The rest of our week...

Just a few more of the things we did this week...

{playing dress-up}

This happens on a daily basis...multiple times a day. :) Naomi is obsessed with being a princess/fairy. Oh...and she totally surprised me yesterday by telling me our phone number! I didn't realize that she was paying attention! I don't normally work with her as much as I do with Isaac. I was also surprised when she correctly named her single-digit numbers. Again...nothing I have officially taught her. This girlie learns very well by osmosis!

{writing practice}

Isaac isn't really into drawing. It's rarely something that he just does on his own. After writing a few letters, I asked him to draw a picture of himself and mommy. It was so cute to see his little drawings

{color cubes}

A simple activity for Naomi.

 {matching words}

I was actually rather impressed with his ability to choose the correct word and match it to it's picture. He just had to know the beginning sound and then used that as a clue as to which word went with which picture. I started by telling him that this was going to be quite a challenge, and that it was okay if he couldn't do it. He said, "Oh yes I can!" And then totally stepped up to the challenge. Pretty amazing. He was determined to prove me wrong! :)

{playing puppies}

One day this week, these kiddos decided that they were dogs.They spent a lot of time building a kennel, and then stripped down and began crawling around on the floor. (Yes...they are both wearing pull-ups in the pics...because we hadn't changed out of them after wearing them overnight.) I petted them and talked to them like cute little doggies. Then it was lunch time. I asked them if they'd like to eat like doggies too. Of course, this was met with squeals of delight! They LOVED trying to eat without using their hands. It was a lot of fun...and super cute to watch. :)

{forest school}

Isaac really enjoyed using the stick to water the plants on the edge.

Isaac and Claire went in quite deep!

Henry (almost 3) led the group into the creek without hesitation!! :)

The boys had fun throwing rocks into the water!

I am LOVING this, Mommy!!

They LOVED romping around on their own.

Hacking away at the weeds.

Pulling a shell out of her pocket to show Henry.

Isaac and Kevin taking turns throwing the BIG stick into the creek!

Every Friday, we go to a local park for a picnic lunch and free play time with friends. I got the idea from watching the video here. I have committed to doing this every week throughout this spring and summer! I want my children to be outside. I want them to get dirty, and for me not to care. They are SO used to hearing, "Oh sweetie, please don't do that...it's too messy!" or "Just stay close to me..." or "EW! Don't touch that!" The list goes on and on, really. But they just need some freedom to play and not be afraid to get messy. So I go each week with the understanding that they are going to explore and get dirty...and IT'S OKAY!! :) I pack extra clothes, underwear, shoes, towels, etc., giving them the freedom to romp around however and wherever they'd like! Most times, they choose the creek! And the children LOVE it!! The laughter is contagious. They entertain themselves. They run around, making up games and stories with one another. They pretend sticks are swords and play fight with one another. They use those same sticks to hack away at weeds growing around. They learn new things and make observations. Today, we tried throwing different sized rocks into the creek. We noticed that the larger rocks made a louder noise, while the smaller ones were much quieter. Have you ever stopped to think about why that is? And why do some sticks float, while others sink? We had a mini lesson on density! :) We also found walnuts, but had to postpone our learning because none of us mommies knew much about them. But next time we go back, you bet that we'll be equipped with those answers!! :) It was a BEAUTIFUL day...could not have been more perfect! Thanks to everyone who came out!! :)