Mountsberg Conservation Visit

I am SO behind in my blogging! EEk!

We went to Mountsberg on a beautiful fall day!

Highlights of our visit were the turtles, birds of prey and barnyard animals with super funny and interesting personalities! The gift shop had great books, games and maple syrup products!

You may note that Matt was playing lego. He was doing that under a big willow tree while Josh and Lucas looked for turtles. Yesterday, when we went to Crawford Lake, Lucas really felt like reading instead of walking. So, he pulled up a bench and read while Josh, Matt and me went for a stroll around the lake. I love that we are able to accommodate each others needs, because lets face it, sometimes we don't all wanna do the same thing at the same time. Because we live and learn together as a family, we can find ways to let everyone do what they need to do as much as possible.

Love it!

Ontario Tourism Photo Contest 2010

PLEASE HELP ME TO WIN A CAMERA BY VOTING FOR MY PHOTOS EVERYDAY FROM NOW UNTIL MID NOVEMBER!!!

Go to the 'Share your Ontario' website, Register to Vote, then, Browse and Vote. One vote per day per photo. I have to catch up to some of the entries who currently have close to 300 votes!!! There are two ways to win a camera: one is the people's choice award, so the more votes, the better!!!! The other is offered by a panel of judges for the grand prize.

Submission #1: Category- Natural Wonders
(This photo was recently awarded second prize in the semi-pro division at our local fall fair! It was 'Explored' on flickr. com and was taken right here at home and is my fave sunrise pic of the summer!)

Submission #2: Category-Relaxing and Recharging
(This photo was recently awarded first prize in the semi-pro division at our local fall fair! It was also taken at home... reminds me of when he was a baby!!!)


I can submit one photo per day and I cannot vote on my own photos. So, it would be you who could make it happen for me!!! :)

I would really appreciate your support!!!!

Thanks, Me xx

PeAcE DaY!

we have recently joined a co-op group through the guelph homeschool group called, the guelph difference makers!

our first event was held at riverside park in guelph for peace day activities.

the kids played games, made peace mala bracelets, pinwheels, paper peace cranes, had face painting, shared yummy snacks and made new friends.

karen played a game with the kids that reminded us all that if we work together towards a goal we can have fun AND be successful!!!
we also talked about being tolerant of all peoples, following the golden rule and how we feel when we are at peace rather than in conflict.

it was a gorgeously warm and humid day for september and we all reveled in it!

a memorable introduction! looking forward to upcoming activities. :)

*a note of thanx to emily who offered to take a pic of me and the boyz! :)

Holy Hammies!

As some of you may know, we have recently added 5 hamsters to our family unit.

We have been enjoying getting to know, cuddle and care for them.

Lucas has Kodi who only eats processed yogurt treats! Won't eat any fruit, veggies or fancy nuts! He is a real cutie who feels most comfortable with Lucas and can sit calmly while being held.

Josh has Cashew who was named after his first favourite treat! Cashew has one red eye and one black. He was chosen for this unique quality in part. He is friendly when being held and loves veggies! He will sit calmly while being held and eats lettuce really fast!

Matt has Fluffy who always looks like he just got out of bed! Crazy hair. Loves apples, lettuce and cashews. Runs really fast on his wheel! Plays dead whenever Jeff gets near him! Just flattens himself out like a pancake! Funniest thing! Matt loves to sing and dance with Fluffy. Makes us smile. :)

Smidge and Midge are rather adorable as the smallest critters here. Smidge never bites but Midge has been known to take an exploratory nip here and there. We have learned to pick them up with a toilet paper roll and let them slide out bum first, this avoids the nipping issue. :) They come to the cage when I visit and call their names. They love cashews, apples and just about any treat I bring them. They move quickly and rarely sit still when held.

Having hamsters in common with each other, makes for a great connection, lots of laughs and entertainment! The boys take their parenting role rather seriously and are very protective of their babies and mine. :) They take initiative on cleaning their cages, handling them daily and giving them treats. It has been a lot of fun, even if the 'zero noise' wheels drive Jeff nuts at night!

By the way...many of these photos were taken by Lucas, Josh and Matt!!! :)

Chudleigh's Apple Picking Day

Once again, I have left posting too long! Eek!

These photos reflect the fun we had at Chudleigh's with the Platt family on the Labour Day weekend. We had never been to Chudleigh's but had heard how much fun it was and of course how great the apples were!

I have memories from going to Drysdale's Tree Farm where they sold Chudleigh's pies.... yummmm!

We did find it rather expensive for a family to get in the door in order to have the privilege to pick their delicious apples, play in the play area and view the cute farm animals. However, it ended up being a memorable and tasty experience!

it was here...

where matt became quite tired, thirsty and hot on the trail.
where matt asked me to tell him a story to pass the time as we walked.
and so i did.

suddenly, in the middle of my second story when i said the words, 'enchanted forest', he stopped me and said, 'o, i have an idea. you told me a story, now i will tell you one.'
and so he did.

a big long story... involving people in his life, nature, a beginning, middle and end, a problem to solve, a quest, an adventure and a lesson learned.

he retold the story in the car on the way home to his dad and brothers.
he decided he wanted to write the story down.
and so he did.

as he wrote-every few sentences he would reread it to me and whomever would listen, from the beginning, HIS story... with added characters and new twists and turns.

he asked me about spelling of certain words. asked me to get daddy to photocopy his good copy when it's done. read it to grandma on the phone.

i love this!!!

this is just one example of many that i'm sure many unschooling/homeschooling families can relate to... i just find it all the more meaningful when the kids express themselves creatively and academically - (really in any area- social/physical/intellectual ... ) of their own volition, their own ideas, their own inspiration, their own timeline... because you see the joy then, the excitement, the process and the outcome. You can really get a feel for what sparks them, where they are at and what motivates their determination and focus. I am so thankful for these moments of authenticity and hope that by blogging about them, it will help to lock many of them in my memory and in the memories of the boys as they get older.

as a side note... these pics were taken during our family hike at Mt. Nemo as we walked along the Niagra Escarpment/Bruce Trail to get to a lookout where you can see 50 km into the distance atop limestone cliffs! A great hike, beautiful forest and views... but Crawford Lake is my fave still so far. :)