Preschool - Our Family Unit

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May16th

California Pizza Kitchen Homeschool Tour

Posted in: Homeschool

I’ll admit, I’ve never been head-over-heels for CPK. It’s not that I didn’t like it, it’s just that I’m super boring when it comes to the pizza I like. The more meat and the less veggies – the better! And I like tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. So I just really had no need for Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza or Vegetarian with Japanese Eggplant Pizza. But then I discovered how friendly they are to kids, and now I love CPK!

Our homeschool group took a tour of one close by and it was a hit with everyone. Not only was it FREE and open to even little kids (lots of 3 & 4 yr olds), but it seemed like they just couldn’t stop giving us stuff.

We all took a behind the scenes tour, then the kids each made their own pizza and got a free drink and brownie. As we were leaving, they gave us a gift certificate for a free personal pan pizza and some other chotsky. I was seriously impressed. Being that pizza is Kade’s “favorite”, he loved every minute.

Afterwards, a few families went to a nearby park to burn off the brownie sugar. I gotta say, I grow more and more in love with the pig tails every day.

This last pic is her “pose”. She climbed all the stairs to the top of the slide herself, not to go down…just to put ONE foot on the top step and stand proudly. The End – “Mom, take the picture. I’ve done it!” It was all I could do to convince her to put the other foot up and go down the slide…
May9th

Race Car Kit for the Preschool Boy

Posted in: DIY

Last summer, Kyle and I found a little race car kit at a garage sale that you could put together and then paint. The paints were missing, but for a buck, who cares? The rest was intact and we gave it to Kade for Christmas. Back in February, Kade and his dad spent a Saturday afternoon assembling it. It was great and provided a lot of entertainment, but who wouldn’t want to add a little personal touch with paint, right? I finally got around to getting the paints out the other day and Kade went to work.

It was very serious business…at the beginning.

This then gave way to song. I wasn’t able to capture the entire concert, this is more like the final encore. He was singing about doing what is “good and right” because I had told him not to mix the paint colors and brushes, and he was obeying that instruction. On a side note, we may watch a bit too much American Idol / X Factor, as he has learned how to “perform”.

The final product – he’s so proud of it. Best $1 gift for Dad & Son ever! :)
April27th

The Ultimate Babysitter

Posted in: Homeschool

This last weekend was the CHEA conference, a homeschool conference here in the Bay Area. Since I’m still new to this whole homeschooling thing, I really wanted to check it out. Especially when I discovered I could go for free! But…I needed a babysitter. So I called in the big guns – Mom!

It was such a treat to have her here. The kids love her to death and were pretty much ready for Kyle and I to permanently hit the road. Not only did she help me sort through all the homeschooling info, but we started planning the new play room, played with the Silhouette, and started a book discussion on One Thousand Gifts too.

She and the kids took walks and played hide-and-seek (Kade is hiding below…yes, in the exact same place as he was counting 2 minutes earlier).

Marmie – thanks for coming and giving us all such a great week! Grandpa Dan – thanks for letting us borrow her. I know you missed her, but we needed the visit.
April19th

Exploratorium: Hands on Science for Preschoolers

Posted in: Homeschool

When Kyle’s family visited, we took a trip up to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. None of us had been before and we didn’t really know what to expect, especially with kids so young. But I was SO impressed! The hands on experience is absolutely amazing and I loved that I didn’t have to spend the entire trip saying “Don’t touch!”

Prior to this, I thought all museums meant wandering through very wide white hallways, staring at objects behind glass and reading very small plaques. Not here! Instead, we got to build with tangrams, dance in steam tornadoes, watch termites chew, throw marbles and Kade’s favorite – poor sand.

We’ll definitely be making more trips back, although I did tell Kyle I felt like I should go without the kids at least once to learn about science myself. I mean, if I’m supposed to be teaching my children this stuff, perhaps I should move beyond the “thunder is the angels moving furniture in heaven” explanation. Sadly, I know nothing about science. I mean, I remember some things. Like molecules are made up of protons, electrons and maybe wontons? But seriously, my understanding of electricity doesn’t go beyond “flip the switch” or “plug it in”. Don’t worry too much about the kids, Kyle and I have had the discussion that to cover our bases I’ll teach phonics and math and he can take charge of all things science. :)

Such a fun day! We even topped it off with a lovely little picnic at Crissy Field and FREE parking. WHAT! I know, amazing…