Geography Twist

If there's one thing I've learned from homeschooling - especially homeschooling with seven children - it's how to adapt.  The kids get cabin fever.  One of the little ones needs something basically every five minutes.  Supplies get lost or broken - all. the. time.

Thankfully, the kids are pretty gracious about rolling with the punches.

I would like to say that our game of "Geography Twister" today was born out of my boundless energy and creativity.  But in actuality, our maps got put away somewhere, and no one seems to be able to find them.  

I had not had nearly enough coffee to go hunting.  So - we improvised.

Someone gave us a world map mat (say that three times fast) a while back.

I was having Princess A jump from continent to continent to help her find the locations we were studying when Younger Brother had the idea use it for Twister instead.

It actually worked out really well.  

The kids took turns being the participants and being the ones to call out, "left hand / Adriatic Sea" etc.

Double reinforcement, boom!

They decided the last one standing should play me.  I should emphasize the "they" part.

So what did we learn?

Continents

European Countries 

European Waters

Flexibility of all kinds is a good thing.

And if it's before noon, and you're over the age of 35, Twister is not a good game for you.

Carpe Diem

It's your birthday.

Cross your eyes and eat waffles in a cake box!!

Big Like Brother

We have a tradition in our house that the birthday person gets to spend an entire day, one-on-one with Grandma.  The kids have coined this their "special day" - and they plan it with great care, sometimes as much as a year in advance.  I frequently get asked questions like, "Can I do ____ on my special day?" in August by the person with a birthday in March.

Grandma typically starts this coveted tradition with each child when he or she is about 5.  But it was decided, with Younger Brother to accompany him as a liaison, Bubby (who will be turning 4 this weekend) was now old enough to go on his first special day!

When Younger Brother told him in the morning what day it was, he sprang out of bed, got dressed in his favorite train t-shirt (with help from Brother), packed his Thomas backpack (with help from Big Sis), and parked himself in front of the schoolroom window to watch for Grandma.  It was so sweet how attentively he stood staring down the street waiting for her car to come around the corner.

He was feeling like quite the big kid.

I got a double thumbs up.

Also watching attentively was Baby Sis, who has no idea what a "special day" is just yet.
But she's not one to be left out of anything.  So she too put on her backpack and gave me a double thumbs up. 

 Thankfully, Baby Sis was as unaware of what she was missing as she is which digits are thumbs.
:)

When I arrived to pick up Bubs at the end of the day, he was totally engrossed in railroad fun.
  Grandma surprised him with the train he's been spying in every Lego catalog for a while now.
Brother provided his expertise in assembly and constructed several other fun features like a train station.  And then they filled the cars up with candy.  So basically, Bubs could pound peanut butter M&M's all day without ever leaving his post.  How glorious!

I'm pretty sure we just added another kid to the year-in-advance planning of the "special day"!

Two thumbs up!
Or fingers.  Whichever works for you.