Valley Forge

Last week we took advantage of a beautiful warmish, sunny day to spend some quality time outdoors with each other.  We headed to the five-mile trail at Valley Forge and spent a total of three hours out and about together walking and exploring.  It was wonderful!

Natty and Francie (and Schatzi) walked the entire way without one single complaint (I should add that I did as well, haha) and we enjoyed lots of great conversations together.  Johnny was content (most of the time) to sit and watch from the stroller, although he did come out a few times to run and walk and hide behind trees with us as well. 

As usual when visiting the park, we found some great trees

and enjoyed all of the surrounding scenery.

We stopped for big, delicious hot dogs at the Cabin Shop and then continued on to check out the statue of Von Steuben and then to the little house nearby.  It was there that Natty jumped into a big hole, only to jump out mere seconds later, Indiana Jones style, when he realized the hole was full of snakes! 

Although they were not poisonous nor moving very quickly, we decided it was best to observe them all from outside the hole.  :)

Again, I am blessed and thankful to be able to have days like this, when nothing else is planned, to be able to say- let's go do this and then go and enjoy every single moment of it.  I have a wonderful life.  :)

Sunny Monday fun

Today the kiddos decided to film a movie; it was about a robber (Johnny) who breaks into the home of a Marine (Francie).  Natty directed and filmed it and if I could figure out how to post videos here, I would, because it made me laugh out loud.  

Here's their picture anyway! :)

We also all spent some time outdoors on this beautiful sunny day- we walked Schatzi, played with the new pooper scooper (who would have thought that would be so much fun!?) and then the kiddos decided they wanted to play in the boat and break up the ice.  They had great fun with that adventure!  Unfortunately, I only had my old "stupid" phone and it doesn't take very good pictures.  

And, of course, Woody came along for the outside adventure of the day as well; here he is drying in the sun after being thrown through a big mud puddle for a while.

Poor Woody.

More drawings!

I realized I hadn't posted any of Francie's drawings in a while (not since this one over a year ago and before that this one) so I went into her room the other morning and snapped a few pictures of her most recent ones. I didn't dig through her pile for the best ones or for anything in particular, I just took the first couple on the top (Francie has been spending all of her time after we say, "It is time for bed" NOT going to bed but either drawing or reading, which I love, of course!) Here are five of them:

And finally, this one makes me smile, and feel like I am doing an okay job with some things in this parenting/raising children role.

She has three characters here: the first is a mean bully and her caption says, "Don't be a bully."

The second is a happy girl who says, "Try to make others feel good."

The last is a girl who has dressed herself to look like someone she thinks will be "popular" but she is unhappy. The caption says, " Don't try to be someone you're not."

Wise words from my little nine-year old! :)

And then...just because...here is one Johnny drew of his great Aunt Wendy:

Out and about

Here are a few things that have been keeping us busy these past few months:

December:

Francie joined a program called, "Girls on the Run."

She met twice a week with the group throughout the fall, had great discussions about various topics with them while training to run in a 5K race!

Francie needed a "running buddy" for the race and she picked her grandpa, my Dad. :)

She said he made her run (jog) faster than she wanted to go but she enjoyed it anyway. She was quite proud of herself for completing her first 5K!

We went to the Sight & Sound Theatre in Lancaster and saw the show 'Miracle of Christmas.'

We got together with friends for a secret Santa exchange. One boy knit Francie a purse for her gift and she was quite thrilled by that!

We went to Hershey Park for Christmas Candylane. We loved riding the rides in the dark, with all of the Christmas lights and music and drinking up the hot chocolate.

My next car! :)

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season with each other...

with our grandparents/parents...

and with our cousins.

January:

We've been to local playgrounds to play, hike and JUMP!

Natty and Francie graduated in karate from brown belts with black stripes to red belts.

We visited Longwood Gardens.

We traveled out to Harrisburg for the PA farm show. The kiddos loved the carriage races and all of the food the best. I was reminded by a friend that I had been there before, twenty years ago!! That made me feel pretty....old!

We saw and enjoyed the play, "Pirates of Penzance."

We went to a "Road Rally"- where a bunch of us got together with our roller-blades or scooters or bicycles and rode around indoors for a few hours. It was a blast!

We finally had a little bit of snow--just enough to do some fun sledding and to make some maple snow syrup. It was pretty delicious!

We visited the Academy of Natural Science with friends.

We went to Chinatown! Least favorite to see there were the roasted ducks hanging in the windows...eek!

We played lots of Rack-O!!!

How I love playing Rack-O...and Francie will finally play with me as well!!

February:

Natty and Francie started a (very) creative art class.

We visited and toured the Herr Potato Chip Factory with a group of other homeschoolers.

Natty and Francie began a drawing class (must be art month!)

We did some tree hugging at Nottingham County Park.

And we went exploring at Hopewell Furnace.