Mamatography 2013 Week Twelve: Painting, Egg Hunting, and Phonics-Battles

I am taking part in the Mamatography 2013 Challenge with Momma Jorje and Diary of a First Child to take a photo every day of our day-to-day life and post once a week.

We had a very chill week with no big field trips, as we're approaching Aidyn's first foot race in a week or so and saving up for special extras for that trip.

In art class this week, he made a ladybug from a paper-mache balloon project. He was able to take the other half of the paper-mache piece home, where he painted himself a helmet.

Aidyn and his friends had an Easter egg hunt with the other kids in our community.

He substituted some phonics table work with Reading Eggs, by far his favorite phonics program.

He battled with his phonics tiles. On the left, he had beginning sounds and would call them, for example, "Sir tr-" or "Sir st-." On the right, he had ending sounds, like "Sir -ick." He charged them at each other a la Gawain's World style and made dozens of words.

Thank you for stopping by!

Mamatography 2013 Week Eleven: Bowling and Globe-Trotting

I am taking part in the Mamatography 2013 Challenge with Momma Jorje and Diary of a First Child to take a photo every day of our day-to-day life and post once a week.

On Sunday, for a late birthday celebration, we took Aidyn's Grammi Tami bowling and out for lunch and frozen yogurt.

During the week, Aidyn perfected his stars, as a way of rewarding himself for a job well done with math.

 

We also learned about India by reading books and watching films.

On one school morning, Aidyn asked to make play-dough. I had a whole list of things we already had to do, but I knew I could incorporate reading and math into this play-dough project, so I agreed.

Aidyn read the directions (three times since he made three batches!), measured on his own, and formed the dough by himself.

We started a rainforest unit, which you will hear about very soon!

And Aidyn tried a pomegranate for the first time. : )

 

Mamatography 2013 Week Ten: Keeping the Fun Rollin'!

I am taking part in the Mamatography 2013 Challenge with Momma Jorje and Diary of a First Child to take a photo every day of our day-to-day life and post once a week.

Fresh from our Disneyland vacation, we wanted to keep the fun rollin' (literally!). On Sunday, we went bowling.

Aidyn kept working on his short vowel reviews.

He kept the fun swirlin' with a tornado project.

And we visited the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the Forestiere Underground Gardens, which you can read all about here!

The weather is just starting to warm up here in California, so we're expecting more fun field trips and outings on the horizon!

Mamatography 2013 Week Nine: Disneyland!

I am taking part in the Mamatography 2013 Challenge with Momma Jorje and Diary of a First Child to take a photo every day of our day-to-day life and post once a week.

This week, we visited our most favorite place on Earth: The Disneyland Resort. It had been three years since our whole immediate family went to Disneyland together, and Aidyn inched his way up to the required 46" to ride the looming Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Day One:

Here is a less than bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed Mouseketeer Aidyn, having woken up at 2am and filled his own fun pack, as he waits patiently for us to head out the door.

Here's one of Grandma, Aidyn and Duffy the bear, waiting in line to get into the park just after 10am.

To celebrate his new growth (in height and mettle), we headed straight for Indiana Jones. Here is Aidyn and his dad snaking up to the entrance of the temple.

We were very careful not to step on diamond-shaped stones. We saw what happens when you do that!

Aidyn, his Granny, and I, near the projection room, where Aidyn is vowing not to look into the eyes of Mara...

Aidyn was the lucky driver for this adventure!

If he "survived" the ride, we promised him an Indiana Jones fedora...

Here's our proud adventurer, flanked by Grandma and Daddy.

Next, we headed over to Tomorrowland to ride Star Tours: The Adventure Continues.

Beautiful cacti and aloe plants outside the Rancho Del Zocalo restaurant in Frontierland.

After a second round of both Indiana Jones and Star Tours, as well as a ride on Matterhorn and Pirates of the Caribbean, we plopped ourselves on a bench in the plaza, people-watched, looked at these beautiful flowers and called it an early day.

Day Two:

The first thing we did on Day Two was see a young Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in Disney California Adventure. They had updated the entrance to resemble 1920s Los Angeles, as Walt would have experienced the area when he first came to Southern California.

We rode all of our DCA favorites: Goofy's Sky School (about five times!), Jumpin' Jellyfish, and Toy Story Midway Mania before relaxing for the Aladdin show. The show was amazing as always, and the Genie was a riot:

Genie (on his lamp-turned-phone): "Hey, you have your own reality show, you're famous for no reason, and now you're pregnant with Kanye's baby! Those are your three wishes! (hangs up)

A pretty pansy in Disneyland.

After our second day was nearly coming to a close, we thought the turbulent and wild Space Mountain roller coaster would be the perfect thrill ride to rejuvenate us.

How wrong we were (sorry for the camera glare!), though the lady behind us was clearly thrilled.

Duffy and Celebration Bear, ready to crash out in the hotel.

Day Three:

Aidyn Jones in front of Toad Hall for a ride on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

 

The beautiful Matterhorn Mountain, as seen from the Storybook Land Canals queue.

Gorgeous purple tulips in Fantasyland.

Aidyn, bravely sitting in the new individual Matterhorn Bobsleds seat.

And lastly,

:)

 

Mamatography 2013 Week Seven: Shhhh! Art, Dress-up, and a Bit of Science.

I am taking part in the Mamatography 2013 Challenge with Momma Jorje and Diary of a First Child to take a photo every day of our day-to-day life and post once a week.

I still suck at remembering to take pictures every day, but I'm trying!

Pig art.

Finn from Adventure Time--err, I mean, Aidyn. :)

Learning about consonant digraphs.

 

Playing Domino Rally.

 

Morning science exercises.

Sad to say that is the extent of this week's photos, but soon there will be massive amounts of whimsy and color with Disneyland vacation photos!

Mamatography 2013 Week Five: Word Relays, Honest Abe, and Reading

I am taking part in the Mamatography 2013 Challenge with Momma Jorje and Diary of a First Child to take a photo every day of our day-to-day life and post once a week.

In our homeschool, we played a couple games of Word Relay. This week, he learned about r-controlled vowels.

We also learned about Abraham Lincoln, and subsequently built a version of the log cabin in which he grew up.

He played Super Mario Chess early one morning.

Tying his belt for karate.

Cuddling with Meggie on a Saturday morning.

And on Sunday, I had one of those read-a-whole-book-in-one-day kind of days: Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi.