Wordless Wednesday

Here are some family pictures from our January trip to Myrtle Beach.

The Historian

Wild Thing

The Crafter

Sweetie, the Chemist, and Wild Thing

Homeschool Achievement Day 2008

     Homeschool Achievement Day was last Saturday at our church. I signed the Crafter up for her first piano performance and to present an astronomy project from Exploring Creation with Astronomy. I thought we had taken more pictures, but we ended up with only a few. So stupid me thought we should type up her narrations from each lesson. Then we couldn't find them, so the Crafter and I spent 2 solid days reconstructing narrations from all 14 lessons. This was our first experience with a project deadline. Thank God we homeschool. The Historian did not like us working so hard on it. He kept telling us that we should have started earlier. I don't think this family could survive regular school.

     To make matters more complicated, my parents and grandmother and the Historian's father were all coming too. So there was all of the emergency house cleaning to do. The Crafter and I worked frantically to finish the project, vacuum, dust, clean the kitchen, hang out laundry, and clean the bathrooms while the Historian kept up with Wild Thing and Sweetie.  We had Chinese take-out for lunch which simplified things greatly.

     All in all the visit went well. I drove the van with the children.  My parents and grandmother followed me and the Historian and his dad went in the truck.  When we got to church, I was informed that my brake lights weren't working.  We couldn't do anything about it on a Saturday afternoon, so we went in and set up the astronomy project.   The Crafter played her pieces very well during the music recitals.  Everything was nice until intermission when Sweetie wet her pants. Fortunately, God told me to pick up a pair of extra shorts before we left. That's the only reason I had them. When Achievement Day was over, we all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. The Historian took Wild Thing and the Crafter roller skating. I went home with Sweetie in the van with no brake lights. We made it home safely, but the van saga was just beginning...

Here are some pictures from the Crafter's project:

   

This is the solar system model.  Jupiter is a watermelon.

  

Lava on Venus.

  

Preparing for the eruption of Olympus Mons.

    

 Hurricane tube from the Jupiter lesson.

Confessions of a lurker

I am a lurker.

I read forums and rarely post.

I read blogs and rarely comment.

I benefit greatly from information freely given.

I receive daily encouragement.

I pray for others' needs.

Sometimes I leave a note of thanks, condolence, or encouragement.

Those notes are few and far between because

I am a lurker.

A lurker is the internet equivalent of shy.

I have been shy all of my life.

I am never the center of attention.

I am not comfortable going up to strangers and introducing myself.

I usually won't be the first to welcome you.

It's not that I'm unfriendly.

I'm afraid of rejection, but I'm working on that.

I don't have a ton of acquaintances.

I do have a few good friends.

I am a good listener and if someone needs something, I'm there.

Once you get to know me, I'll talk you ear off.

I try to be the extrovert that I'm not.

I thought the "safety" of the internet would help,

But I'm still a lurker.

I'm trying.

I've joined some forums and communities.

I've managed to somewhat keep up a blog for half a year.

I've reached out a few times.

Sometimes someone reaches back, sometimes not.

That's the way things are.

I'll never be the bubbly one or the popular one.

I am the way God made me.

And if He likes me, that's enough.

End of AWANA

AWANA finished up for the year last Sunday.  The children all love it.  Our church doesn't have AWANA, but they go to a near-by church.  This is the first year all 3 attended. 

The Crafter finished up her first year of T&Ts, her 5th year in AWANA.  She finished her book, just barely, and received a First Book Award.  We had to get a waver on "the bring a friend" requirement.  That is always so hard for her because we don't know a lot of kids to invite.  The Crafter's friends are either already in AWANA or they live too far away to come with us on Sunday night.  She did try.  Her teacher let her to make a list of names and allowed that to count.   The Crafter was Clubber of the Month for April.  Mama's proud.

Sweetie went to Puggles.  Really it's just a nursery, but the workers were wonderful.  Sweetie often says "I go Puggles."  I don't know what we'll do next Sunday when it's time to "go Puggles".

Wild Thing started going to Cubbies after Christmas.  He did OK.  He liked the games.  He placed second in the AWANA Grand Prix for the Cubbies.  But here's what Mama is proud of.  Wild Thing was very generous with his AWANA bucks at the AWANA store.  He spent most of them on the Crafter.  He bought her a My Little Pony!  I still can't get over this spontaneous act of generosity. 

We're going to miss AWANA.