Finally

The kids really enjoyed the otters and seals. They were happy to watch them for a long while; it didn't hurt that we were out of the rain watching them. The seals did lots of tricks and showed off appropriately. I had taken ponchos for everyone, so we were well prepared for the weather. The rain came intermittently at first, but it was steady by the end of our visit. That didn't stop the boys from climbing on these eggs though.

Cold, wet, tired, and hungry the boys waited on a bench for me to stop looking at the elk. "You can see those in Yellowstone, Mom!"

#4 and #5 had a great first visit to the zoo. I thought the leaves on the bench were attractive. Fall is definitely on the way. Now I need to find time to get through the clothes and see what the boys can still wear.

More Zoo

We enjoyed looking at the elephants. There was an educational area about tracking elephants in Africa. We found that interesting after our Africa studies.

The boys liked the baboons. We stopped a couple of times to watch them. There is a baby baboon that was getting a ride on its mother. They were also digging int he dirt a lot. It is amazing how much like boys they are!

This is a neat tree that was perfect for picture taking. They all wanted to sit on it of course. I don't know if it grew like that for a reason or if it was just a fluke. The other picture is an ostrich eating at a termite mound. I don't think the mounds are real, but it was definitely eating something there.

NC Zoo

These are my boys last week at the zoo. It was the first time #4 and #5 had been to a zoo. The NC Zoo is a good one to be a first, since it is so large and the animals are in their "own habitats" so to speak. I will post more pictures in the next few days, but I thought I would start with the giraffes.

There is a deck to walk out on, and the zoo keepers happened to be there feeding some leaves to the giraffes. We were able to feed them, too. The kids held twigs of leaves through the deck fencing slats, and the giraffe grabbed the leaves with her tongue.

All of the boys were able to try it, and seemed pretty pleased with themselves. This particular giraffe is about one and a half years old.

Ghostly Visions of Sleep

I just woke from an hour of blissful sleep. We had a 4-H fundraiser at the Farmer's Market this morning, and it was COLD! I did wear my long socks, a winter coat, and my scarf, but my blood hasn't adjusted yet. So after a bowl of soup for lunch, I burrowed under a blanket on the couch for an hour and tried to recover from the week.

One of the events of the week was a doctor's appointment. I don't know why I don't go more often; it's such a pick-me-up kind of place. The doctor told me I'm old and fat. Thank goodness he didn't add forgetful when I said aloud that I thought it had been two years instead of three since my last visit.

He started by asking if there is anything I think they should know that I didn't already list. I imagine if I thought that it was relevant, I would have listed it. Anyway, I chose not to tell him about my ankle that I think I broke this summer. It's been long enough that it is close to healing on its own. If I can handle a broken ankle, I think I can manage about anything.

He told me I am very healthy, blood pressure at 110 over 70. I'm not sure how that could be when I feel like I am about to explode from stress, but maybe nights out with the girls are better than I realize. I went out that night for several hours with the girls. We enjoyed visiting and laughing, as well as bringing a new woman up on all of the important events in her new hometown.

The last six weeks have been a little more stressful because we have been trying to figure out if #1 is allergic to apples and red dye 40. It is a very difficult thing to keep those out of his diet. I managed to keep the apples out until yesterday, the last day of the apple-free-time. I gave a visual demonstration for the Envirothon team, and afterward gave out apple slices to the members. Without thinking I passed him a piece, and he ate it.

He did seem a little wired afterward, but that was hard to determine if it had more to do with being with a bunch of guys playing football, or if it was a reaction. Today at the Farmer's Market, he bought a cup of apple cider right before we left. When we got back home, I gave him a cup of applesauce and told him to wait 20 minutes before I would give him a test of concentration.

He came back in 20 minutes saying he had laid down, but was too jittery to rest, so he drew for a while. I gave him a math test, and he talked about a myriad of topics while he tried to complete the test. He started scratching as well.

After the test, I looked him over and sure enough, he was covered with a rash. So he took Benadryl, and we now have to wait 24 hours to test the red dye. I had hoped that one of the items is the problem, because I really, really don't want to put the boy on Ritalyn, but I was hoping for dye more than apples. Apples are actually a difficult thing to be allergic to. They are fairly inexpensive at any time of the year, travel well, and are convenient. Applesauce is great for sick tummies too. At least I know now and can try to think ahead before I need the apples.

These pictures have been of our cat, Luke. He showed up in the window a couple of weeks ago to say, "Hi." We opened the window to talk to him a bit, but he cried so pitifully we had to close it back. He reminded me of a ghost, which I thought was an appropriate picture series for today. The boys have been discussing Halloween, and what they want to be, for several weeks. Why don't ghosts come up anymore? Their friends talk about dressing as people I have never heard of, and mine talk about things like hunting ninjas with baseball bats. I was a butterfly when I was 12. Geesh.

