One of our favorite activities

I love homeschooling for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons is the flexibility it gives our family-so on a nice spring afternoon, we went for a neighborhood walk. I wanted to buy new barrettes but the store is a little further than our typical trek; however, bribed with the promise of a donut, they willing put in the extra effort. On our way back we stopped at Rutger's U, ate donuts and ran around the grassy lawn. Alette also took along her notebook to document our afternoon with drawings/maps and notes.

My Bunnies

I love that trying to get a posed picture is impossible. I wanted to get an Easter picture....but the girls were so goofy. They couldn't stop giggling and kissing each other.

The Palmyra Nature Center

We have been enjoying classes at the Palmyra Nature Center for years...this spring has been especially wonderful as the weather has been terrific for getting outside nad exploring. Last week we had a lesson on 'Signs of Spring'. The girls saw turtles, woodpeckers, snakes and butterflies. We gathered all sorts of small twigs and flowers to make a bracelet. Abria seems to be in the midst of a 'fancy' phase as she insists on wearing bows/ribbons/jewelry everywhere.

Sunny Spring Days!

We have loved the fabulous weather this spring! We took advantage of above normal temperatures and headed to the park last Sunday afternoon. Both girls are continuing to practise their biking skills. Alette says she is 'almost' ready to give up the training wheels.....I would love to see her take this step but know that she will not be pushed into anything. Abria is getting too big for the tricycle and jumped onto Alette's bike anytime she wasn't using it.

Knocked Out

Abria rarely takes a nap anymore...sigh. However, she is fond of going upstairs to 'sleep'-which means she really just wants to have her favorite blankie and soother. However, this time she truly fell asleep, on her chair of all places. In fact, she was so exhausted we couldn't even wake her for dinner and she slept right through to 7am!

A Break in February!

I've decided that February is the perfect time to take a family trip. Andy had the week off work so we headed down to Washington DC, and then to Williamsburg, Va. No crowds, sunny weather, cheap admission for homeschooling families....what else could we want?
In DC we had the chance to meet up with Zeb, his mom Barb, and Xander, at the National Zoo. Despite the cold, we had a great time being outside and seeing different animals. That night we got together with Great Grandma, Zeb, Laura, Xander, and Lisa for dinner....such a rare occurence!
After breakfast with Great Grandma the next morning, it was off to Williamsburg. We were looking forward to a suite, only to discover it was a studio suite-large, but one room nonetheless. However, since the hotel had an indoor pool....there was no way we could easily switch, without making two girls very, very unhappy. Seeing as they easily conked out both nights, sharing a room turned out to be very easy, and not that different from being at home.

Williamsburg, Va

Super cute colonial hats-but at $25 each, we just took photos! As you can see, we had perfect weather for exploring the historical district.


Once the girls learned we were taking a carriage ride, they refused to wander away from the area for fear we would miss our turn. It was a short, slow ride around the town and one of the highlights for the girls.


Both Alette and Abria were remarkably interested in the different stores, homes, and tradespeople we saw. However, by the end of the second day, the chickens proved far more fascinating.


The maze at the Governor's Palace was a highlight for everyone and we could have spent all day playing there!

Go Tribe!

Andy loved being back in his old stomping grounds, William and Mary. The girls meanwhile, were happy for the chance to collect weeds, flowers, and sticks. Ironically, everyone in our family but Andy, now owns a William and Mary shirt.