Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Never Thought I Had to Stipulate.....


Can you guess what's in this cup? Cranberry juice, perhaps? Strawberry soda? Wrong on both accounts. It's mousse. Hair mousse, to be exact.
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Or so Sawyer would have you believe. Sitting innocently at lunch today, I heard the words, "now my hair will be all....soda!" and looked over to see his two little soda drenched fists massaging his pate.

If you are new to this blog, I promise my children are civilized. And disciplined. They do not run wild, throwing food at the walls. Soda on their head, yes. But I did not see it coming. I have never said, "Don't put soda on your head" until today.
And if you don't understand the poses above, they are just poses of a boy whose mom is NOT taking pictures of his soda mousse head, because that would be flaunting and condoning inappropriate behaviour. And we don't want a big-fat-meany to pay us a visit again, do we?

Monday, March 30, 2009

It's Deceptive...


This looks good. It looks really good. But it only tastes so/so which makes me feel betrayed. Betrayed by homemade strawberry shortcake. After all that slicing and marinating, and mixing, and scooping, and whipping, and baking, to take the first bite and think...this is--okay. Can you feel the betrayal? sniff-sniff
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This, however, looks...how-shall-we-say....kiwi yogurt-ish? Which is exactly what it is.
Fresh kiwi yogurt, by Sawyer. Are you gonna try it? I'm not gonna try it...
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He likes it! Hey, Sawyer!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

This Is Gonna Get Me in Trouble....

My American friends, I have something shocking to reveal to you. Some of you might already know, if you've ever been outside of America.

Moving to Canada was the first time I was ever outside of my beloved U.S. of A. and I was quite surprised to learn that people who are NOT Americans find us,


well,


loud and rude.


I'm sorry! I'm really, really, sorry. But that's what they tell me.


If you have trouble understanding the accusation, watch this video that I took while the kids and I were out in the backyard enjoying the mud and warmth of a quiet Canadian springtime afternoon....speakers up for full effect



If you can hear them from 9000 feet away, can you imagine the cacophony at close range?

I think this is kind of what the Canadians (and they would argue, the rest of the world) are thinking we Americans are like. So I have an open question to you Canadians: Why are they called Canadian Geese?

Saturday, March 28, 2009

How Canada Does Spring...


While the rest of you are frolicking in the daffodils, celebrating the coming and passing of the crocus, I thought I'd show you what you are missing up here beneath the permafrost. There are still a few rogue snowstorms on the horizon, but Warmth is officially here. Spring starts with the melting of the snow. Gray grass awaits underneath-- gray. Gray. Mud comes next.
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About the only mud-free activity is to squat outside the rabbit cages to see them warming themselves in the new-found sun.
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It's breeding season. But I don't think Snickers has taken to Scooter. Is she about as far away as she can get from her intended, without actually passing through the bars?
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Hey Greyson, are you having fun out here getting warm?
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Did you know they're calling for snow tomorrow?
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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Catching it All on Film

It's not my style to inundate you with videos, so sorry for that. But this one was a surprise.
Having the kids make an impromptu video is almost as revealing as a Nanny Cam.

My children are not allowed to say "shut up".

My children are not allowed to stick out their tongues.

The dog is not allowed to bite the kids.

And the house is never messy.

I had second thoughts about showing you the raw footage. I'm pretty sure you're gonna come away really, really, thankful for your own family.



Betcha' My Kids are Smarter Than Your Kids....

Exhibit A:

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Overheard in Class....

1st Kid: "What are tombs?"

2nd Kid: "That's where the dead people live. "

*I can't give credit to my children for this one. It was said by a friend during art class. Why tombs in art class? AH, the mystery. I'm just gonna leave it there. And you should also know that none of the other kids batted an eye at this apt answer.

Oh, the Angst.

Since the dawn of time and the invention of candy, a perpetual tug-of-war has existed between the haves, and the have nots:
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This is the "I-have-candy" face.

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This is the "I-wish-I-had-candy" face.


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Followed by the "why-does-he-have-candy?" face.
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Do you recognize this "I'm-so-pitiful-you-should-give-me-candy" face?
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And finally, the "someday-I'm-going-to-get-candy" face.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

What Canadians Do When They Can't Go Outside......


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Yes, this is what we have to resort to. Sigh. It's a lonely life up here in the frigid north.
*just to clarify, we are not Canadians. We are Americans, transplanted to FiveMonthsofWinterLand. Helllllllllllllllllllllp!

The First Question this Morning.....

