wedding

We recently went to a wedding. After the ceremony, at a Chapel in the Luxor, the couple invited everyone back to their suite for champagne. Even though my husband has lived here for 25? years, and me for 9, we've never been in a room at the Luxor. Now, for those of you who don't know, the Luxor is a big triangle....shaped after the Egyptian Pyramids.

The walls truly slant!!

This is a crappy picture because there was so much sunlight, but the slanted walls are all windows, and all around the sunken tub. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! The kids had plenty of fun too!

Then we ate at the buffet....Sebastian and his copying...here he is trying to make faces. Obviously prior to haircuts...and you can see WHY he got a haircut!!!


The whole casino/hotel is decorated in Ancient Egypt style, including The Sphinx right next to us. Elias couldn't help himself...he climbed up on it..and it you look real close, he's picking its nose!


There's a special magic to having boys. Embrace it or cry! Luckily, I love them and am so used to this type of funny that I get laughing too!

Haircuts and copying

I wanted to take a picture of the boys since I shaved their heads....finally got around to it today. But the little one is starting to SERIOUSLY copy everything the bigger one does! He's caught on that Elias always holds his 2 fingers up (Peace, Man)...here are pics of him trying to do it!

Watching Big Brother carefully


Look at the fingers....trying, trying......which hand? Both?! Thinking, thinking.....



I'll keep them!

Easter party

Man, I thought I posted this! Well, here are pics from our homeschool group Easter Party.

This was our first time this year going to Floyd Lamb Park..a local park with acres and acres of green nature! Something very rarely seen in Las Vegas! There are also multiple ponds and lakes for fishing.

Now that Sebastian is getting older...he's all over the place. He's one of these kids that just doesn't care if he can see me or not. I kinda suspected the day would not go as well as I had hoped....

It started off great! Here's Sebastian feeding the ducks


All 3...a picture so rare!


The pictures that are missing are the ones in between "Dry and feeding ducks" to "Wet and Big Brother Mad".

Yes, Sebastian fell in the water and Brian fished him out. Boy was I in the dog house for not being the one on watch.

As you can see, it didn't have a lasting effect on him!(As a matter of fact, if I was a betting person, I'd lay odds on him doing it again!)



After keeping him confined to the stroller for awhile, we got the Egg Hunt going. Here's the goofy group picture with baskets on their heads


Elias found his 12 eggs FAST and then came along and helped Sebastian. Surprisingly, Sebastian didn't want to find any, nor really even pick them up.


But he sure enjoyed opening them and looking at the goodies inside!


He busily studied them for quite awhile! He's so cute!!!



All in all it was a good day (Except for Brian who was none too happy being there in the first place, much less with wet jeans and no shoes.....mea culpa, I'm sorry!).

Caterpillars

Because of the big age gap between all of our kids, it's been years since we've done a Caterpillar to Butterfly life cycle thing. Elias is now old enough to start doing some of the same crazy wonderful learning things I did with Brian (well, Elias has had some of his own weird stuff too...remember the jellyfish?!?!). A friend offered us some caterpillars as she had extra....you'd think great! Well, I did think GREAT! It'd been awhile. Here are the cute little buggers before.....




I don't guess I should show you the "After" photos...because they didn't make it to the butterfly stage. The stupid things ate all their food and then died. Weren't they supposed to have enough in their little cup?!??! We tried to move them to a new container (apparently we were too late). MANNN now I have to explain an abbreviated life cycle!!!And in the same week we watched Marley and Me!!!

Guess we'll have to try again soon!

Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary

We had a fabulous field trip last week. We went to Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary. I'd never been there before (there are few field trips I haven't been on at least once!)

The Sanctuary has been around for decades, and was primarily a "rich man's hobby", but also accessible to the public for educational purposes. It was recently put under new management, or more precisely, it seems, more zoo-oriented management.

They have so many exciting things planned for the future that I am just SO glad we found it and can be in on the ground floor of this booming community achievement!

So, when we went, it was still pretty much as it has been, but with the sign of new construction and new educational themes all around.

Here's a white male peacock. Just beautiful!


They also have a petting area...surprisingly Elias went in and actually TOUCHED a goat!


This baby goat was only 5 days old. The Sanctuary is great about letting the kids hold and feel the (safe) animals.


They have an aviary (Sebastian did fine, until I pointed his head up....achhhh!!!)



They have a beautiful amphitheater....they use it for various shows and fairs. We'll be going back in a few weeks for their Arts and Crafts Fair.


