Tag Archive | smores

Friends, Field Trips and Sunshine

May 24-29

I have to say we have learned from our winter… get those kids OUTSIDE!!!101_7608

And on Sunday we joined Matt, Fran and their twins at a local park to have a full on BBQ…101_7611

Park…101_7609

101_7614Lake…101_7615

101_7618101_7619S’mores…101_7622

101_7623(and dinner)…101_7613

We had it all!101_7612

And on the Monday we were back to Geocaching… we have had some amazing journal entries regarding our experience with some VERY creative hiding ideas.101_7624

101_7632

We had a lovely print out for a scavenger hunt (HERE) to have the kids looking everywhere for their nature objects.101_7626

101_7629And a break with snacks and park fun while the twins and Ken hunted that last cache.101_7634

101_7636101_7639Tuesday was much more our work work work on the schoolwork day! We had a rather interesting experience learning about Legends and Pecos Bill. We are working on understanding the difference between true factual stories and what a legend really is. The kids just keep quoting back at me – EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS and then giggling.101_7640

We got back into our classic Treasure Island. I am not sure which book we will read next. BUT we are working on a plan to get us storytime every day.101_7641

We are working through our dinosaurs that were in our Texas book… of course links to all of this will be in the Texas resource page (eventually).101_7643

And then right back out to burn off the energy… so much discussion of spring, teaching of siblings on the outside toys… so much fun!101_7645

101_7646On Wednesday I changed it up. Before the mosquitoes can take hold we drug the whole classroom outside to enjoy our grassy backyard. Once we found an ant free spot that is!101_7648

101_7649Great fun and we didn’t get too badly eaten up.101_7650

We fulfilled another additional Scout thing by driving down to a local small airport and checking out the planes. The kids all took turns spotting planes and talking about the different kinds. Family favourite is the seaplane. Though everyone was quite put out they land in LAKES not SEAS.101_7655

101_7657From there it was on to a park for a Geocache and play about in the sun.101_7661

Goofs!

Goofs!

101_7669Add in some Texas themed story writing and I think we succeeded with an interesting mid week.101_7670

Thursday was another special outside day. Echo had a preschool assessment to go to at our church so she and Ken dropped us off half way with some schoolwork.101_7671

A snack…101_7677

and a park! It was just really too bad that her session was delayed, we were there over 2 hours in the end and rather warm and cranky. BUT we met some wonderful little kids with their dads and enjoyed a perfect spring day.101_7673

101_7674101_7675Miss Echo did wonderfully with her assessment though they did reinforce that we should get her hearing tested to rule out anything extra in regards to her lisp (not total word forming… lazy girl!) which of course we already had scheduled for later in June.101_7678

101_7680101_7684Spring has sprung and so have we… out into the sunshine!

With super high water levels EVERYWHERE

With super high water levels EVERYWHERE

Can you spot the neighbourhood white squirrel?

Can you spot the neighbourhood white squirrel?

Sagas, Dramas and other “as”

So as I am sure everyone who reads my blog has realized… life is never simple with this family. We like to do things with style… but first lets go over some of the fun that was to be had on the last day of our weekend here with Chris and Chris… the first backyard fire of the season!!! The weather was lovely but the mosquitoes are already out, and they are HUGE. We were surprised at the size of them!

My whole family

We had He Chris chopping wood and of course all those ladybugs you were able to see but not hear in the blog entry before this.

Firewood

With fire comes snacks and of course the best one of all – S’mores! There is something totally addictive about that combination of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers. All of the big kids got a chance to roast their own marshmallows.

Roasting

And of course enjoy the results…

Noms

Echo did her thing by walking around and just generally exploring, we tried giving her a marshmallow but she spit it out!! Seriously, whose kid is this??? 

Baby Girl

Anyway, lovely weather… brought out the summer hats! 

And the birthday ball... that lasted til today but then... well pop! But that is ok Grandma has a new one Daddy will pick up!

Now for today… well the van saga is ongoing… we had a bit of trouble getting temporary insurance for the vehicle of choice which threw off our decision making process on the whole vehicle roulette. After all I don’t drive and there is the whole who watches the kids if I did… and then the decision as to what to do with the vehicle you came with to drive the other back… blah blah blah. Well after a VERY frustrating afternoon of phone calls and waiting Ken was able to settle it all. We could get the temporary insurance TOMORROW with 48 hours to do the final registration. Now to get Ken all the way to pick up the vehicle. Here is where Karyn is (as usual) an amazing friend… after work she is collecting Ken and the two of them are taking the road trip to test drive (and if there is nothing glaringly wrong) purchase and head home! That would mark the end of one of our two drama/sagas. So please say a prayer and keep a positive thought. 

We had a drop by from Karyn today as well which meant Trinity got her special hair brushing/braiding time. They have the best conversations while sitting together doing hair. Trinity assures me that the moment Aunty Karyn leaves she misses her. 

Special Aunty time

I also picked up some shorts with the weather topping off at 25 Celsius today I was sorely needing some. And a white t-shirt for Echo for the weekend to give us a few more outfit options (3.00 for her size!). Although apparently by Friday it is supposed to snow again! Go Alberta weather!!

I went through the girls’ and my clothing today to sort for the weekend etc. and tomorrow it is the boys’ turn. We don’t have too many proper bags sadly but we will make do! 

Hugs for Mommy

Genetic Testing Has Been Experienced…

I shall be kind and start with today’s adventure… The long awaited and much talked about GENETIC TEST appointment. Thankfully NOT at the crack of dawn so not nearly the rush Echo’s cardiology session was, as well as not as long of an appointment of itself. 

