Country Road take me home....

We are taking a little labor day trip to Virginia to see my grandparents.  We stopped in Pigeon Forge, TN on Friday and Saturday nights for some fun.  I drove all day Friday- I drive on all of our vacations.  They reason we are able to travel so often is that Daddy's work is portable.  And the babies know they must be silent when Daddy's on a call.
 :)

 

We arrived around six- just enough time to grab dinner and get to sleep.  We ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe because it was right by the hotel and we were starving and couldn't go on a restaurant search.  Marc and I sat under Madonna's pants.  :)

I think this was the children's first time to be really exposed to rock music.  I couldn't tell if Marky was unnerved or if he was about ready to grow his hair out and jam (which is not an option at present.)  :)  I kept joking, "Does this music speak to you?  Do you think screaming is the same as singing?" 

This is how we sleep at hotels.  We get a suite and Julia and Tucker are on the sofa bed, Charlie is in the crib (for now) and Marky is on the sofa cushions on the floor.  That way Marc can keep working through the night and not disturb them.  

It works and they get cozy sleep and get ready for the next days adventures.  Here's Julia with her living teddybear-

Saturday's adventures in Dollywood in another post!  Good night!

Annual Portraits

We had our annual portraits of the children done today.  I used to call them "Spring pictures" because we did them every April.  Marky asked me today why I did that, and I had to think.  Then I realized and said, "because your birthday is in April and we did birthday pictures every year."  The firstborn sets the pace don't they?  :)  Anyway, this past May with Brendan and all we just didn't get around to taking the pictures and so here we are.  It was the easiest it's ever been- not having a 2-year-old or younger makes picture taking much easier I've learned!  Thanks BB for going with us!

Bowling

Saturday morning we went to the gym and all the children had their classes- Marc Jr. to boot camp, Julia to volleyball, Tucker and Charlie to gymnastics.  Afterwards we all went bowling!

Natural History Museum

Today we took a little field trip with friends to the Natural History Museum.  It was such a nice day.  I love it when school is back in session and all the museums are empty.  :)

We got home and read some history and religion and now they are playing.  Tucker is in LOVE with his bike.  He rides it everywhere- and if I don't pay attention he will ride it in the house.  I caught him trying to ride into the kitchen- not so fast hot shot!

Also, tonight Marky had his first flag football team practice.  He loved it and the babies and I had fun on the playground.

Rain

Rain

By:  Robert Louis Stevenson

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea. 

(Tucker and Julia have memorized that poem)

Getting going.....

Well, after our whirlwind visit with family it was back to reality on Monday.  I am happy to be back in the homeschooling world.  It brings structure and richness to our days.  Remember when I said I moved the china cabinet a few weeks ago?  It was in the den on the wall behind the sofa with two chairs on either side.  Now it's in the dining room and we slid the homeschool shelf out of the corner and brought another shelf from the front room to make a long homeschool wall.  I love it!  I can find everything so easily, and the children read the books from it every.single.day.  And it's usually neater.  :)

And it left the corner of the room for a little reading nook, which I love.  I didn't buy one new thing- I just went around the house and found things to use.

I just love seeing the signs of learning all over the house-

Those words are capitalized in the original-

Even Charlie started his reading lessons and LOVED it!  He also completely potty trained himself with almost zero effort from me.  I really appreciate it Sharshee!

When I walked in I said, "What are you guys doing in here?"
Charlie: "I teaching Tucker the fwwaaags".
Tucker:  "You are not teaching me flags!  I am teaching you flags!  Why would you say that?  You know I am older- Mommy make him stop!"
Charlie:  "giggle".  :)  Charlie knows how easy it is go get under Tuck Tuck's skin.

Don't worry Tuck Tuck- we know you are the flagmaster.  :)

By the way, when Zaza was here we were in the car and I asked him to describe some country's flag (I can't remember which one I asked) and he said, "oh you know- it's a lot like the one from Greece, but instead of a cross there is a sun."  Zaza and I just laughed.

By the way, the way I get him to read with me is to promise that if he does it well we will look at flags.  :)