4.30.15 Moving

Obviously we have a lot of available hands at our house. We are always heed the warning that idle hands are the devils workplace. So when we find opportunities to get all those hands busy we are excited. This week we were able to help a dear friend move his food storage.

 

Boxes of canned wheat are only slightly lighter than bags of wheat. Go Johnny Go!

 

That's a big job for any amount of people but is was a perfect project for our group! Please notice Millie in all these pictures. She is a serious worker and demands to have part in the project. She doggedly sticks with her part and makes sure she is on task. Can't say the same for some of the stronger cadets but it all gets done and I haven't burst a blood vessel yet although I think it will surely happen one of these days.

There is always some object of desire worth fighting over. This time the wheelbarrows were highly prized. Of course no family project is complete without some tussle and maybe some tears. Got through it and got the job done. Now to find place and sort through all those cans. Bless that faithful family who followed the counsel to store a years supply of food.

4.22.15 Playing Dress Up

Afton is a Super Spy. I never know what disguise I will find her in. This is her as an aviator pilot or maybe an Olympic swimmer see that leg action?

 Here she is getting ready to blend into the cinco de Mayo crowds. Or maybe trying her luck at cowgirl! Maybe suggesting time at the beach where we could all lounge around like she does. The power of suggestion you know. 

Actually she is the best doll this lady could ever have hoped for. Livy tells her "I love you Afton... I love babies!" Ahhh melt my heart. Babies are good for the whole family!

Livy had been to a friends house and they had fun painting paper, arms, faces, friends whatever caught their fancy. Watercolors are harmless and this good lady had them creating and playing outside on her back porch on a beautiful spring day. Good times. My other kids also did this kind of artwork and accessorized with chicken feathers to be Indian princesses.

Livy found the goggles and proudly dressed up her willing little sister. Look mom Afton's wearing goggles. Lucky girl to be so adored.

One night during our super spiritual scripture study Livy decided we should wear goggles. After reading about how few pictures of moms with their kids I decided what the heck I would be in disguise. Livy was excited to share the spotlight. Love this free spirited girl of mine. I wonder how she will focus on life as all of life is grand and an adventure waiting to happen. She is not as serious as some of the others who live here. I guess it's good to have diversity so we don't just shovel mud our whole life but stop and look at the caterpillars, butterflies, stars, and have some fun mud fights. Best to you today.

4.19.15 Kittens!!

Dinner was almost ready the kids were working on coming inside and then no one appeared. I wondered why my stalwart obedient one or two children failed to come? I wondered why at least one child wasn't hungry? I opened the door and this was the scene I observed. Upon questioning the said tardy children they exclaimed the cat is having kittens right here!!!
Obviously some were more into the show than others.

 

I think Livy and Reed were most touched by this miraculous moment. I was worried about the other cats bothering the new kittens especially as the mother would eventually move her brood to  safer softer location. Reed took it upon himself to defend the kittens. He chased all other cats away with a stick for hours after their birth. 

Millie & Harold were having more fun blowing and chasing bubbles. Harold is so good with the little girls always trying to make them smile or laugh. They love his shoulder rides and the special attention he shares with them. He is a kind older brother who loves all little kids. I think it is important for teenagers to have small children around. Little kids are so loving and generous in heir smiles and love to the teenager who's world is a swirling mess of change. Not big enough to drive a car and date or marry but too big to play for hours on end with toys. It's a tough stage but the little siblings are a welcome relief. You can play with them you can play for them and you can teach them to play! All good activities and fun. I love watching my kids play together and love each other. 

4.16.15 Piggy Tails

Addie has been thrilled to have hair long enough to achieve piggy tails. She constantly is wanting to put her hair up. Of course she does it herself! I think that is her inner mantra 'do it myself'!
Nonetheless this was one happy camper to be finally wearing piggy tails to first grade. I love all the new stages and quirks each child brings to our home.

The older girls with longer hair expect things like this. No they never make it through a whole day the pins hurt holding it in place. But it looks cool for a while. I'm not so much into curling irons and styling product but from years of braiding my own hair I can manage braids. And I'm happy to say now at daughter #3 demanding hair styling I can finally get piggy tails even on the head. Love my girls. In some ways they are proving to be easier to raise than the boys, hair style demands and all. Happy Tuesday.

4.14.15 My Silly Livy

Livy is quite a character. She likes to have her picture taken and is constantly doing something new and interesting. Life is good when you are three.

 She put her chewed gum in her belly button. Just for safe keeping.

 Sharing dinner with her dad. Or maybe he was reigning her in. Not sure probably both. Millie is learnig to smile for the camera too. They are so different.

