Every Wednesday (or at least) we try and make it a day for the Family.
We used to have Family Frugal days once a month so that I could use my mommy wits and talents in finding low cost or free activities we could attend. In the past, we have done the Witte Museum on Tuesdays when they have free admission. One time we went to the Hertzburg Circus Museum at the Witte and Michael enjoyed the Clowns that performed and told the group the story/history of Circus Clowns. We got to see the carriage that Tom Thumb rode in. There was a diorama of the Original Ringling Bros. Circus. This September we attended a Dino exhibit at the Witte Museum that had an exhibit where kids could build their own dinosaur.

Well, today was not as extreme but we did attend a play date I the park and then the library and dining out. Our library bookmobile was in our neighborhood so we went and picked out some books for December's reading list. My other blog has our reading lists from the previous year and so on. Did I mention my first online journal was started in 2001 and I still write in it? It's at Baby University where I first started posting with other moms. I used to moderate there for years then left and went to FriendsandFamilies.com where I still moderate a Homeschooling board there.

My Main Homeschooling Blog is at Wordpress which I started 2005-2006 but I started this one and pretty much post in this one first and then copy it to my Wordpress. I keep my Wordpress because my friends at Donna Young's forum are there. I loved being at Donna Young's community... never have I met a large group of Homeschoolers. This was way before cafemom...

Donna Young's forum closed earlier this year and some people went to google groups and some to a board called Homeschooling Moms. I try and remain in touch with both groups. I joined Cafemom in May at the request of a friend and then ended up starting three groups there. I started: Eclectic Homeschoolers, Homeschooler's Market
and Simply Homemade (for crafters). I help out a friend with her group called Pamela's Preschool Theme Based Curriculum.

I sometimes think I am stretching myself thin.. but I take breaks. Eventually I may just reduce myself to one group but that I don't see that happening. I have seen a trend lately of fellow group owners transferring ownership of their groups to spend more time with family. I think about that and wonder if I will do the same if Timothy and I have Baby #3.
Can I devote enough time for Family, Homeschooling, and moderating online? Only the Lord knows for sure....

We are covering a Polar Express Theme with our sons. I thought I'd share

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

If you do not have the book you and your child can listen to the
Story read by Lou Diamond Phillips. At Storyonline.com
http://storylineonline.net/ 
Just click on the left under more stories and look for Polar Express.

Group Activities: 
1. Read book as a Christmas present to group. Set a scene for a train ride and simulate a ride to the North Pole. Set up pairs of small chairs in two parallel rows with a center aisle for the imaginary train ride. In each child's chair place a warm cup of hot cocoa and softly play winter music as the group boards the train. When everyone has had his or her ticket checked and is settled, read the book aloud as you ride along. Encourage the students to tell you of the sights they see as they ride along. Ring your bell to add an extra dose of magic to the part of the book that talks of the bell.
NOTE: We printed out train tickets for our pretend train ride.

2. Ask children to imagine their own magical midnight train ride and talk about what they see on their journey and what their final destination looks like. 

3. Talk about what type of clothing you would wear if you were going to the North Pole.

4. Talk about what trains carry.

Games:
1.Toy~Train Counting Game
Make 12 large rectangle shaped train cars. To make each car fold a large piece of black construction paper in half. Stape or glue up the sides leaving the top open. Use magnets on the back (or tape) and tape the cars low on the chalkboard or wall so that students can easily reach them. . Number the cars 1-12.

2. Toy Sorting and Counting
From magazines cut various pictures of toys. Glue each set of pictures on different piece of paper.
(Example 1 board game, 2 dolls, 3 race cars, etc.)

3. Music Game
Give each child a bell. Play holiday songs to which they can ring the bells

4. Conductor Says
Play a new version of Simon Says- "Conductor Says"

For more games, I used the following link:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/thepolarexpress/fungames.shtml

Fingerplays and Songs: 

 Choo Choo Train
This is a choo choo train (bend elbows)
Puffing down the track (rotate arms in rhythm)
Now it's going forward (push forward, continue rotating motion)
Now it's going back (pull arms back, continue rotating motion)
Now the bell is ringing (pretend to pull the cord - ding ding)
Now the whistle blows (hold fist near mouth and toot toot)
What a lot of noise it makes (cover ears)
Everywhere it goes. (stretch out arms)

Little Red Train
Little red train,
Chugging down the track,
First it goes down,
Then it comes back.
(chug around room by yourself)
Hooking on cars

Here Comes The Choo Choo Train
Here comes our choo choo train
Coming down the track
First it's going forward
Then it's going back
Hear the bells ringing, ding a ling, ding a ling
Hear the whistle blowing, woo woo
What a lot of noise it makes
Everywhere it goes!

Little Red Caboose
Little red caboose, chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose, chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train
Smokestack on his back, back, back, back
Chugging down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train.

Down By the Station
Down by the station early in the morning
See the little puffer bellies all in a row
See the station master pull the little handle
Chug chug, choo choo, here we go!

Down By the Station
Down by the station (down by the station)
Early in the morning (early in the morning)
See the little pufferbellies (see the little pufferbellies)
All in a row (all in a row)
See the station master (see the station master)
Turn the little handle (turn the little handle)
Puff, puff, toot, toot (puff, puff, toot, toot)
Off we go! (off we go!)

