"F" week

"F" week actually took two weeks to cover here at Planker academy.   We had some interruptions with travel, Halloween, doctor's appointments, etc.  That's the beauty of homeschool though, you can bump and roll without missing out on instruction that others received.  Here's a glimpse into our activities to learn the letter F. 

F is for fire...

...the cutting is great for scissor practice and the boys always love a chance to glue.  This one got two thumbs up from them.  

Our lowercase f was full of flowers...

...thanks to some leftover mothers day resources.  :-)

F is also for FRUIT which gets delivered to our house in this giant refrigerated truck every Wednesday...

 

F is also for FIREMAN pole...

...the boys had fun pretending they had to hurry down this pole.  I had fun getting in my run by taking them there on foot.  They impressed me and walked/ran most of the way back home on foot.  It's almost 2 miles to this park.  

F is for FUN which we always have a story time at Coffee Bar Blue Door...

...Colton was my big rug helper this week...

F is for FIELD trip to the museum.  Our favorites were the bus...

...the model military ships and planes...

....and the collection of old cars that could take turns being displayed on a turntable...

...big smiles all around at that exhibit.  

There was a lot of stuff that was completely over their heads but they had a blast just having a change of scenery and learning what they could from it all.  I had fun too!

F is for FOAM...

....this was much more exciting for Mason than for Colton.  Mason went all in while Colton stayed a chopstick's distance away from the mess.  

F is for FROGS...

...thanks Pinterest for the inspiration, and thanks to Colton for the idea to add legs.  :-) 

We also did a little study of FROG life cycles... 

...when cutting and gluing are included, the boys are 100% engaged.  We had read several books about frogs so we used this activity to review as well as to practice those cutting and gluing skills.  

I got the idea from The Preschool Journey...

...which I highly recommend by the way.  It's been a great starting place for me.   

We also did the FROG sensory sink that was included in the book...

...what a fun idea to color the water with jello!  We had fun testing things to see what would FLOAT and sink.  Next time I think we need a kiddie pool to really have some fun with this one.

We also had fun with the Fish and Tweezers math game from Angela Thayer's book...

...numbers are easy, pincher grasp needs some practice ;-).  

F is also for FIZZ... 

....just your standard vinegar and baking soda trick but stuff like that is ALWAYS exciting for little boys.  I need to get the BJs sized versions of both ingredients so we can do it over and over again.

F is for FOOD... 

...as if Halloween didn't provide enough sweets for our house, I treated the boys to cookies with my leftover birthday reward from Panera.   The boys were kind enough to share with me and we had fun enjoying the fresh air on the patio.  

They even made rockets out of the patio chairs... 

...I love their imaginations and I love Panera for not kicking us out :-)  

F is for FITNESS....

...this basketball court is one of our new favorite places to play.  We're still trying to master FREEZE tag and I'm afraid leapfrog will end in tears but we had a lot of fun running around and shooting hoops.  

We read lots of books about fish, frogs, and firemen as well as tons of others.  You know us :-)    This was one of our favorites this week...

Abigail and Scott's Chicago Wedding

Wedding preparations started bright and early Saturday morning in the bridal suite.  The gals all had fun hanging out, getting our hair and make-up done, and drinking mimosas.  Of course my boys were along for the fun too and were their usual silly selves... 

My dad even got in on the action, helping us steam our dresses...

...a father of four girls is willing to do just about anything, I'd say :-)

 It was so much fun to just be girly and spend time together....

Check out our view from the hotel room... 

....yep, that's the John Hancock building right there on Michigan Ave.  It made for some very good people watching.

Our hair turned out beautfiully...

It seemed like Abigail was a celebrity getting the star treatment with professional make-up too and a camera crew there to document it all.... 

...and she gave my mom the star treatment too...

...fun, huh?!  It was the first time my mom had gotten her hair and make-up done.  She was GORGEOUS!!

While we were getting ready, the flowers were delivered...

...Abigail got into her dress and it was time to head out for photos.  This was the last time my parents would see Abigail until it was time for the ceremony...

...so they got in some quick hugs, Abigail swiped on some lipstick...

....and we piled into the limo to head out for some photos...

....I left the photos to the professionals and they included stops at iconic places in Chicago, like the Water Tower, Michigan Ave., and North Avenue Beach.  I can't wait to see how they turn out.  Here's an instragram photo my brother shared...

...gorgeous, huh?!

After photos, it was time to go to the Greenhouse Loft to get the rest of the gang and get the wedding show on the road.  How cute were the boys?!...

...my man looked pretty darn good too...

I snapped one last photo with Abigail before she walked down the aisle...

The ceremony was so special as Scott's grandpa performed the personalized ceremony that combined their two faiths!  Everything came together beautifully and I have to say, I love those Jewish wedding traditions.  They were incredible!

I was a little tied up as the Matron of Honor and didn't get to snap any photos.  I didn't even get to see the boys walk, I mean run :-), down the aisle since they came down right after me.  I sure hope the videographer captured it.  I hear they were adorable!  

After the ceremony, there was a short cocktail hour before it was time for the reception...

...do they look happy or what??!!  My cousin built them a Lego bridal set they purchased at the Lego store earlier in the day and I just had to get a photo of it.  Love it!  

The dads made some beautiful toasts, we ate a PHENOMENAL dinner (my favorites were the salad and the chicken with pickled peaches with habenero...DELISH!), then it was time for the bridal party toasts.  I survived and am so glad I got to tell Abigail, in front of all her favorite people, just how much she means to me and how much I love both of them.  

They danced their first dance...

...then the traditional father/daughter and son/mother dances came next...

...look how tall Scott is compared to his mom...

The boys were such troopers throughout the long night of partying...

...and even got in on the dancing a bit with us...

...and I'll have to wait for the photographers photos for you to see how the rest of the night looked.  It was incredibly beautiful and incredibly FUN...and all over instagram :-) ....

That late night called for a phenomal post-wedding brunch the next morning and the brunch they arranged did not disappoint...

...I took a little of almost everything...salad, brussels sprouts, eggs benedict, bacon, pineapple, red velvet pancakes, coffee, water, and a bloody mary.  MMmmmmm.

The food and fun didn't stop there.  After brunch, we headed off for a Cubs game at Wrigley field...

...while there, Aaron splurged on the giant pretzel they sell there...

...needless to say, it was devoured...

After the game, we met up with my cousin and his family at Goose Island for some beers and more snacks...

...why not, right?!  The boys had fun playing together again one last time while we all hang out.  

Before we knew it, it was time to head back home....

...and time for one last form of transportation on the shuttle bus to the parking lot at the airport...

(as if an uber, a taxi, a train, a big van, and a plane weren't enough, haha)

Congrats Abigail and Scott.  May your lives together continue to be incredibly blessed.  We adore you!