 Entertaining Afton. Still my most consistent baby helper.

Yep that's all her. Dressed her self can you tell tags out backwards. With a little personality hat to set the outfit off. Riding her bike of course. It's good to be a kid!

4.15.15 Visiting Grandma

For me Grandma's house has always been one of the best places on earth. Due to age and overall well being grandmas house has had to change. I have shed a few tears over this but I learned its not so much the house but the person who lives there that makes a place special. We went to visit Grandma in her new place this week. I prepared all day so I wouldn't cry, so the kids could be occupied and pleasant and we could be a positive visit. I printed coloring pages and word searches, found an UNO game, and bought new crayons, and some ice cream sandwich treats- we were ready!

Harold was showing grandma his hex-a-flexagon. Look it up on Kahn Academy. Amazing resource!

Afton had a great time being held by grandma she's small enough not to play with grandma' s new jewelry. I think we only accidentally called the nurse once.

Hiding and exploring a new place was so much fun for Livy and Millie. The best part of siblings is always having someone to play with. Livy trying out the bed. She was mesmerized by the hanging shoe organizer in the closet. Too cool!

Harold preparing to make some paper airplanes. There were balloons in grandma's room and they used them for targets. Lot of fun for all interest levels. Coloring and playing games the kids wrote love notes to grandma and enjoyed a rare opportunity to play a game with their dad.

Millie exploring new gadgets. I'm not aware of any disasters. She is getting so big notice her big cheesy smiles? Sure love her even though she sticks to me like glue at home.

I came away so calmed and assured that things are okay. Life does change and that's okay. We all need to progress and have our turn and move on to other things. I have learned so much from grandma. She is pleasant and always encouraging. She never complains and she is smart. A sister commented we could have moved her into a chicken house and she would make friends with the chickens. (Actually she did live in a chicken house at one point in her life, lots of settlers in our community did. The chickens lived elsewhere!) I love my grandma. I love that my kids also know and love her. They are sure our love of reading is genetic passed on from her. I love that we get to learn more from her. Change is okay it's just different from our preferred comfort setting. Thank goodness for families.

4.13.15 Science Fair

Science Fair projects about did me in over spring break. Kids came home with empty notebooks and blank poster boards and no ideas of what they wanted to learn about. After completing a few of the projects on my to do list we got to their projects. I researched things that might interest them and came up with some ideas to show them. They reviewed the options and we began gathering materials. Aliza made yogurt from 4 different commercial yogurts. John built bridges to test the best adhesive and Harold worked on a mousetrap powered car.

Aliza got hers done. I understand food science and had done that before. No biggie she got it written up in her notebook, typed on the computer and the board put  together. Viola science project!
The boys however were a different story. I went for projects that were in their interest areas. Not looking at the difficulty and or the time estimated for the project. OOPS!
The bridge was fine and dandy if we had had more clips to secure the sticks as they dried. And it takes a long time for glue to dry.

The mousetrap car, well that was a real story of engineering, ingenuity, and trial and error. We didn't spend much money on that project but it took A LOT!! of time and effort and it didn't "work" by the deadline. We learned a lot about friction, procrastination, boys, and scientific method. GRRR.

Serious science takes time and some food. The lunch amongst the creative thought process you can see a bridge in the background.

 After not completing the week before I kept Harold and John home to finish the projects and write up. Mark was not about to have to miss out so he felt "really sick" and determined he better stay home just in case.

Being sick he needed reset. I came down to check on that and found this.

Reading the Rush Revere Books. Reed was in Heaven to have all his brothers home.

It was a long day of repeating you must write results down. Write it down. Have you written it down? You can't get up until you write it down... Oh my goodness I thought I would explode!

Alas we got completed boards, speeches ready, and done. My favorite comment at 9:45 that night mom I got it almost done. Yes since we started at 6:30 a.m. you're right just in time. oh my I'm pretty sure this motherhood thing is going to do me in. Why did I chose this instead of a leave home do the same predictable thing each day job? Man I sure am a glutton for punishment.

I can honestly say I was majorly bummed when bridge builder Johnny who was scared to death of presenting his project but had solid speech reported he did not share his speech the judge never asked for it! Great. He got 2nd.

Aliza did great she got a 2nd place. I so appreciate her organization and competitive spirit.

Harold got a 3rd place. There was a homemade light bulb that his friend did. Didn't know you could do that.
When I invest so much time and mental energy into these things I'm let down to not WIN, but I know we did win. In that we learned a bunch, had fun, celebrated, and questioned together. On to the next thing is how life rolls along here.