Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Duluth, Thanksgiving, and Holiday Decorating

As it gets colder and days shorter, the kids are having to shift from the outside activities they have loved to new ones. The bikes and scooters have been put up, the sandbox covered, and not-soon-enough, the hoses will be rolled up and stored. Noah is still taking advantage of water even as the temperatures drop.



One good thing about the short days, is Ava can see the stars earlier now. She loves to go out and watch them. She brings her books out with her once in a while to find constellations.

Amora with a Lake Superior veiw.
We went up to Duluth, MN last week and stayed at a hotel with a water park. Ava can now doggie paddle and Amora got over her fears of deeper water with her life jacket on. And Noah did his thing. He LOVES water, as I've mentioned a few times, haha.
We also visited the aquarium. They have a set up for the kids about the lock and dam system that connects the great lakes together all the way to the Atlantic. The sign described this as being like an elevator for boats, which I thought was a great explanation to help the kids to understand how it worked. They must have spent 45 minutes putting the boats through all the different locks!








Vampire Fish! This guy sucks blood from other aquatic animals!

Fun with the Green Screen.




We got back just in time for Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family. The kids loved playing with  their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. They went for a walk outside and threw some acorns off the decks for the squirrels and birds, played with the three dogs, and Ava got to try out a baby grand piano, one of which she now wants. I think her keyboard will just have to do for now.

Our favorite Thanksgiving book!
The next day John and the kids put up the Holiday Lights around the yard. The kids love helping and handing him tools and clips and nails. He takes the time to show them how the tools work and how the clips work to hold on the lights, and how he uses the pole and hook to get them up high in the branches.



We made some ornaments for the tree out of homemade salt dough.


Noah made some nose prints...

And eye prints...

And elbow prints.

Then we baked them and cooled overnight.

The next day they painted them. Noah turns all painting projects into finger paint.


Ava gave one she made as a gift to the neighbors and wants to make more to give to the other neighbors too.

They made some more decorations and then some felt ornaments with their Grandma. I love looking at the tree with all their homemade crafts all over it!





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