After adventuring with duct tape life just seemed more… bland this morning… but I have great plans for further duct tape creativity. I am hoping to find some time next week to have the boys make their own simple thing. So if there are ANY websites you are aware of that have instructions for duct tape creations please pass them my way! 

There was one rather fun purchase yesterday at Dollarama – something called a Magic Tree. It is certainly VERY exciting to the kids who have decided they have NEVER seen pompoms grow before. I had to explain that the liquid (scared to think what it REALLY is) needs to soak up into the paper and then it would start “growing.” We are learning patience with this one as it was a 12 hour thing! Always a good lesson for our family… we ALL need to have patience. 

Starting the process

oops!! Trinity got excited with her book but it was great fun for the kids to watch it grow!

I decided to alternate math today as Gavin is in the Grade 2 book and it can be much more intense and he finds others chatting there a BIG distraction. Zander and Echo decided to head over to the netbook and do some Starfall stuff. We were given a couple of their workbooks so I have given one to each boy (they are different) and Zander’s has him listen/read a story on the site and then do pages to practice his reading and sounding out of words. Echo is always where the technology is lately. 

Zander and Echo and Starfall

Gavin hard at work

Stuart finished his great boat race today. It was all very exciting and fraught with danger! 

4 different pages

Cousin Veronika came into the city to shop today after work. We managed quite a few stores… Michaels, Bath and Body Works, Walmart… etc. And the best part – most everything was on sale! We started at Michaels, I had a couple coupons and a short list. I managed to get a Christmas present for Gavin on super sale, some adhesive (I ran out last night) AND this year’s foam Halloween kit all for LESS than the original price on Gavin’s gift. The kids do one kit a year at Halloween with their dad.

Halloween kit

At Bath and Body Works I picked up some of the little hand sanitizers (they were on for 5 for 5.00), a case for the one in my purse AND a new bottle of soap for the kids’ special soap pump cover (what they call the ladybug soap). It is not quite empty yet but I figured if it was on sale best to buy it now (I got grapefruit).

Walmart was another great stop – it was their anniversary sale and while they did NOT have everything I needed they DID have paper on for a great price – under 3.50 for 500 sheets (printer paper). Sadly no looks fibrefill for my sock owls.

So we managed some fun shopping and visiting and came home to only a slight bit of chaos. Now to work on duct tape creations, cleaning and scrapbooking. I DID finish a page yesterday night…

Finished Birthday Party Page

I have to say I am glad it is the weekend… we have Sunday School to look forward to on the weekend and hopefully some errands completed but for now… time to post!

Princess

With the book to prove it!

Ok so this morning again reinforces that Minecraft and computer gaming in general is an evil evil thing when it comes to our boys. Granted they HAD earned a great deal of  time with their helping feeding Echo and doing laundry and generally cleaning up after themselves (that is a long road to even NEAR perfection), but it is frustrating to deal with turns and timing and all the rest of the things that come with ONE computer and 3 excited little boys.

Emanuel in his own little world... literally and figuratively

I had to have Ken clean up the backyard a bit (we have an issue with the garbage being torn open by animals… Ken is hoping to build a box of some sort to contain it as all the owners suggested was that we put it out back. Sadly we have a lot of food scrap garbage along with the diapers which seem to draw the animals… back to Freecycle and the hope of finding some reclaimed wood to use. After he managed to tidy up the backyard I sent the boys out to play for a bit. Trinity did a sort of abortive bug spray, run around turn back and go inside sort of thing. 

Running the gambit

Instead she went into her room and started a lovely session of shopping and cash register play that the big boys eventually joined. I am not sure how much proper change was made as I took advantage of the distraction to help Emanuel with his Dora book completion but you could hear the fun being had! 

Playing store

We are attempting to start with allowance this week. I am hoping that with the incentive of getting a small amount of money (1.00 per twins, 50 cents per little one) they may be quicker to follow instructions and less likely to say I can’t (I do hate the word CAN’T). We have marked off 7 days on the calendar and we will see how it goes! I am really hoping this works as I would love to see them have a GOOD week with a wonderful reward at the end (though we may have to cheat and instead of 50 cents for the little ones just buy them slurpees…).

Now I am sure you are all on pins and needles to know how Stuart is doing… well apparently he is well versed in bus usage as well as intent to become a sailor (but just across the pond). This is about the first time when what Trinity went downstairs to have Ken draw actually was somewhat close to what went on – her mouse is DRIVING the bus (it must be a toy bus) but a but and mouse ARE involved! And more importantly, she was happy with the end result! 

Another chapter for Stuart Little

Today was a rather good day for our Miss T. Today her promised post wedding “good flowergirl” gift came from eBay – a Hello Kitty bracelet… very delicate in look and probably materials but she loves it and will enjoy it for as long as it is in on piece. And best part – it was like 2.00! 

All shiny and kitty

I made a great find at our local 24 hr convenience store – their Ragu is only 3.29! I had run out of my usual sauce – made from scratch but oh well and wanted noodles… ok and a slurpee… so I thought why not… I am so glad I did. They even had just tomato sauce for 1.99 or 1.09… I wanted quick and simple. Flashes back to university and “cheap dinners.”

