She Reads & Talks

Ever since Mallory was tiny I read to her.  We went to the library and brought home stacks of books.  I think if we go back far enough in my blog you will find pictures of her as a toddler laying on her back in her room with her feet up reading a book.  Back even further taking all the books off the book shelf as a tiny little baby. 

All that reading stuck.  She now is able to read on her own.  Full blown chapter books.  However, she feels like she has to tell me all about them!  This morning I thought I would grab my camera and take pictures.  I had no idea she was practically going to read the book to us.  She told us every last detail and went on for a good 20 minutes.

She was reading out loud to Melanie before she decided to share it with me. 

She is also very animated when she talks about her books.

Yup.  Melanie.

Oh yes, I am walking around snapping pictures and she is just a talking about this book.

Yup.  Maxwell.

She hasn't moved but the rest of us have walked circles around the place while she keeps telling us about her book.

She still had 4 more chapters left to read.  Which she read that night and proudly told me the next morning that she read an 11 chapter book in 3 days!! 

Pajamas & Legos

This particular Saturday we just needed to slow down and be lazy for a bit.  I typically don't let the kids watch too much TV because it makes them very antsy when they are done.  And it makes them want more and more and more TV.  So this Saturday I let them bring up all their legos and they built and played for hours.

Mallory is working on a lego city and is building as many pieces as she can.  She has the cutest girl legos.  Tiny little lego animals too.

Melanie has her own legos too!  She has Doc McStuffins legos and she plays with them and talks with them.  She will build and rebuild towers.  Legos seem to be her favorite toys to play with, but only if she is right by someone.

Max was seeing if he could build a set all by himself.  Typically he needs us to help him, but he was determined this day.

He did it!  100% all on his own!  He was super proud of himself.

They played for until lunch!!  And then after lunch!!  Most of the day was spent with these legos.

Mid afternoon we went to Menards.  While we were walking around I had so many flashbacks of having to entertain tiny babies in Menards while Jesse shopped for the next home improvement needs we needed to get.  It has been a long time since we have had to go here... but we are thinking about redoing the last room in the house and just doing some minor touch ups in the other rooms. 

We had two carts and Momma Mallory had all the kids on her cart! 

On the way home Jesse and I talked about how when we use to go to Menards we would show up in our truck and enclosed trailer.  This time we went in our mini van and drove home listening to 3 squirrels in the backseat eat Cheetos. 

Science Class

You know your a homeschool mom when you get an email that says... Hey want to come over and dissect owl pellets?  And all us moms reply back "YES!" 

What are owl pellets?  Owl Puke!  Looks like a fur ball and the kids job was to dig it apart and see what kind of bones they found.  Then take those bones and see if they could figure out what kind of animal the owl ate.  I know!!  Good stuff!!  The kind of thing that is so much more fun when done with your most favorite homeschool families!!

The pellets were wrapped in tin foil so here is Mallory opening hers very cautiously because she has no idea what to expect.

Then there is my fearless hunter who wears camo every single day of the week.  He thought we were going to actually watch an owl puke out the pellet!  He thought it was gross and didn't really want to go!  Then he thought he would just look and see.

He actually found something!  Some sort of leg bone of a rodent.

I am totally the mom who is screaming, "Grossss!" every time one of the kids makes a discovery.  Then I am right there with my camera capturing the moment.  The other moms were digging in and doing some discovering themselves.  Shall we watch my friend, Jenn, find a skull?  We shall!

Can you see the teeth?!  Yuck!! 

Here are all the kids working away.

Here is the skull that Jenn found. 

I was surprised by my kids that Mallory was more into this then Max.  Mallory wanted all her bones in a baggy to bring home.  Max wanted nothing to do with keeping them.