Day one of our Chinese New Year studies..

Today we started our project on China - we are doing a little every day this week and will finish next Monday on the first day on Chinese New Year - January 26th 2009. The start of the Year of the Ox!

Today Abigail learned where China is on the Globe, saw where Beijing is, Hong Kong (where our friend Grace is visiting her family), where China is in relation to us, where the Great Wall is....

They made flags, lanterns, decorated a table with decorations for the holiday. Both Abigail and Sam made mini books at their level which talked about the Chinese celebrations and involved cutting, colouring and handwriting.

Tonight we had Chinese food and they ate with chopsticks! We had noodles, rice, beef and broccoli in a gravy....some chicken with pineapple....a variety of dishes to try....this dinner wasn't planned but we've had problems at the house so we couldn't cook here at home tonight so we went with take-out and chinese was perfect!!! I didn't get pictures though! I'm planning to take them out for a celebration lunch next week though and THAT is when I'll get the pictures!

Dream home....do you have YOUR ticket yet???

www.bigbrothershomelottery.org/grandprize.html

I can't remember if I posted...last Wednesday was date night - we went out for an Indian meal at A Taste of India, and Lloyd and I tied it in with grocery shopping...but on the way into town we stopped off at the 'dream home'.

This is the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Edmonton and Area Dream Home Lottery Grand Prize. It's in Sherwood Park. It's worth 1.35 million dollars and tickets start at $25 each. It's for a GREAT cause!

I have to be honest and say that I wasn't as impressed with the house as I was last year - we went to look round mainly because the kitchen is white... with dark counters and we were hoping to get some ideas re tile/ wall colours. The only thing I really liked was the front doorway/ entrance, and the heated floor in the basement/ bathroom. Otherwise I wasn't keen and yes if we win will be selling ;) Its too small for us anyway lol!

Last years house was lovely. The Master ensuite bathroom was amazing!

If you have tickets good luck!!

Grrrrrr ;)

www.nytimes.com/2007/01/17/business/17leonhardt.html (a little out of date but you get the point ;)

I belong to a site which I enjoy for the inspiration more than anything, but I like some of the people there...however, some of the people there drive me insane! They are so hypocritical!! OMG! They have been going on and on about how they dislike Obama and his tax ideas and how he will be bad for the country....how people only voted for him because he is black (blah blah blah)....and they rave about Bush and how great he was.

Well there are a LOT of forces wives on there - many of whom have husbands who are away - and I understand that must be difficult - just like those women here in Canada who have husbands working away (I'm sorry, but to me a career in the forces is NO different to a career in any other job where you work away for long periods of time - its a choice and I have yet to find anyone who went into the forces because it was a 'calling' - the same way I never met a nurse who went into it because it was a 'calling'....and I've met a LOT of people in the forces.....

Anyway...my point is (yes I'm getting there slowly ...that these women are going on and on about their taxes and how their precious taxes are going to pay this bail out and how they are struggling as it is blah blah yet LOOK at what has been wasted in IRAQ!!!!! and look at how much of their precious taxes goes towards the military!!!! OMG!!!! It's something insane like 43% or something!!! It varies year to year but it's something crazy.......but they don't mention that the amount spent on the bailouts is NOTHING compared to what got the country INTO the debt in the first place which was the bloody MILITARY!!!! and IRAQ and all that wasted money!!!! That doesn't even get mentioned......lets just blame Obama who is trying to get them OUT of the mess shall we????????

OMFG!!!!

Starting to learn about China...

Today is day one of our China theme as part of our Chinese New Year celebrations. You can follow along our homeschooling blog. Today Abby and Sam made mini books, made flags, looked at where China is on the globe and where the capital is and where Hong Kong is (our friend Grace is there visiting her parents right now for New Year). They did some handwriting to do with China, and some colouring and cutting...they made paper lanterns and helped me set up the table in the hallway with all kinds of decorations. We looked at two different ways to say Happy New Year.

We have plans to continue our studies from now until next Monday but I will mainly be writing about them and posting the pictures on the homeschooling blog. In the picture above you can see Abigails book on the left and Sams mini book on the right.

Elk Island Park....

Sunday walk at Elk Island...

National Popcorn Day!!! Today!!!

www.popcorn.org/


Have some fun and learn a little too! Coloring sheets, teachers resources, worksheets, recipes, games and lots more information for this fun holiday!

Lloyds trip back home......

A few pictures of Lloyd back home. The first picture is of Lloyds brother Leigh and his wife Mel, the next picture shows Lloyd with his Dad Chris, and brother Leigh. Lastly Lloyd again with Leigh. Not sure where the picture is with his Mom?????? Terry????? Where are you??????

