Tour 1 Week 9

 

I was sure I would have this post written days ago. On Monday morning the week stretched before us; lazy (but productive!) days off our normal school routine, Thanksgiving visit with Nana and Papa and decorating for Christmas.  I decided we would take a much-needed break from our usual school work since we've been moving along since September without any time off. Yet somewhere there must be an unwritten rule that vacation time moves faster than regular time. 

This week included more mask sewing, Thanksgiving, (I found myself in a grocery store the day before, despite my best efforts), and finally, Christmas decorating. I'm trying not to get too excited about the prediction for snow tomorrow...

Honey Farm Tour

 

I realized after I took this picture how creepy those bears look.  It probably would have helped if I'd taken them out of the plastic bags but I'm lazy.  So there will just have to be a creepy army of honey bears staring at me from my kitchen counter instead.  

Because that's definitely better than the effort it would have taken to remove them from the bags to get a decent picture.  

I wanted to try and fit at least one more field trip in before the holidays and impending cold weather are upon us. 

Not to mention the Raging Pandemic.

Tour 1 Week 8

When I was in high school, I lived away from home at a dance conservatory in Florida. While it was the opportunity of a lifetime, I missed not only my family, but the usual signs that mark the changing of seasons.  I enjoyed evening bike rides to the beach and the occasional day at the pool, but as the school year marched on, I lamented the unchanging weather. No crisp, fall air. No changing colors of leaves. As the holiday season approached and strands of Christmas lights appeared on the palm trees, I longed for snow and cold. Fortunately, I spent holiday breaks back home in the Midwest - my parents at the ready with my winter coat when they picked me up from the airport. 

All this to say that my appreciation for the seasons has remained and I've come to relish the changing weather that each time of year brings. 

I could do without summer though. You know, if we could pick a season to get rid of. Fall, Winter and Spring are really all we need, right? 

Proof that sometimes they get along...

Indiana weather can be predictably unpredictable.  We have consistent, seasonal weather that's punctuated by days of unseasonably warm or cold weather.  It becomes necessary to take advantage of the pleasant weather days whenever possible because you never know when they will return. 

Mother Nature likes to keep us on our toes like that. 

Tour 1 Week 7

 

The beautiful weather returned this week - a welcome change after a stretch of cold, rainy days. Even the native wildlife seemed happy to see the sunshine again.

We were able to move some of our homeschooling time back to our enclosed porch/sunroom area - something I will truly miss when the winter temperatures set in.  Maybe with a good space heater we can occasionally enjoy the space anyway?  The combination of the Pandemic Situation and longer stretches of time staying at home come winter will probably force us to get creative. 

Happy Halloween

 

    Given the ongoing Pandemic Situation, we decided to opt out of trick-or-treating this year.  If I actually thought this decision would seriously disappointment or otherwise scar any of my children for life, I probably would have considered it.  But given their ambivalence on the matter, The Husband and I decided to make the decision for them and simply plan an extra fun evening of festivities at home.   

   

Besides, the six year-old spent most of the week dressed up as a pirate anyway, so that totally counts. And we obviously still had a big bowl of candy available because we aren't monsters.  

The boys did express interest in pumpkin-carving, so we made that happen.