Christmas Part 4- Kite Flying on the Beach

Christmas Part 3

No visit to the Island could be comeplete without visits to the beach. We find it especially fun in the winter when there really isn't anyone else around. You can find all kinds of "treasures" that wash up on the beach after the winter storms.

I will admit wearing your snowsuit and boots to the beach isn't the usual attire.

Uncle Ryan found some neat things in the tide pool.

I claimed the oar that we found. I took it home with me. I have yet to decide what I will do with it, but I think it will be hanging on my wall soon.

I had Andrea pose with this bouy we found. We returned quite a few of them to the "lost bouy" pile at the end of the town dock... we put them there so the owners can find them. I don't know that they ever will, but it prevents the kids from trying to take them home.

Christmas Part 2

With eleven people packed into one house there was lots of time for hanging out with family.

Alexa was chatting with Aunt Andrea.

Uncle Ryan peeled his clementines in shapes that Annabel and alexa thought looked great as hats.

I even caught Chloe voluntarily reading to her sister.

Chloe spent a lot of time outside playing with Grammie Eva's goose and two ducks.

Chloe also created this amazing T-rex chasing an Archeopterix in the snow. 

After nightly games of Bannanagrams my kids became addicted to it.

Christmas Part 1

Playing with your food is big at our house for Christmas. This year was no different. With 4 kids around there was a lot of lobster fun to go around.

Chloe got started the night before. As you can see Cabbie is very interested in them.

We spread them out on the table to give everyone a good view.

Alexa was really proud of herself. She really had to work up some courage to pick one up.

Good eating!

Literacy Breakfast

This morning I went to school with Chloe to attend her literacy breakfast.

She read to me from her writing journals.

She has some amazing stories and poems in there.

Applying for a Job

Chloe is applying for her first job. She brought home an application for a student job at school. She wants to be a photographer- taking pictures for the school slide shows at community meetings. I came home today and found the application she was working on this morning with the sitter. So sweet I had to share.

I am not sure how well you will be able to read this so here is what she wrote:

(Please write a complete paragraph describing the reasons why you would like this job)

Chloe- I love the slide shows and I would love to help take photos for one. I would like to help the school. I want my friends to look at me and think Chloe the girl who helps take pictures for the slide shows we watch. I really want to be a part of our school wide community. I love takeing photos of flowers and art.

(Do you have experience related to this job? If yes, please describe your related expereince)

Chloe- Once I went around my house taking photos and I put them in a book. I think my book is nice.

(Please describe some of your strengths and skills)

Chloe- I am good at focusing the camera and I know how to use tricks of the camera to help get fabulous photos.

I hope she gets it. It will be tough competion though as there are only three slots and all third- fifth graders are allowed to apply.

Gingerbread Girl Scouts

Here is my creation for Chloe's Holiday Party at Brownies tomorrow.

Gingerbread Girl Scouts.

Alexa wanted to know why they didn't have shirts.

Missing the Party

Lexa was, to say the least, devastated to miss Chloe's party. I am grateful the Grammy Sharon had come to visit and was able to stay with her. Otherwise I would have had to cancel the party at the last minute. When we got home and Lex had some more Advil to bring the fever back down, she made one of the penguins from the party.

Actually she made lots of them. I had cut out a lot of extra pieces for them. Experience has told me that it is better to play it safe and have more than you think you will need. So Lex had a great time making all kinds of them. She decided to hang them on the tree.

It is a very penguiny Christmas this year.

Skating Party

Chloe had her friend birthday party yesterday. She had asked to have it at the ice skating arena. We started out in the party room. Chloe had to help me decorate. It was a bit of a organizational issue as Alexa was sick and had to miss out on it. Her Grammy Sharon was able to stay with her, but that left me running the party solo. Chloe was a great helper though and we had things up and ready to go in no time.

We had an hour to use in the party room before it was our time to skate. We decided to do an art project. I created these penguins for the kids to make, and they were happy to make them.

We ate some snacks and cupcakes before we headed down to skate.

It was a bit of a juggle to get them through the skating rental (for those that needed it) and then onto the ice, but once I got them all settled they had fun.

Fill the Bowl

We had another event at the school tonight. The third grade class held the third annual "Fill the Bowl" event. It is a wonderful activity that has the third graders handcraft bowls through several field trips to the Burlington City Arts pottery studio. There are over two hundred bowls made by the time they are done. Chloe said she made four. Then tonight the bowls are all set out on tables in the gym. You go and pay five dollars to buy one. You then select a type of soup you want to eat (to fill your bowl).

The event is to raise awareness about hunger. The money raised is being split between the local farmers in the Intervale Center in Burlington (whose crops were destroyed right at harvest time by the flooding) and Heifer International. The kids did a fair amount of studying about these two organizations. Chloe even wrote a poem to the farmers.

The kids were told that they were not going to be keeping their bowls. However, I secretly hoped that I could arrive early and be able to buy one of Chloe's. No such luck. Here she is though with a owl she picked out to purchase.

Alexa and I choose some neat ones too.

It was fun event and I think the kids learned  a lot about giving back to others which is wonderful. We also put in a few bids at the silent auction where some local artists donated bowls.

A Visitor

We have a guest visiting us for the next few days. He is small, furry, and rather quiet. Alexa is thrilled to have him here. He was a lovely addition at the dinner table.

Paddington Bear. The last few weeks the girls and I have been reading some of the Paddington chapter books from my school library at bedtime. They love the stories. My school library also has a Paddington Bear that sits on one of the library shelves. He often holds a sign recommending different books. One of the wonderful librarians offered to let Paddington come home with me to visit the girls, since they were enjoying the books so much. Alexa loved the idea. She has been showing him all around.

We even found him some pj's to sleep in.

She wanted to make sure he would be comfortable.