Simple Woman's Daybook

For today....August 24th, 2009

Outside my window... the sun is shining in a beautiful blue sky, but I can already tell the days are getting shorter.

I am thinking...about what I want to do this evening - how much housework vs. how much reading

I am thankful...for the good day of school we had and for a daughter who can laugh at herself

From the learning rooms...We are starting our third week of school, and they are learning about the beginning of the Civil War.

From the kitchen...we had stroganoff tonight with rotini noodles...and the swirly noodles (instead of the normal egg noodles) caused quite the discussion at the dinner table!

I am wearing...a t-shirt, denim shorts, and no socks

I am creating...I actually have something to fill in this blank this time!!! I am cross-stitching a killer whale scene...but who knows how long it will actually take me.

I am going...No where tonight, but tomorrow will be checking on the house of a friend of ours who is out of town. We had lunch with my parents, sister, and niece earlier today.

I am reading... I John Chapter 5....and just finished a book on my Kindle, so need to see what else I have waiting on there for me :-) (I love that machine!)

I am hoping...for an uneventful evening

I am hearing... the dishwasher running with our supper dishes inside, Dr. Quinn playing on the TV, and two boys quietly talking as they build card houses

Around the house...the usual full laundry basket with clothes waiting to be folded, chairs askew at the table from a family dinner, a few school books still laying around

One of my favorite things...a quiet evening at home

A few plans for the rest of the week...lunch out with friends, school, Seely has college orientation on Friday

I've just changed computers, so don't have any photos on this one yet....maybe next time!

Monkey's First Day of School

Today, Monkey began his official schooling as a kindergartner! He was quite diligent about completing his work for the day.

He began with math, which he declared "easy" as it simply involved sorting by shape and color.

Math was followed by some phonics games where he had to match his upper and lower case letters, and practice writing the letter Aa. We are trying out a new phonics program this year. I loved the one I've used in the past, but after having taught through it three times I was very ready for something different.

He worked hard right up until the end, but once the books were away, he started telling me that it was hot in here, and he laid down on a pillow on the floor and stayed there. Those of you who know him in real life know that laying around is NOT something this child does when he is healthy. So the poor little guy has spent the afternoon sitting in the bowl chair and generally looking and feeling miserable. His older brothers have decided that he must be sick of school already.

A Very Special Day

Today was our church picnic and baptismal service. About three weeks ago, both Seely and Random came to us individually and each of them told us they would like to be baptized. This past week, they met with their youth pastors to share their testimony and to talk more in-depthly about what it meant to be baptized. They each decided they were ready to take this step of publicly stating their faith and their desire to truly follow Christ. It was a bit of an emotional day to see them both publicly claiming the faith that we have taught them as their own.

Ten people were baptized today, including two of our sons, and three family friends.
Seely's youth pastor took several moments to speak quiet words of blessing and to pray for him. And then down he went.

Followed by a hug to a man who has meant alot to him.Then it was Random's turn.
His youth pastor also took a few moments for a prayer and some quiet words of blessing.
And then down he went. And back up with a smile.

Just a few minutes later, Seely was accepted into the membership at our church.

History Camp 2009

This last week Mango and Lily attended History Camp at our church. This is definately NOT the way any of us were taught history! All week they studied the life of Abraham Lincoln. They built log cabins out of large pretzel sticks, and gargled as they "sunk" down to help them remember that Abe was born in the town of Sinking Springs. One day, they split "logs" (watermelon) as that apparently was one of Abe's early jobs. On Thursday, they even had a visit from the man himself, who told stories about his life.

And on Friday, at the end of class, they all sat in Ford's theater watching a play as Lincoln was assassinated.

And those students who "misbehaved" in class were given the old-school consequence. (Only Random would actually think this was cool and ask to bring the hat home!) Actually, both Random and Seely served as teacher's assistants to the class, as they are both History Camp veterans and absolutely LOVED it.