The weekend....

Lloyd had to go and pick up his suit on Saturday (which he wore to work today and looked totally scrummy in by the way - a lovely pin stripe Canali), so we headed to West Edmonton Mall for a few hours. On the way we stopped off to pick a fire for the addition (a gas stove to be precise for Val lol). We saw one we liked online and luckily the had the EXACT one in the first store we went in, which meant we didn't have to go to the other two stores we had planned to go to! yay! So that was nice and easy!!! Then we headed to a lighting store to have a look for some hanging light fixtures to go above the island in the kitchen - we saw some that were 'ok' but nothing we 'loved'.......so we'll keep looking.

After that we went to WEM. We spent some time in T & T - the Chinese Supermarket, to stock up on things for our Chinese New Year project this week. We got some decorations, treats, red envelopes, chopsticks etc etc.....and next week will return for the festivities there as Lloyd has to go back to pick up some pants that are being tailored. You can follow our China/ Chinese New Year project on our homeschooling blog (link on the right - it's a private blog so if you'd like access to it please let me know and I can send you an invitation to it!!).

Lloyd picked his suit up from Harry Rosens and while he was there he decided to get himself some jeans - he hasn't worn jeans for YEARS so he tried a few on and settled on two pairs that looked really great on him - so they are being tailored for him this week and he can pick them up next weekend. Kim who works there was saying she has phoned us a few times and she asks for Lloyd but she thinks its Sam that answers the phone and when she asks if Lloyd is there Sam just says 'no' and puts the phone down!!!!! She says its so funny!

We did a little more window shopping - we're looking for some Summer-weight bedding and some curtains for our bedroom but we can't find anything we like....and we went to look at some canisters for the new kitchen that Lloyd had seen in The Bay - very nice but quite small...still undecided about those.

After WEM we drove up to The Cheesecake Cafe www.cheesecakecafe.ca/ for a late lunch - I had never been there before but always wanted to as a lot of people seem to love it there. It was ok I guess - not that impressed really - service was slow. Food wasn't fabulous. I'd compare it to Boston Pizza/ Swiss Chalet kind of quality.....I'd go back...I'd take the kids but I wouldn't rave about it or rush back.....it's not great food. Somewhere I'd go with friends or somewhere casual for fun. The dessert I ordered was ENORMOUS!!!!!! I ate one layer and brought the rest home for the kids!!!! The company was wonderful though - had a great time with Lloyd! Typically though, in the Cheesecake Cafe they DID have some hanging lights that would have looked IDEAL hanging above our new kitchen island!!!!! hahahaha!

Got home around 4:30pm and relaxed....that evening we watched The Bucket List - good movie - sad! In it though one of the main characters wears these FAB bed spectacles that allow you to lie down flat in bed and still watch tv - they are like periscope glasses!!!! Very cool - so I looked them up online and you can get them online (of course hahahaha!).

That was our day! The kids stayed home relaxed, sledded, played wii and ate their way through the rest of the British treats....

Friday night Lloyd and I watched Mamma Mia (I LOVE that movie and have the soundtrack cd too). Lloyd hadn't seen the movie though. Well, I wasn't surprised that Lloyd loved the movie too :) and likes the soundtrack :) last night he was listening to Abba on youtube :) He's such a chick my husband hahahaha ;) He loves Enchanted too and has that video (the one where they are dancing in Central Park) on his iphone - he says it's for Sam and Abby but I have my doubts hahahahaha I swear Lloyds my best girlfriend :) Love you Lloyd :)

6 photo tag

I've been tagged by 'The Beak'...

First, the rules are simple. As follows:
6th Picture Meme!
1.Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.
2.Go to the 6th Folder, then pick the 6th picture in that folder.
3.Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes along with the picture.
4.Tag 6 other peoples that you know or don’t know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them

I've been storing pictures on the laptop since October so I don't have that many - only the ones since our trip to the pumpkin patch. My 6th folder was 'Winter Bees' and this 6th picture shows Lloyd moving the bee hive from down by the pond, up the hill towards the garage on 'Bertha' the tractor. It was the beginning of November and we were moving them to their winter home - or so we thought! We actually moved them again two weeks ago and they are now in the workshop where it is colder and they are much calmer and less active. The garage was dark but warmed up too much. The bees seem to like it cold.



Ok so I have to tag 6 people: but I hate doing that, so I will just say - if you read this DO IT on YOUR blog ;)