Good-bye School, Hello Summer!

Last week we wrapped up our home schooling year with a trip to our favorite science museum in Anchorage - the Imaginarium. We went here a few times when we first moved here, but then they closed the Imaginarium and moved it into the Anchorage Museum. It has been closed for the past 8 months, but it re-opened May 22nd. We couldn't wait to go check it out - so on Friday, May 28th we went to go check it out. We LOVED it!

First stop, the swing. You pull yourself up and then let go of the rope and drift down. Very fun, good upper arm workout, they all had to try it.

Katherine, Ms. Adventurer, went first.



Sarah was next and had so much fun she took turns giving Ben and Christian rides.

Katherine had fun filling the soda bottle with water then pumping up the air pressure and seeing how high she could get the soda bottle to shoot in the air.

Christian loved the air pressure that kept the balls in the air. He kept putting them in then hitting them off, putting them in, hitting them off. Kept mommy busy retrieving them before anyone could step on them and slip!

On to the next room - water!

Ben loved playing in the pirate ship!

Andy was even able to get out of work early and come join us - he sacrifices so much for our family! So, with daddy there, it was back to the swing! Ben liked how the swing sank MUCH faster with daddy on it then Sarah!

Family favorite: BUBBLES!!

Andy showed us how it's done! Check out this amazing bubble!

Final stop for the day - back to the water room. This little area had this section kind of like the "old" water-beds. Very squishy, you could hear the water sloshing around under you, kids loved it.

My favorite thing about home schooling this year - watching the kids really learn to PLAY together. We got a lot done - the girls both completed 1.5 grades of math, are 2 grades ahead in their reading, doing great in grammar, spelling, writing, history and science, but the best thing of all is because they spend their days together as a family, the learn to play together. Every day they have recess where the go outside (yes, even when it's freezing out) or play in the basement for an hour - just running around and being kids together. I love it. It's a lot of work, especially for me - cooking and cleaning for all of them all day, preparing lessons, teaching them, and then, I see this and it's all worth it. This is why we home school.