Winter is Over! (Bucket List Update)

OK, so this is going to be the last Winter Bucket List update because today is the last day of winter!! We didn't get everything finished, as a matter of fact 5 things on the list didn't get completed. Which took our list from 25 to 20 items, which is OK with me since that's what I usually confine our lists to is 20 items. 

We did check off a few things this past weekend to get to that magical number 20.

We had the children cook day (#13) on Sunday. We allowed each camper to decide which meal they'd like to cook and what they'd like to make. YCJ made oatmeal for everyone for breakfast. She started with the kids oatmeal and then made Mom and Dad's. ECJ made lunch but I seem to have missed taking a picture of it, he made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids and buttered rice for the parents. Peanut chose to make dinner (I know, right?!?!) and wanted to make soup and crackers. So, she put her apron on (with a little help) and made chicken noodle soup for the kiddos and cream of mushroom soup for the adults. We're all very proud of her!

ECJ chose to make our board game (#24) after getting some ideas from the rest of us. There are over 30 trivia cards, over sixty individual spaces on the game board, four "movers", and it's set up a lot to look like the shape of the Candy Land board game but works to where all three children have questions they can answer in equal amounts. He even made some of the questions educational ones!

 We made leprechaun traps (#17). We made these pretty simply but with rainbow colored Popsicle sticks to "attract" the leprechauns to our traps. We're still not sure if we caught any real ones though because those are tricky critters! They vanish if you don't keep an eye on them once their caught and since the traps all closed during the night if there were any leprechauns inside of them (besides the pictures we placed there as bait) they vanished by the time we woke up in the morning... Oh well, we'll try again next year!

We finally got around to making our chalk pastel winter scenes (#12), just a few days before the first day of spring! These turned out pretty well for just using sidewalk chalk we still had hanging around. I really do need to invest in some "real" chalk pastels before next school year.

And we even made our fire starters (#18). We've made some like this before but I'd never thought of the teachable moments before and there will be a full step by step on how to make these next week. The kids had a ton of fun making them and now we have three small jars of six fire starters each, so enough to start 18 fires with!

We managed to all say our rosaries every day, read a book a month as a family, and to do our Mailbox Monday's faithfully.

We did not manage to make our simple sock snowmen (due to running out of time), complete one craft/project each (Daddy did his but the rest of us didn't finish ours yet), begin seeds indoors (though we'll do that in a month or two), partially or finish remodeling either child's room that's left (those were listed separately). We have begun on one of the room remodels but aren't counting that towards the list though we've gone quite a way with it already in the past couple of days, and I will be posting about the room remodels at a later date.

We had fun with our Winter bucket list but won't be doing one for the spring. We have so much on our plates already for this spring time that although I could use them as items for the list it just doesn't seem like the thing to do. We have our Lenten commitments to take care of, the front portion of the house to complete, the Cracker Jack's first communions, the projects that we haven't finished, and much more already on a "to do" list. We'll probably be participating in a summer fun list this year, but we won't be hosting one by any means. 

I hope you've enjoyed seeing our little progress reports on the little things we've been doing this winter! We had fun sharing them with you! Perhaps, next winter we'll do a winter link up again... But, I'm NOT ready to think about next winter just yet!

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Runaway Robot!

Well, we did manage to get two items checked off of our Winter Bucket List during our break week. I didn't get pictures of the first one, unfortunately, because I was too busy trying to keep my balance on the ice. That's right, we went out onto the frozen lake for a walk (#1 on the list)! We were scared to wait much longer because even though we're due for another several inches of snow (overnight tonight and into tomorrow) we've also had several days of near 40-50 degree temps!

The second item we checked off was to build our own robot (#19 on the list). For that one I not only got several pictures but I also took a quick video of the robot really working! Let me start with saying I am in no way electronically (as in wiring things and making them work) inclined and I was able to follow the directions and have the robot work. Daddy did tighten a few things up for me afterwards.

This is what came in the kit. The kit itself cost around $20 at a local craft store in Jan. 2013. For some reason we just hadn't gotten around to doing it over the past year or so, and honestly it was one of the gifts that ECJ had bought himself with a gift card. No, you are not imagining it ... those are a bunch of itty bitty pieces right there spread on that table. It was a little intimidating to start with.

