Earth Day 2008 was spent at our friend, Christine's (JAZZCREATIONS) house with lots of activities, crafts, good food, games and education.  There were about 13 children participating with 4 adults (ok-5...Mr. David participated in the lunchtime activity!)

The kids read about Earth Day then they painted some cool tin can planters.  We ate some yummy, healthy, organic food for lunch.  Mr. David (Christine's husband) joined us!  The kids read some more about Earth Day then they made pine cone bird feeders.  We adults put on a skit about Greenhouse Gases (I was the Narrator).  Then Christine did a great little visual about how things get into our water system.  It was messy so of course the kids really enjoyed it!  Then they potted herbs (Cameron and Isaac picked Peppermint and Cilantro) in their newly painted pots. 

They talked about the 3 R's-REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE.  Most of our friends have a trash pick-up company that at least recycles certain things (aluminum and tin cans, paper, certain plastics). 

Unfortunately, we don't and never have had access to such a program.  Our homeowners group gives us the bare minimum  .  We can separate all we want but short of driving 15 minutes away to a recycling facility every week, and wasting gas, we don't get to participate in such a great  thing as that.  Paper and soda cans we can do, but we don't drink as much soda as we used to.  We do save aluminum tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities. 

Right after the Earth Day event, the kids had Book Club-again at Mrs. Christine's where the kids are starting to read Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.  They will be making lapbooks for this book-fun!

Later on that evening, from 7-8pm, we turned off the electricity to the entire house.  My dear husband, who is still away in the Chicago area, was a little worried I think when I called to verify which breaker would turn off all electricity to the house and how to make sure to turn it back on safely.  The boys didn't complain too much-we sat in the front yard and they rode bikes and scooters while the older boys threw around a baseball. Zach sat on the back deck and read a book.  The dog, however (a Husky), did not appreciate being out in the 80+weather running around for an hour.  He's still very young (1 year) and can't sit still for anything so by the end of the hour I determined he was overheating a bit and we headed inside.  I turned all the electricty back on and my boys must have been so traumatized by the event that they were ALL in bed by 9pm!

All in all it was a great day and my family sends many many many thanks to Mrs. Christine for putting this together in her great back yard!