Yesterday morning around 8 o'clock I found out that it was $1 day at our state fair. So, by 9:30 the kids and I were there.
Forest was excited about the insect exhibit. He's been collecting bugs for some time now. His most prized find is the robber fly. It amazes me how much he actually knows about different bugs and their behavior.
Phoebe discovered these huge pumpkins. And all the kids had fun at the petting zoo. We also enjoyed a funnel cake-'cause you have to get funnel cake at the fair- and a yummy cinnamon roll.

Funny Face and Sammy the Sad Snail

School is in full swing for the year. For Pre-K, Phoebe and I have had lots of fun playing different games- all while she is learning to count and learning more colors and shapes. We have these great toys from Lauri that are made from a soft foam. I bought about 4 or 5 different sets, but they can all work together. There are several pieces that can be laced together or put together like a puzzle and there are pegs that can be stacked or the shapes can be stacked on the pegs. They've been great for counting, learning patterns and just for having fun. I was surprised to find that Phoebe can already count to 26 before getting off track. I hadn't worked with her with numbers higher than 10, so I asked her how she learned to count that high, and she said, "I practice in bed every night." I think her big sisters have been working behind the scenes and I didn't realize it. :D

Today we are playing with play dough. Forest joined in and made this sad snail. I'm not really sure what inspired it but its cute. Forest is in 1st grade this year and is continuing to learn to read- something he has definitely approached differently than his sisters. He learned all the letter sounds from last year and can sound words out but doesn't take any initiative to try to read on his own- only if I ask him too. Yet, he still remembers the letter sounds from last year. As far as I can tell, he is right on track for his age, so I think he will still pick up reading by the end of this year; it's just interesting to see how different he is learning from how the girls learned. I'm no expert, but I am convinced boys, in general, learn differently than girls. I am using curriculum from My Father's World for all the kids. This year Forest will learn about different Jewish customs and practices from the Old Testament. His reader for the year is full of Bible stories that he can read himself and he will have drawing lessons, as well as learning about God's creation in science and learning Bible verses. I expect it to be a fun year.

I'll post soon about what my big girls are learning along with some pictures of them hard at work.

Our trip to Europe...

This year in school we have been "traveling" around the globe. The past few weeks we have been traveling through Europe. So far we have visited France and Britain. While in France we went to a fashion show and visited the Eiffel tower. (OK, so we made an Eiffel Tower out of graham crackers and frosting and we WERE the fashion show, but it was still a great experience!)

While in Britain, we visited the orphanage at Ashley Downs, ran by George Muller. If you don't know the story of George Muller, READ THIS. It is well worth reading, though I recommend reading a full biography. We actually read it from the series of Christian Heroes: Then and Now. I am constantly amazed at how God will use the life of someone who is willing. George Muller is a great example a self-seeking, destructive young man who, when God got a hold of him, became a man of sacrifice and faithfulness.