The Waterstraut Waterspout: Where In The World

Hey, everyone! I feel like it's been a few days, and we've got some catching up to do. I've been wanting to blog about our newest project, but I hit a snag this week; my camera died. Just once, I'd like a camera to last me more than a year. I get it, I take a lot of pictures (1,000 a month on average), but still. So, for anything I really wanted to take a picture of, I've had to go to my last resort, and I've been using my Ipad, you know since I don't believe in paying the money for a smart phone (even with the employee discount). So, I wasn't taking too many pictures of our project. But, luckily, I did get the warranty on my camera, and today my awesome husband replaced it for me. It was $20 cheaper than my last camera too, so I technically profited. Not to bad, but excuse the not awesome pictures in this blog.

Anyway, back to our project! I know I've talked a little bit about it, and honestly, I'm kind of making this one up as I go along, but it is a Where in the World type thing. I'm copying a bit off my friend, Kristi, who is spending a whole YEAR on this project (I could never, ever do that, she's a rock star mom for sure!), but she's covering the U.S. and we're covering the world (although we just might have the two projects collide one week, so stay tuned!)

How do the boys get their information, why, from this mailbox of course. It's their only way to correspond with the Super Secret Secret Spy Agency. If the flag is up, they know they have new mail.

They were first informed of the seven Fenderson (a Waterstraut inside joke) brothers. One brother is hiding on each of the 7 continents. Now, Corday was caught in Antartica, so there are only six left. But, Corday hasn't been too helpful in aiding the Super Secret Secret Spy Agency in locating his brothers. He's only spoken in riddles.

It basically equated to a logic puzzle, and the boys had to figure out which brother was on which continent (thanks by the way, facebook friends who tried this out for me to make sure it worked!)

Peyton seemed uninterested in the project, and went on playing computer while Calib and Hayden solved the puzzle together. I took note, and Calib and Hayden mailed their answers back.

The next day they were informed that while the Home Office checked on their information, they should look familiarize with the enclosed book and documents on the crimes that had been committed by the Fenderson mob. Each continent has one very important monument or landmark that has been stolen.

The next day, they got more mail from the home office. One for everyone, one for Hayden and one for Calib.

Apparently the home office had taken note of the hard work Calib and Hayden had done, and rewarded them with Publix gift cards. Peyton was none to happy (but, he's been working awfully hard on it since that first day, so the home office may have a surprise in store for him soon).

They also got a note telling them that it seemed likely their information was correct, and they were all promoted from Potential Super Secret Secret Agents to Official Super Secret Secret Agents. In light of this news, they had to set up a station for Tracking the Fendersons. They were also advised the Fenderson's are monitoring the internet and it cannot be used. I want them to learn how to find the information they need in other ways, it seems like cheating to just run to google.

We attached the missing files to the pictures of each of the Fenderson's and hung them up.

The first brother they'd be tracking, however, was Carlton. His crime: Stealing Stonehenge. Now, you might see there he has some likes and dislikes, this will help them in their quest to locate him. Carlton never returns to a country once he has been there. He likes writing postcards, ripping up flags, and capital cities. He dislikes the western hemisphere, small countries and monarchies.

The next day we had a package in the mail. Apparently, the Super Secret Secret Spy Agency had dispatched agents to Stonehenge and they found a backpack belonging to one, Carlton Fenderson. The boys were sent all the contents of the backpack.

The bag included all kinds of things, including a few snacks that Carlton must have picked up along the way. (We picked these up on our date day when we walked the world, so they really are from other countries!)

There were also some pictures, and a piece of red material, and an L. (Although at the moment the boys seem convinced this is a 7)

They also received a map to put on the wall to help eliminate countries where Carlton can be located.

Today, each agent received their own mail.

Hayden was given some puzzle pieces, and told to stay tuned for others. He has since put together that this appears to be a copy from the book they were sent a few days earlier.

Peyton was asked to unscramble some letters to decipher the code on other places Carlton has already visited.

Meanwhile, Calib was told of a postcard Carlton was sending to his girlfriend that was intercepted.

The front of the postcard ruled out Belarus, and another country can be ruled out based on the fact he's telling his girlfriend he just swam in the continents largest freshwater lake. Calib is still trying to locate that information, though.

Our where in the world project is in full swing, and so far the boys seem to be enjoying the added activity during the day.

Lots of other stuff has been going on here too. While Asa, Calib, and Hayden went to see the Avengers (Peyton has a hard time in loud movie theaters), Peyton and I stayed home. He played games while I worked on all things Harry Truman and we watched the Lightning Game (they're up 2-0 in the series! yay!). Truman's birthday isn't till Friday, but I wasn't sure what we were going to up to 'this weekend', and I wanted to get to it. His story is all written, the recipes are picked out, and we're ready to go.

The lull in presidential birthdays (after Truman's on Friday there are just two until the 4th of July!) is an opportunity for me to get ahead of the game. I had the first six months worth of file folders done on each president, but I managed to get the last six months done too. Now, I have a file folder for every president. It's kind of awesome, actually.

I also have the monthly info sheets we hang up every month done for every single president (there was 24 left I hadn't done yet). Again, huge sense of accomplishment. There's still 26 stories to be written, meals and activities to plan, but I'm getting there.

Saturday was a pretty busy day for us. It was the Children's Gala at MOSI. In a fundraising effort, the hand out free piggy banks that you fill for a donation. Then you decorate your piggy and bring it back to the gala.

We were a little behind on the decorating part, and only just did it on Saturday.

They turned out cute though!

Asa was working, and Calib is getting a wee bit too old for these things, so I took Hayden and Peyton. They start out the evening with an ice cream sundae bar, and a rootbeer happy hour.

There's a ton of activities and arts and crafts.

(I had my ipad, not my camera here, so I didn't take a whole lot of pictures)

Plus dinner!

Oh, and the piggy banks weren't the only pigs there.

They had all kinds of entertainment too. Lots of Star Wars guys, magicians, and a DJ.

Oh, and that grid back there is a bunch of ping pong balls on a whole mess of mouse traps.

The boys even got some goodie bags on the way out. It was a pretty awesome event, and they had a really good time.

Plus free shirts!

But Saturday was also the Kentucky Derby (and the draft, and the Rays played, pretty good sports day), and you know we at the Waterstrauts had to celebrate. Since we were going to the gala for dinner we had Kentucky Hot Browns for lunch. They were awesome (nice job, Asa!)

During lunch we explained how the odds worked on betting on the horses. We let the boys each bet up to five points on any horse they wanted, and they would get the pay out accordingly.

We wrote down their bets, and Asa and I picked a winner just for fun.

We were back from the gala in time to see Mr. Irrelevant get picked (that last guy drafted), which happened only minutes before the Kentucky Derby. Hayden bet 3 on American Pharaoh, who ended up winning, so he was pleased.