In the past week...

This is Emily's costume, complete with apron, which i modified quite a bit...now I need to do Elizabeth's apron and all will be completed.
This is my great Aunt, a family friend, my maternal grandma, and my dad at the birthday party last weekend. My dad was 65! It was a fun day.
These are the kiddos about to leave for Sunday worship.
Here are two prairie girls in my yard. Cute!!
here they are again......
This is called homeschooling...sibling teaching sibling reading skills.
And this is homeschool science...physical science.
Morrow family reunion...Jordan getting a coveted soda.
Kim with a monarch we found in the woods.
Chow table.
Kid social club..
hanging out with family
It has been a great week. Lots of school was done, character was learned and applied, sewing happened, we hung with both sides of the family and ate great food (too much great food). And we began looking at getting a camper for trips. Not that we travel much, but large families DO NOT fit in hotels. We have to camp or rent homes, and both have advantages, and while I totally prefer renting homes, the camping option is far more cost effective, except that my husband is the only one who really likes to camp (in a tent). So a pop up camper would be great. Actually a 20-22 ft pull behind would be greater, but that is NOT cost effective for us, so it will have to be a pop up camper. It is not my favorite option, but it beats a tent any day of the week. So maybe if we find one our trips can be less costly and possibly more frequent. That would be cool--depending on where we ended up! Sorry, but I am not into heights or dangerous adventures...but a tour up the east coast to see all the colonial sites would really be neat! So would a mid-America trip to see the Little House sites and other stuff...even makes a trip to the beach better! So anyway, life here is good and rolling along nicely.

The Common Room: Keeping Company, But Not Dating, Activities

The Common Room: Keeping Company, But Not Dating, Activities: Redecorate my bathroom, on a budget.=) Work on a puzzle together Each one teach the other something they like to do (play a sport, do a cr...

Quickly, now....

Here is the weekly news update:
Not much happened this week. We conducted a full week of school with no major injuries or errands, got along really well, completed a lot of cleaing, bid on lots of kids clothing from ebay (and won several at outstanding prices), sewed 2 prairie dresses, had several Christmas gifts delivered and stored. Also got Nutcracker mouse ear prototype made--it looks great! All in all a productive week with everyone and now we are in birthday mode for the weekend. And best news of all--FIL's cancer has not appeared to spread! Yea! Great news!
Can i just say, i love easy going weeks like this???? Simple and easy and enjoyable. I love my kiddos and staying home educating them (actually, they do most of their learning in spite of me...). Blessings abound and I praise God for them all!

Apples of Gold

Reading vet literature
Kittens were fun.
playing with kittens
Vet field trip
eating lunch at Braums
Lunch fun
Grocery shopping.
Pioneer days
Wizard of Oz show
Vet clinic
On stage
Performing ballet at nursing home....

And so another week has come and gone. And boy was it busy! We got some school done, but we learned more from life this week. Monday was a field trip to a local vet where we got to see animal surgery and how they care for animals. Tuesday was our busy activity day and they get worn out from the physical activity. Wednesday was a trip to the dentist and afternoon shopping. Thursday was a half day of school and a half day at the children's museum where we bought a year long membership. We had the whole place to ourselves for almost 3 hours and they played together fabulously the whole time! It was a priceless day! These kinds of days will not last much longer with all five of them, so it was a true joy! Friday was co-op classes, interrupted by a ballet performance at a nursing home, followed by grocery shopping, and a night of pizza and movies with the family. I love Friday night family nights! So do the kids. And Saturday brought a trip to Sam's club, the boys had an all day party at the Smith's house (great fun!), Liz had a skating party with Sarah, and I took the other two shopping for fall shirts. And now we are about to wind down with baths and family time so we will be ready for worship tomorrow.
As for the title, it is from a bible verse. Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold...it's a proverb...and I experienced that very thing this week. My oldest child, a dear young man, was sitting with me one evening and I was feeling melancholy about the children growing up and thinking of all the things I wish I had done differently. I said, "Son, I am so sorry for all the mistakes I have made. I hope you have had a good childhood, but I wish I hadn't been so schedule oriented and so concerned with grabbing every teachable moment. I wish i could go back and just enjoy all of you more, and just play with you and read to you all. I'm sorry." He just looked at me and said, "I don't wish that. If you hadn't done all the things you did we wouldn't be the people we are today. I wouldn't change a thing."
I love that boy! I needed to hear that. I told the others and they agreed with their brother.
Hope you had a great week!