Artist

Evelyn is constantly getting into cupboards that she shouldn't, and I am always getting crayons and pencils from her, as she has got them out when I was busy.  She'd rather I didn't put them away again, but let her color instead.

Too bad

 We were going to do our annual trip to Toronto Island, but the plan fell through last minute.  The kids were good about it, as it couldn't be helped.  Instead we had a special snack.

Then we checked out a new park we'd heard about in our area.  It was cold though, and windy.  Nathan's hopes to float a boat were unfulfilled.  We all needed our sweaters, and watermelon, even if warm, was making our fingers wet and cold.

 But we wandered down the trail, and managed to have fun climbing on parts of the park that we're made for climbing.  The play structure was still fenced and there was heavy machinery working around it-so we had to make do!

We agreed that it would have been much too chilly for our annual outing anyways!

But Jennifer still asks about going, a week later...with our friend...and I have to say, "No, I don't think we can go for a long long time(a year)."  The other kids are old enough to understand, and the younger one doesn't know what she's missing. ;)

And when the playset is playable we will have to come check it out!  Would've been fun to be the first ones on it. ;)

My sleeping beauties

I'm sure Nathan and Melanie are beautiful too, but I'm just too lazy to go downstairs at night and photograph them.  Besides, they may be embarrassed. ;)

Around the house

 Matthew figured out how to do laces!  He's happy to have lace up shoes (though I think he laces them once well, and then slips them on and off after :o )

 The kids have gotten a lot out of that old tarp-the only down side is I find little green strings of it laying around and sometimes mow them up. :o

 Daniel can do the rope ladder!

 Nathan doting on his little sister (again).

A slice of boterkoek for you

Melanie is delving into baking a little.  I try get her to do one thing a week, but more often than not she's too busy doing other things cause "I have so much to do!"  I try to be out of the kitchen so she has to figure things out, and come help only when necessary. (Oh, and to help cleanup :p )

Lego Mill

 Nathan has been interested in mills for some time, and now after having actually seen one figured he know enough about one to replicate it.

 This particular mill has gears inside which turn two different things inside-he was conciering using it to help him spin the little bit of sheep wool he'd also got.  (Doubt that'll work!)

He'd made a few other versions which were not successful, but at last he got a design that worked!

It works!

Yay! Hooray!

I shall, for a while, at least, not hear the...
"and how are your curtains coming along dear?"
whenever I am wasting my time.
:p

Three!!

 Jennifer very eagerly awaited her third birthday!
A few days later:
 "Now is my birthday all done, Mommy?" 
"Yes, you have to wait a whole year now for another one."
(She looked very disappointed when she heard that.)

 Melanie made her a card, and she graciously listened while she explained what it was about.

 And accepted the stickers (even if some were already missing!) and some other small item.

 Matthew and Nathan made cards too.

 Nathan gifted a necklace he'd made at the pioneer village.

When asked about what she thought her birthday would be like, she talked about books.  She'd only received books last year, and so as not to let her down I made sure she did get one this year too.

Jennifer helped decorate the cupcakes too.

 Candles are the funnest part to put in of course!  She felt a little ripped off that she only got three though-the boys had more on theirs!

She wasn't sure about our singing

but did ask for an encore later. ;)

Jennifer is a lively girl, very easy to please (though she can screech a little too loud and quickly) she is over all a contented girl.  Such a treasure. :)  And three has come too quickly for me, and not fast enough for her.

First day of school!

  

Nathan, Melanie, Matthew and Daniel had their first day of school last week, and loved it!

We thought that an old fashioned one room school house would be a nice transition from home schooling into real school, and so, we gave it a shot.

 

As you can see, they haven't all learned to pay attention, and other classroom etiquette, but I'm sure they will catch on.

 Oh wait, actually, we just went along to the Dickson Hill School program at Black Creek Pioneer Village for two days, and we'll be doing regular homeschool again this week.  The kids would rather the other way, I am sure!

 Jennifer and Evelyn didn't pay attention to the lessons (they are the reason why we only went two days, and not all week) but did dress up too, and, mostly, stayed out of trouble.

 

We spent some time outside in the school yard, so as not to disturb the lessons.  There were two hours of school time, which included opening, singing, a bunch of 20 minute lessons, and recess.

 After school was out, we went two three different houses around the village and had a talk about various things.  In between we went back for lunch, and we were done at two.

 The weavers shop was fun, and the kids got to try out the loom!

 The print shop was even cooler, and, I think, Matthew's favourite!  I didn't go along with the older two, so I have no pics of their outings-but they went to the same places, only in a different order.

 And we got to take home a copy of the picture they made (only it was one they made the day before so the ink was dry).

 After it was done we checked out the mill (very cool!) and then I told my little pioneers Mommy and the little ones were ready to head home.

But I had to snap some shots of them looking so old fashioned. :)  We had made a rushed trip to Value Village and Sally Ams to get suspenders (had to make a pair out of some old pants for Nathan as we only found two) plus some long sleeve long dresses and an apron and a pinafore, a couple baskets, and Melanie's lace up boots.  And of course, we didn't do it 'til a couple days before, so we had to take what we could get.

The second day was Friday, a blasting hot day.  The younger three kids got more compromised outfits so that they would survive 'til 2 when we'd change.   Then, change we did!  As a pioneer, having cotton long sleeve and pants would be a lot more comfortable then my double layered non breathable dress.

 Play in the school yard.

 Scavenger hunt (school was real hard core ;)

 Recess time.

 Waiting for school to finish.

Making a friend while the boys were busy paying attention in the tin shop.

 Fooling around in the tin shop. :o

Tin shop.

 First house (meaning, the first house the original family lived in (three room house for 7 kids and two adults) where we learned about spinning and carding.

We also visited the doctor's house the day before, as well as the second house.  At each house we got to take something home (wool, tiny toy of tin) or helped make one big piece (weaver's and an embroidery thing at 2nd house) that the group as a whole got.

This is definitely something we'd do again if it happens again another year!