Writing

Today is writing class. I have spent this week grading narratives, so that the kids can bring corrected copies to class today. It took me two hours to grade three stories! Something I have learned in this class is that most of the kids are as bad at it as my own children. It was a bit of a relief. I thought I would share #2's essay for the county fair. He didn't win anything, but I thought it was a clever essay. I think the judges were probably looking for more info about the fair itself. The theme was "Celebrating 90 Years at the Fair", and it was to be 100 words or less. Do you know what a cow does when you’re not looking? I do. You see, I learned from a calf named Sophie. She heard about the fair from her ninety year old grandmother who went to the first Pitt County Fair. So, she came to see if it was true. I met Sophie, and we went to the county fair together and had a great time. We ate funnel cakes and cotton candy and rode the rides. She talked to the other cows as I visited with my friends. Later we departed, so she went to her barn and talked to her family. Then my friends and I talked about it for a long time.

Harvest Delights

I spent some time this past week canning tomato products. #2 had a good many tomatoes, and his purpose in growing them was to make salsa to sell at the Farmer's Market. So we made 10 half-pints of salsa, and this weekend we head to the Farmer's Market to peddle his wares. I also found a great bargain on some produce at the store, so I chopped the store tomatoes up and made some tomato sauce. I finally got it canned this afternoon; 4 quarts.

I failed to mention in the last post that my writing students did very well at the county fair. The essays are in grade divisions, and we had 2 first place winners, 2 second place, a third place, and an honorable mention. Even those who didn't "win" were chosen to be in the display case! I will share the boys' stories soon.

Fair Winnings

Here are my "Award Winning Eggs". Yes, it was only second place. As one friend put it, I won 2 out of 1. There was only 'Lil Ol Me in the defunct egg division. HOWEVER, the man who was helping us get our things said that the judges were VERY impressed with my eggs. I told him they should have eaten them, then they really would have been impressed. This is #2's big money maker. He entered the Harvest Decoration Contest and received first place. He made a little town and put piles of leaves around it. $10!! This was the look he was originally going for, but then decided to put his painting in the art division. He got a participation ribbon. This is #1's attempt at a Harvest decoration. At the fair, he decided to put it in the art division, though. No money, but he did get a participation ribbon.

Fair Week

We went to the county fair on Tuesday. We usually go the same day as other friends so that the kids can see what each other did in the exhibit hall, and then they can hang out together on the mainway. We had been having trouble deciding which day to go since the weather was iffy the whole week, but we ended up with a great afternoon and evening. #2 was accidentally hiding in this group shot, but here we all are anyway. This is basically the boys' social group. There are my boys and two other families. We are all in 4-H, and we went to the fair after our business meeting.

This is the ride that #2 finished the fair with last year. Notice he isn't on it again. It is a free fall ride.

We enjoyed watching M. go up and up. She seemed very nonchalant.

Those are are her bare feet hanging over the side. I kept her shoes so they wouldn't fall off on the way down.

Her response was very different than I expected. #2 looked like he was terrified last year, and it was enough to still be memorable to him this year.

#1, I think, was trying to act big for the girls, so he rode a ride that he shouldn't have ridden. He never would have gotten on it in the past. Anyway, he had to stay off the rides for a while, and he drank a lot of water. His face was definitely a green color.

This is #2 and his very bestest friend. Sometimes they are joined at the hip. This ride helped to glue them permanently together!

The swings were popular with most of the kids. I remember hating them as a child. I rode them at Dollywood this summer with my niece, and they weren't so bad.

The funny part, to me, is that the boys like the slide just as much as the big, mechanical rides. I remember going down on feed sacks when I was a kid.

This was taken at the beginning of the evening before everyone was motion sick.

Best Bumping Buddies

The rest of the week flew by as usual. The writing class is going well, but #1's paper on WW1 for history class is beating his touchie. It isn't for writing class, so I guess it isn't as fun.

Co-op went fairly well this week. I didn't have any major problems with missing people. We had our Envirothon meeting afterward, and the boys seem to be doing well to me. Of course, I don't know a whole lot of what I'm talking about, so I am probably easily impressed. I hope to get some guest speakers for them after co-op is finished.

Today I had to get to the grocery store (3 of them) because we were about out of everything. We have taken #2 off of apples and red dye 40 to see if there is an allergy. It has made cooking, snacking, and shopping a little more difficult. We have one more week off of it before we do the testing to see if it is an issue.

Tomorrow we go to the fairgrounds to pick up our exhibits and to claim fair prizes. #2 has figured he won a total of $15. He is very interested in getting his hands on it! Monday we go to the zoo and I think he has plans for the money.

