January began at my parents' house, where we had been since a few days after Christmas. As I mentioned much earlier, I wasn't a very happy camper during the Christmas season, but in the time after the holiday, days of deep cold and bright sunshine, my mood steadily lifted and we had a happy start to the new year.
These were also the days of M insisting on shorts and rolled sleeves, despite days of temperatures in the single digits. I can laugh now, because he is currently insisting just as fervently on sweatshirts and jeans, even as temperatures climb into the 70s. Ah, two year olds!
We returned to our home base and promptly turned in our withdrawal letters to the district office and officially became homeschoolers! That was a terrifying decision, mainly just because it felt SO awkward to cut the cord - never even really saying goodbye to teachers or anything... but I think it was better that way; a clean break. The kids have never looked back.
With a deep snow still on the ground, we fell into a lovely homeschooling routine right from the beginning of earnest work in the morning followed by outdoor recess and cozy afternoons of reading.
Ollie and Humphrey kept busy by looking for Quila to chase (she's on the chair in this picture below):
Our kitchen table has never been so busy - meals, school, crafts - we are here all day.
The rollerblading bug also bit hard about mid-January, with A and W renewing their interest, C getting her own blades, and even M getting into the action with the little strap-on roller skates.
D also took everyone on a field trip to the aquarium, followed by some power-point presentations just to make it all school-like and official.
Even Daddy couldn't resist this new allowance for skating in the house. (In the dead of winter, one has to make some concessions.)
Quila continues to be everyone's favorite classroom pet...
I also did a lot of furniture moving this winter, not all of which do I have representative pictures of. One big change (or chain of changes, perhaps) was to move my desk up to the HUGE master bedroom, since I never really used it downstairs. I then moved my sewing stuff and an unused table to the "art room", and cleaned up the corner of the basement where all my sewing stuff was. Happily, I have found it easier to do projects with my things on the main level.
We also overhauled this small closet next to the kitchen. It's not quite a coat closet and not quite a pantry, but it seriously needed paint and new shelving, so - check. I also painted the door white and it all looks terrific now.
And shockingly I think that brings January up to date. I will be back with February soon!
Thanks for sticking around!!
