8 Baby Steps to Stealing Cake From the Top of the Fridge

     Having just had a birthday there was an abundance of sweets around the house.  So, in an effort to keep them away from my endlessly "hungry" 2 year old, I stashed all of the sweets on top of the fridge.  When a piece of chocolate went missing, I questioned my 7 year old, but she insisted it was the baby.  I was a bit dubious and she could tell. So the next time he went for it, she tiptoed to me and told me what he was doing. I grabbed my camera,  and hid behind the partition to watch. =)  It is true, the baby of the family gets away with more!

  So commences the story of how to steal the cake from the top of the fridge in 8 steps or less. 
Step 1 : Drag your rocking horse over to the counter. 
Step 2 : Climb on top of said rocking horse and proceed to climbing on to the counter. ( The stabilization techniques used for this maneuver are great for firming up your core!)
Step 3 : Behold with delight the wonder of what you are about to commandeer.

Step 5 : Survey your surroundings to ensure that you are not being watched.  Stealth is a necessity if you are to be able to consume your hard earned treasure.

Step 6 : Stand on those tippy toes and reach for the cake.

Step 7 : If your desired object cannot be fully reached go for higher ground.

Step 8 : If you mission is compromised remember the Penguin motto : "Cute and cuddly boys." 

When he stepped on top of the microwave I stepped out asked " What are you doing?!"  He just looks at me steps down and gives me this adorable grin. 

II Thess 3:10 If any should not work, neither should he eat.

So, would you give his a peice of cake for all of his efforts.  =)





Our First Unit Study

     The concept of unit studies has always fascinated me.  To take a single time, place, or experience, and  thoroughly explore all of it's complexities is a different and intriguing style of learning.  However, being new to homeschooling, I have clung tightly to our curriculum while adding experiments, art projects, and music along the way to infuse life and enthusiasm to our little classroom.  The result has been a joy filled and truly wonderful experience.  Still, the idea of a unit study (along with a multitude of various education ideas) has intrigued me for some time.
     Yesterday, a package from the children's grandparents arrived.  It contained three shirts with brightly colored turtles on them and the word Cozumel.  Questions poured out from the children ( this is a perpetual occurrence).   In general, I can quickly answer those barrage of questions with a substantial amount of answers.  With Cozumel, I could not. 
     Was this a moment of defeat?  I think not! This was a chance to grow our knowledge together, experience the thrill of acquiring new information ( Yes, I am a self professed and happy nerd.),  and spark my children's imagination.
      With a few clicks of the keys on my laptop, we were on to exploration.  First, we found Cozumel.
It is right off the Yukitan Peninsula.

This sparked a conversation about the difference between peninsulas and islands.

Then we learned about the first inhabitants (The Mayan Civilization), and their culture and architecture.

We learned that the temples the Mayan's built were much like the Egyptian pyramids and that they also covered the walls with heiroglyphs.
  A child friendly website about the Mayan culture is http://www.mayankids.com/mkarchaeology.htm

 Finally, we discussed the natural attractions of Cozumel.  ( What makes it special) With this, we discovered that there is a large chain of coral reefs in the waters surrounding Cozumel.  It is, in fact, the second largest chain of coral reefs in the world! 

Finally, we discovered that Cozumel has a large sea turtle population, and that these turtles hatch out of the shells that were buried in the sand by their mother's 53 days earlier.  They must then crawl to the ocean immediately after hatching.  We then watched an adorable video of this exact occurrence.

How cute is that!

We finished our unit study by printing out a picture of Cozumel for the kids to color which gave me enough time to make a ten question test.   One can only stray so far out of their box =)  The kids aced the test!

Upon completion of their test they were then presented with their Cozumel T-shirts to wear and called Grandma to tell her all about Cozumel, and of course to say thank you.  My two year old went around singing an adorable song.  Most of the words, I could not make out, but I did hear a distinct Cozumel in there every now and again.  

Conclusion?  I love unit studies! The process appealed to both my traditional learner and my unconventional learner as well as my two year old.  I enjoyed teaching.  ( Truth be told, I almost always love teaching) And the children retained the onslaught of information very well. 

This should be a picture of my children all adorned in their new t shirts with beautifully done hair and gleaming smiles, but since no such picture can be procured, I bequeath you with this one.  Why?  Because it is funny, and I like it.  =)