All The Rage

They're smelly, puffy, sticky and cheap, and my children want them OH.SO.BADLY. It's all the rage in our world. They're sticker albums, and it's the thing that makes them do their chores quickly and whip through more pages of schoolwork than ever before. Every kid wants to trade them and my sister and I have got this thing mastered. We figure it's an easy reward and even an inexpensive gift and so, we scour dollar stores and craft stores for the latest and greatest. Sticker power is in our hands and we're rolling with it! What we didn't expect, after I'd found my old album from grade seven, is that we'd join the exchange and the competition would end up being between the mommas--history repeats itself :)

serious business

 smelling the "smellies"

"I'd like this one, please."

 a few of my favourites 

Holly's son, Ben begged her to get a book to trade with him since his brother, Sam became more of a collector than a trader--AND, he was not about to trade with 2 year-old sister, Clara, who was not a "real person". Holly obliged, and thus began the sister trade. All of our kids were thrilled. While I joined the fun simply to make my kiddos happy, Holly actually has a page of "untradeables" and won't budge on them!

 Oliver and Ben became daring and traded whole pages! Wish I'd caught the laughter over those deals.

 involving Clara and trying to teach her that she has to give one in return

Emily being sweet with her little cousin

A page from my old album (31 years old!). Remember these?

Did you trade stickers as a kid? Do your kids trade or collect?

The sticker rage is growing and it has spread to our co-op group and gym class. No one can wait to get out and trade. They're learning who makes the best deals, who really is just a collector and who gives away for free. The momma-chatter is now centred around which store and which aisle and what chores did your kids do before you woke up this morning? Simple joys. 

"I Go Africa!"

This little girl, with the hair-ballies (as we call them) and the Ivorian heritage, kept singing out all morning, "I go Africa!" We'd told her during her bathtime that we were going to see lions and zebras that day at African Lion Safari and our excitement bolstered hers. It was a zoo of crazy, noisy, elated kids in my kitchen as I wrangled water bottles and snacks for the ride. Mama, who began this tradition when my sisters and I were young, came along for a nostalgic adventure and, for some kid-loving :)

So we "go Africa" as a reward for the end of our unit (still enjoying some learning but finishing up). It just seemed like the perfect day to get a wee taste of the savanna and rainforests of that great continent. So very thankful for how God opened our eyes this year to the vast and intricately woven tapestry that is Africa.

Day Twenty-Seven: Down By The Riverside

We like to keep it real, so when my sister and I began our unit study on rivers, of course, down by the riverside is where we took our books and pencils. If you don't mind a little crayfish swallowing and clam catching, you can peruse our photos for a wee tour of the Grand River, where we feel right at home. 

Learning about the hydrocycle's reciprocal effect on rivers.

dock balancing

This kid will eat anything ;)

Relaxing by the river.

Searching for turtles and crayfish.

Not sure who the boy is with Oliver, but somehow, wherever we go, extra kids attach themselves to us. Maybe he's homeschooled too?

delicious finds

It's a sweet thing that the "River Of God" worship song has played in my mind each morning for the past two weeks. I simply wake up with it there. Besides its life-giving flow, I think the river is a beautiful and important symbol to the Lord, wouldn't you say? 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. Psalm 46:4