I
finally made it! It only took me 8 years to get there...
We had been given a gift certificate from FamilyLife to attend one of their
Weekend to Remember conferences this year. It was a generous gift from FamilyLife to all MOPS Int'l field leaders at convention in September. What a gift! They wanted to partner with MOPS to build stronger marriages and we were all delighted to receive such a gift! We'd been to one six years ago so we went as
alumni. Of all the locations Dan could have chosen (he was left in charge since he was going to arrange with his parents to take of our four wonderful children), he chose the Buffalo site so he could take me to see
The Falls.
Hey...they asked us to take their picture first!
The horseshoe falls- man that mist was in the way...you could hardly see the falls behind it! While in Canada we walked around a lot, had lunch at Quizno's and either the soda boy couldn't fix the fountain or Canadians like their soda flat... either way the Coke was a disappointment!
The American Falls- those giant boulder looking things are HUGE blocks of ice
We took the Journey Behind the Falls and it was cold and loud! But very cool. You walk about a third of the way across the horseshoe falls and can walk out in portals closer to the edge of the waterfall. I have to say I did not imagine it like it really is. Somehow I guess I thought it was safe just to have a giant ledge that you could walk across the whole way. Crazy, huh?
Dan told me to look cold...that didn't take much effort, but in my defense (of my goofy look) you have NO idea how long it took him to get the waterfall in focus while I stood there freezing and getting just a little wet!
This was from the edge of the upperdeck at the base of the Canadian falls
We didn't take the Aero Car...I wasn't up for a ride like that, but we were both glad to see the whirlpool. All that white stuff is ice and man does is truck right around in a big circle down there- wild.
AAAhhhh back in the US! I'm glad I made it...it turns out that Dan grabbed the wrong document and instead of my birth certificate he brought my certificate of completion of driver's ed from high school!!!! We didn't know this until we were in line at customs and I was gathering documents. After some questioning and delay...I was allowed back into the country. American soil never look so good!! We decided not to go back the next night as planned. We were going to sit and eat expensive food and look at the falls all lit up...it wasn't until the following afternoon that we found out the falls aren't lit until May. That would have been something. Maybe I just finally need to get a passport!
See those big striated blocks down there? From the other side we thought they were rocks, but close up you can see they are giant blocks of ice. How cool is that? We spent a lot of time watching chunks of ice that had flowed from Lake Erie go over both falls! It was fun to see them bob down and spill over. We were both surprised at how warm it was outside- over 70 degrees and to see ice on the river still. The temperature dropped at least 20 degrees as you got closer to the river's edge.
The brink of the American Falls
So, I did it! I finally made it to Niagara Falls. Overall, it was great. Who doesn't love a waterfall? Where we live, waterfalls are an extremely common occurrence, but there is still a sense of awe at all that power coming over the edge when you look at Niagara Falls. We had read an awful lot about the power generated from the river when we did our LEGO FIRST project this year. It was great to see it in person.
But, I have to add that although the Horseshoe Falls were spectacular, I really preferred the American side of the falls. The only thing I found disappointing about Niagara Falls in general was the city right up against this natural landmark. It was a bummer. I really felt like we as a people should have done a better job preserving the natural beauty of the area which is why I really enjoyed the American side. Most people look at it and think there's nothing to do. I looked at it and thought that a State Park was the perfect way to view the falls. A state park setting is just how you would imagine something like a big waterfall to have next to it.
Oh yes...a few comments on the marriage conference. If you haven't been to one, take the time! It was refreshing not only to be away from our regular responsibilities but to focus on each other and our relationship. On Saturday night they give you a date night and since we decided not to go back to Canada, we ate at a local fish place that was superb (if you have a Bonefish Grill nearby GO there!!) and spent the rest of the night at Dave and Busters where we played many miserable games of Skeeball (I've never played so bad) and some really crazy games of air hockey. We need an air hockey table in our house so I could take on the world! Anyway, there is only good that can come from time spent with each other and it was well worth it for us. So, thanks to my inlaws for taking some time to play with the grandkids for a few days. J2 is still getting over the experience, but I think he's going to be ok!
This set came from my personal book buyer. Did you know I have one? Her name is Alana and she occasionally gives me a call from her book outlets asking if I have this book or that. This time I am the recipient of some American Girl books and Roxaboxen which is a volume 4 FIAR book. See the last little one over there? Mitten Strings for God? She surprised me with that one. I've had my eye on it for a long time and she had it sent to me with a paperback swap wish. What a friend!
So, I had some time to bide yesterday between the dentist and co-op and I wandered down to the library's book sale. Can we say jackpot?? We found these American Girl goodies- above there several cookbooks, a theater kit, and Addy's World which is a great book on the Civil War times. All of these are generally out of print so I keep my eye out for them. I'd love to get my hands on Felicity's World.
Can you tell we are collecting? I notice sometimes these books are in abundance so one day we may unload them all, but for now we are having fun and these were all .75 each. Next week, they'll be 50 cents and on down. We left some there to check on titles and you can be sure I will be checking again.
A little out of order, we also stayed late at co-op to take a look at items people were unloading in the curriculum world. I was able to score some cool things like the What Your ________ Needs to Know. I have these two titles on this year's list to buy. I also got some computer DK programs on geography and science and a silly sentences DK puzzle- everything pictured was $10!
