Pumpkin pics

Since I am trying to pretend that I don't just use my camera for kids shots, here are a few of my attempts at photography. (Snapped at a fast walk while trying to keep up with the group during our pumpkin patch visit.)

Pumpkin Patch tradition

Every year, we take the time to spend an hour or two visiting the Pumpkin patch with Grammie and Grandad and Aunt Jenn, and any other family members we can coax into it.

We get the girls dressed up into their Halloween Costumes for which they get many oohs and aahhs, and snap pics

among the pumpkins. How many more years they will let us do this, we are not sure, but for now, it is great fun braving the chill air, tasting the hot apple cider and popcorn, and savoring the fall atmosphere.

Fall 2006 (above) Fall 2005 (below)

Bunkbeds

Well, we did it! After repeated comments on the greatly sought after bunk beds, and a few days of pondering, we took the plunge. A few dollars in home depot supplies later and a handy husband, the girls beds have been turned into a brand new bunk beds and they are thrilled!
And to make things even better, the girls have started sleeping in until 8 or even 8:30 everyday! I guess I should check how long they are staying up chatting under the new arrangements! :)

I am very excited too that Tara's room will now be made into our "Activity room". A place to leave out projects, start and not finish puzzles, and have better access to some of the new items we have our eye on for Christmas.

(Our biggest purchase we hope to make will be a computer microscope, and now, we hope it will have a permanent and accessible home! How can I not be excited!)

The elusive Autumn...

No, not fall, this would be Aunt Pam's cat. The main reason the girls love going to Uncle Chris and Aunt Pam's house!

Sorry guys, the girls are definitely drawn to your dwelling for the sheer mystery of this cat they can't coax out of hiding.

Even after Halloween cookie decorating and chocolate milk, they keep coming back to the cat, but thanks for the nice relaxing afternoon and for letting the girls pre-make their dessert!

(By the way, the girls are counting down the days to the "sleepover", and their next chance to glimpse Autumn)

The girls results

Great new book!

Signed out this book from the library during a tour where it was highly recommended, and I have to agree.
Cats, Hats, and Hippos -Ruth Thompson- (for ages 3 to 5)

This book is great for spurring on conversation about the pictures. It includes ideas at the bottom of each page for questions to ask, and gets the kids chatting about different subject matter and expanding their vocabulary.

We didn't try every page, as some didn't hold our interest, but our favorite page was definitely the Story Map, where we got to follow paths and make up a story about the items and characters we came across! Great fun. It reminded me to keep the girls involved in what they are reading, by requesting their participation in the story!

Other titles in the series:
Spotted Dogs and Messy Monsters (Age 4 to 6)
Yackety-yak, the Alien's back (Age 5 to 7)
Chatting Cheetahs and Jumping Jellyfish (Age 6 to 8)

Pumpkin Decorating...

How to decorate pumpkins with a group of 8 kids, with out involving knives! That was my dilemma for our Early Learners group who met at our house yesterday. But we managed, and the kids did great. Each pumpkin came out unique, and the kids really took to working with the supplies to develop their characters.




The rest of our morning involved investigating the pumpkins that everyone had brought, chatting about colour and texture and size. We spent some time measuring the circumference using string, and estimating the weight (since my scale broke at that exact moment).
We also went through the life cycle of the pumpkin, using the resource found here http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Life_Cycle_of_a_Pumpkin.pdf

We used small laminated cards to work out the order of the life cycle, and then used them again later to do patterning. The kids were also sent home with this poem:

Pumpkin

Pumpkin pumpkin
big and round,
I'm glad you grow
upon the ground.
I'm glad you don't
grow in a tree
for then you might
fall down on me.
-author unknown-

I oddly found it very hard to find quality pumpkin print outs to compliment our morning. I was quite surprised as this seems to be such a popular learning theme for the fall season! (Lots on Thanksgiving!) So if anyone knows of any (for future reference) please leave a comment!!

Link for free curriculum

Cool new link for free curriculum for the grade 3 to grade 8 age range.

http://wwf.ca/schools/

I haven't been through all of it, and although it is quite schoolish, it looks like it has great information. Have to sign up, but it is free!

Conversation with Aislinn

Conversation with Aislinn tonight:

Aislinn: "Mom, I really like bunk beds"
Me: "You do?"
Aislinn: " I think I would like to sleep in a bunk bed where I could have the top and Tara could sleep on the bottom"
Me: "You sometimes get to sleep on the top bunk at K's house"
Aislinn: "Well how much to bunk beds cost?"
Me: "Well, you and Tara each already have a bed."
Aislinn: "But how much would they cost?"
Me: "Ummm, probably around 700 dollars"
Aislinn: "Wow, that would be all the money you have right?" (thoughtful look)
Me: "Well, we would have to save up for a purchase like that, but you and Tara each already have a bed."
Aislinn: " k, good night Mom!" (she made it quite clear that we were done chatting!)

