Another update on the Fat Sheep website… further adventures in Alberta no less! Be sure to click HERE to check them out… leave a comment… tell your own sheep related stories.

Well it turns out that most of the family was in need of a lengthy nap today… Well both parents and the 3 youngest children that is. Thank goodness the twins are happy with Legos and each other sometimes. I  think the excitement of Nana and Baba being a mere day away as well as yesterdays foray into the city for the boys wore us all out.

But that doesn't mean we can't accessorize!

In the morning we did start off busy. After a bit of a late breakfast and getting dressed the 4 big kids all went out and cleaned the backyard and then had a 15 min playtime. Turned out that was the perfect time to come in as that was just when the fighting started.

Cleaning/playing in the backyard

Then it was right into schoolwork. Nothing major as I am still dealing with quite the final tidy before my in-laws get here but the twins did their page for their trip to the doctor for the Summer Adventure file.

Ready for our Summer Adventure File

Trinity and Emanuel both coloured something from Education.com. I am going to start bookmarking my own choices… they have that option on their site. I really want to take an evening and just hunt around on there to see what all they have!

Pandas and Princesses

Emanuel also made his own Canadian flag from scratch. We had to find a skewer to finish the assembly but job well done. That maple leaf is so hard to draw!

Note Trinity on the phone!

We have started two long term projects for 2 of our boys… Zander finally settled on something after digging around the upstairs and sorting through odds and ends. We had one large puzzle still sealed in the basement that I have brought upstairs and commandeered the blue table for. He is allowed to let whoever help that he wishes. BUT the big thing is is that it is something he comes back to and has to keep tidy. Of course that monopolizes our second table which means it is up to MOMMY to keep the kitchen table cleaner than usual. 

The big puzzle adventure

The other project is Emanuel’s. We have a great dinosaur book that he has always enjoyed looking through. Now he is taking a dinosaur out of that book, drawing it himself and then we read about it. After reading about it I write out the name (with Emanuel naming all the letters in the name as I write them) and then he tells me at least 2 things about what we just read. I am so impressed about how much he actually retains!

The first of many dinosaurs

I finally finished a bow that had been floating around the house halfway done this afternoon in my drive to complete outstanding craft projects. For some reason it makes me think of Alice in Wonderland. I watched (on Netflix) a version of Alice in Wonderland that I had not seen prevoiusly. This was a 1999 made for tv with quite the list of stars BUT Alice was in yellow (???) and a brunette! It felt odd… but Netflix only has the 1949 versionand this one oddly enough! 

I think it is the colours that make this bow

I am still thoroughly in love with the Campion series. Almost through it in fact. Tonight it was a trial with The Mrs. Bradley mysteries which sadly at least in CANADA I can only access what is called the 5th episode but I read was shown as the pilot. I have to say with Netflix I am not feeling horrible about cancelling our Shaw cable. We simply were not watching it enough to offset the cost. 

With Petite Sheepette’s collar done for the wedding all that is left is altering the party dress for Echo and the barrette that goes with her tutu dress.

On the sheep...

...off the sheep

All the stitching possible with the pattern I have on hand has been done on the stocking and no new projects have been started. With the senior most Johnsons getting here well into the evening I have high hopes that all things will be accomplished in good time. Although a big chunk of my afternoon is already mapped out for Cousin Veronika and her furthering of her education (you will just have to check back later and find out all about that!). So back to work I go, late as it is… I am up to the old Halloween costumes to put up on Kijiji after all! Gotta make room for the new ones… and for (as has been suggested) the play heels and silly dresses for Trinity to play dress up tea party! 

Would you like the key to her heart?

Ken has finally succumbed to the family cold. Today was not his finest day health wise and it certainly did NOT help that he was up late the night before. We had a minor mix up on Karyn’s flight times (and location) and could not agree if it was an am or pm flight. So Ken stayed up in case it WAS an am flight (and kept me up with him, so you can imagine how tired I was as well today) and kept the phone by. Of course it turned out we were basically totally WRONG on our info and she came in this afternoon with Ken there waiting but still… totally the Reinsch-Johnson way of doing things – err on the side of caution but make sure you do it in a crazy way. Not that I was complaining much… I am coming to the end of the current anime series obsession – Mushi-shi. Which I officially want to collect in manga form as well. To make Ken’s life easier I am compiling a list of the mangas I want and which I don’t have. Should be an interesting list. I actually have been collecting a few over the years but VERY slowly and am very much behind.

