It's a Girl's World!

A little Change UP

I obviously have issues with keeping up with blogging... mostly because I use Facebook for pictures and updates. MindWeaving is NO MORE. I've exported all of the posts into this one so that I have ONE blog now. 

Maybe I can keep up with one. 

We'll see.

Darn that Facebook!!

HI!

Character Lessons with the Advent Calendar

I love the Advent Calendars but am not a fan of the girls eating sweets everyday. I'm also trying to focus the family on being SELFLESS and less materialistic so toys don't really work either. So, I had an idea!!  I found a free template to write your own fortune cookies and decided that every morning, as we count down the days... we'll open the doors and read the slips. That will become our focus of the day. The slips don't say a lot but its for us to discuss and talk about and practice. Also, if I wish to take it a step more.. I can always print out stories and worksheets/coloring pages that go along with the word of the day. 

My Daisy Kaper Chart!

* NO, not EVERY post will be about Girl Scouts!  :-) *

It's not perfect but it works! (Need a petal near the stem)

 The girls picked either a butterfly, a bee or a ladybug from a template I made on the computer. They colored them and I glued a photo of the girls for the face. The bugs and the petals have velcro dots to attach them so that they are easy to move around. 

                The middle of the flower is the "leader helper" spot.

Girl Scout Promise!

The 10 laws!

I bought "grass" from Michaels and then hot glued
each piece to the board.


Want my template for the bugs?  Click HERE

Now how can anyone say "NO" to her?

Beach Clean Up

My Favorite part of Girl Scouts?  Service Projects! It was raining today and so very few people showed for this Beach Clean Up.  The park rangers admitted to being disappointed when they saw our crew of 5 to 8 year olds. But the girls worked for over TWO HOURS nonstop and cleaned up the entire area. I was SO proud of the girls and very pleased to hear the praise and surprise from the Ranger's. "We'll be inviting the Girl Scouts again in the future for sure." they said. What a way to represent! 

Messy Job! 

Yay! Another Badge! 

There were literally THOUSANDS of cigarette butts that they picked up. We're thinking of making it our TAKE ACTION project.

Girl Scouts!

The girls finally started Girl Scouts and they and I are LOVING it. I decided to put Aidan in Brownies and Ainsley in Daisies. (They don't care what grade level Aidan is in since she's homeschooled.) I am the co-leader of Ainsley's Daisy troop and the helper Mom for Aidan's troop and except for my propensity to overextend myself...  I think I'm going to love this year! 

 Their 1st service project was to participate in the Tunnels for Towers run in downtown Savannah.

First Field Trip

For our 1st school field trip we went to the Planetarium with the homeschooling group!

Watching a show about the planets.

Using their bodies to show the distance from the sun.

Safely looking at the sun.

Another August

I've been watching all the parents and kids preparing to go back to school in the next week or two. It feels odd watching all these preparations.  We're not starting until the first week of September.

Yup, I do indeed plan to blog again.

So where have we been?

Here

Unschooling!

Yes, unschooling!  I put it all away and let the girls learn what they wanted... with a little tweaking here and there.

I have a new-found respect for this method when its used wisely.

It was good for us.

Aidan's brain, I think, suffered a bit because she wasn't receiving the stimulation she needs... but she compensated by finding other things to concentrate on... like starting her own series of books "The M & J Adventure Co." (Madison and Jameson), reading the entire juvenile fiction's section of the library (or nearly), quickly becoming a mini chess pro (she beat 2 grownups), trying to break a hula hoop record or learning how to start an online selling business. Yes, she can post photos of things and list them for sale like a pro. LOL

Ainsley blossomed! She spent her time bonding with Mommy and Grandma, playing, imagining and enacting all her dramas and she learned to read.... like really read. Soon we will be starting the Junie B's together.  (Ah Junie B! Such an ISSUE)

And lately I've been busy signing the girls up for all their socializing.

Aidan will be in  Level 3 Gymnastics, Art classes, Brownies, and *hoping for* Spanish.

Ainsley will be in Soccer, Drama classes, Daisy Scouts, and *hoping for* Spanish.

This will be such a busy, event-filled year!

No, we are not continuing with Unschooling. It served its purpose for last year but now its time for "real" school. Schedules and notebooking and all.

