Darwyn meets The Hobbit

I just finished reading The Hobbit with Max and Darwyn.  Max and I first read the book together back in 2014 and I wrote about it then.  This is the first time Darwyn's heard the story.  They both loved it.

Our favourite chapter is Riddles in the Dark, wherein Bilbo discovers the ring.  Darwyn loves Gollum and was bouncing off the walls that night.  She took the book to bed and reread all the riddles.  She posed the riddles to her friends at school the next day.  She made new riddles of her own.

Building on our success with The Hobbit, we've decided to start The Lord of the Rings.  I've warned Darwyn that these books are much longer and slower-paced.  We'll see how it goes.  We finished chapter 1.  Bilbo's birthday party had twelve dozen guests.  I asked Darwyn how many guests that is and she computed the answer all by herself in her head.

Ada's first thoughts on government

 Max has been learning about rights and freedoms at school.  At dinner one night he went on a rant about freedom of speech.  

Max:  I want to know why kids don't have freedom of speech at school!  We aren't allowed to express our opinions.

Greta:  Well, I think you can if you do so respectfully.  There is a difference between freedom of speech and slander.

Gus:  Yes, freedom of speech is more like not being able to express your views about a bad government.

Through this conversation Ada was eating her dinner and largely ignoring what we were saying.  At the mention of the word government she perked right up.

Ada: Yes!  Government!  What I want to know is why the government is giving everybody else money, but nobody is giving me any money!

She wasn't pleased when we all started laughing.  Not sure where she got the idea that the government was giving us all money (maybe CERB?), but I might have to quote her on a T-shirt.

Democracy

 Max is studying political systems in class.  Today Max was telling me about democracy. 

Max:  Mom, I want to know why our classroom is not a democracy.  

Me:  That is a good question.  Perhaps you should ask your teacher that question.  In all honesty, Max, there are conditions under which a democracy doesn't work very well.

Max:  Yeah, like when you don't have an odd number of people.

Standards

 Ada was sitting at the table colouring.  While she worked she was chattering away to me.

Ada: Mom, do you know how no matter what I draw you love it?

Greta:  Yes

Ada:  While on this drawing I need to do my best work.  This is for my friends and they are not like you.

First Day of School

 The kids all recently had their first day of school with the new COVID regime.  I was a little worried about how they would like it, particularly Max who is going to school full time for the first time in a long while.  After his first day I ask him, "How was school Max?"

Max:  Ok I guess.  We played some fun games during gym.

Greta: What about the learning?

Max:  That wasn't too bad either.  I was able to tune most of it out.

A visit from the Easter Bunny

This Easter weekend we decided to take advantage of some of the nice weather and clean up the yard.  I was busily working away at clearing leaves and debris from the mint bed when I accidentally uncovered the Easter bunny, or should I say, her babies.  The kids were delighted.  The babies eyes were not yet open, but they have hair and are very cute.  We put the nest back together.  I thought the mom would move the babies the next day when she saw the nest had been disturbed, but she did not.  They are still there.  Here are a few pictures:

Escaping Quarantine

With the weather starting to get a little nicer, we escaped quarantine one afternoon and ventured down to the creek near our house.  We are lucky to live near a lot of nature and a few days prior the kids had found a nice private section of the creek filled with minnows.  It was perfect for social distancing, while still having somewhere to go!  We came back a few days later armed with nets and a pail and a plan to catch some fish.  It took a lot of patience, but before long we had a truly impressive haul.

Minnow fishing spot

Max also spent a good part of the afternoon attempting to trace the underground paths of some burrowing animal.  He stuck sticks down, ran around finding entrances, stuck his head in and even resorted to digging himself.  I have to admit it was a great deal of entertainment from a literal hole in the ground!  It also made for an amusing picture.

Max with his head in a hole

Want to see that a little closer?

Story time with Darwyn Jean

Inspired by the story time put on by her uncle Mike for the Saskatoon Public Library, Darwyn has decided to do her own story time.  Watch and enjoy!

P.S.  Ada's is coming soon!

Best parents in the biggest thing

Ada told us: "You're the best parents in the universe.  Um, actually, you're the best parents in the cul-de-sac.  Because that's bigger."

Hands are for Helping

Ada has started Kindergarten this year and loves it.  I went to pick her up awhile ago (it has taken me a while to post this story) and her teacher beckoned me to the door.  "Ada had a bit of an altercation in class today," she confided in me, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.  I was a little confused by her expression.  She went on.  "I didn't see what happened.  Her friend Julie was playing with the blocks, I think, and another little boy, Franky, might have tried to take them.... Anyway, when I looked over Ada was threatening Franky with her fist."

"Oh dear," I said.  The small smile on the teachers face grew slightly and I became even more perplexed.

"We try to teach the kids that they can't hit by telling them 'hands are for helping'.  When I saw Ada with Franky, I said, 'Ada!  Hands are for helping!!!'.  She turned to look at me with her first still in Franky's face and said, quite calmly, 'I am helping - I am helping Julie."

Apparently, the teacher took Ada's actions very seriously and Ada was asked to sit in the thinking chair.  The teacher said Ada was very calm about everything until that moment, at which point she became outraged.  Ada told me all about it on the way home, complaining that she had wanted to make it through the whole year without going to the thinking chair.  She clearly felt that the Kindergarten policies weren't clear. 

"Ada!" I said, "You pinned another child to the wall, of course you had to sit in the thinking chair!"