February 11-12

Time to finish off Chinese New Year… Zander and Gavin each finished up their studies with writing out some of the things they learned about the celebration on pages with year of the snake themed borders. They also each drew their own special cobra… the instructions were found on Art for Kids as a special Chinese New Year offering. Added to each picture is the Chinese characters for Snake. Not a bad finishing touch.

Gavin and his snake

I lucked out and came across TWO shows for the boys to watch the night before. The movie Mulan (which they then drew something in their journals about) and a FoodNetwork special on making a full out Chinese New Year meal. We learned a few interesting things from that second show:

1. fish in Mandarin is the same words as abundance
2. dumplings symbolize wealth
3. roast chicken symbolizes togetherness and prosperity
4. long noodles symbolize longevity

Emanuel got creative with the Legos… He made his very own McDonald’s counter… giant M and all.

“M”

The counter

I attempted the heart shaped cupcakes with a less than amazing result… still yummy but NOT heart shaped. With lovely whipped icing everyone was content with them anyway.

Gavin and his snack

The weather has worked in our favour BOTH days what with the storm warning over and all the lovely snow that resulted from it. So the kids have been out enjoying, shoveling, getting wet… I had to throw all the gear into the dryer after Tuesday’s fun in the sun… so much melt off from the roof!

First

Putting them to work

It was a nice day out and they all got a little damp

I have to share a sort of dinosaur related video that Trinity and Emanuel assure me is AWESOME!

Tuesday was right into Valentines Day with all the worksheets and hearts and colouring.

Dot to Dot

We also made our monthly poster – I am having the kids make one a month for the whole year. I write out the name of  the month and then each kid draws something they see or do that month!

February

Since it was Shrove Tuesday I gave pancakes a try again on the gas stove with much better results! At least the kids were pleased.

Chowing down

Not a bad work up to Valentine’s Day… and a completing of something special from Chinese New Year.

We also pulled out the micro remote control cars from Alan and Xinny.

Insomnia is never a good thing and on a Sunday night it certainly leads to a messed up Monday! Thankfully Ken was able to compensate and I got some sleep around 7am while the kids did their spelling, drawing and outside play. What we did accomplish was TWO crafts! I had been waiting to do these for over a week and am so glad we were finally able to assemble everything and get them done. 

Letters first

First was the Fairy Loom or Autumn Loom if you like. We used branches from back when Ken and his dad took down the trees in the backyard. They were easily cut down to make nice Y shapes. The boys did the stick hunting… And then we used some of the yarn that was laying around… this is a very thin yellow I have not found a use for… perfect for creating our woven framework.  Add in some pretty leaves and bright coloured feathers I got at Michaels with a coupon and there you are! 

Cutting down the branches

Weaving the thread

Adding feathers and leaves

Looms!

We had a lovely conversation about how many fairies are going to come and enjoy our looms, whether or not they will dance in the night time and what they would look like. I love imagination and belief in the magical world around us! Trinity especially was sure they would love to sit and play on the feathers!

Apparently Fairies love bright coloured leaves!

Our second craft was a family one for our school corner in the basement. We made a wreath of all our hands. The boys helped each other and Emanuel to trace their hands and they cut out their own. We all wrote our name on our own hands and then Ken glued them onto a circular piece of paper. I think they turned out really nice!

Tracing hands

The final product

Of course we did our usual book work and spelling etc. but really the lack of sleep didn’t work in our favour. We tried a recoup on Tuesday, BUT due to an accident on the weekend, we couldn’t pick up our school supplies until that morning. I am so appreciative! A mother who is still on an egroup I joined here in Minnesota is done schooling – her kids are in college (I like that – homeschooling kids IN COLLEGE!) so she was looking to get rid of the last of her supplies. Well, this family is in need of expanding, so we drove out to Minneapolis and collected what she no longer needed. For our 40 min drive we got to see some pretty residential areas AND get a lovely pile of new supplies, some for later years but a whole box of stuff that will work for us immediately, games… some math manipulatives… books… again I am so grateful! We really cannot afford to go out and buy buy buy so these little bits and pieces are going to supplement what we do have and help us lead on in new directions! 

Supplies!! Thank you so much!

When we got back it was time for spelling and general busy work. Trinity tried her new binder on for size and really enjoyed tracing her finger on the numbers and colouring her A page. I really like this notebooking set. Some of the pages are in sleeves for the dry erase marker and some she is colouring herself permanently. I am going to assemble the elementary version as well once I have some spare time… and another binder! She was so proud to have her own book though! We did not do all the activities but did as many as we had attention for. You can find that downloadable HERE. 

Dry erase markers with the numbers

Trinity has this little princess book she brought down when we moved that has a few crafts and such in it. There was instructions as to how to make a crown… well this is HER interpretation of what she saw. I don’t think that it is wearable as a crown but to hang up… quite possible!!! 

A crown

It just happened that Trinity and Echo were wearing coordinating dresses, so of course we took some pictures!

Girls together

Now we sent the boys outside to collect the sticks that were left under the deck… our hope is that we can get all of the branches and leaves cleaned up and either stacked for wood or in the proper receptacle before Ken’s parents return. They got pretty well all of it to the front and Ken spent some time getting pieces chopped down to manageable sizes.  All in time for our evening plans – cupcakes and supper (spaghetti) with Quinn, Bree and Scott.

Supper with the kids

With her US god daddy Scott

We had a mini celebration of belated birthday for Echo. I baked a dozen cupcakes and a little cake with a cherry chip mix and then with a coupon got a container of icing for around 50 cents!! So we could let the kids help with the icing and sprinkles when it was time to eat. Bree made us cheese bread (yum!) and brought some more adult cupcakes (decadent). So we had dinner, desert and visiting. It was so much fun!

Decorating cupcakes

And then… we got to keep Quinn! Sleepover!!!

Ready for bed

So a great day!!! I am not sure how much schooling we will get done tomorrow but time with a friend and playing and sharing is legitimate learning too – sharing, caring, cooperation… all GREAT skills!!!   I will leave you with my two completed projects to date! TWO scarves… I am pleased with these!!!

Completed

A weekend with the Reinsch-Johnson family NEVER goes as planned. We HAD thought to meet up with Steven and Quinn in the afternoon on Saturday for play time and picnic type foods. Sadly, Steven got called into work (sad for us, great for his pocket book) and by the time he was done his shift he was too worn out to meet up. What do to do with the day instead? Well… spend time with Ken NOT on the computer! After a week of Ken working on code for jobs and on the phone for interviews (2 in 2 weeks!) we were all feeling the lack of time with him. 

So we packed everyone up and headed out, first to mail off our intent to home school forms, complete with immunization records at the post office which closed at noon and then to the park! The kids were off and running as soon as the vehicle was parked and the seatbelts removed. They had a blast climbing, sliding, running… we really needed that time out without a string of errands to go with it. 

Digging

Swinging

Sliding

After some park time Ken figured what was better than checking out the walking path? So, we did! Sadly our walk included a dead bird but we managed to work through it (and walk AROUND it) and check out the grasshoppers (plentiful), leaves (everywhere) and trees (some cut down and left and one HUGE one marked for cutting that was noticeably dead).

Walking

We ended up in a little neighbourhood at the end of a path. There were some dogs to see (one with an invisible fence, a first for me) and some interesting vehicles and such and then we realized we could not find the path that continued on the way back to the park so we had to turn back and back track. 

We wore ourselves and the kids out and then headed to the stores for some groceries (Ken and Emanuel scouted out some sales for us) and Michaels to check out the teacher discount. Apparently they do not give out a card but rather have you bring in proof. Not something super simple as the proof I have is my intent to home school forms. BUT we managed and I picked up some more crafty bits (on sale or super cheap to begin with). Just a few more items and I have some rather cool crafts to create with the kids! I have to say, I prefer Jo-Ann’s for yarn (more selection) and crafty kits (again more selection). 

There was even time to wash out the pop bottles we need for a craft I have in mind for the kids to do. Lots of soapy water OUTSIDE.

Sudsing it up

We followed up our Saturday with a Sunday with the Novaks. We did NOT make it to church – we are just not organized enough as well as needing to have Ken home to code lately and working on that job hunt has slowed our search for a new congregation to join. I am hoping we can make to the church that the Novaks belong to and try it on for size some time really soon. 

Anyway, instead we tidied, got the kids ready and ran to Target for birthday cupcakes (belated) for Echo to share with the kids. Ken even went out of his way to get us out of the house with enough time to spare for me to stop by Jo-Ann’s with coupons in hand to purchase TWO balls of yarn for myself to create my OWN project… a… scarf of course. A friend on Facebook asked if it was a Cat in the Hat scarf… oops! I was going for Canadian/Valentine’s Day/Christmas colours… but that works too! I almost bought a sparkly blue to add to the mix but red white and blue just didn’t work for me. 

A beginning of my personal project

After our shopping trip it was time to head to the Novak’s and then onto the soccer game. Another one of Anthony’s in his new league. There were not enough kids in Anthony’s age range to create a team so he was moved up to the older kids. He really did hold his own. Sadly, they did NOT win but the little kids had a blast at the nearby park and the adults (with Andy there and all!), Echo and Andrew enjoyed the game. 

Running drills

Action shot

It was a lovely sunny day and I not only got to finish the actual crocheting of Ken’s scarf but put my red and white yarn into balls for my next project. Add in a tiny soccer ball for Echo to kick, some snacks and good friends and we had a wonderful afternoon. It was great to have (big) Andy there, we have seen so little of him since we moved down here. He and Ken have been friends since elementary school! 

In the sun

After the game we went back to the Novak’s for the rest of the day. Hot dogs and brats for supper… good company and… CUPCAKES for Echo! Target has some really yummy ones that are a good price. We didn’t do the candle and song and still she cried… until Andrew helped her out with her cupcake.

Not too happy belated birthday girl

Soothed by cupcake

We stayed past 8pm when the kids had to get ready for their bedtime routine and Echo had already voluntarily crawled up on Ken to nap. So I think we managed to fill our Sunday with joy, friendship and celebration. Just what we needed. AND we have planned a Tuesday cupcake get together with Quinn and his family here at home so the fun continues! I am hoping we can plan more get togethers with people… more games to see and more moments of joy with others.

Hanging with the Daddies