Day Trips

Cape May County Park & Zoo 

link to Cape May Zoo website

One of our favorite places to visit with the kids is the Cape May Zoo; it is easily tops on our list of repeat visits - I think we have been at least six times in the last three years.  It is free (and so is parking!), has a playground, sports a covered a picnic grove and it is just the right size for children.  We always go in the morning to walk around for about two hours and then head to a picnic area for lunch.  This summer, my joined us along with my two nieces.

 My niece, Ashley, checking out the savannah!

My favorite animals of all, I know they are not every exciting but they are beautiful.

My nieces, Ashley (9), Nicole (6).

Snap! Snap!  Grandmom, Lucianna & Lena checking out the crocs

Ashley, Lena, Nicole, Lucianna & Grandmom in the Reptile House...surprise, surprise - this was a hige hit with all four girls.  We spent a lot of time in here checking out the snakes, turtles, frogs & lizards.

Lucianna showing Grandmom the frogs.

Summer Update!

I have a love~hate relationship with summer - I can't wait for it to arrive and with it swimming, beach days, VBS, and Jersey tomatoes.  But about this point every year, the beginning of August has me ready for Fall - for pumpkins, jeans and football!  Maybe it's the lack of routine mixed in with the northeast's humidity, but despite my hurry up and get to fall feeling this week, I am taking a moment to reflect on all of the joy we have had this summer.  Our school time routine has been very sporadic as I not only needed a break from planning and preparing but also needed to make time for other summery things...like vacations, day trips and yes, cleaning! 

So, I am posting a few pictures and will be adding some short posts of our day trips soon.  

We hosted my nieces for nine days in the beginning of the summer - we did many day trips and a craft each day.  Having four girls made it convenient to find a craft they could all do and love - having them do it together and spend time just being kids was a treat!  This was the week of Fourth of July we concentrated on Independence Day and completed a unit on ponds, too!

Lena and cousin, Nicole, making bead bracelets.

 Thank you Target, for this number puzzle from the $1 section!

 Lena is at the "I can help, Mommy" stage and I am taking advantage of it!  She is helping me snap beans for dinner and learning about where they came from (thanks to a local organic family farm that I help out at once a week in the spring & summer.

 Working on her Princess PreSchool Pack, shape tracing.  Link here.

I have to admit, I thought these nomenclature cards would be 1. boring & 2.over her head...but I gave them since I am trying to add more Montessori style activities, I gave it a go & Lena 1. loved them & 2. was able to complete the entire set with minimal help after I demonstrated what to do.  They can be found here with the rest of the Under the Girly Sea PreSchool Pack.

 

 Another shot at Montessori at home...a sensory bin - this one an ocean theme!

Sisters!  Lena is just working on a paper puzzle from a High Five magazine and Lucianna wanted to be by here side...I love these moments.

Pinterest

Yes...add one more username & password to the file!  Had I found Pinterest before I started blogging, I may have never started blogging...but you are stuck with me albeit my summer inconsistencies with both school time, crafts and writing.   But, hey - that's summer!

Pinterest is social network of visual bookmarks.  So far, I am not utilizing the networking option as much as I am the organized bookmarking.  For me, it is a catch all of the things you find on the web and know you want go back to, re-read, diy, cook, buy, etc!  I love it!

I am linking up my blog with my Pinterest page here.  It is much more efficient for me to link to activities through pinterest than to re-post them all here on my blog as I originally intended.  So, I will continue my Days of the Week journal posts but I am all about efficiency so...thanks to my new Pinterest account the links to the activities I want to include in lessons for the girls are stored in a new place in outer space.