Timmy Termite Days

Jet and I were on a Timmy Termite kick for a few days. Timmy Termite books are written and illustrated by our good friend, Stephanie Goodman. You know we love her so much.

She asked me to take a look at the text for a new Timmy Termite book she's working on so I was doing that while waiting to pick up high schoolers. 

One day I had the other two Timmy Termite books with me in the van so I could look through the three and compare them. I was mentioning some things to Jr. Jr. when his friend got in the van and noticed what I was holding. He hadn't read them and he got excited about them so I handed them back for the drive.

Fun. Even high schoolers read Timmy Termite. 

 

We used Timmy Termite for some daily literacy activities for National Literacy Month with Shadow Mountain Publishing. We also did other things those days. 

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to let you know what the literacy activities were for those days (from the adult and children's calendars), then I'm going to just explain how those days went in general. See if you can keep up.

 

September 16 Leave a review for a favorite book

Create a bookmark 

 

September 17 Create a cozy reading space

Read with a grandparent or friend 

 

September 18 Discuss a book with a friend

Read your child's favorite book again 

 

September 16 was Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day. I was going to put raisins on cinnamon toast then realized we were out of raisins. Ha Ha Ha Ha. We always have raisins. It's like BBQ sauce. We always have BBQ sauce then all of a sudden one time I'm expecting to use some, we're out.

After school, Jet and I made a worm bracelet bookmark like the older kids and we made many many years ago (I blogged about it March 3, 2011).

I cut it out and put slits in it to put the bracelet together and Jet made the face. Teamwork!

 

He can wear the bracelet as we read then use it to keep the place when we need to stop.

Of course we used it for the book, Timmy Termite Job Shadow.  

 

September 17 was Monte Cristo Day. It was a busy day.

In the morning I helped the humanitarian center tie quilts. 

In the afternoon, Jet and I FaceTimed my grandparents and introduced them to Timmy Termite.

Afterward, I tried to quickly make Monte Cristo sandwiches, 

Jr.: Mom, that's unsanitary. You put your tong on it.

 

then ran out the door as Jr. finished them for me so I could make it to a bird walk with Utah County Birders. We walked along the river from Provo Delta Gateway Park.

There was thunder and rain during the walk and lightning at the end. 

 

When I got back, Jet and I made a cozy reading space to read a dinosaur alphabet book.

September 18 began with a huge storm.

After school, Joseph picked his current favorite book for me to read to him: Timmy Termite Job Shadow.

That evening I went over to Stephanie's house to pick up my signed copy of Dallon Dolphin Makes a Friend and discussed her in progress Timmy Termite book. 

UCB Potluck

On Thursday, August 20, I went to do humanitarian work by tying quilts in the morning.

In the afternoon, Jet helped me make gingerbread cookies. Nichole and Jr. found alphabet cookie cutters and bird themed cookie cutters so we could make cookies for the annual Utah County Birders Potluck. 

Being out in nature is great to celebrate World Mosquito Day. 

It was also National Lemonade Day so we had some lemonade at the potluck and Jr. made us some mint lemonade for when we got home. 

 

Lucky: I know the C-cret ingredient.

Camp

Jr. Jr. and Lucky went to Young Men Camp for 3 1/2 days. This was Lucky's first time going because last year, he came down with a stomach bug right before they were supposed to leave. Poor kid. He was fine this time.

When Jet saw us getting them ready for camp, he was in favor of getting ready for camp himself and was disappointed when I told him just his brothers were going. That little guy likes to be involved. 

We came to a compromise. I told him we could do camp stuff at home while the boys were away at camp. We had their schedule for camp so we could do similar things, although we had some of our own things to do as well. Let me tell you about it.

The day the boys left was Monday, July 20, Global Hug Your Kids Day. They got a big hug from Jeremy before I took them over to meet with their group and head out.

Later, I got to hug the rest of the kids. 

While the boys were setting up camp at camp, I had the kids at home cleaning up the living room so there would be room to do camp activities. Jr. even made a makeshift tent for Jet for a little while.

Apparently there was a lot of free time at camp. My kids at home were definitely okay with that.

There was a scheduled time for Game Center so we at home played Rummikub. 

When Jeremy came home, he and Jet had their special drink together. Refreshing when it's been so hot.

We did Family Home Evening and had phases of the moon cookies because July 20 was Moon Day. We opened up mint Oreos because I didn't think we had any regular Oreos then the next day I realized that we did still have regular Oreos. Sigh. So we had green moons. 

 

Jeremy: There. I made half moons, waxing and waning. I also made Muppet eyes.

 

My phone told me earlier that day the moon was a waxing crescent.

Earlier in the day we had an egg that looked like a moon. 

 

Tuesday, July 21, one of the camp activities was Rock Wall. We weren't going to actually climb any rock walls or go repelling down any, but we did go out to the canyon and went to Bridal Veil Falls where there was water coming down a rock wall. We set up the selfie stick tripod so Jet could use the remote to take pictures of the waterfall and us.

That afternoon, we did a service project. We went to a park and picked up trash to make it a little nicer.

 

Later, Jet asked for chips, even though he'd had a bag already. I told him no and there was no reason to eat junk food then I realized, "Oh no. It's actually National Junk Food Day, " so I told him after he ate his chicken, he could have another bag of chips. He did.

We also had woo-woo which Nichole wanted for Junk Food Day. 

 

Wednesday, July 22, we kind of strayed away from the boys' camp schedule and did our own things. We went to the BYU Paleontology Museum. It counted for a Summer Reading activity and we'd been promising Jet we'd take him. He wore his pteranodon wings.

He had a blast and made a new friend. There was another little boy running around who had apparently been there a few times (this was Jet's first time there) and wanted to show Jet everything. It was fun. He had his own little tour guide. 

We were proud of Jet only touching things he was allowed to touch and being respectful. We can definitely take him back there.

That afternoon/evening, we had some more outside time.

Then we went inside to set up a "tent" in the living room for Jet and Jeremy made a balloon campfire (with glowsticks) like we did back in 2009. Wow. That was back when we only had two kids. So Jr. Jr. and Lucky still have not had that experience but Jet got to do it this time. We did not roast hot dogs over the fire. We cooked those in the kitchen but Jet and I did "roast" marshmallows before I stuck them in the microwave to make s'mores. Jet loved it all.

 

 

Thursday, July 23, was Gorgeous Grandma Day. I wished that happy holiday to my mom and sister.

I went out in nature by myself that morning then helped tie quilts for humanitarian aid until Jr. Jr. and Lucky got back from camp.

That afternoon since Jet didn't get to go "fishing" like some of the Young Men did at camp, Lucky, Nichole, and I helped him do that. Jeremy put together a fishing pole and printed out some fish for him. I added some snacks and trash (old sock, empty candy wrapper, crumpled up piece of paper) and the last item, a stuffed shark.

Here are some of the things that were said.

Jet: I better put it in my bucket.

Jet: Oooh, Candy.

Nichole: Looks like the fish are jumping. That's the best time to catch them.

Nichole: I think the shark ate the rest of the fish. That was probably the last one.

Lucky tossed a paper fish a few times to make it look like the fish were jumping. One accidentally fell outside the "lake" and we all got a big laugh out of that.

 

So Jr. Jr. and Lucky had a good time at camp (and got very wet because it rained a lot) and the rest of us had fun with camping activities at home.

I'd call it a successful camping week.