The Wildlife Experience

After a morning of contemplation, the Mommies decided to gather up the kiddos and take them to the Wildlife Experience in Parker...in a snow storm...IN APRIL!!!

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Butterflies and Dinosaur Eggs

It took about 4 weeks, but we did it! We hatched 5 butterflies! From caterpillar to butterfly, we watched the amazing cycle of life that God created!

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We were also working on our Dinosaur unit. To finish that up, we made a paper mache egg with a dinosaur in it and had Turbo try to crack it open so the dinosaur could hatch!

Create a scrapbooking design

Getting it in Gear...

So this weekend, I spent a lot of time thinking about my lil' Turbo and Tank. I know that I don't have a ton of time with them...I hear it all the time...but I am beginning to feel that never-ending pressure of this reality! AHHH!

It seems that I am so scatter-brained lately that I don't know if I am coming or going half the time. Usually I just check out and hope for the best! (Don't we all?) I just don't get it, I used to be a planner! A very good planner! Now, i just hang by the skin of my teeth and pray to God that we are all there by the end of the day.

So this weekend, I had a bit of alone time. My dear hubby was off making some extra money, and I decided to buckle down and figure things out.

First off: Food...I have been using e-mealz. www.e-mealz.com has been the best thing that I have found in a long, long time. It creates a menu and a grocery list for you each week. DONE...now just have to find time to get groceries.

Next: School. I have been so overwhelmed by what is out there that I get so excited about doing stuff that I forget what I have and move on the to next. Hence...scatter-brained. So, I made myself say: "For the next 4 weeks, I am going to do this." If it doesn't work, then I'll move on.
I have done this with:
-Planning.
-Lapbooks.
-Themes.
-Bible Time.
-Memory verse.

Each week I am going to plan the week (meals included). Each week will include a theme, that will also conclude with a lapbook at the end of the week that will compile what we learned. Each morning at breakfast and before bedtime, we will read a story or two, or three from the Bible. Finally, each week, I will introduce a memory verse, that also has a song to help with memory.

Some of you may have realized that I have an addictive personality...Heh...meaning, I get addicted to things very easily. One that I have found that is something that I really believe our family can get into is Letterboxing (www.letterboxing.org or www.atlasquest.com). However, I find that I get too excited about finding a box, that I end up neglecting important things. So, along with my planning the week, I will also plan 1 or 2 letterboxing adventures. And once we have found the letterbox, then that is it for the week, no more until the next week. Plus, it gets us out of this tiny apartment and into the fresh air.

I am really excited about this week and me getting on top of things. I am really getting tired of this trying to keep my head above water thing...WHEW!

Adventures in Letterboxing

Today in school, Turbo and SweetPea learned the ins and outs of trekking. Of course, we had some off moments, okay... A LOT, but overall, it was a fantastic morning!

Check it out!

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Start Over Days?

Ever have one of those? Yesterday was one of those days, that when the ball got rolling...IT DIDN'T STOP! Turbo had a complete and utter meltdown. So much so that it lasted from 1:30 in the afternoon and didn't stop until my mom got to my house at 5:00 after a desperate phone call to her for help.

School was out of the question, being creative with him was out of the question. Everything was out of the question, even eating. He didn't want to eat! He was absolutely crazy! I couldn't calm him down for the life of me. Then it was nap time, and that is when everything fell apart! He wanted nothing to do with a nap. NOTHING! Because of this, he tore his room apart in hopes to say, "I'll get you!" It backfired when I told him that everything must be cleaned up before he does anything else. He didn't like that, and proceeded to insist that I help him. When I told him, "No", his fury was unleashed!

So, I say again, ever have those days in which you wish you could start over? Yep! I did and today is my day...I'm gonna start over!

Lamentations 3:22-23, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

I guess, since God's compassions and mercies (as it says in other translations) are new every morning, so I must be with Turbo.

At least after another cup of coffee.

Good Friday...and it was GOOD!

This morning, SweetPea and her mama came over for a visit. Good Friday! It actually ended up being a great Good Friday too! (Even though my stupid Hot Cross Buns dough didn't rise...stupid yeast).

We started off by trying make Hot Cross Buns. SweetPea thought it was inappropriate to sing the song...only because Turbo kept laughing because we were saying the word, BUNS. Go figure...boys. After we mixed the dough, we were to wait a bit for the dough to rise...it never did...and it still hasn't. This is why I buy bread. It just frustrates me to no end. I guess killing yeast is what I do best. Bummer.

On to the next project. While mommys had some quiet coffee time, SweetPea and Turbo played in his room. And by this, I mean PLAYED! No paint, no markers, no mess. PLAYED! MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN FOLKS!

We made bunny prints using their hand-prints, which turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself!

Then we sent them outside to find eggs!






It was a great day!

Bunnys and Chicks...well eggs really

To continue our celebration of Easter, Turbo and I decided to make marshmallow bunnies and rice krispie eggs dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with sprinkles...












While I was cleaning up and Turbo was suppose to be in the bathroom washing his hands, I walked past the bathroom and this is what I saw!


He had taken ALL his clothes off, wriggled himself into the sink so that he could "take a bath" and play with is Hot Wheel cars that change colors in the water. What is it with this kid and being naked today?

Gold Miner + Free? Parking

Today was Turbo, Tank and my second day of Letterboxing. I found two boxes relatively close to each other and close to home. One was a drive by and the other had a hike to it. Not much of a hike, only about a mile each way. I figured it would give us great exercise! So off we went. We found the first box, Gold Miner just off the road. Not too bad! We even found a GeoCache right next to it! Being the nosey people that we are, we looked in the GeoCache...nothing but junk. So we locked it back up and put it where we found it. Next, we opened our Letterbox, and this is what we found!

And of course, we stopped by Nana's work to show her! Couldn't pass up braggin opportunities!

I figured the next one would be some work, but we had some time, and energy! So we traveled to I-70 and Morrison Road. We looked at the trail and thought, SURE! WE can do this! OI VEY! It was a mile UP and a mile DOWN. MUDDY, MUDDY, MUDDY! But of course, I have boys and Turbo was all in. So I packed Tank in my tummy pack and off we went. We climbed what seemed like forever...in Turbo's words. Finally, we found the spot! YEAH! We begun to exchange stamps. Now, fresh air, exercise and activity seems to trigger something in little boys...like bodily functions! Yep! Turbo had to use the outdoor bathroom! He did his thing, very messily, I might add, and of course, got it all over his pants. He wanted to strip down naked! NO! I screamed. We will change you when you get to the car! He didn't like it, but he scampered down the hill in muddy, wet and "poopy" clothes....grr... When we get to the car, I realized that I had taken out my Emergency Bag full of clothes for just this kind of purpose, to visit the zoo the day prior! Okay, so imagine, a mommy, with a baby, and an antsy 4-year-old in a parking lot at a trail head. This said antsy 4-year-old is naked running around in the parking lot and said mommy is screaming... "GET IN THE CAR!" Well, you get the picture. Turbo rode home naked in his car seat with Tank's blanket wrapped around him.

But, on a good note, this is the stamp we collected!

AHHHH Me....good day, good day. I just have to keep thinking that!