a book and connect-the-dots

Zoe, Ashley, and I are really enjoying a pack of Kumon workbooks that we got at Costco. The connect-the-dots are fun because the kids really can't tell what the picture will become until they've almost reached the number, 100.

Like featuring photos here on the family blog, the videos made by Zoe have proven to be a huge motivation. Everything we've been posting and sharing is extremely exciting for the girls. They are so proud of what they can do, and then they get to talk to family from out of town who have seen their "work." Speaking of which, Zoe is very anxious for me to stop writing and publish this so she can admire it. :-) Love, Kelly

the I Love You book

A few days ago, Zoe asked to look through our wedding photo album. I suppose this book may have something to do with that... loosely :-)

She says the guy, on the left, "isn't happy, because he's lonely." The girl, "gets curious about him, so she sends him love." The placement of the girl to the right of the guy, inspired her to write the words, "I love you" backwards, on the second to last page. She drew an arrow to him to further illustrate the point that the girl was sending him love.

Finally, they get married on the last page, with "the flower girls on the left and the people who are invited on the right."

Zoe says her wedding, "Will have a chocolate cake with white frosting, and yellow flowers. The cursive writing will say 'marriage,' and the dress will be holded up without straps, and there will be sparkles all down it. Then I'm going to have a white crown and hair up in a ball. The wedding tables are going to be white with green leaves all around it, and two yellow flowers on the leaves. The chairs will be white leather for them to watch the wedding, and there will be a tea area, where you can get tea. It will be the tea set I got at Christmas, from Santa."

What are you going to eat? "Lasagna. Excuse me, I have to go the bathroom."

Bathroom interlude.

"Okay, what else are you going to ask me?"

The Strawberry

The best homeschool moments come when I'm not even trying. Like today, I was doing the dishes, when Zoe took it upon herself to make a book. She got some supplies, and sat at the kitchen island, equipment laid out. Before I knew it, she had created a story about a strawberry girl, who went hiking in the mountains, and then returned home to her strawberry house. The cover, as you can see, contains her name and the year, as well as the title, followed by three story pages, and completed with "the end." After watching proudly as I photographed her book, Zoe asked for ribbon. She cut the ribbon into three pieces and bound the book with three yellow bows.