Oh my!

Dear Aidan on turning SIX!!!

Oh my Aidan!

Are you really SIX? Are you sure you're not 16? Lady bug, you are amazing. My heart swells when I look at you. I know that at six, you're mostly formed and I am so so so so proud of who you are. Your heart, your intelligence, your goofiness, your sensibleness, your responsible nature is so wonderful. Sometimes, I admit, it drives me crazy how careful you are with things and how long it takes you to do things. You, my sweet girl, are a perfectionist. You also are a mini John. No one could ever doubt that you're your Daddy's child. But! I truly do love your personality.

About you...

You no longer are a lover of red. I'm somewhat sad about this... it was your favorite color since you were a baby. But now you love purple and blue.

You have your nose in a book all day long. Everywhere we go you bring a handful of books. You are voracious in your appetite. I'm having a hard time finding enough series and books to keep you occupied. Some days you read 3 or 4 books.. and I'm talking about chapter books... not storybooks. In this, you are like me. Yay! I have something to claim in you!

Sometimes you're a little too bossy with your sister and you treat her likes she's a lot younger than you. Which, really, you need to get over because ya'll are only 15 months apart.

I let days go by where we do "nothing" and in that nothing you enact the most elaborate plays and scenes with your sister. I'm quite happy to let ya'll do this for long, uninterrupted hours. It is wonderful to see this especially since imagination seems to lacking in most kids these days.

My Aidan, you try to be an adult. Sometimes its not too bad but often you cross a boundary and become "mouthy." You talk back ALL THE TIME. Perhaps your Aunt Bridgett was right... I shouldn't have given you such leeway to share all of your thoughts and feelings. I think perhaps it has backfired on me now. LOL.

Everything you own is so neatly kept by you that its freaky. Speaking of freaky.... you remind me of the little brother in the Jodie Foster movie "Freaky Friday"... you're as neat and tidy as he is. Everyday you wake up and make your bed, brush your teeth, and do random chores without being told. I caught you cleaning the toothbrush holder the other day "because it was dirty." You meticulously took everything out, laid them all out in order on the counter, cleaned and then dried the holder and then carefully replaced everything. That simple thing is soooo YOU.

Your awareness of people and their emotions is strong. Life is tough for us right now and your sweetness and fairness is so beautiful to see and to experience.

Lately, you've been feeling insecure and have been needy. You also have been retreating back into that shell of yours. You're becoming shy again. It burdens my heart to see this.

Again, I ask... are you sure you're not turning 16? For your birthday, you got your ears pierced, had a mani pedi, and went shopping for jewelry and shoes. I love it! Me, a daughter of a girly girl!!

Aidan, I promise you, that you will be loved and protected for always. You are a very much loved little girl.

I cannot wait to see who you'll become this next year.

Love love love,

Mommy

Learning to Sew

Homeschooling Group Class

Today, the girls started their 1st Homeschool Group class. This one meets once a month at a local Bamboo Farm. They'll be learning about plants and gardening. Both of them were nervous but super excited. Aidan was especially excited because she sometimes mourns the fact that she will not attend "real school" where she can interact with teachers and other classmates. 

 She was picked as line leader and LOVED it. (Can you tell?) During the whole class she worked hard to become "teacher's pet" and learned the hard lesson that to the teacher... she was just another kid and that the world did not revolve around her.

 Ainsley was a little unsure about everything... especially when Aidan wasn't near her... but every time she noticed me looking at her... she'd flash a big grin and wave.

Umm... Ainsley... that's WAY too much dirt!

Planting Sunflowers

The class ended in the organic garden where the gardener walked them around and told them facts about plants and how to care for them. See where A & A are? They both stuck like glue to the teacher so they wouldn't miss anything. My little brown nosers!  :-)

JOY

 Finally!

First Day

 

My Kindergartner and my 2nd grader! 

(Well, I have to declare them as something)

Ainsley was so excited that she continued

 to work during her "Free" times.

 Aidan loves her schedule. She followed it exactly and kept exclaiming "I'm so happy we're finally doing school!"  From this first day, I know I'll be tweaking the schedules a little but for the most part.... they worked well. I just underestimated Ainsley's attention span and I need to add things to Aidan's.