Our Garden.....in the Beginning

It's spring....time to get the garden under way.

We've added a few new fruit trees and tilled up more ground for garden space.

In all I think we've doubled our garden.....I wonder how well it will grow this year?

Tearing out the grass in this corner for some shrubbery and flowers.....I love flowers!

Instead of getting rid of this old broken wheelbarrow, I'm going

to try turning it into a flower bed.

Happy 7th Birthday Delaney!

Happy Birthday!!! She's been waiting for this day for a few weeks now...counting down the days, hours and minutes till she could officially call herself SEVEN! On the day of her birthday around 10am, she asked me "Mom what time was I born today?" (meaning the hour of her birth) I told her in the afternoon at 3:12 pm. A crest fallen face followed by "Oh, well I'm really six for a little while more then." This year was a 'date with Mom and Dad' year. She chose to go to Fatz restaurant. She ate Calabash chicken and thick-cut french fries. To top it off, she had a three scoop ice cream sundae with strawberries, whipped cream and a cherry on top! What a treat. After dinner she went on a shopping spree. Grandma and Grandpa sent her money and she couldn't wait to buy a 'Pillow Pet'. She found the one she liked--a turtle--and debated for hours what to call it. In the end, she chose Tommy. She wanted a ladybug birthday cake and I was glad to oblige her.

Loving her beloved 'Tommy the Turtle' pillow--thanks Grandma and Grandpa.

A new soccor ball and coloring set from Granny and Papa, along with simple gifts from siblings helped round out the special day for her.

Happy Birthday my little girl, you're quite a beautiful treasure. I love your smile and thoughtful ways. What would I do with out your help day to day with your younger siblings. I love the way every morning, regardless of how cold it is, you're outside after breakfast running around the backyard playing SuperGirl!

Happy birthday Super Girl. I love the patient way you have with Liam and Brianne. You are quite a example to us with your steadiness in wanting to read the scriptures each day. You have a shy smile and delightful laugh. I love you. Dad

Book Group-- Peter Pan and A Veiw to Saturday

Reading is an important part of our homeschool. We love to listen to books on tape, read aloud together at home and read books, then gather with friends who've read the same book to discuss and have fun with activities based on the book we've just read.

Book group time has come again. Based on the age of the child we read either, A View to Saturday or Peter Pan.
In our house we only got the first book read, but the younger kids had quite a lot of fun acting out the sword fights of the second!

Could it be?.... Peter Pan or the dreaded Captain Hook!


In the book "A View to Saturday" we read about the lives of four kids and how they work together to win a 'competition of the minds' type tournament. We recreated an event often happening in the book--an afternoon tea!

We got out the fancy dishes and little finger sandwiches and had fun trying many different herbal teas and learning a bit about proper etiquette.

It's that time of year...

It's that time of year again.....oh how I love to garden--dig my hands in the dirt, watch tiny seeds sprout and grow to glorious green plants with vegetables or flowers crowning their beauty.

I told myself last year that I wouldn't start seeds indoor this year. But, I just couldn't resist...when the stores start stocking the shelves with garden supplies and garden catalogs arrive in the mail, I fall prey to the gardening bug. I just can't help to delve into the dirty fun of playing in soil, setting up the grow lights and wait eagerly to get outside and start the peas, lettuce, carrots and other spring veggies.

This year, Barry and I plan to expand our garden. Barry purchase a tiller last year and now we'll start tearing up the ground in our garden plot. I'm also adding more trees--plum, bartlette pear, golden delicious apple and black tartan cherry. Along with more raspberries and two blueberry bushes, I hope to one day fullfill our fruit eating needs. (Except banana, to bad I can't grow banana's here.)

I've added more asperagus, rhubarb and I hope to find some artichoke plant and try to grow them.

Airplanes, Bridges and Egg Drops

During second semester we studied physical science. The kids built paper airplanes--learned about Bernoulli's law and some concepts of aerodynamics--and then had fun competing against each other as to who's airplane went the furthest.Using only a manila folder, playdoh, 5o straws and 100 rubber bands, they created-- with out any adult help, ideas or involvement (and this was quite hard for the parents in the younger kids classes) a bridge.
We studied what some elements of a good bridge are and then they went to town.
They were competing against each other as to who's bridge could hold the most weight.

This was a very challenging task for the younger group....although I'm told that the last time they did this the kids in the 5 year old class beat the 10 and 11 year old!

Another competition, this time, an egg drop. Using only rubber bands and Popsicle sticks, and napkins, the kids had to create a crate to house a raw egg that wouldn't break when dropped from at least 5-6 feet above ground.

Connor created a parachute with a napkin for his.

The airplane competition is underway....

Connor's bridge withheld the two block of wood test!

Here's Cailin and Noah's bridge...sadly it didn't and fell under pressure.

The first level of the egg drop challenge....

Eweee, it didn't make it! All three kids passed the first drop. From there Kim, the director, went up the ladder behind her for the second round, which didn't fare well for them. All eggs broke except one--Congrats to Greta!

Sleepy Head

It must've been a long and tiring day....he didn't make it through movie night awake!

Court of Honor

My scouts are busy, busy, busy. Ryan obtained the Star rank. Now he'll be busy working on his eagle scout service project and a few more badges so he can obtain the rank of Eagle scout. Connor's rank is Tenderfoot. Although he's just starting the trail to Eagle scout, he's loving it-- Camping and hiking, working on merit badges and going to meetings, he loves it all.
They both got quite a lot of badges! I'll be busy adding them to their sashes. Way to go boys!! Happy Scouting!