Beads and Dirt

We started out our day by taking all the beads off all the necklaces in our house that we have ever made and putting the beads into a bead sorter container thingy.  Then each kid got one string and made their own necklaces.  After lots of impatient whining and crying and complaining while I untied knots and got it all sorted out (this was their idea, so I didn't have much time to prep!), they must have spent 30-45 minutes working together and helping each other and stringing beads.  I wasn't sure I would actually make it to the bead stringing part, but once they got going, it was an awesome activity.  They were using manners and asking each other nicely to pass a bead or help each other find a certain color. I was actually able to balance my checkbook while they worked!  Then Ruby realized she was missing a necklace, so once we remembered she left it at Baba's, we took a road trip to pick it up (and get a snack and watch a show because that's what you do at Baba's house).  Then we came home and played in the backyard for awhile.  When the mosquitoes started getting to us, we moved to the front yard in played in the dirt for a LONG time!  These kids love some dirt and for some reason, when it's dusty and not muddy, I can handle it much better.  We re-built the fairy house, moved rocks around, cleared a space for Ford's road, and watered our flowers.  It was a great morning.  Oh, and somewhere in there, Ford sat down at the table with me and wrote every single letter in the alphabet on his own today!  He was so proud of himself!!  The afternoon didn't go as well, but that was due to a lack of napping in this house.  Let's just say it's 7:02 and 2 out of 3 kids are already asleep!!