The Streets Of Philadelphia

(L to R: Audrey (in the stroller), Thomas, Christopher, Colson, Ava, Joshua, Zachary)

So, our field trip went really well yesterday. Before we left Philadelphia, I told all the kids that when they got home they had to write 3 sentences about what they learned that day.


Zachary, upon hearing that everyone had to write a report about the field trip, said, "But I don't know how to write!". To which I answered, "Then you can draw a picture." So this is his picture of our carriage ride. The brown blob with 6 legs is the horse.

Colson's report, and his picture of the horse and carriage, and the statue of liberty.





Ava's report and her picture of the wishing well near the "tume" of the unknown soldier.



Want to know what I learned?

I learned that Bonnie laughs really hard when you suggest finding sticks and roasting marshmallows over the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Amy's Anecdotes, Part 3

This Amy moment came from my niece Brooke after she heard about the field trip my oldest niece Bonnie and I are taking today. (We are taking our combined 7 kids on the historic walking tour of Philadelphia.)

Both my sister Amy and my sister-in-law Sue homeschooled their gaggle of kids for a length of time. During this period they would do group field trips. Between the two of them they have 11 kids, so we're not talking a simple "let's take our 2.5 kids to the zoo today" field trip. We're talking "everybody squeeze in, 3 kids per seat belt/one half of a PBJ per kid and split the juice box with a buddy/Yes, walking through a random free church cemetery counts as history" sort of field trip.

So Brooke shared a field trip memory from those days:

Brooke: OMG, the Philly trip reminds me of my childhood, when Amy took us all to the NBC Studio for a field trip.

Me: That's a cool field trip, Bonnie and I should look that one up.

Brooke: I was mad at her for the entire day, because she stopped at the McD's in Newtown Square, backed her grey van into a lightpost and I spilled milk all over my pants and she wouldn't let me change. She didn't have time to go home.

Brooke: I'm over it now, but I was really mad at her back then. LOL!

Brooke: It was a fun field trip, though...


Classic Amy. What you have to know though, is that Amy would have done the same thing had she spilled milk all over her pants. She'd just brush it off and keep on truckin'....

Monday Mornings With Zachary

Today's two-part video was taken after Zach's classes last Thursday. He participates in the World Changers Homeschool Association's co-op on Thursdays, taking the Pre-K classes. He takes a science class and a "preschool whimsy" class. After classes, he's got this outrageous affect where he acts like he should be wearing a smoking jacket and smoking a pipe because he's so educated, cerebral and adult. It's quite funny.

Ava's Fashions

I loved this sweater. I believe it was a Children's Place find, paired with floral appliqued thrift store jeans and an Old Navy white long sleeved tee. The sweater had a chunky, hand knit quality, and was the prettiest sky blue. You can't see in the photos, but it was also hooded.


These photos were taken at the Pennsburg train station. Once every few years they open that line up and let the train run through again. In fact, they're doing it again this year. It's a nice little 2 hour round trip ride to Emmaus or Vera Cruz.

Dancing With The Toddlers

Today a 3 year old Ava will demonstrate balletic positions.

First position

Second position

Third position

Fourth position

Fifth position

Ava demonstrates point...

....and flex.

demi-plie

and releve.

Now you too can dance like a toddler.

DJ Jazzy Shmoozizzle In Da Howwwse!

Tomorrow night is my first DJing job at Big Apple Ranch in Manhattan. It will also be my second DJing job ever. But no worries. Throw me into any situation that involves public performance, even if I've never done it before in my life, and I will rise to the occasion. I get that from my mother, who is the queen of throwing together a show from nothing.


Remember the plastic bag fashion show??

I Wish I Could Make A Wish

Tonight I'll be dancing with Richard, Solomon and Elaine Hedrick at a Make-A-Wish Foundation charity event in NYC, at La Venue.

It's been some work getting the details all ironed out, but as I love to say to Solomon, it's for the children...his favorite kind of children. Dying ones. (He loves them most because they're quiet and skinny.)