July 17-18

With the summer slow down comes boredom… so out came the instruction pages printed off of Art for Kids (link on right) and out came creativity. Especially when a picture is worked on TOGETHER!

I am loving that the Pizza Hut reading program has now moved into a summer version called Bookitsummer. You can find it HERE. Some of the challenges have them reading to different people, using funny voices or reading in unusual places.

Of course fairies are welcome!

And then the mail came!!! Thanks so much to Gammie who has once again spoiled us rotten… this time with lovely clothes, sunglasses, cups and even some magazines and a start to our coin collection!

The boys’ new shirts are awesome!

One of Echo’s dresses ended up in Trinity’s pile but here is the rest of hers.

So much Hello Kitty pretty!

The girls have a huge number of new outfits and are beyond excited. Of course we had to try on the sunglasses in the sunshine right away!

We had the cousins over on the 18th… so Baba and Daddy went out and got a kids pool! It took a while to get blown up but then fun in the sun ensued! In fact, that was about the day!!! So enjoy the pictures as we are totally taking advantage of some sunny days and some flexible learning (don’t doubt that we did our spelling in the mornings, it got done!!).

Park first, while the pool was blown up.

A peek at the straw bale garden.

A Gammie outfit

POOL!

And post pool snap pop things (you throw them on the ground and they make a noise).

Thanks again to Gammie for the amazing clothes!

May 19-20

That was most definitely NOT a question for Trinity or Emanuel… but the twins… well we made the leap and not only got them lovely brand new bikes (the used stores just were not a good enough deal after researching the ones open on Sundays) but bikes WITHOUT training wheels! Yikes!! Oh and helmets, do not forget the helmets!

We took the whole family to Target and hunted the mighty bikes… there really is not much left for options so early in the season (though I saw a retro style bike for an ADULT at Walmart that if I had had 95 dollars sitting around… well… maybe later in the year?)…

Check out

The girls got sunglasses… adorable ones… 1.00. And Emanuel got a dinosaur (another 1.00 purchase… gotta love the dollar area at Target).

Sunglasses

Once we got home, and got the baby down to nap, it was time to bust out the new bikes and helmets and give it a go. Results are mixed and of course it is going to take some time… but I have high hopes for successful 2 wheel bikers!

Starting in the grass

Better on the pavement

Gavin

Zander

Daddy Son moment

Nana and Baba took the twins out on double bikes to try and work on balance, looking up and keeping their hands on the handles and feet on the pedals.

Off on the double bikes

Ken had a game that got rained out so that evening we snuck out for ice cream and together time… it was nice… I miss just us from time to time!

Some beautiful flowers around here now!

Monday marked the beginning of what feels like monsoon season. So much rain and muck, definitely not pro walking weather for us. We did start a mini multiplication book I was emailed as a printable from Peapod Labs… It is connected to an app but regardless, a fun way to start those tables going! You can find the printable HERE.

We started our Ready Freddy penguin themed book… which prompted a list of all the things we found interesting that we have learned about these flightless birds.

So much knowledge

And then there was an afternoon of the twins working on putting seeds on paper towels. They worked with Nana prepping the seeds to go on the straw bale garden. They learned all about the need to keep the seeds spaced and how the plants need certain things and certain space to requirements depending on the plants to grow properly. Oh and the math about the spacing, looking at the ruler board (inches!!). Quite the educational fun!!

Gardening prep with Nana

Lines of seeds

Trinity has embraced the workbooks. I love seeing her sit there and really get at it!

Pages done, pages to go

Miss Echo took two days of dress up fun… Sunday in her pretty dress thanks to a handmedown from Aunty Xinny… oh and a flower from Nana.

Darling

Super pixie!

And on Monday… TINKERBELL! I have to say, the highlight of my days at times is taking pictures of her partying it up in whatever outfit she chooses… but woe on you if you want her to NOT wear a dress… PARTY is her word for it! And the fancier the better!

Little Tinkerbell… Thanks to Aunty Holly

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I wish the outfit tag was now showing in this one.

August 1

When we finally get settled in our “permanent” or “forever” Minnesota home I swear we will HAVE TO find a place at least slightly if not more so closer to the Novak family as we just have TONS of fun with them! This time it was a FREE movie… Puss in Boots! In fact, this was Trinity’s FIRST movie in a theatre! Echo, who was feeling under the weather stayed home with Baba who was also recovering and thus unable to go with Nana to a friend’s chemo treatment. 

The new dress at 5.50

The movie itself was free and then you bought your refreshments…  5.00 for popcorn and 4.50 for a large pop – both REFILLABLE! So for 6 of us the entire movie cost us 9.50. Ken figures it was worth the 30 min drive to the theatre which is actually closer to Darcy and her family than us. Next week is Robots, so if Ken is NOT in Canada collecting our stuff that day guess where we will be?? 

Waiting for the Novaks

Checking out the trailers

I have to say, Anthony and Andrew at their more advance ages are absolute GEMS! Anthony and I took all the others kids to seat and share seats while Darcy, Ken and Andrew worked on snacks. Anthony was sweet enough to sit with some of our boys so that we could sit on each end. After all with this being Trinity’s first movie I needed to sit with her and focus on her the most. We had so little problems, I was so proud!!!

Anthony and the boys

POPCORN

Ken says this is the quietest movie he had been to in 10 years! Seriously with tons of kids, mostly young, mommies and a few babies and the odd daddy… the most you heard was the munch munch of popcorn and the odd baby cry! It was amazing! After the movie there was some drawings made for the Novaks to send home and then it was back to the house for a quiet rest of the day. 

Note the Dollar Tree sunglasses!

Ken  is on the tail end of the last of his contracts… done by the 2nd that is. And on the hunt for that new 9-5 job. The feeling around here is so much more … CALM… it is marvelous. Every day I am reminded that this was a GOOD decision. I don’t think there was a BEST or a PERFECT but this, this is GOOD and that is more than enough. We are going to continue with our Minnesota binder (once I get a binder to put it all in) and start thinking of the future, what is interesting in Minnesota? What sort of free resources can I find here? Time to create a new network!!

Playing the Dollar Tree Snakes and Ladders… NICELY!!