Salman Khan talk at TED 2011 (from ted.com)

If you haven't seen this yet, I have to say it might be one of the coolest things I have ever seen. An amazing resource for anyone and it is even free!

This is the type of thing that makes me so excited about my girls being self-led learners... just how much is available to them, and when they have the desire to learn these things, there is no limit to how far they can go!

Aislinn turns 8!

She's getting big!

The things she can do; the way her brain can wrap around a concept with lighting speed;

the way she can fire back one liners at us, is all just astounding!

Gotta say I love this kid!

Happy Birthday, Ais!

Teeth!

Teeth have been falling out on a regular basis around here, but for Tara, these are the first -- and they both came out on the same night. (We had to encourage the second one

a bit as her adult tooth was squeezing in behind)

Yet another sign that we are leaving another stage of their lives and entering a new one ... daily the girls mature before our eyes. It is so amazing glimpsing the adult in them approaching,

yet a little bit sad at the same time! :(

Going back a bit...

Valentine's cards and gifts... it is a good thing the girls aren't in classes of 20 -- it would never happen!!!

(Idea and pirate template found here)

Curls

The girls had to have curly ponytails for their cheer leading competition, and so spent the Friday evening getting their hair done up in rag curls. -- I forgot to take pictures of the rags still in, and even forgot to take a picture of the curls right after, so this is Tara's hair 2 days later -- (then I made her shower)
The girls have plans to do it again, so when they do I will be sure to get more pics.


In case you haven't seen the technique, you cut an old t-shirt into strips, and then take small sections of damp hair and roll them around a strip of material, tying them at the top in a double knot. Lightly hairspray them if you want, sleep on it and voila!

Creationary

As most people probably know and have seen, Lego has come out with a series of games, including one called Creationary! The girls got it for Christmas, and we have been loving it. Below are some of our favorite creations. A great game for any kid who likes to build!

The months fly by...

So, I have noticed, that once I get out of the habit of doing something, it's really hard to get back into!

Once again, a look back at the past few months...

Christmas pics - a selection...

2010 Gingerbread house

The Science Center - Mythical creatures displayAnd, because we know Aunt Kristel will appreciate this one...

On display at the Science center as well!

And finally, the girls posing in their "Bears" pose at their competition in Niagara Falls!

Eggnog cookies

A friend from work brought these cookies in, and then shared the recipe with me... They are super Yummy! --the uncooked dough is even better! :)

In case you are an eggnog lover and would like to give it a try...

http://www.northpole.com/kitchen/cookbook/rec0458.asp

Lego Fun

The girls had a huge lego set-up going for a few weeks, complete with a robot room and a dragon assembly line...

December 2010

December is upon us, and with it advent! We've pulled out our advent calendars/containers from last you and are well underway... here are a few of the pics from our activities so far.

Paper Snowflakes

Homemade window clings (instructions found here;http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2010/11/glittery-snowflake-window-clings.html

New christmas books; read by candlelight

"The Festival of Lights" display in Niagara Falls

The winter season is upon us...

As the years go by, I start to see the ebb and flow of our lives, and the times we typically lean toward certain activities. For some reason, we tend to make smoothie's more in the spring, and read the most in the fall and in February/March. And in the winter months, November to January, is the time of year we spend a ton of time playing games. The girls and I spent the afternoon yesterday playing a new to them game - Sequence. Then we pulled Jeff into a game after dinner.

It is so much fun having the girls willing and able to learn and play the games we often play with our friends and family and I can see many more years of family gaming nights in our future.

Halloween 2010

Peter Pan at the Stratford Festival

(More as a journal entry -- helps me keep track of when we do things for future reference!)

Back in September we had a chance to head down to Stratford for a viewing of Peter Pan at the Avon Theatre. The girls are huge fans of J.M. Barrie, and all of the wonderful fairy stories that have stemmed from his "Tinkerbell" character.

It was an amazing day, beautiful weather, pre-show games with some of the cast members, picnic lunch, and an amazing theatre production, and some good memories.

(Tara also acquired a snowflake ornament from the Christmas store, and Aislinn a new addition to her rock/gem collection through our new "allowance system" - more details to follow.)

Tyler pics!

Finally! He is now somewhere around the 7-8 mth mark, but so far staying on the small side - probably due to his less than ideal start at life. He is keeping us well entertained though!

Look what I got!

A New Camera!!
I am not 100% sold on it yet -have 30 days to be sure - but at the very least, it has inspired me to start taking pictures again, and to blog again! My old camera just became so problematic, I stopped using it - hence the lack of pictures this summer. This shot is not super clear, being that it is a 14.1 MP, but it was in a mirror in low light -- I will have to do some more playing I think...
But over all, it is a point and shoot that was relatively affordable, we'll see where it takes us!

They did come home!!

Well, after purposefully trying to ignore the existence of my blog, I just had a look to confirm that I had indeed left it hanging a bit... (Only 3 months have past - insert sheepish smilie)

The girls did indeed come home (and have had 2 more visits), and they did get their big hugs as well!

The summer has passed in a flourish of activity... no vacations as such, but tons of time spent swimming and biking and being with friends. Two week long vacation bible school adventures, trips to the science center, and the regular sort of summer adventures... tree climbing, ice cream, campfires, parks, etc.

We did enjoy making use of our community outdoor swimming pool, especially after finding out , about halfway through the summer, that it is actually heated!

Some highlights of the summer were Tara turning 6, and having the nerve to get her ears pierced, and the new addition to our family -a stray that was turned into the clinic I work at- our kitten, Tyler Rhyn. He was originally meant to be Tara's birthday present, but arrived late due to illness... hence the earrings! :)

From an educational standpoint, Aislinn has moved along with her reading to the point of almost complete independence (a few words here and there will still stump her) and can often be found absorbed in the latest library finds. She finished a math workbook during the summer, which ended with a brief intro to multiplication, so we have started a small surge into that world. In the mean time, we had picked up a JumpMath 3.1 workbook which she has launched into, still mostly at her own discretion.

Tara has continued her reading practise, but is still struggling with finding the confidence to show her ability - we are sticking with no pressure, just offering her lots of chances for one on one reading time. Her math skills are moving well ahead in adding and subtracting.

The biggest difference for both of them is their level of maturity - in the discussions we are having, in the questions they ask, and in their ability to think through, process, and articulate their thoughts and feelings.

Left - our annual star watching trampoline sleepout... the tarp being an new addition from last year due to the bats joining us and the incredible damp feeling from the dew the next morning.

Interspersed are a few pictures of our summer highlights... and more coming once I figure out why my camera won't hold a battery charge!