Snow days

We got barely an inch of snow the day these pics were taken. The grass was still visible but the kids were so excited that it "Finally snowed" they bundled up and went playing. Johanna even attempted to build a snowman but frankly he looks more like mud man to me.
Last year the snow took forever and the kids waited and waited. It would lightly in the night so often but by morning it was barely anything.
It got so bad that I told Mike the next time it snowed in the middle of the night I was going to wake Johanna an let her play in it. (Michael was too small for such things)
as I recall we did end up getting some snow for them to play in but it was very late..Maybe in late January or Feb.
Anyway...this is all to say that while the schools don't close for less than an inch we here in Butterfly school have snowdays no matter the accumulation. However. my kids don't know the feeling of anticipating "no school". The odd feeling of being out and about when you might be doing science or math right now.
It's a strange dynamic b/c I still get that feeling.
snow days have different meaning for them..it just means it snowed. Luckily though snow when you're little is exciting all on it's own.
As of this post we did get more snow and I think the schools closed early on Friday. I think we have many snow days in our future if the winter is gearing up already. I think I better invest in some snow pants.

Good night Engines!

We first found the book, Goodnight Engines at the library. It had an inscription inside from the author that read, "To all my friends at the (name of our town) public library, sweet dreams, Denise Dowling Mortensen"
Michael considered the inscription part of the story so when we got him his own copy he still wanted to hear the autograph.
So we pretended it was there and "read" it . We knew it by heart b/c we read so many times.
Earlier this month I saw a sign in the local bookstore that Denise dowling Mortensen was going to be there.
So off we went to meet the author and get Michael his own autograph.
I can not tell you how nice this woman was. She took time to really talk to Johanna and Michael. We had a nice conversation where she told me that did homeschool for a time. I also learned that authors of children's books don't really have say about the illustrations. She said she sends her story to the publisher and they choose the illustrator.
This explains why sometimes the pictures and the story don't match correctly. (A thing that bothers Johanna.) I always thought they worked side by side.
I told her about Michael loving the inscription in the local library's copy and of course she gave Michael his own autograph it reads:
To Michael,
Sweet dreams
Denise Dowling Mortensen.
So if you know a small child who LOVES trucks may I highly recommend this book to you.
http://www.denisemortensen.com/books/

Thanksgiving pics

Thanksgiving would not be complete without a game of football
Testing the oysters
Among the feast, Michael shops for black Friday deals
Look how beautiful the bread turned out
The Usborne books have arrived and Johanna decides to do some math and learn about Antarctica
Eeeeew raw turkey

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We recreate the 1st Thanksgiving

I was reading a book to Johanna about the 1st Thanksgiving. In the book it says that while no one really knows what the Pilgrims and Indians really ate it can be assumed that they ate, Turkey because it ran wild there, also they probably had clams, oysters and lobsters.
When Johanna heard clams she was thrilled.
"can we have clams?" she asked while licking her lips.
This year it was just going to be the 4 of us for the actual Thanksgiving day and I saw no reason not to enjoy the feast of whatever your heart desires.
So, "yes!...Johanna we can have clams" and oysters and...ok shrimp.
Mike wanted antipasti you know to commemorate the Italian settlers.
So please enjoy the pictures of our our thanksgiving..the first one here in our own place



Johanna enjoys her 1st oyster..she is one brave Pilgrim!
she never had an oyster before but could not wait to eat one. She enjoyed the clams but at the end of the night she did ask about Turkey. "Aren't we going to have turkey?"
Luckily I was cooking a turkey but I wasn't planning on it being served today...so I told her she could have turkey for breakfast...hey the 1st Thanksgiving lasted 3 days and I'm sure they had turkey for breakfast, too.

Adventure aquarium

Here are the Loews pictures!!!

I finally got the memory card to put the pics on my computer so here are the very funny pics from Build a truck.

Again I highly recommend doing this if you can.
..and again IT WAS FREE!!

Things you can't do in grammar school

Stare out the window

Drink coffee while labeling your leaves

Fire Prevention week

For Fire Prevention week we did what all kids do; we went on a firehouse tour. As it turned out though ours was really a firetruck tour.
Not much to the firehouse I guess.
the kids got to see what is on a fire truck and look through a heat sensitive light.
They saw what firefighter looks like when he's in all his gear and they were told how funny he looked and if he came to their house they should not hide under beds or in closets.
Near the end of the tour the chief was talking to me b/c I booked the tour and he told me he had hand outs and hats for the kids and this years focus was; "Preventing household fires"
I told him I thought that was good focus for a fire house and wondered what last years focus might have been.
In case your wondering if the kids got to slide down a pole they did not. Our firehouse recently relocated to a new home and when I spoke to the firefighter to make the reservation he said they had a pole but it was soley for nostalgic reasons.
Apparently even the firefighters are not allowed to slide down it b/c get this. "It's too dangerous!"
It seems even their, "but we're firemen!" lament is no match for the insurance companies.

I hear funding for art in school is suffering

I hear schools are cutting out recess

This really is the way we don't go to school

Since pictures tell a thousand a words I am cheating in these last few posts b/c it is so much nicer to see what we do.
Of course everyday is not a beautiful outing and some days are struggles about putting away toys. Or the time when Michael spit at Johanna b/c he was angry with her. I kind of lost my temper and reprimanded quite strongly telling (ok maybe yelling) "Michael you do not spit at your sister. It is disgusting and very rude...You may not do that"
Michael countered with, "YIKES!"
and "yes" I had stifle a giggle.
There are no pictures of those days. No pictures of us folding laundry but in our home we do it all and we do it all together.
We went to Lowes today for build and grow. It was build a fire truck day and we sat on the floor hammering nails and trying to figure out the the correct nail to use.
The mom next to me said, "Wow you took them both together you are brave!"
I said, "We're always together"
and we are.
I suppose I shouldn't get upset when the kids fight b/c they really are always together and who wouldn't fight with someone who is ALWAYS around. They even sleep in the same room.
Although I did find the comment odd. Who doesn't bring the kids together and in reality there were families there with 3 and 4 kids.
The only thing made me different was that I was the only not scolding my kids to "do it right" for 2 reasons..one I don't care if they nail it right so long as they are actually trying and 2 I couldn't do it right either.
Anyway..the Lowes pictures will come at another time b/c they are on memory card that our computer can't read. So enjoy all the rest of the pics!

Montclair Art Museum Indian Pow wow

Indian Art

Butterfly school

The cafeteria at "butterfly school"

The bird is nibbling Johanna's hand in case you don't see it
I love this action shot

Earlier this week it was the 1st day of school in our town. I decided to take the kids to the zoo b/c it was officially DD's first day of not going to school.
She would have entered Kindergarten this year. It felt to me like the last day of school...we celebrated freedom and we piled into the van and off to the zoo we went.
Johanna wanted the van to be our (home)school bus so she could pretend we were on a class trip.
I said, well we need name for our school then.
She decided on "butterfly school" fitting don't you think?
As you can see the "butterfly school" students had a great time in the new aviary at the zoo. We also spent at least an hour in the play ground. I was sitting next to the employee who is in charge of watching the playground and she said, "Thank goodnes all those kids are back in school...now things are quieter." Hee hee.