Call Day #110, 2/22/15

Walking in to church this morning. They started holding hands to help Oliver cross the parking lot and wanted to keep walking that way.

Oliver with his "bact-pact."

Watching Eleanor do some educational exercises on the computer. They were both excited about wearing headphones!

Call Day #109, 2/20/15

We headed to Raleigh to see a play this morning. We arrived a bit early so stopped by McDonald's first.

Waiting for the show to start.

With a member of the cast afterward. This was Oliver's first play and he did a really wonderful job sitting on my lap watching quietly and really paying attention, The play was called The Wolf, and he liked pointing out the wolf character.

We met Daddy for lunch because he was in Raleigh too, taking an exam before going to work.

 Being a little entertainer with his scrunchy face.

We ended up visiting the homeschool store because it was right by where we had lunch. Eleanor really enjoyed looking around with me while Oliver and Claire played. At one point she asked if we could start doing spelling, so we looked through all the options, and found one we liked. She read a new chapter book the whole way home and started on spelling as soon as we arrived.

Working on the 2000 piece puzzle she got for Christmas. We've enjoyed doing it with her.

Opening cards from Mimi and Papa Jimmy.

Nanny and Papa came over around bedtime, prompted by Eleanor's request to have Papa read Harry Potter to her at bedtime. Oliver practiced saying letters and animal names with Nanny while doing the alphabet train puzzle.

Call Day #108, 2/7/15

Happy Birthday, Oliver! He was quite happy to start the morning helping in the kitchen. He knows how to crack an egg and hand it to me to be opened.

We made "birthday cake pancakes." There are sprinkles involved so it was a hit with the kids.

Whenever the birthday hats come out, things like this happen.

Oliver played with his new set from Aunt Linda and Uncle Buck. He got to open some presents last night since we had our family birthday celebration then.

Birthday candles! He didn't want to blow them out. Big sisters were happy to help.

Pancakes with whipped cream!

Big TWO year-old.

This morning we went to the state farmer's market with Nanny, Papa, Mimi, and Papa Jimmy. Nanny had made a scavenger hunt list for the girls. They had fun checking off their list as we walked around.

Girls playing corn hole outside the Farmer's Market Restaurant.

Throw!

Yummy lunch.

Claire's hair with extra adornments.

All smiles! We were about to leave when Oliver saw a bench and wanted to go "up-ill" (uphill) to sit on it. All three kids ended up happily on it together.

After nap, we skyped with Grandpa and Grandma so they could watch Oliver open his birthday presents.

He had a ball playing music on his new computer and making his doggie dance along!

Call Day #107, 2/4/15

The way the past two mornings have begun. While Claire sleeps a bit longer, Eleanor and Oliver enjoy reading and trains.

Claire helps me update one of our dry-erase calendars. Both Eleanor and Claire have had this job over the years. It's a great way to practice all sorts of calendar skills, numbers, and handwriting. I can actually see the progress Claire's made over the past few months--knowing her numbers, writing them correctly and not so huge, etc.

After school we went to Nanny's house because the girls wanted to make perler bead gifts for Oliver for his birthday.

Oliver plays with beads on the floor, to keep him out of his sisters' projects.

The girls were asking to go home soon after lunch. It was puzzling because they usually want to stay as long as possible. Then, we realized they wanted to leave because they get to use the candy machine right before they go.

A school milestone: we finished our first history book (Ancient Times: From Nomads to the Fall of Rome)! Eleanor is excited about the next volume about the Middle Ages "because that's when they have castles!" They even asked me to start reading the new one to them over dinner even though we'd already done history for today.

Call Day #106, 2/2/15

This morning Claire and Eleanor went to the monthly clay class they were given as a Christmas present from Nanny and Papa. This was the second one and they were able to pick up the projects they made at the first class, cat-shaped coin banks.

Today they learned to use the wheel!

Clay hands and a bowl emerging.

With the teacher.

Claire's bowl.

Painting their work.

After returning home, they both wanted to show Nanny their trumpet skills. Claire is learning to push the middle valve.

That face!

"Mommy, I can blow better when I close my eyes."

She loves playing the trumpet and is so excited about starting a few weeks ago.

This little one asked to have his picture taken.

And made this face.

Nanny holds the music for Eleanor to read.

Hot Cross Buns, Eleanor's first song on the trumpet.

Oliver was extra fussy today. No apparent signs of sickness. I've noticed him putting all of his fingers in his mouth. Not sure if he's teething or what, but he's almost always happy in the stroller so we went for a walk.

Running to the next landmark I tell them to stop at on our walk.

Call Day #105, 1/29/15

Oliver watches Eleanor play math games during school time.

Oliver ready for his Nanny date, a trip to McDonald's. He gets a short trip out with Nanny each week. When he returns, one girl gets a longer outing but must alternate weeks.

Eleanor under the bed to clean up the guest room, where she spends every quiet time. She decided to organize it of her own initiative and has been working on it for a few days now.

Eleanor is so proud of her organized shelf!

While Claire was out on her Nanny date, Eleanor, Oliver, and I went out to lunch. Eleanor and Oliver were happy to share a milkshake.

Eleanor has been learning to cook. Today she wanted to make chicken tacos and fruit salad so we went shopping for ingredients and came home to get started. It wasn't a lot of cooking, but it required a LOT of cutting. I was surprised by her knife technique cutting the onion. She said Daddy taught her when they made cookies recently.

While the girls are in kids' choir practice, Oliver (and lots of other little siblings) plays in one of the classrooms.

We invited Nanny and Papa over to enjoy the dinner Eleanor made.

Oliver and Papa play with trains.