Categories

We have discovered a comminucation problem within our household. The parents thought they were clearly communicating, but alas, they were not. Several weeks ago, we were cleaning out the feedroom of the barn. There is a large pile of miscellaneous lumber in there, and #2 wanted to use some for his fort. He asked if he ought to sort it, and I said yes that would be a good idea. When we returned from burning the straw and feed bags (Mr. Air Quality Man, you didn't hear that.), there was wood laying all over the yard in front of the barn. "I thought you were going to sort the wood?" He did. There was a pile of what he would like to use, but wouldn't be allowed. Another pile for what he wanted to use and thought he could get away with, and a third pile for what he was sure he could have. Each pile had plywood, 2x4's, long pieces and short. By then it was too late in the evening, and he just tossed it all back in the feedroom, hoping for better luck next time. Over the weekend I had the boys help me clean the kitchen and pantry. While I was cleaning the kitchen and doing some cooking, they were taking turns clearing off the pantry shelves and washing it down. Then they would put back the canned goods, etc. When I went to get food out of the pantry later, I was stunned to see what they considered "sorted and organized." Then I saw the method to their madness. In the front of the shelf were the fruits, marshmallow cream, and snack foods. Pushed over to one side and stacked all together in no particular order were all of the vegetables. Their categorization was important to them, not to the cook. Everyone has their own priorities.

Praise the Creator of Heaven and Earth

The following is an excerpt of an essay I wrote this evening. The lightning bugs were on my parents' farm in WV. It was astounding. One evening last summer I sat out in the cool night air and watched lightning bugs. Some people call them fireflies, but West Virginians know them as lightning bugs. Wrapped in my light blanket, I watched, mesmerized, as the first blinking lights began. The bugs begin to crawl up from their grassy daytime nests, and perch on the end of tall stalks of grass. Gently they alight and flicker their greeting to the night and each other. It was a very good year for the lightning bug, and soon millions of them lit up the night. I hadn’t seen so many lightning bugs in my lifetime. When I was a child, I captured the glowing bugs in jars, removing their lights to smear on my bike wheels. The glowing wheels would flash through the dark as my brother and I sped around the yard. But this night was more amazing than any other. My parents retired inside, but I couldn’t leave the outdoors. I was in a trance. Pulled from my seat, I drifted into the front yard to see if the view there were any different. If anything, it was more astounding. From the yard, I was carried by the quiet beauty of the night past the new barn and into the pasture near the pond. As each new flash of light burst into brightness, another light would extinguish. Fireworks could not have been choreographed any better. Flashes to my right would flicker higher and higher, until the left would blaze forth in its own abundance of light. The answering glow of lightning bugs calling to one another left me breathless with excitement. As the night grew late, the light show ended. I watched as the blinking glows slowly gave way to the darkness and quiet of the cool summer air. I knew what I had witnessed was a production of immense proportions. Better than any movie or concert’s special effects, this was the lightning bugs’ praise to their Creator. The rocks had shouted forth, and the lightning bugs had echoed with their soundless worship.

Defiantly Joyful

These pink flowers bloom in the fall after we have a heavy rainfall. I don't know what they are; they came with the house. After we dug the pond a few years ago, I moved the bulbs from around the house to beside the pond. They didn't bloom the last couple of autumns. We had drought. But this year they were beautiful. The sunflower below was one of #2's science projects. They didn't get tall, but they were very cheery looking.

We had a fill-in preacher today since Hubby is out of town. Mark did a good job, though I think he was nervous. He talked about how Judah would turn to God when they felt like it, and then go off with other gods when they felt like it. He told a story of a friend who dated a girl here in town, but she also had a boyfriend back in her hometown. She was happy to be with the guy here, but when she really needed something, she would go back home to her real boyfriend. He compared that to our relationship with God. We stick with God when we really need something, but when it suits our fancy we will take whatever comes our way. One thing the "here boyfriend" said was, "She would be such a joy if she weren't so defiant to me." Boy, could God say that about us? I guess I have been defiant lately. I wrote last week about my husband saying my life is a mess. Basically I have gotten too busy, and I have put other things first. I am sure God is wishing I weren't so defiant. It is just so easy to be unconsciously defiant. I am busy with so many extracurricular activities, that I have about worn myself out. This weekend I have tried to keep going, but I just have to sit down and stop sometimes. I have forgotten that I am working a full-time job with homeschooling. It isn't enough to say that the things I do make a better education for my children if I am too busy to stop and spend time with them outside of school. It isn't enough to say that God is important in my life if I can't find the time to stop and listen to Him. I hope I can become a joy minus the defiance.

Fair or Unfair

These are the best tomatoes you will ever eat! #2 has definitely raised some tasty maters.

