Signs and Busy-ness

We had a great long weekend! It was too rainy to camp. We were actually just going to camp in the backyard and see how the dog would handle a real camping trip and if we could sleep with her around! We ended up doing some VERY productive house-cleaning. We are out of that puppy mess stage a bit so we shampooed the carpets. We had 40+ people over Tuesday night from our church lifegroup, so it was crazy!
The kids are into catching lightning bugs (or fireflies), they get on their jammies each night and go out and catch 30 or more in just a few minutes - our backyard looks like Christmas trees about 8:00 each night. Byron and I both have fond memories of sleeping with big jars full next to our beds when we were little and waking up to the stench of dead bugs. Was it just one night, or am I remembering a week later? The kids have always heard me say there are not enough lightning bugs, so they didn't want to risk killing them and they let them all go. That is pretty cool too - to open the lid and see a shower of lights zooming out, dumping them out and watching the grass glow.

I made several signs in the Bob Coffey tradition. I am actually thinking about making some to sell - or put at a craft place. I may even do some custom special orders like Bob does. If you don't know who Bob is, you should go to www.coffeyad.com and see; notice our Blakely Homes sign is on the site (this is the sign we hung in front of custom homes Byron built back in the day). Bob spent the day with me once talking art and teaching me how to make signs, it made a big impression on me. I like having verses everywhere- it is part of that Biblical command in Deut. 6:9 to, "Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Actually the first sign pictured has already affected my children's behavior. The "Live Simply so others might Simply Live" sign (I didn't take a picture) seems to be the favorite.

We are almost done with school, although there is no definite last day - but, we are approaching a busy time when cousins finish school and are eager to play. I expect the last 2 weeks of actual schoolwork might be spread out some. The kids don't mind the summer work because so many of the homeschool families we know here go all summer. We are itching for some swimming or waterpark playing. Waco has a small waterpark that is only $4, but boy will we miss the beach and Arbor's pool in NC this summer! Love to all!

Hot Air Baloon

Ally and her softball team were practicing, when two hot air baloons landed on their practice field! They helped roll them up put them on the trucks. The man flying the baloon was the CEO of Curves (he's in yellow) - and he actually uses his baloon to witness to people! Pretty cool!

Track Meet

See how big Abby is getting? She is turning into SUCH a good dog, very calm (most of the time).

Okay, this is a terrible picture, but Ally is there lined up in the red shirt getting ready for the mile relay. Our homeschool group took part in a big track meet for private schools at Baylor University, it was very cool! It was for 4-8th grades. Ally did the 400 meter relay and the 1600 meter relay. They had not even practiced at all, and she didn't even know what a baton or a handoff was, but she did an EXCELLENT job. We are going to have to sign her up for more track events! She held on to a first place lead until the last 100 m, then a couple girls passed her at the end. I thought that was so good, not really learning to pace herself yet! The race was for 4-6th grades, and you can see, those girls are pretty big! Now, she has to go play softball tonight until 10:45! I hope I can keep up today! I hate that I didn't get any good pictures, but I was concentrating!

changing methods

Ally does her work on her bed in her room.

Gracie makes a nest for herself out of pillows on my bed and curls up to work.

Daniel has the treehouse all to himself.

I always said in teaching "normal" school that May calls for a total change of methods. I would move my classroom around, put up new bulletin boards, plan new ways of motivating students, and more active learning. So, we are doing that as well. My students get a touch a spring fever at this time of year and so I have to find some ways to keep them going. We will still be doing a lot of neat school stuff in the summer. We'll be catching up on art and Spanish that we didn't have much time for, and we will be a part of a FIAR (Five In A Row) Co-op that will meet once a week.