Last few days were spent at the preschool L attends, or watching children so their parents could be at the preschool. About two weeks before Christmas there was a fire at the church where L's preschool is. The classrooms were not fire damaged, just smoke damaged, but still- things had to be cleaned and ozoned. This week we got a chance to unpack and put together the classrooms. Preschool starts again next week. We've done a little more work for Chinese New Year..... K and her friend made some calligraphy banners to hang by our doors to welcome the New Year.
Friday night K and I went to a Girl Scout cookie rally.... this is the first year K is a Brownie and can sell cookies. I was disapointed to have forgotten the camera, the rally was so cute!
I am excited to think of all the practical math applications that selling cookies is bringing into our homeschooling lives.... : )

The Paleontologists at the Dinosphere work in a very open environment. They are constantly showing and telling what they are doing to curious kids like K and L through the open window into their office.

We got on the dino-case in the morning and had an awesome morning in the dinosphere at the Children's Museum. This is only the second time I have ever been in there, the first being too scary for K to ever think about wanting to go back. She was able to go in with me, and we wrote up a report answering the Mayor's questions. Indianapolis is indeed safe.
K loved the letter from the mayor concept, so that will provide endless milage for me. Who knows what other things might call Detective K into action?
Also had bookclub early this week, another fun afternoon with the girl tribe. Another Kirsten book, and they made beautiful friendship quilts, which are to be continued on another quilting bee day. They each decorated a square and swapped with their friends, and Susan sewed the squares together.
Daddy got his new parts for his computer, so that was a mini-workshop this evening as K helped daddy put the new motherboard together.

Mayor Bart Petersen does not know it, but he tonight he wrote a worried kind of note to my daughter..... and so as she finds the note in the morning by her bed our theme study on dinosaurs is launched......
(I copied some header from the City of Indianapolis website to make the letter look official. Oh and in case you don't know, the building he drives past is the Children's Museum)

January 9, 2006.

Dear Detective K B,
My name is Mayor Bart Petersen, I’m the Mayor of Indianapolis and I need your help! Last night I decided to drive home from my office a different route than I normally take. I was very scared to see that a building I drove past was being destroyed by giant lizards!! It was incredible! This building looked like it had giant lizard-like animals trying to escape from it, and in the process they were demolishing the building.
I need your help to find out what on earth is going on in my fair city. I don’t want the people of Indianapolis to be eaten by these giant creatures! What can I do? This is the first I have seen of this kind of thing.
I need your help K, to try and find out what is going on. Please make a report and write back to me so I can have this assessed by my disaster management team. Should I declare an emergency?
This is what I need to know:
What are these giant creatures?
What are they called?
Will they eat the people of Indianapolis?
Where did they come from?
How many kinds of them are there?
Are they all that large?
How long have they been here?
Please write a report on everything you find out.
You can find the scene of this attack on Illinois and 30th. Tell your mother to take Washington street all the way downtown, and then turn right on Illinois Street. Drive for about 3 miles and you will see the giant lizards.
Take your backpack, with some notepaper and answer my questions. Please hurry, as I am depending on your answers to know what to do. I am very worried about these giant lizards and the people of Indianapolis. Who knows what might happen?
Oh, and K- please be careful.
Yours Truly,
Bart Peterson, Mayor.

We are feeling our way back into some kind of rhythm.
After Christmas and the Uncles heading back, this is our first week back in the true swing of things. We are planning for Chinese NewYear, working on learning a little about Dinosaurs, and celebrating Mozart's 250th birthday. Also Martin Luther King Jnr. Day.

We've had a fun weekend, with a friend celebrating her birthday on Saturday, and K helping me in the nursery at church today. K and L's friend had her birthday party at a local gymnastics studio, and it was a lot of fun watching L jump in there and play all the games along with the older kiddos. It was a great chance to run off some energy. : ) Thanks B for a fun day!
K finished her quilt she started at bookclub. It turned out nicely, so now I am thinking about starting another sewing project with her.
We've also started cleaning and decorating for Chinese New Year.
As we move back into our regular schedule after enjoying a holiday break, it means that I now have to go off and prepare for the week.....