May memories

American Heritage Girls and Trail Life USA

Our first year of being part of these great groups

came to an end in May with a lot of

exciting events!

I led a weekend camping trip for Grace's

unit - the Explorers.

This completed their camping badge.

It was awesome!

As service projects, our unit wrote letters to

current service men and women and with families, our unit 

put flags on Veterans' graves at local cemeteries.

Our last meeting was an award ceremony where

each girl and boy was honored for their accomplishments.

Grace received Creative Crafts, Our Feathered Friends, 

Camping, Sewing, Book Adventurer, and Living

in the USA badges.

She also received 2 service stars (1 star equals

10 hours service for Grace's unit) 

and 3 patches (daughter of an AHG leader,

Respect Life, and Wigs for Kids).

Nathan received his Standard (special walking stick

to put his metal badges on) with Fire Safety, 

Wood Tools, Ropework, Respect Life, 

Reading, and Sewing Badges on it.

He also received 1 service star

(1 service star for Nathan's unit equals 15 hours

of service)

Then...on Memorial Day, Matt led Nathan's unit 

while they marched in the Titusville Memorial Day

parade and led the Pledge of Allegience

for the ceremony.

Piano Recital

Nathan and Grace finished up their second year

of piano lessons by showing off their

hard work at their piano recital.

They each had a solo piece then did a duet.

We finished up our sixth year of Homeschooling!

I loved how our study of Ancient and Medieval

history overflowed into our read alouds, writing, 

science, and art!

We made homemade paper like the Chinese.

They studied castles and created their own out of boxes,

paper towel/toilet paper tubes, paper and lots of tape!

We made stained glass windows like the 

Medieval Cathedrals.

Nathan's is a wolf howling and Grace's is 

a horse's head.

More exposure to theater was one of my goals

for this year.  Along with studying

Shakespeare, reading/listening to plays,

attending performances, being in a play,

the kids each wrote their own play

preparing the props, and then ...

performed them!

Here's our crowd for "Dinner and a Show"!

The kids mastered homemade pizzas and cookies

as part of their cooking lessons this year.

So we invited family and friends over.

Nathan and Grace made homemade pizza for dinner,

performed their plays,

then served homemade cookies afterwards.

In Memory of Papa

We made this pot to look like an ice cream cone with

Superman ice cream to place at Matt's dad's grave.

Jim and Nancy always had ice cream in their freezer 

and often took us out for ice cream.  Every time we'd

go visit, Jim would whisper to me asking if the kids

could have ice cream.

So to honor a fond memory of our Papa, 

we made this ...

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

and maybe a little ice cream.

Papa gave us both!