Boys make me laugh.  Particularly, this boy.

Today was our homeschool co-op’s annual Valentine party.  The kids are divided by age group and then make Valentine’s for those friends.  They put said Valentine’s in decorated boxes (or bags) and one presumes said boxes to be decorated with a traditional Valentine theme of love.  Not so.

This is Brother’s box:

(see this link if you don’t already know that Heroica is battle game … with monsters and barbarians and such.)

In years past, he had a box with Spiderman swinging to the rescue (of some poor soul about to fall in love, no doubt.)

It’s not that he refuses to have a box with hearts and the like. No, what makes it humorous is that he is utterly oblivious to the fact that hearts are even an option.

I used to worry about such incongruities but having four children changes your perspective.  Namely, you have learned to nurture their creativity; helping it blossom into something beautiful are too tired to care.  And as it turned out his box sitting next to the volcano and monkey and micro-fridge seemed right at home.

Sister is not oblivious. Her box will have hearts. It will be pink. It will exude love and be utterly appropriate.

Her Valentine’s however will have animals …always, with the animals.  She’s done flamingoes, cut out animals with cute saying and little animal trivia and this year.  She’s “wild about you, Valentine.”

Inspired by an article in Family Fun magazine.

Brother stuck with being a funny boy.

The Littles seem oblivious to the reason behind all this heart hoopla but they’re cute enough that no one cares.

Though when I look in my rear-view mirror and see this

I know they’ve got this love thing down without having to be told a thing.

This Simple Life has been nominated in the category of Best Nitty-Gritty Homeschool Blog.  Thank you, Jennifer!

Please go vote, if you are so inclined but be warned, the HS Blog Awards are best enjoyed with a nice, hot cup o’ tea and lots of free time.  Good stuff.

Ask Brother if he’d like to move back to our previous house and he’ll say, “Yes.” in a heartbeat.  Not necessarily because he doesn’t like where we are now but because the old place had a tree house. … a very cool, very large treehouse.  It’s been sore point for a while now.

Take Dora to the park and she will make a bee-line for either the swings or the slide.  Walk her past our neighbors swingset and your answer of, “No, not now.” will fall on deaf ears and crying eyes.

Compelling evidence for getting a swingset/fort of our own, so when a neighbor let on that she was selling hers, Will and I jumped at the chance to get one for under a gazillion dollars.

After that, all we had to do was move it….

The extraneous pieces came first.

It’s so hard to resist climbing on them.

Then the main structure.

Yep, that’s my dad.

Why yes, it is rather precariously balanced on that trailer.

Did I ever tell you about the time my sister needed to move a big screen TV from her third story apartment.  This was pre-flatscreens.  Imagine one of those huge box kind.  My dad couldn’t figure out how to get it down the stairs (nevermind that the movers had somehow gotten it UP the stairs) so he tied a rope around it and chunked it over the balcony.  Ok, ok – he gently lowered it to the ground but it was over the balcony.  He’s a get ‘er done kind of guy.

Moment of truth – will it tip …. or, snap

This shot doesn’t have anything to do with the swing. It’s just cute.

Sorry, back to the moment of truth.

It looks like ….

Success!  Backwards.  This is my dad saying, “Okay now we have to turn it around.”

Another cute shot.

I won’t bore you with all the less exciting setup details except to say that the structure was (amazingly) playable before sunset.  And boy, did they play.

Dora loves the swings the best but she went down that humongous slide several times with no fear.  Funny thing was that the next morning, because of course she started in first thing, she wouldn’t go down it at all.

Me: “Let me see you go down the slide!”

Dora: (pause ~ look over the precipice ~ then, oh so sweetly) “No thank you.  Green slide too big.”

Sister soon convinced her otherwise and now she zooms down at a breakneck speed.

Love this for them!  Love it!  Thanks Grandpa for the help!

This morning our homeschool coop had a picture day.  So much better than the typical school picture day because 1. The atmosphere is relaxed.  2. The photographer actually takes the time to get a good shot. and 3. Since we are homeschooling “families” you can include as many people as you want in your time slot.   Number three is especially nice for me because while I’m not the type to schedule a photo session I do like having a regular family portrait.  Will took off work for the occasion and after a leisurely morning of getting ourselves all pretty we left for our appointment.  We did not “do school.”

Seeing one of the other waiting children working on her schoolwork I confessed to the mother that we were playing hooky for the day.  It really did feel like a confession because I really did feel guilty about it especially because I know how difficult it is for us to get seatwork done of an afternoon and that, consequently; there would be no redeeming of the day… schoolwise, anyway.