For the beginning assembly of it we didn't take many pictures. Mommy was too busy concentrating and all of the children were very curious about how it went together. After a billion few times of my saying, "Don't touch that, put that down, I'm not sure what that is!!!" We were finally ready for the campers to get to work helping out. (I just did the base and motor part really.) So, Peanut put on the googly eyes and YCJ put the foam buffer on the brush and slide it in place.



ECJ put the finishing touches on it by installing the little red paint brush looking thing on the back end of the robot like a tail. I wasn't sure what this part was for until I fully read the directions. Depending on tilt and direction of that little red brush will make the robot go forwards, backwards, right, and left! Pretty cool.

So, this is what our finished little buggy eyed sweeper robot looks like up close. Yup, he's that small. Not sure why we're saying he's a "he" but that's what he is.

And here's a video on him actually working!

A few things we're currently working on for the bucket list include:
* Mommy's, ECJ's, YCJ's, and Peanut's projects (Daddy already finished his)
* Still saying our rosaries daily
* Finishing up our book for this "month" (we did manage to read the other two)
* We're still doing Mailbox Mondays

A few things we're having to take off of the list include:
* Remodeling and partially remodeling two of the campers rooms (budget cuts for the time being)
* Begin seeds indoors for outdoor garden (winter is still hanging too tough for this to be a good idea just yet)

That leaves 5 items on the list that we haven't started yet with the first day of spring being just about 9 days in which to do them and finish the ones that we've started (have been doing). I think that's plenty enough time to complete them. Yes, not doing the three things I had to take off of the list is OK ... remember this is supposed to be fun and not something you feel you "have" to do!

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Igloos and Bird Feeders

Well, we accomplished another two items from our winter bucket list this past week. And if you read last week's day in the life post you probably already know one of them.

We finally built an igloo! (# 3) OK, we made two actually. One we built and one we sort of just hollowed out. And today, almost a week later, my back is still out of whack from all the snow I lifted and moved with the shovel. When I'd take a break from using the shovel I'd snap a few pictures of the kids in action...

First we cleared the center and stacked the snow to build the walls. Between the shovel work and hands those walls went up rather well...

We made it kind of long instead of tall and round because Peanut wanted a "front porch" where they could play out in the sunshine. When we thought that the walls were high enough we put a roof over about half of it.

YCJ volunteered to go inside under the roof and smooth everything out...

Peanut even got into the shoveling a little...

 ECJ took a break while his sisters were working hard to pose for a picture with the sled that I'd finally remembered was hidden under the snow behind the house. It'd been sitting there since this past summer and while I was looking for materials for the base of the roof I stumbled over it. He spent a good portion of the rest of the day using that sled to surf down the snow "mountain" at the end of our street.




When it was all done they posed for a few pictures for me before deciding that they wanted to go sledding and snow ball fighting while the sun was still out. I think the girls were tuckered out a little from all the hard work building the igloo (yeah, I know more fort looking) was.

While I took a couple of shots of the completed igloo to remember it by... It was supposed to rain the next day (and it did) so I wasn't sure how long it would last.

We also made a small igloo type shelter in the "mountain" just by shoveling out a nice cavity that they could all fit into while sitting...

 The other thing we got around to (on Sunday) was to make our outside bird feeders. (# 20) I went for simple here and was only spurred into action because there had been some wild feathered friends hanging out on our porch early in the afternoon.

Single serving Pringle container with yarn to hold the food.

We filled them with a mixture of wild bird seed, stale bread crumbs, and millet pieces. Each of them held about a half cup of the mixture and we topped them off a bit with more wild bird seed. As you can see in the picture we were eating our snack right before we started this (Peanut's still not sure she likes celery).



Then the campers went out by the ditch to hang them. I was very careful to let them know exactly how far they could go because you can barely see where the ditch is with the snow still on the ground and when there's no snow it's higher than my waist! It took over half an hour for Peanut to find just the right spot to hang her feeder. They kind of look like bleached Easter eggs hanging out there but I've already seen a bird or two investigating.

I'm still confident that we'll complete our list before the first day of spring!

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We Did Something!

We've taken a rather laid back approach to our Winter Bucket List lately. Probably because of the February blues. Spring seems like it will never come and the skies are often cloudy or full of snow. We have managed to get something done and work on some other things in the past two weeks however.

