A Flu, in Three Parts

Blech.

I thought about naming this post "My Couch Smells Like Vomit" 

I wonder how many would be repulsed at a title like that? (Or how many would be strangely attracted?)

or "Ode to Clorox Wipes ( How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways...)

But that could go on forever. And Im sure you have things to do.

Or Germs (a Haiku) 

Which would go something like this:

Germs

Invisible Foe

Sucking all the Christmas Joy

Bleach Bleach Bleach Bleach Bleach.

Festive, eh?

Well, around here, sharing is caring.

We did a bare minimum of school today and I did manage to make some coffee filter snowflakes and the kids made ornaments to decorate the window. I can count that, right?

Source

Of course, I failed to use enough felt so they look a bit like cheerleaders pom poms after a hard rain than this lovely photo from the Purlbee .But still, they are rather colorful in the window.

*     *     *
So did I tell you our xbox controller mysteriously broke? I say mysteriously because just the day before I had thought- man, I wish we could get away from watching movies as much as we have been. I wish we we didn't have the option...

doo doo doo doo...    doo doo doo doo...

Please don't tell my husband I told you that.

So it just stopped working. Like 3 weeks ago.

And its been glorious.
We've been playing games and we put together 2 puzzles (1500 pieces total!)
Caden beats us at Uno almost everytime we play. And the kids have really reached gold star level in the imaginative play area. Today they had been shrunk by a giant and wouldn't ever get back to their regular size if they couldn't escape from his castle( a blanket fort in their room) Now they are playing hide and seek. Caden is it - "11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 24, 20!"

I'm sure we will someday get a new controller, but its nice, right now, living in this world.

*   *   *
Oh, Charlotte turned 6 this week! She wants to get her ears pierced soon. 

While Im lounging around, how about some photos from her party?

I better go now.

Ethan is running around the house with a baby blanket tied to a yard stick shouting 

"Freedom Freedom! We've won the Revolutionary War!" 

and Caden's in handcuffs...

Teaching Observation

The other day we found a garter snake in the backyard. Actually I think it found us, because it was watching Charlotte play under the Redbud tree. It was less than 2 feet away from her and she never noticed it.

When I saw it, I thought 3 things:

1. Who left that rubber snake out here?
2. I don't remember the kids having a rubber snake like that.
3. I should pick it up and scare the kids with it! hehe that would be so funny.

Then it flicked its tongue.

We watched it for awhile, then it slithered into the tree.

I really must be weird because I love snakes and frogs and turtles and cool bugs and things.

The snake was our inspiration for Nature Journals.

Its been a big hit with the kids, especially since we've been outside every day this week.

Kids are so inquisitive anyway its easy to find things to observe. Its a great way to get them to settle down and concentrate, and asking questions about what they see really opens up some great dialogue. I write their responses down in their own words.

I love what things they pick up on.

"They are both my favorites. They feel kind of like sandpaper- the yellow one does. The blue part feels like rock."

And he was totally right- the blue moss was rougher and bumpier and the yellow moss was finer and grittier.

Not everything is really scientific though-

He found a rock that he liked and had me write that he liked it because it it was heavy and had sparkly stuff in it and it had dinosaur claw scratches.

I try to lead them to interesting things, but I really like when they make their own observations too. I like hearing their thoughts and opinions about things that I would have otherwise passed right by.

We found an old tree at church this week that was pretty cool.

I know there is trash down there, just pretend its not, ok?

Barn Swallow nest

We studied walnuts and a squirrel's nest today while the squirrel was working in it and dropping leaves everywhere. Maybe Spring Cleaning? I thought it was up in the second branch, but after looking for awhile, Ethan determined it was actually the third branch because the two were intertwined.

I guess I need to learn to slow down and observe better too.

Shake it Like a Polaroid Picture

We just finished Little House in the Big Woods this week. So for the one and only school related endevour this week, since the kids and I were all sick in one way or another, we made butter.

That's right.

Made. Butter.

Ethan was pretty interested and excited to see it happen. Charlotte didn't really care. I was way into it. But I really like butter.

So I got those little cartons of heavy whipping cream at the store. The really tiny ones, since I didn't know if it would actually work. Pour it in a big jar, put a lid on it, and let the kids start shaking. I could have done it all in my mixer, but that would have been too exhausting.

Did I mention Jeremiah went hunting this weekend? Out of town? So I let the kids sleep in my bed for fun. Except it wasnt very fun. I think it would have been ok if Caden had not insisted on getting in too, then woke up every 45 minutes. Or if we had a California King Size bed. Now I know what it's like to be the biggest sardine in the can. Not fun.

So we are tired today.Too tired to get out the mixer.

The kids only shook their jars for about 3 minutes. Then I had to do it, which I really didn't mind since I like butter a whole lot. Actually I only did Ethan's. Charlotte's is still in the fridge waiting it's turn.

And it worked! I made butter! I feel so invincible!

