New blog

We have brought our children back home for their education. While going through this experience I realized that I needed a sounding board of sorts. A place to collect my random thoughts and get them off my chest so to speak. So we now have a new blog. www.hiwohi.blogspot.com . Feel free to look. I must warn you however that I can be a pretty opinionated person and this not a hold-back blog. I in no way mean to offend individuals with my thoughts and in most cases I am just ranting in general.
Feel free to leave comments as I am usually open to suggestions and advice and this is a subject I am very passionate about.
Enjoy

Morse Wildlife Preserve

We were invited to a program at this preserve and thought it would be great to go to. Our adventure started when there was no address on the invitation and I couldn't find it listed. The town it is in is rather small and I thought for sure there would be signs but we got there and no luck. After three stops at gas stations where people did not know what I was talking about we stopped at a post office. With all the people there only one of the carriers knew.
We finally get there and I mentioned how difficult it was to find and they explained that it is not open to the public accept by invitation twice a year or by request from someone they know as the primary mission is land and animal conservation and secondly education.
As a result of me being late we didn't get to do everything, but we started at a display of animal skins, skulls, snaje skins and turtle shells. The lady explained why the different textures of fur and feathers where needed by different animals. Some feathers are used for flying, decoration, warmth, or stability depending on the animal. So interesting!!
We then went on a plant hike where the woman explained the different varities of foliage and what they could be used for. She also talked about the conservation efforts they were having to make in this forest. Did you know that when a tree falls and the stump starts to decay and grow new trees that is called a "nursing stump" because they are nursing new growth?
After this it was to the fire to get warmed up a tad and then to the barn for some hot chocalet and stories. We heard a tale about how the Kinglet bird got to be the king of all birds and earned the golden crown that sits on his head along with a few others.
Then it was back outside to play a game of survival. There were five cups in a line and each child got four chances to knock a golfball into the cups. They were labeled with things birds need in order to survive, food, water, shelter and space. The fifth was labeled ESA. The child picked a bird to be and then had to shoot one ball in each of the four neccesary areas to survive, or if they got a ball in the ESA they automatically survived because the Endangered Species Act would provide their needs for them.
The children loved it!!!
The pictures show racoon foot prints that we saw and the kids at the look out tower. What a great day!!

Another day at the PSC

We had so much fun the first day that we went back for more a few days later. Again we were there from about 2:30-10:00 and again it was non stop. the only bad thing is these late nights are starting to get to us. I have to get us back on schedule and soon.
Today they all played on the virtual soccer machine and we spent most of the rest of the time in the insect and butterfly area.
We also saw an IMAX film entitled "hurrican on the Bayou" it was about Hurrican Katrina, but it was about more than just the hurrican itself. It explained how when man came in and started making the rivers and artificial banks mu7ch of the wetlands on the outskirts started dissapearing and running off rather than being built up by soil deposits. Wetlands serve as a speedbump for hurricans and the disaster was so much worse because of this lack of wetlands. Amazing how one act that people made because we thought we were being smart can come back and hit us later. Michael is still a pretty sensitive guy and he was having a hard time, then when his sister whispered that the story was actually nonfiction and followed a real girl's experience he lost it. They choose to sit a few rows up from us and it was sweet to watch Seri gather him in her arms as he cried with empathy. On the way out she still had her arm around him and was comforting him.
by the way, did you know that your body gets rid of 4.4 lbs of dead skin cells over a year?

Christmas

I couldn't believe it, Matt woke up first and wanted to get the children up but I wanted to sleep some more so I told him he had to wait until they came to get us. So he sat there in bed saying quitely to himself "come on kids, let's go" over and over. Must have worked because pretty soon they were all in our room hollering to go downstairs. When we got downstairs there was only a note under the tree that said,
"sorry, Santa got sick before finishing his route and had to go back to the North Pole. He sent me instead, hope I did it right. Love, the easter bunny".
On the back of the note was a riddle which led them to their fish tank in the living room (thanks Papa and Meme) and another note that sent them on a quest to the washing machine. turns out their gifts were hidden all over the house, go figure. the kids had a blast and we loved watching them, sure gave christmas a twist.

Christmas Eve

Christmas eve my side of the family meets and celebrates so that on Christmas day relatives can do it with the other side of their family. We met at my aunts house. A lot of people in a small house, but always lots of fun. this year there were so many of us that the adults drew names for gifts and the kids were given stockings that everyone contributed to. It was really nice and I hope we continue to do that. We always have sloppy joes (my family is HUGE on tradition) even though noone really likes the family recipe. Then we played games while the kids watched Polar Express.

