This past week has been very busy as our family has been getting together a little side business of selling these incredible planks. Think dinner-burnt-three-times, husband’s-out-of-socks, pumpkin-pie-for-supper busy.
I’m not sure how I even managed to find time to make pumpkin pie, but it might have had to do with the fact that I’ve been falling behind in grocery shopping and couldn’t think of anything else to make. But my pumpkin pie is super healthy and super good, so no one complained.
So school’s been a little chaotic as I’ve been working on the store site and figuring out details of shipping and things, so this might be a little shorter.

We’ve been learning about Benjamin Franklin this week. We read the story of how he and his friends stole stones to lay up a wharf at their favorite fishing spot. When his father found out, his father told him they had to take the stones back because “nothing was useful that was not honest.”
We read about how Ben Franklin was always curious and learned from observing the world around him.
Kevin made a notebook page about Benjamin Franklin’s experiment with lightening. It probably wasn’t a good idea to draw it with marker- no erasing possible.
We really enjoyed the art project this week. Because we were studying Ben Franklin and how he worked at a printing press, we made potato stamps. I carved Kevin’s initials out of a potato to make a stamp.
I didn’t think to carve the initials backwards but it turned out okay because we could use the “K” and “D” upside down. Then Kevin stamped his initials all over a piece of paper.
We started the Buffalo Knife for our new read-aloud. Two chapters into the book, Kevin told me it was “the best book in ages.” So if you’re looking for a good historical fiction book, check it out.
That’s all for this week. If you have a minute, jump on over to this page and you can see some really neat structures the boys have made with the wooden planks my husband made for them. They keep surprising me with the things they come up with. Right now they’re working on a new kind of bridge that can span farther distances and support more weight. Don’t miss the two videos at the bottom of the page.
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Those planks look awesome! I will definitely buy some for my kiddos! I remember the potato stamps in Bigger! We have taken a break from HOD and started delight directed… Loving the freedom!!
Hi Megan, I’m sure your kids would enjoy them! Our boys have spent so many hours playing with them.
Is delight directed a certain kind of curriculum or do you just follow your child’s interests? Either way it sounds like fun!
Hi! Delight directed is following your child’s interests! My kids have learned so much more than before. We are using journals by Sarah Janisse Brown (you can find them on amazon!) We absolutely love them!! I am going to have a giveaway on my blog in a week or two so you will have to stop by and enter!
It sounds great! I stopped by your blog and it looks like your kids are learning a lot and having fun. I’ll try to stop by in a few weeks and enter the giveaway.
Funny we just spent our day yesterday at the museum playing with planks. We have a few boxes but the museum have tons and the boys were able to make HUGE buildings taller than me! They’re wonderful. Looks like your kids are sure enjoying them too. How wonderful to be able to make your own!
That’s so neat that your boys got to play with so many at the museum. It seems that no matter how many we have, the boys eventually run out. 🙂