Who says it doesn't snow in Phoenix?

This weekend we went on our second off-roading adventure of the year, this time to Four Peaks. It was a beautiful, all-day ride, and the boys were thrilled to discover snow in the higher altitudes. We stopped to stomp in it, throw snowballs, and even made a baby snowman.

Yesterday was an inpromptu trip to the zoo, where we rode the train for the first time, spent a long time with the lion, brushed the goats, and enjoyed some icecream in the children's area. I forgot that there was a fee to pet the stingrays, so we're saving that for next time, along with the monkey village. We love the zoo.

Visit my Photobucket for all of January's pictures :)

Lazy days and grasshoppers

January is more than half over, and we're still easing into the New Year. The homeschool group started back up with park days and activities, but the boys have unanimously decided that they aren't interested for now. They'd rather stay home. It has been a great thing for all of us, and we're all thoroughly enjoying getting back into old hobbies and starting new ones. We've spent a lot of long, lazy days playing with pattern blocks, reading Magic School Bus books, playing with the toy money and cash register, and working on new projects. As I write, the three boys are working together, building with their Marble Works set.

Today Paxton asked me how far grasshoppers could jump (20 times the length of their body, in case you were wondering) We read about grasshoppers, got out the tape measure, had our own long-jump contests, and measured random things around the house. We watched a hummingbird today too, the first to visit my new feeder.

This is as simple as it should be.

Tie-dye boys

Check out their work! They each chose a different technique, and came out with 3 awesome, unique shirts.

Happy New Year 2007

What a strange and happy and sad New Year's Eve we had yesterday. We spent a good part of the day off-roading in Scottsdale. It was an amazing time, and the perfect way to cap off the year. We came home, prepared to just pick up a couple of things and head out again, only to find that Lilly - the rat - had died while we were gone. She had been fine the day before, hadn't been acting too well in the morning, and was gone just like that. The boys have dealt with the death of a pet before, but a fish is very different than a playful and cuddly rat... a rat that was cared for and loved dearly. We were all teary as we said our goodbyes and buried her in the backyard.

We spent the rest of the day out, getting special drinks at Starbucks, picking up more munchies for our New Year's Eve party, and browsing through Office Max. We came home to cook a grand feast, and enjoyed it while we watched Napolean Dynamite and Fever Pitch. Everett konked out at around 9:30, Paxton at 10:30, and Spencer made it till nearly 11:30.

Finally, I had a conversation with Paxton yesterday that I have to share. We don't talk about school all that often, but occasionally one of the kids will bring it up. A lot of people ask me if I'd ever send them to school if they wanted to go, and while I certainly would if that's what they want to do, I don't see it as an imminent possibility. Yesterday on the way home from off-roading, we passed a school, and we were talking about the playground. Then we had the following - brief - conversation.

Paxton: I don't ever want to go to school. I don't like school.
Me: How do you know you don't like it? You've never been.
Paxton: Well they'd teach me things I already know.
Me: You're right about that.
Paxton: What else would they teach me?
Me: Whatever the school decides it's time to teach. You'd be in first grade, so you'd be taught things that someone decided first graders should learn.
Paxton: Oh.....
I need to cut my fingernails.

The end.

Here's my final batch of pictures from 2006. First, the boys' latest projects of tie-dyed shirts, and Spencer's brick house (in progress), followed by pictures from our off-roading adventure yesterday.

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and blessed 2007.


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