Tuesday, July 3, 2012

More Summer Fun at Home

We were home two and half weeks this time.  During that time we did a lot.  We celebrated Our Nine Year Anniversary and Father’s Day

We’ve also built a kids picnic table, yeah I got ahead of myself when I wrote about that a while back.  That’s what happens when you do so much in a short period of time and can’t keep up writing about it. 

All the “big” ideas I’m putting in separate blogs, but here a few “small” things we have been up to.


We went to the library for Story Time.  The boys enjoy the crafts and getting out of the house.  I’m really impressed with how much Noah and Caleb have been reading this summer.  The little ones figured out that there were prizes involved with reading this summer, so now will sit down and listen to stories easier now.  The Story Time we go to is geared more towards the younger ones, so they enjoy it.
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Noah and Caleb are okay with the “stories”.  I think they enjoy the crafts and some of the games.  I did have to remind Noah to let others have a chance to answer questions during a game of I Spy.  This year’s theme is “Get a Clue” and they have been talking about spies, detectives, and heroes.  They were able to make masks one day.  When we went home they played in their “secret lair”.

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They have decorated cookies, which went along with a story.  I missed the story since Makaela and I were finishing up checking out our books for the day.  I think it was “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”  I didn’t want the kids to eat the cookies since it was really close to lunch time.  I did let Makaela take a little bite.  WRONG thing to do.  She threw a fit!  Usually, I can calm her down but she WANTED that cookie.  Oh, well, lesson learned.  I can now write a story “If You Give Makaela a Cookie”, which needs to have sound so you can get the full effect of the high pitch squeal she has. 

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The boys have been nice and had a picnic with Makaela and her dolls.  This was before we changed clothes in the morning, which explains Makaela’s crazy hair do.  I pull it up quickly in the morning so she can eat breakfast, then actually fix it later on.  Of course, Noah was not in on this play time.  He has been quick to say he will not be playing dolls with his sister.  The other big brothers are okay with it.
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I’m glad that I have invested in educational tech toys.  When I get asked too many times to play Wii or the DS, I refer to the Leapsters and this laptop.  This day Eli and Makaela were learning their letters.

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If I let them play with the DS this is what happens.

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Caleb caught me taking pictures in the second one.  I’ve also let them play with the IPad and their IPhone (John’s old IPhone with just songs and kid apps on it).  The hard part is getting them to stay on the “educational” games instead the “fun” ones.



Then there was a few trips to Home Depot where all my kids have to ride in the basket. The time I actually had ALL of them in the basket I didn’t take a pic. But John got this pic of the boys.

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The fun doesn’t end there…
Check out
Kid Wash,   and