoys helping at Thanksgiving and Christmas. This Thanksgiving was no exception. When we make pies she likes to make her own individual pumpkin and apple pie. We do all of our baking the day before Thanksgiving. 

Kaylee putting the homemade pumpkin pie crust in her individual sized pie pan. 

Measuring just the right amount of brown sugar. 

She really likes to use the apple peeler/slicer/corer when we make apple pies.

Putting the top crust on her apple pie. 

Each year, she likes to make cookies out of the extra pie dough. She rolls the dough and uses the cookie cutter to make heart shapes. Then, she sprinkles them with cinnamon and sugar. And we bake them.

Kaylee's left over pie dough cookies before they are baked. 

The pumpkin and apple pies are completed. Kaylee made her own matching individual pies. The cinnamon rolls are about to go in to the oven! 

I bake the cinnamon rolls the night before Thanksgiving to have for breakfast the next morning! 

Lastly, we make the homemade pull apart honey oat rolls. I make the dough in the bread machine. They are a lot of fun to roll into balls and place in the pan. This was a family activity. 

Montessori is a part of just about everything we do. Kaylee enjoys the independence and she has really developed a joy for learning. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Handwriting Without Tears

Kaylee expressed an interest in learning how to write in cursive. I researched a few different handwriting programs. I even bought a few handwriting books at the bookstore. I didn't like any of the handwriting books I bought.

I finally decided on Handwriting Without Tears. I ordered the student book online. I didn't order the teacher manual. It didn't seem necessary. So far, it is a great success. Kaylee really enjoys the cute cartoon character descriptions. It gives just the right amount of practice without being too tedious. We do one page at a time. She will be writing in cursive in no time at all.

Montessori Multiplication

Kaylee really enjoys Montessori math. Recently, we've started multiplication. We had a lot of fun with the multiplication bead board. She used the board to complete her multiplication booklet. It is used to practice multiplication and eventually leads to memorization of the multiplication tables.

Kaylee working with the multiplication bead board to complete her multiplication booklet. 

We also did the multiplication charts and then we used the bead bars. Using the bead bars she can see and count the beads to get the answer. For example, she had the equation 7x8. She gets 8 bars of 7 and counts them.

Kaylee multiplying 7x8. 

She used the golden beads to multiply larger numbers. Here she is positioning her golden beads to solve an equation 3,233 x 3. 

Kaylee is really enjoying multiplication. A few weeks ago, we started playing the multiplication stamp game. I forgot to take pictures, but it is a more abstract way of solving equations. You use wooden (or in our case, card stock) stamps. There are free printable stamps and directions HERE. They are used just like the golden beads. 

Multiplication problems solved using the stamp game. 

Virginia Renaissance Faire

Entrance to the Virginia Renaissance Faire

Kaylee really wanted to go to the Virginia Renaissance Faire. It isn't a long drive for us and it was a beautiful day to be outside exploring the faire. We had only been there once and she was a baby. 

There were many learning experiences at the faire. They even had a small kids section with planned activities. 

Kaylee was dressed for the occasion. 

We headed to the children's activities. The first activity she chose was to put your name on a piece of leather. 

Kaylee pounding her name in to a strip of leather. 

The finished product.

Then, she decided to try to write with a quill...

Writing with a quill. 

Try on some armor...

Trying on armor.

Check out a shield...

And then, examine the weapons.

Lots of weapons!

The highlight of her day at the Virginia Renaissance Faire was the chance to get a lesson on using a sword. She talked about it for days. 

Getting a lesson.

A battle champion! 

We had a busy and fun day at the faire! We also learned a few things, too. Who says learning is boring?! Not our family. 

Another fun day at Kaylee's Homeschool Adventures! 

Montessori Short Bead Chains and Squares

Kaylee using the Montessori short bead chains and squares

The short bead chains are the number bead bars connected together. They are mainly used for skip counting and they make a square of a number. In the picture, Kaylee is using the short chain of 3. She stretches out the chain and then puts the number arrow at that number of beads. Then, she puts the matching bead square at the end.

The short chain of 3. 

She counts 3-6-9. When you fold up the short bead chain it matches the bead square. It is 3 sets of 3 which is the same as 3x3 or 3 squared. 

All of the short bead chains and squares completed.

The next step is to make a bead chain chart. There is a great explanation, labels, and free chart HERE. 

Beginning to make a bead chain chart.

The chart will help Kaylee to eventually remember the square chains from memory. 

The square chains chart all completed.