Rainbow loom

Rainbow looms are all the rage with the kids.  ‎Matthew can make bracelets with his fingers.  And he doesn't stop with bracelets, he also made a necklace / belt / sash.  He usually follows a pattern of 4-5 colours, repeating them in the same order.

Renee uses the loom, but needs some help with the hook.  She said that she is planning on selling the bracelets she made for $17.00.

Hanukah and Shabbat

Hanukah

Ricardo’s Art Exhibit

My uncle Ricardo had an art gallery opening in Toronto.  Here are a few pictures from the gallery, the artist and, of course, the kids.  Matthew was particularly taken by the paintings inspired by Mt Kailash.   Ricardo also spent a day at the kids school where Samuel was his helper as Ricardo visited each classroom.  He was so proud.

Miscellaneous Things to Remember

This is such a great age, the kids are so much fun and say such wonderful things.  Here are a few that I want to always remember.
_________

Matthew was using one of the tablets, and brought it into the kitchen with some water droplets on it.  I asked him how the tablet got wet and he answered "By accident, ‎I did a bless you".

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Matthew wanted to be with me in the kitchen before dinner, a big deal as the alternative was to be with Samuel and Renee watching TV.  He wanted to help me make dinner of tuna sandwiches. He took particular liking to the can opener and used what he dubbed the "turny thing" pretty successfully.  After dinner, he stayed with me in the kitchen again and explained "I don't want you to be alone.  I can dry the dishes and even I did that at school and even I'm ready to do it at home."  He also cleaned the table.  
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Renee and I were playing with a metal tin that comes with scenes and magnets that can be placed in different places.  There are planes, trains, cars, and people.  She explained the rules of "the game". "This is a thinking game, you have to think it in your brain."  We took turns putting the different vehicles on the metal background.  She didn't quite like how I placed a plane, "the trains and planes of the same colour can't go together, that's what the ancient birds say."
_________

We got Samuel a weighted blanket, we told him it was a blanket that would feel like someone was giving him a hug all night.  The first night he used it, he had a big bruise and scrape on his back from falling at a birthday party.  When he woke up the next morning, he said "that blanket that hugs me all night made my back better".
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There was a stomach bug that made its way though the family.  Renee was the first to get sick, at 3 am all over herself, myself and my bed.  Three days later, it was Matthew's turn, at a restaurant, in the hall right outside the bathroom, and on my leg.  A few days later I overheard:

Renee: "My barf was bigger than your barf"

Matthew: "But Renee, my barf was three times of barfing"

Renee: "Matthew, my barf was all over Mami and her bed"

Matthew:  "Yeah, but my barf was at the restaurant on Mama's leg and at home"

Thankfully Samuel didn't get sick.

Rules for meal times

I'm not in the habit of blogging any more, as was evident by the lacklustre NaBloPoMo performance.  I have though been sending quick emails to the blog, emails of things I want to write about and remember.  Here is the first of a few such posts.

After one too many meals where every second sentence was focused on correcting behaviour, we decided (ok, I decided) to write out some rules.  We each took a turn saying one rule and I wrote them down, for a total of 5 rules .

A few days later, Samuel wrote his own rule: