I have had a break today… I swear there should be angels singing and everything! But (she) Chris was sweet enough to make the trip into the city in her new old  car to take me out and spend some quality girly shopping time. We looked at scrapbooking supplies (she is wanting to get started with it) and wandered through Michaels. I lucked out and got myself a scrapbook album for 5.00 (a 12X12) for a future gift. I also got another length of the ice cream cone ribbon I used on Echo’s Easter dress. Now I have enough to FOR SURE make Trinity a matching barrette to Echo’s headband.

We stopped in for lunch at Extreme Pita (a super treat for me), and went to the fruit and veg store – after all strawberries were on for 5.99 for 8lbs. So the boys are happy. With a final stop off at Dollarama to get toothbrushes for the boys. I came across a mini display of Kai Lan toys… I kept myself in check and ONLY got a little Kai Lan without any of her friends. The Kai Lan that Trinity got from Chris and Chris last year has an oversized  head and is more of a snuggly bedtime toy. So I got the little one to give her later as a fit in her backpack or travel bag kind of dolly. Though next time I am there I am SURE if they have more I will get her another one.

We got back home in time for Chris to get in some baby love time before she needed to head home. I needed this break from the family so badly. I feel much more… ME now. Which is good!

Hanging with Aunty Chris

While I was gone Gavin got creative with the Legos in the basement! This piece is a dog!

A dog!

Zander focused his attention at the kitchen table and busted out the last of his storybook. 3 pages all complete. Now we have TWO stories to laminate and store for our move! I am so proud of them both.

Note Zander's version of musical notes

Final 2 pages

We said good bye to Frogger today (well we TOLD the kids they didn’t SEE the frog). He was ok and then 2 days ago just went sort of… odd. By last night we were rather sure Frogger was no more and today 100% sure. Zander shed a few tears but was consoled by the knowledge that he could help daddy clean up our fish tank. For some reason our fish have done BETTER in a messy tank but we cannot move it with the messy gravel. As soon as it moves the stuff in the bottom would inundate the water with nasty. I think the plan is to look into getting a furry pet once we are settled in the new place.

We worked on our math books today. Zander somewhat stubbornly and Gavin with a full in intention to get through this book and onto the grade 2 one. I have promised him that we will pick up his next workbook before we leave the city. I think we need to find some fun worksheets and activities to work on our counting by 2, 3, 5 and 10… we are not quite clicking on that one. What has surprised me is Zander’s willingness to sound out as many words as he can and all over the place: on recipes, books, containers, everywhere.

Working in a sun beam

We are loving the spring weather and then some. I think next week we will take a whole day off of the organized schooling and let them run out the day in the backyard. I still have the outside craft box accessible so if the day isn’t windy they are good to go!

Fun in the backyard

I officially have homework for over the weekend. Our family history sheets came from the genetic testing lab. There is quite a lot to go through and I want to be absolutely sure I get EVERYTHING. We plan on calling our parents if needed, though I think I am rather clear on my side of things. I had to do a lot of this leg work when we found out we were having twins and were sent to a specialist for the pregnancy.

Now to get back to tidying, packing, homework and other “fun” things.

Working on her phonics by watching Word World.

So the zoo was… chilly and for some reason the drop in program was not going on. BUT one of the zoo keepers was nice enough to bring out an armadillo for us to touch and learn about! And she let us know that she had to turn the lights on in the nocturnal area long enough to put it back and waited until we could get there so we could see the critters in there with the lights on for a couple minutes. The kids felt that that was even MORE fun than seeing frogs (after all we have one at home – which they of course alerted the zoo keeper to… actually Frogger has been nice enough to shed his skin the past couple days which has illustrated another of the things we learned about frogs).

Meeting the armadillo - this is the only breed that closes itself entirely into a ball!

Three-Banded Armadillo

We stopped by the lemurs (as per our usual pattern). Where the red chested lemur was nice enough to sit right up at the glass and have a peek at everyone. We also go an amazing picture of one of the little monkeys (don’t ask me which one it was). It sat there and watched the kids forever!

Too darn cute!

The Arctic foxes were out in their white coats confusing the kids who expected them to be in their summer colours. There is going to be a new polar display next winter that is supposed to be state of the art. We are planning on coming back into the city for that one upon its completion.

Arctic Fox

It was chilly and we were definitely not there overly long but it was worth it with our passes. I want to heave over to the conservatory early in March and back to the zoo at least two more times before we have our leisure passes expire. I think we have done a good job of using them, though we have not been swimming. I want to head back to mom’s and go with her to the pool there. It is rather kid friendly.

Zander, Gavin, Emanuel and Trinity

Echo asleep

Mommy and Trinity

So yesterday was a rather quiet day for us, lots of cleaning and Ken working on projects with upcoming deadlines. I started making the lucky stars for Anna for her first birthday. I have a jar left over from the set I bought for Trinity’s first birthday to fill for now. (I got them at IKEA, I think they are spice jars) I am not sure if I have enough papers for both girls BUT I have alerted Ken to the fact that all I need is around 2-3 dollars to order more so if he has a credit card with little or no on it to pass it my way.

