Sunday

Poppins let the boys camp out Saturday night, and ChubChub was so sad that he couldn't sleep outside, too. Josiah was kind enough to make him a tent from a blanket, so he went to sleep happily. Sunday morning we went next door to celebrate two birthdays. Chocolate chip bars and juice are a treat anytime.

Sunday afternoon we went to a Haitian migrant camp where a group had just arrived. We were pleased to find a friend in the crowd from another camp. These people are very receptive to the message of Christ; unfortunately, they carry heavy spiritual burdens and the cares of this life often press too heavily.

We went to a Mexican camp as well and then headed home to prepare for another busy week.

Friday and Saturday

Look what the boys brought in for breakfast: a 'possum they trapped down by the pond. Did we eat it? Are you crazy? Perhaps if the economy continues its decline, but until then... Josiah pulled KP until a phone call from his uncle snared him another job and The Girl stepped in. We pray that our children have a decent respect for and first-hand experience in hard work.

Saturday morning, Mean Ol' Mama had a translation job at a church conference about 35 miles away, so we all piled in the van and headed out for a family day. Afterwards, we went to 3 different parks.

Anders and Branch had to share the panda bear because the other duck was infested with bees. At least they were happy...

The boys waited eagerly for fishing time, and Poppins was right in there with them.

Meanwhile, The Girl, ChubChub, and Mean Ol' Mama walked a little trail to the playground. We didn't have the heart to tell ChubChub that his "horse" was pointed in the wrong direction. Ignorance is bliss, you know.

The Girl made a bouquet of brightly colored fall leaves. We had a fun time choosing just the right ones, and her sweet smile rivaled the beauty of the leaves.

Did I mention that Poppins joined right in with the fishing? Yep, those fellers sure enjoy "reel" time. And The Girl enjoyed just waiting with daddy.

Poppins treated the kids to ice cream at a local marina owned by a close friend of ours. This was really something special for the kids. They fished some more (gotta try out different water, you know), and then we headed back home. Poppins and Mean Ol' Mama had a hot date at the local Japanese restaurant and then they really went wild and crazy in the paper towel aisle at W-Mart. Sweet memories are made of days like today...

Finally, Poppins gave the children a chance to "preach" about a verse on the spur of the moment. This is a skill that will help them for the rest of their lives and one that we highly encourage and strive to strengthen.

Thursday

The Girl had a friend over to play while guitar class was taking place upstairs. There are 6 students that have class on Thursdays, so one of the boys brought his sister. They had a very sweet time playing together and they even had a tea party using the tea cabinet goodies. Meanwhile, the boys had a friend as well. They decided to set up army men for war. It was quite loud downstairs for a while, but it's good, clean fun.

In the afternoon, it was time to burn off some energy. Josiah gave ChubChub a ride on the tire swing while Stennes and Branch tried to out-jump each other.

Stennes jumped so hard that Branch was able to "fly" for a bit and grab the...well, the branch. Interesting thought, eh, Branch grasping the branch...

We had mariachi practice in the afternoon as well. Teresa and I discussed where we should "be" in Latin and Greek come Monday morning. The boys are progressing well, and Mean Ol' Mama was pleased with this week's Greek work, at least for Stennes. The others need to kick it up a notch, although Poppins is satisfied with their work to date. The photo below shows the peas growing in Josiah's garden. Poppins and Mean Ol' Mama strolled the grounds of the "estate" this evening and discussed gardening and raising children. It's amazing how many similarities can be found between those two themes.

And look...a gift from next door. What could please a baker more than a basket full of fresh farm eggs? Plans for tomorrow...(and - joy of joys - a new baking catalog just arrived today). Aaahhh...Mean Ol' Mama can't wait to get going...

Finally, a photo of a few books we finished yesterday. Two are for our history readings, but after lunch we read only Mean Ol' Mama's choice of "cozy" books; they are totally unrelated to school topics, but hand-in-hand with daily life. It's one of our favorite times in our day, and we have read some really special writings together. Isn't that what makes homeschooling so special?