Christmas eve our children are always given new pajamas to sleep in. When we got home the children found their pajamas and were thrilled, so we put them on, took a pic and sent them to bed.

Butterfly house

At the science center there is also a large butterfly house that we especially love visiting. The last time we were there Matt found a friend. Matt and Seri take their sketch books in there to draw the butterflies. You can get so close to them and they aren't timid around people so they just sit there and let you get as close as you want. They are so beautiful.

Our greatest gift

For christmas this year we attempted to have a clutter free holiday for a number of reasons. the last thing anyone in my family needs is more stuff laying around and we are trying to be conscious of our clutter and the environment. So our big gift to the family was a year long membership to the Pacific Science Center. This place is amazing, like heaven on earth for children (and I admit, parents too). The first day we went we got there at 3:00 and didn't stop going until the announcement was made that it was 9:45 and the center would be closing in fifteen minutes. We didn't eat, didn't rest, nothing. It was go from the moment we walked in. We also saw the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit. They brought this to Germany while we were there, but we never did get the chance to see it. How enlightening! It was awesome in the literal sense of the word. Michael especially enjoyed it and spent a great deal of time looking at and discussing everything he could see. Who knows, maybe we have a budding archeologist.

finger paint

Last week during "school" mom decided we needed to let loose, so we brought out the finger paint and had a great time!! Painting is something I have always avoided because I have never thought of myself as a very good artist. I remember in school I was always disappointed and embarrassed because my art wasn't as good as the next guy's. Well here at home there was noone to criticize me, only those who would say "you're baby bear is really cute mommy" Bring on the paints, I am ready for more!!!

Wind storm

The seattle area had a really bad windstorm a few weeks ago that left the whole west side of the state virtually without power. Luckily we were only out for a little over 24 hours. It was a great adventure. We ate all the ice cream we wanted for breakfast (Matt had just bought some the night before), had a slumber party in the living room in front of the fireplace (it was almost a little too warm) and actually finished a whole game of monopoly. Later we went out to get some pictures of the damage, a lot of the roads were blocked off though.

Mom ran over a what?

One morning Michael came downstairs extrememly upset because he said mom had run over something and it was still on my wheel with it's tail hanging out. Poor guy was close to tears as I kept asking him what he was talking about. He finally took me outside where we found this.

Daddy time

I adore watching Matt play with his children, it is truly one of my most favorite scenes.

Merry Christmas!!

From Seattle, to wherever our friends happen to be, Merry Christmas, We miss you.

Bird Feeders

My husband has an aunt who likes to look at dears eating, out one of their windows in a sitting room. the kids thought the perfect christmas gift for her would be bird feeders so we made these. Cover a pinecone in peanut butter, roll in birdseed, and hang a loop with floss.

Popcorn

When Seri was three we started a tradition of stringing popcorn to put on the tree before the decorations. This year we found the Christmas stuff but hadn't unpacked the sewing things, popcorn popper or popcorn kernels. I tried convincing the kids that it wasn't needed this year, but they didn't fall for it. We had a tree with nothing but lights for a week before I went out to buy the things needed to string popcorn. Moral of the story, be careful what traditions you start.

Thanksgiving

I know the blog has not been updated in awhile. We moved and I packed the cord that connects the camera to the computer, just now found it.
I forgot to take the camera to Thanksgiving but here are pics of the kids making peanut butter balls.
My mother makes these every year and everyone anxiously awaits them, however neither me nor my cousin can make them, the recipe never works out. So we told mom that she would have to skip a generation and teach her grandkids how to make them.

Our New House!!

Well, we signed the papers on Wednesday and now we are just waiting for the check to arrive so we can move into our new place, all 2,890 square feet of it! hopefully it will next week so that we can move next weekend.
The house is beautiful and almost just what we wanted. There are a few things we would like to change but at this point I am not going to be picky. I am just ecstatic to be leaving this apartment.
The second picture shows the kitchen and the master bathroom, they aren't very good pictures but you get the idea.

Happy Halloween

Unfortunately none of the pictures of the children came out, it was too dark. We do have pictures of the pumpkins though. Seri had the owl, Michael had the scary face and Isaac had the eyeballs. His was dropped and split in half and so we made the best out of it. I think they turned out great.
We went trick or treating with my cousin and her family and the kids had such a great time!!!