a week in San Jose

Sometimes God has surprises for us.  This week was one of those for me.  We went to San Jose to take part in a seminar on marriage and family.  It was a really special time for Scott and me to take time out and focus on what's really important.  Here are some highlights:

While Scott and I were in class, the kids worked on building a club house.

They found scraps from all the construction going on around the base.

They worked together to build their club.

Phew, it's hard work!

Making music with Scott during a rainy afternoon before dinner.



What joy!  I got to hold my little sleeping Koa through the morning sessions.



 Jack Kody shared about marriage and parenting.

It's been so long since I've been able to just sit and receive, I can't believe this actually worked out!

Jude took time out from playing for a nap with mom, too!

Meanwhile, on Friday the finishing touches were being made.

...and - the club house is finished!

yay!

The boys also had fun on the skateboard ramps each day.

Ezzy skateboarding.

Lemuel thinks my boys are his "primos," - cousins!  So cute!

The best part?  No cooking or cleaning or dishes ALL WEEK!  I love the food on the base!


I think we all needed this more than we knew.

Saying goodbye to TV... again!

About two months ago, our landlord asked us if we could "babysit" a TV in the upstairs apartment while it sat empty.   "Sure!" we replied!  We were able to use a DVD player and have really enjoyed watching movies.  There are those certain moments when it is just so convenient to put a video on for the kids.  But then it seems those moments become more and more common.  And then the kids start to ask for it more often then I'd like.  It sort of snowballs.  Our big thing, too, is letting the kids fall asleep watching a movie.  By the end of the day we're exhausted so it's just easier, but we end up missing out on those precious bedtime moments.

Well, last week new tenants moved in upstairs and so the TV had to go back.  Once again we are living TVless and once again I'm loving it.  We do have an option to watch videos on our computer, but this computer is my lifeline - for really important stuff, you know, like checking my facebook and writing my blogs, right? ;)  No, seriously, we really don't want to use the computer for videos because it is very important to us.  So we decided as a family to have movie night once a week - you know make it a big deal with popcorn and excitement and have that be that.  It's amazing how fast the kids adjust to it, too, and come up with way more creative things to do.

First night without the TV!

It's better this way!

Kai's Poem

I woke up this morning and found a poem sitting on the table, evidence that Kai was busy before I was even awake.

Mik

My Mik can bring and

he has a ring

and he can sting

and he is a king.

It's written in purple marker with an accompanying illustration.  Wow, it really brought a smile to my face! 

Week in review

I've been struggling a little bit to get back into a groove with the boys and homeschooling after my trip.  This week feels like we're getting our rhythm back, so I thought it would be fun to post some of our successful moments.

Kai made this guy and called him Tim.  We've been having fun including Tim in all kinds of activities.  It makes me laugh seeing his creepy face peering through doorways or propped up against the wall!

If you've been following along, you know about my math struggles.  Our math curriculum is out the window, so I have to just make things up until we find something we like.  This week we did M&M math, just for fun and something different. 

It was fun because it was something we could do all together.

 

Kai had extra practice after his brothers lost interest. I was surprised to find he likes doing timed drills in addition so we've done several a day and he's getting faster. I like hearing him talk to himself, "Come on, Kai, you know this!"

We did some subtraction practice with marshmallows, eating them one by one and counting them.

Making sensory boxes is something I've been wanting to do for awhile.  These ideas are from Pink and Green Mama blog.  This one is a "construction box" filled with sand, rocks, and all construction related cars and trucks.

We died rice blue using hand sanitizer and blue food coloring in a ziploc bag.

This is an Ocean in a box.  We collected all ocean related toys and put arranged them in the box with the rice. 

I took this picture through my kitchen window, it's a view of the boys playing happily while I fixed lunch.  These boxes have provided hours of fun for the boys. 

Lots and lots of reading

This is a picture of Scott reading Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein.  Scott has done a lot of reading aloud this week.  We started Dr. Doolittle, which on our Sonlight reading list is scheduled for the next four weeks.  Well, they got so into it they finished it in three days! 

How was your week?

Paint bubbles

 

You just fill a container with a little water, paint and dishwashing soap.  Blow with a straw to make bubbles and then print them on paper. 

 

Wow!

Paint speckled face.

Our results - fantastic!

I found this activity at simplehomeschool.net.  I check in every few days and find some great ideas. 

Just wanted to share a few other fun ideas.  Listed below is a great resource for age appropriate art activities with kids.  It lists all the art supplies you can use and have on hand for different ages with different arts and crafts activities listed.

Making Art at Home:  My Favorite Art Supplies for Toddlers

Making Art at Home:  My Favorite Art Supplies for Preschoolers

Making Art at Home:  My Favorite Art Supplies for School - Aged children

What art activities do you enjoy with your kids?

Inspiration

I love blog sites. I think sometimes in the midst of parenting we all need a little inspiration. A fresh idea, an encouragement, even a push to do better, to make the most of the moments we have, to live life to the fullest. This post inspired me to get outside and do some messy, fun painting!

Paint in Costa Rica is actually pretty expensive, so I decided to make my own.

I didn't have a lot of ingredients on hand so we just mixed flour and water (in equal proportions) and food coloring - so easy!


I spread a big sheet of paper out in the yard and the rest was up to them! Freedom!

They really liked mixing colors up on plastic plates.

Can you tell we had fun?

This was such a simple, but enjoyable activity for all ages. I will definitely do this again!

a book we're enjoying

A House for Hermit Crab (The World of Eric Carle)

I love Eric Carle books. His art work is so unique and the stories are captivating. You might be familiar with some of his most popular books - Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Very Hungry Caterpillar. I just wanted to share about A House for Hermit Crab, which is not as well known, because it's a book the boys are really enjoying right now in this time of adjustment. It's a great book to help children through transitions and changes. Here's what it's about:

Eric Carle is the creator of many beloved books about animals, birds and insects, but he says that he feels particularly fond of Hermit Crab, the hero of this book. He wrote and illustrated Hermit Crab's story to show young readers that new experiences are not to be dreaded but are really wonderful opportunities.

This post was written in under 30 minutes as part of the Steady mom 30 minute blog challenge.