Showing posts with label fish tank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fish tank. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Roller Skating & a Rodeo Field Trip (& Lots more...)

Our fish tank is finally coming together.
We apparently shocked the fish when we 
put all of them in the tank
at the same time
we lost 3 the first 24 hours.
Unfortunately they were all J's fish.
We let each of the older 3 kids
pick out a fish.
And since they were schooling fish,
we supposedly had to get 3 each.
The neon tetras are the ones 
that didn't make it.
We got "hardier" replacements.
And everyone seems to be happy.
R got 3 IDENTICAL fish
but swears he can
tell them apart...
so he named them.



(its a long way from Uncle Jack's but its a start!)


We were invited to a birthday
party on Saturday.
A roller skating party...
not the best idea with 4 little ones.
But everyone
did
FANTASTIC!!!
We got skates on the older boys
and let them skate around on the carpet.
R finally got up the nerve to make it out on the rink.
We are tough in this house and MADE him
go around the rink 
(holding on)
one time.
PRAISING him
and getting overly
EXCITED
when he completed it.
He waited,
then decided to try it again.
Then that was IT!
He turned into a little speed demon after that.
But keeping his balance with those flailing
arms was a SIGHT!

We finally made J got out 
and go around the rink once
too.
He was more apprehensive but
he responds really well to the 
excitement and praise too.
So he stayed out there but hugged the wall
almost the entire time.
He finally started getting brave when it 
was about time to go.

A...
oh my mercy!
I had no idea about skating for her.
Honestly, hadn't even planned on her skating.
They had the little plastic "starter" skates
that fit over your regular shoes...
guess what shoes she happened
to be wearing that day!


She kept trying to make her way out 
on the rink,
but neither daddy nor I were
brave (or dumb) 
enough to get ourselves
skates.
So we did our best to keep her off of the rink.
I finally caved and let her get on.
I walked around the outside of the rink
within arms reach.
Every time she bit it
I looked over the rail and said
"Where'd you go?"
With a big smile on my face...
she popped right and kept right on going.

They all LOVED it!
Needless to say,
both boys were
literally black and blue
and had knots on their
knees and elbows 
though.
:(

Little T was even patient enough to
let his big sister put the skates on
him!!
He made it onto his feet briefly,
but I didn't let it get too far
since he is new to this whole
walking thing as it is.


School is going well.
We have incorporated
history and religion
into our studies so far this week.
Tomorrow we will look at our 
lima beans...
I peeked 
and noticed that one is sprouting...
more on that in a later post though.

We have decided to try out 
our green thumb on aquatic plants...
so the boys planted some aquatic bulbs 
in the aquarium...




we will keep you posted on those as well.

I also have an art project planned.
Will fill you in when and if that works out. HA!


This week we also went
on our first
homeschool field trip!!!
I have always loved participating in the kids
schools and was room mom when they were 
in public school 
and did my best to stay involved!
I loved doing the field trips 
and ALWAYS wanted to be there
but with the littler ones at home...
I couldn't.
I can't express what it meant to me to 
take all of my kids on this field trip.
It was wonderful!!  
The kids were great and we had a great time!

We went on a trip to the San Antonio Rodeo!!!
It was basically just a tour 
of some of the exhibits at the rodeo.
It is a lot like the State Fair 
that I have gone to for as long 
as I can remember back home.
But smaller!
Apparently all the exhibits and rides are
built around the rodeo and stock show.
So the main draws are those items...
with the exhibits and rides 
being almost an after thought.
I would love to go back
and see the 
REAL RODEO 
though.
Might as well...
already brought out a little
of my inner redneck since
we have been here 
at the Monster Jam!

We had about 45 people I think go with us.
The craziest part...
there were only 8 families!


A checking out the chickens...


J Checking out the pigs...



Then we all had to stop and pose as a cow!





I have volunteered to be
the field trip coordinator
for our group
and attempt to plan about
one field trip a month.
Wish me luck!!

 Here are some other random pictures
from this week with one straggler thrown in there...
Enjoy!


No explanation needed or available for this first set:





 I couldn't resist snapping a picture of the set of skates on this kid!
My mercy - that is a serious skater!  
Look at those wheels!




 "Fook Mommy - my bawberry has a hiney, hahahah!"
Oh good gracious...



Guess who got to feed himself yogurt for the first time...
I think he did well, 
kinda.


Today - 
Mommy:  "A, if you don't take a nap you cannot go to dance class"

This was a first... 


Impressive coloring job by my newly turned 3 year old!
She got this picture from dance class...
we got to go since she took a nap.



Then tonight I discovered that there are camera settings
on my phone...
hopefully I can take better pictures now.
Here is one under the new settings.




And final random picture of the day...
To ring in the new year
we decided to purchase a piece of 
exercise equipment. 
We finally had room for one.
It arrived unassembled...
in an AWESOME box!
And we all know the 
deal with kids and boxes...



We still have this silly box...
wonder when we are going to get to 
throw it away!






Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful
Valentine's Day.

Well, I threw our "menu plan" out the window...
(That didn't take long!)
and opted for something a little different last night.
I decided we needed to do something special.
Started out with just a special dessert.
Then it morphed into a special dinner.
Then that morphed into a  
quiet (kinda) dinner for 2
after we fed the kids.

I went to the store to get steaks and lobster tails.
And the fixins for a small cheesecake.
Got enough for everyone.
Then as we walked from the grocery store
to the UPS store (to ship something),
we passed a local 
"Take and Bake Pizza Place"
They had a picture advertising a 
heart shaped pizza for $7...
hmmm...that is interesting.

So on the way back from the UPS store, 
we stopped in.
And wound up with their 
Sweetheart Special.

(disclaimer - the following pictures are mainly for my 
dad - I thought he would get a kick out of them, 
so just enjoy!)

Un-baked Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizza

\

Baked Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizza


Un-baked S'mores Dessert Pizza

Final product:


And I got this bright idea to feed the kids first
then put a movie on
and daddy and I could actually enjoy a (semi) quiet
dinner.

I think the S'mores pizza was a hit based on the 
resulting s'mores pizza faces...
and chocolate teeth!

(and as you know from previous posts - 
the quality and focus of pictures are hit or miss
so do your best to kinda enjoy)






Once we got the kids situated we moved on to...

The adult menu:
Parmesan Crusted NY Strip
Salad with Blue Cheese & Cranberries
Baked Potato
and
Individual Key Lime Cheesecakes
with Strawberry Sauce
and
Pink Champagne

Turned out PERFECT!
All of it.
The lobster tails were the BEST I have ever had
(I can't tell you the last time I had lobster, but these were AMAZING!)
The cheesecakes were a combination of recipes.
I used the ingredients from one and used 1/3 of the recipe
(math came in handy here)
and the cooking instructions from another recipe
and 
IT WORKED!
Definitely will be done again.

Pre-baked cheese-cup-cakes

Final product:


The kids were great, 
except for the occasional uninvited guest appearances
by the baby/bird/lap monkey.

The kids got a combined present of a fish tank.
And their goal is to have one like their Uncle Jack.
BIG goal, but gotta start somewhere.

Here is what they are aiming for:  





 Every one worked together to get the aquarium up and running.

(Is this where the cord goes?)

(J & L rinsing the rocks for the tank)



More rock rinsing...didn't know we could fit this 
many people in that little bathroom!!
Or that rinsing rocks could be a 
spectator sport!

The full, yet uninhabited, aquarium.

We will keep you posted on the fish as we acquire and name them.