Little House on the Prairie Day!

This month we have been enjoying Little House on the Prairie for our home school group.  Gracie has also been working on a report on Sacajawea, so she was able to share the information she has learned with our group.  Dylan did research on the Osage Indians (the kind mentioned in the book) and he shared details on that subject.  Luke decided to talk a little about why wolves howl at the moon, after reading the chapter about wolves.  Last month, all three kids were a little nervous before they spoke, and this time around, they all were so much more relaxed.  I'm so thankful for these opportunities for them to build confidence in their public speaking abilities!

 After each child had their turn speaking to the group, Marilyn took us on a nature walk and we examined the differences between Cottonwood and Sycamore trees.  Marilyn lives in Norco and is surrounded by homes with horses! 

 Once again, my mom came to help me out with Caleb. Caleb always gets excited when she comes to our door, and always wants her to play a game with him.  He told me the other day, "Grammy is my friend!"

 The kids collected different types of branches from the various trees and compared them.

 Marilyn had Dylan show the different types of leaves that we discovered.

 I'm so thankful that Dylan is a good sport about being involved in everything. He's the oldest one of the group, and helps out with the little ones.

 Last week Abby came over and helped us dye macaroni for our patterned Indian necklaces.  I was impressed that even the boys enjoyed this activity.

 We also made Indian headbands.  We really enjoyed getting to spend time with the Medina family. Reuben and Isaac were such a fun addition to our group.

 Sweet Miss Laurie :)

 By the end of the day, Luke's necklace was in pieces and his headband was soaked in sweat. But, he had a great time!

 Winona

 Wade

 I know the Indians in our history books didn't play hockey but our Indians had a great time playing some field hockey!

 Laurie and Abby showed us how to make Indian fry bread.  Abby was very skilled with the rolling pin, and they came out wonderful.  They were so good, warm with honey!

 After lunch, the moms were happily surprised to see the kids organize their own activities.  They wanted to play musical chairs, but didn't have any music.  So, they took turns playing the guitar, beating the hockey stick on the trash can, and playing the drums on the bench.

When it got too warm to play outside, they came in on their own and organized a game of charades in the living room.  I love moments like this, when everyone is getting along, encouraging each other, and just having fun.