Jones Party Of Five: November 2010

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Joshua & His Curiousity

Joshua was in the kitchen with Josh while he was making cookies, and he decided to not only open the cocoa but blow in the box as well. I wish the picture showed just how much he had all over his face, unfortunately my camera felt the need to brighten it Josh called me from the living room saying I think Joshua needs help! He had it all over his hands and face and was just rubbing it on more. Poor guy although so funny! This picture was taken right after the fact.

Can you believe what I did?

Our New Washer

Electrolux

4.7 Cu. Ft. IQ-Touch^TM Front Load Washer (Color: Island White) ENERGY STAR®

ENERGY STAR® qualified
Largest Capacity Washer lets you wash the most in one load with our 4.7 cu. ft. washers
Reversible Door is the industry's first and only reversible washer door, making it convenient for left or right side access
NSF® - certified sanitation cycle
Signature blue LED
Delay start
Last cycle recall
Automatic water-level adjustment
Control lockout
Fastest Wash Time takes only 18 minutes to wash
Eco-Friendly washers are gentle on the environment, your clothes, are 75% more energy-efficient and use 56% less water
Perfect Balance^TM System utilizes a state-of-the-art technology that even keeps oversized wash loads balanced for smooth, quiet operation- perfect for use upstairs, even near bedrooms
IQ-Touch^TM Controls offer all the cycles/options you need - including a 'My Favorite' setting
'My Favorite' setting provides the option you want at the touch of a button
Luxury-Quiet^TM Sound Package lets you do laundry anytime and no one will notice
Luxury-Design^TM Lighting is as beautiful as it is functional
Touch-2-Open^TM Doors open and close easily with just a light touch

Well after less than a year and a half our "new" washer bit the dust! When we originally purchased it we were really leaning toward the Electrolux Front Load Washer, (they had recently come out) I just couldn't bare to spend so much on a washer and dryer, even though we could find only good reviews. I felt like I was being selfish and it was a want not a necessity to have all the bells and whistles. Josh was fine with what ever I thought would be best for us, though I was very upset about making what I thought was the mature decision .We agreed that when these became "unfixable" we would reevaluate Electrolux. So I ended up getting a plain Whirl Pool top load. We hated it from the minute we brought it home! Our old broken washer worked better! It bit the dust after a string of broken things in the past month. Our motto is fix it until we can't. Praise God Josh is very mechanical and has fixed our microwave, stove, washer, dryer and much much more! The washer needed a transmission, costing close to what we paid for the washer alone. So once again we were in the market for a new washer. After trying for several days to talk myself into a cheaper washer I prayed and gave in. Oh My Gosh I am glad I did! We were able to thankfully get it on sale at Lowes. Their customer service was above and beyond! I have never had a major purchase go so well! From teaching us about front loaders, to handling the purchase and fitting us in to deliver the next day at 9 am! They even deliver, install, and haul away the old one for free not to mention we live 45 minutes away!
This washer is the bomb I can wash 2xs the amount, and my old dryer can still keep up drying in less time than it took to dry one load from our old washer.
The only problem I have had is Josh giving me a hard time about not getting these to start with!

Homeschoolers Breakfast

Filling the muffin pan.

Ready to bake!

The MMs melted and made pretty rainbow colors.

Eating Taylers' Muffins Being Goofy
Tayler learned about muffins and how they got their name. The name 'Muffin' either comes from the French word 'moufflet' meaning a soft bread, or from the German word 'muffe' which is the name for a type of cake. There are two types of muffins cake and bread like.

She also learned quite a bit about measurements as well. We got our recipes and info from the site below.http://www.joyofbaking.com/muffins/muffinrecipes.html

Joshuas' Sprinkle Pancakes

Brendens' MM Pancakes

Taylers Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Professional Candy Sorter

From Left to Right Hersheys, Tootsie Roll, Mars, and Nestle
The kids were asking who made the different candies, and how MMs got their name. So we had a little candy history during breakfast. We also learned how and why MMs were made. MM stands for the last names of them men that created them.