Back at home, we took advantage of Dad’s presence and started a game of Quirkle,  (You know that one that requires matching, addition, critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills.)  I had to skip out about halfway through to go pick up groceries so Dad and the Littles played outside while the big kids continued their marathon of “What’s in the Bible” watching.

Later, after lunch and after Will headed off to work, there were still a lot of groceries to put away.  I had Brother help me. 

“You do all the cans in the pantry.  Try to keep like with like so things will be easier to find later.” 

In the process of clearing space in a cabinet I came across a package of sunflower seeds and some old fruit bits.

“Sister, see if you can figure out something to do with these.  Maybe the birds would like them.”

Brother had finished by this time so I handed him the back off an empty cereal box. 

“Look, this one has puzzles.  Do you want it?” 

“Sure!”  He grabbed a pen and sat down at the table to work the challenges.

Sister finishes up her bird feeder made from a plastic cup.  She’s mixed the seeds with peanut butter to make a paste for smearing all over it.  It doesn’t work as well as she’d hoped so she starts in on another plan.

I notice that two packages of toilet paper have yet to be put away.  I set Brother to the task.

“Take care of these, please.  We need a third in each restroom.”

There is a little confusion at first about what that means so we have a quick review of fractions.  Explanation complete, I go to put the Littles down for a nap.  When I come out Sister has finished her task and is practicing piano.  Brother has finished his task and is exploring PBS Kids. 

“Do you guys want to finish our Quirkle game?” 

It’s close to the very end but Brother pulls out the win in a last grand move. I’m kicking myself that he spotted a quirkle I missed.

Dad will be home soon so Sister starts supper while I take care of the waking Littles.

Later, Sister and I head to Hobby Lobby.  We need candle making supplies for a project she is doing with some friends.  We also get one of those US maps that hold a 50 State Quarter Collection.  After several weeks of looking, Sister finally has a complete collection and she wants to display them.  Of course, she fills the map as soon as we get home.

In our absence, Will and Brother have been playing a puzzle game on the computer.

Bedtime arrives.  The kids grab their nighttime books and turn on their reading lamps.

“Good night.”

“Good night. I love you.  See you in the morning.”

You know…. maybe we did do school today after all.

“What are you doing, Dora?”

“I paying bocks.”

“Oh,  well that’s a very nice design.”

“It’s a cat in in a window.”

Can you see it?

There is a pond in the neighborhood where we live.  Sister has been fishing there several times.  We’ve been told there are, in fact, fish in it but Sister has never caught any.  Earlier this month she loaded her pole on her bike and took off to try again.  About 40 minutes later we were starting to think we should check on her when we saw her coming home … withOUT her bike but WITH something very large in her hand.

“Look, Will!  She caught something!”

Hmm, something indeed.  Hot, sticky and ready to come home, she had decided to throw one final cast and instead of a fish snagged this guy (girl?  How can one know with a toad?).

“It was like he wanted to be caught.  I kept reeling in my line and he kept following it.”

Unsure of what to do with a 3 pound frog hooked through the foot she’d left her bike and carried him (and the pole he was attached to) the quarter mile back home.

Our neighbor performed minor surgery on the lawn and all was well.

Before returning Kermit to the pond we all oohed and aahed over how big he was, how cool he was, how stupid he was … all of us, except Sister.  Having carried the creature all the way home without hesitation she flatly refused to come near him once his life was no longer in peril.

Also, she has not been fishing again.

If you are driving home with a very bored whiny hysterical displeased toddler, it may seem like a good idea to give her pen (and paper) as entertainment and when that stops working it may also seem like a good idea to later hand her Sister’s plum from the roadside produce stand.  In reality, while silence will settle over the car so will much ink and stickiness.

Will has been working a lot.  His regular job has stressful bursts and he’s been in one lately.  On top of that he is approaching a big deadline on a side project.  The extra money is helpful, of course, but …

I have been working a lot too.  August 8th marks the start of our official home school year.  I snatch any spare moment for planning and preparing.  On top of that our coop has been busy getting ready for the year as well and there have been extra out of the house meetings for that.

To sum up:  Lots of work has been happening.  Little family fun time is happening.  Extra money is available.

Tonight there was lull and having not had such a lull for so long we were somewhat at a loss as to what to do with it.  Will said, “I want to celebrate the fact that we totally hit our monthly budget goal for the side project.  I want to do something that is so awesome everyone is excited about doing it and when we come back home I want to hear the kids say, ‘THAT WAS AWESOME!’”

So we did something completely random and un-characteristic for us.  We loaded up the kids, drove to Target, pulled a $100 from the ATM and handed it to the children.  Forty each for the Bigs and $20 for the Littles to share.  Then we set some simple ground rules.

~ You can buy an item (or combination of items) that is age appropriate and in this store. 

~ You cannot save any of the money.  Cash not spent returns to Dad. 

