Butterflies, Beach, & Park Fun

A beautiful Monday at the Natural History Museum to visit the butterflies.

 

 

 

Austin, Colleen, and I spent an entire day at the beach. We started the morning by meeting Kailey, Riley, Wyatt, Fritz, & baby Fischer.

In the afternoon, our homeschool group met to play.

Deb had two sleeping kids so she handed one to me to hold. We were pretty happy campers.

An afternoon at a park with a sledding hill, games, and friends.

 

 

Austin's Special Week

Colleen enjoyed Kinsley's beach birthday party

This second week of summer break started with Amelia's first week of State Street Ballet's Summer Intensive. Colleen had her week at Ice Skating camp. So Austin had his special week with Mom while his sisters were in camp. We did a variety of activities, but one of our goals for the week was to teach Austin how to sew. After getting the jist of the mechanics, he decided he wanted his first project to be a tool belt. He worked on it slowly over the entire week and did a great job.

 

 

We waited for Dad to be home to have a celebratory last day of school ice cream.

In other big news, meet Sport. Our new car. 

Our 17 year old RAV4, Sapphire, finally died after serving us so well.

 

Graduation & First Summer Field Trip

SB Christian Homesteader's 2025 Graduation

Kinsley and Colleen have started playing together many afternoons. They ride bikes, play games in the driveways, and hunt for lizards. On this particular day, I was sewing, and Colleen wanted to braid her quilt strings. Kinsley was curious, and the two of them worked on braiding and stitching their strings together.

This view never gets old.

Our first day of summer vacation was a field trip to the Braille Institute of Santa Barbara. We learned all about the services they provide to those with varying vision impairments.

Games (SkipBo!), books, toys, and devices in braille.

 

The Bible in Braille!

How to cook with vision impairment

While we were officially done with school, we still had some science lessons to finish. Making our own homemade compass. Austin wanted to compare it to his and Amelia's compasses.

Afternoon trip to the Botanic Gardens always results in creative fun

Dad took Amelia on a date to the art museum.

Another free Chick-fil-a breakfast enjoyed

Sarah & Taylor told me about Higgy Bears, a non-profit that supports kids with scoliosis. They send kids free teddy bears wearing identical scoliosis braces. Amelia was delightfully surprised to reeive hers.

 

Ending School with a lot of Friend Time

Free library ice skating

We finished it! She asked me to make her character skirt for ballet. So we dug out the serger I've put off learning how to use, watched many videos, and successfully sewed her character skirt.

Games with friends

Hiking & geocaching with other friends. We came across this fantastic rock scramble.

Quick and easy puzzle

Celebrating Rylie's birthday

Creating a clock out of mandarins

 

Meeting Nicole & Weston to bowl for the beginning of our summer bowling passes.

Free Chick-fil-a breakfast

Practicing for graduation

Friends came over for the afternoon; the kids dressed up and played.