Liam came to me a couple days ago and asked me if I could build something with him that had an elastic. As I was busy in the kitchen, I suggested that he and Daddy build something together and I supplied him with an elastic. With some patience and a helping hand they came up with the construction at the left and had a lot of fun building it together (especially since it kept Liam up past his bedtime....such fun).
And here's the elastic!
I love this stuff from Fruits and Passion. Now all we need is a scratch and sniff button on your computer screen. It smells so yummy that I could just eat it up (well, almost). I suggest that if your ever looking for a nice refreshing handsoap to pick up this one. I haven't had any in years but I was just thinking yesterday when Mike brough me home some no name handsoap from the grocery store how nice some of this would be instead!
a 100 piece puzzle and an hour of fun with my son learning about this wonderful country that we live in.
In honour of Canada Day we've started exploring Canada and will spending 3 weeks for each province learning about the little things that make each place special and unique. Obviously, we are starting with Newfoundland as I want him to get an idea about where we will be living (not to mention that he is totally obsessed with Vikings at the moment so we can tie that in with the studies). We're using the Discover Canada series that I remember from my youth but really the information is still valid and I can supplement where need be. Right now he remembers where 4 provinces are (Quebec, Ontario is right beside Quebec, then comes Manitoba and Newfoundland is the big island farthest east) and he is also quite interested in Nova Scotia (though I don't know why he would single out that province above any of the others....not that it's not a wonderful place and all *lol*)
We'll keep you posted on our learning experience.
We've decided that we are going to stick with homeschooling. This year it is likely that we will not be settled in our new home before the school year begins so it would not make sense to start Liam in Kindergarten for just a few weeks/months and then uproot him to move. In any case, we feel comfortable with out decision.
Most of my family knows and have been supportive, albeit very curious about how it works. We have yet to tell Mike's family and EVERY time we are there they talk about Liam started Kindergarten in just a couple months. They also tell me that he will be too smart for school. No problem, we homeschooling, if he knows the material then we will go on to something else.
There's also the issue of "socialization" and I was discussing it with someone just a couple days and pointed out MANY ways in which my children will benefit from socialisation with other kids and ADULTS! I'm not too concerned. My kids seem to have taken after their father with their people skills.
You can expect to see a fair amount more of our learning adventures in this blog in the coming months as we actually begin to settle into a learning "routine". There will still be plenty of other things (I hope to get back to recepies soon) for those less interested in homeschooling but the focus "might" shift a little.
Let the learning adventure begin (or rather continue!)
Let's see if this actually works!
Yahoo, it worked on my first try.....I must be getting good at this. By the way, this is NOT one of my favorite Enya songs or videos (just what happened to be at the top of the youtube list!!)
Maybe I just have a thing for bands/singers that begin with the letter E but these are my favorites. I guess my taste of music is a bit ecclectic and a little all over the place but I listen to just about anything as long as it isn't rap/hip hop stuff. I have yet to get into that and doubt at this point if I ever will.
Here are some youtube samples of my favorites (if anyone knows the html code to use to paste the video directly (as opposed to the link) to my blog please let me know...edited because YAHOO I figured it out by myself!
Enya
Probably my favorite English language song by Enya, Flora's Secret.
Boadicea is my favorite Enya song....I listened to it A LOT when I was pregnant with Morgaine and a lot as she was preparing to come earth side. Here is a fan made video (I don't think Enya made a video for the song) that is quite peaceful and nice to watch.
Era
The first song I heard by Era. was addicted from this moment on. Apparently, while it sounds like the are singing in Latin it is some imaginary "language" and has more to do with the beats and music than the words. It is impossible to find any information for them on the web. Do you have any idea how many sites have "era" in them?
Another favorite. Sure sounds/looks Latin to me. If anyone know please leave me a message. Again it's another fan made video (got to love youtube!)
Evanescence
Just a nice slow song (that was waaaaay over played a few years ago but I didn't mind in the least). It was wanting to learn to play this song that made me start piano lessons at www.webpianoteacher.com which has been a lot of fun and rewarding because it works. I have parts one and two well now but I haven't bought a membership to get the full instructions for the last part. Maybe someday. I've always wanted to play well.
One of my favorites (of all time).....featuring Amy Lee (from Evanescence)
Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Much fun!!
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
WELCOME HOME MILTON, YOU SILLY CAT!!!
The moment we're all been waiting for. The basement is FINISHED!!!
