Dec 26-31

Trip to New Orleans
Kids rode the streetcar for the first time
Read Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever!, McDuff's New Friend by Rosemary Wells, The Christmas Snowman by Margery Cuyler, the Berenstain Bears and the Big Road Race, Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray, and Christmas in the City by Loretta Krupinski

Favorite books read in December

Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose by Dr. Seuss
Frogs Jump by Alan Brooks
The Last Christmas Present by Matt Novak
A Letter to Santa Claus by Rose Impey
Uncle Vova's Tree by Patricia Polacco
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Commercials
The Sneeches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Inga Moore
Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd
The Backyardigans' Mission to Mars
The Night Before Christmas
Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola
Three Kings by Kurt Baumann
Calvin's Christmas Wish by Calvin Miles
The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen
Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer
The Cajun Night Before Christmas by James Rice

Thursday December 22

Did some science experiments with magnets- used a compass to find the north and south sides of the magnets and found out which attract and repel each other, pushed a toy car with the magnets, found the magnet's weak spots, and did two more repelling and attracting experiments

Wednesday December 21

Worked in the garden weeding and planting our bean sprouts
Read The Heroine of the Titanic by Joan W. Blos and Naming Liberty by Jane Yolen

Tuesday December 20

FIAR with Wee Gillis- discussed Scottish kilts and other dress, making decisions and controlling your emotions, the value of staying calm when those around you are upset, the calendar and when the New Year starts, fog and mist in weather patterns, and followed up with a study of the Winter Solstice and videos of solstice customs on YouTube
Read Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog, Six Sick Sheep and other Tongue Twisters by Joanna Cole, The Berenstain Bears' New Pup, Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh, Mr. Brown Can Moo by Dr. Seuss, and the Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems

Monday December 19

Started FIAR with Wee Gillis- discussed Scotland, kilts, topography of the country, our ancestors from Scotland, drawing in monochrome, cross hatching, and comparing and contrasting pictures that look almost the same, then followed up with some bagpipe music on YouTube
read Old MacDonald in the city and the Witch Casts a Spell by Suzanne Williams, Ace Lacewing's Bad Bugs Are My Business by David Bierdrzycki, Harry and the Dinosaurs Go To School by Ian Whybrow, The Curious Demise of a Contrary Cat by Lynne Berry, and Slobby Dog and Flabby Cat by Jeanne Willis
Started the unit on sprouting seeds

Saturday December 17

Made ornaments for the animals at ONP
Found a water snake at the base of our Christmas tree