Well I think I have some direction for next week… we are going to have our own version of “Reading Week”… each day we are going to read a minimum of 3 books. They will either be read TO the boys, read BY the boys or read WITH the boys. After we do each book we will then do some sort of activity after… either draw a picture, write about it, do a craft… so that at the end of the week we have a book about the books we read. I am going to spend some time searching through our shelves here at home first to see what books we haven’t read together yet… and then on Saturday we will make a family trip to the library to pick out more. My sister in law Holly sent me a page that she uses with our nephew Jimmie. So we have a great starting point.

Book sheet

Last night’s supper on our meal plan was a success… but even more so were the brownies with chocolate chips in them that Ken and Ted made last night. Talk about decadent! They used the recipe on the cocoa container as usual! I could not finish my two pieces in one sitting!!! Of course Ken had to brag about them via text to Karyn (who was in Saskatchewan until today visiting her parents) who is now expecting her own share when she visits next (something we can willingly and easily provide!).

Soooo good

Tonight’s meal plan calls for meatball subs… homemade of course! I think I have shared the recipe for these previously. You can find our recipe for meatball subs and our banana bread in THIS ENTRY. With a side of corn. Yum!! Ken wants our freezer to be empty pretty much when we move so I have to start baking with all the fruit and applesauce I have frozen in the past.

Supper

In fact that is something that already has my mind reeling – in 2 months we have to be packed up in entirety and then move! This is a big move for us, to a city we have CHOSEN and I am nervous and excited all rolled into one. Ken is searching for a rental now and I am already starting to pack things up, not up and completely away but into buckets and labelled for access… things like our foam and random craft supplies or my fabric and loose cross stitch supplies. Then we are putting the boxes away in a way that we can still access them. This all has to occur during the month of April, which you may realize is ALSO Trinity’s birthday month (April 26th) so now I have another conundrum… what do I do about her 3rd birthday party? Do I pack with the party in mind, have it earlier in the month here? Or do we wait til we are moved to the new place and settled? I need to make a decision soon as people DO need advance notice to come… I am actually leaning more toward packing and putting away so that we have the space and decorations for the party. After all, we don’t need to have all their toys out to have fun and really won’t be inviting too many kids. We tend to have smaller parties as is… I am hoping to make THAT decision by the end of the month. HOPING.

Thank goodness Echo's first is in AUGUST

Today was mainly a copy book/workbook kind of day for the boys… ABC and 123, basics. There has been a little frustration – Gavin gets really upset if he is wrong and it has been a bit of a battle to remind him that pencils have erasers for a reason. Zander on the other hand is doing amazingly well compared to his “pre glasses” stage. There is still frustration and stubbornness but it is much better!

Trinity supervising Zander

That spice Ted left with us – Ken added it to my steak at lunch and a little to our meatballs tonight, well we found out the name. It is called Mitmita. Very yummy with a hotness that sort of sneaks up on you!

Mitmita

So a little more packing tonight – I have another tub to fill, and of course some relaxing. Hopefully before too much longer Ken can get me some boxes. The sooner I get the extras put away the better!

Playing with a sticker book

I just realized that I had not linked the instructions for making the Lucky Stars, just pictures and the finished stars. So HERE are the instructions I use.

Today is a civic holiday here in Alberta – Family Day. Since we have had such a busy week and weekend and the weather is still so chilly I decided to keep the girls here at home and send the boys out. Trinity definitely needed her daily nap and Echo has rather poor circulation in her feet like Ken does.

Ken ran into the library to get the “Welcome Baby” package for Echo – it comes with her very own library card. There is lists of suggested books for her and of course a brand new board book!

Welcome Baby Booty

After running into the library they went to the grocery store for the beginning of our meal plan – quiche and Caesar salad.

Noms

And then FINALLY they made it over to the local hill for some sledding (after all it was ONLY -11 Celsius!). Even Ted got on the sled.

Ted on a sled (Zander standing)

But my favourite is a video of all 4 of my boys on one little sled going down the hill!

I am working on some intense backstitching on my long time unfinished Teresa Wentzler… I can show a detail picture but I want to save sharing a picture of the entire piece until it is finished!

So much stitching

After everyone was back home and Trinity up from her nap I settled the kids down to do a craft. A friend who was downsizing last year sent us some craft kits and books. The glue was no longer usable but the instructions and other bits were perfect. Hand art!

