Sometimes you just need the right exhibit to spur you onto getting that long suggested membership. The temporary Mythical Creatures display at the Science Center was the big draw for us, and well worth it.

We actually made an attempt to go the day before only to realize the museum closed early that day. But our second day choice was just perfect. It wasn’t busy, though parking was scarce due to hockey games nearby. We used my homeschool status for a discount and were ready to go and enjoy over an hour of educational fun.

While the mythical creatures were the main draw we did enjoy some of the other permanent displays this visit. We definitely need to come back and see more of those. Thankfully with the membership it is just a matter of choosing a day when Ken can take a half day.

I have a mountain of pictures to share so will do so. Though first – we hadn’t realized you could do this, but the large astronaut in the center of the building allows you to put your face in the helmet! So some of the kids did!

And of course… if there is dinosaurs we MUST examine them closely.

BUT I know you are all waiting for the big draw – sit back and enjoy the mythical (and some not so mythical) creatures! First off… DRAGON!

And Kraken!

Now all Mermaids were beautiful… though one was.

And here is the creature some think inspired a lot of these… the manatee.

The Unicorn was another favourite.

Here is Echo with a replica horn. Some felt the narwhal was the inspiration for the unicorn’s single horn.

And then there were some animals that were actually a REAL thing…

Or the confusion that came from finding the remains of something.

This skull confused a lot of people making them think it was from a cyclops… it is actually a pygmy elephant skull!

There were multiple types of dragons.

Sir George slaying the dragon.

But my personal favourite is the Asian dragons.

But enough of my chatter… enjoy the last few images!

Roc

It has been rainy lately and I figured I would share some of my favourites… first some that I personally enjoy and then the kids and their movies… all foreign based but hey… oh and I am going to make you all do the work yourselves. If you put in the names of these in search you can find them on your own! Just remember all the first section are ones I found on CRUNCHYROLL!!! Love them! 

First off… get yourself a Crunchyroll subscription… I have an anime one, you CAN get a drama (I am tempted every week) but without it you can still watch the bulk of the videos. There are minimal commercials. I watch mine on the iPad.

Now for the comedies….

• Bug Me Not
• Dry Wood Fierce Fire
• Magic Kitchen
• My Left Eye Sees Ghosts
• Women from Mars

Animes… Keep in mind these are MY preferred… NOT the kids

• Rozen Maiden and Rozen Maiden Zuruckspulen
• Gatchaman Crowds (the only mech I have ever watched through! Though there IS violence)
• Silver Spoon (agricultural and educational with fun)
• Moyashimon(another educational one)
• Servant X Service (based in a ward office)
• Folktales from Japan (awesome)
• The Eccentric Family (I love this one with Tanuki and Tengu and all that stuff)
• Ginatama (not for kids but hilarious)
• Un-Go (a mystery series)
• Wagnaria!! (based in a restaurant)
• Natsume Yujin-cho (demons and names… seriously check it out!)
• My Little Monster (awkward romance)
• Say “I Love You” (another romance… this is an ongoing for manga as is My Little Monster)
• Cuticle Detective Inaba (hilarious and irreverent)

Oh and for the kids!

• Poyopoyo
• Chi’s Sweet Home (both of these are about adorable cats!!!)

If you don’t want to READ your tv… Studio Ghibli has some amazing movies…

• Spirited Away
• Castles in the Sky
• Kiki’s Delivery Service
• Howl’s Moving Castle
• Porco Rosso
• Ponyo
• The Cat Returns
• There is a story before The Cat Returns called Whisper of the Heart. Definitely more of a romance with some bittersweet moments. The Cat Returns is a semi-spin off.
• Ok so more mature but definitely worth a watch if you want to be amazed! Princess Mononoke
  

  An a screen shot from one of my all time favourites… Spirited Away

January 4-5

Ending the first week of the new year it was so nice to have it be on a high note – in the mail – Ken’s renewed passport! Now we just have to wait for the separate mailing of his old one. AND the even BIGGER news, the one I teased you all with at the end of 2012… Ken went in to sign the paperwork to finalize his employment as a lead programmer! Definitely an answer to our prayers, though a bit of a nervy thing for me. Ken has not worked outside of the home since right after Trinity was born! It is going to be quite the adjustment!

While Ken was gone Emanuel and Gavin set up to watch one of the movies Gammie sent us – Planet Dinosaur! They really enjoyed it… I think they watched almost 4 hours before becoming bored. So of course we had to draw pictures of their favourite parts… Gavin for his journal and Emanuel his dinosaur binder!

Watching the dinosaurs

The movie

Illustrations from the movie

Life seems, right lately… now don’t get me wrong, I personally am lonely and it is no simple task to keep the boys occupied and learning with stuff in storage and items downsized drastically… but we are where we need to be. That has become glaringly clear with how happy Ken is, with the kids’ interactions with their American family members… with how we are figuring things out. Now this is NOT forever, but for NOW and NOW we need to be HERE. I am just working to really wrap my head around that.

Trinity and Echo gaming together

We had some time of creativity as well… Emanuel made us long necked dinosaurs out of Lego.

LEGOS

And then Echo forced the issue and got Nana and Baba out to see the snow creations in the back… She was determined to spend a little time in the snow. There was the completed structure.

Taking Nana to the backyard

Gavin and the igloo

And one they have just started with the block makers Ken and I picked up at Target recently. 

First layer down

Our Saturday was rather fun… it is the first one of January so Ken and his dad took the boys to their Home Depot free crafting activity. This time they made BIRD HOUSES! So along with the houses they also gained their newest pin for their aprons! Talk about proud boys.

The finished houses

My proud crafty boys

The boys even shared their Home Depot popcorn with the girls!

In the afternoon Ken and I had the opportunity to take just Emanuel and Trinity on a field trip to United Noodles… an Asian grocery. We were on the hunt for anything Japanese, well anything Asian and interesting. Sadly they did NOT have any Bento Boxes but Emanuel picked out some lovely chopsticks.

Fishy chopsticks

Trinity picked out Jelly straws… which were… squishy…

Jelly Straws

We also picked up some interesting chips, more of my noodles and some ideas of bowls and soup spoons that when we get our own home I am so going back for. The lovely ones you eat won tons with. Which has Ken interested in learning how to make our own won tons from scratch! So not finding a Bento Box was ok because we DID find treats and chopsticks and a place to come back to and hunt for hidden gems again! Ken of course came home and immediately hunted down a Chinese bakery… butter explosion buns were NOT to be had where we were. So, our next expedition will be there!

Very garlic-y

Of course the twins took our time away to play Skylanders… we are starting to majorly cut back their time on there now that the new toy has worn off a little bit. So a special day for all of the kids pretty much!

On a special field trip