Saturday, September 17, 2016

Field trips and Funnies

Dude: So mom, is it right that whoever has the most points when the game is over, wins? 
Me: yep! Now you understand football!
Dude: well that's not quite ALL of it.

Annie the caterpillar, who I'm pretty sure they scared to death: 

Me: G, no more talking. Just eating. 
G: but mooooom! Talking is my favorite thing to do!

Potty training going well:
No seriously. How did they potty train when they only had outhouses? Or what did they do in the middle of the night in winter??? Ha. Also got to play school, hand-dip candles and learn lots at the End of the Oregon Trail Museum:

G: Fine! Then I'm getting off the tramp! 
L: Me too! 
G: Fine! Then I'm getting back on! 
L: Me too! 
G: Aaargh! 😤

So I'm sitting here in the driveway while G climbs the tree. A guy just drove by slowly, hung out his window pointing at G and hollered, should she be in that tree? And kept driving. Thank you random citizen. She's a kid. Yea, she should be in that tree.

Am trying to take a nap to get rid of my headache while a huge fly buzzes around my room, J practices her violin and the others watch Dora the explorer. What are the chances I sleep?

J is currently pacing while memorizing a Robert Frost poem by chanting it at the top of her lungs. I might've shown them Anne of Green Gables doing her recitation all dramatically.

When L wouldn't stop screaming at G to give her her book, G finally threw it at her and yelled, "I hate your attention!"

G came running up to me, said with relief, "Just in time mom," and handed me a little rock. And ran off. Never to explain or to check on her precous rock that she saved from a horrible fate?

Recent homeschool day trip with Grammy and Papa to Astoria to Fort Clatsop to learn about Lewis and Clark and get sworn in yet again as Jr Park Rangers:
And to the Astoria Column for the early history of Astoria and an incredible view, across the six mile bridge, to the famous deteriorating shipwreck and the Lewis and Clark salt works in Seaside:
And the coolest thing? Getting to go on the ship Columbia:
where their Papa was stationed when he was in the coast guard in 1960. It's been made into a National Historic Landmark but the bunk he slept on is still there: 

Friday, September 09, 2016

Big man is 6!

Last night being 5!
Birthday breakfast with Nana, Bopa, and grandma and grandpa Berne at their favorite breakfast place where everybody knows their name. And of course, they're always glad they came.
New Beaver robed Jedi knight

Kind of a Star Wars themed b-day for this guy

And dinosaurs. They broke the theme but they WALK! And we (mostly I) put them together ourselves (my thumbs hurt)!

We can't say enough about this kid. He is SUCH a good guy and is at SUCH a great age. He's super inquisitive, fascinated by all things dinosaur, reads animal encyclopedias for fun (got two for his birthday to his great joy), is more literal than Amelia Bedelia, and begs to do more school almost daily. He still likes to cuddle when sleepy, has a smile that melts my heart, and is almost always a joy to be around (once he cuts that whining habit, I'll remove the almost). He loves to make Powerpoint presentations on the most unusual animals he can find such as axolotyls, the giant siphonophore, the immortal jellyfish, and beluga sturgeons. His favorite color is orange, favorite show is Wild Kratts, favorite movie is Star Wars, and favorite food is cake. So incredibly glad he's in our family!