Jack is almost walking!!!!

Any day now, any moment now, Jack will join his siblings as a walker! :) He has been standing alone for around a month or so but has not taken any steps yet. He is possibly my most cautious child of the four, it seems!

But in the last few days, he has attempted to take a step several times from the middle of the room! He usually falls gracefully or just sits down, but he is about to get it! And it's about time! He has been standing long enough now that when he did it again this morning, I almost ignored it (we usually clap and cheer), and then Jonathan said it's getting old. LOL! Plus he will be 18 months old next Saturday, so we are SO ready for him to walk!

We're so proud of you, Jack Jack! :)

New crafty fun!

My mom got this for us, I mean, for the kids for Christmas along with a lot of extra nylons! And here is the book that comes in it. It looks like it is out of print but you can still find it in some places.

I have looked through the book, and there are so many different things to do with nylons! There are decorations to make, dances and games, toys and other crafts. This will definitely keep us, er, I mean, the kids, busy for quite a while!

I am saving it all for this weekend when it is supposed to be really cold again. We're all ready to dig in!

Thanks Mom/Grandma! :)

It's COLD here!

Yesterday the wind chill got below ZERO degrees! Brrrr!

Well, I've been doing much better about keeping up with blogging lately. Then last weekend I bombarded everyone with tons of new posts as I was beginning to transfer my old blog over, and now it's quiet here!

See, we live in an old drafty house. The drafts are BAD, especially when it is very windy. (I'm going to focus on fixing that later this week.) Not only is it cold and drafty, but this house is also in need of new wiring. So, when it is really cold like this, we need to turn on all the heaters we have (no central heat and air at the moment), which means I have to unplug the computer, which means no blogging!

I need a laptop!!!

But it's all good! I'm sitting next to the front door that is really drafty and also on the north side of the house, and it's not bad today! The temps are about the same, but I guess the wind isn't blowing. Yea! It's actually quite warm in my bedroom!

We've mostly been watching TV (way too much of it.....I'm getting sick of flipping through show after show!), reading books, finger weaving, face painting, crocheting (I taught the kids a chain stitch this morning, and they caught on very quickly), playing with blocks and Legos, fighting off the dogs when we're trying to prepare a meal and eat (since they are in the kitchen right now because of the weather), trying to keep the dogs and cats away from each other, and taking turns in front of the smaller heaters. I am getting so stir-crazy!

To top it all off, I can't find my phone. I really feel isolated today!

We can't get out right now either because Myles took the van. He doesn't have a working heater/AC in his car. We're supposed to get out tomorrow though, unless our activities get cancelled. We've got PE and then a gingerbread house-making party! Fun!

Wow, this post sounds so negative! LOL!

But it's all good. We'll get out tomorrow, even if our activities are cancelled (because it is supposed to get above freezing tomorrow!) and I'll go get what I need to seal up the front door. It's supposed to get like this again this weekend, but at least we'll have a couple of days to fix the problem.

I hope everyone stays warm! I already have lots more pictures to blog about, but they'll have to wait. I need to turn the heater back on. (sigh)

Train show

Last weekend we went to the train show. We mainly went for Jacob, but we all had a good time. I don't think I've been to one before. I loved all the model trains all throughout the building! I can totally see Jacob doing this as a hobby when he is older, or perhaps even selling them himself in his own little hobby shop. He even told me that when he gets bigger he is going to buy such-and-such, and a couple of times he would wave over the whole table and say he was going to buy them all. :) He is certainly good at building things and has a great imagination and a lot of patience to go with it, so I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Jayla and Jacob each got an Engineer's hat (Jonathan was too old for one, I guess), and they also played a train simulation game where they got to drive the train. It was just a Microsoft game on someone's computer, but it looked pretty cool. He even had a console with operating switches and levers, and they could (had to at times) blow the horn. Fun!

There was also a play area, but it was a little crowded, so we didn't spend much time there. My favorite display was the Lego train tracks! Click on the images to enlarge and look at the detail. They are made completely out of Legos!