I have started a project to make something for Petite Sheepette to wear at the August wedding. I am trying to make two little behind the ear clips of matching ribbon to Echo’s headband. Either that or a decorated choker… I am still in the planning stages. It can be super frustrating to try and make two identical (ok nearly) bows!

Working on bows

Today we focused on yesterday’s ignored math. Gavin is in the final two page testing series in his. I am finding out through these short tests (which we just do as worksheets) what things we need to go back to once we are done. So far the big one is the months and time… we seem to have the concept of a calendar figured out and are well on our way with the days of the week… it is just the bigger concepts we need to do work on.

We also did a chapter in our story. I think we are getting into the final stretch here.

Two more illustrations

Tonight we welcomed back Karyn from her Alaska trip. I will share pictures of the gifts tomorrow due to laziness tonight. BUT we went out for dinner – Karyn, Lauralee, Echo and myself… to the Wok box. Echo spent most of her time in the highchair… though it was a little too big for her. The food was great and even with Echo’s later moving around we were able to sit around and visit.

Quick snapped picture

Ok so the highchair is still a little bit big

The evening ended in rain again! Always! Seriously I am starting to wonder if the sun is scared to come out at this point. So very very wet. I would absolutely love a week of sunshine. Fingers are definitely crossed that Saturday turns out to be a sunny day. Friday we can BBQ and eat indoors but with the weather all nasty on Saturday we may end up a bit cramped in my brother’s place.

Our big excitement (beyond Karyn coming back and Lauralee visiting)… the neighbours cat felt the need to rest on our fence! They actually have 3 as far as I can tell, the other two long haired orange tabbies.

Kitty

So today was not heavy on the work but a good day. We accomplished things, we spent some time together and the kids watched quite a few episodes of Curious George on the Netflix. It is the best way to deal with a house full of people getting over being sick and rainy weather. I just hope that the rest of our week can be nice and relaxing. Or at the very least, that we have fun while we do things around the house. Check out Hooked on You… Seriously!

Echo in one of her lovely headbands. I think she looks marvellous!

Modelling with Petite Sheepette

I honestly find the last of the boxes to be the worst part of unpacking. Book without enough shelves, outgrown clothes without a future home, clothes for Echo to grow into without a place to stow quite yet… oh and Ken’s stuff. I am MUCH more motivated than he is! Everything has to be stowed away and sorted to the best of our space and abilities before Friday… that is my goal.

I am hoping to in turn get the kids’ toys out of the tv room closet, at least a box or two, and let the kids have some more freedom with them. We aren’t quite to having the Legos out in the basement or the train set but it is imminent. If they can have some toys and myself my crafting space I think we will ALL be happier on the next rainy day (there are ever so many this summer… it is insane).

Last night when Ken made a late run to the grocery store he also picked up a tension rod for the upstairs bathtub and our ducky shower. Another item off the list! Now if we could just figure out the curtains. There was no brackets to go with the rods in the house… a bit of a difficulty.

He also bought us some popcorn. We are a microwave free household since the move (the one we had at the old place was dying slowly and loudly). I honestly have not missed it too much, just with the warming of babyfood and well, popcorn. It has been AGES since I have had popcorn cooked that way. It was fun though. 

At the stove

Perfectly popped

I do believe Ken was trying to poison me today – he suggested I try a can of Pepsi lime he bought last night… EWWW, he LOVES the stuff. I felt like it was lime overload. BLECK. 

BLECK

Today’s big excitement was in the form of a  before dinner/after nap walk with Ken. The 4 bigger kids went out with him while Echo and I got a nice start going through the clothing in our room. I am hoping to finish her clothing tomorrow but today I tried on basically ALL my pants and was brutally honest with myself. I have a nice pile to donate and even a decent number left to wear (and 2 to get back into better shape for… maybe.

Apparently they got in a short way before they realized it was run through with mosquitoes!!!

The most interesting thing of the whole walk

I joined an yahoo egroup for making hair bows etc. I am hoping to find some new ideas to make for friends and family. I think I need to get myself a salon clip! Since we need to make a Dollarama run this week anyway (a short list of necessities I do NOT want to spend a ton on) I hope to find one there. Anyway, I have a card to make, stuff to sort and of course anime  to watch. Hopefully we will have LOTS to share tomorrow when we get back to schooling and preparing for the birthday party next Saturday!

In her new dress and one of her new longsleeved onesies!