I didn't take a picture of it turning into whipped cream. But there's the butter that we made! Yippee!

Drain the buttermilk, wash it in icy water and drain again, and add a little salt. It tastes really good, really "clean" like I would expect homemade butter to taste.

Now I need to learn how to make bread...

Finally something worthwhile

I finally figured out how to get my camera card reader thingy to work again. Not being able to post pictures has been pretty disappointing.

Also, we've been very busy with school. Ethan is doing very well, even though sometimes he gets a little distracted by you-know-who.

And it finally feels like Fall. We have big plans this weekend :

1.Rake leaves

2.Jump in them

3. Repeat

So get ready to see a whole lot more of these monkeys soon...

How to Make Math Fun...

I always hated math.

H-A-T-E-D it.

It was boring, I didn't get it, and besides, when was I ever going to use it anyway?

Well...

Now that I have decided to be a teacher, it's kinda part of the deal. But I don't want my kids to hate it, and dread doing it. I know they are young still but I want them to enjoy learning, not just do it because I say so.

Thus, my bright idea...

I found an old Candy Land game (sadly, not the original) that actually had all the pieces, for $1.69 at the thrift store the other day. Don't know why they felt the need to emphasize that price 3 times, but I digress...

This version seems to have more color spaces than the one we have, which is newer. And it has more characters.

I took a permanent marker and wrote numbers 0-10 in all the spaces, in random order.

Then on the single color block cards, I drew various numbers of circles-1-10.

On the double block cards, I wrote out addition and subtraction problems, with corresponding dots below each number. I didnt put the answers on them.

So, for each single block with the dots, they have to count them and find that number on the board.

For the double blocks, they have to either add or subtract. Then they will have to move to that numbered square.

I thought maybe they wouldnt be interested in the adding/subtracting at first, but they really had fun with it. They carefully counted out all the dots and I showed them both how to add them together or subtract by covering up the subtracted number of dots.

Oh, on the single cards, some I left blank for zero.

Charlotte won the first game, and they asked to play again, so I think it's a keeper.

This is not my original idea- I saw that someone had put tape over their game and wrote letters on the tape, then the kids would have to say the sound that letter made when they landed on it.

Since this was so cheap, I didn't mind writing on it.

Ethan likes it because it lasts longer than the normal version of the game.

Charlotte likes it because she is really into counting everything now.

Caden likes to move everybody's men around or throw them off the table.

And I like it because I know they are having fun and learning at the same time.

Skipping School

I got this dress last year after season so Charlotte could dress up.

She likes to put it on so she can dance, but today she wore it out on the town.

We decided to skip school and go exploring. We went to the Post Office to mail some things, then walked to the thrift store for some new books.

We walked over to the Depot-they have a caboose to play on. At least, I think its ok to play on. No one said anything, so I think we are good. We went inside to a little train museum that I didnt even know was there. After 7 years, you'd think I'd know this town a little better.

We found the "most awesome puddle ever".

"Charlotte's winning!"

"Yeah Ethan, Im gonna beat you up!"

Then we went on a walk downtown, played in some alleys and read the historical society signs on the buildings.Ethan found some secret holes in the walls where bricks had fallen out. In one, we saw an old license plate, probably someone put it in when the wall went up? That was pretty cool.

Me: "Isn't this fun? Its like an adventure."

Ethan: "Yeah its like...Charlotte's Baby Dora, and I'm Diego and Caden is Boots, and you're...you're...the cow!"

Sweeping Beauty

Me:"The cow?!"

Ethan:"Yeah there's a cow in it.But it's a smart cow."

Then we came home and had a picnic for lunch and played outside in the evening.

Up Close and Personal

Someone asked me what Caden does while we are doing school. Since I don't pretend he is the genius I made Ethan out to be when he was his age, (and maybe because he is the third kid) I'm not going to lie and say he sorts out his colors or stacks blocks by size. Sometimes he will play with all my tupperware(mostly throwing them all over the kitchen). But, no, he crawls up on the table and eats crayons. Sometimes, he colors with them, but mostly he has found that eating them is a better use of his time.

Don't worry, I'm pretty sure they are non-toxic.

Charlotte came to me yesterday.

"Uh-oh, mom LO-OK!"

"What happened?"

"I didnt do anything. It just fell down and BOOM! and then fell down and Boom! again! all over my hand!"

I decided that as long as we were out today, I would try to take some new pictures for my dad's mantle, since he's into that sort of thing.

These aren't those pictures.

I mean, I do have a reputation to uphold.

We've all had the sniffles.

It was nice to get a little exercise in the Spring-y weather.

Who knew that a Peony bed is the perfect place to dig for treasure and build a fire?

Funny, but dangerous.

But funny.

Oh my. If he is still making this face at 16 I'm going to have to lock him away.

Her, I don't think I will have to worry about so much...

This reminds me of Robin Hood.

(Russel Crowe not Kevin Costner)

And there you have it!