Friday, October 1, 2021

Mucky Muck




Mucky Muck is Caleb's absolute favorite toy. He always sleeps with him and plays with him more than any other toy. So I started setting Mucky Muck up like a cute elf on the shelf. Caleb loves this. 

"Mucky Muck! You reading a Book!" -Caleb (Followed by uncontrollable laughter.)

Marie-Anne

Lost Worlds Myth and Magic



 
Once again the kids had a blast at Lost Worlds Myth and Magic.

Marie-Anne

Monday, September 27, 2021

Board Games

 

Race to the Treasure

Learning Manners Picnic Basket Game

Sequence for Kids

Cars Surprise Slides

Don't Break the Ice

Red Light Green Light

Barnyard Bingo

Hoot Owl Hoot

With a Cherry on Top

My kids, especially Caleb, love board games. We own a ton because I get them for every birthday, Christmas, Easter, and I check thrift stores* in between. This is something we have been doing for years and we have kept many of our favorite games from when Alex and Sabrina were little.

*Always check games at thrift stores to be sure all pieces are there. I have had workers lie and tell me that they check every single game only to later find out that two out of three games had missing pieces. 

Marie-Anne

Congressional Award- Bronze Medal


 Alex finally got his Congressional Award Bronze Medal! (He is almost done with the requirements for the Gold Medal.)

Marie-Anne

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten



Joshua and Caleb both completed the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program this Summer. We started off reading very beginner readers with one sentence per page and now they will listen to multiple five minute stories at a time. This program is free at the library or online. It has greatly helped my boys' attention spans and vocabulary. I also used this program for Sabrina. I didn't know about it when Alex was little, though we certainly did read that much. I read The Read Aloud Handbook when Alex was small and applied it. 

Marie-Anne

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Board Games

Paw Patrol Save the Octopus Game

This is another favorite of Caleb. It plays like Candy Land, but with a spinner. The cardboard pieces that came with it were top heavy so we replaced them with the small Paw Patrol cake topper toys from the dollar store or blind bags. If you get all of the pup toys more people can play. 

Pengoloo 

Somehow this game lasted forever. It's normally a pretty quick game. Not so much when one kid keeps picking the same penguins over and over. Or another kid starts spinning the penguins instead of playing. We didn't finish the game this time. That's the way it goes with little kids.

Animal Memory

This plays the same as the classic memory game, but with pictures of animals. I think the boys have learned a few more animals thanks to this game. By the end of the game Caleb was remembering where some of the animals were and able to make matches.

Candy Land

This is the first time the boys have played Candy Land. Sabrina taught them how to play. This was her favorite game when she was little. She would have me read the story three times and play ten times in one sitting. 

Go Fish

Caleb loves to play Go Fish. He understands the basic game play, but not to keep his cards hidden. I started teaching him with the cards face up. Now, that he understands the game,  I'm trying to get him to play the correct way. This is the first card game for Caleb.

Hoot Owl Hoot

Today was our first time playing this game. It's fun. It's a cooperative game for kids that you can actually lose on the easiest level. We beat it by one turn. 

 I absolutely love Peaceable Kingdom's Board Games. The first game of theirs I got was Race to the Treasure at a thrift store. It was missing the dice. I contacted the company to buy replacement pieces. I told them I got it used and they still shipped the missing dice to me for free. They made nothing, but they gained a loyal customer due to their excellent customer service and awesome game. I have given away several of their games to nieces and nephews. I also have bought several of their other games. 

I'm trying to play more board games with Joshua and Caleb. Board games help them learn to take turns, follow directions, and communicate, which are things they need to work on. I have noticed that when we consistently play board games they are much better at these things. 

Marie-Anne

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Wetlands Park Nature Center








Sabrina, Joshua, Caleb, and I went on a field trip to the Nature Center. First we took a short hike. Then enjoyed the Nature Center. 


We donated these Dora the Explorer books to the Nature Center years ago. Sabrina loved them and I liked the idea of them being available for lots of kids to enjoy. 

Marie-Anne

The Farm








 The Farm has been on my list of things to do and we finally did it! It is a working farm in the suburbs. They have a farmer's market on weekends and during that time families can pay to walk around to see the animals. It was fun. (We dropped Alex off with some friends in the area so we decided to stop by The Farm.)

Marie-Anne

Ethel M Chocolate Factory


 Sabrina and I went to Ethel M. It was a fun way to spend time together.

Marie-Anne

Sport Park

 



We took the little boys to the Sport's Park while the big kids had vocal class. The park is right next to the wash, so I got to watch about a  dozen bunnies, hummingbirds, ducks, and dragonflies. 

Marie-Anne

Making Cookies

Caleb loves being a helper. He helped Sabrina bake cookies. 

Marie-Anne

knitted hat


 Sabrina finger knitted a hat for Caleb. She just learned to finger knit. (Caleb dressed himself.)

Marie-Anne

Sunday School



 Both boys love Sunday School. Caleb is definitely the more social of the two. 



Caleb and Joshua helped bring in the church signs. They loved being good helpers. Teaching my kids to do volunteer work is important to me. So I look for simple ways they can help even at a young age. 

Marie-Anne