Taliesin's New Look

It was getting to be that time - the time when Taliesin's and Nathanael's bangs begin hanging in their eyes. So I mentioned yesterday that I would call up their hair stylist and set an appointment for a trim. Taliesin then replied, "I want my hair cut up to here," as he held his hand up to his ears. So that's what he did. He cut off the locks he has been growing for well over a year now, and this is his new look. It does look pretty cute. And he likes it, so that's all that matter. Nathanael, on the other hand, has opted to keep his long hair. He has, however, developed a fondness for braids - Willie Nelson style.

Kandy

Nathanael and the Cricket

Yesterday evening, Nathanael found a cricket in the front yard. Nathanael, my little creature lover, decided he would make this cricket into a pet and named "her" Sally Cocoa. He put this cricket in a small container and left it in the car while we took Taliesin and Nathanael to see Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (he did want to take it in with him, but I explained that pets are not allowed in the theater). When he came back out, I explained to him that the crickets really need to hop around. Since a storm was heading our way, Nathanael did not want to leave her outside. So he decided to put her in a bowl without a lid, give her a small piece of cake to eat, and if she wanted to hop out during the night she could. Well, this morning when we woke up, the morsel of cake and the cricket were both gone. Nathanael was happy. He gave his cricket her freedom, but sent her away with a fully tummy. I'm sure tonight we'll probably hear a cricket chirping from down inside one of of the vents in the house.

Kandy

One Thing Leads to Another

Taliesin is in a Transformer stage right now. When he got a new backback, he got a Transformer one. He loves to wear his Transformer shirts. So when he bought a new Transformer toy a few days ago, it was no surprise. I think his new toy looks like a twisted Wall-E. But that could be just me. LOL. Taliesin is also my artist. Yesterday when we were all outside (the daycare kids, Taliesin, Nathanael, and me), Taliesin ran in the house and came out with paper and pens. He sat down on a chair and drew this robot. I love Taliesin's artwork. He is so passionate about it. I do not think it's too bad at all for a six-year old.

Speaking of being passionate about something, Nathanael is still into animals. One of his favorite stories here lately is The Poky Little Puppy. We read it quite often, which has led to his question, "What is a lark?" For those familiar with The Poky Little Puppy, you know that the puppies go to sleep "as happy as a lark." So Nathanael has been enjoying studying larks and looking up pictures of larks online. Ah, one thing definitely leads to another.

Kandy

Math

I admit that I have never been a math fan - at all. So I opted to take my teaching class focusing on math teaching until summer when I would not have to take another class with it. That's what I'm in the middle of right now. One thing I do like about the class is the professor seems to advocate teaching math in fun ways - ways that will capture the students' attention. It's not all about memorization. This week I'm focusing on measuring and geometry. Should be fun, especially considering that Taliesin and Nathanael are really enjoying drawing with their new protractors.

Kandy

Wings of Freedom Tour

I am actually blogging about this on both this blog and my daycare blog. Recently, we (Taliesin, Nathanael, Kelsey, some family and friends, the daycare kids, and I) were able tour the inside of a WWII bomber at our local airport in conjunction with the Collings Foundation's Wings of Freedom Tour. The kids had so much fun. This is the best that I could do with pictures, because the airplanes are very, very small inside. We viewed the weapons, the seating, and even crossed this tiny balance beam thing that connects the front of the plane to the back. (Would not want to have attempted that while in the air). But it definitely was a fun activity. The kids really enjoyed it (so did the adults)!

Kandy

Dirty, Expressive Kids

Some of us on the Christ-Centered Unschoolers discussion board have been having a conversation about expressive kids. You know, how our kids like to express themselves in ways that adults sometimes perceive to be a little out of the ordinary. Sometimes kids (oh, the horror!) even like to look dirty. Well, I decided to take some pictures of Nathanael's creativity over the past couple of days. And, yes, he does go out in public like this. If you think this is bad, you should have seen Taliesin as a two-year old artist! My husband and I got lots of comments when we would take him into a crowded Wal-Mart! It just did no good to clean him up. The only time he stayed that way was when he was asleep.

Kandy

Our 4th

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Kandy

Happy 4th of July!

We're having a blast today - visiting someone's minature train garden, having breakfast at BK, shopping for a BBQ, lighting smoke bombs, and later it's our annual family 4th of July parade and Skyfire. Can't wait to post the pictures tomorrow!

Kandy

Just Us

Taliesin and Nathanael, out of the blue, asked to go to the museum a few days ago. So we went, of course. This time, they were fascinated by the Native American items.

Fun at the Park

Taliesin's karate graduation. He is now an orange belt. I'm very proud of his dedication!

Carnival Fun

Today, all of my daycare children are gone for the weekend. It's just us. Taliesin and Nathanael love the daycare. But I think they enjoy some alone time, too. Right now, they're in the kitchen playing with their army men. Just bought a new set for them and the daycare kids. Playing with army men is one of the favorite activities among the boys (and often the girls, too). Just thought I would take my day off and post some pictures from the past week.

Kandy