We got off in good time and headed to the city. The parking wasn’t too difficult but certainly NOT cheap and we did get a little lost walking to the correct building. After all this is all part and parcel of the university so there are lots of buildings and some construction going on. We even got a little misdirected by someone who was confused as to where we were trying to get to. BUT we made it right at 11:30. 

The office was TINY but the wait non existent. They basically took our info and in the time it took to change Echo we were shown into the examination room. There we talked with the nurse, and she took Echo and myself to weigh and measure. I don’t have the numbers but Echo did rather well with it all and didn’t try too hard to dive off of the scale.

Waiting for the doctor

We returned to our little room, gave permission for the intern to come in with the doctor and there they were! Talk about quick! There was lots of talking, sharing history of ourselves, family and kids… tracking how many siblings my mom has… where the cleft lip and palate came from… all old hat for us. The geneticist was an older gentleman who had 4 kids himself and the intern a lovely young lady who Echo allowed total access to! She lay quite still through it all and even gave her a little smile. They measured her feet to compare the two… her arm length… and it all came back – fine. As we have been told all along she is in perfect proportion… for a MUCH younger baby! 

They had nothing to add to the blood work the doctor gave us as a last set and have only added one procedure – a bone growth x-ray. What they do is x-ray the bones in the hand and check where they are growth wise. Apparently (and I need to do more research on this) your skeleton can be younger than your actual age. His answer to things if this is something that has occurred – puberty… so…. 

Basically she is a petite child. Apparently the geneticist is able to find out the why on petite children a whopping 5% of the time! Though he did figure that once Echo’s PDA is dealt with we should see some growth increasing but again the cardiologist said do not expect massive change. Basically we are back to what we said when we started – she is JUST PETITE!!!!! BAH!

The other kiddos

So, Sunday… Well we kept ourselves busy in the heat to be sure! It all started with a pancake breakfast. And then all 5 kids dressed in their Sunday best (as pictured YESTERDAY), the boys with matching shirts (thanks to Nana). This was our first service at what is to become our new home church.

Service was a lovely hour long, though we decided NOT to risk corralling the herd and going up for communion this time round. We did meet the minister before service started… a lovely older man. And after service we met the lady who was in charge of snacks for VBS who remember the boys fondly AND the secretary for the church office who is going to contact our old church (Trinity Lutheran… I know I know) for membership change. It is time to put down some permanent roots in our new community. After all, Sunday School starts on the 11th of September! Where has the time gone? Another lovely thing about our new church – well, apparently there are other homeschooling families AND the family we met in passing who had a boy/girl set of twins (older) were very receptive when they asked our boys where they went to school and were told by Zander that the boys DON’T, they HOMESCHOOL. How proud was mom that they knew the right answer to share! And so proudly he said it!

Sitting pretty

After some time at home and Karyn taking me out with her on her errands (we took advantage of the Michaels’ buy one get one for 1 cent sale on card stock) it was time to pack up and head out to the splash rock and fire pits that are a lovely park here in the city.

On the menu… hotdogs (no brainer), fruit, carrots, and SMORES! But first we had to head over to the splash… rock… and well… splash. For some reason though the weather was absolutely HOT the water was FREEZING. Echo did NOT approve, actually neither did Mommy. It was fun to watch the big kids make new friends and splash away. 

Splash Rock

Brrr

Aunty Karyn spent some time splashing it up with Trinity while Kristen and I found some shade.

Splashing with Aunty Karyn

And shade we found, on the hill. There WAS a bench free, but for GOOD reason – ANTS. Echo enjoyed the shade on the hill and Aunty Karyn’s keychain. 

KEYS

After getting our fill of splashing and rocks we moved back over to where Fydo had held down the fort and kept the fire burning.

Fire

The smores were quite impressive… Kristen had biscuits with chocolate already on them and then you add MORE chocolate… makes my mouth water even now.

Smores

After sitting around while the kids played until Echo was done in we all headed to our respective homes… what a great way to spend a VERY sunny Sunday afternoon. We hope to go again in September. 

Smiling in the shade

Oh I didn’t mention the kicker for today – we pulled out my stroller for Echo only to find out that the wheel had melted or warped enough to make it bounce funny. I think the heat shining through the back window of the van while it was pressed against it did it or something like that. BUT it did last over 5 years and through 3 kids… so back onto Kijiji to find another. I have message TWO ads today and have high hopes that something will come through. 40.00 is my limit as I don’t want to dip too far into funds set aside for other items. 

We stopped in at H&W to pick up some much needed (and amazingly priced) produce… the best deal? Bananas at 29 cents a lb. I bought over 11 lbs of bananas for 3.25! And a stop off at Bulk Barn for a few spices and snacks. We have to head back to the city for Alexander den Otter’s birthday beginning of September so I plan on making GOOD lists for those two stores so we are able to take advantage of being there. 

Bananas

Two days in a row that definitely wore out the kids. One with fun the other with travel and excessive amounts of having to sit and be quiet (which they didn’t do very well though other people were tricked into thinking they WERE – thus they ALL got stickers). A stop at the grocery store to get sandwich fixings and then fruit when we got home and at least their tummies were content. 

We have started having a small potty success – Trinity has been peeing before bedtime ON THE POTTY! Of course not OTHER times but with how busy we have been, all the go go go… I am pleased! One step closer to her Hello Kitty undies! 

A success!

Tonight is set to be quiet, and the last night before I begin the preparations to get to the wedding in one relatively busy and somewhat content piece. I have cleaning I want to have done, laundry ALL put away… the kids need to clean the backyard. Any volunteers to help out?

What a face!