Tuesday

The following photo is fuzzy, but the heart of the matter is crystal clear: Friends lean on friends. We had our monthly meeting today. The 4H teacher visited and presented her first class to our group. The children enjoyed the activities, and another mom got them involved in singing songs that are part of our culture as Americans. It was a sweet visit with everyone.

A photo of opened envelopes? Yep, and they contain test scores for Stennes and Anders. Georgia law requires that homeschool students take a standardized test every 3 years, beginning in the third grade. Their scores were fine, but Mean Ol' Mama isn't impressed by the papers. Our family requirements are different: can they change a diaper; kill, clean, and cook food; entertain a sick sibling; be kind to an outcast; argue a point intelligently; communicate the Gospel in another language; perform well even when tired, hungry, thirsty, and bug-bitten; can they recognize that loving God and living for others is both right and fulfilling; and the list continues...

Satisfying Sunday

So, what should you do when there are lots of important things to do? Sit down and play a game. Poppins loves to play with the kids, so when Mean Ol' Mama walked in with some new games, well...let's just say that the "important" things were delayed a bit. (And guess what the kids will remember the most about today?) See that grin on his face? He knows something that the kids don't know. Unfortunately, he ended up losing this round. (And guess who was happy to lose to the big boys?)

The Girl and ChubChub decided to play with Legos for a while. It's hard to resist a brand-new box.

After lunch, Stennes went on a safari, looking for insects for his collection. Perhaps he found something special; oftentimes, though, the pursuit brings enough satisfaction.

We also practiced for an upcoming performance. The kids are laughing in the photo below because Punch the Faithful Dog howled dismally the entire time.

Mean Ol' Mama had a baking urge again. We were pleased to end up with four loaves of bread (two are now gone), Whole Wheat [WW] Peanut Butter Cake, WW Blueberry Cake, and Oatmeal Cake. We call them "cakes", but they're just muffins baked in the same pan. Mean Ol' Mama's getting a little lazy these days.

We tried a new recipe, WW Oatmeal Sorghum Crisps. They're good and "earthy". These may end up crumbled like granola in milk.

Sunday evening we went preaching at a very large camp. This was our first official performance of the mariachi-style songs, and we were pleased at how the different instruments increased our volume. In the photo below, you can see three wooden stands the boys made to hold brass instruments that they play throughout the pieces. There were approximately 100 people listening, but we didn't take photos as they came in closer. It's a bit awkward to photograph those who are listening, so we took a few just to give you a feel of the camp.

Thursday

Our guitar teacher called to re-schedule for tomorrow, so the band got together for more practice this morning. We're pleased at how they're doing considering that every instrument (except guitars and accordion) have different tunings, the boys are playing unfamiliar songs "by ear", and they're playing harmonics as well. Not to mention learning the words...[hint, hint]. The photo below shows Poppins' birthday present from Stennes: coffee (instant) scoop and stirrer.
What do Mean Ol' Mama's poor, deprived children do for entertainment? Get the old newspaper, find photos of unsuspecting folks and add on mustaches, eye glasses, pirate patches, etc. Cheap entertainment, and they're so innocently happy.

After mariachi practice, the kids couldn't contain their energy any longer. Playing new pieces requires a lot of concentration (notes, repeat pieces, who plays when, who comes in first/last, and so forth). All of those thoughts kind of "erupt" eventually; we're thankful that the boys find healthy release in physical competitions.

Ahoy, mateys! Aunt Teresa bought us ye olde styrofoam swords on clearance. Just what we landlubbers needed.

Last but not least, Josiah decided to serenade The Girl before she went to sleep. It was a very sweet moment, one that made Mean Ol' Mama keenly (and painfully) aware of how the years are flying by so quickly.

Wednesday

This morning the mariachi band got together for the first time on the spur of the moment. They've been asked to perform next Wednesday for the International Club at the College. There were 7 other instruments spread out in addition to the ones shown in the photo. This type of performance is a first for us, so it's practice, practice, and...well, you know... Even Branch is going to play with the older boys. We're playing the music strictly by ear, so Mean Ol' Mama wrote notation for Branch in order to help him. Gotta love a kid who can play violin with his feet propped up.

Stennes ground wheat so Mean Ol' Mama could make loaves of bread for her Spanish class as a reward for passing Exam #1.

Anders and Josiah took advantage of the fresh air and cool breeze outside. They are working on speech memorization for state competition next week. It's awfully hard to be inside these days; fall is such a pleasant time in the South.

After lunch the big boys went to Algebra class while the littles stayed home for a very, very nutritious snack. You can see in their faces that it was indeed a treat.

And did we mention that it was very, very nutritious?

Tuesday

We worked on our history notebooks after breakfast. Each boy has KP duty once a week and wakes between 6:00 - 6:15 to prepare for the rest of the family. It sure is a treat for Mean Ol' Mama. We usually eat cooked cereal or bread, with a bit of sausage or eggs if the larder allows. The kids keep their notebooks on this shelf in the stairwell. There is a basket of colored pencils, paper, and other accoutrements to get each page "just right". The jumble of books on the second shelf are the ones we're currently reading for history. The three "middle" shelves hold each child's individual stack of Greek books. This makes it convenient for us since we do Greek and Latin studies downstairs and regular schoolwork upstairs.

