Happy Thanksgiving!

We just got back from a feast with some of our grad student friends (for 4 adults, 2 kids, we had an appetizer soup, a turkey, a duck, homemade noodles, creamed spinach, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, strawberry gelatin salad, stuffing, rolls, various sauces, and 2 pies with ice cream) and Harry said his first sentence! Matthew was wresting him, saying, "Harry, you're crazy" to which H responded, "No, I'm not." Go Harry. This is great to us b/c the pediatrician was concerned with his lack of speech, and referred us to a speech pathologist to have him evaluated. That appointment is Monday.

Anyway, last week we had a regular school day (9-12) along with a First Thanksgiving Feast with our homeschool co-op (called Pods), and I took the opportunity to document a little what we've been doing this semester. Here's the main classroom at the Barsotti's home (next semester it'll be at a different home):

I thought this shot captured a typical day - 2 moms whispering (Marisa Ridings and Amy Smith) behind a class going on in the dining room. . .

This is Harry's "class" the PeaPods. They spend an hour or so in this bedroom playing, play in the backyard for awhile, do crafts, puppets, sing songs. Janet Shuffield is their teacher, and her youngest (8, I think) is in the older class. Notice Harry's overalls that need Matthew's rubberband invention:

Jackson has 4 20-minute classes, Human Body (shown here with teacher Emily Plummer), Spanish, American History, & Calendar Time (during this time the oldest of his little class have Drawing with me, but J and another boy his age are pulled out for this with the other boy's mom); the rest of his time is spent in Recitation (hymns, scripture memory), 2 breaks and a review time:

Jackson's class, the Indians. Left to Right, Jackson, Roan, Greta, Mariah, Owen, Micah, and William in back:

The Upper Pod, dressed as Pilgrims:

Micah and Jackson at the Thanksgiving Feast. Unfortunately that feather boa and his costume coming off one shoulder give him a definite showgirl flair:

Harry as Squanto (the PeaPodders could be Indians or Pilgrims):

These are out of order, but now back to the school day. This is my Drawing Class, with the addition of Jackson and Owen, who normally have calendar time:
The Lower Pod, Greta, Owen, Mariah, Micah, Jackson - I had them saying "Indians!" hence the open mouths:

Jackson as Squanto (though I thought I made them look more like monks, except for the frilly feathers):

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!