Twins
Life’s Little Hiccups: An Apology Letter
An apology letter written by Karlie and Brina
The other day Jake went into the garage and noticed one of his boards had a letter written on it from the girls. They also included a diagram and frowny face. Next to the letter was a broken board. The letter said:
Daddy I am very sorry we broke your board. We were trying to carry two water buckets.
Love Karlie and Brina
The girls were bringing water to the goats. Instead of carrying one bucket at a time they decided to use one of Jake’s “boards” to carry two buckets together and save time. They were thinking creatively, however, the board they chose was not strong enough to hold two full water buckets so it broke. They tried to fix the board by taping it together, but with no luck. After some discussion they decided to write a letter admitting their mistake and apologize to their Dad for breaking his board.
The board they broke. They tried taping it together with painters tape!
The good, bad, and ugly:
Bad – they used a board without permission in the first place
Ugly – something was broken in the process
Good – they admitted their mistake and apologized for it
Even though they did something wrong I was happy to see they confessed to their mistake. Although, we teach the girls right and wrong you never know what they will do. Thankful for those moments when they admit when they are wrong and apologize. It makes a parents heart happy to know the kids are trying. What they did wasn’t horrible and they were trying to find a more efficient way to take care of their animals, but they still needed to let us know about it.
School Projects: Science Current Event Articles
The kids recently did a school project for Science Extra Credit. They had to compile a variety of science current event articles. The articles were cut out of current local newspapers, Wall Street Journal, magazines, and more. They read the articles, glued them to construction paper, and wrote a summary about each one.
The articles were on the following science categories – Animals, Electricity, Plants, Space, and Weather. All the subjects are ones that the kids will be studying this year in school. The kids had one week to put together all their articles for science extra credit. The girls worked on their articles every day after homework, before school each morning, and even gave up some of their free time to do more articles.
We are so proud of how hard they worked all week. By the end of the week they learned a lot about the various science subjects they will be studying in school. They did more articles than we realized too. Between the two girls these are the number of science articles they completed in one week:
- Animals – 9
- Electricity – 7
- Plants – 8
- Space -10
- Weather – 8
Way to go kids! Thrilled that they love learning so much! It will benefit them throughout the entire year!
Family Activities: Fall Pumpkin Carving Fun
The girls carved pumpkins glowing on the front porch! Can you guess who designed which one?
It has been a tradition for our family to carve pumpkins around Halloween. A lot of times we carve the pumpkins the weekend before Halloween, but with everything going on this year it was a little later this year. On Halloween afternoon our family went out to search for the perfect carving pumpkins. After stopping at three stores we started to wonder if we were even going to find any pumpkins to carve. Finally, we ended up at Publix and thankfully they still had a lot of pumpkins including some huge ones. All the pumpkins, not matter what size were $5! Of course the kids picked the biggest ones they could find. We came home with one 25 pound and one 26 pound pumpkin!
This year instead of dressing up and running around doing trick and treating the kids decided they would rather spend the evening as a family celebrating Halloween. So thankful that the girls wanted to hang out and spend a relaxing evening with us. We let each kid pick out their favorite bag of candy, a pumpkin to carve, some fun games, and family activities to do Halloween evening. For Halloween dinner we picked up Chinese take out as a special treat.
My brother and sister-in-law brought my nephews came by dressed up as the cutest little lion and minion! It was the first year we had trick or treaters because usually we are never home for Halloween! It was great getting to see them and spend some time hanging out with them on Halloween!
The pumpkin is fresh, washed, and ready to be carved!
Cleaning out their pumpkins! They did the majority of the cleaning, designing, and cutting on their own!
Brina saw a cat designed she liked online and used that as an example to draw one on her pumpkin! We used wet erase marker to draw on the pumpkin before carving it out.
Karlie couldn’t find a design she liked online so she drew a rough draft of what she wanted on a piece of paper than drew it again on the pumpkin! She really wanted a rocket, Saturn, and a star on her pumpkin so this is what she created!
