Fire Safety Fun

This morning we headed to the mall area because some of the local fire departments were gathering for a morning of showing area kids their fire trucks/engines and to teach them about fire safety.  Hootie Hoos 1, 2 & 3 had a blast (Hootie Hoo 4 is still a little too young) getting inside the engines.  I think their FAVORITE activity was this trailer that had been turned into a house...kitchen, bedroom, living area.  They were taught some important fire safety tips like stop, drop and roll; checking to see if doors are safe to exit; staying below the smoke; checking fire alarms once a month; coming up with an evacuation plan; etc.   After they were taught these things, the "house" was filled with "smoke" and they had to apply what they just learned.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures from this time because Tobias was a bit too small for this.  So, the two of us went shopping and started getting supplies for Kyrie's 3rd Birthday. 

Goldsboro FD

This tire was from one of the Air Force fire trucks...it was HUGE!!

Sitting in the driver's seat...which was in the middle of the truck

She loved being in the driver's seat

Sophie was so excited to be in the State Trooper's patrol car...she wants to be a police officer when she grows up

Trying to keep Kyrie from touching all the buttons...OK, let's be honest..I wanted to push the buttons, too!

Enjoying his time in the patrol car

Wearing her police officer "badge." She was beyond excited!

So very thankful for all the police officers and firemen who risk their lives each day to keep us safe. 

Time to Worship

So the last couple of days, I have been able to sneak some time to do some things that bring me great enjoyment.  Time to be myself.  Time to spend using the gifts and talents that God has given me.  Time to worship Him.  Here is some of the things that I have been working on...the first group of pictures are of some busy boxes that I made for a friend who just had her third baby.  I had some boxed activities for the Hootie Hoos that I would pull out when I was nursing. I would also use them when the two older Hootie Hoos stopped taking naps and moved to quiet times.  A couple of the ideas I got from scrolling through Pinterest. 

I made some "parking spaces" to park the cars as the boys work on shapes, colors, letters and numbers

I made four different  themed bags (family, transportation, fall, farm).  The boys need to clip to spell the words

A bag of crayons and stickers and a pad to be creative

Some puzzles to put together

Then I spent some time making a review poster called "Characteristics of Creation."  We have been reading "My Big Book of 5 Minute Devotions--Celebrating God's World" by Pamela Kennedy with Douglas Kennedy.  We got this book when we ordered the first grade curriculum from My Father's World. I made the posters to remind the Hootie Hoos of the characteristics we can learn from God's wonderful creations.  If you are looking for a family devotional to do with your child(ren), I would recommend getting this. 

This is the book

 

"Characteristics in Creation"

I am thankful for this little bit of time to just be me...to spend some time worshiping the One who created me. 

Monster PJ's

Tobias is now big enough to wear the monster pj's. ALL of the Hootie Hoos have worn these pj's!  There are such sweet memories when I look at these pj's. Some of Sophie with two pig tails in her hair that reminded us of Boo from Monsters Inc.  Some of Kyrie's eyes looking extra blue when she would wear them.  Josiah being so excited to have footed pj's...he was so tall that we had a hard time finding footed pjs' that he could wear.  And now we will add a few more memories of Tobias wearing them. 

Round 4 of the Monster PJ's

LOVE that smile!

Look at those monster feet

Such a big boy!

Homemade Butter

So today we made homemade butter!!  Why did we make homemade butter?  Well, it was part of Sophie's lessons today in school.  We did this by filling a small jar 3/4 full of heavy cream and then we started shaking...for 20 minutes.  It was sooooo cool to make butter and this activity has stirred something in me.  I have a big desire to grow fruits and vegetables, to have some chickens for eggs, to make my own butter and other things.  Chris things I am crazy, but that isn't really anything new! :) 

Here are some pictures of our butter making time: 

Sophie shaking the heavy cream

Daddy stopping yard work to help make the butter

Even Kyrie helped with the shaking

The finished butter...it was a BIG hit with everyone

Fall Day

Today was the first day that it REALLY felt like fall.  We spent most of the afternoon after church outside playing.  I LOVE that we have a backyard that we can walk out to and run around and play in.  For so long, we would load up the van grab any toys we thought the kids might want to play with and drive to a field.  We are so thankful for this simple little thing that is REALLY big to us. 

Here is Hootie Hoo #3...such a pretty girl!

Hootie Hoo #1...such a handsome boy!

 

Hootie Hoo #2..another pretty girl!

 

Hootie Hoo #4...another handsome boy, but too busy to look at Mommy for a picture!

Mommy with Hootie Hoo #1...love this kid!

Mommy with Hootie Hoo 1 & 2...love them! 

This, my friend, is a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon! 

Imagination Station

This morning we went to Wilson, NC to  visit the Imagination Station...a fun children's museum.  The Hootie Hoos had LOTS of fun learning lots of new things, "racing" animals and seeing some real reptiles.  Enjoy some of the pictures from our family outing. 

Astronaut Josiah

Astronaut Sophie

Astronaut Kyrie

Building an arch

The completed arch

Learning about how teeth grow

Going for a little spin

Kyrie driving the space shuttle

Tobias trying to get on for the ride

Such a silly girl!

He kept dancing for us...this was the Hootie Hoos' favorite area

Play time

Such a good big brother

Moving the chairs around

Going down the slide

Apple Pickin' Time

Well, we did a really fun activity a couple of days ago for school.  Since, we have had so much going on with trying to get settled, we weren't able to make it to an apple orchard for some real deal apple pickin'.   Click here to see where I got the idea from.  I added a little to the activity so the Hootie Hoos could do some review of what they had been learning in school during the last couple of weeks.

I used chalk outside instead of using tape. 

I added letters and numbers next to the apples

Josiah was doing addition and subtraction facts

I would give Kyrie the letter sound and she needed to find the correct letter

Sophie was working on beginning sounds