…because man do I barely remember the details! August is a special month with Miss Echo’s birthday and the tail end of summer vacation for “others”. As usual we did NOT have a full on summer vacation. I find that when we take a large chunk of time fully off our learning we lose too much without the repetition. So instead I do a lighter schedule with many more days off for fun in the sun.

So, let’s see if I can match some words to the images! Well, first off… beginning of the month means Home Depot craft. I really hope if any of you have kids ages 5-12 you have them going to this… it is free and totally worth it. August was the last month of just the 4 kids going. I wanted to wait until Echo actually WAS 5. Anyway, August was chalkboards.

We had a bit of a harvest in the garden in August… rather humble these beginnings.

Of course we continued swimming. The instructors and lifeguards at out local YMCA are the best. We are so spoiled by Nana and Baba and their continuing gift of the membership. We could live there!

Of course August, sunshine, Minnesota… lakes… so we had to continue our beach trips. We went a couple times and lucked out with Renee and the boys joining us! 

We found plenty of time for Wild Kratts episodes. I don’t know that we will EVER tire of this, though I REALLY need to get a table of contents listing the critters we have covered since we tend to watch them out of order. 

… well you get the idea… I am sure there will be a couple others in the overflow blog entry!

We spent a lot of time in the yard in the sunshine (or in my case in the shade). I don’t know what we would do without an inflatable pool, some toys and my sewing. Together time can be so perfect even on a shoestring budget!

The girls even joined me at Caribou for coffee while Ken had a meet up there. Coffee time means the boys get their computer time (IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY GASP) and the girls get a special occasion… all while covering an appointment for Ken. Win win.

We did still find time for regular school of course, AND adding Miss Echo more and more. It is exciting and a wee bit overwhelming to have a full classroom.

Book Report!

We also helped a poor little bird who was stuck on the trailer in the front yard… the kids and I had to tip it up so the poor thing would hop out the back and join its frantic momma.

We came across a stick insect.

And of course, importantly, celebrated a birthday! HERE Number 5!

Teddy from Aunty Holly and family

Gavin found time to have Aunty Renee teach him how to crochet. Apparently right handed Gavin was frustrated with left handed Mommy.

I managed some time with the bride to be Shandai at her house. Which of course was crafting time and, almost more importantly, KITTY time!

Add to all this… a guest! CANADIAN and everything. Jeff Davey came down for his yearly visit. It is always lovely to have company from home. And doubly so for Ken to have someone who understands him so well!

it was a good month. And, as I got started writing this, surprisingly more memorable than I expected! 

Yup slowly but surely we are working our way to current life… it has just seemed like the year has slipped away before we could truly grasp it! But on I go… May…

Well, what happens in May? Mother’s Day… that is the big one.

Mother’s Day dinner with Nana and Baba

But we had so much more going on… Spring means sunshine and park days! We do have a couple nearby.

It also means (in Texas), roses are big, gorgeous and mailable… Gammie has always sent us beautiful blooms from her garden that seem to make it in record time for the most part, smell and petals intact!

Garage sales have started back up as well. A goldmine for books, toys and the odd piece of clothing… especially when they are walking distance.

The hot find for this year – LITTLEST PET SHOP pieces! Trinity and Echo are now addicted to them. Odd little bobble head things.

Miss Trinity completed a couple workbooks, as did Emanuel.

We dressed up fancy for church, especially when there was singing to be done for the Cherub Choir!

Scouts figured highly in our activities around the month of May… anything to fulfill Emanuel’s arrow points. This is a game where you throw washers into a pie plate. All the kids enjoyed that one! Noisy though.

One of Trinity’s birthday presents was a knot it yourself fleece blanket with a Hello Kitty theme. Trinity was such a go getter with this one – her goal was to finish in time for the Family Night movie at the YMCA… she made it!

Miss Echo was gifted a lovely selection of shoes thanks to the Schwartz family’s neighbour! What a blessing!!

We took the whole family for a special outing to the carousal at one of the smaller malls.

The kids rescued some free chairs from the end of the neighbour’s drive as well. Decent condition and rather comfy!