Brina carving her cat pumpkin out!
Karlie carving her space pumpkin out!
We have a space and cat pumpkin glowing on our front porch!
The girls chose more non-traditional pumpkin designs. Brina got her cat idea from another pumpkin she saw. Karlie designed her rocket, Saturn, star, and space one completely on her own (and fit her personality and interests perfectly)!
The pumpkins! I am pleased with how well the girls pumpkins turned out and they really did most of the work on them!
Can I Take Those Words Back?
A kid activity that teaches about how our words impact others.
We have been working through two devotional books with the girls lately. One of them goes through the Bible in a year and the other one is more of an hands on activity with a lesson called Object Talks for Any Day by Verna L. Kokmeyer. The kids like both of them, however, we only do the Object Talks devotional on days when we have a little more time because they require preparation, an activity, lesson, and conversation about the lesson taught.
This particular lesson was about our words and watching what we say to others. This was a great lesson for the beginning of the school year as well as a great reminder for all of us (both kids and parents) that our words have an impact on those around us.
Objects: A plate and tube of toothpaste.
Applicable Bible Verse: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14 (ESV)
Activity:
- Ask for a volunteer.
- Have the volunteer squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube onto the plate.
- Ask for another volunteer.
- Have them try and put all the toothpaste from the plate back into the toothpaste tube.
Lesson to Talk About: Like the toothpaste our words can come out pretty quickly and easily, however, once our words are out we cannot take them back. We have all said something to someone and instantly or later realized it probably wasn’t the best thing to say. Our words can have a powerful impact on those around us. They can make people laugh, cry, hurt others feelings, and much more. Plus when we speak poorly to or about others it makes us look bad as well. It is important that we allow our thoughts and words to be good, encouraging, wholesome, and kind to those we encounter. What we fill our hearts and minds with will often come out our mouth and reveal what we are truly thinking. Much like the impossible task of getting toothpaste back into the tube we cannot take back the words we say to others. The toothpaste in this example was contained to the plate, however, our words can make a big mess and cause hurt to others for a very long time.
We all could spend a little more time focusing our hearts, minds, and thoughts on good things. Life is short and we want to spend our time being an encouragement and blessing to those around us. May we seek God’s wisdom regarding our thoughts and our speech.
We used a sample of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste I received in the mail for this activity. A sample size is big enough to get the point across!
Brina squeezing out all the toothpaste onto the plate! Like the toothpaste, it’s amazing how quickly our words can come out of our mouths.
The toothpaste is out!
Karlie attempting the impossible task of putting all the toothpaste back into the tube! Once our words our spoken we cannot take them back.
She tried a lot of different ways to get the toothpaste back into the tube – fingers, toothpaste cap, toothpick, and more yet it was a messy and impossible to get it all of the toothpaste back into the tube. The girls like these type of devotional lessons because they are interactive, have a creative and visual way to teach the lesson, and they tend to be more memorable for them. All of us could probably use a reminder regarding our words and the impact they have on others.
Greenville: Playing Around Downtown at McPherson Park
Brina figured out a creative way to swing!
Sometimes it is nice to get outside for a few moments. A little extra fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun will do you good. We have driven past McPherson Park near downtown Greenville many times over the years, but one day I finally made a point to actually stop when the girls were with me. They have a small playground, a miniature golf course (bring your own clubs and balls), tennis courts, and pretty walking trails. It was nice to get out and play for a little bit. The girls want to come back sometime and play miniature golf!
Karlie relaxing, chatting, and swinging!
Order Will Be Restored in this House!
Either the girls forgot the house rules or got a little spoiled with all our traveling and busy summer! With everything going on this summer instead of waiting for them to pick up and turn their clothes right side out for laundry day I would just do it since I needed to repack the suitcase or wanted to get the house pick up. The beginning of the school year got off to a rough start in house department because they must of thought it was okay or normal to just throw their clothes on the bathroom floor before their showers, leave headbands on the sink, and other random items placed in odd spots through the house and their rooms.
