Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Homeschool Group- Game day at Prestige Assisted Living Facility



We met our friends from the homeschool group at Prestige Assisted Living Facility for game day. We brought several games to play with the residents and our friends. It was a whole lot of fun and a very special time for us.

One reason I am so glad that we have joined our homeschool group is that we have opportunities to do things like this that I would not have necessarily thought of myself.

Marie-Anne

Union Pacific Railroad Trail


Frank was able to take a break from work to join us for a few minutes on our walk.




 
I am trying to keep the momentum of the Theme Park Exercise Program going. So, the kids rode their scooters and I walked the Union Pacific Railroad Trail for about 45 minutes before co-op.

Marie-Anne

Sunday, January 29, 2017

San Diego Trip- San Diego Zoo


Sabrina was chosen out of the crowd to be the one to release the birds to open the San Diego Zoo! Since we were only planning on spending about three hours at the zoo, before heading home, we each chose one or two animals we really wanted to see. Frank carefully mapped our course; taking time to see the other animals along the way, of course!



Once again, I was glad for the educational signs. We all learned interesting tidbits through them.





The panda and the Tiger were on union breaks and couldn't be bothered, (the other tiger was pacing at a distance; possibly waiting for his break).

The wrapped gift for the zoo was a three in one puzzle set, Alex got lions and Sabrina got lemurs.

By the end of our three day Theme Park Exercise Program I was very sore and very tired, (and possibly very grumpy). However, despite that, it was another great day.

Marie-Anne

San Diego Trip- Pacific Ocean


Of course, we had to go to see the Pacific Ocean! We got there just before sunset, after leaving Sea World.




We enjoyed walking along the beach, climbing rocks, playing in the sand and collecting shells, sea glass, and smooth rocks.

A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Marie-Anne

San Diego Trip- Sea World


We began and ended our time at Sea World with the cleaner fish. Alex said they were his favorite part. It tickles when they clean your hands. I only did one hand, but I wish I did both because the hand I did is still so much smoother days later.



We also enjoyed petting the Bamboo Sharks.




We really enjoyed the shows. Sabrina has declared she wants to be a dolphin trainer. It is amazing how well trained these animals are.



I also liked the educational aspect of Sea World. There were multiple signs telling about the different animals and we heard several educational talks on the animals.



Of course, just observing the many animals there was amazing and educational.



We also rode a few rides. The SkyRide was one that all four of us went on together. Two of us loved it and two of us aren't really fond of heights, but went anyway. Alex and Sabrina also went on the roller coaster. It was Sabrina's first time on a full sized roller coaster- she did NOT like it.

We got to Sea World at opening and stayed for seven hours. At the car I surprised the kids with another wrapped gift- a penguin fuzzy poster with markers and an underwater paint by number scene.  Another perfect day!

Marie-Anne

San Diego Trip- Legoland


A while back Sabrina won a drawing for 4 multiday passes to Sea World, San Diego Zoo, and the Zoo Safari. We have wanted to take the kids to LEGOLAND for five years so we ditched the Zoo Safari and used two free child coupons to take them to LEGOLAND instead! They were completely taken by surprise!


I even got them each a minifig to trade throughout the day. Alex made one trade and Sabrina made so many trades that we lost track. We were given a coupon to get 6 build your own minifigs for the price of 3. Nice! The kids had their allowance they could spend, and of course, Alex spent his at LEGOLAND.


It's funny; Sabrina didn't even want to go into the Lego Friends section. Yet, once she got there she stood at the front of the concert and danced along. And she was very excited to meet several of the "Friends". She also really liked the other displays and riding the carrousel.




We were amazed at the Lego models. They are incredible. There were many, many throughout the park. The kids posed with many of them. We also got to watch some Masterbuilders in action.






We also enjoyed many of the rides. We really liked the Ninjago ride; we did it three times. It is a 3D screen and your hand is the controller- very fun!



Of course, you cannot be surrounded by that many Lego bricks and not spend some time building! Alex wants to be a Lego Designer so he got plenty of inspiration.


At the car the kids received another surprise. I had bought and wrapped a Lego Batman Movie set for both kids.

Not enough sleep. Long drive. LEGOLAND from opening until closing. Perfect day!

Marie-Anne

Monday, January 23, 2017

Subsitute Teacher


I have never been a substitute teacher before. I was nervous. I had not taught a class of kids Alex's age in about ten years. Yet, after I got started I actually enjoyed it. I sincerely hope they learned the proper way to introduce themselves because they had way more fun doing it wrong!


The kids were using mirrors to see the difference between smiling and frowning as they introduced themselves. Needless to say, they really enjoyed making faces in the mirror.


I am also a helper in Sabrina's art class. They used paint today so I was kept busy.

After co-op today I was completely worn out. It was the good kind of worn out because several of the kids liked the manners class, (didn't ask the rest; hope they did), playing with the babies was fun, and I got a hug from a boy in Sabrina's class.

Marie-Anne

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Game Night


Connect 4 & More has several ways to play. We normally play the two player version, but tonight we played teams. The goal is to get four of your color in a row. The catch is you have to match the backgrounds to do that. Backgrounds can be black, light blue, dark blue, or any combination of two of those colors. If you cannot make a match you lose a turn and put that tile underneath the stack.

 
Me Want Cookies is a new to us game. There is an easy level and a harder level, (demonstrated below). Three cards are laid out next to each other. One player rolls the dice to see which desert to start with. All players follow the path from that desert to another desert. Then start with that desert on the next card and use the desert that path led to on the third card. The first player to grab the correct wooden desert wins the round.

It is a fun game. I will practice with Sabrina because she doesn't have the speed that the older players have.


Example: Using the cards above; if a cupcake was rolled, the players would follow the path from the cupcake to the ice cream. Then on the next card follow the path from the ice cream to the pie. Then on the third card follow the pie to whatever it leads to and grab the wooden piece first.


Octopus Garden is a nonconfrontational game, points are scored at the end. On your turn you buy a row of items from the market, replace those tiles from the drawbag, get paid for each oyster, design your garden, and if you have a starfish move it one tile closer to the nearest oyster, which it eats. So there is a lot going on.

Coral protects your oysters. 5 seagrass tiles together earns a sea horse worth 5 points. 3 Sea Anemone together gets you a clownfish worth 5 points. The more Relics the more points you get. Garbage is -2. Oysters are -1, though they give you pearls to buy stuff. Star fish eat oysters and make Feather Worms adjacent to or under them 0 points, but are worth 5 points each. It is a lot to remember.


I Sea 10! is a math game I got to help Sabrina increase her speed and practice simple math. Players take turns flipping over two tiles. If they add to 10 the first player to call out, "I Sea 10!" gets them. If they do not add to 10 they are left face up and can be used on future turns. The sharks eat your points, but that was really frustrating because there are a lot of sharks. We just ignore sharks.

I did not intend for her to play it with faster, older, more competitive players, but she wanted to play it tonight. It would be better for her to play with another kid about her age. I do use it as a solitaire game for her to practice both addition and subtraction. I also sometimes play just her and me to help her increase her speed, but I slow down for her.

Marie-Anne