After notebooking, the kids had a 15 minute recess. Josiah and The Girl jumped on the trampoline; Anders and ChubChub took turns swinging through the jungle; Stennes and Branch worked on a new tree house out in the goat pen (which doesn't contain any goats anymore, but the name stuck).

Faithful Punch checked out the chickens. A red fox ran through the yard yesterday morning, and we're hoping that he doesn't return to "visit" the roost.

Branch fried rice for lunch. We have a basic menu for lunch (Monday - Friday) that is pretty easy to remember: beans, rice, beans, rice, and beans. Sounds dull but we enjoy it very much. There are countless ways to cook these two staples, and it's excellent Third World training.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are "rotation" days for us. One boy goes to Shop before lunch; another goes after lunch. It feels as if someone is always missing two days of the week. Today we didn't even make it upstairs into the schoolroom, so the boys brought down some of their books. This afternoon was also the first day of Wildlife Management training for competition in November. When the boys left, the living room was an interesting sight (photo below).

A cut-off sock on the back of the couch to protect Anders' arm during hour-long guitar practice; an empty plastic container that once held Branch's latest bug; the phone that rang quite a few times; Josiah's sax music; Stennes' Spanish Bible; Stennes' Greek stuff; our Latin tote: Josiah's Spanish Bible; 3 algebra books for the older boys; The Girl's Spanish book...and on and on...

Random photos of the past few days

Puzzles for The Girl purchased at a yard sale for 10 cents a box. Can't beat that. The Girl has already put together 3 puzzles. Her smile is beautifully sweet, isn't it?

Poppins is singing and playing for the boys. Why are they laughing? Oh, because he doesn't play guitar. It was pretty amusing.

The Girl loves to work on crafts. She uses bits of paper and other goodies to make gifts.

The kids made salt dough statues of Lot's wife after she looked back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. ChubChub took a bite of the dough; he wasn't impressed.

Practice, practice, practice for all the boys.

Stennes must think that a blood rush to the brain will help him with his algebra homework. It's worth a try anyway.

The Boys' Blues Jam with their (ex-) guitar teacher

The boys' guitar teacher posted two videos of them playing the blues together. Kind of fun and a good memory, too.

Busy Thursday

We began the day with our history readings and notebooks. When halfway through an interesting paragraph about ancient Salem, we were notified that Pop had decided to butcher chickens today. Since animal husbandry is a highly desired Life Skill, the boys went to help. Below, Branch is standing in front of the...well, the roosters that...well, you know... And some of those aforementioned roosters. [Now, moving right along...]

Josiah's watching the proverbial watched pot that takes forever to boil. Gotta get rid of all those feathers from the...well, anyway...

On a lighter note, the boys later discovered a snake. Josiah is consulting his Snakes poster to confirm identification.

Mean Ol' Mama was just delighted [ahem...] that this little Puff Adder now has a treasured dwelling place on the front porch. Just delighted. Yes [ahem...].

Now here's something that makes Mean Ol' Mama smile: a new addition to our family. This little guy was dropped off at a friend's house, and she passed him on to us. Meet Cadet. So far he's been really sweet and no trouble at all...except for licking unsuspecting ankles...[yuck]...

In the afternoon the boys had their guitar classes. Their new teacher is quite disciplined and requires a lot of focused practice. It isn't always fun for any of us, but the end results are worth the effort.

Our evening meal was a little unusual, even for our Third World focus. We had Bean Gravy and rice left from lunch, pumpkin from the garden cooked in coconut milk, and curried burger and potatoes. We had enough left for lunch tomorrow, which is how we try to prepare food. Cook once, eat twice. With the boys' appetites, though, it doesn't always stretch to the next day.

Finally, Poppins took some of the boys to pick up a load of free scrap lumber from one of the local work sites. Hark, doth Mean Ol' Mama espy a new, rough-hewn dining room table somewhere in that trailer? Hmmm, boys?

Wednesday

Words are not necessary...

Random Photos of Tuesday

Mean Ol' Mama's soap dish. Isn't it whimsical? Imagine facing this metal monkey each morning bright and early. Sure brings on a smile, doesn't it? The boys decided to have races after lunch. They're trying to skip but ended up laughing so hard that they basically wobbled their way to the finish line. Ah, the joy of childhood...

And dear, faithful Punch. He's always right where you want to rest your feet. He's a pretty good watchdog, though, and a jolly playmate for the children.

What's not to love about a boy who cleans out your freezer? Josiah has such a good attitude when it comes to working. The tray on the top? Oh, that's The Girl's puzzle tray so she doesn't have to dismantle her puzzles each time. Pretty nifty...

Poppins and the boys played a few rounds of a new game. He's a fabulous father, always aware of and concerned for his children.

While the boys played, Stennes worked faithfully to finish up his Algebra. We had a full day of Latin, math, Spanish Bible, and assorted books in the works, so it's hard to fit everything in during the daytime. Isn't that how life is? Just stay steady until we're finished, praying that we'll be found faithful, too...