We finished fair projects this morning and headed out to get everything registered. The boys enjoy exhibiting articles at the county fair here. Well, not really. They like having the opportunity to get some money! #1 entered a painting and an essay. #2 entered tomatoes, a painting, pottery, an essay, and a contest for a harvest decoration. You see who really likes the money part! I entered eggs.

I have been wanting to enter some of my chicken eggs for several years, but it just hasn't worked out. So this year I planned on getting them there, and I saved good ones for a week. Guess what. No egg division this year. But the wonderful part of being in a "rural" small town area? They will make a division for you. Yep, that's right. They opened up a new division just for my eggs. I hope I win something or it will look really bad.

Last year my mother took the boys to the fair. I was out of town with Hubby at the Zoe conference. This year he is on his own. I was just too busy with the co-ops and other commitments. Yesterday morning I was wishing I had gone with him!

I received a call at 8:30 from a lady who had promised to cover for a teacher who was going to be gone for two weeks. The real teacher had never brought the lessons to her as she had promised. I had an hour to throw together two lessons for her to teach. (The lady teaches two of the co-op classes.)

As it turned out, the woman's husband was able to bring the materials, and it worked out, but man was I frustrated. How could I expect adults to act responsibly? It wasn't just having to come up with lessons just in case, but I was also trying to prepare for our first Envirothon meeting after the co-op. I decided I may not be the right person to sponsor the team. We will just have to learn together.

I had 4 boys, and we worked on lessons on soil and forestry. We found a couple of different soils and tried to determine what type of soil they were. The boys really liked that because they were very filthy by the end of it. They especially liked throwing the dirt balls at trees.

Then we took a short walk and tried to identify trees by their leaves and trunks. Yet another thing I will have to work on.

It all makes me wonder how I am going to have time to go to grad school. I think I should have gone to the Zoe conference with Hubby.

Homosexuality

I don't understand homosexuality, nature vs. nurture and all that. I do know, however, that I have a few gay animals. One of the goats, Madison, is in love with Emma. Madison still ovulates and is fertile, but she tries to mount Emma constantly. She chases and bites Emma just as if she were a billy after a nanny. She seems to despise Sam. Is she gay? Seems that way to me. I have a couple of transvestite hens, too. They have grown bigger than the roosters, with fancy shmancy tails and big combs and wattles. The other hens try to ignore them, even running them off from everyone else. The two are always together. They have no other friends. I have seen them circle each other like a rooster does before mounting. Today one of them "came out of the closet" so to speak. She started crowing, and kept it up all morning. I haven't had eggs from the two of them in a while, so I guess they have given in to their new persona. Why am I writing this? Well, last weekend I took several kids to a youth rally. I was very disappointed in the speaker. One of the things he did was put down gays and became very condescending. All I could think of was, "What if there is a kid here who needs to talk to someone? He/she certainly won't want to now." Oh be careful little mouth what you say. For the Father up above is looking down in love...and someone may need to hear from Him through you. Don't become another hen pecking at those who are different to keep their distance.

Lawyers and Doctors

One week ago today our baby was in a car accident. It wasn't serious, so I haven't mentioned it. A few days later, he started getting a truckload of mail from lawyers. The accident was so minimal that we had put it out of our minds. We were thinking he had signed up for something at the flying day he attended, but then we saw a letter from a chiropractor, and it fell into place. The other kids in the accident were comparing letters the other day. Some of them received lawyer trading cards! Commercialism. Yesterday the boys had art class at the university. The regular teacher was absent, so they had a substitute. The sub was our favorite art professor, and she stopped to talk to me a few minutes after class. "Your sons should be scientists, or lawyers, or docotors," she gushed. "They are so smart!" She continued to compliment us on our boys for quite a while. I told her I am hoping for a doctor and a lawyer, so they can support their mother in her old age. I just hope they don't turn into the kind that sends mail to accident victims.

The End

Our last day of Geography co-op was today!! Yeah!!! We love for it to come, and we love for it to go. I guess the part that gets to me is getting up early in the morning to cook a meal. Today I made Diri, a rice recipe from Seychelles and Hertzoggies, a layered meringue cookie from South Africa. That is the part I am glad is over. After co-op I went with a friend and her kids to play at the park. The kids played; we visited. It was a much needed break for me. This morning my husband told me my life is a mess. I guess I better tidy up a bit before I try to take on more. This weekend is unplanned, Hubby is out of town, and it is supposed to rain. Sounds perfect for doing some catching up. #2 heard a joke from a friend at the park: How do you make a blonde laugh on Friday. Tell her a joke on Monday.

