Week 17 - Homeschool Preschool

Another calm week at the Gladden house as we are amidst our Christmas vacation. Eric is still off from school for the time being and had a little vacation at home with us from work!! Eric's parents came to visit over the weekend through Monday and Ellie's cousins were in town whom we spent time with on Tuesday. So just a good ole Christmas vacation of riding bikes, playing outside on the swings, slide, Ellie's new playhouse, making mud pies, taking nature walks, and studying scripture together and snuggling on the couch with a lot of good stories to read together. 

I love Ellie getting to play with her family because she learns so much every time she gets to be around them. 

On Wednesday, Eric went back to work for just the one day, then was off again on New Year's Eve & Day. Yayyy! Wednesday was full of book reading, playing outside, counting, bible time, geometric games, and coloring. 

Thursday was New Year's Eve and in the past, every year, I have taken Ellie to the Children's Museum of Greenville for a rockin' "Noon" Year's Eve party which is always full of science experiments, art, music, and play, and pajamas! However, I didn't even look into it to see if it was happening this year because goodness knows even if they hosted it, it would just be limited social distanced mask wearing non-beneficial play. So, I decided to have a party of my own with Ellie with our own science, crafts, art, music, dancing, reading, playing, snacks, and balloons falling at noon! We made 2021 play dough, did a 2021 toddler interview for Ellie's favorite things, she drew a self portrait (also tying in Van Gogh), made a noise maker with plates and bells, made fireworks in a glass with water, oil, and food coloring, made fireworks with cut toilet paper rolls, paint, and glitter, had a dance party to some Jesus praising rap and pop music, and then we read a book. Finally, we rang in the "Noon" Year with a balloon drop at the countdown to twelve p.m. of balloons we had blown up and suspended in the air to the ceiling. The balloons were released, Ellie hopped, rolled around, kicked, and sat in the balloons. She also used them to make a beautiful door decoration with tulle. Then we did a bubbly toast with sparkling white grape juice. I put gummies in Ellie's to make it sort of pretty. She thought this was all very fancy and cool...and then she tasted the bubbles and juice and literally spat it out! 😂😂😂 She was convinced Eric's would taste different so then she asked to try his...once again, she spat it out. Bless! 

These projects were super fun but also really educational. The play dough was mathematical and sensory development. We used number cookie cutters to cut out "2021." We made a cube from the play dough, then also drew a cube on paper and discussed how a cube is a 3 dimensional square. She liked that. When Ellie drew her self portrait, she made an oval for her face. She drew lines for her arms and legs...and hair. She also knew to add facial characteristics such as eyes and a smile. She draws details quite well for a 3 year old in my opinion. When we did her interview of her favorite things, we began by writing her name. We talked about what letters we needed to make "Ellie Gladden" and then discussed how to draw those letters. Reminder our letters are being learned phonetically, first, to prepare for reading lessons next fall! The science experiment was of course the subject of science, obviously. Oil and water do not mix, oil is less dense than water. Cold water was important for the dispersal of the food coloring added to the top of the oil for the appearance it had in a slow release. Ellie was mesmerized by this. 

New Year's Day, we had planned a first day hike as a family. However, rain. Normally rain won't keep us from getting outside but the rain was torrential and so we just stayed in as a family reading, playing games, running around chasing each other, and cooking our New Year's Eve "lupper." Ellie helped to shred the collards and kept Eric company under the umbrella out at the grill. She really wanted to do some cooking and so I was happy to have the helping little hands. But she refused the onion chopping because last time she had her first experience of watery eyes and she wanted nothing to do with that! 😂

Ellie practiced some of her Preschool Math Curriculum by tracing some numbers and free handing a few in her book, tracing shapes and matching shapes, and observing differences in sizes. We only did this as long as she was interested and found it fun and when she was done, we were done because we don't want to make it a chore, we just want it to a fun playful time to learn. There is no need to force education and doing so can cause enjoyment in learning to crash and burn...especially at age 3. 

We were able to take a second day hike in place of the rainy first day and it was wonderful to adventure out, get exercise, Vitamin D, learn about evergreens a little more, and other wonders of nature. Also the family time was incredible. Then, once home, more playing with games, blocks, and reading books, playing outside together and cuddling a little at bed time. What a really great couple of weeks of slow paced family bonding learning. 

Sid's Falls Trail Guide

 

Sid's Falls is so beautiful, tranquil, and lovely!

Distance: 2.9 miles out and back

Terrain: This trail is mostly a FSR (forest service road) of grass and dirt. It is wide, open, and flat. The majority of your hike is this path. It is very lush and beautiful and surrounded with pines giving the best aroma! When you have walked to end of the FSR, you will come upon a very narrow wooded path. The path is still dirt, leaves, pine needles, but becomes a consistent downhill grade.  

The trail begins and ends as easy, but the last little trek (about .2 of a mile one way) is sloped; therefore about a .5 mile is rated moderate. 

Details: Ok! So the first thing to do is type into your Google Maps GPS, "Sid's Falls Trailhead, Long Creek, SC." The GPS will take you directly where you need to go. As mentioned previously, the trail is actually going to begin as a forest service road which means that you will pull into and park at a gated entrance of a road. Don't block the gate and leave as much space as possible for others...there is very limited parking space; however, we were the only ones there when we went. I've read that occasionally, this red gate is open and you can drive all the way down to the actual trailhead, but this is not often the case. After you park, begin your hike by walking beyond the red gate and on to the grassy FSR which is mostly flat and very easy walking. 

Eventually, there will come on the FSR a bit of a fork in the path where on the left you see a wide open meadow, and on the right, the path continues. Just stay to the right and follow the obvious car tracks in the grass down the road all the way for a little while until eventually you reach the end of this FSR path.

(Keep right here)

 It almost looks a bit like a cul-de-sac at the end of this and you may start wondering, "umm...what now?" Just keep walking straight ahead to the wood line and there you will see a bright orange ribbon on a tree. These neon orange ribbons are trail blazes and this is the start of the trail, technically. At this point you can already hear the water and you are not far at all. Now you will be navigating a very narrow heavily wooded winding path going down hill slowly at first, then rapidly towards the very end at the falls for just a short while. Keep an eye out for the orange ribbons. There are a lot of small trees down, easy to step over, but may confuse the mind briefly as the trail is so narrow. If confused, just pause, look ahead and I promise you will see the trail. Just use common sense and take your time and pay attention. It is not difficult, but it is not smack you in the face obvious so just pay attention. Also, just follow your ears as well towards the water. Common Sense. You got this! 

(This photo above is the END of the FSR and the START of the actual wooded trail down to the falls. You can subtly see towards the middle right an orange ribbon blaze.)

Once you get to the bottom of the path, you will be upon many slippery rocks right at the falls! You did it! Take your time, watch your footing, and enjoy! 

Pack a pic-nic to enjoy here.

In the summer, this spot will be great for swimming as at the end of the falls is a nice flat water bed to play around in, some sand to dig in, and trees for climbing. 

On your way out, you climb back up that very short distance you took down, following the way you came. This will be the most difficult part of the hike, its fairly steep. My 3 year old did this quite well by grabbing roots and mountain laurel to pull herself up. It will be slippery so take caution. I don't think its hard, just that it is the hardest part of the entire hike. It is short so just push through and then know its all going to get easier as you go from there going back the way you came. Reminder to follow the orange ribbons, the narrow path back to the FSR, then the FSR back out to the car at the red gate. 

Enjoy! BEAUTIFUL Falls!