Quality Time in New Jersey


We were so happy to be able to visit my parents in New Jersey last week.  It has been a long time coming.  The last time Gabriel and I were up there was when Gabriel was 6 months old.  Can you believe that?!  That last time Brian was up there...when I was just 5-6 weeks pregnant with Gabriel.  And well, Lorelai...she's never been.  That area is one of my favorites on the planet.  I would move there in a heartbeat.  And I'm so fortunate to be able to share it with my kids.  We had wonderful weather, although I caught a cold from the plane that I was nice enough to share with a few others.  :/

We spent the first couple of days around the house and neighborhood.  We fit in some time at the park. The kids were a big fan of this giant, steep, twisty turny tube slide.
Of course every trip needs a good Grandpa with his tongue out shot...
 There was a lot of Lego and Play Doh play happening...
 We hit up the Philadelphia Zoo.  Gabriel was in charge of the map.  He did a really great job of finding our location each time, and he can show you where we went even a week later.  They've really done a nice job with it.  The new kids area is nice, although not as interactive as I thought it would be.  Also, very crowded with kiddos on field trips, so maybe if it had been a bit calmer I would have felt differently about it.  Here are the kids watching ants...
 There were pony rides.  Both kids were excited until they realized they had to go without us.  Lorelai was happy because we told her it was Snow White's pony (she wanted to ride only Snow White's...not just a regular ol' pony).  Thank goodness the employees played along with us while we were talking to her about the Snow White pony...they had very confused looks on their faces at first though.
 Gabriel kept his eyes covered or closed the entire time so he didn't have to see the people helping him and his pony.
 Gabriel did really enjoy the snake house though.  A huge reticulated python slithered along the wall over to him and they were face to face.  Very exciting for him!  And later (on a second run through the reptile house) the King Cobra came over to him.  The kid was in snake heaven.  Cobras are his favorite.

We also went to the Howell Living History Farm.  This is a stunning part of the country side.  The drive is right along the Delaware River (Washington's Crossing area).  The houses are for the most part really old and fabulous, and the trees, the canal, the river...  Can you tell I'm in love with it there???  The farm was fantastic.  There was a pesky field trip here as well, but we finally got our timing right between rotating groups so we could have our time at each animal paddock.  They do everything the old fashioned way here.  No fancy tractors or anything.  It was very peaceful.





They had chickens, and draft horses...


This draft horse was HUGE and oh so sweet.  He just wanted a bunch of hugs and pats.
Lorelai was a huge fan of the cat.  Not so much the horse.  Gabriel is a lover of pretty much any animal in existence.

 Grandpa crawled under the corn crib and got some loose kernels for the kids to feed chickens with.  :)  Thanks for doing that, Dad!  They really enjoyed themselves.




 This darling little lamb kept trying to eat Gabriel jacket.  :)  He thought it was funny, and was also wondering why on earth it would want to eat a jacket.
 Lorelai isn't big on close encounters with the animals, but eventually warmed up to the idea of the sheep.
 She wanted to feed them their bedding.
 Mostly I think Lorelai loved the land (well, and the cat and chickens).
 Grandma was really great with the water pump.

 So, the kids had a go.

 I was impressed with how well they both did at it.
 On Thursday we had the opportunity to see Matt for a couple of hours while he was in New Jersey on business.  That was a fun little surprise for all of us.  :)  And then my cousin Brad and his lovely wife Johanna visited us for the afternoon.  We had a lovely time visiting with everyone that day, and I wish I had remembered to snag a few pictures!

We spent Friday at Sesame Place.  I sort of remember bits and pieces of this park from when I was a kid.  And it's geared right towards the age range of my kiddos, so it was the perfect time to go.  We had a great time riding the rides, climbing, bouncing, seeing an Elmo's World show, and eating.  We climbed around in this giant spider web, Lorelai wanted to climb through all of the connecting rope tunnels which were very high up in the air.  So, I took her up...I was really impressed with her stamina!
 We went to Ernie's Bed Bounce.  The kids had to go in without us, and I was very impressed that they did!  Gabriel says he wanted to watch over Lorelai.  (Sweet big brother.  Although, Brian and I have our suspicions that it was more so the other way around.)
 They both enjoyed the big tunnel slides...

