November 18-20

We started our week with the final excavation of our Egyptian treasure. Very Pharaoh oriented!

We learned about clipping coupons for our grocery unit. I am not sure they really understood what the deals were that they clipped BUT they did know that it was a good thing and could save you money to get more food or better things. Oh and that they expire.

Our Thanksgiving themed craft was thanks to Activity Village… A Thanksgiving Tree made using our hands! You can find the activity HERE. Anything that works to remind us how we need to appreciate what and who is in our lives is on the list for our Thanksgiving unit. Last year we worked on the actual history, this year we are working on the EMOTION behind the holiday.

That new computer set up sure is coming in handy with our new rule of no games until after 3pm. Lots of grouping together to work on games. We just need to find a way to get them some sound!

We had an amazing package show up on our doorstep from Sharon in Canada. She sent the kids all they need for a movie (Turbo) and cookie night and yours  truly some of her favourite chocolate bars – Coffee Crisp!!!!!

Our Tuesday had us separated into TWO groups – Echo and myself for our quiet morning at home with cartoons, cleaning and crochet…

And the rest with Nana and Daddy in tow went to their fieldtrip at Herb’s Service Station where Nana used to work.

They had a blast, everything from fixing tires to checking out the carwash to riding on the lift! What a treat! They ended it with hot chocolate and were home for school in the afternoon.

On the Wednesday the kids had another chance to learn with Nana and helped her make cookies from scratch. There are so many opportunities to learn from other people out there and when we have the chance we just have to grab it – not only did they read the recipe, help measure and mix but they also were able to spend special time with their Nana!

Of course we had school to do as well. Emanuel is now able to read to others some… it is amazing to see two of the kids sitting together and enjoying a good book!

I ended my day with a little festive drink. Ken and I got a mini date – a solo run to Sam’s Club for groceries and I was able to grab a small container (1L) of egg nog. I am the only adult in the house who likes it, but with a little milk added both Echo and Trinity enjoy a sip or two!

Definitely an excellent beginning half of a week! 

For all resource links please check out the entry “Saint Patrick’s Day Resources“.

March 15-17

Friday marked the end of our St. Patrick’s Day unit with a video (one of 3 in a series though interest did not hold for all 3 this year) on Hurling, a popular sport in Ireland.

I am so proud of the boys where BOTH managed 100% on their spelling tests! Clean slate on Monday with all new words is always a good thing.

Emanuel used two wonderful sets of dinosaur heads as his Friday colouring pages. Both by Zakafreakarama. HERE and HERE. We are so glad we came upon this artist on deviantArt. His works is so clean!

We finished our chapter book – Lindsay the Luck Fairy… AND did copy work from the Julie Andrews poetry book.

We did a layered book with this one

With our copy work.

We had all that snow coming down so the twins decided they must work on building something grander than the neighbour kids… it is amazing how sticky the snow was!

Busy Boys

We finally found time for our finger painting craft. Thanks to Art for Kids!

We are so not dirty hands people other than in dirt so this was a stretch, but fun

We had to make orange too, so had a great conversation about colour mixing.

Completed

Saturday was an at home day, after a bunch of snow coming down and the weather warming and cooling so much it was just too icy to go places or have people over. With only 2 weekends left before Nana and Baba return we were hoping we could get in some more visiting. While people do come over here when Ken’s parents are here, it is nice to have that feeling of just us and friends once in a while. The kids are excited that they will be home soon though!

We finished up our special poster for St. Patrick’s Day. I think we did  rather good job! Assembly is half the fun and we had stickers to add and markers to write words. Now we move onto Easter and a lapbook…

We added a few more words after this photo but a poster to be proud of!

Of course we set our leprechaun trap!

Trap is set

That brings us to St. Patrick’s Day with our sneaky Leprechaun being a CANADIAN one! It left our dear ones quarters AND a Coffee Crisp bar!

So close

I lucked out and we found 3 green shirts of varying shades… add to that two that we picked up for the girls and we had some rather spiffy looking children. Trinity even wore her green headband. And yours truly a green shirt. We were VERY festive.

All in Green (Zander left)

Cheese

Ken actually spoiled them with daddy time and they all played together on Minecraft. We have been trying more and more to make it so Ken is not just around morning and bedtime and seeing just the disciplinarian part of stuff. This working out of home has definitely been an adjustment.

Supper with a touch of green

And with that we have covered St. Patrick’s Day, except for a follow up on Monday and definitely had some quality family time! I, of course, will follow this post with the resource post AND link all the pages back to it like I have other. I hope these pages come in handy to someone!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

December 21-22

Finishing up the school week right before such a major holiday is a bit of a task but amazingly enough all the kids woke up Friday morning as ready and willing as I was to get things done. Before noon we had ALL our paper work finished up, pictures sorted, words printed… Talk about a surprise – BOTH twins got 100% on their spelling tests!!!

100%!!

Emanuel and his number line

We didn’t make it to BAKING cookies… but we did make dough… from scratch, in Nana’s mixer (yup Ken is drooling over that one)… the kids loved watching that work.

Working together

Reading the recipe

BUT amazingly enough I FINALLY figured out how to use the timer on the camera (one year later) and so the kids and I played around a bit with that after we did up their carols! It was a little crazy, somewhat silly and totally THEM!

Post concert picture (Gavin in red)

And then with Daddy when he got home from errands

Ken and the kids also finally found the time and supplies to make a pin hole camera… well two actually. Here are the instructions we used off of Activity Village.

the image inside one of our cameras. We made one with the lid in the middle and one without. Both work!

Our cameras

We got a package from Canada as well…  from the Bleau family – with COFFEE CRISP chocolate bars! Oh and Puss in Boots the movie among other things. BUT Sharon and Ken have conspired to ration my chocolate bars for me… hopefully Ken will be kind! Of course we had to watch Puss in Boots before bed! 

Guilty Pleasure

There was tons to get done on Saturday, well for the adults at least. Ken and his parents worked on a family tradition – home made cabbage rolls. Ken is writing out the recipe for future holidays!

Working with his parents

Putting them in the portable oven

The kids and Nana put up the window clings together. Even Echo got in on the decorating. 

Window Clings

The rest

Of course we had to kick the kids out into the sunshine to play in the snow for a while.

SNOW

I put the boys in charge of making most of the cookies from our nicely chilled cookie dough. I love watching them work together. 

Bakers

We are really getting to the end of the Christmas preparation. There are TWO trees full of presents, refrigerators filled right up and the kids are beyond excited! And tomorrow we get to DECORATE the cookies! Butter icing for the win! OH and a success on the reading – we were watching Gnomeo and Juliet with Nana and Baba before bed. There was a spot where a character talks “like a samurai” and a short line was printed on the bottom of the screen… THE TWINS READ IT!!! Without struggles or problems!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!

Dressed for singing