Speed

I have the feeling that I have climbed aboard the bullet train in France, and I am now under the English Channel. I am moving at breakneck speeds and can't see a thing while I possibly am drowning. Therefore, tomorrow is a Home Economics Day. I thought about calling it a "Holiday", but the boys won't consider it that. So, a Home Ec Day it is. We have been gone so much lately that the house is beyond recognition, and it actually stinks. Yes, STINKS! You would think that if we haven't been home much that it would be a spotless home. What I mean when I say we haven't been home is that we have been gone in the evenings and parts of the days. The time that we are home in the day doesn't count since it is spent with schoolwork. It's like saying we are at school, when in actuality we are at home. I guess that's why it is called "homeschool". Friday was our first big co-op day. I spent the entire time chasing down people to get money, disburse money, and have paperwork signed. There were a few fires, but hopefully they have all been smothered. I guess we will find out this Friday. The boys had a good time, and I suppose that is what matters. #1 is taking a Classic Games class, a class on movies, and PE. Not much educational in that, but the movie class will help with his 4-H project, and he isn't in soccer this fall, so PE was a good choice. The game hour satisfies his need to socialize. It's a pretty BIG need. #2 is taking something called Discrete Mathematics that is very much hands-on. He loves that! Then he is in Microbiology with a friend from church. She has a PhD in microbiology, so I can't ask for better. Finally he is taking an art class; this past week was clay. He enjoyed the messiness. Hubby just told me that Fox News is reporting that Obama has proposed a longer school day for kids and a shorter summer break. #2 heard and said he doesn't think so. "Kids are in school long enough. Would you want to sit in a class and listen to someone for a third of your life?! Kids are already in school too long." There you have it; out of the mouths of babes. Saturday #2 went to a Flight Day with his buddy. They actually were able to fly a plane! He said it made him a little scared when the plane was at an angle, but it was thrilling just the same. Now he has a whole new interest. He put a website on my desk for me to look up some things for him. #1 and I went to a youth rally on Saturday. It didn't go well, and I decided that it was not the place for us. The other chaperone and I took the kids back to the building to have pizza and watch a movie. The kids had a good time with that, AND I was back before 10:30, which had been the predicted time table. #1 did not get a part in the play. They said they didn't have a part for him in this one, but to try again next semester. It is actually ok with me. Like I said, the train is moving fast and we're taking in water.

A Teacher's High

Yesterday was our writing class. I have 8 students, including two of my own, and we meet once a week for about an hour and a half. This was our third class, and I have to say I was not ready for the response. When we began the class, it was regarded as a punishment by nearly every student. Writing is not FUN, and certainly if we mothers understood the torture of it, we would surely pull our kids right out of class. I tried starting class with public contests, so that the motivation of winning lucre might take effect. Yes, they want to win, but no, they don't want to write. One essay had to be 100 words, and the other had to be 500. They were stunned and mortified. But then yesterday we began writing with adjectives and action verbs to enhance our writing, and you would not believe the remarks those kids were making. "Can't we write more?!" "What! Only 100 words! That's not enough." I told them after this contest we will take their short essays and write longer fiction. Several of them cheered, "Yes!" I was so excited myself. It was such a pleasure to see them enjoy writing and working together. They were typing their stories the last half hour, and each was sharing what he/she was writing. It was a wonderful teacher high.

What Did You Learn Today At School?

Home schooling offers up a lot of unique educational experiences. We can cozy up in the living room and read a book together, or we can meet with other families to learn as a group. When you are alone with your children, you can laugh at the strange ideas and games they invent. When you join other families, you risk offending them with your children’s oddities. Take, for example, the Phileas Fogg Geography Club. For about four years now we have been gathering with several other families to learn about different regions of the world. One of the moms will give a quick “tour” through the region, and then each child will present a country’s interesting geographic and cultural facts. We share foods from our countries, and then head home having enjoyed a meal and learned some interesting facts about our world. After lunch, the kids run outside to play for a while, and the moms enjoy a quiet moment of visiting with other adults. It all seems very benign, until the children enter the scene. Today the boys auctioned off the girls. It has come up several times that in some African cultures, men will pay a girl’s parents for the right to marry her. The boys decided this was an interesting fact to pick up on, and developed a “game” of auctioning off the girls. #1, the self-proclaimed auctioneer, came inside to inform one of the mothers that her daughter’s price was now up to five goats. Thankfully the mother played along and said she would prefer something different than a goat as she didn’t have a need for five goats. Another girl wandered in and said she had only sold for one chicken. I started to tell her that she needed to work on selling herself, but caught myself in time. I think I said she needed to improve on her self-promotion. When we left, #2 told me that he had bought R. for five goats and twenty chickens. I asked why G. only sold for a single chicken and R.’s price was so high. Well, that was obvious. G.’s brother didn’t want to buy her, and that left A.P. without any competition for the bidding. “So, how much did N. go for,” I queried. The reply, “Who would want to buy her? She’s too young to be able to take care of you.” So in Geography today we learned that demand is limited by desire of the market. I learned that girls aren’t worth anything until they can take care of you. And I learned that my sons will spend my animals (money) without asking first. I also learned that my friends are just as odd as we are.