~ Be sure to include tax.

~ Arguments of any sort will cost you $1/incident. 

~ Have fun!

Then we followed our kids around the store.  It was so much fun to watch them!

Sister went straight for the Wii games but not finding one she liked opted instead for Creationary and a glow stick from the camping department. 

Brother also ended up with Legos (no surprise there) but he chose to split his allotment between a number of small sets and a package of Nerf pistols.

At various points Dora had a super bouncy ball, a hula hoop, a bucket of modeling clay and a Cars themed lunch bag.  She spend a good deal of time perusing the baby doll aisle but in the end all was trumped by a bag of Smarties and a plastic sandwich container with a rainbow on the cover. 

Not to be left out Baby Z snagged a soccer ball from the sports department.  In case you’re wondering, I don’t know why an 8 month old needs a soccer ball but I do know he wouldn’t let it go in the store and that it elicited squeals of delight on the way home.

Maybe going shopping is a regular activity for your family, if so you will probably find this post a little strange, but we hardly ever go to the store without a list.  (In fact, we hardly every go to the store at all.  I order my groceries for pickup at the local market and just about everything else I order online when children are asleep, the house is quiet and I can finally hear myself think.) Typically we are buying some very practical item.  Typically, we are on a budget and typically, there is some greater agenda to consider.  How freeing to have a night with none of these restraints.

And when we got home the kids said, “THAT WAS AWESOME!”

About 40 minutes away from us exists the most awesome little kid carnival park ever.  Rides range from a whopping 25 to 50 cents.  The place is clean and the people are friendly.  Tonight we went.  We’ve gone before when the Big Kids were Littles but this was Dora’s first time.  Earlier she’d awoken from her nap in a tenuous mood so I was unsure how the evening would play out but as Will reminded me later, “our steps are ordered of the Lord,” so I needn’t have worried.

The first ride was with Sis just to make sure this whole thing was going to fly.

It did.

After that she was good to go on her own.

Though she did allow herself to be accompanied a few more times.

Then another ride caught her eye.  “Swing!”

“Oh honey, that ride’s too big for you.”

“SWING!”  Totally, ignoring me she starts for the gate.  I take a quick assessment of my, “no.”    The ride is not really too big for her.  I mean the park will allow her to go on it.  Do I say no for her or for me?  Given the confidence standing before me the answer is easy.  It’s my fear that generated the “no” and what kind of parent would I be to push it onto her.

“Here’s your ticket, sweetie.”

“Ticket,” she repeats and toddles to the entrance.

“Uh, Mom?”  I hear behind me. Sister has come to defend the name of safety. “Those swings are way too big for her.”

I smile, “She’ll be fine.”  (I hope.)

Moments later, she is buckled and Will back from fetching water takes in the situation. He shakes his head emphatically.  “No way, She’s way too little for those.”

I laugh at him and his fear, hiding my own beneath the sound,  “Don’t worry.  She’ll do great!”

And you know what?  She did.

She smiled and laughed and giggled and shook herself back and forth in the seat and insisted on turning around to make eyes at the giggling boy behind her.

There is more but it is late and another adventure awaits tomorrow so goodnight, sleep well and when you awaken don’t be afraid to take a step of faith.  You never know the joy it might bring.

Tonight we took our first trip of the summer to a nearby lake. We put on our suits, packed up sandwiches and left the house at the same time Dad left work.   I’ve no pictures to show you because I didn’t take my camera.  I didn’t take my camera because 1) my actual camera battery was dead, 2) my secondary camera resides in my somewhat irreplaceable phone and 3) because sometimes I get tired of being the photographer recording the moment.  Sometimes I just want to enjoy the moment.  So tonight I did.  Not that there weren’t plenty of opportunities for photos.

There was Brother carrying 2 towels, diaper bag and a too big beach ball.  And the look of terror on his face when the wind caught the ball and he realized there was nothing he could do to save it.  There were Sister’s legs pumping like pistons as she dropped her own load and sprinted across the sand to save it for him.

There was the delight in Dora’s eyes when she finally realized that the water was not evil and that it was not out to get her with its insidious wetness.

Brother making sand angels and sifting for treasure.

Little Z wearing his baby blue swim shirt (purchased in a sale last summer before he’d even arrived) and Dora’s old hot pink swim hat which she would never keep on but that he rather liked.

Sister dancing with glee on the picnic table with the setting sun casting an angelic sort of glow on her cheeks.

Dora pulling her little plastic red wagon, filled to the brim with bucket and digging tools,  all the way from the water’s edge to the grass at the end of the sand.  She knew she’d done a big thing and the picture of pride on her face I’ve tucked away in my memory to look at again later along with all the rest.

It was a good evening.