First half of December 2020

Yay! Snow! We rarely have deep snow at the beginning of December, so we are happy!!

Evelyn enjoyed her writing project.  Especially since she did the illustrating and I wrote down the words for her. 

Melanie's quilt is designed.  What a job!

I bought some rugs for the kids for where they put on their skates.

Melanie and Daniel made an electronic game for steady hands.

Someone from church hired Melanie to help her make a quilt for her granddaughter.  It was a very unique plan so they had to make the design themselves. 

Cozy Sunday evening.  

Maybe not all quiet though. ;)

Monday Skype piano lessons.  Evelyn is cooperating...quick take a picture while it lasts! Virtual lessons are overrated, I think. Wishing for the real thing again!

Fort time.

I went for a walk. Beautiful.

Girl on a go cart!

Fun in the snow. 

Another walk. Even more beautiful.  Peaceful too, as I'm often on my own. Philip is working from home,  so if there were an emergency at home, he'd be available.  But the kids are playing outside peacefully when I get back. Usually. 

A very fancy dashboard. 

Snowflakes.  Big ones. Apparently they are so easy Melanie can teach Evelyn how to do them.

Daniel can you cut this for me before you go outside? Sure! He is not scared of the bandsaw at all...the handheld drill, though, that's something else. 

A beautiful collection. 

Melanie knows how to use it too! Lots of projects are getting done now, as we did a name exchange for Sinterklaas and unless you have a steady job you must make the gift...actually two! Because everyone got two names. 

Cold snap coming, time to fill the rink! It takes two days to get enough water in!!

Daniel loves setting up toys on his bottom bunkbed.

Jennifer knows how to enjoy a story! She laughs out loud in all the right places!

Junior carpenter-esses.

Yay! The ice is ready!!! Time to skate!!!

Skating in December already.  What an amazing winter.  Nice to have ice when most of the snow is gone.

Jennifer sanding the stilts she is making for Daniel for Sinterklaas.  She was not happy about the idea of having to make things doe TWO people. But with some help getting going and some nudges she did a fantastic job!

November 2020 continued

Our chickens have started to take laying eggs very seriously.  We are seriously looking into what to do with all the eggs. Matthew thinks we can store them for use next year. I want to sell them. To help pay for feeding them.

Evelyn drew her Dad.

I think Daniel is cheating on his math by calling in for help on his walkie talkie. 

Jennifer is not cheating.  Or enjoying hers. It is just plain hard work!

Evelyn got introduced to typing and second language on the computer.  She loves or hates it, depending on whether or not anything unexpected happens or if things get too difficult or not.

Now those Kindle gadgets only have digital books on them, or so I thought. After all they have no internet access or apps. But actually.  There are camera, calculators, videos, timers, alarms, etc all waiting to be played with.  One morning it was crowing steady like a rooster because someone set a noisy alarm. :p

More math. We are working hard at our school work! At least it's not virtual school like so many poor kids are having to make do with!

Matthew slogging through his daily math work. 

Jennifer made a mobile.  She didn't know that is what it was called, though. 

I have been taking such good care of my orchid  (and because it gets direct sun in the winter) that it has decided to flower again!

Jennifer working on her paint-by-number project.  It is huge!! But she is doing a great job. 

Nathan grinding away to clean up something before welding it. Winter is here, no pressure,  but will the plow be ready in time?

Getting a lever to lift the plow up when needed.  

Daniel made a babymobile. Fit great for the baby and they look cute together. 

Don't interrupt Scout. With a camera. I'm reading. 

Oops, got caught snapping that shot too. Philip was supposed to be busy in his meeting. Work, work,  work. He loves lifd with the home office!

Jennifer working on her second language. 

Concentration. 

Evelyn gets done her work way too early some days.  Way too much time to play. 

The test is here! Does it work?

You bet! Of course it needed a bit of tuning up off and on, and modifications were made after, but why not! More planning and thinking this way!

Melanie thought our flower pots needed sprucing up for the winter. We snitched some fallen birch branches from -ahem- somewhere and added some cedar from out back. Lovely!! So cozy!

Daniel is 11! November 2020

Because nothing was open worth going to for his birthday (grocery shopping outing anyone? :p ) Daniel got to pick out an activity kit that I ordered for him. 

It was a spy kit, including a safe and lots of cool instructions.  And no school today!!!

The box locked itself by mistake  (a pin popped loose when it wasn't supposed to) so Melanie tried to break into the stage to reset it. Fortunately we did manage to get inside and it is useable again! Phew!!

Daniel wanted to decorate the cake himself.  He also made it himself the day before. 

Happy birthday! (cheesey kiddo)

He really is becoming a responsible young guy. Thoughtful too! And gentlemanly. Usually. 

He approved of his cake.

Present opening time can be so early now with Dad being home all day! Daniel got a neat pencil holder for his personal desk.

And a binder cover, and it says "Daniel's. Open at your own risk"

A walkie talkie replica.

And cards. 

Daniel was expecting the "11 year old gift" which his 3 older siblings got at year 11. The only surprise was that I hid it in his prop--the supposedly empty birthday present from his piano performance piece. 

The ice free arena was used for a game of catch the mitten. Melanie is great for making up new entertainment.

More birthday sugar. You can pick your birthday cake, pop, candy and dinner.  So spoiled!

And when the sun went down it was time to play with glow bracelets in the apartment with all the lights off.

Happy Birthday Daniel!!