Ok so I have to admit… I am hooked on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries on youTube. You can find the main vlog HERE though there are offshoots – Adorbs is a Lydia thing (she has her own vlog). They also have Twitter feeds and Facebook and of course the main page. If you liked Pride and Prejudice… well be ready to see the characters as you have never seen them before – modern and everything!!! I skipped a bunch up to be current with the ongoing drama at the time but have been sneaking back to fill in the gaps as I go…Anyway… the Adorbs…
Beauty just woken up
Strike a pose baby
And another
Playing Play Doh with Gavin
Decked out for Chinese New Year thanks to Aunty Xinny
With cookie (made by myself and Bree)
What having kids is TERRIFIC for – look I am NOT the one shoveling
Major icicles
My babies and their lucky money
With bunny
Brown eyes
You never see Emanuel out without that hat! Thanks Aunty Kat
So I figured I would make a companion post of links and such for our poster and its contents. I mainly took from Activity Village and Education.com. These are amazing sources that I would recommend every time.
I got our Happy Chinese New Year Characters from THIS site. I got it verified by Xinny so I was sure it was the correct ones. For all ideas crafty check Activity Village HERE. For our fortune cookie recipe go to the Food Network. The collection I have for Chinese New Year on Education.com is HERE, I will review all the resources and leave comments on some. I plan to every year add to these collections so I will try and link them.
Time to finish off Chinese New Year… Zander and Gavin each finished up their studies with writing out some of the things they learned about the celebration on pages with year of the snake themed borders. They also each drew their own special cobra… the instructions were found on Art for Kids as a special Chinese New Year offering. Added to each picture is the Chinese characters for Snake. Not a bad finishing touch.
Gavin and his snake
I lucked out and came across TWO shows for the boys to watch the night before. The movie Mulan (which they then drew something in their journals about) and a FoodNetwork special on making a full out Chinese New Year meal. We learned a few interesting things from that second show:
fish in Mandarin is the same words as abundance
dumplings symbolize wealth
roast chicken symbolizes togetherness and prosperity
long noodles symbolize longevity
Emanuel got creative with the Legos… He made his very own McDonald’s counter… giant M and all.
“M”
The counter
I attempted the heart shaped cupcakes with a less than amazing result… still yummy but NOT heart shaped. With lovely whipped icing everyone was content with them anyway.
Gavin and his snack
The weather has worked in our favour BOTH days what with the storm warning over and all the lovely snow that resulted from it. So the kids have been out enjoying, shoveling, getting wet… I had to throw all the gear into the dryer after Tuesday’s fun in the sun… so much melt off from the roof!
First
Putting them to work
It was a nice day out and they all got a little damp
I have to share a sort of dinosaur related video that Trinity and Emanuel assure me is AWESOME!
Tuesday was right into Valentines Day with all the worksheets and hearts and colouring.
Dot to Dot
We also made our monthly poster – I am having the kids make one a month for the whole year. I write out the name of the month and then each kid draws something they see or do that month!
February
Since it was Shrove Tuesday I gave pancakes a try again on the gas stove with much better results! At least the kids were pleased.
Chowing down
Not a bad work up to Valentine’s Day… and a completing of something special from Chinese New Year.
We also pulled out the micro remote control cars from Alan and Xinny.
