i WILL stay home, i WILL stay home, i WILL stay home

For the new year, I am trying to stay home more.

Here is the extent of our schedule. We leave home on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Also, on Monday night Eaden has her acrobat class. I am trying to see if Naia and Taven can switch to Mondays as well (gymnastics) so that we can just leave Monday and Tuesday. So Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we stay home! And hopefully Wednesday too soon! It is truly amazing. My life is the best. Even though I want to sell my house and live on land, I have nothing to complain about.

Here are some pictures from Monday. We are pretty much unschoolers now, meaning no set homeschooling schedule or curriculum. The only rule we have is no screens until after Daddy comes home. The kids always wake up and head to their spot by the window. I wake up, start coffee, feed the chickens, and get breakfast going. After the kids have been fed, I can sit down and read (usually for a very short while). 

The kids usually head straight outside after eating.

It doesn't take long before they ask for more food. Ugghhh! Always eating! I am trying to get them to eat fewer times per day. It is kind of working.

 I ask Naia if she would like to work on her reading and she politely says "ummm but don't I look like an artist (with the scarf)"? I take that as a hint and help her get out the paint. We had classical music on in the background (sometimes I need no words) and I told her "this is an artist's music, you know." That made her happy.

Later in the day, they all took their new gloves out back to play catch.

Tuesday is busy day. We run around getting everything done that needs to be done away from home. We go to the library, purchase food for the week, and I let the kids explore some place outside.

On our way to the nature sanctuary, we passed a school and I said "awwwe, all of those poor kids stuck in prison (HAHA I'm the worst!)." Naia replied, "where? At school? BORING!"

Today, we were able to put our new binoculars, nature kit, and pond dipping net to use. Thank you Santa!

 Eaden was relaxing, examining some of her finds with a magnifying glass when Mirek the Terror came crashing through destroying her peaceful serenity.

 Next we went by my parents to pick up some dry firewood for later this week. We do not NEED a fire ever here in southeast Texas, but there is a hard freeze coming and the kids always beg me to start one. They are nice I have to say.

 Dairy farm dogs.

 Eaden is madly in love with this dog and has been since she was three or so.

One more day out (and only down the street for an hour), then four days home! 

HOME SWEET HOME.

Bunk Beds and Fishing Poles - A Boy's Dream

We started our day out right. A friend of mine had a neighbor who was selling some bunk beds and I went ahead and bought them off her.

Although they are in the boys' room, the girls are taking them over...for now.

The bunk beds were the perfect distraction. Taven and I got out of the house ALONE to go fishing!  It was cold and windy and almost dark, but shoot! One kid? I'm going for that every time!

 One more cast mom!

Mostly Outside

We have done a lot since the last time I posted. We got a Christmas tree!

 In our part of Texas, the leaves really start to fall throughout December. Every day is spent outside. My neighbors probably want me to rake, but then the kids would complain that they are "bored."

 I always dream of a homestead, but I am thankful that my kids at least have our little space while most are confined within the four walls of a classroom.

Anything that we do at night is not recorded by my camera. I suppose I just have not mastered the art of night photography. 

See.

Whatever.

We went to Christmas in the Park at Sheldon Lake State Park during the LIGHT of day.

We started off with some Christmas crafts.

 Then off on our nature walk.

We saw a small alligator!

 Mirek decided, either because it looked a little bit like a corn dog or because the other kids persuaded him, that he would eat a cattail.

 Then he washed it down with water.

 And then, since he was wet, I had to carry him. If I did not wish to carry him, his legs failed to work.

 We climbed the observation tower...to break dance.

 It was windy.

 We had a picnic and I realized that everything takes on a new dimension of funny when up high in the sky.

 Back down to earth.

 Taven refuses to smile for pictures.

 The kids found a natural seesaw.