Berfs

We get to start January with birthdays. Ezra turned one, the next day Jane turned 9 and four days later, Jacob turned 6. I'm next at the end of the month
 but I'm trying not to think about it. I have getting old issues ;)

We don't really do a "real birthday" until you are three at our house. I know, it's cruel but they don't notice. For Ezra's Birthday the kids made him a puppet show, which he loved! He's into puppets lately.

He takes about 4 wobbly steps at a time now. I don't know what's taking him so long- the others were all walking well before one. 

Jane got mostly clothes this year except Grammy and Baba got her a cute little Nikon mini which she's been attached to ever since. She'll catch you on video at the most inopportune moments if you're not careful.

Birthday are a great time to get out the face painting.

This is the pre-party on Jacob's birthday. Jacob is under the yellow blanket. 

Both the boys had earaches. But Jacob heard about presents coming out and perked right up.

Grammy and Baba got him two birdies! He was so surprised. We had them flying all over our bedroom the night before while we set up the cage. Jacob pulls up a chair and just sits and watches them. Don't even ask what he named them.

What in thunder are these kids learning about these days...

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."

-Albert Einstein

This is Jacob's project. He studied insects for a couple of months and he made this 

poster board at the end. Feel free to call him and ask what an insect is or to learn more about ladybugs.

 

This is Charlie's. He's been diligently collecting tree samples in these past winter months. I brought home the big round leaves from Mexico for him. Notice how his pine tree picture he drew has real needles glued to it.

Jane inspired all of us to pay more attention to the birds around us. I think we will continue studying birds indefinitely. Notice she found a real bird wing to glue on to her poster. 

 Having neighbors telling me my kids are in the trees is one thing, but me being up on a ladder and then in a tree retrieving this birds nest, crossed the homeschool line, right about when a  lady from our ward pulled up our driveway while I was stuck up there. It was genuinely super embarrassing. But look how cool it is, obviously worth it.

Do not ask me why Jane put a strawberry by the dead bird for the picture??

She made pine cone bird feeders. Roll a pine cone in peanut butter and then roll it in seeds. Hang it from a tree and voila.

I love catching these intense play moments. I disappear and all three of them are in "playland".

Budding artists. Its so adorable picking them up from their art classes and seeing them at an easel with aprons on.

Cotton candy again with our bestest pals.

We try and do this kind of thing while dads at work... 

It was sheer joy for them to roll around and fly in the feathers. 

Birdies

This chubby chickadee was the highlight of our day. I had two kids geeking out with the binoculars on the porch and it was really cute. We iBird-ed it and we think its a Black-Capped Chickadee??? We aren't sure, maybe the Turners will help us...