Little Red Caboose
Little red caboose, Little red caboose,
Little red caboose behind the train, train,
Smoke-stack on his back, Going down the track,
Little red caboose behind the train, train.

The Train
Choo, choo, choo (slide hands together)
The train runs down the track (run fingers down arm)
And then it runs right back. ( Run fingers up arm.)

This is a Choo Choo Train
This is a choo choo train (Child becomes a train by squatting)
Puffing down the track (Child does actions that the rhyme states)
Now its going forward, (child goes forward)
Now its going back. (Child goes back, etc.)
Now the bell is ringing (child pulls make believe bell rope)
What a lot of noise it makes cover ears and make train noises
Everywhere it goes. (Children move around the room at random.)

The Freight Train
Clickity, clackity, clickity clack!
The train speeds over the railroad track.
It rolls and rattles and screeches its song
And pulls and jiggles its freight cars along.
Clickity, clackity, clickity, clack!
The engine in front is big and black.
The cars are filled with lots of things
Like milk, or oil, or mattress spings.
Clickity, clackity, clickity, clack!
The engineer waves, and I wave back.
I count the cars as the freight train goes
and the whitle blows and blows....and blows!

BOOKS:
"The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburgh

More terrific Train Stories:
"Freight Train" by Donald Crews
"William and Night Train" by Mij Kelly
"Two Little Trains" by Margaret Wise Brown
"All Abroad Trains" by Deborah Harding
"Train to Somewhere" by Eve Bunting

Train Stories That Rhyme
great rhythm & rhyme for building phonemic awareness

"Train Song" by Diane Siebert
"I love Trains" by Philemon Sturges
"Clickety Clack" by Robert Spense"The Caboose that got Loose" by Bill Peet

ART PROJECTS:
1. Pattern Block Trains ~ have children create trains from pattern blocks (they'll need to stack rectangles, etc., to make the train cars proportionally large enough). After they have completed their train, have them rebuild it by gluing construction paper pattern block shapes to a black background

2. Construction Paper Trains ~ students will construct their own trains from uncut construction paper, using TLC-style cutting techniques. Provide cotton balls to be stretched out and glued to background paper for steam from the boiler.

3. Reindeer Ornament Craft- use 3 craft sticks to form a triangular reindeer head. Glue on a large red pompom nose and two googly eyes. As a final touch, twist brown pipe cleaners around the top stick to form antlers. Yarn can be added to make an ornament.

4. Winter Train
Make an outline of a train traced with pencil on the construction paper. Color in with chalk and then rub the chalk in one direction to look like the train is speeding and the snow was blowing past. Finally, make snowflakes by dipping fingers and Q-tips in white tempera paint

5. Snow Scenes
There are many ways to create a snowy scene- here are a few examples: Torn white tissues pieces glued to dark blue or black paper, salt sprinkled over white paint, use Q-tips dipped in paint to create a snowy scene...

Cognitive/Manipulative:
1. Pretend to move with the train as it runs on the tracks. As the train goes uphill, lean back and chug slowly. As it goes downhill, lean forward and chug slowly. On the curvy track, lean left or right. On the bouncy track, bounce up and down and make the chug-g-g bounce too.

2. Arrange 1 chair per child in a curvy line. Have children sit in chairs and tell them train is about to leave. Blow a whistle calling "All aboard! Train is leaving!" Sing:

I'm a train, I'm a train,
I'm a choo-choo train.
I ride in the sun.
I ride in the rain.
My wheels go slow.
It depends, it depend,
On where I go.
Chugga chugga, chugga (continue going faster)
Choo!choo!

FLANNEL BOARD/ DIMENSIONAL STORY: 
Material:
sleigh bell (wrapped in small box)
drawing supplies

Introduction Activity :
Show the small gift wrapped box (containing the bell) to the class. Ask them to speculate what's inside. After everyone has had the opportunity to guess, select a child to open the box and show its contents. Tell the children that they will hear a story about a boy's exciting nightime adventure and the very special gift he receives.

Body :
Read the story "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg.
Pause to discuss the illustrations (How do they make you feel?)Also, pause to discuss things that children might see on the way to the North Pole, as well as, what they might see when they arrive.At the end of the story, review the happenings of the boys very special evening.
Note: Always end the story with the sentence, "It made the most beautiful sound my sister and I had ever heard." It seems a more appropriate ending for children of this age.

Conclusion Activity :
Children draw pictures of what they might be seen on the way to or at the North Pole, on cloud shaped pieces of paper. To use for a Flannel board display, make a Polar Exprees train and use the cloud shaped pictues as the puffs of smoke coming from the engine. 

RECIPES:  
Twinkie Trains
Take one twinkie and 6 vanilla wafers. Use those decorator gels in the tubes(or you can use cream cheese to glue the wheels on) and have the kids decorate the twinkies then "glue" the wheels on the sides. Use a marshmallow for the smoke stack.

Marshmallow Trains
Use pretzel sticks to hook the "cars" together and use peanut butter to glue cheerios on as wheels and other features.

SNACKS:
- Hot Chocolate with mini marshmallows.

- Graham Cracker Trains ~ make these flat on a paper plate.

- Hostess Twinkie® Trains ~ attach cookie wheels with frosting or cream cheese

- Warm Cocoa with Candy Cane stirrers, topped with marshmallows

Thanks for reading, I'll be posting how our theme goes next week.
Happy Holidays! From our family to yours...