NOTE this is being posted on the 15th and I just want to send out a prayer to all those involved in the bombings in Boston. The world we live in is such an amazing and at times scary place…

April 9-11

Some days are special days and some days we MAKE special… today after a successful (with only a few glitches) morning I put the girls to nap and let the boys Minecraft it up with minimum fuss for once!

Working together

Of course first we had to learn all about penguins… our second book for the day was National Geographic Science Readers: Penguins by Anne Schreiber. Penguins really are one of the most interesting birds. And today we found out WHY they are black on their backs (to hide them from predators from above) and white on their stomachs (to make them hard to spot when fishing!).

Our informational brochure type thing

We had a video covering the career and death of Captain Cook… apparently there is no clear answer as to WHY he was murdered… killed… whatever… Thanks to Crash Course World History. A little over their heads but enjoyable all the same.

Gavin and Emanuel assembled an ice box off of our Mr. Popper’s Penguins lapbook.

It is hard to see but Emanuel made the penguin (he is pro) and Gavin cut out the ice cubes.

We also had a phone call from Grandma on her trip down Route 66… assembly line phone call!

Pass that phone!

And since apparently winter is not willing to let go… we had snow themed pages in our brand new nature journals.

Back to snow

For some unknown reason this is the window of choice!

The middle of the week was definitely not a sunny spring day… however that did not stop us from learning even more about penguins. This time we made clay ones to go into our tiny refrigerator with the clay food.

Penguins on parade

We had a fun second story in the form of the book Little Penguin The Emperor of Antartica by Jonathon London. This time instead of reflecting on the story itself the 3 boys worked together to create their own little story.

Penguin Book

We made fingerprint pneguins…

CUTE!!

Then the boys snuck off on me to do Lincoln Logs…

A little city…

With our Mr. Popper’s Penguins the boys re-enacted a phone call in our chapter… too cute!

hilarious

The boys went and played with the neighbours. In the process of learning the proper catch and throwing techniques Gavin’s cheek got in the way! He was just fine about it though.

Ouch

Thursday marked a rather massive amount of spring snow… so of course the twins had to go out and play in it for a while.

Super sticky snow

Our second book of the day was by an author we really enjoy – Antoinette Portis (Not a Box) called A Penguin Story. This time the 3 boys (Trinity refused) drew their own adorable penguins and we stapled that together to be a mini book.

Adorable penguins

Here is how our weather ENDED on these 3 says of SPRING…

Seriously???

We did a Wild Kratts that was appropriate for our theme if only because these are animals that are MISTAKENLY showed with Penguins – Polar Bears and the Walrus are NORTH Pole critters… the Penguins SOUTH of the equator!

Such art!

So our 3 days have been filled with Penguin learning and snow… I think the kids don’t believe me that it is spring anymore!!!

We DO have some birds though!

Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot is a Christian period romance about a mail order bride and her trip to her new life. Nothing is simple in the life of Sarah. Left destitute after the death of her parents, Sarah is dependent on the composer of her Paper Roses (letters). With her toddler aged sister Thea in hand she has left everything behind with the hope of a fairy tale ending only to make it to her destination with the knowledge that her fiance is dead.

Left to mourn her would be husband is his father and brother. With the questions unanswered in the death of Austin, widower Clay is left behind to mourn and wish for revenge on the murderer of his beloved brother. Sarah sees this as her only option and with her own secrets and fractured relationship with God she and Clay have much growth and forgiveness and mercy to apply for.

This is the first in the Texas Dreams series and is a lovely inspirational story. The romance is slow in building, the mystery rather interesting and the characters variable and interesting. If you are looking for a faith based book set in the old West… this could be the book for you!

Paper Roses

Happy Victoria Day everyone (ok somewhat belatedly but I am trying here). And with that we are a family back together… well sort of. Ken found that the internets here were intermittent and not working for him for work so come evening he left us for greener pastures at Sharon and Darryl’s but not, thankfully, until AFTER the girls had their bath and hair washed. 

Anyway, Victoria Day… Not a full day off for Ken as a holiday in CANADA not the US. But in the morning Ken and most of the kids took Gypsy for her morning stroll. It was a rather nice day in fact. This was the first time Ken ever walked Gypsy and it went quite well. 

Seeing off the troops

Breakfast in the highchair

We worked on some more school stuff for our duotangs, I emptied more of the van and stored it all away and of course we played. That fenced backyard, toy shed, sandbox AND a dog… bliss for our 5! 

Fun in the backyard

Baby in the wagon

Once Echo fell asleep for her afternoon nap Trinity and I got all packed up and walked to Co-Op which was thankfully open on a holiday Monday. We wandered the aisles… picked up food for supper AND got a cookie at the bakery! Chocolate chip for a very well behaved girl. Of course after that we had to stop off across the street at 7-11 to make sure that there IS a free slurpee day coming up (Wednesday) and then in turn pick up a slurpee to share. 

Ready for our walk

The rest of the afternoon was spent at home with the kids running Gypsy to happy exhaustion. The day was perfect for outdoor fun.

Little Sunshine... she went out too but first a snack

After supper Ken and I packed the kids up (and the dog) and went to the park that is just down the street from the house. There were two other kids there (a boy and a girl) and the kids made instant friends. I ran the dog back and forth on the green to keep her off the sand and the kids. She is still very timid around new people at times. 

ZOMG a picture of ME!

We stayed until the clouds blew in and the wind started to pick up, we really didn’t want to be caught in any rain and the baby was getting fussy. So it was time to say good bye and head back for baths and bed.

Pushing her own stroller

And I can’t forget the turtle Emanuel made for us out of the clay! He took inspiration off the one on the box (thus the details in the legs) and of course her eggs.

A most amazing turtle

Tuesday was rainy, VERY rainy… Ken took some of the kids for the morning walk with the dog… while they were out and about enjoying the rain Echo and I took pictures.

Sweet Pea

With attitude

What is there to do at Grandma’s on a rainy day? Why… play GOLF!

GOLF

This of course was later documented in the boys’ duotangs…What is Mommy to do? Sort her purse out, and boy did I need to!

All of that did NOT go back into the purse

The each did a picture dealing with the Weather. Zander has decided to do a daily weather report like is on tv. Three boxes for the day with an image to represent the weather and then the temperature listed as well. Even Emanuel got in on schoolwork with copying some words that relate to the stuff the boys are working on. 

Weather work with the Weather Channel

Emanuel and his words

Basically an indoor sort of day, even Gypsy was less than enthused with the great outdoors… I guess kids AND dog hate sitting in the wet grass to play and of course in the rain the sandbox is off limits! But what a great way to start the week: schoolwork, doggy time and various entertaining activities! And tomorrow… we finally CATCH UP the blog! 

And one more for the cuteness factor