A visit to the Cousin's!

Went to see Oma and Opa (and the cousins) on the weekend....went ATVing.....got stuck....Mickey fell off....oops....everybody was fine! Tons of fun!

We did the right thing!

Today was the first meeting of our building co-op. We have 7 families with a total of 14 kids. We are meeting once a month and are working with different building materials each month. Today we just had general building with a variety of materials. It was a good way for the kids to familiarize themselve with others. It was a beautiful day as well so the kids were able to run around outside and we also did some experimenting with the group's parachute. One of our child members (nicknamed the cruise director) quickly took charge and came up with a game for everyone to play. Who needs adults.

This day was what I needed. Seeing these kids together really grounded me. Like any parent I have doubts about choices I make. The kids in this group did not all know each other. There were some prior friendships but we also had a number of kids who were new. We did not have one problem (that I know of). The kids were mannerly, productive, thoughtful and engaging. At the end of our time together I caught two 7 year old boys giving my kids HUGE hugs. This just says it all!

Hiking with friends

Another hiking trip with friends to our favourite spot! Can anyone guess where? It always amazes me the things that happen when we're with homeschooling friends. Conversation turned to submarines and ballasts. Of course we had to take a side trip to launch a sub (log) into a nearby pond! Lots of fun!

Apple Farm Visit

We went with some friends today to an apple farm. Most of the photos are of Mickey because I couldn't seem to get Mason to stop long enough for me to snap a shot. The favourite was the slide of course once all the school kids left for the day! We went to the petting zoo, walked in the forest, built a model of a huge campfire with red leaves representing the flames, swung on a rope swing, ran along the hay bales, played in the maze and of course, went on the wagon and picked apples.

We purchased 15lbs of apples ($15) and although I griped about the price I've already made gluten free appe fritters (which were awesome - think I'll make some now), slow cooker apple sauce, and two apple pies. I still have half the apples left! What to make now!

Finally....

Well, they finally did it. For those people who know Candace after many years of being together Candace and Greg finally tied the know. Luckily they are on dial-up so I don't need to worry about her reading this!! That was one rule she had at the wedding. No one was allowed to say FINALLY. It was a spectacular outdoor wedding. All Candace and done to perfection! We had a fantastic time. This is the bride and groom the day after the wedding. They hosted a brunch for all of the wedding guests and were presented with a gift of a canoe from some of the guests.


One of Candace's friends put us up for the night of the wedding. There were two other couples there as well. Great company and long talks. It was great getting to know all of the girls better. Perhaps there will be more girl's weekends in the future.

Birthday at the Brantford Zoo

A friend of ours celebrated her 4th birthday at the zoo in Brantford. What a great spot. Our thrill was of course meeting the baby lion and tiger. The kids seem to think that this is a normal occurance. The life of a homeschooler.

Thumb Sucking Be Gone!

So we finally decided that we needed to do something about Mickey's thumb sucking. The only reason I'm concerned about it is because I think it's become a habit. I don't think that she's really using it for comfort. So one day I made a deal. If she stopped sucking her thumb (cold turkey) we would have a party and she would get a present. It's amazing what motivates! She stopped. Nothing gradual, just stopped. I couldn't believe it! Anyhow, we had a party, just Mommy, Mason and Mickey, with ballons, cookies and tea! She loved it. She never looked back. Some times you just have to try.

Camping with Shack

In July we went for a two night camping trip with some friends that Heinrich used to work with. We went to Lake of Two Rivers which is a campground within Algonquin. We had a great time. Mickey loved having their little boy Tyler along. She loved looking after him. We made lots of goodies including smores and muffins in oranges. The muffins baked in the empty orange peels were fun but they need to be dried out first. They took forever!! We did a few canoe outings and were thrilled to spot a moose on our drive home!