What Kept Our Little Guy Busy This Week

He put together a few puzzles, played the Somebody game and matched the Wildlife Lotto cards,

built a book tower,

watched a cement truck unload across the street,

sewed a zipper in the top of T-Bone,

did a floating egg experiment,

drew a dragon on the chalkboard,

made drums and played music with his cousin,

did a rainbow experiment,

and caught 13 American Lady butterflies in the backyard.

Gifts From My Husband

Today I'd like to share gifts from my husband or otherwise titled When Will I Learn to Keep My Thought to Myself. One night I couldn't sleep and my darling hubby found me cleaning the house at 2:00am and I made the off hand comment that a donut sure would be good .

Later I went back to bed and woke to find everyone gone. This is what came through the door.

"You said you wanted donuts."

Joseph thought it was a good idea. "Okay, I'll have one, Oh what the heck I'll have another for the other hip."

One day I was told my husband that I though wolves were one of God's most beautiful creatures and I thought the boys needed a dog. Those are two things a woman should never say together! He came home late one night from work with BEAR a wolf /malamute mix. A guy he works with raises wolves - who knew. She grew into a beautiful silver gray and black color, was gentle and loving, ate salmon twice a week and the boys adored her , however she was huge. When she jumped up on her hind legs she was taller than my husband who is 6'2" and she was only 8 months old. Needless to say for the boys safety the man my hubby had gotten her from gladly took her back. Bear's mother a silver wolf had recently been ran over.

Three years ago on Christmas eve we were sitting about the house not doing much and the boys were at my mum's helping set up for dinner. Hubby and I were watching The Incredible Journey. You got it, here we go again! Me and my big mouth - I found myself at the animal shelter and we brought home Charlie Bug a Black Lab/Dachshund mix. This has been the most wonderful dog you could ever meet - the perfect pet for the family. I guess sometimes he gets it right.

Last year I mentioned how I hated the plight of chickens in factory farming and wished I had hens of my own. Hubby began piddling around the back yard for the week end and came up with hen house - went to the Flea Market and came home with five pullets.

We now have the Buttercup Ladies. Aren't they lovely?

Now this little lady I never asked for it was just a heartfelt effort from a very loving husband. Last February - Koko my cat of fourteen years passed away. She was my constant companion to read with, computer with, scrapbook with, she sleep on top of my feet at night and kept them warm, she poked me with her nose in the morning to wake up and best of all she was house broken like a dog - no litter box in the house.

How we have Grace. I have forgotten how small a kitten can be or how curious. I must admit I'm not attaching to this lovely creature but the boys and Charlie Bug love her to death. I'll just take me some time if you know what I mean. Oh it doesn't end here I just don't have any photos of the latest - me and my big mouth popped put with wouldn't it be nice to get the boys a rabbit! So two weeks ago we got Lucy- a beautiful black bunny. I must admit I love this one. Maybe I need to ask for flowers and candy.

Update as of February 2010: My daughter wanted a cat so we let her have Grace when she moved into her new home. In September Charlie Bug twisted his back and ended up with nerve damage with pain that couldn't be managed and left him paralyzed in the back end so he had to be put down. New Years Eve 1999 a couple of loose dogs that had been wondering our neighborhood got into our backyard and killed the Buttercup ladies. So things have been very sad around here.

That Boys Innards!

Last week the boys finished up their Human Body study. Kody used Sonlight Science 5 that we ordered and he finished in 17 weeks. He read all but the History of Medicine and Dry Bones and Fossils. Which didn't surprise me. When we did Core 1 when he was in third grade and Collin in Kindergarten we blazed through it finishing in 20 weeks. Seemed pretty pricey for only half a year curriculum so we didn't order again until this January. It seemed a better fit for him starting Junior High since he is now an independent learner.

 

 

Anyway back to That Boy's Innards - the younger boys followed along with Kody using books on their levels the past few weeks.

 

 

 As a review I had them draw their younger brother on the chalkboard and color in and label the body parts.

This was their official finished boy's innards.

Joseph looked at the pictures in What Happens to a Hamburger after I read it to him. Kody read The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body aloud to the boys. Joseph was really impressed with the 25 feet of the intestines in the adult body.

He had to get the tape measure and marked it out across the schoolroom and living room floors with chalk.

Caught Joseph explaining to Grace (our new kitten) how the food works its way through his body.

Kody finished up his reading

and so did Collin

then they both copied the labeled boy from the board onto paper for their science notebook.

Vintage Hankies

This is a birthday card that my great grandmother(Mildred) & grandfather(Bert) gave to her mother as a present.

 Inside was enclosed two hankies. These have remained folded up in the card and never used. The card and hankies were given to Mildred when her mother passed away, to my grandmother (Lola) when her mother passed away, and to me when she passed away.

The remaining collection are various hankies that were acquired the same way - from mother to daughter and so on. These were the used every day hankies. My great grandmother and grandmother would never be
caught without their hankies.

One in the pocket of their sweater or jacket and one in their purse. My great grandmother use to tie up my lunch money in the corner of a hankie for me to take to school when I was in kindergarten and first grade. She also kept special treasures in them.

Once she took me to her bedroom for a surprise she had bought me and reaching into her top dresser drawer she pulled out a folded hankie. Unfolding it she held it in front of me with its wonderful offering. It was the resting place for a "Cinderella" watch!

Now that may not sound like a big deal, however, I had just seen the New Disney release of Cinderella. I'm talking about the first time ever here. I was four years old and it was a very BIG deal back then. It had a woven cloth band in yellow and the face was simply numbred in black and had the pink lettering of Cinderella.

A place to keep treasures was an old woman's hankie.