Make a Smilebox greeting

I've been experimenting with Smilebox lately. It's pretty cool!

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley visits the little red schoolhouse in Lincoln

Flat Stanley helps us check our letterbox at the painted rock in Lincoln

Flat Stanley visits camp at Madagascal Pond

So, Alana is getting close to being done with her Maine studies that she is doing for Social Studies and that means that I had to come up with something to do when she finished. My brother posted some pics on facebook of his little boy doing a Flat Stanley project for his cousin. So I said to myself, I wonder if I could do that as a homeschooler. So I googled it--what else. Turns out that there are whole web sites devoted to the promotion of Flat Stanley projects. So with tips and research finished I decided that I would ask some of my homeschooling friends if they would be willing to participate. Then she could study the different regions of the U.S. depending on which states these said friends where from, and marking them on the map as we go along. I thought that I would email one or two friends, but then I got lazy and just put it out there on my facebook status. Well, after two days we have ten states covered with the promise of Denmark and England, too! Wow! Alana is super excited about the project, and has already run to the atlas to see where some of these places are. I can't believe how it has mushroomed! So I guess my laziness paid off in this case. Well, we decided that it would be better to send our Flat Stanley to these other homeschool kids with some information about our state. So we set out and took some pictures of Flat Stanley here in Lincoln and included in his journal some facts about Maine. He is on his way to Northern Maine right now to a sportsman's camp where he is going hunting. Then he plans to go to Virginia. We are not sure of his schedule from there, but know that he is headed to Michigan, California, South Dakota( where he might swing over to Minnesota, and then Iowa since they live near the borders of both), South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, and then we may send him overseas. How fun is that ?!! There is nothing that compares to a school project that the kid is excited about! If anyone else is interested they can contact me on Facebook, here on the blog, or email. It isn't hard and is a lot of fun for the kids. I also have several adults doing it! haha! Check it out at http://www.flatstanley.com/.

Nate's Soccer Pictures

I guess having the mouthguard in was the cool thing for pictures this year.

Ok, for the record, Mikayla wants everyone to know that she only did this for laughs, and she is not usually this retarded acting. She hated that I posted it, and in true teenage girl fashion, is all disgusted with her mother and embarrassed...blah,blah,blah,wahwah, waaaahhh. ;)
But, we did these costumes for a youth group contest. They are supposed all wear a homemade costume, no blood and gore, just fun stuff. So this is what we came up with. We will see tonight how they rate with the judges. It should be quite funny to see what some of the other kids come up with.