Ice Fest

We enjoyed Ice Fest again this year at the River Museum.  There was an arctic presentation that the little ones didn't last for so Drew took them out.  Mary, Cob and I enjoyed it to the end.  Then we all headed outside to play.  They had ice bowling, a sled slide, a tunnel, a stick slide game and there were sculptors working with snow sculpting.  Very nice.  

Waiting for Cob, Mary and I to finish watching the arctic presentation

Oh, they had an ice harvesting presentation which was really informative.  They harvested a big block from the river.  Guess that's why it's called the Ice Harbor :-).  Ice would be packed in the ice barn with saw dust and would stay frozen until July some years!

A Family Violin Lesson

Friday the 2nd of October found us at our first group violin lesson.  The lesson went way better than I could have hoped for.  Chloe sat on my lap and all the kids sat around in a circle.  Mr. Y sat in a glider rocker.  First he got out a fiddle and explained the parts of the instrument and that the fiddle and violin are the same instrument.  He engaged the children with questions and waited patiently for answers.  I waited anxiously (as we home schooling mothers tend to do).  Abigail got out her violin and he had all the children hold out their left arms so he could measure them up to her violin.  He determined Mary and Jacob were ready for full sized and Abi and Baruch could use the 1/2 size.  He then introduced the children to all the stringed instruments, showing them the differences/similarities.  Then he passed out some "junk bows" he had acquired.  I thought he might pass up little Abram sitting there bolt upright with his bright keen eyes but he handed him a bow as well.  Then he instructed me on how to instruct them for this weeks practice time.  They have practiced so often a string broke on the violin

School's in Session

School started this week (for this family anyway).  The new schedule is posted on the wall.  I implemented a new motivational system (a take off on Sue Patrick's Workbox System) in full force.  Today began our first reward Friday!  Everyone enjoyed the first two aspects of our three fold reward.  1)We met a friend at Storybook Hill in the AM.  2)Attended a Patients First Health Care Rally after that and 3)have a Telegraph Herald Carriers' Picnic to go to tonight.  I am afraid the new schedule does not allow me much computer time so I may not be updating for a while, then again maybe I'll be so organized I will update more than ever in the 1 hour a week alloted computer time I do have.  Time will tell.

Oh yeah, after the rally Cob said "A country is kind of like a car - if you get too many things wrong with it, it goes Kaputska."