Maya got a penpal!

Maya Rae is working hard on her reading and writing skills. I posted on a Yahoo group for a penpal for her. About a week later Maya got her very first letter from her new penpal, Hazel, from outside of Nashville. She is a cute little home schooled, Baha'i girl. She wrote a lovely little letter with beautiful penminship. When Maya got the letter she flumped on my bed and got right to reading it.
She composed a letter back to Hazel. She chose to type it. Over a few mornings she learned so much about the key board and basic computer skills. This is great practice in both reading and writing.

Just chillin

Sometimes ya just have to spend a winter day like this!

A little lady

Dont ya just love our little lady ?
LOL
No- I havent outgrown this behavior..... AND- I passed it on to my children. :)

Studying ancient Egypt

Maya Rae is curently studying Ancient Egypt.
As part of her study she mummified her Ken doll along with a bobble head cat. Gotta mummify the cat ya know.
Using a rebuit postage box, tp tubes, and paper mache (Maya learned she didnt like the gooey paper mache;) we built a 3D coffin for the mummies. She painted it gold and I gave it a King Tut face for effect.
Just before placing the mummies in the coffin, Maya mourned the loss of the king.

Bahai Ruhi Books with Tommy.

Recently the kids started a Baha'i study circle using
the Ruhi books. Our friend Tommy, from the Ithaca Baha'i community,
has been kind enough to come out and take the kids through the study.

40 degrees in the middle of January

On this day in January it hit 40 degrees.
I drug the girls out of the house and on a walk back behind our house along the tracks.
Its wierd t see our house from this perspective.
We saw racoon and fox tracks. Maya found many treasures and enjoyed poking around in the water at the edge of the tracks.

Donuts!

On the day we got our new washer we also made home made donuts.
I remember that my grandma used to do this as a regular thing.
This was our fist time. This was a big hit with the kids who got to pick their own toppings.

Now I know why I always like simple sourdough or buttermilk donuts best. They are so yummy.

Jodys Plight

Jody. Poor Jody. This is Jodys winter world.
Thank goodness he has Ben to help. Between the two of them, they cut and split all the wood we need for the entire winter. Thats about 25 cords!

Brand New Washer!!!

Jodys dad and step mom also sent us a nice big check for Xmas.
We took the whole thing to Home Depot and bought a rockin'
front loading washer. A week later it was in the laundry room! Instead of using 55 gallons of water like a normal washer, it used just 12 gallons!!! It uses very little electric and it spins the clothes out at 950 RPMs. The clothes are so clean and they dry so quickly on our clothes wracks.

After a month of use, the kids are sick of me scrounging their rooms looking for clothes to wash. I have always loved doing laundry but I am in heaven now! :)

A New Camera for Xmas!

Woooooo- Peeeee! We had a great Christmas! Grand-daddy and Grandma Rose (that Jodys dad and step mom) gave the big girls and I brand new cameras for Xmas!!!! They are GLORIOUS! Ben got a beutiful watch and Jody got the worlds most powerful flashlight! No joke! Anyway- I am sooooooooooo happy with my new shiney toy! :)