Mad Scientists

One of the many great things about teaching towards two completely different levels of students is:

delegation

What a beautiful word!  I am a firm believer that one who teaches is really one who is learning the most.  Since we have finished up our planned Science book for our current educational year with the older boys, we have decided to let them broaden their Scientific knowledge by delegating Kindergarten & Preschool Science lessons to them.

Sounds like torture, right?  Take a look below and see how devastated they are at having to teach their younger brothers . . .

Demonstrating chemical reaction

Lecturing on chemical reaction

Loving the colors of chemical reaction

Kindergarten Learner

Preschool Learner

Drip-drop (the photographer was having a blast, too!)

Amazement!

Brothers . . . teachers . . . learners. . . fun!

Brothers

One of the consistent prayers on this momma's heart is that my boys will treasure their friendships with each other.  I keep getting glimpses of how our Lord is answering my prayer - I am so thankful.

The remaining eight weeks on the school calendar will be a lot of fun - if we can keep them from blowing the house up!

Today's Helpers Brought to you by the Letter C

{my} Crazy, Camoflauged Cuties!

So thankful for my helpers!

Clever

A few days ago, we received an electronic note from my Dad, famously known as the boys' Granpa Bill.  The noted said:

Not often, but periodically I see something that you may enjoy.  I generally table my decision for a time considering all the elements.  As is my nature, showering gifts to others is something I am not known for, and then again I like to draw the curtain open and let the whimsy fly.  Also, as surprises go, I don't like to let out any hints so I won't at this time either.

We were puzzled but patient and yesterday we were rewarded for our waiting with this:

{I had to include a picture of our favorite element, Uranium, as that is what really keeps the food on the table around here.}

Thanks, Dad!

 {Just for fun, see if you can count all the hints in the above note.}

Thrift Store Score

Raise your hand if you were completely enamored with the Little House Books as a girl growing up?

{me, too!}

Remember at the end of The First Four Years when the Wilder's home burns down and the only thing that survives is the oval glass platter that says:

Give us this day our daily bread ?

Since reading that book as a young girl I had always hoped to own one some day.  I remember my Aunt Jamie had a pewter dish with the same words and hoping for one just like hers.

Today, on a typewriter mission for our five-year old paper boy, I entered our local thrift store and found:

Just like Aunt Jamie's.

Sadly, this was part of an entire pewter set.

I left the rest there and am now having major guilt feelings, like I broke up a happy family of pewter.

Maybe Saturday will bring me a recovery mission at the thrift store . . .

Oh, and hopefully a typewriter for my little man, too.

Layers of Love

I'm a very blessed lady to have FIVE wonderful Valentines to spoil on St. Valentine's Day!

In honor of them, we enjoyed five scrumptious layers of chocolatey goodness . . .

Stacked together with Espresso Tainted Whipped Cream -

oh my!

 

Also in honor of our favorite Valentines, hubby grilled us six layers of filets.

Beautiful tulips {thank you, Love!} graced our feast. . .

We found that {Canadian imported} heart straws really do help us not to cry over spilled milk!

Another very fun celebration goes down in the books for our family - how about you?

You've Got Mail!

Making Valentines is one of our favorite annual traditions!

I love to see the creativity and care the boys put into each card they make.

Some of our cards will be mailed to loved ones, some handed out to our special friends at church and some of them . . .

are destined for our home grown postal system.

Our super adorable Preschool and Kindergarten classes started up a Postal Delivery Service/Greeting Card Warehouse and Storefront/Graveyard Tour Company in the card making process.

I'm not sure about the Graveyard Tour company, but have plans to check into it further.

No worries, though, as all of our pets are accounted for.

When the kids look back at their growing up years,  I hope this will be one of those traditions that bring fun memories.

And I hope they realize how much I love them and what a blessing it was to clean up their exuberance, which had laughingly fallen to the floor.

Cute - Ness

My friend Rachel came to town today to teach me how to make soap.

It was so much fun - thank you, Rachel!

Rachel has some of the cutest kids in the world and I feel as though I'm always begging to take their pictures.  Here are a few from today - granted, it was cloudy and the earth has that tired, grey 'winter' look about it . . . but look how cute these kiddos are anyway!



Lovin' the bubbles!



Wheel Love

I'm not claiming to have any prophetic powers here,

but I think I can see where this is heading.

And here I tell all my friends who have girls that boys don't care about cleaning anything.

I can at least see what the immediate effect has been on the little brothers-

Now, if I can somehow convince the older brothers to make this happen with cleaning bedrooms.

That would make for a very happy Momma!