After several days of being nice and reminding them to pick up after themselves I decided it was time to do something else to get their attention. On that particular night I had already wading through their piles of clothes on the bathroom floor, picked up pieces of confetti paper off the dining room floor, put away their library books, placed more items than their bar stools would hold to be put away, and more craziness. In my quest to pick of the house I found a piece of notebook paper on the kitchen floor and scribbled out my note. The deal was either you pick up your stuff or breakfast will not be served that morning (and yes it was a school morning). I let Jake read my note first just in case I was being too zealous with my request. My first comment to him was “Order will be restored in this house!” Jake thought it was hilarious!
Guess what!? IT WORKED!!! You should have seen the girls reactions when they came to breakfast and saw the note on the counter instead of their food. Too funny! The next few minutes were a whirlwind of them scurrying around the house to put all their stuff away. They got everything done and in record time too. They both even got to eat breakfast that morning! The biggest benefit though was that it reminded them of their responsibilities and while we to still have an off day once in a great while it has been MUCH better.
When everyone in the family works together to put away their items in the proper places the whole family can enjoy a much more livable house. I don’t mind cleaning, but really don’t want to be a full time personal maid when everyone is perfectly capable of helping out. No more wading through piles of clothes, tripping over shoes, washing my hands with headbands in the sink, or random items spread throughout the house!
Hopefully this will be the last time I have to remind them. It wasn’t a fancy note and it was done a little off the cuff, but hey the message got across and it served it’s purpose! I have debated back and forth whether or not to share this with you than decided that if I am going through this in my house it is probably happening in at least a couple other homes somewhere. Maybe?!
Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers Constitution Day
The girls earned their Jr. Historian Badges for Framers Who Were Farmers – U.S. Constitution Event
On September 17th every year we celebrate Constitution Day! Back on September 17, 1787 a total of 42 of the 55 delegates held their final meeting at the Constitutional Convention. It was the day they signed the Constitution of the United States of America!
Shortly after Constitution Day we attended an event at the Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum. The event was called Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers. It was for students in 4th to 7th grades. They had activities, role playing, field work, and discussions pertaining to the U. S. Constitution. They covered information such as:
- The Preamble
- Separation of Powers
- History, Framers, and Impact of the U.S. Constitution
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- Bill of Rights
Staff dressed up as James Madison. Discussion on the U.S. Constitution.
The Founding Fathers used scientific inventions and various forms of farming techniques. Some of the men who signed the Constitution were farmers, a few of them were:
- George Washington
- James Madison
- Charles Pinckney
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
- Thomas Jefferson
- Benjamin Franklin
There were several things the farmers experienced such as depletion of soil nutrients, purchasing local produce and crops, local insects, trees, vegetation, and being self-supportive farms.
Some of the activities the kids did at the event were discussing the Constitution. Designing a poster. Experimenting with soil and the nutrients in it. Planting some seeds and recording their findings. The kids received a Jr. Historian Pin and a U.S. Constitution pocket guide. The girls had a lot of fun learning about the U.S. Constitution, activities, and experiments.
Timeline include French & Indian War, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, American Revolution, Constitutional Conventional, Bill of Rights, and more!
Brina’s poster!
The poster Karlie made at the event!
Greenville: Exploring the Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Karlie and Brina climbing the rock wall at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate!
We had some great opportunities to travel over the girls summer break so we didn’t get to do some of the fun activities in our local area. Whenever we had a chance we would look over our list of fun local activities and pick one to do together. The girls recently chose going to the Children’s Museum of the Upstate as one of their activities. The Upstate Children’s Museum is located in downtown Greenville and has many fun interactive activities for the kids. We had a great morning exploring and learning at the Children’s Museum. Thankful for such an awesome museum for kids in our area.
