Snow cream......

We made Chocolate and Vanilla.

Enjoying snow "boarding"

We finally remembered to put a bowl out to catch some snow. So today the boys and I made snow cream!!

Jacob and Michael enjoyed playing in the backyard with Diesel and the sled.

Newport Aquarium.....

Scooter the sharkray.

I love these jellyfish!

This is the Mata mata. This is the first time we have noticed it at the aquarium.

We spent a wonderful day yesterday with friends at the Newport Aquarium. David even took the day off and went with us. We love the aquarium, especially the jellyfish and the small shark petting zoo :)

Diesel has been home for over a week now :)

Diesels last night in the shelter.

I have been neglecting my blog...going to play a little catch up tonight.

On the 19th I took the boys back to the Humane Society to play some more with Diesel. Jacob felt a little intimidated by him but it wasn't because of anything Diesel did. Sunday while we were there Jacob tried to get on the floor and play with him but David told him not to do that because Diesel isn't a puppy. David just wanted to see if the dog understood the pecking order first and he did, but Jacob was a little spooked by it. So we wanted to make sure Jacob was okay with this dog so I took them back. We got some treats and Jacob went through some tricks which Diesel aready seemed to know. Then we took him outside and he played tug with all the boys. They all, the dog included, had a great time. By the time we got him back into the visiting room they were all pretty excited. I called David to tell him that Jacob wasn't at all afraid, but Jacob wanted to talk to him. He says...."I taught Diesel tricks and we played outside. Can we get him?!?!" David told him yes. So we put Diesel back in his cage and go to play with the puppies before we leave. After leaving the puppy room we stop back by Diesel's cage and he isn't there. Jacob grabs my hand and starts pulling me to the door saying lets go tell them mommy before someone else takes him. So we go start the paperwork and they approve us but I tell them I can't take him until we get a kennel. Then they tell me that Diesel is an escape artist. Seems he had been adopted three times but kept getting away from his owners. Not sure why but I start getting nervous. I ask them if we can just put him on hold until I talk to David. They say we have until 3pm on the 20th to decide.

David comes home and takes us shopping for dog supplies. We get a huge kennel, bowls, food, treats and a collar and leash. During the shopping I started having some anxiety. Almost wanted to back out on the dog. Got back home and started making dinner. I was on the verge of tears. I realized then what the problem was...I missed my DJ. That and the fact that my mom gave him to us. After I realized what the problem was I did feel better about bringing Diesel home.

So on the 20th we went to the pound and brougt him home :) He really is a great dog. He loves to play soccer in the back yard with the boys. He loves to go on walks and I am getting more exersize than I have in a very long time. They told us he is 3 years old but he still very much acts like a puppy.

Another visit to the Humane Society.......

Yesterday afternoon we all went to the Lexington Humane Society. David I think still wasn't very sure about wanting another dog. But we got there and saw Diesel almost immediately. We were walking along reading the cards and I just kept walking past Diesel. He was just sitting in his cage being very quiet. David stopped to look at him so I stopped and walked back too. I looked at him a little more then we kept on walking. Then I said "he is a pretty dog." David said "he is the best dog I have seen here." I turned back to look at him and he hung his head and looked so sad. So back I go and pet him through the cage. He is still calm but puts the side of his head against the cage so I can scratch him. I ask David if he wants to get him out and take him to the visiting room. He says yes but points to the other note on the cage. It says please ask for assistance because I am stronger than I look. So I go find someone who works there and she gets a leash. His demeanor changes immediately when she opens his cage!! He practically pulls her into the sitting room. I think OMG this is not the dog we want. But he does calm down for us and listens to what we say. He already know sit and they say he has been obedience trained. We took him outside and I walked him first. He pulled some but I kept him beside me and he did pretty good. Then David wanted Anthony to walk him. He did what I did and the dog listened and didn't pull very much at all for him. He did the same with David. So he is a quick learner. Apparently he likes to chase cats so if we get him we would probably have to kennel him when we go on vacations. Our dog sitter has 3 dogs and a couple of cats I think so that might not work out.

