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!!

Kids creations

Our kids have always been creative, but they seem to be even more so now.  Homeschool tends to draw out the creative side in kids since they have more time to spend creating.  Our time in the Philippines has given the kids even more time for creative ideas since they don't have any other activities to go to.  So let the creativity begin...

Cardboard, plastic, tape, and string are their supplies of choice.  Cardboard and plastic bags are free, and the tape and string are very cheap.  Amazing how such treasures can provide hours of enjoyment!

Kailee made a hot air balloon and made it fly with a fan underneath.  Ethan and Tyler made an airplane, hoping it would be able to fly...it didn't, but looks great hanging from the rafters in their room! Alyssum and Adams each made airplanes as well as small boxes that they decorated.  Ethan and Tyler also made a balloon/parachute.  They throw the parachute high, it unfolds, and gently floats back to the ground.

Boys and the Motorcycle

Ethan and Tyler talked their Dad into letting them learn how to ride the motorcycle on the airstrip.  The airstrip is a 1/2 mile long of beautifully mowed grass.  Perfect for learning to ride with few obstacles and a soft landing if need be.  So far they have managed to keep the bike upright except for once.  Then it was only a slow tip-over when the tires slipped into a ditch...no harm done to boy or bike!  Ethan is now wishing for a more difficult place to drive, but still enjoys getting on the bike for a cruise on the airstrip.  Tyler is just barely tall enough, but manages to keep the bike upright.  He loves being in control of the bike!  Boys and their big boy toys!!

Easter

For Easter we were invited to a Good Friday service.  The service was the joint effort of about six different churches in Brooke's Point.  Each church took a small part of the service...it was a very long service!!  But so good to worship with believers here and see how they are all involved in reaching out to their community.

On Easter Sunday we were invited to join the same group of people for a potluck/day at the beach.  It was a beautiful day!  Steve and I visited, Ann Marie and Ethan hung out and chatted with the teens, and Tyler, Kailee, Alyssum, and Adams swam and played in the water all day!  Certainly a different sort of warm Easter for this Alaskan family who is used to cold Easter celebrations in the north!

In one of the boxes brought to us with our Alaskan visitors we received several egg dying kits.  The kids and I enjoyed making colorful egg creations!

Tyler's oven

Tyler, our engineer and survivalist, designed a small metal oven towards the end of last year.  He drew up his plans on paper and sent the design to Grandpa, the welder.  Grandpa told Tyler that he could easily make his oven and would send it in the next box coming our way!  The oven wasn't a necessity, but just something fun that Tyler created to do his own baking and fire building!  The box with the oven arrived just as we had to leave the island.

When we moved to Lada the house did not have a stove or an oven.  We purchased a two burner stove top, but didn't want to spend the money on a complete stove and oven.  So now Tyler's fun creation became a necessity!  Ethan and Tyler made a small house for his oven and straddled the oven across two bricks so that a fire could be built underneath.

Now we just needed some firewood or something to burn to raise the temperature in the oven high enough to be able to bake.  Steve found a small family store across the street from our house that sold bags of charcoal.  At only 10pesos(25cents) a bag it is very cheap to use!  With the charcoal the boys are able to get the temperature high enough and stays somewhat consistent for several hours as we do our baking.

We've had to be creative with our baking as a 9x9 pan is as big as it gets in this little oven!  So we make round loaves of bread, six small pizzas for our entire family, pans and pans of cookies, a small cake, or many pans of granola.  It is not difficult to do, but just takes a long time to get the job done!

Friday nights we make pizza and everyone REALLY appreciates the effort put into making these pizzas!  Ann Marie is making the dough for our pizza crust. And then Ethan and Tyler take turns keeping track of the pizza in the oven...we don't want it burnt! It sure tastes great when it is finished!