October 24-25

Wednesday marks the point where we are FINALLY in the end stretch on costumes. I am so far behind from where I usually am! The twin bought theirs, we got the last of the supplies for Echo’s and the face paint for Trinity’s Choco-cat. Ken and I have opted not to dress up this year with our short time frame and really lack of budget. I hope to do so next year though! 

We spent much of our morning out on those errands so that definitely shortened our school day. BUT Zander had his spelling test today, 7/7! Well done!

100%!

Not to be outdone by her brother… work of art

Art for Kidssaved our day with their MUMMY instructions. The boys BOTH enjoy the steps and are absolutely willing to create whatever the next picture is. We often discuss what COULD be the next picture posted…

MUMMY

Thursday was a short day for me… I had a GIRLY DATE with Bree the mommy to be once again. She announced the day before that they are expecting a GIRL! Echo is going to have a godsister. I am so excited for them, I am going to save all of Echo’s outgrows AND start the gears moving in my head as to what I can make for them. Hair things, dollies, bits and bobs… fairy wings! Oh I am excited!!! We are in the world of boys down here having left all our little girls up in Canada! 

Anyway… we have started our Halloween colouring in earnest. I love a good print out and while the printer is limping without its colour cartridge we are still making do. Trinity especially enjoyed her Education.com print out of a haunted house! You can check out my Halloween folder on their site HEREof stuff from this year and the previous. 

Trinity’s work of art

We had ANOTHER 100% on a spelling test – this time Gavin and he had tricky words – TWO and TOO!!! I am so proud!!! 

Another perfect score

We have started our Halloween book and are doing a picture a chapter into the journals. This seems to be the best way to follow up with something with the boys. Low impact but they keep on working, thinking and creating. When we finish our Judy Moody book and go onto the next one, I think I will use another format… maybe a chapter by chapter picture book… add to it a list of the characters in each chapter and the main conflict or point. 

We covered a rather unique FEATHERED dinosaur today. The Beipiaosaurus… and surprisingly Gavin joined us! There is something rather interesting about a dinosaur that is feathered, with a potential omnivore lifestyle. Once I get  the previous dinosaurs posted this one will be up as well. My agreement with the big boys is that if they want to join in on the dinosaur time they ALSO have to do something productive in regards to this dinosaur. So Gavin drew a picture of it, recorded the dinosaur’s name and 3 facts he learned about it. Which Emanuel helped him come up with. 

I am still debating what path to take beyond math and reading and writing… With Emanuel to learn about Brazil I am thinking of seeing what sort of a lapbook or mini poster we could make as a family… but I want to expand our interest. THOUGH we have had some more pen pal letters! This time from our friends in the Yukon (including Coffee Crisp chocolate bars for me!! Though Ken took one to share with his friends).

Throw in some snow in passing and wow what a couple of days!!!

October 22-23

I swear this is some sort of born in trigger for kids that Mondays HAVE TO be rough. For some bizarre reason every time I had something for her to do her leg hurt or she was tired or she didn’t want to. The joys of trying to get a 4 year old to stick to a routine. I think the lack of a nap after a VERY busy zoo trip on the Sunday just did her in on Monday. And then she refused to nap on Monday as well. 

What we did accomplish  though, in hindsight, was not half bad. We started with the usual work books, spelling, etc etc and then moved onto my list of to dos…

1. pen pal letters… Gammie (Jimmie’s Grandma) wrote back once again, she truly is like clockwork. Each of the kids had a letter to respond to and they all coloured pictures for her. 
2. journal pages about their Sunday zoo trip.
3. doing their paperbag scrarecrow zoo trip craft

Emanuel and his supervisor

Emanuel and I were over the moon that his monthly project series FINALLY started! We are doing the Little Passports2 year program. One country per month. The first package was just a starter – suitcase, special passport, story, questions to answer and of course a way to figure out our first country to learn about – BRAZIL! I think Emanuel is VERY excited. We still need to find a place to put the map we got in our package, maybe over his bed?

Suitcase in hand

Gavin and Zander channeled their inner artist with the Art for Kids site and their continuing AMAZING Halloween themed step by step instructions on how to draw. The big question in our home is what will be the next to be uploaded.

Gavin’s monsters

Zander’s

Gavin opted to go outside and clean leaves in a rather interesting and picturesque way. The trees out back have RED leaves and they are gorgeous! So of course we had to take a few pictures!

The pile

The jump

Poor Ken spent 5 hours at the DMV only to find out that his information that he got from the SAME OFFICE was wrong and there was one more step to changing his license over to American. He really did NOT come home a happy bunny! At least he came home with a plan and an APPOINTMENT in hand for Tuesday. Government + Kenny = NOT HAPPY pretty well consistently.

Miss Echo has done some work on her own as well… lots of colouring…

Echo at work

And watching of Pocoyo. I guess now I have to hunt down MORE merchandise. Sadly the US is NOT the place to do that so if anyone has any ideas… HELP! I am amazed we are now 5 for 5 for loving that show!!!

Pocoyo!

We have learned a new dice game as well. You can find the print out and instructions HERE. We love a good dice game. I think I will have to dig out some of the ones off this site that we played in the past, I don’t think Emanuel has learned any of them yet! 

Playing a new game

Tuesday was a SPECIAL day… Ken’s 35th birthday! Yours truly already gave him his gift – my very first granny square lap blanket. The kids all made him bits and bobs and a special card! 

Ken and his card

Add to the birthday “fun” his taking of the drivers written test to transfer his license to an American one from Canadian. Sadly that has not been simple as of course there are steps that they did not realize had to be done until he WENT IN! Happily, on his birthday he PASSED we just need to wait on a verification!

We are working our way through spelling tests, reading practice (almost to the end of our first pizza month), pen pal responses and dinosaur knowledge. I am determined to get back onto our math and maybe learn some more about our new home. Science is dinosaur flavoured right now… and I have come to the realization that we are sneaking in our learning everywhere more and more.

We had a very exciting completion by Gavin as well – he finished his cross stitched joke card which he gave to Ken for his birthday! His next project is way more ambitious, we are collecting colours and such for it now.

… they wear Squeakers

Add in a yummy birthday dinner of Ken’s favourites and we managed a pretty spiffy day! 

Big girl!