Ahhh We're Baaaaack!

Independance Hall (where the Constitution was signed)

Liberty Bell

We're now back on track after our vacation. The kids and I had a fantastic time. We first visited my BFF in Ohio (yup that's a 10 hour dive from my house to hers!), where we stayed for 4 days. Then we drove to Philadelphia for an afternoon of visiting the Liberty Bell and Independance Hall. The kids had a good time, and it was nice to get out of the car for a bit - but the drive is 1000 times worse having to drive up through NJ and NY.

So this week we're focusing on finishing our Liberty Lapbook - which covers Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell as well as touches on Thanksgiving. Fun Stuff!

DJ & The Liberty Bell

DJ & X-man looking on to the bell (Xman was nervous of the park ranger tour guide so refused to get his pic taken with the bell itself.)

Abraham Lincoln Stood Here!!! This was a great segway into learning about Thanksgiving, as it was shortly after Getteysburg that Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday - to help bring the country back together.

Playing on the grass at Independance Hall Visitors Center.

Vacation to VT

my in-laws cabin

We just got back from the longest vaca we've ever taken as a family....5 blissfull days without tv, computers, or thee phone! It was wonderful! The kids ran around outside from sun up to sun down...they rode on the 4-wheeler with dad (and even I learned to drive!). We went to our family reunion on Sat, at the beach. My youngest, Xman, proved he's our sporty child by both learning to ride his 2wheeler and to swim completely unassisted - things his nearly 8y/o bro still can't do!

It was just so nice to focus completely on bonding - w/ no work, groups, classes, or homeschool..although it only took 2 days for the boys to beg for some lessons...lol...I relaxed and focused on developing next years lesonplan. Here's some pic's

xman & dad DJ & dad

Pretending 2 drive

"Look ma, I'm doing it!" Look, Mom's doing it!