I am curious to see what her game plan will be in acquiring this coveted bed. She had the look that means it won't be the end of this conversation. Keep you posted...

(It actually struck me as funny as I was just today, in my head, playing with the logistics of putting the girls in one room and making the other room an "activity room".)

Experiencing a Streetcar

Since we have just the two girls in our family, and just one niece besides, we have had to live the train obsession vicariously through 1 lone 4 year old male friend of the family -Matthew. Through him we have learned about the Thomas world of Sodor and with it the names and attraction toward these small brightly coloured engines.

So when we had an opportunity to visit a Streetcar museum, I thought sure, why not! The girls might not be fanatics, but I am sure they will appreciate the experience.

Well, they seemed to, even though Tara spent the entire 2 rides snuggled up against my arm with her eyes half closed!

It was quite interesting! I have to admit that I can not recollect ever having been on a streetcar, sad since I have lived in quite close vicinity to them all my life, but being from the country(ish) we always seemed to drive in the downtown core.

The oldest model which we were given a ride on had a fabulous interior and sported adds from the 1920's. The second car dated back to 1950's but was not nearly as appealing. Although I am a huge fan of technology, in this case it was rather dismal.

We ended our tour by exploring a train station, in which the girls enjoyed the company of other home schoolers more than their surroundings, but I guess they are a bit young to delve into the mysteries written on information blocks on walls or hidden in glass cases. The time will come.

While the girls were excited that they had finally had the opportunity to ride on a "train", I think they are still yearning for a more in depth experience. Aislinn's thinking - Train ride across Canada -that should only take an afternoon.

Early Learners...

One of the great privileges of being a parent is witnessing, close up, the flourishing of a young mind. But that’s not the only benefit. In trying to make the world a more interesting and comprehensible place for their child, parents often find their own intellectual interests rekindled. - Michael Schulman


Our Early Learners group has been busy the past week, with a get together on Fri (to compensate for the holiday Monday), and one today. The group is really starting to mesh and the comfort levels of the kids are really starting to increase.

We spent some time chatting about Canadian birds on Friday with a morning mixed with both hands on and circle activities. I was amazed at how much the kids already knew about a lot of the bird species, and it reminds me of just how much kids absorb in everyday life. As far as I know, none if the families had done any previous "study" on the topic, yet the kids all had different and interesting information to share. The kids all participated in a show and share, we listened to bird songs on cd, and viewed accompanying pictures. Then we jumped into a hands on "Bird French Toast" recipe and Pine cone bird feeders. The weather was still nice enough to accommodate a bit of outdoor running around, so we played a few rounds of bird freeze tag, and "What time is it Mr(s) Bird?"
The kids did great, and are really getting the feel for and gaining ability to work within a group structure.

Today, we spent the morning engaged in pretend play. Our leader ran the kids through a series of games to get the using their imaginations as animals, the weather, feelings and using props. She also introduced the kids to the idea of an imagination envelope where they could place their hand inside and pull out whatever they wanted, and an imagination crown where when wearing it, you could be wherever you wanted to be. It was excellent. Pretend play is really not a strong area for me and Aislinn and Tara tend to be very realistic in their play possibly due to this.
I am amazed every time we drive away, at the different things the girls are given the opportunity to experience, especially when different adults lead them in activities!
I am already planning ahead to next year about how fun it would be to revisit a lot of these same ideas and see where the year has taken them in their learning maturity!

All in all, I am really enjoying our group, and Tara begged me (in tears) to stay today! I can't remember how I managed to distract her, but I know both girls will be raring to go again next week!

Pistachios

Experiencing pistachios for the first time with Uncle Nunz (Jeff's Italian uncle).

Not often do you find a man happy to do the twist with his 3 and 4 year old grandnieces in front of everyone at a wedding!

Cheers Uncle Nunz, for making the girls feel so special!

You infuriate Aislinn every chance you get, but she obviously loves you regardless! :)

Making friends with the fish

We had another exciting opportunity last week, to visit a fish farm. (We really seem to be getting around this month!) We were lead through the grounds by the two lovely ladies who run the operation. They are currently running not only a chemical free rainbow trout hatchery, but a fly fishing club and lodge as well.

We were given our "tour" through the hatchery building where they raise the babies from eggs taken from the mothers on their farm and hand fertilized, and shown the different ponds where they feed them to specified sizes.

The girls were able to throw fish food to the trout at each of the ponds and experience the fish swimming over and thrashing to get the food right before them.

The girls had never really experienced fish in any manner except through an aquarium and I think they left with a greater appreciation of the natural habitat of fish. (something about 1000's of fish underfoot!)

We hiked through the trails, to the fishing lodge where the girls were able to see many different species of birds, ducks, and small mammals frozen in their natural state. It's not often that you can get such a close look at an Osprey or an Owl and the girls accepted their state without question.

