School - November

Garrett's school this month featured astronomy as the new topic, so our field trips included Chabot Space and Science Center and Yosemite National Park. He continues to complete projects and learn lots of interesting things that stimulate our minds too.

Here is my bird feeder I made with Noah, hopefully the birds will like it.
This is the cover to my new astronomy folder which has lots of fun facts that I am learning.

Stargazing with our new telescope, I then went inside and drew pictures of what I saw.

Replicating what I saw on the page with shapes and writing.

Another Venn Diagram with Daddy.

Our solar system: planets, moons and rings.

I think I could've flown this orbiter into space.

Maybe I'm not quite big enough for this spacesuit?

Even Griffin wanted on board before blastoff.

Another planet project, this time I was showing orbits around the sun, you know like Copernicus theorized.

Even my brother Griffin gets to enjoy his own class at CC--he's on the far left wearing a Giants shirt in case you couldn't find him.

Fall Leaves

November is the month when we are outside raking leaves that fall from our large shade tree, but this means that there is lots of work/chore opportunities for the kids and lots of piles of leaves to jump in and play with. Each of the boys wanted to be buried with leaves in our recycle bin, so that is the first three pictures here.

After initially wondering what my brothers were doing, I figured out that this was pretty fun stuff.

I'm a leaf-head!

We stood at attention for a picture before diving into the leaf pile to our left.

And then I imerged from the bowels of leaf pile to haunt my prey...

Mommy, I'm gonna cover you with leaves...

Leaves are fun stuff.

Did we have fun with leaves...YES!

Please, can we do this again tomorrow?

Here comes my leaf fire ball attack pattern delta.

Ready, set, run and jump in!

Let me show you how it is all done.

Griffin 19mo

Griffin has become one of our most polished eaters. His favorite thing to do when he wakes up is eat and if the food is ready, he will sit down, clean his plate, and then ask to be excused usually in the time it takes Brett to get about five bites in. Its almost like he has a little Incredible in him. Just make sure the meal isn't too hot and he's good to go. Griffin also had more dirty days this month in a while, resulting in more baths than usual, sometimes two in a day. His brothers are working on him saying whatever words they want to hear: "Griffin say star destroyer..." and he puts out his best "star destroyer." He is constantly requesting to watch a "moo-eee" which means either "Too-too train" or "Ein-tine." So when he gets his wish and hears the Thomas or Little Einstein theme songs, he starts his little dance and jumps up on the couch.


I've got a squirt gun and I know how to use it.




I like these things called olives...look out Mom and Dad, I might be the only one in the family who likes them.

I think I'll listen to Garrett read to me because he actually knows what he is reading.

My choo-choo train set up.

I'm officially a part of the construction crew.

I can help a little bit with the raking too.

This park sure is pretty, I can see why we needed to come here.

Just a little flavor of my dirt infatuation this month.

We love dirt, I think that is on one of my brother's shirts.

And when you want to come inside, you gotta have a bath, and I'm still small enough to have mine in the sink.

Bryce 3y 4mo

Bryce has really begun to do two things really well this month: build his own lego creations that have purposeful design and he has started to memorize Empire Strikes Back. He will often disappear into a room with legos and then request that you come see what he has made and each time the results have gotten better and better. Bryce has begun inserting quotes from Empire Strikes Back into his everyday vocabulary and conversations for that matter. One of his other favorite activities is to go outside and find our cat, Max. He loves to pet her, pick her up, and generally love her.

Playing in the large amount of leaves that our tree drops on our driveway. Make a nice big pile and then dive away.

This year I'm big enough to help out with the leaf collection, that is if I don't get distracted by Max.

One of my lego creations: this one has a tall tower with gun inplacement.

I found a grapefruit, can we eat it now!

This is a comfortable chair, can we take it home?

We couldn't have paid for a better picture of me: smile, great surroundings--see I'm an outdoorsman.

Well, if I did it once, maybe I could do it again, but that's it!
My own impression of Fear the Beard!

Garrett 5y 6mo

Garrett turned five and a half this month. He loved the new larger backyard that we have with our new fence and the clearing out of many bushes and trees that were dying but couldn't be removed because they served as a border between us and the park. He found lots of uses for the large amount of compost that we had hauled in as well. We did just finish an ecology unit in homeschool so he felt getting some good hands-0n time with dirt was a good idea.
I didn't slip and fall on any of the rocks at Yosemite!

My soccer team featuring my coach Josh and a lot of my friends (both new and old).

I think I may have to work on my smile just a little bit.


I just designed my own spaceship...how do you like my helmet?

Glorious new dirt, you gotta try your hand at some construction vehicles moving this stuff around.

Our new fence, yes, that is the one I hit two, count em, two homers off my dad.

Poppy gave me these glowing glasses and now I'm holding up the kitchen for my favorite food.

It's great to be outside in the fall weather.

Our bunk bed doubles as a tactical base for Republic assaults against the Separatists.

Some of my photos with Mommy's camera: this is Anakin Skywalker ready for action.

My AT-TE-e is ready for battle with a clone trooper on top.

Daddy found one of his old t-shirts that Grammy had saved for him...and now I'm big enough to wear it--vintage 1983.

My very own creation of a star fighter that I made up and then taught to my CC class how to make it one piece at a time.