On Friday Nicholas's much beloved teacher stopped by for a driveway visit. Because he's moving back to England at the end of the school year (Nicholas doesn't know yet, he's gonna be crushed), he is in the process of cleaning out his classroom and brought Nicholas and Natalie a set of graduated cylinders meant to be used for exploring volume. They were so anxious and eager to become little scientists with them that they were willing to brave the morning chill.
Our s'more habit is becoming pretty regular. So much so that we're running out of firewood quickly. Ian took Caleb to the park to pick up some sections of a fallen tree and then taught him to cut it. May as well revisit some skills from the frontier days while we're isolating, right?
In these longer days with more time on our hands, preparing between 80 and 100 hand filled dumplings is not as big of a deal as it is in busier times. We're working on our craft and actually are getting much faster...not to mention more accurate in actually sealing each dumpling shut!
Another chilly morning, another budding scientist at work...
We didn't get to go camping, but we did spend some time in the woods! My request for Mother's Day in this pandemic was to take a hike with no complaining from any members of the family. It's possible there were a few eye rolls, but my kiddos were kind enough to honor my request.
We found a sweet little nature preserve just a few miles from home (to date the furthest any of them had gone in a car since March) and enjoyed time in the great outdoors.
There were several miles of trails of trails, a creek and a pond in this small oasis tucked into a neighborhood in our city.
I really am the luckiest mom...six amazing kids and an equally amazing partner to parent them with!
These two. They are the ultimate dynamic duo. My "N twins..." Sure they have their share of squabbles, but they also are the best of friends. Slower than the rest of the crew, they often bring up the tail end of the M8 at their own pace, holding hands to support one another.
Gracious! Here's hoping hair salons re-open soon! D is getting a bit of length to his do!
I'm sure in a few years we'll look back on this as the strangest of times. And as much as I look forward to statewide quarantine ending, there are some aspects I'll look back on and be thankful for. One will be those magical moments when all six of the kids interact and have fun together instead of just small groupings. On Mother's Day afternoon they entertained themselves by recreating (and coaching that recreation) Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure from Universal's Islands of Adventure. There are videos to document, but trust me, all the highlights were there, down to the acknowledgement that the unicorn is a mum.
Our elementary school really is pretty awesome. Even in a virtual setting they are trying to incorporate different MI styles. In a lesson about the different ways mold fossils, cast fossils and body fossils are formed, there was an optional experiment to do involving jello and gummies. I had randomly picked up jello and there were still some gummy bears left from Easter, so why not? Even Daniel and Darcy decided to get in on the action.
We got the jello mixed up and in the fridge to set and then back to the playroom for some Lego time while I did a read aloud of Tuck Everlasting.
Best part of science experiments that involve jello?
Also this week we got to celebrate the one that holds our family together. Our leader and rock was celebrated with the meal of his choice (burgers and grilled veggie salad ~ that he had to grill) and a coconut cake.
Those moments when you look at your child and find yourself so, so lucky to be the one that gets to be his mom. This guy and his sense of humor. And his kind heart. I love him with all of mine...
Legos have seen a recent resurgence in the house. My best advice, don't go into the playroom without the lights on... All sorts of free form creations are coming out of the room, from flying cars to models of the house. I need to buy more loose bricks!
There is lots of baking going on in the house, but Daniel is perhaps the one most taken with whipping up sweet treats for the family to enjoy. He bakes so frequently that he now will go to the pantry and pull out flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt before he even gets a recipe out of the baking binder. His newly found favorite is chocolate chip blondies.
They double as dessert! Nicholas shows off a perfect example of a body or true form fossil. This gummy bear trapped in the jello exemplifies an insect trapped in amber.
And of course what is a birthday without presents? The very best kind are homemade! Our creative little "up cycler" made Ian his very own robot to sit on his desk.
Oh, did I mention long hair and salons needing to reopen last week? You know it's getting bad when your 11 year old begins to complain that his hair is too long...
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