And so what we have learned...

Good intentions...I do have them.  I fully intend to get the blog updated from May before the end of June so I can update with June even though there's not much to report in June, except that we were visited by a host of Transueiness and we're sick.  Croup for the babe, colds, stomach issues, fevers, and a touch of laryngitis for the rest of crew...and we've only had three go through it.  There's still more to come!

However, before I start folding clothes, I thought I could do a post.

Our end of the year project fair with our homeschool care group was in May this year.  The weekend of Mother's day to be precise.  Although it was a very busy day (and Aunt Yaya's birthday) we had wonderful time.  This year, the kids voted not to do handbells.  They chose poem recitations instead.  I have no clue where the video is.  I think next year I'll talk them in to doing a puppet show...or play.  They do enjoy getting up and acting and such.

This year was the first year for them to do projects.  I allowed them to choose their projects and have very, very little hands on work with them.  I did some guidance on how to do the projects, use machines, and how not to cut yourself with a paper cutter or scissors (or glue yourself to a board).

And I have to say, I was greatly pleased with the effort they put into doing this.  Because of that, we will be doing many more projects this year.

Zoe did her project on Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Lap Loom that she had received as a gift from us one Christmas.

They had to stand by their projects and actually talk to people who came by and asked about them (because they're unsocialized).  Zoe enjoyed demonstrating the loom.

We love to watch The Spangler Effect with Steve Spangler and one of the experiments he had was disappearing ink.  That was Ace's choice for a project.  He also learned a bit about cryptography and steganography.

 More "un" socialness going on.

About the middle of the year, Josiah told me he wanted to do a project on bird nests.  I told him he would have to do it with Liam since they were so young.  The boys eventually agreed.  As I wracked my brain trying to figure out how to help a six year old and a four year old put together a project on nests, I decided to glance in the kids science journals.  We studied flying animals this year and lo and behold, there was a mini book on nests.  We adjusted it to fit on a display model and brought along a nest that had fallen out of our tree at some point.  Some birds heard about our need for nests and obliged by creating one in a box we had on our front porch.

My totally anti-social Liam loved talking to everyone about nests and the different kind.  No fear of public speaking for this kid!

 Doesn't Chi have a look of fear on his face?  Yeah, that's brotherly love right there.