Our family room:
Guest Bedroom
Computer/Sitting room
Sorry the pictures aren't the best...darn that sunlight!! (You might get more pictures when we get the blinds up if you are too sick of our basement by now *lol*)
My kitties.....
I am totally a cat person. I have always been a cat person and I will always be a cat person. I might not be as much of a cat person as my man (he befriends all the cats in the neighbourhood) but I am pretty darn close. I figured that since the batteries in my camera are dead again I take the evening to share some pictures that I have saved on my computer and I have no shortage of cat photos.
Introducing my feline family!
Miss Mikula Blue Eyes (oh, yeah and my man too)
Mikula is our one and only pure bred kitty. She is a mink Tonkinese and you can find out more about here breed here http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/tonkinese.html. Tonkinese are a 50/50 blend of Burmese and Siamese making them friendly like the Burmese yet talkative like the Siamese and Mikula loves to "talk". At almost 8 years old she is our oldest kitty but she is still young at heart. She loves to dance and you will often find Mikula and I prancing about (and believe it or not, it's pretty co-ordinated). She sings all the while. She loves a warm lap (and will sleep on anyone). She totally knows when a women is pregnant and will not let them out of her sight. She loves babies but is a little bit weary of the children as they grow. She has a personality that can change on a seconds notice. While she would never hurt the kids she has been know to warn them to stay away. Mike isn't very fond of this cat and she is considered "my" cat....as in "here, I don't want your cat.....you take her".
On to Milton
First of all, Milton is a she kitty. Yes, I know.....Milton is a boys name but at the time we got her we were watching some reality show on TV (Ultimate Love Challenge, could it be?) and it featured one couple who were eclectic and wonderful rockers (Balentine) and they had a kitty called Milton (well, Melton....darn ABC) and we just love how they featured that cat. Milton was an SPCA rescue kitty who we got just days after loosing our precious Cookie due to ingesting a toxic plant we received as a gift (Easter Lily...lilies and cat DO NOT mix). We were looking to get an older cat but after spending the whole day not of the kitties felt right but this kitten was cute and her markings we gorgeous so we took her home. She was a bit of the wild thing but is so incredibly stupid. She has no cat instincts. She falls off of things all the time. She chases her tail. She is a bit of a scardy cat, Unfortunately, Milton escaped a few days ago and while we caught glimpses of her a few times she would not come in. We have not laid eyes on her for nearly 48 hours. With the hit and he lack on insticts I am beginning to worry about Ms. Milton. Please keep this cat in your thoughts. She's really the cat that gets along with everyone (even the kids) and she'd be missed if something happened to her.
And finally New Cat
Hmm, if you haven't notice we have some issues naming our cats. New Cat joined our family when we brought Milton back to the SPCA to be fixed. I said, "please, Mike can we just go and see the other cats." Despite his better judgement he let me go and it was love at first sight. New cat was in her cage and she had a scraped up nose but she was just gorgeous and has something within her that was just pulling at my heartstrings. We were admiring her when an assistant came in and told us that she had fought to keep that cat alive for another day because the others at the SPCA had deemed her agressive and she could not be around other kids of other cats. That was it. I needed that cat. We ended up going home without her but I convinced Mike, that despite having Liam at home and being pregnant with another child and not to mention having two other cats at home that we NEEDED to bring this cat home. So New Cat joined our family and there is not an aggressive bone in her body. Yes, she has animal insticts (she was a feral kitty) but aggressive, no way). Maybe she knows she got her second chance. She is Mike's best buddy and will sit on his shoulder. She greets us in the morning with a friend knock to our head. She's affectionate (when she wants to be) and is amazingly patient with the kids (who have decided that this is their cat to torture). She's been a welcomed addition to the fray.
Well, now you've gotten the chance to meet my other babies. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writting about them! *lol*
I had the honour of attending the 10th anniversary of my nephew's baseball team. What is so awesome about this team is that it is especially for children who have challenges in life and would not have the opportunity to play ball any other way. It was very special to see the dedication of the people that make this happen each week for the kids (the pitcher was AMAZING!) and to see the smiles on the kids faces as they hit the ball and ran (or were pushed) around the bases. Much fun was had by all.
We've been having some early mornings in this household and they have been quite lovely. Getting up as the sun in rising and being outside before everyone else is stirring can be quite magical (sometimes). Morgaine and I have had a couple mornings lately where we've had the pleasure of sitting outside listening to the birds and welcoming the new day.
Morgaine enjoying a very early morning picnic.
How I make it through the morning-an extra large cup of coffee!
