Rainy Day for a Picnic

With nothing to do this morning, we packed a lunch and headed out to have a picnic at our favorite park.

I always try to be a good example to my children, so a lot of times that means I have to fake it.  The biggest things that I fake are, loving dogs and going gaga over babies.  I really want my children to know that animals and babies are special.  Every dog we see we ask it's owner if it's a boy or a girl, what's it's name, and can we pet him.  My girls love dogs, Luke, not so much.

We read a few books on the blanket.  (I love the striped legs behind us.)

Luke feeding the ants.

Our picnic got rained on.  Isabel took this picture of me going back for Hazel's shoes.

Sylvia in the rain.

Birthday Invitations for a "Friend Party"

Every other year I let my children have their birthday party with friends.  My reasoning for this is simple; it is so much work trying to make a fun party for my own child, let alone a bunch of other people's, every other year gives me a little break.  Needless to say, this year is a "friend party" and I had Sylvia design her own birthday invitations... "daddy with a beard, mama, and baby Sylvia."

In April, I had Isabel design her own birthday invitations too...

Some Of Our Favorite Books

My favorite homeschooling activity to do with my children is reading out loud with them.  More specifically, reading fairy tales, fables, myths and legends.  Children are naturally drawn to creative make believe stories, but more importantly, even though the stories are completely fantastical, they teach profound truths.  Tonight as a family we read from Aesop's Fables and The Very Best of Aesop's Fables

Our favorite fairy tales lately are the familiar stories, with a twist.  For example, there are so many Cinderellas!  We love The Egyptian Cinderella and Cinderhazel.

At the library today we found this beautiful book, Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel.

In A Fairy Tale Feast after each story, is a related recipe.  For example, after reading Snow White, we followed the recipe for, and ate, baked cinnamon apples, then after reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we cooked porridge.