Random bits...

Skating with friends; we have been about 4 times so far this year, but this was their first time!

All 4 kids were skating without the aids too, but they did enjoy zooming around the ice with the confidence they lend!

I am loving our local arena as we often have the whole ice to ourselves, + maybe one or two lovely seniors who seem to be quite tickled by having kids to share the ice with! Our latest read-aloud. A pretty simple book, but it was a fun fast read... oh, I am being updated... it is finished as of tonight; We will have to pick a new one for tomorrow!

And finally, I promised pics if I ever gave this technique another try, and the good news is that it was a success! Really not hard at all, and I am happy to say, no bubbles! This one was for my niece Jordan's birthday as she recently moved to a new room with fresh paint, new curtains, bedding etc.
(A couple pieces of matching scrapbook paper and it blends right in!
The wordle can come off and be replaced by a photo as well.
(a fun program if you have never played with it before!)

new discoveries...

As the new year approached and I did a mental look back over 2009, I realized that we had slowed down a lot on our scientific exploration; something the girls really seem to take to. I had found a new science kit from the same series as our weather kit, and picked it up for the girls for Christmas. I really feel you get your money's worth out of these kits ($10!)

We started by doing a few experiements with static electricity, and I worked with Tara, while Jeff played with circuits with Aislinn. All simple, but highly effective tests!

Then yesterday, we had friends with us for the day, so I gave them the kit, and let them explore further into the circuit experiments, just offering guidance when needed. They managed simple circuits, parallel circuits, switches, and double switch circuits. A couple flicks of the kitchen light switch drove the theories home, and another page in the science binder should help bring it to mind again and again. Next up is burglar alarms, motors, compass' and clocks!

Animal Surgery 101

One of the cool things about working at a vet clinic, is the chance to see and learn so many new things. I was able to look on when Rylee our puppy was spayed, and thought Aislinn might enjoy a similar experience as she is very intrigued by anatomy and science. (Also prepping for an upcoming visit to Body Worlds.)

I was planning to just take Aislinn, but our day worked in a way that I gave Tara the choice of whether she would like to come too.

We arrived in time to watch the end of a feline spay, see the veterinarian do the final sutures, and get a look at some of the removed "parts". Aislinn was quite into it, but Tara turned away once or twice and wasn't a big fan of the medicinal smells.

Then we got to watch a dentistry for a dog, and the girls were enthralled with how similar the procedure was in comparison to their own tooth cleaning.

Seeing things like how the i.v. catheters are put in, how the animals are intubated and placed on oxygen, and the different tools the doctor's use was very exciting.

We rounded off our visit by saying hello to all the animals, and playing with one of the staff's puppies.
The girls were thrilled, the surgery not being Tara's favorite, but all around a great experience.

Exploring the tiny stuff

I have come to terms with the fact that my kids really love hands on learning... I would imagine most kids do... to get your hands on a mysterious, very adult looking contraption like a microscope has a certain pull. I didn't get to be part of this learning experience, which I think is the hardest part of working, to miss out on the time with them, but from the pictures I can imagine it...
The girls explored onion cells, shrimp eggs, wool sponge and a few other interesting specimens, and made recordings for their science binder.
That paired with an afternoon of playing with friends and some outdoor activities rounded out a wonderful day!

(love the face - Kris, that one is for you!)

Welcome 2010

Well, we have had a fabulous holiday season... I could post pics, but they are the typical shots of present opening, huge smiles, large tables set with food and the like, you get the idea!

The girls are happily engaged in new games (suduko jr, feed the kitty, uno, topple, hoppers, and more), new toys (playmobil, fur real chipmunk and puppy, and webkinz babies) and new clothes (pj's and sweaters, snugly socks and sparkly belts!)
and a few others; new skates, audio books on cd, binders, toothbrushes... etc.

We are jumping into 2010 feeling very fortunate indeed!
Looking back, we have had a really great year this past year... everything we had hoped for for the home renovations have been done (and we got our first significantly reduced heat bill! Woohoo!), we have been healthy, the girls have been wonderful, all in all we have had everything we could ask for!

So , what will the new year bring? In past years, this is the time of year I launch into new schedules, new plans, new learning styles and far reaching goals..., well, this year, I am not falling into the hype!
Aside from printing off the next 6 months of the calendar (my annual free milk calendar didn't arrive this year!?!), and filling in some of the fun events we have planned, we are keeping things pretty steady.
The one thing we did start the year off with was a short family meeting, where we chatted about how great our family has been doing, some fun events upcoming, and how to fit in more of them..., and to encourage the girls and each other into staying motivated with our current workload... continuing to share in the responsibilities of the household.

Our only change will be for Aislinn. We chatted about how she is quickly approaching 7, and how her day needs to start doing a subtle switch from straight play to play with a bit of skill work thrown in. We talked to her about how we may be requesting that she spend a bit more of her time practising reading and writing and doing more math related activities.
We discussed with her how she would have the freedom to choose when they are done, and that it would still include lots of fun options, like games, baking, word puzzles, etc.
She seems pretty good with it, and while Tara was thrilled that she is still "off the hook", she has joined in on all the activities thus far!

As always, we will keep you posted :) and on that note, we wish you all a happy, healthy, relaxed New Year!


(Best of friends or two-headed monster?)