Everyone's loving the readalouds. It's such a simple way to connect with the kids. They get so much out of it, too - and I don't just mean learning. I'm reading with J at nighttime and with both kids during the morning. We read The Velveteen Rabbit the other morning and the kids got so into that story, they couldn't stop talking about it for days. I'd never read it myself and I got emotional at the end when the fairy tells the rabbit to go run and play. We'll be reading all the classics we have at home first, before we head to the library or bookstore for more. Some of what we have are ones that were forced down J's throat in 2nd and 3rd grades, but she's all into reading them again to understand them this time. She picked Trumpet of the Swan, which is a great story. W likes it too. I just love the relaxed reading time with the kids.

The other day we met up with the homeschool group for a walking tour of a nearby neighborhood. Many of Queens' neighborhoods were so carefully thought out and put together. Due to the many people living here, the house/apartment setups needed to be practical and accomodating, yet they still included beautiful architecture and aesthetic design. Queens is part of NYC, but it's no Manhattan. It's almost suburban in many areas. There's a perfect amount of greenery and nature here for me. Nature, wildlife, picnics, gardens - plenty of that here. I couldn't imagine how mentally stable I'd be living in what's considered a rural area. I mean, I feel like I'm going to lose it after 2 days at my mom's in the suburbs. I love living in Queens and the walking tour made me appreciate it so much more. Today I'm going to open all the blinds and windows, read with the kids, tidy up, and play basketball with them in the backyard. :)