Thursday

Thursdays are our busy day. This one was a bit different.

I began with a workout and then ran up to the base with the 6 youngest ones to see this:

After years of planning today was the ground breaking for a new Chapel Center on our base. Our Wing Commander said this is somewhat of a miracle as this is the first Chapel to be built on an Air Force base in the last 15 years.

Bizarre Can-can line? (Michael is 3rd from right, Father Jim is next to him in Uniform - back from deployment YIPPEE on Tuesday night, Our Wing Commander is in the white hat and the man in the suit is our congressman.

We came back home and did school (see post below). Then we dropped Jamin and Jared at HoF for their weekly ministry volunteer time. I made FOUR phone calls while they were gone - some of you KNOW how long it takes me to make a phone call! When I went to pick them up, I noted that the van was bouncing rather much. I was sure I was losing a tire - but wasn't. Still not sure what is up. I took Jamin to work. I drove Jared to CAP. Ch. B called and said he'd bring Jared home. MICHAEL CAME HOME!!! What a treat, he usually works until 9 or 9:30 on Thursday night. Thanks Ch. B, for the ride home - it sure was a special treat for us!

I was bummed that we can't do produce co-op tomorrow (low members), but this worked out great. Mike was home and I wasn't busy getting ready for co-op. Tomorrow a.m. we have a play date. It's good!

Tonight the fantastic four, Michael, and I played charades. Krista sent some decks of cards with transportation and community workers on them. We drew a worker from a hat and then acted it out. When we ran out of cards we kept going. Josiah came home and joined us. Ignore the red eyes, I need to load Adobe and learn to touch up photos. LOL

Nolan, the Pilot

Arielle, the Chef

I drew "religious leader" - I have the DK family Bible from the library in my hands

Michael, the Cowboy He had the OTHER hat on first, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera and he refused to do it again! We laughed until we cried.

The two little cowboys - note the OTHER hat

Cy, the Tamale Vendor - Bre & Krista brought the sombrero home from their Mexico trip

School Today

I can't believe it. Things are clicking. It made a huge difference to move Nolan around on a few things and let Arielle speed ahead on extra Lit readers. I decided to let her read some of the dialectic lit in addition to her assignments, as she is somewhat bored with the Upper Grammar lit... We finished all the TOG for the week, yesterday(including literature and history SUPPLEMENTS). That left today for library books I'd picked up that looked fun and hands on projects.

I even cooked DINNER this week. ::snort:: I'm getting it. It took the first week of panic. The second week to adjust Jamin. The 3rd week to adjust Nolan and Arielle....we're getting it.

We each made a cartouche. We decided to follow the Egyptian practice of leaving out the vowels...which greatly sped up this project. LXNDR is much easier than ALEXANDER.

They all liked this project...even Stacia

RLL - Arielle

Stacia kept saying, "Mommy, I dit, I dit!" I looked...she was playing and eating clay. She was saying "I did it".

We also made apple mummies. I wanted to do something to bring the whole salt/drying thing alive and I think this will do it. We'll compare the apples at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. I liked this project as it required NO harming of animals...and no purchasing of dolls. ::snort::

Hmmm....all these hands on for Zander and he looks less than thrilled, doesn't he? ::snort::

I'm a bit skeptical about these apples on a plate lasting in TX for 6 weeks - seems like ant bait, but they've not found the pyramids yet. We have plans for more fun things next week - and maybe tomorrow afternoon.

Building Rockets

Last night Nolan and Zander talked Michael into working on rockets with them.....

hmmm...they measured the distance from the net to the ground.....

He built the rockets...

Not exactly the father/son bonding time we expected...but it will work. ::snort::

Michael has been home at decent hours all week....it's strange. It's wonderful.