Tuesday and Wednesday

The boys got together just to sing and enjoy each other. After fitting two more boys in the studio (not pictured in the photo below), we decided that we needed to re-arrange for optimum performance. Well, one thing lead to another and we ended up re-arranging quite a bit to make room for their guitar lessons and time to "jam" with each other. Their singing really warmed Mean Ol' Mama's heart.

Even Caleb came over to play drums. He helped us move around some of the furniture after we decided to fix up the studio. Isn't this a cozy photo? Poppins is holding ChubChub while Josiah listens in. He is reading aloud the next verse for our family memory. Poppins enjoys memory work and throughout the day he asks the kids to recite on the spur of the moment. We're currently working on the first chapter of John in hopes that we'll someday master the entire Gospel as a family. As Poppins says, "Gotta know it to live it." We memorize in English, and the kids do additional memory work with Mean Ol' Mama during school hours in Spanish.

Random photos of the past two days

Counting, counting, counting...while the others scatter and hide. Climbing to the top of Mount Never-rest...

Speaking of climbing to the top, these two monkeys needed a boost to climb so high.

Contemplating Branch's little "math just for fun" book.

Hiding in the corner of the room to work on telling time.

Gotta have schoolroom clean-up soon.

Friday and Saturday

The boys worked diligently all day Friday on speech memorization and guitar practice. We headed to the Georgia National Fair at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning and were very pleased to discover that Stennes' Cobbler Bench Table won First Place. Teresa's boys won quite a lot, too. Josiah placed 8th in his fishing lure mini-booth. It was a nice morning for us.
Anders and Josiah ended up competing against each other in speech. We were very pleased when Anders won 4th place, which is great for his first time. He was also the only 5th grader who made the final cut. Josiah won 1st place and the Grand Prize for overall performance.

Stennes had stiff competition at his level, so we were pleased when he placed 3rd. The boys will be presenting their speeches one last time this coming Tuesday at their monthly performance at the nursing home.

We had an "extra son" with us, the boys' favorite pal. The Fair is huge with literally thousands of people, so it's always a little tricky keeping track of little ones. We had a really nice time even though it was quite warm outside.

Poppins treated us to rides on the Sky Lift, which was really fun. The Girl and Mean Ol' Mama brought up the rear and enjoyed watching those in front of us.

Towards the middle of the day, Anders gave his cap to The Girl to protect her from the sun. We all brought home fond memories of our day at the Fair, some ribbons to put away, and sunburn. It was a great day, but to be honest the kids had just as much fun (if not more) at the McDonald's playground on the way home. We're simple folks...

Wednesday and Thursday

Yummy breakfast!! Chicken? Fried pork chop? Nope, it's a true southern delight...fried frog legs. Truly, truly. Mean Ol' Mama didn't even touch them. The boys took a nibble, and the rest went to ye olde dogs. Poppins' friend from work sent them home as a treat/joke. Attitude adjustment exercises. It's amazing how 60 push-ups can help a heart be a little more cheerful. Enough said.

Josiah is sitting in the early morning light, faithfully reciting his speech that he's memorizing for state competition on Saturday.

The Girl has been working through her Spanish math workbook. She really enjoys working with numbers.

The photo below shows half of the mariachi group waiting in the hall at the College. We performed two numbers and were invited back for a much longer performance during the College's International Studies Week in November. We were very proud of the kids.

Stennes works diligently on his classical guitar pieces. Unfortunately, he was taken Wednesday evening to the ER for lacerations to his right index finger. Seven stitches, many bandages, and antibiotics later, we came home late. He'll be fine; there was no lasting nerve damage, but the cut was long and deep. We're thankful that the damage will heal eventually. For now, though, no guitar. He's disappointed.

After the attitude adjustment, Spanish math went much smoother. Why is it "Spanish math"? Because they also have to do math work in English for vocabulary and language development.

Stennes set up a light on the porch to attract insects for his collection. The little ones really enjoyed watching the parade of different bugs.