Tag Archive | Skylanders

Culture and Children…

For all of our Easter resources please refer to the blog entry titled “Easter Resources“.

March 20-21

CAN mix! It just takes a few extra adults and some strict corralling of the family kittens!! But first… Wednesday..

Easter learning continues with books books and more books… I just love doing a minimum of a book a day… The more I read the more they seem to want to read. Today was Piggy Bunnyby Rachel Vail.

Piggy Bunny

In honour of it being the first day of spring we WANTED to go on a walk looking for signs, but it was rather cold and snowy so instead I drew out a ground and a basic tree with a snow bank and said – MAKE IT SPRING…. did they ever!

Group project

Spring!!!

When finished the Spring poster Emanuel took initiative and drew me his own spring landscape! What they can do with paper and markers makes this Mommy VERY proud!

Emanuel in Spring

We also filled some time with games and cooperative play! I am told that Dora version Candy Land can get positively cut throat!!!

Zander and Emanuel

To round out the creative vibe… clay creations! Note the Triceratops!!

By Emanuel

The twins’ snakes

We actually started our Thursday out in the afternoon. Ken worked into the night on Wednesday to clear up time for us to spend out getting a few errands done the next day. I had coupons… so free undies at Victoria’s Secret. We had to sit and watch the Carousel of course. Which happens to be right near the ride. It is always fun to watch the horses go around. We even got adventurous and use up AND down escalators to get to the different levels of the mall! A first for Trinity for sure.

Watching the horses (Gavin left)

We had a run into JoAnn’s to grope the yarn… Echo really loves to touch it. And I stopped in Dollar Tree to get Nature Journals (can’t beat a dollar a piece). We are going to use them for nature walks as soon as the snow melts. Get fit, get fresh air and get to know the nature around us!!

With a stop at a Best Buy to check for a wanted (and saved for) Skylander (no luck) it was time to head to the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts. It was the third Thursday of the month so a busy day (oops) and they were opening a new exhibit (we didn’t make it there). So lots going on including a place that was cutting hair for free, a band (we all agreed TOO LOUD) and lots of people.

Yes, there was a harpist in one of the handicap stalls in a bathroom!

These pieces were from Ethiopia

We went with Shandai and Emily who are both quite well versed on the exhibits to see. Ken and I a figure we want to go on a NOT the 3rd Thursday (the only late night opening) and WITHOUT the kids to take in more of the art and less of the highlights. There was so much to see and enjoy though. I have to say, taking pictures without a flash as you should in an art museum without a tripod is trying. So not as sharp as our usual photos but you get the idea and we will go back tripod in hand! And maybe play with our camera settings a little??

Such a variety of pieces, there were even a few hands on tables with interpreters.

A moment with Aunt Shandai

I wish this picture had turned out better.. this was one of the period rooms and it was DARK!!!

…Me

ART

In the end Ken and the kids went to the family room, made friends and built things out off the toys they had there.

Building blocks

So much fun!

We have started our decorations for Easter with a pastel coloured paper chain… yes we do really love our paper chains in this family but it is such an affordable way to decorate AND work on patterns and colours and hand eye coordination.

Such pretty colours

We DID do some school work on Thursday – most notably was Gavin’s first foray into pastels thanks to Art for Kids. I love that now that his reading has improved he can navigate their archive and find the videos to watch and do on his own!

Shading

Though with our half day Friday is going to be busy with reading and drawing and all sorts of fun Easter themed stuff!!

Hard at work

Ending our Seuss Themed Learning Week

Mar5

For all our Dr. Seuss resources check out the blog entry: Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

March 1-3

Well, it has been 5 days of reading and learning with a Seuss theme… so what book did we end our focus on? Why Horton Hears a Who! Oh and I read them all Fox in Socks… next year it is KEN’s turn to do the tongue twisters. The kids got a laugh and a half out of it though so it was all worth it. We had Horton themed worksheets AND general Dr. Seuss themed ones to complete…

And then there was our quick run out to Michaels to get the beginnings of my Saint Patrick’s day necessities… the next big colour specific holiday (hmmm green paper chain anyone? An awesome way for the little ones to work with the big ones on patterns and careful stapler usage). And the folders we needed from Walmart so we could jump right in on assembly of our Dr. Seuss folders. I decided to go folders instead of binders and such just because of the bulk of our work being worksheets. A little different from a binder but the right colours for our theme. I love how each of the kids did a different colour scheme on their Cat in the Hat hat for the cover.

Absolutely Seussian

Adding to the Dr. Seuss party excitement is the fact that QUINN and Uncle STEVEN are coming too! A party is always more fun with a guest right? We brought out the Dr. Seuss felt board set that I got on clearance this past summer. The twins did up math equations for each other.

I am so in love with felt boards… I need to find an affordable large one for us!

I had to take advantage of a crochet link my cousin Veronika linked me and make a crown for Trinity! It was a super quick stitch… though I noticed AFTER that that she had an IMPROVED pattern for the princess crown… so guess what is next? Of course Echo wants one and there is baby Lily to Be who needs an Easter gift…

Pretty in pink

What do for lunch when you don’t have a strict plan? Ask the children… CEREAL!!!

Yum

We had a good and strong ending to our Dr. Seuss week! Which leads me to Saturday and our PARTY!!! Of course there are certain elements you MUST have to have a good party… decorations.. check (in themed colours), guests (Quinn and Steven)… check, and FOOD! Now we had a selection… One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish goldfish AND blue water jello with some fish as well (gummies), Cat in the Hat themed fruit (we had no skewers so I just lay them on the plate), marshmallows (because in The Lorax the movie he threw them to the animals), and Truffula trees made out of cotton candy and pretzels in chocolate cupcakes. We tried a drink but it didn’t really work quite right but we ate the fruit anyway after.

Our party set up

Most of the spread… less the eggs and ham

I wish that we had had all our colour toners… but they were readable

Trees!

But before all that was the morning errands… the twins and Ken had much needed hair cuts… then to Home Depot for the wood craft – making little cars and racing them… and then stopping at the library to drop off books and pick up my movie. Ken also had to grab some last minute supplies because for supper we had… GREEN eggs (well Ken tried) and ham.

The eggs took the colour way too easily

Our test subject with his new haircut

We had a change in plan early in the day and it went from a party to a party AND a sleepover! Talk about excitement!

Party time!

Cotton candy for the win

One Fish Two Fish RAINBOW Fish

The guys got in their boys time, but I simply could not pull off my visit. Lily to Be made sure her Mommy stayed home.

So it was just me and my little princesses

Guys at play

The kids’ version of gaming – Skylanders

They ended the day with Horton Hears a Who!

Movie time

Trinity and Quinn are officially best friends and bummed together all Saturday and then again on Sunday morning.

Racing cars

Best buddies

Sunday, after we said good bye to Steven and Quinn the Dr. Seuss fun continued with a visit to the Novak’s with our Truffula tree CAKE. Anthony helped me with the assembly.

Our cake

We had a great time just hanging out while the kids ran and played.

Snoopy!

: On the iPad together

Supper was chaotic and busy and totally yummy.

Anthony, Zander and Andrew

The rest

Ken and Andy worked together to repair the family laptop.

Hanging with the babies

Which somehow morphed into Minecraft???

We played so hard that Echo passed out on the couch! Sign of a day well played.

Played out

After Dr. Seuss is all up and done I will have to post my best of Anthony pictures… he seems to have gotten the hang of my camera very quickly and took quite a few wonderful pictures! I will post one here and then… well the entry will make it up in short order!