Tag Archive | NASA

Thank-you’s are Important

November 13-14

Another round of thankful children… or at least I HOPE this is helping them stop and realize how much they DO have to be thankful for! I know that through all the ups and downs of the past 3+ years I am much more appreciative of what I DO have!

Trinity: my family

Emanuel: for the beach

Gavin: for Jesus dying for us

Zander: Having clothes to wear so I don’t have to be naked outside.

That turkey’s tail is growing

We are having minor issues with the kids being up before us and being loud! I tried having them finish their word searches (the twins) that were left over from the day before and that seems to be helping. I think we need a special box of early morning activities to let the early risers in the family keep busy and those who need a little more sleep (like the 3rd man out in the bedroom from time to time) get it. The little ones did enjoy colouring at the blue table after breakfast though! Emanuel got his Thanksgiving feel on with these colouring pages HERE.

Colouring time

We are without colour toner so unable to do the last part of the website we have been working from HERE. But, we did talk about what we know for sure and what is important to share with people about the event. I may go back and print out the last assignment as a group once we DO have toner.

The weather is still gorgeous and fall like here for the most part so of course there was time for the boys to run outside while the girls coloured with their Colour Wonder paper. Echo loves sitting with her big sister!

Spending time together

Each day brings new thought on what there is to be thankful for! and Wednesday was no exception…

Zander: the zebras and lions

Gavin: the earth

Emanuel: Mommy

Trinity: seashells because they are my favourite

The turkey is a family favourite

Emanuel got to open his newest Little Passports on Wednesday. Now the race is on to supplement it with some more information on Brazil. I have some links I have found to share when we cover this mini unit.

We did ANOTHER advanced copy kids’ review. This one a great story in a series about teddy bears. You can read the kids’ thoughts HERE. I went back to Netgalley and requested another stack of children’s books. A couple were instant download so keep an eye peeled, as long as I have them we will post one a day! Anything we can do to foster reading, or listening to stories is a total bonus for us! In fact, Gavin is my top reader this month and determined to earn his November pizza coupon!

Working hard

Don’t forget our poem… a daily practice has us all memorizing and nearly ready to record!

So cute

Ken had borrowed a video about NASA and the early space program from Cory so we had the kids watch a portion of it together. The plan is for them to do a creative and related project with Ken the following week!

Movie time

So all in all a good 2 days. With the normal ups and downs of course!!

Echo escorting Pocoyo and Hello Kitty on their date (we think permission was gotten from the Groovy Girls to use their car!)

Winding Down the Week

Winding down the week had us with one busy day (Thursday) and one rather laid back one (today). So let’s start with Thursday and our accelerated morning of schooling… with good reason! We had plans with Gavin’s god-daddy (Cory) to go walking and enjoying the park. We went back to the same park we went to with Nana, Baba and the cousins. This time without suits with the intention to  go for a walk and then heading to the park to play before a picnic. 

Along the path

We are still learning to judge the weather here… so it was a bit of a surprise when the weather turned out to be MUCH warmer than we expected. The kids were not entirely enamoured with the idea of having to go for the walk in the first place. Especially since you park right in front of the PLAY PARK. But we adults persevered and we went around a portion of the walking loop. Emanuel ran to check each sign we passed (I think a grand total of two) and we even had a discussion about how weeds  that are not stopped by being pulled out or poisoned grow to be HUGE. There was a patch of what they at first assumed to be sunflowers that were quite impressive. 

With Mommy

By the time we got to the park it was very clear that the day was nice and warm. So off Ken went to head BACK to the house to collect our swimsuits. I really need to keep those in the van… leaving Cory and myself to supervise the fab 5. While playing in the sand they found a bucket and digging tool. I was so proud of them, since there was no other kids there and no one to claim the toys I said they COULD play with them until someone came to claim them or we left. When that DID occur they were so swift to give it back I didn’t even have to pressure them and Zander said he was GLAD the boy had gotten back his toys. He figured he would have been sad to have lost them. 

The park

By the time Ken returned with the suits everyone was hot and sweaty and ready for water. A quick change into suits later and into the water they went with Cory, myself and Echo standing watch in the wake. 

So serious!

Floating kids

We were just winding down on the play in the water when it started to sprinkle and then POUR! We quickly packed up and made it to the enclosure for lunch – cheese and crackers and meat with grapes and pretzels and juice pouches… yum! And that is where yours truly got her first experience with a (very small in hindsight) leech… on my toe… yes I DID freak… Seriously I am not too enthused about going back to that particular body of water any time soon. I HATE bugs. But I am proud of myself, I managed to keep my freak out mildly quiet and Cory was able to help me get it off my toe but EWWWWWW and thankfully NEITHER of the guys laughed at me… seriously totally NOT funny. 

In out of the rain

Anyway… once we ate, got changed and the kids did some running around at the park we were more than ready to head home. Not surprisingly Echo, Trinity, Ken, Cory and myself all ended up having naps. A great pick me up so that we were all ready for our next planned event… a bbq with Nana, Baba, Ann and Gary (family friends), Cory and his girlfriend Karen (not with a y). The kids ate early and watched movies and we visited well into the evening. It was a GREAT day!

Getting to know Karen, spinning the rubber jacks

Everyone was well worn out and I think we all woke up a little later than our norms. Not a bad thing at all! So today I had the boys look at a great FREE app I found while looking for an app on the Mars rover Curiosity. It is called Spacecraft 3D. There are two vehicles you can try out but we only got around to Curiosity. You have a sheet you need to print out that your camera focuses on and PRESTO you can play with Curiosity! I cannot wait until they add MORE vehicles. 

VERY cool

Another fun app we have on our iPad is the Skyview Free which superimposes the stars on what you see through your camera… and Starlight. This one is doubly neat as you can click on the planets or stars and read a blurb about them as well! Starlight is 99 cents (I think I got it on a free day) but Skyview is as it says… free. I love hunting for free apps… there are some real hidden gems. 

What else is there to do on a Friday with all our friends busy or at work? Well pack the family up into the van and do a little shopping. First a garage sale with a boardgame find and 5 matchbox cars. 3.50, so a good deal for all. Then off to Michaels to pick up some more of the needed list. AND to check the clearance section and find a hidden gem… a Dr. Seuss themed educational felt board set. 3.99 instead of 12.99. Then Walmart to get Echo’s birthday dress (3.00 photos to be taken on Monday!!)… a dress for Trinity (3.00) a movie (5.00) and erasers (50 cents)… there is a pair of jeggings (seriously!) for Echo BUT we realized halfway from home we got charged full price on something that was marked 1.00. Ken will go back for that later. 

Trinity trying the letters out

So I think we bought ONE thing for full price today – a squishy football that Echo fell in love with at Michaels… price… 1.00! Not bad not bad! It is time for a very quiet evening with Nana and Baba off to a movie. I am not sure what all the weekend will hold but there IS a meteor shower in the making I am told and the kids are begging for another lake visit… maybe a different lake to sooth mommy’s bug fearing soul??? Next thing to plan… celebrating Echo’s birth!!! 

I love this picture of Gavin and Cory