We haven't checked off too many new items in the last two weeks mainly because the first of those weeks was super busy and the second of those two weeks Murphy's Law hit us (check out the whole week here ). We did manage to complete our secret valentines (#16). We just made some homemade cards and placed them at neighbor's doors without being seen. It made the children so very happy to do this. (I did find out that our neighbor's figured out who they were from.)

We're working through the book Little House in the Big Woods this month for our family read aloud. So far everyone seems to be enjoying it, even ECJ. Last month we simply ended up repeatedly reading Green Eggs and Ham to one another. It was a super big hit all around and everyone, except Peanut, took turns reading it aloud. Peanut nearly had it memorized by the end of the month!


Getting some of these items checked off leaves eleven more that we'll be able to check off more than likely by the end of winter. We probably won't be able to remodel either of the last two children's rooms before spring, but I'm leaving them on the list for now just in case. Some of the projects that are still left don't require any prep so we'll be able to get them checked off sometime in the next week or two. 

Of course we're all still saying our rosary daily. Currently Peanut likes saying it with YCJ best, though sometimes she wants to say some of it with me. She's even beginning to learn a few of the prayers. Our individual projects/crafts are coming along just great as well, some of us may be finished in the next week even! Daddy already checked his project off of the to do list and is quite happy with it. 

We're happily gathering materials for our outside bird feeders (which we'll do early in March) and our homemade fire starters (which will again be done in early March). There are plans to grow some more crystals around here. When we'll actually get around to doing it I'm not very sure, but one of these days we'll check it off of the list. We still play with the crystals we grew the first time (they are indeed reusable, no false advertising). 

Mailboxes and Memories

As the campers have learned more and more letters, words, and forms of writing they've become obsessed with mail. And what better way to have them practice their writing (without them knowing it) than to make their very own mail boxes and encourage them to write to one another? It's also a cute way for them to incorporate the Valentines Day theme into another craft project. The timing on this one ended up almost perfect, as they're not likely to think of using these for handwriting practice, but rather as something fun.

We'll be using these mailboxes for the rest of the school year and instituting what I'm calling Mailbox Mondays! My only requirement for Mailbox Mondays is that they each write something to each of their siblings at least once a week and that mail gets read and opened on Mondays. (We do a lot of handwriting practice in our lessons all week long during our lessons and our mailboxes are meant mainly to be fun and give each other positive reinforcement.)

These were super simple to do because we started with empty pasta boxes that I'd saved from suppers for a week or two. I cut the plastic out of the "windows" of each box for a mail slot before handing them to the children. And though we did these in stages instead of all at once, they could be done all at one time with very little issue.

I then gave them step by step instructions on using the construction paper, glue, and tape. None of them had made a valentines mailbox like this before (even in public school) so they needed a little guidance.

Step one: Apply glue liberally to the front of the box and try to center construction paper sheet on it...

Step two: Flip the box over and repeat step one, only on the back side of the box...

Step three: Fold over sides and glue down. Doing one layer at a time...

Step four: I cut the construction paper out of the "window" areas of the construction paper boxes with a sharp knife. This could have been done in an "x" shape and then folded in and taped but I wasn't that worried about it...

Step five: Fold the bottom side of the box's over hanging paper in like you're wrapping a gift and tape down to hold. I prefolded both girls paper to make this easier on them and then showed them where to tape...

ECJ's box

Step six: Trim the top paper either flush with the box or into whatever shape you'd like. We chose hearts. (Don't glue or tape the paper down up here because you'll need to be able to open the top of the box to get your mail out.)

Steps seven: Decorate!!!! The girls had a blast doing this part. ECJ hasn't decorated his yet and I'm not sure if he will or not.

I know that all of the pictures that show kids doing this are of the girls but ECJ did participate all the way through. I just took too many darned pictures and had to choose the ones I thought looked right for the steps. But, so that he doesn't feel left out here's one of him too.



The other thing we checked off of our Winter Bucket List was our "Good things happen jar". I simply popped a label on an empty plastic jar and then talked to the kids about what this is. Everyone is going to put at least one slip of paper in the jar each month to list something good that happened. On New Year's Eve next year we'll be emptying the hopefully full jar and we'll be able to see all the good things that happened to us this year!

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