7 Quick Takes - Vacation Fun in Minnesota

We have been having so much fun the past few weeks!  My husband traveled to a Medical Conference at an amazing resort in Minnesota a few weekends ago and we decided that myself and our boys would come along as well.  I then stayed in the Twin Cities in the cutest little rental home with the kids for an extra week to catch up with family, friends and enjoy the many fun things to do!  Here is a quick recap with TONS of photos!

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Resort Fun - Alexandria, MN

 

My husband decided to go to a Medical Conference in Alexandria, Minnesota and we decided that it would be fun to come along.  It was so beautiful and had so many fun things to explore including an awesome water park, zip line and lots of nature to explore!  It was a wonderful time and we are already planning our return for next year!

 



 

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Hanging Out Fun

 

We had a busy trip, but also took a lot of time to just hang out together to have fun and relax.  We were fortunate to find an adorable little rental house to stay which was close to so many places and people who we were visiting.  It was nice to have a place for naps, cooking meals and most imporantly for climbing trees!

 

 

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Chutes and Ladders

 

Anyone who lives in the Twin Cities in Minnesota knows that one of the coolest places to go is Chutes and Ladders (or the Hyland Play Area in Bloomington, MN).  It is a GIANT playground with tons of slides and adventures to explore.  We had a lovely morning playing together and having tons of fun!

 

 

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Twins Game

 

I grew up in Minnesota loving the Minnesota Twins so I was thrilled when my Uncle and Aunt kindly gave us their tickets to a game when we were in town.  It was so much fun to take the boys to a game!

 

 

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Fun Field Trips - Jackson Street Roundhouse

 

For our train loving boys the Jackson Street Roundhouse is such a treat to go to visit and was one of our favorite places when we lived in Minnesota last year!  We were thankful to be able to go on a morning of "Tots and Trains" when they have a fun morning of story time, crafts and snacks which are all themed with TRAINS!  We then spent some time exploring and after our oldest son proudly told one of the volunteer engineers that he is homeschooled we received an awesome tour of their back rooms where they fix the trains! 

 

 

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Mall of America

I think officially one of the most exciting places to go for little kids in Minnesota is to the Mall of America!  We were able to go a few times when we lived in Minnesota for the year last year, but it gets more and more fun as the kids get older!  Also, an added plus at an amusement park is our kids being incredibly tall for their age!  Our 5 1/2 year old was able to go on pretty much every ride, including the rollercoasters that go upside - down; which he thought were AWESOME!  Our 2 year old also got to ride his first kiddy rollercoaster and we all had a blast!

 

 

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Fun with Family and Friends

 

The best part of the week was visiting and catching up with family and friends.  I was born in Minnesota and lived there until my teenage years and most of my extended family still lives there.  I was able to visit with so many people and even go to my cousin's wedding!  It was so nice to see and catch up with so many wonderful people in my life!

 

 

 

Celebrating Pope Francis in the U.S. and St. Junipero Serra

We are so blessed to have Pope Francis visiting the United States and bringing such an important message to our country during such an important time in history.  It has been so much fun to watch our children experience all of the activities with the Pope so far and hear all of their questions! 

All of our "regular" homeschool activities have come to a giant HAULT this week as we have been watching, learning and reading about Pope Francis and our new Saint Junipero Serra!  Thankfully there are amazing resources out there to add to our learning fun and enjoyment!

Here have been a few of our favorites:

Pope Activities for Catholic Kids - Catholic Icing

Pope Francis Printables and Worksheets - Real Life At Home

Pope Francis Craft - Catholic Icing

We also learned about Blessed Junipero Serra earlier this year in Seton History 1, so we pulled that book out to review his history.  We also did some other great activities to learn about saints being canonized and also watched the amazing canonization Mass!

Activities for the Canonization of St. Junipero Serra

Commemorating the Canonization of Junípero Serra - Shower of Roses

St. Junipero Serra, pray for us!

"Always go forward, and never turn back!" - St. Junipero Serra

Homeschooling When Not At Home

 

We recently went on a trip away from home for 10 days and realized that even though we were away from home that our homeschooling did not need to stop.  Here are a few tips from what I learned to make homeschooling successful while away from home.

 

1.  Plan ahead:

 

When at home I have bins of craft supplies, a printer to print any printables, etc.  Yet, while away I do not have access to these things so I HAD to plan ahead.  I looked at what curriculum activities we would maybe do for the week, what feast days were coming up, what art projects we would do, what read-alongs we would want to read, and I put together a little bag of supplies that I needed.  I brought glue sticks, crayons, colored paper, ribbon, scissors and a few more items.  The other part of planning ahead was making sure to not bring more than we needed.  Some of our more hands on curriculums I decided to leave at home to make it easier for us all!  Everything needed to fit in one small bin for the entire trip!

 

 

 

 2.  Keep the Schedule:

We have learned that our children succeed with a schedule.  Since we have loosely started homeschooling two years ago it has simply become a part of our daily life and our children have come to expect it each day.  I knew that if I did not bring homeschool activities that when we usually do book work (during our youngest sons afternoon nap time) that our older children would be confused and more easily bored!  We continued most days to do our book work and activities during nap time each day and it worked great!

 

 

 

3.  Add Fun Field Trips:
 

One of the best parts of going to a new place is the opportunity to explore new sites and fun places to visit!  We did a few fun field trips while we were away to the local zoo, and other great activities!  It is also a great way to learn about the local history and geography!  Make sure to check out what is around where you are traveling to and plan for when they are open during your stay!

4.  Pray:

Traveling and being away from home with little ones can be stressful, but with God anything is possible.  Take the time to start and end each day with prayer and ask God to bless you and your family with a love of exploring His beautiful world and creations while also enjoying precious time together.  Take time to visit fun churches, chapels and shrines in the area that you are visiting as well!