teacher appreciation day

It's the final week of our J-term, and we are all needing some fresh motivation.  We've been making steady school headway since mid-August (23 weeks into a 36 week school year) with not much of a break.  Many of our friends have already flown south towards sunny skies and sandy beaches.  We board an airplane next Monday and the kids are already clamoring to pack their carry-ons.  

I truly truly truly LOVE schooling these kids.  It is a privilege and passion and exactly how I want to spend my days.  But on Monday morning with friends at the airport, and friends texting pics of sunshine and me in my winter jacket, battling miserable pollution on my walk to school with the little boys  - ugh!  I was grateful to come back to a warm apartment and the big kids, diligently plugging away at yet another school assignment.  

Then we made hot chocolate and spent an extra long time on our history read-aloud.  

And totally unknown to me, my precious students were planning a treat for their teacher!  I went for a walk after dinner.  This is one of my absolute favorite ways to spend a half hour.... I stand up from the kitchen table and out the door to walk off the day - and come home to a cleaned up kitchen and (usually) a family-sized wrestling match, or chess game, or the little boys sprinting from the shower to the bedroom for pajamas!  It's an amazing way Matt serves me in giving me that time, and I try to do it once a week - 

anyways, Monday I left to walk, and I came home to some suspicious whispers and a few "don't say anything" reminders thrown at the little boys.  

Tuesday morning I woke to breakfast in bed :). 

It was teacher appreciation day!  

Julianna was the gas pedal behind this project, and I later learned that she had been asking Matt for a good time to do it.  This week was perfect!  

We did some school and then left to make a few purchases to beef up our school points store (our simple incentive system and I had let the pickings get pretty slim!). On the way we played with Julianna's fake snow!  

In the afternoon I took a little break from reading aloud and the little guys listened to Ramona (they prefer Henry Huggins but it was checked out of the online library we use most - so we settled for Ramona).  

With no Chinese school in the afternoons the girls and Isaac have spent H-O-U-R-S listening to audio books.  Isaac has a bit less tolerance for auditory input and would honestly rather just read it himself, but Julianna would listen to audio for 8 hours a day if I let her.  

After audio books - a little dress up action.  Luke wants to be a policeman when he grows up.  

And then, the icing on the cake of teacher appreciation day - date night.  Everyone, everywhere is getting ready for the big Lunar New Year celebration.  

This Saturday we welcome the year of the ....... ROOSTER!  (or maybe it's the chicken?  depends on how you translate it - regardless, poultry is the dominate theme in decor these days!)