After the shorts walks around the pen we take him back inside to the sitting room. He sits very nicely for me although he gave me several indications that he wanted to play. We I took him back to his kennel (I decided to do it because I handled him better than the lady who works there) he grabbed the leash and wanted to play tug. I couldn't get it out of his mouth. David had to come do it. They say he is three years old but he still acts a little bit like a puppy. And the picture they have on the web site really doesn't look like him to me. He is shepherd mixed with something else. Not sure what though. The cool thing is I think David is excited about this dog.

The last week......

We have had a great week. We spent the day at Kids Place with friends one day. I couldn't believe how long we stayed (5 hours) and how well the kids all got along together. I had a great time with all the mommas. We had 5 moms and and 12 kids!

We had a chess club meeting and all the kids played. Well, Jacob only played about 5 minutes but he had a great time being with his friends.

We have been talking about getting a dog. I have been looking online and checking out books. The boys are all excited. I took Jacob and Michael to the Humane Society in Lexington on Wednesday afternoon. We went into the puppy room, even though I told them we aren't getting a puppy. A lady was there trying to decide if she wanted a chow/golden retriever mix. She asked the boys to play with the puppy to see how it was with kids. It was a good dog and at one point she said, "I am not sure about taking this dog, you take it if you want it." Well the boys got excited and when I told them no, Michael started crying. Then I looked at Jacob and he was breaking out all over his face!! Not sure what caused the reaction but I washed him up and we left. It could have been the weird hair that puppy had or even the shampoo they bathed it in. I told him I was pretty sure he wasn't allergic to dogs but he was pretty cranky the rest of the day anyway.

Can you believe that I didn't have my camera for any of these things!! I really need to be better about that! Anthony had his camera so he took a few pictures and I took a few with it.

Then today the boy and I all went to the Scott County Animal Shelter. It had a much better smell than the one in Lexington. We took a couple of puppies out in their yard to play and we all had a great time. Even my big 13 year old was on the ground with one of the puppies and it was crawling all over him licking his face. His true self shows when he is with small kids and animals. No one cried or had an allergic reaction while we were there. I told the boys that we would go more often to the shelters to play with the dogs. I have been wanting a service project for us and I think this will be good.

Snow and sleds and mummies...OH MY!!!!!

Jacob, Michael and Morgan "snowboarding" with a sled.

Michael's snow angel.

Earlier this week it snowed a tiny bit so of course public school was cancelled. I decided not to tell my guys and we had school as usual :) We were suppose to start back one of our co-ops today but I knew last night that it would be called off because of the snow. I had planned on having a normal school day but a friend called and asked if his daughter could stay with us today while he went to work. We did get math done and Jacob's spelling. Then I let them play outside while I made lunch and hot chocolate. After lunch I quickly pulled together a lapbook on Ancient Egypt and we all spent a couple of hours working on it. They all Jacob was very excited to show his to David tonight at dinner. It was a good review of what we learned on Sunday and the boys all learned something new as well. I love all the free lapbooks at Homeschool Share!!!

Egypt and Mummies......

KEEN kids at the beginning of the exhibit.

Anthony trying to pull a stone without the runners.

Michael trying to pull the stone.

Jacob and Vance trying to build a pyramid.

The exhibit showing how the heavy stones were movied while building the pyramids.

Michael and Embree learning about Native American weapons and tools.

On January 3rd we went to the Cincinnati Museum Center with a group from KEEN. It was the last day of their Mummies exhibit. We watched the I-MAX movie and saw the exhibit. We all learned some things we didn't know. The exhibit was small but I liked it. There were two mummies on exhibit, one was a young girl and the other was a four year old boy. It was kind of sad, they had no idea who the girl was. They found her dead in the Nile River. The river was sacred, so they mummified her body because since the river took her she must be special.

We spent some time at the Childrens Museum and the Museum of Natural Science while we were there too. The boys always enjoy the Natures Trading Post and introduced it to quite a few of their friends. Jacob to the snake skin he got at Ward Hall and Michael took a sea shell with barnacles on it that he got at Cape Canaveral National Park in Florida. They also did the little question sheet that earns you 19oo points.

We had a great time with our friends. Can't wait to go back so we can visit the Cincinnati History Museum. Jacob was very upset that we didn't get to go there this time. Although I think most of the upset was because some of his friends were going to stop by that part before they left.