 The carousel...

 And we ended our day on the swings.
 It was funny to see how both of my kids gravitated towards almost completely opposite experiences.  Gabriel loved the rocket drop, Lorelai was terrified.  Lorelai loved meeting characters, and Gabriel covered his eyes.  Gabriel rode the roller coaster with me (another shocker).  It was really a great day with short lines, and nice sunny weather.  We couldn't ask for more.  We ended the afternoon with a drive past my old home and school in Pennsylvania.  Not much has changed, and yet so much has changed.  Funny how that happens.  I'm really glad I got to see it all again, such great memories there.

We left on Saturday afternoon, but the kids made sure to get in some Lego and Play Doh time with Grandma first.

We had such a lovely time, and it was really hard to head home.  It's always nice to go home though.  Gabriel says he's very happy to be back in Oklahoma, but he misses his Grandma and Grandpa.  Hopefully we'll see them again soon.  Thanks for having us!  :)  We love you!!!

A Visit from Granddad and Cathy

Last weekend Granddad and Cathy came for a visit.  It was kind of a whirlwind, but we certainly enjoyed the company.  We decided to take them to one of our favorite play spots this time...Mitch Park.  Thanks for visiting you two!!!  :)  We'll see you in July!





 Gabriel and I hopped the fence into the walking trails area.  (Lorelai and Daddy followed later) to go snake hunting.  lol  We didn't find any snakes, but we did find a hairy caterpillar and some acorns.



Happy 4th Birthday, Gabriel!

Yesterday our darling little boy turned 4!  4!!!  I can hardly believe that it was 4 years ago that I was holding a tiny little newborn in my arms.
He was a fairly easy going baby, and remains a fairly easy going kid.  He's not one to bounce off of the walls (usually), he's generally very polite and mild mannered.  He's shy with grown ups, but really enjoys kids.  He has a love of nature, specifically animals that most would consider "scary" or "gross".  The kid is seriously like someone out of a Disney movie because the animals love him just as much.  I'm always impressed with how many animals approach him at the zoo.  He's gentle (although Lorelai might not agree with that statement some days) both physically and with his words.  He's very sensitive.  You don't need to be overly harsh with him for him to understand, and he takes your words very much to heart (both good and bad).  He's a bit bossy, but also can be very encouraging.  The kid still loves garbage trucks and has an affinity for police cars/men.

It's amazing to see all of these personality traits unfold over the years.  Don't get me wrong...it's not like he's changed dramatically every year in his personality.  He's stayed very much the same.  But, I'm enjoying seeing him express himself in new ways, listening to his sweet little voice.  I waited 2 years for him to be able to talk.  It's so great to hear how he thinks about things.

I'm so lucky to be his mom.  It may be a tough job somedays, but it's still the greatest one I could ever have.

I need to add Legos to this list.  It slipped my mind.


Little siblings need a present too so they don't feel left out.

This birthday was all about Trashies!

We went to the zoo for the second time this week.  The snake house was finally open.
Gabriel helped me decorate his snake cake.  :)





Birthday Zoo Trip

We are almost to the Big 4 in our house!!!  To celebrate a bit early we hit up the zoo.  It was a bit of a roller coaster.  We had a good time, the weather was gorgeous, but the "snake house" was closed for construction.  Gabriel may have cried.  A lot.  Off and on.  The entire time.  Poor guy.  Luckily there are snakes scattered throughout in other areas.  So, I made sure we saw each and every other snake there (and then asked on the facebook page when the "snake house" would reopen.  The answer...the next day.  :/ )


Talking with a snake.

'Pinky' the Penguin has joined the family.