Here's our group picture, complete with Miss Sandra, our tour guide, and assistant director of the facility.


Overall the kids were happy, and I was too! We learned of a program they have, called the Incubator Program. You buy an incubator, then for $40 they'll give you some eggs. You incubate them, let them hatch, keep them however long you want, then give the birds back to the sanctuary. Your $40 goes towards their upkeep. I've never incubated an egg before solely because I've never wanted to keep a chicken! They'll even let you do geese eggs, duck eggs, etc! Guess what we'll be buying soon!

Also, while we were there I bought an Ostrich egg, an Emu egg, and some assorted other eggs. The kids are already loving looking at them. I've wanted an Ostrich egg for the longest time! I know, g-e-e-k!

I'm so glad such a neat place exists!

Pics with the Governor

Today Nevada Homeschool Network hosted a Photo Op with the Governor, celebrating his declaration of Home Education Awareness Week (March 30-April 6). As the organizer of the event my family was one of 6 homeschool families in Las Vegas that attended.

The Governor's office was fabulous! They not only took a big group photo, but also individual family photos.


The Governor actually joked around with the kids and seemed very congenial. When it was our turn I mentioned to him that Elias had asked me this morning if he could get his own picture with the Governor. He made it happen! (Of course, if I had planned to ask it, I woulda chickened out or overthought it, but it worked out wonderfully well)Elias was so shocked that he couldn't even smile! He knows a Governor runs the state, so he must be pretty big stuff!


We're very thankful for all of our homeschooling freedoms here in NV and all the legislators and policy makers who listen to us as we lobby for our continued Parental Rights.

Sock Puppets

Often we do "crafts-on-the-spur-of-the-moment"....meaning we have all the stuff for it, and the kids are bored and I say, "how about we do X, y or z". This day Elias and Zanthippie (our neighbor) chose sock puppets.

It kept them busy planning and cutting and gluing for quite some time. After I re-glued some pieces with hot-glue, they put on a puppet show.

Vacuuming

Seriously, I have to fight with my baby to vacuum anymore! Every single time I get the vacuum out (in this house it's a LOT), he runs to it and grabs the handle.


It's NOT child labor, I swear, he wants to! He also helps load and unload the washer and dryer. He's so diligent about it, it's cute! (Some things end up in the dryer after hitting the floor, but hey, it's about training, right?!?!)

Bobcat Advancement Ceremony

Also on Elias' birthday, he had his Bobcat Advancement Ceremony! He didn't know what was coming as he's new to Cub Scouts.

A few weeks ago he said the Bobcat requirements to his Cubmaster


But Elias got his patch at this ceremony. Face painting everyone that passed Bobcat rank



Even the parents!


Here's the wording they used as each color was painted on Bobcat Advancement Ceremony

CM: Tonight it is our pleasure to welcome all of you to the fellowship of Cub Scout Pack______. As I call your name, please come forward with your parents.

CM: Scouts, with the help of your parents, you have passed the first test of Cub Scouting. You have attained the rank of Bobcat. I will now ask your parents to assist in the ceremony that recognizes your accomplishment. (Pass out paints to parents and/or assisting leaders.

CM: The blue is from the sky. The blue paw print of the Bobcat on your forehead is the spirit of the bobcat, and to remind you to do your best on the Cub Scout Trail.

CM: The yellow is from the sun. The yellow marks under your eyes will help you see the light of the Cub Scout Trail, and symbolize the bright spirit of Cub Scouting.

CM: The white on your nose is for purity and to help you know right from wrong as you go along the Cub Scout Trail.

CM: The red mark on your chin is for courage to always speak the truth.

CM: Finally, the green mark on each cheek symbolizes the spirit of nature to guide the Cub Scout in living in harmony with the great outdoors.

CM: Remember your marks of the evening, Bobcats. Have fun along the cub Scout Trail. Parents, will you present this Bobcat badge to your son making him an official Cub Scout? This privilege will be yours for every badge he earns. We expect you will work as hard as he does on some of the projects.

CM: Will all parents in the audience please stand and join these new Cub Scout parents in the Parent's Participation Promise, repeating after me... "We the parents of a Cub Scout / Promise to assist our son / in earning his Cub Scout badges. / We will be faithful in our attendance at Pack meetings / and assist in every way possible / as we assist our son to do his best."

Will all the Cub Scouts please stand and repeat the Cub Scout Promise with our new Bobcat Scouts?