Early December

Evelyn with her new smile

 We wandered over the golf course, where we found exercise but no golf balls.

 Jennifer made her own design of card for her friend. I guess she wanted to make some variety after all the sameness of the cards we made.

 For the amazed Oma, her 5 year old granddaughter prodigy, copying a sketch from John Constable. However, she panicked and refused to try the house, it was "too hard" and "I can't do it" and "I don't know how".

 I really like looking out the window to see little people wandering in the snow.

 Making trails through the snow.

 Evelyn volunteered to clean up the playroom herself so that I would allow her to have duplo up in place of the toys that were available for playing. She is STILL playing with it nicely. Except when her siblings take away a few pieces that she says are hers. However, she can share nicely with guest who are two and younger...and knows how to give them unimportant pieces back in exchange for the ones she absolutely needs. ;)

 The "lego corner" was a disaster, but Nathan and Melanie worked hard at sorting it...and were hopeful that if Evelyn had to leave it alone for a week it would stay relatively clean for a week.

 Getting ready for church...looking like ladies doing their hair!

 More art work being made. (I'm convinced that the key to success is lots of time and oodles of practice, which Evelyn has in abundance.)

 Bonding.

 The boys enjoying the cleaner lego corner, without having had to help clean it first. I guess it's nice to have your work appreciated. ;)

Sliding in the fog.

 Evelyn took a break from duplo to play with her bears.

 Checking to make sure the chickens are doing all right. We're nervous about keeping birds in the winter...so far they are okay, but the coldest weather is still coming!

 I guess if the ice rink doesn't work, we can skate on the pool? (if daddy isn't looking ;p )

 Hopeful children biking around and inspecting the site. Maybe it'll work? How soon can we skate? (we still can't skate and it's going to be really soggy and ten degrees tomorrow!)

 Jennifer reading Evelyn's library book to her.

Winter!!

 Jennifer made a bucket with a carrying strap.

 And we got another lovely layer of snow.

 So beautiful!

 Our chickens had this and their other window shut for the night so they could stay warm and not get a draft. But they were left completely in the dark once their pop door was shut for the night...and Matthew likes to sleep in! Soooooo....the hens, being blind in the dark, were heeding nature's call and laying eggs while still roosting in the dark!  To remedy this we used a shower door from the en-suite shower that we ripped apart (been leaking far too long, time to replace it...but the cheap replacement couldn't get through the bathroom door...so no replacement after all!!) The door needed a good cleaning to get the iron off. Add a frame and screw it to the wall and Ta da! Clucky-ducky and her friends can see as soon as the sun starts coming up! And eggs laid nicely in the cozy nesting boxes.

 Yum! Leftovers from Daniel's birthday. And persimmons. They are amazing, try them next Nov/Dec if you haven't before. Make sure you get the right kind, and eat like an apple, peel and all. Delicious! So is the junk food though. :)

 Evelyn wrote up a half a page of her own volition. She didn't know what CAB spelled, but she obviously liked writing it. Yes, her tooth is loose.

 Matthew

 playing with trucks....the whole world is now a "snow box". The possibilities of play are endless!

  Meanwhile the rest of the crew are using blue recycling boxes for building an igloo.

 Nice work! Snow is perfect for this job today! They knew it was gonna get to 10 degrees and melt in a few days, but still it's worth making just for making it!

And the tooth is out! Evelyn was eating an apple when at last that tooth which had been annoying her for a week fell out. She was really thrilled. 

Daniel's birthday

 Daniel turned 9, but it happened so quickly for him too (not just me) that he still says he's 8 when asked. :)

 He was gifted a belt and revolver, a combo gift from Nathan and Melanie. His police heart was thrilled.

 Daniel thought the police museum downtown Toronto would be interesting to go to, so we went there. Needed an appointment even. We were more than 20 minutes late by the time I found parking and then the entrance to the museum. No GPS with all those tall buildings. And THEN they search you before you go in (it's a regular police station after all) and Nathan and Melanie had pocket knives on them. So I raced off to the van and tucked them away while they waited at the station ("are they old enough to leave here, because it has to be legal" says the worried lady cop while I make a snide and very irritated reply "I think that my 13 and 12 year old can watch my other children for 5 minutes while in a police station until I get back" as I dash out in the rain unencumbered by slow and staring children. Anyways...we didn't really need the appointment, fortunately.

 The museum wasn't very large, but had some interesting displays. Coshes, handcuffs, legcuffs

 The motorbike was neat.

 Melanie looked like more a natural rider though

 The atmosphere was rather dark, and the robber coming in through the ceiling was rather ominous.

 We all made sure we checked out the bike. Not long after this Daniel asked to go home now. Apparently when I went to the van, there was a trouble maker razzing the cops that had to be put out...might have been a little high or something...didn't set Daniel into a very relaxed mood, though. Poor guy.

 We did check out all the displays, but didn't read all the case details. Interesting info!

November

 Sometimes the girls are playing nicely when I check on them in the morning.

 Nathan, with Melanie and Oma's help, worked on a vest. It awaits pockets here.

 Our cute company dressed in leftover clothes, enjoying the snow with us!

 Trucks with wheels are the best for boys! (even when stuck in a borrowed girl's jacket)

 Evelyn proudly showing off the lion she drew by herself, based on the book's instructions.

 Jennifer followed some craft book instructions to make flowers out of plastic cutlery, testing out her new paints bought with her own money!

 What a lovely snowfall. Stickey and beautiful!

 Whatever the weather, the chickens need water and food...that's Matthew taking care of business.

 Nathan and Melanie are pleased to try out the deep snow on the hills.

 Zoom!

 The snowplow came, so there was a pile by the driveway to play on!

 And a run along the side of the driveway. The kids were disappointed that there wasn't a pile up on the right side. So they piled their own snow over.

 Evelyn was flinging her carpet back and forth while she walked up the driveway.

 Zoom!

 Evelyn and her doll with matching crowns.

 A jump was made, adding to the sliding fun! You can see the mashed up ground at the bottom--the idea was to land on your feet, not on your knees to keep going further.

 Jennifer

 Nice to have your own horse!

 Daniel takes his chore of baking weekly very seriously.

Matthew is getting handier in the workshop. Here he is making a special spot for his socks to go in so he isn't so frustrated when looking for a pair.