Fasting Ended

Fasting went well in my opinion. I started my fast the night before, and the boys started after breakfast. About 10:30 #1 asked what is for lunch, and then realized there wasn't going to be lunch. That was when I told him when you fast, and the hunger hits you, you pray for whatever it is you are fasting. After that, I would hear him wander into the kitchen to get something to eat, and then say, "God, help the kids that won't eat today." It was said with a deep sigh, but it was said. We ended up breaking the fast at ten hours for both of them, and 22-23 hours for me. They had parties to go to, and I didn't want them feeling sick at the parties. #1 told me he learned that he didn't like fasting. I don't know how much he learned about the children in Africa and their situation, but maybe it will strike a chord later. I, on the other hand, realized how much eating is a habit for me. I wasn't necessarily hungry some of the time, but I would start toward the kitchen because it was time to start cooking. My routines around the house were more noticeable. That made me think how sad it would be to NOT have a routine of cooking and eating.

Fasting

Our Geography Co-op is studying Africa this year. We meet once a week for six weeks and learn about the regions and countries of the continent. Each child researches a particular country, and then presents the information. Then we all share a lunch of foods from the regions’ countries. Our most recent region was Tropical East Africa. I had sent out a link to a website that our family has used a lot for this year’s study. It is easily navigated, and the recipes are usually made from things I already have in the house. One of the mothers called to say she couldn’t find anything on her children’s page. I told her I, too, was having a hard time finding recipes for my children to try. We discussed different reasons for the lack of recipes, and decided that it must be that no one has really researched that area before. We were wrong. It seems that there are few recipes, because there is so little food available. It isn’t that they don’t like to cook, it is that they have nothing to cook. As we shared our meager lunch, one mother gave a visual lesson. She showed the children how much rice they would receive if they lived in the country her children had presented. It was one bowl of rice. After that sank in, she gave us the rest of the news: a week. Yes, one bowl of rice a week. Another child had given a visual lesson, too. She had us stand in groups of four and then send a representative to the stage. All of us left on the floor were dead. The statistics say 3 out of 4 children die by the age of 2. We wondered if it wouldn’t be better to die as a babe than to survive and endure such hunger. Tomorrow my children and I will fast for the day to help us understand what it must be like to want to eat and not be able to eat. How well will we think with our stomachs grumbling? Will we have the energy to do the work that needs to be completed? Will tempers flare? We will see. It won’t be a true test for us. We know there is food waiting at 7:00 to be eaten. We know that there is a pantry full if we just can’t last. But maybe it will be a lesson to remember. Who will remember these children when our lessons have ended? Will our prayers for them end as well? I didn’t know of them before, will I casually forget to know them again? God asks us to love, give, serve, share, provide. What can I do, a stay-at-home mother just trying to educate her children? First, I can continue to provide these lessons for my sons. Perhaps they will grow up to be men who feed the hungry. Secondly, I can continue to help feed those in my community who are hungry. Thirdly, I can share my wealth through an adoption program or some other charitable giving. Most importantly, I can refuse to forget. I can fast more often, to pray for these hungry ones. I can tell others about them. I can post notes about them to remind me. I can do whatever God shows me to do. After all, I am a mother, and a real mother feeds her children.

Restoration or Reformation

I was raised in a Restoration Movement church. That means the basis of the beliefs for the church come from a desire to restore the church that Christ instituted. My husband went to a Reformation Movement seminary for one of his degrees. There most of my friends were Reformationists. That means they are part of the movement to change what the church became to what it once was. Basically, both are a lot of wordage for, "Let's get back to what Christ intended." Today at church I had the feeling that our congregation is well on the way to being what Christ would approve. (I know pride goeth before a fall, so I hope this is being said in the humblest of ways!) Singing was led by a local company's VP, communion thoughts by a come to Christ later in life white man, prayer led by a born and raised CoC black man, communion served by a convicted criminal, a white, PhD female, and a young, white, high school graduate. One of the working class elders announced that a single, half-Korean woman was approved to adopt a child. A divorced woman in her fifties and a teen-aged girl read the Scriptures. My Dr. Husband gave the sermon. I sat next to people with no education and with PhDs. There were traditional families and single parent families. There were criminals present, and straight-laced goody-two-shoes. There were people who have experienced abuse, and those who have lead an easy life. People from all backgrounds of religion, culture, and economic status were present. The only thing that we could truly have said that made these people come together was a need to worship the one who saved them all from Hell. Christ. I hope you were honored and pleased, Lord.

Whew!