E9 was sooo excited to get all but one of the Indian in the Cupboard series- the last one was only copyrighted 2007 so I think he'll need to get that one new, but you never know.
Not bad...this shelf was stuffed to the brim so that stuff was actually facing out to me rather than being in a pile with the tops to the ceiling.
The bottom half of the of the closet- the top one there isn't finished yet- there are many towels in the wash and I haven't figured out yet where the pile of pool towels will go.
For real? This is what came out of the linen closet that we shouldn't have in there! No wonder I couldn't seem to keep my system anymore. I have never once used most of what is in that pile in the 8 years I've lived here.
Seriously? This is the pile of laundry upstairs. Below you will see that the baskets are used up in the basement. While I was cleaning out the linen closet, the kids were playing fort with this wall of dirty clothes. Does that ever happen at your house?
Another fun find- how cute is this? I made this lunch bag for Dan when we first got married. Can you tell what those chemical compounds are?
Switching summer and winter clothes-aahhh!
Some of the laundry downstairs- see those missing towels? There's another pile of sheets behind these too.
The folding counter. Here you see three piles and like a well oiled machine, my kids take up their pile to their room and put them away- all the away- finished means all the way done...
This is the stack for Dan and I... why doesn't the well oiled machine take care of these? I'm happy to report that this one is already gone- all of it, but a new one has been started.
I had to add this one in here for all those FIAR decluttering friends- do you see why my playroom needs to be picked up? The younger boys are really enjoying the train these days. By day's end this will improve.
However, check out the school table! Some playdoh fun is going on here today and just for the record all the 3Rs are done and were done early today. After lunch we will do FIAR and BYFIAR and call it a day as far as academics.
Our new stash! Some are for reference, others for the summer adventure boxes (post coming on those soon), some are for general fun- you can NEVER go wrong with an Usborne book!
There are many exciting days in the homeschool world- but one of the best is when a new box of books/school supplies arrives. E9's new book is called, The Big Book of Science Things to Make and Do.
R7 is the proud owner of a new Origami and Other Paper Projects book. She loves to fold paper as does her brother I-5 who is hoping his sister will share. Is there any wonder why I have a drawer dedicated to recycled paper and a huge county recycling bin right in our learning area?
I-5 leafs through his Racing Cars book. This is one item for his summer adventure box.
J2 got all the books out of the box and sat with a stack next to him to go through them all! The ones for his adventure box are Train Stories with the CD- full of train noises I hear and Woolly Stops the Train sticker book.
Hey...they asked us to take their picture first!
The horseshoe falls- man that mist was in the way...you could hardly see the falls behind it! While in Canada we walked around a lot, had lunch at Quizno's and either the soda boy couldn't fix the fountain or Canadians like their soda flat... either way the Coke was a disappointment!
The American Falls- those giant boulder looking things are HUGE blocks of ice
We took the Journey Behind the Falls and it was cold and loud! But very cool. You walk about a third of the way across the horseshoe falls and can walk out in portals closer to the edge of the waterfall. I have to say I did not imagine it like it really is. Somehow I guess I thought it was safe just to have a giant ledge that you could walk across the whole way. Crazy, huh?
Dan told me to look cold...that didn't take much effort, but in my defense (of my goofy look) you have NO idea how long it took him to get the waterfall in focus while I stood there freezing and getting just a little wet!
This was from the edge of the upperdeck at the base of the Canadian falls
We didn't take the Aero Car...I wasn't up for a ride like that, but we were both glad to see the whirlpool. All that white stuff is ice and man does is truck right around in a big circle down there- wild.
AAAhhhh back in the US! I'm glad I made it...it turns out that Dan grabbed the wrong document and instead of my birth certificate he brought my certificate of completion of driver's ed from high school!!!! We didn't know this until we were in line at customs and I was gathering documents. After some questioning and delay...I was allowed back into the country. American soil never look so good!! We decided not to go back the next night as planned. We were going to sit and eat expensive food and look at the falls all lit up...it wasn't until the following afternoon that we found out the falls aren't lit until May. That would have been something. Maybe I just finally need to get a passport!
See those big striated blocks down there? From the other side we thought they were rocks, but close up you can see they are giant blocks of ice. How cool is that? We spent a lot of time watching chunks of ice that had flowed from Lake Erie go over both falls! It was fun to see them bob down and spill over. We were both surprised at how warm it was outside- over 70 degrees and to see ice on the river still. The temperature dropped at least 20 degrees as you got closer to the river's edge.
The brink of the American Falls
R7 has it all in her purple collage.
I-5's purple collage- he chose only paper shapes and some foam.
J2's purple collage. He was all about the paint which you can't see all that well. We used dot painters.
The page we used to talk about foreshortening of circles and squares- very fun lesson!
R7 is making her rendition of the foreshortened circles that make up "all nine kinds of pie" that Harold liked best.
I-5 said he knew allll about foreshortening from his Cut and Create class at Co-op. Check out the foreshortened speed boat you guys!
R7's drawing in perspective- she did pretty well making the objects up front bigger and adding her vanishing point.
I-5's drawing in perspective. He was doing great until he added the dirt road!