We put up our felt leaves for all to see in the front window. I am very happy with the end result. We used some tiny suction cups with plastic hooks a friend had gifted us ages ago. Felt from our felt stash, floss from my personal stash (and needles from the same) and this was a very enjoyable and affordable craft. Seriously – try it out!!!

Leaves in the window

Which brings me to ANOTHER craft activity all full of awesome… I have purchased, over the last couple weeks, a couple rolls of duct tape – we are up to one of white, another of digital camo and a third of traditional grey. I have officially decided these are NOT enough colours!!! I think I have found another addiction to go with my ribbon collection. And the best part is that this is something the kids could really get into as well – duct tape can have a million uses after all.

Front

Back

So I made a run out with Karyn to the Dollarama – without my list (gasp) which was sucky BUT I managed to get some bits and pieces for those projected Christmas projects. That means that with a couple other runs to other places I SHOULD be able to start sharing my crafts on here as well! With fall pretty much here I figure it is time to get back to crafting. The boys are excited to be lending a hand as part of their schooling. I have already made up a pretty good list (after all I DO love a good list) of all the people we plan to gift this Christmas… hopefully I don’t have to add too many to it as time goes on.

But it is now time to get back to crafting, cleaning and all that other fun stuff. I need to clear a path to my rubbermaid tub of sewing supplies so I can make up a wall hanging for Trinity to put her hair things up on. Fingers crossed I have a big enough piece of fabric in storage to fit the canvas! I already have Echo’s set aside. Be sure to check Fat Sheep’s sitefor updates! I am told she had a new one yesterday. 

Our popcorn gnome went under cover to become a rule breaker and stand up in her highchair under the guise of being a Trinity!!!!

Today we worked on what I consider to be a VERY important and relaxing skill – sewing… a basic embroidery stitch really and an opener to next week (I hope) and the big project – a first cross stitch! Can you feel my excitement? There are potentially two more stitchers (immediately at least) in the house ready to go!! Time to pass along what my mom taught me as a child. Want to make your own felt leaves? Try this link!

Leaf making supplies

Busy stitchers

We had our Stuart Little chapter as well in which he is rescued… of course after his brother George goes off on endless tangents! 

Trinitiy's is a mouse making pancakes... not sure on that one!

Emanuel has been practicing his “careful colouring” lately as well… we are ALL working on patience. Some days are definitely harder than others! 

Careful colouring

Are you a mom or dad who collects the Pampers Points? We are, though our points have slowed HUGELY since the twins were out of diapers and we made the leap to cloth for our Echo… wipes and Trinity’s Pull Ups keep them trickling in (though I am hoping the pull ups will ALSO soon be a thing of the past!)… well if you do there is a wonderful site that has a bunch of codes listed that you can use to add to your points. Some ARE expired but be sure to check them out and give it a go! 

I am attempting to tidy through things still… stuff has gone up on Kijiji, other things on Freecycle. I am also starting my “kids need” list… anything they are grown out of… things that aren’t going to work anymore and need replacing… top of the list – a new swimsuit for Emanuel! I will hopefully complete the list by tomorrow… the hope is to find used, on sale or hand-me-downs instead of having to put forth a whole bunch of money on full price new. I shudder when I think of the potential lack of sweaters! 

I have been sorting through links online this week as well to get going on our Christmas crafting. Another year where I want to make everything possible for our friends and family instead of purchasing. The sad thing is that for almost every idea I find online I have maybe one or two of the needed items and not all… Dollarama is certainly calling my name! But then when doesn’t it? I am going to share my ideas and links as I go through them… so be ready!

With the apples Kathy picked up for us at H&W I made applesauce… the bag of apples made enough for some to go in the freezer and the rest to be used… today – applesauce cookies. This is Echo’s first time with them and she LOVES them! I hate to think how many she had today!

Cookie Monster

Are you interested in winning a microscope for your homeschooling family? Check out this SITE for a free giveaway! It sounds like an amazing piece of equipment, I know our boys would go nuts over it. I plan on checking out the site further and if it is as good as it looks in passing I will definitely link it permanently! And the best part? This is open to Canadians too!!

It is a big day for yours truly – I decided to give it up and send out my maternity clothes to new homes. First I had to divide them up into piles – Kijiji, Freecycle, Mom’s work and the pieces that could not be given or sold (ie old undies)… that was an adventure down memory lane! I ended up with a nice pile for each (except the trash which was tiny) and hopefully will be seeing them all out the door in good order. It amazes me the size range I had – XS all the way up to L! Funny how a shirt can fit differently depending on cut, fabric and pregnancy! 

That actually took up most of my evening so there went my crafting time! Oops. I have a new idea to keep our busy kids occupied that is going to take up the rest of my evening – I am looking for fun and different worksheets to put in the binders their Uncle Wayne got for them so that when we hit boredom there is something they can pick and choose from! Here’s hoping this works! I have started my search at education.com. Of course they have plenty of the fairy pictures our Trinity absolutely LOVES.

Now no more procrastination… time to post and then move on!

Sunshine!

Our sunshine girl!