May also marked the beginning of this year’s straw bale garden. Nana and Baba are gone so much now they figured they would set it up and let the boys go with it. The results were… varied… but they did enjoy the process of setting things up, planting and such.

It is surprising how quickly winter melts away around here. The kids are always quick to embrace that change, really they are quick to embrace each and every season with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Cousin Robbie even found the time for a visit! A college student now we see a lot less of him but the visits we do have are terrific!

We ended the month with a trip to the zoo (Como) with Aunty Shandai and Uncle Ravyn. Sometimes a place takes on a whole new experience just by adding some amazing company. So sit back and enjoy the inevitable photo overflow!!!! Happy May!!! (belatedly!)

We picked a busy day and had to park away and take the shuttle which the kids LOVED

Sea Lion

this little guy was all over the place within arm’s reach!

Bonsai!!!

You can find the rest of the month’s images (many from the zoo) HERE. Can’t resist sharing these!!!

And of course we spent a lot of time with the Schwartz family! Even met the neighbour’s baby.  Now that we have snow it is fun to look back at all this green warm sunshine!

Don’t forget Home Depot with Daddy and Baba!

And our time with Kites and the Wind (resources HERE).

And tons more but instead… a few more pics and then bop up to that link at the zoo section and see the overflow! Bask in the warm images with our cold winter just beginning!

Trinity’s birthday party (note Novak boys)

Two new blue bracelets!

Feeding the Starving Children with Scouts

Easter shoes thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Mike!

August 18-24

The girls are over the moon with their mini fashion shows. We are so spoiled that Gammie can and does send us so many outfits.

In celebration of Jeff being here AND he and Daddy being busy in the sub basement we had an outside lunch on the front stoop.

Right after that I realized that We had missed a rather special LARGE present that had been mailed previously from Texas. I think she got the most excited opening this one. The way it was rigged up the large caterpillar sort of popped out for her. Instant favourite.

That evening we had special plans. Jeff headed out with Chris for beers and visiting and the rest of us were off to Aunty Judy and Uncle Jim’s for a special family celebration of Echo’s 4th birthday complete with a cake made especially for her by Uncle Jim! He works for the Pilsbury company and makes an AMAZING cake!

I really can’t think of a place the kids get more excited about visiting than “Robbie’s House” and he wasn’t even there that visit!

In the morning the kids pitched in and worked on Echo’s birthday present from Jim and Judy – a Barbie lego set! With a little blue pool.

We continued our learning… mostly shark related…

And then we paid each of the kids and extra dollar of allowance to spend the week pulling weeds! What an efficient crew we had out there from the biggest to the smallest.

And the guys continued their gaming… interspersed with cleaning out of the sub basement. This all went SUPER well until they were at the tail end and found… a leak. Sigh. I am so proud of Ken for jumping in an working so hard to create space and organization in our world. This new and improved healthy Kenny is AMAZING.

We had company on Wednesday, well additional company. Robbie and Alicia came over for dinner and gaming. The kids are in love with these two, rightfully so. And it is doubly amazing that they can enjoy boardgames with us.

I found a spare moment and finished up a special wallet for my Renaissance Festival outfit. It will loop around my handle so that I won’t lose my ID etc. I love it, I altered a basic billfold style wallet pattern to fit what I needed and there you go – no lost nothings when I go out this year!

There was time for playing outside AND checking out the garden with our guests.

All this while Ken and Jeff made us dinner – Curry and a yummy sort of pudding pie. SPOILED US!!!

On the 21st you can check back and see our Treasure Box we got in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Mike HERE. We evened that day out with Munchkin (game) and time outside.

All the weed pulling led us to tweezers and patience as we removed burrs that attacked everyone pretty equally.

The kids have been loving another adult in the house. Especially one that knows all about Canada. Eases the homesickness a little, just like Grandma’s Canadian Treasure Box.

What a week!!!

Really… can we keep Jeff forever? Because Ken has been so positive and the kids and I have enjoyed the company so much! We had all of Saturday and half of Sunday to enjoy with him and some lovely weather.

But then it was time to say good bye! Definitely a hard one… I don’t think anyone who visits us down here really realizes how much their visits and packages mean to us. A taste, touch, sound of home… thank you so much everyone for remembering us!