Outside Happenings

Where have all the snowpiles gone?

 

 Turned to puddles, everyone.

 The amount of snow we've had this winter has seemed like so little! I am certain it is because I was ready for lots. Crazy carpets, skates....but cold weather...and snow...nope!

 We enjoy the outdoors anyways. Sometimes I hear "But there is NOTHING to do outside."

 But we find things to do anyways.

 Jennifer had been howling at the front door for a long time, offended at having to go outside. Eventually she came over when she heard there was ice to play with, and forgot what she was offended about.

Ice, water, sand shovels...
good times ahead!

Inside Happenings

 We had a flu come through our house. Fever, headache, aches, but the stomach was off the hook, so Philip wonders if we had the real influenza instead of a stomach flu. It was a doozey to get over.

 Daniel was laying on the floor, and Evelyn came to keep him company. Those two really look after each other! They also tease each other well. ;) But this time Daniel needed company, so Evelyn obliged.

School is more than halfway done for the year!

 Nathan and Melanie are doing Dutch on the computer...but one day they wrote this up for fun while I was busy with Matthew and Daniel.

We've been working through a "teach yourself to draw" book for over a year...and I think we are all improving slowly. And for our "family math" we covered surface area. We do these activities in the afternoon, and they are not so thorough, but more fun and random in order and organization.

My first project on my new sewing machine was...mending!

I should have put the patches up higher on her knees, but she is happy with them. And I got to try out fancy stitches. So we are both happy. ;)

I taught Jennifer and Evelyn some sorting skills. Actually...if the kids run out of socks I say "Ah, you haven't been putting pairs in the wash together and leaving them around the house. Now you have to sort through my sock pile." And they have to hunt for pairs in my pile that I accumulate from lonely socks that turn up each time I do laundry.

 The kids do a lot of coloring when I read during school.

 A fancy game was organized by the kids which involved a mail system, (here they are making mailboxes for everyone) several stores, and paper money.

This is the grocery store.

 But it's not open yet.

Random

 The older kids and I played a game because they would say "random" a bit too much, and this was supposed to give them some indication of what random really meant. But I think "random" is the new "cool". It is a losing battle.

 Our friend Janet brought our other friends (Tom and Esta) for their first skate. They spent a lot of time falling, especially Tom. He had a good helmet, which was very reassuring because he was convinced he could do it right away and went on the ice hands free!

One quiet evening

 Evelyn helped set the table. She volunteered!

 Jennifer helped cook dinner.

 Daniel wrote a story.

Matthew, Melanie and Nathan played hockey

Usually things aren't so quiet and peaceful just at dinner making time. This time it was. It was worth remembering! (Who wants to remember the whining. The crying. The fighting. And the screaming of tired and hungry children?)

Art

 Jennifer thought to take on hair styling. During school. She was allowed with scissors and I was helping her brother with reading and I could see her at the corner of my eye. But I was not paying attention. Her punishment was a full haircut by me. And she was embarrassed by it. But many have flattered her vanity since then, and she has recovered.

We have been doing "drawing lessons" every week. I am the teacher and we are kinda flyin' with two different books and styles of learning. And one day I was ambitious and allowed painting. It was kinda fun...for as long as it stayed clean. The rule was, you had to "copy" something, or use part of something in your painting.

 Jennifer chose roses.

 Evelyn chose..well, Evelyn is Evelyn and had no rules. She did, however, painstakingly cover every inch of her paper. So carefully done I was impressed!

 Matthew liked a snowman off a card. And added a lot more to the scenery for people and action.

 Melanie wanted to do a horse. But they are hard to draw and she tried several times and was not happy with it...and didn't even break out the paint...but I guess she drew. ;)

 Nathan had trouble deciding what to do. What to be the subject? Where to put the subject? Eventually he decided on mountains with the road fading off into the distance. The deer on the road was omitted because it was too difficult-especially seeing Melanie's trouble with the horse! He too didn't get much paint on his brush, if any.

 Big long work table. Did I mention I got that table for $1. Actually, 1.36 I think. But really, it was a friend who found it for me, all I had to do was pay and pick it up.

 Daniel made Noah's ark. Plus a dock (I think?) for the disciples to tie their boats. Yes, on the same page. Once he noticed I wasn't enforcing the rule of "copy" Daniel decided it was actually a good idea, got a picture, saw the older kids drawing in pencil first, and followed suite.

Jennifer also drew a girl at church whose house we were to go to that week. With lots and lots of buttons on her shirt. I'm still not sure she made the whole thing herself, but who knows, maybe she did!

Ice is nice!

 When we finally had a freeze, snow came with it. The first ice day had smooth ice on the edges, but the middle, not so much. Nothing some more water couldn't fix. :) I had to pull in the farthest corner where it was too high, so that all the plastic liner could be covered completely in water.

At least it works. :)

Patience

 Wonder if there will be water in the far corner? Will it leak out the side before it gets high enough? How long will it take to freeze.

Soggy snow

 No need for jackets on a warm day when it's raining on top of the snow!

 Um, Mom, I've done this "snow thing" before, you don't need to take pictures.

 The snow is super sticky!

 Ugh! It's heavy!

 Mom, can you help us push?

 "Just push it down the hill!"

 I picked up some used snowshoes. Way back in November or early December. At long last we could try them out!

 They work pretty good Mom! (At least in these snow conditions. ;)

 

 Daniel couldn't find a sweater to wear, so Jennifer loaned him one.

 Little ladies can snowshoe too. And it's cooler to do it with hands in pockets.

 Daniel has been using them a lot, and only got upset once when one got stuck in a rockpile! Matthew had to go fetch it for him!

 See my hopeful set up...if only the temperature drops a little more...

 Mom, I want these off!

 So finally I started filling up the rink. The low spots looked very low and the water filled up very slow.

Waiting a day and a half for it to fill, and hoping against hope that the water will spread out to all the corners before it goes over the boards. Will it, will it? Why oh why didn't I buy that laser level?