The project for last weekend was a book report project. All year they’ve had to do “book talks” each month about a book they were reading. This month the teacher decided to mix it up and gave out a variety of options. Lex decided to do a book trailer about a Minecraft book. Eve chose the option of making a playlist of songs to describe the first Artemis Fowl book. She had a great video project started with images from the internet that resemble the characterless, but when she started looking for music she got frustrated with the difficulty in finding the songs she wanted in good quality, not remixed, and, of course, for free. Alan and I had a good laugh. We remember those days of downloading free music! She ended up just doing a poster for a different book.
Lex, on the other hand, perservered and made a really amazing book trailer! Alan helped by recording Lex playing the scenes in Minecraft, then Lex used WeVideo to put it all together, with sounds and voice overs. It came out great!
Yesterday afternoon Lex announced that he wanted to go outside. He doesn’t make this announcement often, so Eve and I jumped at it. It was almost 4pm and closing in on darkness, so we all scrambled to get dressed and head out. As we got ready he told me the process and order for putting on winter clothes. First you put on your snowpants, and then your boots, and then your coat (“if you have a coat, but I don’t have a coat because I have a snowsuit!). It’s fun to hear him repeat back what he learns at school. I can just imagine 11 little people all trying to dress for the outdoors and the helpful teachers reviewing the proper order.
A happy boy in the snow!
XI = jumping jacks
Mary, Mary quite contrary, what does your garden grow? Eggplants and green beans, by chance?
What's in your winter garden? Every time Eve watches this video she laughs at the end, points to herself in the video and says 'she's a radish!'
Silly kids
Outside we played in the snow, sat in the garden (they were thrilled because I don’t normally let them sit in the garden), played on the swingset, and went for a walk to look at the holiday lights. By this time it was after 5:00 and after dark and I was COLD! So in we went for warm chocolate milk.
The snow started falling yesterday and today we have our first snow day of the year, and Lex’s first snow day of his school career. What do you think he said? I told him there was no school today because the roads aren’t safe for people and buses. He said, “but we can still go to school, right?” (we drive the car). He was sad when I said no, but happy again when I told him it was a daycare day. I LOVE that he likes daycare now. The whole family bundled and got in the car and as we headed to daycare I decided that working today was kind of silly, so we grabbed my work laptop from the office and headed home! Spent some time playing in the heavy snowfall, took the sled up the road and back, and then headed in for warm chocolate milk and sugar cookie making.
Sledding
This is a silly way to sled (and tough for the mommy doing the pulling!)
Eve drowns her cookies in sprinkles
Lex is a little more careful with the sprinkles.
So far everyone is enjoying winter (day two of snow… we’ll see come day 20!)
Eve brought me the phone last night and told me she wanted to call Uncle Barney. So we did. I showed her how to dial and she asked for him and they chatted. I think everyone was happy.
Josie! We had our friends over a few days ago and Lex drew a picture for Josie. When they left she forgot to bring it with her. Lex was pretty unhappy about that. Tonight he decided that we need to mail it to her. He got an envelope and did his best to write her name and address. The name takes up the whole envelope and he got bummed that he ran out of room for her address. I wrote it in tiny letters underneath. Eve also wanted to send them a picture so she got herself an envelope and went to work decorating it and “writing” the address.
Lex writes a letter
Eve writes a letter
And Joyce! Later in the evening they decided to make Thanksgiving pictures for Aunt Joyce. I have a picture of the final card Lex drew, but I think I’ll hold off posting it for a few days. Joyce, check your mailbox on Wednesday!
Not sure if it’s clear from the video alone (or my silly title) but this is a train (monorail, to be specific) made out of Legos. Lex was very excited. It has two base cars (chassis?) and then you can build them to look like anything you want.
While I was adding a video Alan took to the “Beautiful Bedtime” post he made earlier this week (Lex reading to Eve, adorable, scroll down to see it) I came across this little blast from the past. Lex was almost 3yrs, Eve was 1yr.
We go to this playgroup that has a big
bouncy tent and lots of gymnastics tumbling mats and balls and
stuff. It’s a great place for Lex to burn off energy. He
usually loves it. Here are two videos of him jumping in the
bouncy tent. I broke them up because I had to stop him from
bouncing on a little kid. No need to get that on video ;) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxMKKACxIAw] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HQuQJg-WL8]
We started the day with a beautiful, sunny
morning. Alan is home and we all went outside to mow the lawn,
move car seats, and just hang out. I love vacation! Now the
kids are both sleeping and we have a lot of packing to do!! So,
I decided to post a few pictures here :) Great logic, huh?
Procrastination is my specialty.
Also a few milestone updates… Though still not
ready for potty training, Lex has made a big step in the right
direction. Just in the past few days he has really become aware
of conditions in his diaper. Instead of fighting the diaper
changes, he now (usually) tells me has a poopy diaper and then
climbs up onto the changing table and waits for me to change
him. Today he even asked for Desitin , which he needed, and
after I put the Desitin and clean diaper on, he kept telling me
he had poop in his diaper. I imagine they feel similar —
squishy and not-quite-right. Anyway, TMI for most of you, I’m
sure, but a positive sign for me :)
Eve, on the other hand, has started laughing and
grabbing things. She likes her bibs and the dress she is
wearing today. She also likes to hold my hand or arm when I’m
changing her. It’s so sweet! I read recently that by 3 months
babies are starting to sit up on their own. Not stably and
consistently, but starting to. I realized that I never really
tried sitting Eve up, so I gave it a shot and she promptly spit
up everywhere :) Oh well. She also doesn’t get long stretches
of tummy-time because that too makes her spit up. I think we
need to hold off working her too hard until she gets better
control of that esophagus! She is oh so sweet though. :) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbHrFZmunIQ]
