Ok so I DON’T have November done… take a peek back… waaaay back at October for now!!!

Yup too many pictures for a month in a blog! So enjoy the fall fun!

Emanuel finished his journal in October. Time to move onto writing his own sentences.

Lots of reading and drawing our own illustrations for the books!

The family who games together…has some rather interesting arguments and a 4 year old who plays in a way where EVERYONE dies OFTEN!

Resident Scout at his day camp with giant dominoes.

We got some amazing mail from Texas. Gammie spoils us so!

Tiny adorable pumpkins mailed from Texas!

Gotta read all the time lately!

We are definitely seeing progress in our cursive!

Enjoying a good story (thanks to Aunty Karyn) in honour of the Pizza Hut Bookit program.

The twins are starting to REALLY enjoy making lunches for everyone. Microwave skills developing!

Miss Echo is a creative one lately!

Although she also caught a bug and slept a day away.

As did Trinity on the way home from Scouts Day Camp.

Emanuel ALSO finished his grade 1 math book curriculum!

Talk about an amazing way to work on our estimating, counting and sorting skills… our tub of Legos we got at LegoLand. The kids did GREAT well over 400 pieces!

We found, quite by chance, that in 2014 there was a Boxcar Children movie made (cartoon) so of course, on a quiet and COLD Friday afternoon we popped some popcorn and HAD TO have a watch. It was an interesting situation. Myself and the twins had read the first book but the younger ones had not. I think we ALL got some enjoyment out of it.

But here is my review… the kids will follow… BEWARE OF SPOILERS… with theirs of course!

Anyway. The movie does follow much of the main storyline of the book. The characters are the same, the situations definitely familiar. Of course, to save time a lot of the slower bits are removed and some events sped along. I honestly found the voices for all the characters fit the story, the animation was not Disney super slick but fun and the level of suspense did not make any of the kids uncomfortable. For a movie based on a children’s book it is actually rather fun well worth the watch even if you have NOT read the book and if you have… not a disappointment!

ZANDER

It was a good movie. I liked the voices for the people. They sounded like how I thought they would when I read the book. I think the dog (Watch) looked better in the book (illustrations). The book and the movie are both a little different. They were both really good. I think you could read the book first or watch the movie first. You would enjoy both. I read the book because there was a dog in it.

GAVIN

I think it was good. I think they should make more movies about the books. I loved the colours and the animation. I thought it was better than the book because they added stuff not in the book. I think kids would like it. I think it doesn’t matter if you read the book or watch the movie first but if you read the book first you won’t be disappointed that there is stuff in the movie that was not in the book and same about the book having stuff that was not in the movie.

EMANUEL

I liked that they lived in the boxcar. I loved the little doggy (Watch). I haven’t read the book but I still want to when I am 10. I like that it is about kids. I would watch the movie THREE times! I like how they made the boxcar into a very beautiful place using recycled things.

TRINITY

It was cool. The dog (Watch) was cute AND my favourite. I loved the big house. It was not a scary movie. It was a good movie. I would want to watch it again!

You can read our book reviews on Books ONE, TWO and THREE! There are 19 books in the series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I really do expect that Gavin at least, will want to read them all! 

Merry Christmas (belatedly) to you and yours! As usual I am behind on my reporting but I am making a real try to catch up… just you watch, November will spontaneously pop up one of these days! And then you will be in the know again!

Anyway… Christmas Day for the Reinsch-Johnson clan. It was a different one from our previous ones here in Minnesota. First off because we really did not have extended family beyond Nana and Baba here for the day or eve. In the previous years Christmas Eve was our time with Ken’s Uncle Moose, Aunt Colleen and their two kids. But this has been a rough year for Moose (Paul) and while he is on the mend they were really not able to come over for the traditional Ukrainian meal of potato soup and perogies. It was probably for the best as this December has been one of illness for the family. So many yucky colds! But thank goodness we were assured that he is better and home again.

Of course we DID enjoy our meal… and the company was wonderful as was.

That evening we did put out our cookies and milk for Santa. In our new pj’s.

Echo and Ken spread Reindeer Food out on the lawn since we went to bed without a speck of snow to be seen really.

Christmas Day was just the household and it was wonderful. We did not manage to Skype with Gammie as she was having issues on her end but we did text back and forth and take some pictures of the openings.

Amazingly enough with two countries and multiple states we did not have any duplicate gifts this year! Each and every one was well received and I can honestly say I have not seen the kids happier.

We had calls with both sets of grandparents… Alberta and South Carolina. As well as a lovely chat with My brother James and his wife Holly… well mostly Holly. Even a peek in on Cousin Jimmie.

Dinner was a delicious turkey and trimmings thanks to the hard work of Nana and Baba. But for the most part after the excitement of the great toy opening it was a nice, quiet and relaxed day.

Enjoy the overflow!!