Beginning stars

I did get another barrette done. This one is the Easter Bunny and the instructions can be found here. My bunny is a bit thinner than the example but cute all the same. I am going to tweak it some once I get some more white grosgrain ribbon. All I have is a more satin type and it does not hold form as nicely as the grosgrain. Tons of steps on this one and I used fabric glue for the eyes (we will see how that holds). But the result is CUTE.

Bunny Clip

For the first time ever the boys are ALL asking for winter to be over. And these are the kids that were asking for snow in JULY! I think we are all a little weary of the cold and the ice. I know I would love to be able to  get out the door without having to figure in about 15 min to make sure everyone is bundled up, boots on the correct feet and blankets in hand if needed,

I am a bit worn out myself after today’s zoo experience in the cold and then Ken being gone for the rest of the afternoon helping Nathan and Ada to move to their new apartment (they didn’t move everything but have another week to do that yet). The kids were wired for sound when the three little ones were not asleep. Thank goodness it is QUIET in the house at night. Now if only all the carseats and the two middle seats from the van WEREN’T in the middle of my livingroom… grr.

Dinner tonight - with spices from Ted (his dad brought here from Ethiopia) talk about delicious.

We are having a froggy kind of day today. And after last night it is a guardedly happy one… I was cleaning in the livingroom while baking the sugar cookies for the party on Saturday and chanced to look into Frogger’s tank. Talk about HEART ATTACK… he was UPSIDE DOWN… now for some people that may not be an issue but Frogger’s short lived and highly lamented froggy buddy went that way. We left for Mom’s on the 23rd of December and came back on Christmas Eve to one frog upside down and very much DEAD! Now keep in mind that today is our last day of Frogger observations and you can imagine how freaked out this mommy was.

So Frogger has caused more than a little trauma amongst the elders of this family. We were already talking about what to do about his demise, should we show the boys? What do we do about a replacement pet – is our luck just too bad to do so? When I walked BACK past the frog only to see him swimming around happily and floating mid tank as African Aquatic Frogs seemingly do! You can only imagine the bad words teasing my mind to be let out. And then to add insult to injury when we did our frog observations this afternoon he had the audacity to be SITTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK DOING NOTHING!!!! Bah!

Frogger

Frog time was nicely interrupted by an extended session of play in the backyard. Minus the snowpants and all! Gavin’s winter jacket is holding onto the stains from the paint he got on it from a drive home carrying his Sunday School craft so I had to being out Emanuel’s spare jacket for him. (we are so luck TWO families gifted us with their outgrown winter clothes in his size. I don’t think people realize how much that helps us out!) The weather is absolutely lovely today. A balmy +3 Celsius here in central Alberta. It is not supposed to drop below -10 Celsius until next Tuesday!

Gavin and Zander with snowman

The timing for their outside play was wonderful – corresponding nicely with the younger 3’s much needed naps. Of course a night still somewhat interrupted had me sleeping in this morning and the boys watching Cyberchase and Word World with Daddy. It looks like glasses will be a tomorrow thing as Ken is driving my Uncle Wayne to his eye appointment nearby (for eye dilation), perfect timing for Zander and Ken to head to OUR glasses place to get the new specs.

We started something new with Miss Echo yesterday – a straw cup of water! We figured since added fluids (HEALTHY fluids) are not a bad thing why not! She has yet to quite get the hang of the straw but we are considering it a work in progress. These little cups have come a long way since we got them for Emanuel or Trinity. If you gently squeeze the cup a little bit of water comes up the straw for her… AND when you flip the cover for the straw IT STAYS CLOSED!!! My biggest beef with all previous cups was that either failing or being too hard to slide either way.

Sippy Smiles

Right now all the boys want to work on workbook wise is MATH. The deal was once they finished the comprehension section in their gr. 1 overview book they could continue on with their big book AND work on a smaller book on their own. I am still a little shocked and impressed that Gavin was so easily able to count up to 105 with minimal prompting when we did our dot-to-dot. I am hoping this trend continues. Right now we are looking for all of our strengths and focusing on those while still working on the other stuff. After all if every day we accomplish something GREAT the harder stuff feels a little less desperate! Our reading IS coming along but at times we just have to walk away in frustration and come back later.

Math work (Gavin is on the bigger book)

We are trying to decide how to spend Family day (February 21st). I don’t want to stay home just us 7 but don’t want to go out and do something that is going to cost a lot of money. So far one of the options is a Chinese New Year themed event put on by the China Institute which is part of the University of Alberta. I am not completely sold on that one but it is an option.

Tonight the plan is to finish the tutu, all except the waist which is waiting on ribbon that Ken is picking up tomorrow, then to prep the frog stuff that needs assembly for placement in our lapbook. I will share a picture of the tutu tomorrow. I finished the sugar cookies last night and plan on icing them later tonight or tomorrow, maybe baking a batch of applesauce muffins with the applesauce I made up last night… so of course lots to do… which means I need to sign off and do it!

So much snow! (Zander left)