Update for September and October

Yes, it has been awhile since I have been able to update my blog. It has been a busy couple of months.

Homeschooling
Homeschooling has been going very well. I think we have a nice routine in place, but there is still enough flexibility in our schedule to make adjustments. Sometimes I try to get us started early so we can get ahead for the day just in case something comes up and we need to alter our normal day. We started out working around a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom theme. This was so fun. We made alphabet cookies together and opened up a coconut. Ethan insisted on trying some of the coconut milk from the shell using a straw. I think he must have seen this technique on a cartoon. I tried to warn him but he insisted. Needless to say, it was hilarious to see his expression when he tasted the coconut milk. He is learning to read really well. When we went to the library last week, he picked out this enormous book called The Way Things Work. It was a daunting choice as far as I was concerned. Again, I tried to persuade him to make another selection, but he thumbed through it and was hooked. So I relented and he has been bugging me ever since to buy it from the library. I guess we have found a possible Christmas gift for him already. Maybe one day he can explain all that stuff to his mother. He and Clint built a mechanical beetle that avoids objects one day. Again, I was duly impressed and thankful that Clint could do this with him, since building a motor from scratch is something I have never done. We have begun our unit on The continents and will be looking at North America first. This coincides perfectly with Columbus, pilgrims, the colonial time,thanksgiving, etc. I am learning some art right alongside the kids as we work through an art curriculum together. Our favorite projects thus far have been sketching Waco's historic Alico building, and making a crayon etching picture of a fish. One of our most enjoyable times each morning is when we sing various songs and go over our bible memory work. Sometimes it gets a little wild; we sing,dance and bang our homemade musical instruments as we march around the house, but the praise is unrivaled. On Friday we are taking a field trip to Washington-on-the-Brazos. I will update you on that trip when we return.

Birthdays
September and October are busy birthday months around here. Laurel had a princess dress-up party this year for her 4th birthday. We made a castle from the swingset. Her cakes were a castle decorated with various candies and a dragon. Said dragon was later demolished during the pinata affair. This year, Clint bought Laurel her first flowers. They came in a really sweet vase that had a daisy on it. Isn't she adorable ?Malcolm is turning one this week. I cannot believe my little baby is going to be a year old. And then again, it is hard to remember a time when he was not a part of our family. He is getting ready to walk and has already had 2 haircuts. See the pic of his first haircut with Erica at Smartypants. We are having friends, family, and church over on Wednesday for cake, songs, and baby games. Family is coming back over on Saturday for a fiesta. I made tamales this week and we will cook up some fajitas too.









Malcolm's 1st haircut





Laurel with her Daddy and her 1st flowers








Malcolm in his ducky tub
"What a darling!"












Soccer
We have been pretty busy with soccer games and practices too. It has been a great learning experience for us all --both child and parents. I had no idea how much I would want Ethan to excel at athletics. I have had to learn to start each game by asking the Lord to let me see Ethan as He sees him and not as a mother who wants her child to be the best on the team, or even what one would call a good player. Ethan had thoroughly enjoyed playing and has learned so much about how to play a game on a team with others. He's also learned some soccer basics along the way. Next week is our last game.





Soccer playmates --Benjamin, Ben, and Ethan









Church
The past 6 weeks or so, our church has been meeting every other Wednesday evening to pray and wait on the Lord to see what he has to share with us. It has been a powerful unifying factor. This past week, Clint went and the church prayed for our upcoming trip to B.C. We will leave next Wednesday for Victoria to visit and meet with Oaklands Chapel. Clint and I are excited about this prospect and the kids ask about our move to Canada every day. Last week Ethan had what I thought a brilliant idea. He thought we should have a moving van drive all of our things up there while we all fly up in an airplane. Sounds good to me, Son. This morning at our fellowship, we discussed the need for dependence upon Christ and upon each other. Thad shared about his recent trip to New Mexico and climbing Mt. Wheeler. He found out a year ago that he has MS and to mark the occasion he went with two brothers from the church to New Mexico to climb this peak. He relayed how much of a physical challenge this was for him and how he had to call on Jesus continually. I am so blessed by this brother. He is such an encouragement to our church. Isn't the view on the peak of Wheeler breathtaking?