WonderWorks

We hadn't been to WonderWorks in Oak Park since the spring, so I was glad when my friend suggested meeting up there for a playdate.

WonderWorks in the smallest children's museum we frequent, but it's nice because when the kids run off to different sections I don't have to worry as much - I'm only a few steps away. They played with my friend's son (2 years old) for a while in the dress-up  area until Alexa said she wanted to do some art.

Jared headed straight for the scissors and cutting (one of his favorite things) while Alexa grabbed a paint brush and went to work. She gets into these painting moods where she'll want to paint like crazy every day, and then it seems like she forgets about it for awhile. And every time she comes back to it, she tries something new.

It's just so interesting to me to watch how people process information subconsciously and how very important it is to step away from things for awhile. And not just in areas like reading or math, but even painting or playing a musical instrument. It's amazing how when kids are given the freedom to respect the rhythms of their own learning the amazing progress that occurs. It's such a shame the school system does not respect this type of learning that is so essential. Oh, they say they understand that important cognitive function of the brain, but yet they insist all kids MUST do some math, writing, and reading every day for there to be progress. AAAAUUUUGGGGHHH.

After eating a quick lunch together, my friend and her kids left for home, and Jared, Alexa and I hung out in the music/puppet section for the next hour and a half. The kids love, love, love to make of songs, dress-up and make up stories. I'm really, really going to miss this age someday.

December Birthdays

Well, as I write this it's really the middle of January, so I have a lot of catching up on. We've had so many wonderful adventures, have been learning so many new things, and I've been pleasently distracted by new projects I'm working on that posting our lives to this blog hasn't taken much of a priority. It's still important to me, though, to chronical our lives and learning adventures, so I'm dedicating this week to catching up and posting every day for the next month.

December is always a busy month with four birthdays to celebrate on Steve's side of the family. We met for brunch in the middle of the month at Steve's parents home to celebrate Steve's sister's birthdays.

I really don't remember any of the specifics so far besides eating an amazing late breakfast with the family, watching the girls open presents and teaching Alexa how to crop pictures. I tell ya, just give that girl a camera and she's happy for hours. She saw me cropping some pictures, asked me how I did it, I showed her just one time, and she was good to go.

Here's a picture of Steve she took.

I think taking pictures will play a big part of her life growing up.

Exploring, Creating, Being

What's more fun than opening up boxes of Christmas presents from Amazon? Drawing all over the boxes, of course.

Alexa's ballet teacher gave her and Jared coloring pages of Frosty and Rudolph. We taped these to the picture window in the living room. Actually, in real time it's Jan 7th and they're still taped up there.

Mmmmm. Nothing like a good icicle to eat.

Jared said, "Look, Mommy. I sculpted a dragon head."

I just had to include these last three pictures. How long with they want to dress up in silly costumes and tie tupperware on their heads?