It was my fault, I slept in. The older kids and I had stayed up late to have a special movie night. But not the younger kids, and there's the rub. The younger kids got a full, invigorating, night's sleep. So, my first conscious moment was the pad-padding of little feet coming towards the bed. And then the urgent whispered plea--
"Can I buy a 4-wheeler?"

Dealing with Sawyer requires a fully awake mind. In order to respond to questions like this you have to be able to, well, think. A mind with no cobwebs would have said--
"Sawyer, go wait in the kitchen, Mommy's coming to make breakfast." But a mind in blankets plays ping-pong with endless returns-

"Can I buy a 4-wheeler? Can I, can I, pleeeeeeeeeease?"

"I don't know--what?" (brilliant return)

"Can I buy a 4 wheeler?"

"You have to get good at your bike first."

"I did, yesterday! Can I buy a 4-wheeler?"

"Four wheelers are for teenagers." (Now, you referee's have pity, remember, I was handicapped).

"When I'm big like Greyson can I? How old is Greyson?"

"Eleven."

"Twelve?"

"No. Eleven." (Why is this even relevant? What time is it?)

"Can kids drive cars?"

"No." (that was an easy one)

"Can I buy a motorcycle?"

"No. Go to the kitchen."
Shuffling away
(okay, exactly how many seconds can I lay here before I really, really, have to face the day that's started out like this?)

Shuffling back--
"When I'm big like Daddy can I buy a 4 wheeler?"
"YES."

I think this round would be called in favor of the 5 year old, don't you?

Monday, March 23, 2009

It's a Complex Relationship....


It's a good thing Greyson is so tolerant.
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And merciful.
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And forgiving.
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And nonmotile.

Where is Sawyer?

They may not be National Spelling Bee contestants, or competitors at robotic engineering camp, but my children have such singular talents, they rival the members of any Junior Symphony Orchestra or Chess Championship. Just watch this!

*that horsey sounding moment of laughter is not me. I am a refined and delicate flower that could't possibly make that sound. it's Daisy, well, part of it is me, and part of it is Daisy. Can you tell which part?

Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Homeschool Expo

Wanna see what the kids worked on so diligently?


Here's Kiki with her Giant Panda display.


It was neat and meticulous, with custom artwork.
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She also got to call winning numbers in the prize give away. Including her OWN winning number, as she was also a contestant. It was a random drawing and everyone who had a project got a ticket. This means that Sawyer did NOT get a ticket.
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But he waited for his number to be called anyway. Because there were really cool prizes to choose from.
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His prize ended up being to call out winning numbers, like Kiki.
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If you've never been to an Expo, this is not a usual sight. Unless you have a family dog that can't be left home that long.
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This is more what it looks like.
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The kids make cool displays of their choosing, like this amazing Coconut Crab project by....
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Greyson!
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And this dancing corn starch and water that moved by sound.
Really cool! (Not my kid, though).
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Kids as young as 8 do projects. Like this handsome young lad with his Guitar Project.
(my kid).
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Then everyone walks around and ooooh's and ahhhhh's and leaves comments in a little booklet on your table. And if you got a comment that looked like this-- >~`''l t 7 &--- it was probably by Sawyer. And it probably meant--"WOW, this was SO COOL!".
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He did comments and went running. Lot's of guys to go runnin' with outside. This was one of the only still shots I could get.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Adding a Layer to the Job


Folding towels is such a boring job. Unless you're Tristan.
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He's done it so much, he can do it with his eyes closed.
Or swaddled in a mop head.
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Easy as pie.
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Huh, Tristan?
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Copy Cat.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Empty Chairs


"Breahhhhhhhhkfast! Where's Greyson, I thought he was 'starving'"?
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"Kikiiiiiiiiiiii! Where are they?"
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Building a Coconut Crab, of course.
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Still in their jammies and taking care of the Expo projects.
If only schoolwork were this absorbing every day.
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Sawyer is too little for a project this year. But I don't think he minds.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Speed Posting


The Homeschool Expo is this Saturday. So there is a lot of this going on around here. Projects, projects, projects! We're madly spinning plates and hoping none will fall.
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Everyone is pitching in to keep life sane.
Greyson's special recipe: macaroni, pretzels, and lemon juice.
Wouldn't it be funny if you had to make dinner out of whatever was out in your kitchen at the time? For most of you, that might be nothing at all. But this week, it's a potluck counter for us.

*the lemon juice is from making lemonade, the pretzels are from mid-morning snack, and Greyson really is making Kraft Dinner.