I had 5 children all day Monday and tried to work. I had Geography co-op Tuesday, came home to complete schoolwork, and then left for a night time meeting. Wednesday I hosted a registration for another co-op, then went to a friend's house to work on writing up all the lists on a website. Church and dinner out were a welcome change. Today we spent the morning trying to yank words out of boys' mouths to put into a paper that was due at 12:30 in the writing class I was teaching. Left there to drop off one kid at a charity to volunteer, and went to pick up the other three from school. Brought them home, set up dinner in the crockpot, and headed back to get the kid from volunteering. Thus there have been no posts. Sorry.

A Home Is A Home For Me

A house is not a home until there are eggs bubbling in vinegar on the windowsill, baby shrimp growing by the furnace, tiny plants piercing through bean seeds, and bugs in your freezer. A house is not a home until the walls are filled with paintings, paper-mache statues, maps, and timelines. You can not consider it a home until sewing and knitting projects sit on a chair, books are strewn across the rug, and carved soap is in the sink. Home is where sports equipment fills the yard, tree branch forts adorn the porch, and deer hides dry in the afternoon sun. A house is for people, and a home is for chicks and ducklings, baby goats, turtles, gerbils, cats, and dogs. A home is filled with music: piano, guitar, singing voices, and the radio. A home allows questions about religions, explores cuisine of other cultures, and guides its members through life. A home does not mind candle wax on the floor, colored potions on the counter, or collections in the dryer. A home celebrates achievements and commiserates with failures. A home prepares its members to leave and anticipates their return. Life begins and ends at Home. My Sweet Home.

Half Amish

I get teased a lot about being half Amish. I am a little different from most of my friends in that I mill my own flour, bake from scratch, make my own yogurt, and now, my own laundry detergent. I raise chickens and goats and enjoy their "products". I was telling someone the other day about some home schoolers who are stereotypical, "You know. They make their own bread and yogurt." Then I realized that I may be stereotypical myself! However, I think this one breaks the stereotype. I am brewing beer in my kitchen. Yes, the preacher's wife is brewing beer. When the preacher is gone, the preacher's wife will play! Actually, it is ginger beer from Liberia. That is #2's country for geography co-op this week, and ginger beer was high on the list of favorite foods. It is made of LOTS of ginger, pineapple, molasses, and yeast. I concocted it last night and it has sat out since. I don't really know how long it is to sit out before straining, so it might be a bit strong. Beer at a co-op. Now that is atypical for home schoolers.

Sea Goddess

I was told that I looked like a Sea Goddess today. Yes, a Sea Goddess! I have been called many things in my lifetime, and thankfully they are usually nice things... a good mother, a loving wife, intelligent, organized, helpful, a good friend... but I have never been called a Sea Goddess. This comes during a bit of a mid-life crisis for me. I have been watching my body metamorphose into a middle aged lady who is active, but evidently not active enough to retain her youthful figure. As I posted recently, my first born is about to enter puberty, and I am entering my forties. I am not mourning the change or losing my identity, but I am having trouble recognizing myself. I still enjoy dancing around the kitchen. I like to flirt with my husband. I have tried some new make-up colors, and I am still considering what to do with my hair. But I do not shop. I do not enjoy clothes shopping, first of all, because it involves spending money for something that I essentially already have. It seems wasteful to me. I also do not enjoy shopping because very few clothiers understand the metamorphic changes that I have undergone. I need to look young, but not show everyone all of the places on me that really are not young. Yesterday I went clothes shopping at one of my favorite stores where they do seem to have an idea of what a middle aged woman needs to look stylish. My everyday shirts have been worn, uh, everyday and are looking a bit, um, worn. So I decided that as I only have two shirts that really are nice enough to wear out of the house, and I do plan on leaving the house, that perhaps I ought to go shopping. Much to my delight, and my husband's surprise, I found a great sale at the aforementioned store. It is difficult in this new body to know what looks good. Nothing is where I left it, and some new visitors have arrived without directions for their costuming. After two hours of trying on clothes- a horrid torture for someone who thinks you should get dressed and stay that way until you go to bed- I found several articles that seemed appropriate. I bought 7 shirts, 2 pair of pants, and one pair of shorts. I had no shorts before. I know, I live in NC, the Land of Heat and Humidity, but the shorts I did have didn't change with the rest of me, and I was left shorts-less. I walked out of the store feeling proud of my new attire, if a little uneasy at how it would look on me. I wore a new pair of pants and blouse today to church, and bless her soul, one of the teens came to me afterward to say that I reminded her of a Sea Goddess, all blue and flowing! She has no idea what that means to me. Certainly a Goddess was not a level to which I had aspired. I would have been happy with, "You look nice today." My Wednesday evening small group has been reading/discussing a book entitled When Did I Stop Being Barbie and Become Mrs. Potato Head? It has provided a lot of much-needed laughter. Last week was about how old we feel. As I have a harder time bending, walking, and kneeling, I have wondered how old do I really feel. My heart is young when I am intimate with my husband, laugh with my children, talk with a friend. I think of my future as lasting a long time still. I am making plans, looking forward, seeing fresh beginnings. But when I look in the mirror it all fades into what used to be and isn't anymore. My children are growing. My husband is graying. My parents are aging. My grandparents gone. The Bible verse that was highlighted in our reading last week was Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." I took from that to be aware of the days that I am in, and not to look too far back or forward. Wisdom comes in living this day that I have been given and not in wishing for a different day. So for today I will do some work, play a bit, and rest, too. I will not complain about my back or my feet. I will enjoy my children at the age they are. I will revel in being a Sea Goddess.