How GREEN are you?

1. Which household material is considered hazardous waste?

A. Metal
B. Plastic Packaging
C. Batteries
D. Spoiled Food

2. When shopping at the mall for the newest fashion trends, what type of bag is the best to use to conserve natural resources and protect the environment?

A. Paper Bag
B. Brown Bag
C. Plastic Bag
D. Recycled cloth bag

3. Over the course of a year what is the amount of the environmental pollution caused by non-biodegradable, synthetic materials that are found in non-organic feminine hygiene products?

A. 1 Million
B. 45 Billion
C. 50 Thousand
D. 100 Million

4. About how many soda cans do you need to recycle to buy that elegant new flat screen you have had your eye on for months?

A. One million
B. Three thousand
C. One thousand

5. To produce your favorite newspaper about how many trees are used?

A. 100,000
B. One million
C. 500,000
D. Two Million

6. Which blonde starlet unwinds every night in a solar powered house?

A. Britney Spears
B. Cate Blanchett
C. Scarlett Johansson
D. Gisele Bundchen

7. Which of the following is a renewable resource?

A. Oil
B. Trees
C. Iron ore

8. Which of the following is the number one cause of tropical deforestation world wide?

A. Wildlife
B. Commercial Loging
C. Clearing of land for agriculture.
D. Gathering of fire wood

9. How much plastic do Americans throw away each hour?

A. 100,000
B. 1 Million
C. 2.5 Million
D. 3 Million

10. In one year, how many trees do Americans use?

A. 850 Million trees annually
B. 100 Million trees annually
C. 15 Million trees annually
D. 965 Million trees annually

Answers:

1-C
2-D
3-B
4-B
5-C
6-B
7-B
8-C
9-C
10-A

How green are you?

You scored 1-3 correct: Florescent Green
You are a florescent green girl. It is very important to become environmentally aware and active for yourself and future generations.

You scored 4-6 correct: Kelly Green
You are a Kelly green girl.You care about the environment, but could become even more educated.

You scored 7-10 correct: Forest Green
You are a forest green girl. You are very aware of environmental issues, and you care about the environment. Keep up the good work! Tell others!

I guessed on a few of these, but I scored a 7!

Fun recipes for homemade paint

I haven't tried any of these yet. This was sent to my local homsechool group. They sound like so much fun, especially if you have young kids.

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For bathtub finger paint

1/3 cup mild liquid dish detergent
1 tbs corn starch
food color
1. mix detergent and cornstarch
2. pour into several plastic ice cube trays
3. add different colors of food coloring to each section and stir with a small spoon.
Last...paint the tub !

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like oil paint

2 TBS. liquid dish detergent
2 TBS. tempera powder paint
1/2 tsp. water
Mix together and paint!

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pudding paint

1 large package of instant vanilla pudding (3.4 oz)
2 cups ice cold water
food color
1. whisk pudding and cold water together for 2 minutes.
2. refrigerate for 5 minutes.
3. divide pudding into several small bowls or muffin tins.
4. Add food coloring to tins or bowls. 5 to 7 drops should do it.
Now paint! If you eat it it's OK too.

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Shaving cream paint

1 can shaving cream
food color
Squirt small amounts of shaving cream into muffin tins and add food color.

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Face and body paint

2 TBS. solid shortening
1 TBS cornstarch
4 or 5 drops of food color
1. mix shortening and corn starch until smooth.
2. add food color and stir till smooth.
It washes of with soap and water.

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Jiggler paints

1 package of sugar free flavored gelatin
2 tbs. hot water
Mix and cool then paint.
If you use unflavored gelatin you can add different colors.

States I've visited

I took a couple of states off of my previous map (on my old blog) because the more I think about it, the more I think I didn't ever go there. I'll have to brainstorm with old friends and family, but this map below is probably more accurate, at least from what I actually remember. This is a fun and easy way to track where you have been. Check it out!

visited 19 states (38%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or try another Douwe Osinga project