We made landform maps with sugar cookies today!   And they have already been decorated and chomped. Without documentation. 😕 Seriously. Did it really even happen then?!?

    
 
Yesterday, Bem read to her class:

Lily crept down as I was starting to think about what to write tonight; she shared some ideas and I will try to go with those.  (She has pretty great ideas much of the time, if I stop to listen).

1. Tell them about how awesome my Periscope was {yesterday}.  And, indeed, it was awesome and she blew me away with her ease of conversation, her interactions and how interesting her life is…and sharing that with others.  While she won’t write many things for me, her conversation and expression are turning into terrific strengths.  She is articulate and I can see her mature right before my eyes.  I am going to ask her to do a review/reflection on the book we just finished so look for that in the next few days.
2. Sarah, Plain and Tall is the book we just finished.  It all was tied into a unit on maps and mapping.  She researched Kanas and Maine, we kept track of the artistic way the author used colors in the story to help us understand mood and gathered clues about whether Sarah would stay or leave.  It was very satisfying.  Since Christmas I have used Moving Beyond the Page as my main curriculum source and we have both found a groove in learning together.
3. Our upcoming trip:  We are all excited to meet Baby Owen and see everyone out on the West Coast.  I didn’t share the alarming news that the pool heater isn’t working (right now); they have been working way too hard at swimming for that to happen!  End of March into April; home by the time Lily turns 8! (Have mercy!)

So, you see, a pretty nice list of topics for tonight, provided by the first born of the family.

  
Shall I pull this out to show her fiancé one day?

I just have little energy or zeal for writing but I can tell by the calendar that February may one day end and for that I am very very grateful!

  
Post-dance…they are a little tired😍

Also—look at who

Moved on up in swimming!!!!  Yay, Miss BemBem!!

The scene in the Grinch when he hears the toys on Christmas morning and the big booming drum turns into his head being beaten with drumsticks.  My head tonight.   Looking forward to a long nights rest.  

Btw, the little Miss Em loves watching the Ginch-no matter the time of year! 🙈🙉🙊

And, it is snowing, snowing, snowing.  Lily raked all the snow off the driveway and walk for us👍🏻. 

Oliver and I are reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.👏🏻

So while it wasn’t truly free from tech–I did check email before the kids got up and, well, I am here writing–the day was not consumed by checking a device.  Over the past few weeks I felt the creep of tech taking over my time which is hard because I feel like I have found an online tribe of homeschoolers that I really connect with…so the impulse is to connect all.the.time.  But today was necessary and made me a bit more aware of the time I essentially waste being online.  While I mean to sit down to write a quick message, like everyone else in the modern world, my time is sucked right up with checking in with everything.  I’ve never set tech limits for myself…but I think tomorrow I will do that going forward.

I am trying to be positive and hope that we will just have the sniffles and kick this sickness quickly.  Don’t want a repeat of colds passed back and forth through the family.  Nor the threat of another dreaded ear infection.  Sleep.  Medicine.  Vaporizer.  Repeat.

• Sam is hoping for a Broncos win!
• Ollie’s favorite was the Puppy Monkey Baby commercial
• Emmy was in for the sleeping…she was out way before the end of the first Q
• Lily and I (just?) wanted to see the half-time show and it was fun, colorful and whew-that dancing!  Who rule the world? Beyoncé rule the world.