One M was for Forrest E. Mars Sr., and one for William F. R. Murrie, President of Hershey's Chocolate. We also learned that Murrie had 20 percent interest in the product, and Mars bought out Murrie's 20 percent stake. Brenden was interested in how that works and learned about how people become business partners and partners can buy each other out. Another neat fact we learned was during the War the candies were exclusively sold to the military because they did not melt as fast having the hard candy coating.
You can learn more at the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M&M%27s

Disclaimer: We don't regularly have breakfast like this, but sure do enjoy them! :)

Fall Walk 2010 Top Loop Trail/Hugh White State Park

Every year I try and take the kids on a fall walk, to look at the leaves and nature. This one was timed just right as we are studying trees in science. Our friends the Viner's Luke (on the ground) and Reid (by Brenden) came along with us. I spared Shonna and I our pictures being posted this time :). The little guys really needed to run and get some energy out as well!
We stopped on our way out to take this picture of the sign marking the trail at the beginning. The kiddos didn't give us much chance when we started for pictures. If I had a penny for every time I hollered hey wait up, we might have been able to go out to lunch.

Neat place for a picture close to the top.

Joshua and his red leaf.

My almost 10 year old, I hate typing it as much as I hate hearing it! He is growing to fast. He is a joy and is growing up to be quite the young man!

Our Princa (as Tayler used to call a princess)

I told the kids to pick a tree, and we would learn about it. This is part of our science in school right now. Both boys just looked up when I reminded them and said this is my tree. Tayler of course was more "chosey".

Brenden's Tree

Joshua's Tree

Joshua at the bottom.

Tayler and her tree. Wondering if she chose this one because we were studying about the Sequoias on the California and Oregon coast.

This tree was right over where Shonna and I parked our cars. We both had to get pictures of this one!

Close Up

The bright green contrasting the red was really pretty in this tree.

I lucked up having my camera sitting in the seat beside me driving in Hugh White State park. For years we have enjoyed driving though about dusk to see the deer eating in the rangers yard. I think they must feed them, most of the time you can drive slowly and they ignore you.
These were taken about lunch time. What an awesome surprise!

I actually squealed when I saw this one on my computer! We had seen this baby on the way in but spooked it. Driving out on our way home it was turned just right for a picture. I think this is by far my favorite nature picture I have ever taken!

I had to stop and take a picture of this tree, on the drive home. The yellows are my favorites!

Fall Walk 2010(Lake Beach)

It was a gorgeous day around 80 degrees. Not sure if we would get temperatures and weather like this again the kids and I weren't quite ready to go home after our short hike in the woods. We drove on down to a boat ramp at the lake and walked around. The water is way down due to lack of rain this summer and that left lots to explore!
Both Tayler and Brenden found muscles that were not dried out and threw them back in the water hoping to save them.

You can actually see a bit of this one inside. We found quite a few empty shells as well to bring back.

Not quite sure if this is an actual tree stump or drift wood. Never thought try and move it.

I photo edited this one to get the rich colors.

Pretty Trees
We may not get the pretty colors that come from the North GA Mtns. that we love but we are grateful for the ones we have!

Grenada Lake

Searching for muscle shells.

Looking like a football player... We really think he may really be made for this one day.

Searching for clay pieces.

Brendens' clay collection that washed up. He wanted to take it home for a collection, I informed him a picture would do!

Tayler and her name written in sand.

Joshua liked looking at the sand stone finding rock to write in the sand with.

On the way back to the car. Tayler drug a stick in the sand the whole way,Brenden drug his feet, and Joshua sprinkled sand. And this is hurrying :), we had to go back so I could blow my nose thanks to a seasonal cold. Ok well I might as well admit I was busy taking pictures during their hurrying. LOL

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Funnies...

Tayler and Joshua both call shoeing a horse "hoofing a horse". Today Joshua asked if you could hoof cows. They are a mess! No matter how many times I tell them they just can't seem to wrap their minds around horses wearing shoes!

Tonight I made potato soup in our crock pot. Joshua was looking at it and he said there is grass in my soup! (It was really parsley.) I tried the trick that used to work on Bren telling him it was just used for color to make it look "pretty" and he wasn't buying it! Then he announces
"Alls I am eatin is bacon, then I get a piece of candy! " (if they eat all their dinner they get to pick a piece of Halloween candy) I had to laugh at him!
Ha well in the end little man ate every bite of that soup and then got his candy.

Joshua Soccer 2010 Highlights and Lots of Them!

First Practice.
Coach Kevin brought a book about a frog playing soccer to teach the kids the rules. The main rule was Froggy says you can knee it, you can bump it, you can boot it! But you can't use your hands! It was cute every time the kids would go to grab the ball, Coach would holler what does Froggy say? No Hands! They would all cheer! After the story they played leap frog, jumping over each others backs. By the end of the season they really knew the in and outs of soccer.We could not have gotten a better Coach!