Then, the best for last, the girls were each given a fish- yes that's right, and not a small one either, to take home and release into the pond. The process in itself was fascinating. The fish were transfered from the above fish "holding cages" to a plastic bag which was then pumped full of oxygen to get them through the ride home. They then travelled in style in the back of the car, and were transported downhill in the back of a wagon and released to their new home! We wish you the best Rainbow, Unicorn, Flower, Sue, Beauty, Speckles, Arlene, Sparkle, Goldie and any of the other names the girls came up with for our 5 wonderful fish on the hour drive home!

Thansgiving is a time for...

Worksheets???

I feel a little bit like we are straying from our unschooling philosophy when I look at the finished products covering our table. This looks so much more like school than what I pictured in my head, but Aislinn loves them. I have taken to printing off these worksheets from http://www.learningpage.com and leaving them available on the table and quite frankly, it's a great way to keep the girls busy when I'm making dinner or doing dishes. We can spend time in the same room, but they are at the level that gives Aislinn almost complete independence with them. It's been fun to watch too, as Aislinn coaches Tara in the instructions and completion of these sheets.

The trouble is keeping up with them as Aislinn flew through these in a less than an hour. It makes me wonder how much she would have accomplished in a classroom setting surrounded by distractions.
And I guess they aren't really "worksheets" when they are considered so much fun.

Pigs, Pigs, Pigs

We had the opportunity to visit a family run pig farm on Friday. It was a really great visit, and I was struck by the difference a visit with the owners of a farm is in comparison to a "tour" experience.

The husband and wife combo were happy to have our little group over, allowed us access to the barn and had so much awesome information about the running of their operation. They shared so much with us on the differences between a family sized farm, and the larger pork operations that are starting to take over the industry.

The great thing was that even though their pigs are all market pigs, you could see that they weren't afraid of people, and that the owners cared and acknowledged the pigs as animals and not just profit. Seems a more humane approach somehow.

They commented on the way the high technology farms are running now, as farmers sit inside and run the whole feeding and care operation through their computers.

The girls are still a bit young to really focus on all the information they were given, but together with their friends, did a fabulous job of staying attentive. I always fear the "This is boring" comment so many kids make, and the impact it has on the lovely people sharing their time with us, but the girls were great.

The pig masks were there to give the girls a bit of a distraction and an outlet for extra energy, and I think the owners of the farm thought it was great watch the girls open up a bit and get more comfortable playing around them.

They will now be transported to our dress up box where I a sure they will be worn to pieces.

Hiking in the Hills...

We went on an amazing 4 1/2 hour hiking trip today with our Early Learners group (10 kids aged 2-5) through the beautiful fall forest. The kids had a great time collecting their favorite items, exploring tree stumps and holes in the ground, and navigating roots and rocks on the path. We stopped occasionally for learning activites along the way, Charlotte Mason style, and tried leaf and bark rubbings, collecting nature treasures for wreath decorating, reading stories and general exploration.

The day was fabulous, the weather was ideal and the kids behaved excellent, with very little complaint even at the end of the long trek.

We are looking forward to making it an annual event! It would be awesome to see the kids give it a go next year! Maybe we could even shave off 1/2 hr!

Aislinn and Tara's results!

They set to work after dinner to put their wreath together, and then happily filled their nature books with leaves and bark stuck down with contact paper and drawings of themselves.

We then chased runaway milkweed fluff around the house!

We made it...

It's amazing! I took about 100 pictures throughout the day and didn't manage to get any really great pictures. (Lets hope the photographer fared better.)

The day went great, Aunt Jenn was beautiful, the girls behaved awesome, and the dessert was delicious. Can't ask for much more!


We are excited to welcome "Uncle Jay" to the family! Jenn has been a doting Aunt to my girls since day one, and it is fun to watch her progress into starting a family of her own. They even live mere blocks away! More babysitting opportunities I think!

It was a very exciting week for us, but also very busy. We spent the week racing from one place to the next, still trying to fit in all the girls regular activities as well as wedding preparations.

Aislinn and Tara had a blast at the wedding. Aislinn took to the dance floor with ease, and danced for about 3 hours straight - well past 11:00. It was so much fun watching her soak in all the moves that adults were doing and incorporate them into her own interpretive dance. The glow sticks were definitely a big hit too! Tara held up beautifully as well, keeping up with her sister to the very end. It was so much fun getting to see them all "decorated". (They even had sparkle gel on their faces and arms- nothing is better to 3 and 4 year old girls!).

I think now that they may have just finished their flower girls carriers. Everyone who would is married now and maybe, just maybe there will be some cousins for the girls appearing in the next couple years.

Our week in a flash...

Monday: Early Learners Group a.m
Groceries p.m.
Tuesday: Haircut a.m.
Origami p.m.
Wednesday: Swiming lessons p.m.
Nails p.m.
Thursday: Gymnastics
Massage
Highland Dancing
Wedding Rehersal
Friday: Wedding, wedding, wedding.
Creating trees with Finger paint and sparkle glue with our Early Learners Group. (Theme- fall)

Aislinn's grocery list!