Crafting away (Gavin right)

Gavin's Octopus

We officially completed our Frog Lapbook today, putting in the last part – each of the boys’ hand printed sentence on something new that they learned about frogs. They are very proud of the lapbook, the bulk of which was found at this site. We have not got a new focus set up for tomorrow so it is looking like workbooks and talking about what to do next. Though I am REALLY leaning towards going back to our dinosaurs and starting up the lapbook. I have most of the bits printed out for that, though I have to reprint a few things once we have colour toner again (soon soon, just getting the store to talk to our board for a payment order).

Zander and Gavin and a large portion of the lapbook

Trinity asked for new barrettes so last night I made her up a set in bright green ribbon. They turned out very bright and pretty. I have a few ideas for Echo but have to pick up some Velcro.

Very green!

With Ted and Sean over for the day (and last night) it has been a wonderful long weekend, and one of our last with this ease of visiting with the guys. It is going to be hard for us to be over an hour away… especially with Sean’s car broken down and Ted without a car himself. I am sure we will manage but it will be a MAJOR change. (of course in return we will be closer to more of MY friends and family, so definitely a trade off)

So with Emanuel’s bed (formerly the twins’ bed) assembled in his room – to be rearranged tomorrow, and the kids a little over done from sledding I am ready for a quiet evening. Hopefully!

Trinity, Baby and the new clips

So the zoo was… chilly and for some reason the drop in program was not going on. BUT one of the zoo keepers was nice enough to bring out an armadillo for us to touch and learn about! And she let us know that she had to turn the lights on in the nocturnal area long enough to put it back and waited until we could get there so we could see the critters in there with the lights on for a couple minutes. The kids felt that that was even MORE fun than seeing frogs (after all we have one at home – which they of course alerted the zoo keeper to… actually Frogger has been nice enough to shed his skin the past couple days which has illustrated another of the things we learned about frogs).

Meeting the armadillo - this is the only breed that closes itself entirely into a ball!

Three-Banded Armadillo

We stopped by the lemurs (as per our usual pattern). Where the red chested lemur was nice enough to sit right up at the glass and have a peek at everyone. We also go an amazing picture of one of the little monkeys (don’t ask me which one it was). It sat there and watched the kids forever!

Too darn cute!

The Arctic foxes were out in their white coats confusing the kids who expected them to be in their summer colours. There is going to be a new polar display next winter that is supposed to be state of the art. We are planning on coming back into the city for that one upon its completion.

Arctic Fox

It was chilly and we were definitely not there overly long but it was worth it with our passes. I want to heave over to the conservatory early in March and back to the zoo at least two more times before we have our leisure passes expire. I think we have done a good job of using them, though we have not been swimming. I want to head back to mom’s and go with her to the pool there. It is rather kid friendly.

Zander, Gavin, Emanuel and Trinity

Echo asleep

Mommy and Trinity

So yesterday was a rather quiet day for us, lots of cleaning and Ken working on projects with upcoming deadlines. I started making the lucky stars for Anna for her first birthday. I have a jar left over from the set I bought for Trinity’s first birthday to fill for now. (I got them at IKEA, I think they are spice jars) I am not sure if I have enough papers for both girls BUT I have alerted Ken to the fact that all I need is around 2-3 dollars to order more so if he has a credit card with little or no on it to pass it my way.

Beginning stars

I did get another barrette done. This one is the Easter Bunny and the instructions can be found here. My bunny is a bit thinner than the example but cute all the same. I am going to tweak it some once I get some more white grosgrain ribbon. All I have is a more satin type and it does not hold form as nicely as the grosgrain. Tons of steps on this one and I used fabric glue for the eyes (we will see how that holds). But the result is CUTE.

Bunny Clip

For the first time ever the boys are ALL asking for winter to be over. And these are the kids that were asking for snow in JULY! I think we are all a little weary of the cold and the ice. I know I would love to be able to  get out the door without having to figure in about 15 min to make sure everyone is bundled up, boots on the correct feet and blankets in hand if needed,

I am a bit worn out myself after today’s zoo experience in the cold and then Ken being gone for the rest of the afternoon helping Nathan and Ada to move to their new apartment (they didn’t move everything but have another week to do that yet). The kids were wired for sound when the three little ones were not asleep. Thank goodness it is QUIET in the house at night. Now if only all the carseats and the two middle seats from the van WEREN’T in the middle of my livingroom… grr.

Dinner tonight - with spices from Ted (his dad brought here from Ethiopia) talk about delicious.