A School Week

 Our little friend had a birthday this week.  They don't typically make a big deal about birthdays here.  For example, after the new year they will start saying, "This year I am (blank years old)." On their birthday, they will maybe have a cake and their parents might get them a present, but no party per say.  Our little friend was so excited when we had her over to give her her birthday gift. 

 

 We also ate fajiatas.  The kids loved them!! 

 Since Easter is just around the corner, we made sugar cookies.

Our friends also joined us for this activity. I know at least one kid that had too much fun with the sprinkles ;)

 Katherine ws trying out my new rolling pin.  I had gotten some money for my birthday and found this when we were on a trip out of the country.  So, that is one of the things I got for my birthday.  It has already been put to good use!

 We wore my little buddy out!  She was sitting at the dinner table and literally about to fall out of her chair.  I asked her if she wanted me to hold her.  This is what she looked liek less than two minutes later!  Too sweet!

 Benjamin and Nathan got to have some boy Skype time.  It was full of jokes that make no sense and making funny faces at each other.  We are so thankful that they can be friends even when worlds apart.

 School was packed full this week as well.  The kids were doing a lightbulb experiment and learning about electricity, open and closed circuits, voltage, and all the other stuff that you can think of that goes with it. 

In science, they have been learning about the solar system, space shuttle launches, etc. I divided up the planets between them and they researched all about them.  They even taught me some things...perfect! :)  They were working on a project to show me some of what they learned.  

 Here is the result of their hard work!  Their daddy saved the day when he noticed that someone in our complex bought a refriderator.  He ran out and cut a side off of the box before it got hauled off to the recycables.  They were trying really hard to make it osmewhat to scale.  The main thing that was off was the sun.  It would have had to have been about 6 feet and diameter to make it work.

 So, here is the picture of the 2012-2013 Sheddan Academy :) 

 Lauren got a birthday present this week in the mail!  She hasn't taken the watch off hardly at all and she says the doll is so pretty.

 Benjamin also got a present in the mail.  A nerf football.  The kids ahve been throwing it all over the house!  (with some guidelines of coarse)  So glad it's nerf and they can have fun with it indoors as well as out.

 Well, I was going to wait until Easter for this picture, but can't.  Lauren keeps saying that she wants to save this dress for her Easter birthday, but then she can't stand it and puts it on.  She loves it so much.  She wore it today at school and her teachers said that she refused to put on a jacket because it would cover up her pretty dress.  Haha!

This is just a random snapshot of Katherine at the computer.  She discovered Blues Clues online.  So she watch Blue teach about the solar system.  I thought it was fitting since the others were studying it, too.  Now, we are in full gear preparing for Easter, birthdays, tests, and Mamaw!! :)

Field Trips

 The little girls had their first field trip at their new school this week.  We were all given these hats to wear.  I officially felt like one of those tour groups that you see at the airport or other places with the matching hats and cameras.  We were very stylish ;)

 The girls were so excited to get there and play with their friends. 

 Lauren found her classmate.  Each class rode on the bus together, but since I have two kids we had to choose one bus.  We decided to ride with Katherine's class.  I loved hearing all of her classmates call for her and Lauren was calling back to them.  Too cute.

 This park had a great playground for the kids.  They loved the tire swing.  I was very proud of the girls for being polite to all the people that wanted pictures with them.  They just wanted to play and have fun and not pose for a bunch of pictures with strangers.  They agreed to a few, but not all.

 The playground had a ship theme.  This slide was really fast!

 What is a park without cotton candy.  I said no at first, but then decided to use it as dessert if they ate a good lunch :)  I had two very happy kiddos!!!

 This was a picture in one of the museums at the park.  It is a traditional style of painting for this area.  It is always looking through a window at another scene.  The guy in the chicken outfit is selling candy.  Well, I wouldn't call olives candy but they do, so I will.

 The girls got to see a real puppet show.  I'm not sure I have ever scene one with the marionettes before.  It was cute to watch. 

 The park was on the edge of a river.  The girls became fascinated with all the big (and some little) boats going up and down the river.

 After the park they went to a farm to pick fruit.

 This was the prize papaya.  We hunted for a while  for this one.  Most of them were still green.

 Since the little two were going on a field trip, I decided to take the older to on a field trip of their own.  Benjamin has been studying world history and this week we had been talking a lot about different artists and sculptors in those time periods.  I thought it would be fitting to have a clay class.

 They had such a good time making their bowls/pieces of artwork.  I really wanted to do it also, but I was afraid we would not have enough time.  I might have to go back some time ;)  It looked like so much fun.

 Benjamin was concentrating so hard on his artwork.  He is my animal lover, so I thought it was very fitting that he made a cat and put on the side of his bowl.

 It's hard to see Regan's bowl from this picture, but she put a butterfly on hers with a squiggly line and her name engraved in it in English and characters.

 To top off this great week, Benjamin and Lauren got a birthday package in the mail.  Hooray! :)

He was just a little excited.  I love the expression on his face.

 And then you have the coolest Lego birthday card.  He also got a really fun light up yo yo.

Lauren was ready to tear into her presents.

 She got some princess shrinky dinks which she shared with everyone.  So thoughtful of her brother and sisters.  They worked on them and then got to watch them bake just before bedtime.

 Oh, yes, and Lauren's classmate had a birthday and gave everyone a bag of candy/treats.  Lauren could hardly stand it.  I think she had most of it eaten by the time we got home.  haha

And just for grins....this is the new sandwich at McDonald's.   I think I'll pass on this one.  I'm still not exactly sure what all the meats are on there.

Delicious!

I know the pictures are a little late, but I had the most delicious red velvet cake for my birthday!  It was wonderful! 

I had a great time celebrating.  We took the little two girls out of their school for lunch and all went out to eat pizza.  Everyone was excited.  The kids/Jonathan gave me a gift and we ate EVERY piece of pizza. 

This was the pitiful little face we saw when the waitress told us that there was no ice cream.  (We had already told the kids that since it was a special day that they could eat ice cream)  We figured maybe they were just out of the regular flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry).  We thought maybe they would have mango, but it just isn't hot enough yet.  Oh well.  We have already bought the ice cream for Lauren's birthday at the end of the month :)  We didn't want to take any chances.

Oh, and this was the crazy hat that Katherine made me wear.  Katherine said that you HAVE to have a hat on for your birthday, so she went and got one of hers.

Jonathan had taken the little girls on a trip to explore while I was with the other two getting their testing done.  They saw the ruins of a church.  Jonathan was trying every angle to get the girls and all of the building in the background.

And here they are standing in front.

Later, when they were walking around, they saw this replica.  I love the self portrait! 

A day is not a day if you can't climb a tree or something else.  Katherine was thrilled to find a tree to climb.  She is my little monkey. 

Since we have all been back, we have gotten back into the flow of things.  Everyone is back in school full swing and staying quite busy.   We were out with the kids and found these piano steps that really played music when you walk on them.  I guess that is one way to get exercise!  Try playing chopsticks on this one :)