April 10-11

Thursday was a rather special day. Family field trip! The first on our Spring/Summer odyssey. We packed everyone up and went downtown to the Mill City Museum. Did you know that Minneapolis was once the Mill Capital of the world? In fact, the one we were in… well the remains of it… was the largest briefly (4 months) until they built a bigger one across the lake. We also learned that the waterfall that ran the mills was gotten from the Native Americans, the flow changed and often even dirtied up. What a history!

We did have a blast. We came at the perfect time and were able to watch the video and take the elevator tour pretty much alone. Though the elevator scared the crud out of the kids.

Waiting for the movie to start

Ken went all the way to the top of the building and took some amazing pictures.

I think they had the most fun at the water lab… but then who doesn’t when you can play with water and wood.

Of course, I made sure to stop and take pictures of the kids in their Aunty Holly finery. An early Easter present. She does have some great taste.

The day was breezy but lovely so we spent some more time outside afterwards.

Friday was a special half day of school… after all, Nana and Baba came home! So spelling tests and then fun in the sun.

Emanuel even helped out with snacks and lunch for his Scout achievement! FRUIT SALAD!!

We ended the day with a family walk. Just the 7 of us, down the street to the walking path. Maybe not a lot of green but it was a lovely walk. At one point the frogs were so loud that when a friend called Ken he had to walk back the path to hear the call!

It always feels absolutely amazing to have so much family outing time. Healthy Kenny is a FUN Kenny and he is stepping right up and willing to go to these events I line up. So pleased.

Enjoy the picture overflow from our Mill City Museum trip!!! Check out their site HERE.

January 24-25

Well we survived our post Aunty Karyn visit week. I don’t know that we accomplished too much that is interesting to others on Thursday but we had fun together and that counts for a lot.

Blocks!

Trinity and Echo worked on their educational games on the iPad… sharing is getting easier and easier for the girls and electronics.

Hard at work TOGETHER

I tried something slightly different with the kids and their birth year animals… we copied out each mini booklet from Activity Village and their Zodiac books… then, like the official year of the snake one HERE… I had each of the kids come up with one nice trait about each of their siblings. We wrote them down along with mine and Ken’s. We even did Echo’s (not pictured)… there was the perfect number of pages for each kid (except Echo who we had to put Daddy’s on my page too). It was a great way to consider positive elements about their siblings and still do something with a Chinese New Year theme… though I had to explain multiple times that “they play Lego with me” is NOT a trait!

What year are you?? Check the chart at Activity Village!!!

With a little regular daily learning and some cuddly time with Cabbage Patch dolly and a bean bag chair… well we did rather well!

So comfy

Friday was supposed to be a library book day but our branch apparently does not open until noon and we were out around 11. Oops! But we did make it to Target to get supplies for our visit to the Novak’s on Saturday. We are now ready to get our read on for Chinese New Year! 

But first – for our Friday dinosaur fun we drug out the Melissa & Doug stamp set… Trinity, Zander and Emanuel made the best pictures! 

Dino-riffic

It is an overnighter with the cousins here as well. I love when the kids get along and play… though 7 IS louder than 5 I can tell you!

Picture these 4 over a decade from now, replace sippies of juice with beer bottles.

Supper

Gotta end the evening with a movie right??

They did NOT watch Barbie… just the promo!

Of course we did MORE than that… Gavin got a 100% on his spelling test, Zander only one wrong… Lego time continued for Gavin and Zander made a birthday card for his god-mommy. All in all, the day was good!

Thumbs up

December 21-22

Finishing up the school week right before such a major holiday is a bit of a task but amazingly enough all the kids woke up Friday morning as ready and willing as I was to get things done. Before noon we had ALL our paper work finished up, pictures sorted, words printed… Talk about a surprise – BOTH twins got 100% on their spelling tests!!!

100%!!

Emanuel and his number line

We didn’t make it to BAKING cookies… but we did make dough… from scratch, in Nana’s mixer (yup Ken is drooling over that one)… the kids loved watching that work.

Working together

Reading the recipe

BUT amazingly enough I FINALLY figured out how to use the timer on the camera (one year later) and so the kids and I played around a bit with that after we did up their carols! It was a little crazy, somewhat silly and totally THEM!

Post concert picture (Gavin in red)

And then with Daddy when he got home from errands

Ken and the kids also finally found the time and supplies to make a pin hole camera… well two actually. Here are the instructions we used off of Activity Village.

the image inside one of our cameras. We made one with the lid in the middle and one without. Both work!

Our cameras

We got a package from Canada as well…  from the Bleau family – with COFFEE CRISP chocolate bars! Oh and Puss in Boots the movie among other things. BUT Sharon and Ken have conspired to ration my chocolate bars for me… hopefully Ken will be kind! Of course we had to watch Puss in Boots before bed! 

Guilty Pleasure

There was tons to get done on Saturday, well for the adults at least. Ken and his parents worked on a family tradition – home made cabbage rolls. Ken is writing out the recipe for future holidays!

Working with his parents

Putting them in the portable oven

The kids and Nana put up the window clings together. Even Echo got in on the decorating. 

Window Clings

The rest

Of course we had to kick the kids out into the sunshine to play in the snow for a while.

SNOW

I put the boys in charge of making most of the cookies from our nicely chilled cookie dough. I love watching them work together. 

Bakers

We are really getting to the end of the Christmas preparation. There are TWO trees full of presents, refrigerators filled right up and the kids are beyond excited! And tomorrow we get to DECORATE the cookies! Butter icing for the win! OH and a success on the reading – we were watching Gnomeo and Juliet with Nana and Baba before bed. There was a spot where a character talks “like a samurai” and a short line was printed on the bottom of the screen… THE TWINS READ IT!!! Without struggles or problems!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!

Dressed for singing