learning club(revisited)

When I was younger we used to have 'learning clubs', where the moms would take turns running different programs for the kids.

We had everything from Math Club to Writing Club, and they were always so much fun. We never called anything a 'class', but that's basically what they were.

Except way more fun than any class you could imagine.

My mom decided to start a Club for the little ones this year, and yesterday was our first stab at it.

I think my mom is going for the a history/geography kind of thing, but really it's just a bunch of kids getting together and having fun.

We are learning about different Continent's, and this week we learned about Europe. We  had a special guest come to talk to us about growing up in Holland. All the kids really enjoyed listening to her story.

They had a few dutch treats before getting to make some of their own.

It was too bad that I had a live math meeting that morning, I had to miss out on listening to our guest tell her story.

This was our first time ever attempting strudel. We had all the kids cutting apples and mixing ingredients.

Micah got to grate the lemon peel.

Concentrate!

Once the filling was all mixed together, most of the kids headed outside to play in the leaves. They worked on get a pile started for a while, but by the time I got down there with my camera, they were more than ready to start playing.

Throwing leaves it always fun! But it seems like it was only the boys getting in on it.

Superman raking the leaves!

"Take my picture"

Superman wanted his picture taken too... but he had a hard time getting the swing to stop spinning.

The boys hard at work.

I think this might have been my last time wearing sandals this season... it was a bit chilly.

The phylo pastry we used for the strudel was a bit tricky to work with, but some of the moms got the knack of it, and it seemed to work out pretty well.

Here's the finished product.

YUM!

 One of the families had to leave before everyone went outside to play, and they didn't get to taste any of the strudel, so we packed some up to send to them.

Having all the kids around the table, it looked just like it did 8 years ago with all my friends, ready to learn and more than willing to go and play.
As everyone had their mouths full of apple-ly goodness, my mom read the story A Song For Lena by Hillary Horder Hippely, its the book that we got our strudel recipe from.


It was a great first go at learning club revisited.
I know I had fun!

At some point someone must have gotten a hold of my camera. I just discovered a series of shots that I most definitely did not take.



November is just around the corner

I can't believe October is almost over.

This year is going by so super fast.

My room is finally officially finished.

I have a lamp, a duvet cover, and a curtain for my closet.

I absolutely love it down there!

It's nice a cheery, but still relaxing and inviting.

NaNoWriMo starts in a few days, and I'm excited but not sure what to write about...

This week Maya has her reading week so I'm taking advantage of that while I can.

We went to the noon hour concert together today, and it brought back so many memorises of all those years we went every week to listen to music and eat our lunches in the front row.

Maya and I just had to go back across the street to the 'park' where we used to play.

We spent so many hours there, playing orphans, or seals... or whatever our imagination allowed.

There were many lovely scenes of Autumn as we walk through up-town.

And of course I had my camera in my bag, so I just had to take a few quick snap shots.

 We were trying to figure out what the thing inside the band shell was supposed to be...

The picture above it part of it, and I actually think its a really funny photo.

 Despite the rain, the fall colours were shining brightly.

 This Japanese Maple is absolutely gorgeous.

I love the brilliant red leave!

I totally want one of these trees in my yard.



mini homeschoolers

Yesterday the kids had some of their homeschooling friends over for a big playdate. It was a really fun group. There were only five moms, but we seemed to have lots of little friends running around the back yard and through the house.

The weather was lovely, but we had a hard time getting the kids outside.

One of our friends was having a birthday (today actually! Happy birthday River!), so we decided to make him a little something and sing him a birthday tune.

His mom brought the cupcakes and we had a sparkler to stick into his birthday treat.

Setting the Birthday table.

How homeschooled can you get?
We only serve what you can find in the garden at this party.

Happy Birthday!

I spent the morning sewing up his little friend... and I kind of had a hard time letting my woolly creation go.

Our well loved playhouse.

The Baby and his Buddy!

The Baby's loving being one of the big kids. He can play outside and run around with the best of them.
He'll wander around the yard for as long as we'll let him!

My felted owl, up close.
His name is now Hunter, as named by his new best friend.

The Birthday Boy!

Now this is a real homeschoolers snack. A bit of everything, trying to avoid any kind of allergies.

 The Baby had a bit too much fun outside.
We had all come in for a snack and had been talking for a while when we had the sudden realization that we hadn't actually seen the baby for quite some time... and there he was, at the bottom of the steps, covered in mud with a huge grin on his face.
We don't know what he had been eating, but he had clearly enjoyed himself, and that's what really matters... I guess.



Farm Days

Yesterday was the kids last day of their farm program, so I decided to tag along with my camera.

Being there brought back so many memories of all the time I spent there with my friends playing in the hay and chasing kittens.

I miss that so much.

That was my childhood.

Farm and frolicking, what more could a kid want?

This was the last day of the session so the kids got to dress up in Halloween flavoured costumes.

Out came the superhero apparel.

We set the dynamic duo on the loose.



Our crime fighting partners starting their morning at the farm.

 They had their goodbye wagon ride.
Who doesn't love to be dragged around a farm by a big tractor?
The kids had a blast.
This was one of the best farm days of the session. They had a great time wandering around, saying goodbye to everything they were introduced to over the past six weeks.
Everyone was thrilled to be prancing around in there costumes.
We had everything from a Monkey to a Princess Cowgirl to a Fireman to a Pumpkin.
We had the cutest baby Batman ever, and my Superhero was super excited to be dawning his sidekick suit.
The Princess had her heart set on being a Caterpillar, which she was until her fuzzy outfit got too hot for all the excitement.

On the hay ride.

Baby Batman and his big sister/buggy friend.

On our hay ride we got to see the 'Great Pumpkin'. Apparently it weighs about 300-400lbs, that would make one massive pie.

We just had to get a shot of our little pumpkin friend with his mother plant.



Robin wanted a picture too.



Happy Baby. He was enjoying his hay ride just as much as everyone else.

I got distracted by the pretty grass...

The kids were loving the sheep. These woolly guys were raised on a petting farm before they moved here so they just live for all the attention they can get.

The Baby was loving the sheep. Can you tell?

Here he is going for a kiss... the Little Pumpkin isn't so sure.

The tails are the best part!
You tap the funny things and they do a little jig.
It had all the kids completely captivated.

This kid needs to get a sheep! He'd love to have a woolly friend to play with at home. Just look how excited he is!

Even he wanted to play with the funny tails too.

After the sheep sessions I kind of had my leave to aim my camera at whatever I wanted, and at a farm there is never a shortage of things to see.

I LOVE this shot!

We went to check out the rest of the animals next. Outside they have several goats, two girl pigs, and a duck. Inside they have chickens and a bunny.

Someone was eager for a treat.

Cutie!

The Little Pumpkin with his mommy.

Chickens are always a hit. The kids love the challenge of chasing the strutting ladies around the pen.



Robin with his hen.




We have to share the chicken's!



Grinding some corn.

After the animals we trecked over to the kitchen to wash our hands and mix up some snack.
This week, pumpkin cookies.

The Little Pumpkin Stirring the pumpkin cookies.

Playing outside while we waited for the cookies to bake.

The boys decided to plant some cooked pumpkin seeds in the garden.

My bug shot for the day.

Our morning at the farm was so much fun!
Wet and cold... but fun none the less.
We bought three fabulous pumpkins for carving on the way out.
I can't believe Halloween is just around the corner. This year is going by so quickly, and I just don't know where all the days are dissapearing to.