...and now it's cold...

and SNOWING!!!!  Just one of the many reasons I love Oklahoma.  I get my annual dose of snow!  :)  And Gabriel loves it as well...

Tasting snowflakes while making a snow angel.

Throwing snowballs at Mommy.

Big goofy snow smiles! :)

Lorelai thinks she likes the snow...

Until she remembers she doesn't.

Carrying a 2 1/2 year old in her snowsuit, while you're wearing a bulky slipper jacket yourself is no easy task...oh...WHILE throwing snowballs at your son so he gets to have fun.  I think Lorelai is more of a beachy type.  lol


That was fast!

Once we decided that we were going to homeschool Preschool/PreK I dove into the fun world of curriculum.  Let me explain a bit of what I feel a Preschool should look like.  First off...preschoolers should not be doing worksheets other than coloring...for fun.  Skills such as holding a crayon "properly" and staying in the lines are schooling enough in that respect.  Math...count things aloud...for example while you're on a walk, "Hey...lets count how many fire hydrants we see!, work on color recognition, and maybe noticing patterns (clapping/patting/stomping patterns, color patterns, shape patterns)...lots of fun games.  And of course...LOTS and LOTS of FANTASTIC literature.  Reading opens so many doors...story comprehension, books contain letters/words/sentences, read from left to right, story comprehension, understanding how a character thinks and feels, increasing attention span....  Explore the world around you.  I also want God to be a part of what we learn.  Oh, I could go on and on.


I kept all of this in mind while researching how and what I wanted to "teach" my kiddos.  I also kept in mind that I don't want a ton of prep work on my end.  I want to spend time with my kids, not time preparing for my kids.  I considered the learning styles of each of my kids at this age.  I thought about what is happening developmentally with a preschoolers mind and body.  I also thought about what I don't care for my kids to know yet unless they begin asking.  I subscribe to the philosophy that there is NO reason to push a preschooler into reading and writing.


After gathering all of that I researched programs, considered writing my own curriculum (too heavy on the prep), looked at freebie stuff (too heavy on the worksheets) and we ended up choosing the Sonlight Preschool Curriculum.  It's full of great "living" books, fun activities, and doesn't involve a single worksheet.  It's also a great curriculum that BOTH of the kids can participate fully in.  (That's a really nice thing about having kids close in age.)  There was another close contender, but I don't think it offered as much as Sonlight does.  Brian and I both liked that Sonlight could potentially work for us through high school if we wanted it to.


So, on Saturday we ordered our curriculum box and it arrived today.  The kids were pumped!  I took some pictures and thought you'd enjoy seeing what we have ahead of us.









Parenting is Just Plain Hard

This doesn't surprise me.  I never thought it would be easy.  But, I never could have imagined the number of life altering decisions I'd have to make.  The big one facing me right now is school.  Gabriel turns 4, yes 4, in March.  That means my kiddo is entering his PreK year.  Ugh...PreK.  At heart I feel it's a completely and totally unnecessary thing.  Kids should be learning through play, not doing worksheets.  And lets face it...so many schools use worksheets at every age level.  My goal as a teacher was to try to get through my day without having to photocopy something.  It's not always avoidable, but if you work at it you really can accomplish it (and I think it made me a MUCH better teacher).

I'll skip over the Mom's Day Out stuff we've been through this year, but to give you an idea...Gabriel was frightened of his teacher for a good portion of the year early on.  It's not until just recently that he's happy to go.  Lorelai barely talks at school.  She's a chatterbox at home.  So, for next year I was looking at new options.  I don't really feel either has to go to school at all...but honestly...it's amazing how much I can get done on the days they're there.  I looked into an amazing private school that was a perfect match to my philosophy of teaching (this is where being an educator can really get you into trouble.  I know WAY too much, and it's hard to satisfy me).  But, it came with a college tuition payment each year.  :/  I looked into Mom's Day Out programs that had PreK's attached too them.  Too curriculum based, or they may not have enough room.  No thanks.  The local public schools are on a lottery system at that age.  Nah.  It's A LOT of stress.  Finding the right setting to make sure your kids start off school in a way that sets them up for success is SUPER important to me.

