Surprise

You never know what you might find when you have a one year old. There was a runner and a tap shoe in the dishwasher. It's those surprises that add joy to life....and it doesn't hurt he is so darn cute.

A new reason to save those 'T's

These look so easy to make and just think of the fabulous sayings you could find on the t shirts at the thrift stores!!!

Pizza Game

A good friend of mine taught us this game, it was during a time they were exploring the concept of money. It was originally played with cookies, but when it became clear how often we would be playing it due to its popularity we switched to pizza.

Each of the kids get a rolled out piece of dough. The toppings (including sauce and cheese) are put in the middle of the table. Beside the toppings is a price list for everything. Some of the items are priced by the spoonful (ie. sauce, diced peppers, onions), others are per item or a few for a price and the cheese is usually per pinch. Each of the kids are given a certain amount of money (at our house it is usually $1), that is for spending on creating their pizza. Some of my kids go for lots of sauce, others like to have a smaller amount of sauce so they can spend more on the toppings. They always have enough money to buy what they need. They need to figure out if sauce is .20 cents a spoonful, what does that look like in change. And how much would it cost for three scoops. We play it frequently enough that I am not usually involved. The kids are motivated to help chop, shred, open the sauce, roll the dough, write the price list and be the banker. They are sometimes disappointed when we order instead of having the 'pizza game'.

Money Poem

Penny, Penny, east spent,

Copper brown and worth one sent

Nickel, nickel, thick and fat

You're worth five. I know that.

Dime, dime, little and thin.

I remember you're worth ten.

Quarter, quarter, big and bold,

You're worth twenty five I am told.

Half a dollar, half a dollar

Giant size.

Fifty cents to buy some fires.

Dollar, dollar green and long,

With 100 cents you can't go wrong.

Bill Martin Jr,

A Winter Wonderland

A Walk in the Woods

After many big snowfalls this week we headed out to a conservation area we had never been to before. Our intial intention was to see some dog sledding, but the conditions (pending rain and wet snow) cancelled it. The trail we explored was beautiful. The big wet heavy flakes of snow, the trees bending to the weight of the accumlation, the glistening of the water made for a truly beautiful walk. We came across a beautiful cedar grove, which created amazing hiding places. As we walked we were often surprised by a dumping of snow from the treetops. We enjoyed some tobogganing together before heading back in the car. It is on days like today that I know I would miss the snow if I lived with out it.

Dragons, Dress Up and Dancing

Our coop gathered today to celebrate Chinese New Year together. Everyone brought

different activities for the kids to do. There was make your own felt fortune cookie, origami red envelopes, dress up clothes, stamps, calligraphy writing, trying chop sticks, learning what modern items have come from china. The kids worked on decorating and putting together a beautiful dragon, which they used in for a dragon dance. They moved beautifully!

We had a wonderful potluck snack of fortune cookies, leeches, pineapple, pummelo, coconut water, almonds, cherry oranges and veggies with a peanut soy sauce dip. This followed by a few games the kids played and acting out the reasons for the order of the chinese zodiac animals.

Behind the Pins

As part of our trip to the bowling alley, the kids played a game and got a tour of what happens behind the pins. It was loud. Really, really loud. (and Shai slept through it!) There were machines with lots of gears, pulleys, and more gears moving the pins from the place they drop along a shoot to a claw which places them down on the alley. It was like a little conveyor belt, with the pin moving along to its next spot. It was really interesting. The kids held a pin, which weighed 10 lbs.

It was a very popular trip for the homeschool group, with lots of kids turning out. There were probably 30 kids, 10 lanes filled, all ages. They are asking to go again.

Bowling for Fun

Old friends. New friends. Bowling. High scores. Loud noises. Lots of Fun.

The love of boxes never dies, whether you are first born or fourth.

Winterfest

The neighbourhood groups held their annual winterfest today. They couldn't have asked for better weather, lots of snow and above zero degrees. We enjoyed seeing familiar faces, tobogganing, sharing hot chocolate and cookies. We also won some passes for the pool, lego and some energy efficient light bulbs! (it helps having six names to enter :)

We live in a fairly new sub division, about 10-12 years old. In the past year there has been some fabulous community programs happening. We have been enjoying a craft night recently and an introduction to community program night during which the kids get to try basket ball, theater, martial arts, etc. There have been movie nights in the park during the summer which we have also enjoyed.

The Birthday Finale

As you have noticed and heard January is a busy birthday month! Today was the finale of a very busy birthday month. My side of the family groups birthdays celebrations into one, making it more likely that we will be able to gather. We celebrated my mum's, Elias and Chris' birthdays today. We ate lots, chatted, the kids played in the snow and enjoyed really yummy (and super easy) cheesecake. My mum's cousin (which makes her my ??)visited in the summer from England (and the kids loved all the fun games she played) and she brought a family gift for us to use at family birthdays. We have faithfully used the birthday cake hat and the cake cutter that sings happy birthday at every gathering since received. Even though the hat barely fits anyone, all three got there turn.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

This year we joined in the chinese community's new year festivities. In the morning we headed over to the international language school, for their presentation. The different classes shared songs, bird sounds, and different dances from different regions. It wasn't a long presentation, but it gave us a little taste of Chinese culture. (and a lengthy discussion on learning a second language through this program)
After lunch we headed over to a larger gathering put together by the Chinese Cultural Association. Here, the kids tried using chopsticks to move marbles, had their names written in calligraphy, talked to an origami artist, read about the different celebrations that happen during the first days of New Years. The highlight by far was the performances. To begin there was a very impressive lion dance, who came down into the crowd for the kids to interact with. There was some singing and a performance by a group of musicians playing traditional chinese instruments.
It was the first year the association has invited the larger community to participate in the celebration in the hopes of sharing their culture and creating understanding. It was fabulous to be a part of it, gaining a greater appreciation for their part in our community.