When you put your hands on the spots the drum mimics your heartbeat. Pretty cool! Two people can do it at the same time and hear the differences in their heartbeats.
They are smiling a lot for being on crutches! Hopefully we will avoid having family members on crutches.
Karlie pulling herself up!
Brina smiling as she pulls herself up. Testing the different ropes and pulleys.
Karlie at the bank getting some cash for her groceries.
That’s a lot of wind!
Construction crew making bricks!
Brina bringing over a wheelbarrow of bricks!
Karlie’s proud of her creation!
Making a cool structure!
Relaxing in the camping area!
The Light Waves Ahead display is always a fun one to use your creativity on too!
Fun times with the girls at the Children’s Museum!
Driving the recycling truck! Watch out!
Brina in a water bubble!
Karlie having a blast in the music room!
Brina loves hanging out at the Children’s Museum!
Going through the cool jungle gym area at the museum!
STEM Club & Lego Robotics
Adorable Robot snack for the STEM Club Celebration!
The girls applied for the STEM Club and were accepted! Congratulations GIRLS!!! They took a lot of time filling out their applications and waited patiently to hear the news. Their hard work paid off. They are so EXCITED! We have started another year of STEM Club and Lego Robotics.
Mrs. Johnson, one of the teachers that helps with STEM Club made super cute robot snacks for all the kids to enjoy during the STEM Club Celebration. The robot was a juice box with four starbursts on the bottom for feet, two airheads for arms, two nuggets for head, and googly eyes. The kids thought they were awesome. So thoughtful and creative!
They are already working hard at STEM Club. There is a lot work ahead of them before the robotics competition in January, but they are off to a good start. Thankful for this opportunity for them to learn. In order for them to remain in STEM Club they had to sign a “contract” saying they would attend meetings (if they miss more than three they will be asked to leave), keep up their grades, and more.
WooHoo! They got into STEM Club! Here is part of their acceptance letters!
Karlie enjoying her robot snack!
Brina having fun at the STEM Club Celebration!
Family Time in Downtown Charleston
Riding the trolley with the girls in Downtown Charleston.
Charleston is a great town to explore a variety of history. One of the neat perks of Charleston is you can park you car somewhere (if you can find parking) and ride the free trolley around the town. When it is just the girls and I we usually park in the parking garage near the Charleston Visitors Center and grab the trolley right there so it is easy to get around town. The trolley takes you right near almost all the historical places so you only have to walk a few blocks here and there. The trolley’s come by every 10 to 15 minutes so you rarely have to wait very long. Just look for the bus stops or trolley signs to catch a nearby trolley ride.
We met up with Jake and ate at the Noisy Oyster in downtown Charleston. Pictured above is what I had for dinner the Noisy Oyster’s Grilled Salmon BLT sandwich. It was delicious!
Brina all smiles as Karlie checks out the traffic downtown Charleston. The horse carriages always tend to get her attention.
We took a walk through downtown Charleston after dinner. The interactive water fountain in Waterfront Park is always a hit with the kids.
Hanging out by the fountain and “trying” to not too wet!
Walking through Waterfront Park in Charleston.
Hanging out with Daddy near the Pineapple Water Fountain in downtown Charleston!
Well, “Hello Friend” found this little guy scurrying across the path in front of me on our walk.
When we walked down the Waterfront Pier we noticed that the dolphins were out swimming in the harbor. It was getting dark by this time, but it was beautiful watching them glide through the water in front of us.
Jake and his girls at the pier watching the dolphins swim.
Hanging out with my girls in Charleston!
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and Patriots Point all lit up at night across the harbor.
A relaxing evening swinging on the pier swings!
Wrapping up a fun and busy day in Charleston! Time to walk back to the car! Charleston is a great town to walk through at night with all the things to see, do, and it is usually bustling with people, horse carriages, bike tours, and more.