That'll Teach You

This is our sweet little Lukey. He is such a lovable cat. He will curl up in your arms and purr, or follow you around the farm. He will even let the kids hang him upside down. He likes to take walks with us. He really wishes he were Kelly, the dog. You see Kelly gets to come inside and be with people whenever she wants. Luke will do about anything to get inside. We often wallk out the door with full hands and have to yell, "Someone get the cat!" He is fast.

However, if he keeps this up he will go the way of Sam.

Sam cried and cried for his women. No, he didn't lose his voice. I was walking in the neighborhood on Tuesday and could hear him crying from quite a distance. I was still thinking about charging that aesthetics fee, but the price was getting lower as I listened to the wails.

Of course there is the peeing on your face. Now that has to be worth something to see. He stood on top of the goat house bleating for help out, then peed on his face to entice the girls. No wonder they just left him in there. I don't understand billy goats.

He rested for a little while, but when Hubby and the boys got back from their Guys Night Out, Hubby asked why Sam was in the driveway. That's right. Amore reigns. He learned that he could put his front legs on the woven wire fence, give a mighty leap, and be free. Of course that still left him outside of the girls' fence, but I put him in so that he wouldn't destroy the neighbors' property. I don't think the aesthetics fee would cover the damages.

So today when a lady drove by and asked if I have any goats for sale, I answered, "You're in luck!" Tomorrow a man should come and get Sam for his holiday dinner. If only that lesson could be taught to high school boys!

No Such Thing As Normal

The glasses arrived on Saturday. We had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity. The mail came while we were doing yard work, and I didn't tell #2 about the glasses until it was finished. I figured he didn't need to learn about sweat and glasses first thing. He seems to be excited about wearing them. He tells everyone about them, and loves showing them off. I think he is quite handsome in them myself. But this morning he came to me saying, "We have a problem." He has already broken them. We got the bendable ones so that they would last longer on this rough and tumble kid. However, they are so FUN to bend that he has done it too much.

So this morning, while trying to teach school, prepare for a writing class I am teaching this afternoon, clean house before guests arrive, and various other duties, I super glued my fingers to eyeglass frames, tried soldering them and dropped solder on the floor, and finally gave up saying wear them like old lady glasses. Then I ordered a replacement pair off the internet.

You see, this is a "normal" day for us. Abnormal would be getting our work done with no interruptions. Sigh.

Co-op

Our home school group does something called "co-op" that allows our children to take classes with other home schooled children. The parents offer to teach classes, and the children get to choose which classes they are interested in. There are martial arts classes, art, phys. ed., cooking, writing, math, science, whatever a parent feels capable of teaching. One of the mothers in our group moved here from Nevada, and they had done something similar there. She wanted to be able to do it here, so she started it. That's what I like. A person who can have an idea and then implement it. But her daughter grew up, and now she isn't able to do co-op. She has other commitments. So this woman, who has been asking me to help her for a couple of years, decided that I must have answered yes. Now, somehow, I find myself in charge of this behemoth. There are about 100 kids involved, and it seems, nearly as many parents. I have always taught and helped out in general ways, but this year I am the LEADER. I told my friend that I wasn't nice enough to do such a thing, but she didn't believe me. Now the truth is starting to show. I don't deal well with idiots. I have room for people who don't know better. I have grace for those who make mistakes. But I do not have patience with grown people who need me to walk every step of the way with them and hold their hands. There I said it. I am not nice enough. So that explains why I haven't been posting for a while. I am busy tring to handhold adults while educating my own children. Sound a little irritated, don't I? ------------- Today is a much smaller co-op that I organize every fall with a few families. We study geography, and this year it is Africa. Last week I gave a presentation on Africa, and then each kid gave a presentation on a physical trait of Africa. Then we shared a food from our different areas. This week my boys will share presentations on Egypt and the Canary Islands. So last night, as I tried to write, clean, take care of co-op, etc., I was also making chocolate banana sponge roll from the Canary Islands. Now this morning I am making flat bread to make the fast food of Egypt- shawerma. I bought the meat at a restaurant. I'm not a complete fool.