These kids deserve the best school experience they can get:
Lorelai as a snowman.
Gabriel as a snowman.
 People are always surprised to learn that I am not a fan of the public school system.  Look...just because I taught in the public schools doesn't mean I agree with how the government is choosing to run them.  But, teachers don't have much say in that, do they?  I think teachers are GREAT and have their hearts in the right place.  But, kids...boy do too many of them have problems.  Parents think teachers are the teachers and the learning stops at the end of the school day, and that goes for learning discipline too.  Every year I had to deal with at least 1-2 children who were out of control.  Do you know how quickly that can take over a class thus leaving the other 22 children in the room to wait on those few children?  It's a mess.  Standardized testing is the absolute worst thing we have ever done to our students.  I could go on and on...but back to our family.

So, I can't find the school I want.  I've mentioned to Brian several times the idea of homeschool.  He was very against it.  But, I worked hard at researching it and he found out one of his bosses children were home schooled and he began to see it in a different light.  He now fully supports the idea.  So, the other night while showering (I do my best thinking in the shower...it's the only time I get to myself most days) I decided that PreK would be my trial year for homeschool.  And I feel so pumped about it!!!

I mean...I already know how to teach children how to read...how to count...how to work on all of those beginnings that set the stage for great learning.  I can also run my preschool how I see fit...full of play!  Creative, artistic, play that doesn't force anything on them at this age.  Let my kids be kids.  Did you know that the country with the highest literacy rates doesn't teach kids to learn to read until the age of 7?!  I kid you not.  (It's Finland by the way...and now I have the Monty Python song stuck in my head.)

So, we'll see how it goes.  PreK isn't a required grade so the pressure is off.  If I don't enjoy it, or the kids don't enjoy it I will sign Gabriel up for Kindergarten at our local public school when he's 5.  No harm no foul.  But, I am certainly looking forward to "teaching" my kids at home, and I really hope they enjoy it too.  :)

Same old, same old

I realize there has been a lack of posting lately.  Sorry for that.  WE really don't have tons of excitement going on here.  And with spending so much time inside I just haven't taken many pictures.  I did happen to get this one.  Each day the kids have quiet time.  Gabriel chooses to use his for napping most of the time.  Lorelai plays/sings/dances in her room.  HA!

Last week I found her asleep in her baby doll pack & play.  I ran out to get the camera, but by the time I got back she was awake (and a tad grumpy).


Christmas 2012

Well, Christmas has come and gone and we are now into 2013.  These last few weeks FLEW by.  We were fortunate to have two sets of family visit us for the holidays.  First up we hosted Grandma Cherlyn, Grandpa Greg, and Uncle Brad.  We spent our time at the house, only heading out for one dinner and to Mass on Christmas Eve.  Brad was under the weather with a cold, and Greg seemed to catch it at the tail end of the trip.  :(  Brian was still battling his as well.  But, we all managed to have a fun and successful Christmas despite the stuffy noses.

 For Gabriel the big hits were anything Lego City, his Marble Run, and his Trash Packs.


 Lorelai received some "housekeeping" toys that she loves, some princess movies, Littlest Pet Shop, and Tinker Bell/Periwinkle toys.

 Both of my kids are so calm opening their presents.  Lorelai was even stacking hers neatly after opening them.  lol


The guys (and pretty much all of the grown ups that visited) had fun setting up the marble run for the kids.  (Or themselves.)  lol
The "Navarre" troops headed out on the 26th, and the Wood Family came in on the 27th.  

There was some present opening again, time spent at the house playing, we hit up the Cowboy Heritage Museum (I think my mom and dad have good pictures of that), went to some stores, Church again, and indulged in cupcakes...it was just a really great time!





Now everyone has returned home and things are back to "normal."  This basically means the house is a mess and I'm playing catch up.  :)