Mainit Falls

Steve and Ethan, Tyler, Kailee, Alyssum, and Adams enjoyed half a day at the Mainit Falls and Hot Springs.  It is only a few kilometers from our house, down a dusty dirt road.  But a very beautiful place hidden away!

The kids would go from hot spring pools to the waterfall to cool off.  The hot springs have a sulfur smell...the kids said it smelled like hard-boiled eggs.

They enjoyed these hot pools, but definitely had the most fun in the waterfall!  Hopefully we will get to do this outing again while we are still staying here at Lada.

Creepy Crawlies

This gecko among others has found our house to be his home.  This one plus two buddies of his hide behind the refrigerator during the day and come out at night to hunt insects.  They certainly keep the cockroaches under control.  Check out this link on the gecko of the Philippines. (click on word gecko)

Interesting "pulsating caterpillar".  We don't have any idea what it is called, but it sure is one of God's unique creatures!

This HUGE spider was found right outside our house.  I don't have any idea what kind of spider this is.  It was so big that we could easily see its mandibles working on lunch!

And only one person was brave enough to put their hand close enough so we could have a reference of how big this spider really is!

Brave Ann Marie!

The tropics certainly has its fair share of creepy crawlies!  That takes some getting used to for this Alaskan family!  Just today we found a snake skin in the bathroom.  Now that's a first for us!  We've seen several snakes, but always outside.  We are hoping that snake only stayed long enough to shed its skin and then left because we make too much noise.

Fruits and Veggies!

One of the wonderful things about staying here at Lada is the great market in town every Monday!  It is kind of a fair like atmosphere each Monday morning with so many stalls of people selling fresh produce, fresh meat, cooked food, clothes, shoes, and whatever else one might need.  We have to get there early in the morning in order to get enough meat...the best cuts are bought first! 

Then we fill Steve's back pack several times with fruit and vegetables!!  A variety of bananas, mangoes, pineapple, and local fruit.  The pineapple was in season for a couple months and so inexpensive!  We made so many things with pineapple!  Pineapple upside down cake, pancakes with pineapple, and of course lots of fruit salad with all the fruit!

Pineapple upside-down cake

Mmm so delicious, homemade mango jam

Vegetables are plentiful as well!  Tomatoes, a variety of peppers, squash, eggplant, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and avocados.  We enjoy seeing the variety of produce that comes and goes with the seasons.  Avocados are now in season and are so inexpensive.  We love homemade guacamole. 

Homemade tortillas

Ann Marie's specialty...English muffins

So many of the foods we enjoyed at home we have to make by hand here.  A little time consuming, but we enjoy them even more that way!

Science...

...and crazy Scientists!!

Ethan has been studying Biology this year which, of course, involves those wonderful dissections of the earthworm, crayfish, frog, and fish. We love Apologia curriculum and its thoroughness!!  The kids have all learned so much. 

Ann Marie has been studying Chemistry with Apologia as well.  Her experiments include test tubes, alcohol burner, and lots of household cleaning products!

More kids' creations!

Nothing goes to waste around here!  The kids seem to believe the saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure!"

Ethan and Tyler made a "fling sock" out of an old t-shirt.  They sewed a pocket for a bag of sand and then cut the tail into three pieces to be braided.  They fling it up into the air and it sails far with the weight at one end...it works great!  Kailee and Alyssum liked the idea so they came up with their own except they called it "Flower Flyer"!

And of course, houses out of cardboard boxes...this is Adams and Alyssum's castle.

Alyssum got an idea one day to make sandals!  So she traced her foot on a piece of cardboard and made a pair of strappy sandals...then she made some for Kailee and Adams.  What will they think of next?

Kailee loves to paint and she decided her painting needed an easel...so she made one!

Braces!

Tyler, almost 13, is now in braces!  It is hard to tell now, but his teeth were quite crooked.  He has only had the braces on for 1 1/2  months, but his teeth have already straightened a lot!  His top four front teeth were in front of each other and now they are almost completely straight.  When he first got his braces on, his teeth were quite sore and then when he got them tightened 4 weeks later they were also sore, but other than that it hasn't been too bad.  We are so thankful for the opportunity of getting braces here at a much cheaper cost!!

Tropical Rain

Oh, a tropical downpour can be so much fun!  Tyler, Kailee, Alyssum, and Adams had so much fun on this rainy day...

First they started out by running in the rain and jumping the big puddle that was forming...

Then running through the puddles...

But they can't stop there!  "Now we are wet and muddy, let's just jump in!"

...slide in...

Or just sit in the mud hole!!

Showers OUTSIDE are a must before coming in the house...but of course, that is all part of the FUN!!