DOZ Camp

Psalm 150:4a ~ Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing.

Audrey went to camp last week. Tambourine camp. It's not as weird as it sounds. She went to a camp for Daughters of Zion, a group to which she was introduced last year at homeschool guilds. She loved it so much and couldn't wait for camp. The focus of camp was on worship, and the kids learned different ways to worship: with tambourines, dance, streamers.

On the evening of the last day, the kids did a recital to show off all that they had learned. It was a fun hour of worship.

To keep the boys busy during the girls' camp, a PE teacher from a local Christian school volunteered his time to supervise a week of sports. The boys had a wonderful time playing soccer, capture the flag, street hockey, and ultimate frisbee. Because the camp took place quite a distance from our house, I whittled away the 2 1/2 hours of camp acquainting myself with a new part of town, running errands, walking a mall, and chatting with Facebook friends on my phone. It was always a welcome part of the day to stop wandering and return to pick up two tired, sweaty boys and one happy girl.

Determination

Mark and the boys have been busy planning the last few days, but the boys are more than ready to move on from the planning phase to the doing phase. Ever since we moved into our new house, the boys have been asking for something fun to be added to the trees behind our house...a swing, a treehouse, anything besides boring ol' trees. So they have collaborated with their dad to come up with a plan for a treehouse.

They have the plan on paper, they went to Home Depot to itemize a list of necessary materials, and Mark put the boys to work using their math skills to figure the cost of the project. But Mark hasn't felt well the last couple of days and so the project has stalled a bit. That's why the boys have decided to take matters into their own hands.

They begin to clear a spot surrounding the tree around which the treehouse will wrap:

I think the soccer socks were a smart choice on Michael's part to deal with that scratchy underbrush that likes to bite ankles.

Jacob tries to uproot a small invasive tree:

All of his pushing, pulling, and prodding is not making much of an impact, so he takes a rest to consider his next move.

Perhaps an ax will accomplish the task:

And if not, there are always Dad's golf clubs. Think it'll work?

(And don't worry, Mark, I gave away my secret upstairs photo lair to rescue the golf club and keep it from being bashed into oblivion.)

LOVE these boys!

Just Swingin' Around

It all goes to show you that when the TV and video games are turned off and the imagination is turned on, fun things happen...

This afternoon while I was simultaneously doing some computer work and placing a take-out order from the Princess' new restaurant, the boys were busy outside.

They built this:




It looks like an ordinary swing, but it isn't. It has a cardboard seat which is carefully attached to the rope with some handy dandy packing tape, and...the swing is anchored to the very tiptop of the tree. The fact that Jacob climbed so high up in the tree would have caused me a minor heart attack had I been a witness. Good thing I was enjoying pretend pizza and blueberry pie at the time.




There's more. The other half of the rope serves as an additional swing.




Like I said - a lot can happen when you throw in some imagination.

Good to Wow: Up Edition, SOOC

I'm looking forward to editing my Up photos, which are all sky shots, because I anticipate applying much of what Ashley has taught us, including perhaps the method that was outlined in her tutorial on greening up your dead grass. Not that I'm going to present any green skies, but the same techniques can be applied here. Anyway, here are my Up shots (ha!).

Two monkeys in a tree. And, lest you think these are all archived photos, no, we still don't have any leaves on our trees.

I have developed a love for and fascination with crows because of all of the wonderful photos I have seen Julie at jules j gallery take of these birds. I previously thought of them as just a nuisance, but they really are so pretty...especially in the winter against the brown grass and white snow. I have not yet succeeded in snagging that perfect shot of a crow, but I thought I might achieve something with some cropping in this shot.

Finally, this photo is an archived photo from a couple of weeks ago. I already edited this, but in light of new things I've learned, I thought it might be fun to give it another go. I love this stormy sky:

Joy of Love - {3}, {4}, {5}, {6}, {7}

{Day 3}
then & now

Our sweet lil' Audrey. She was quite a surprise, and we can't imagine even a single moment without her in our lives. She is sweet and bubbly, imaginative and funny.

{Day 4}
what they wear

We gave the boys these matching robes two Christmases ago, and I'm glad they still fit. They are so cute in them on these chilly mornings. And, really, you never know who might show up...some mornings it may even be Darth Vader.

{Day 5}
things you love to hate

Oh, my children can be such absolute slobs!! And we do get them to clean their rooms on a regular basis, but even just minutes after they are cleaned, they are...not. I try to remind myself constantly that I was a total slob when I was their age.

{Day 6}
who they love

Spoiled rotten, she is...this cat. Alex is especially fond of her, and Cara reciprocates that fondness. She follows Alex around like a puppy dog.

{Day 7}
generations

How I wish we could get a live Generations shot with the kids' grandparents, but since we can't right at this moment, pictures have to suffice.

To join in the fun, visit Willette Photography.

Joy of Love - {1} {2}

I'm excited to be joining Willette Photography on their February journey called Joy of Love. This is a free class, and it is not too late to join.

Each day of February, we are to photograph our loved ones. It can be the same person throughout the month or different people each day. Even pets can be in the spotlight. Every day, Willette Photography gives us an assignment and then offers several options for sharing our snapshots with others.

Definitely, my photography strengths do not lie in capturing people well, so I hope this month will really help me become better at shooting portraits.

Here are my Day 1 and Day 2 shots:

{Day 1}
what they do

One thing I love about homeschooling is that there is no morning rush. There are no lunches to be packed, no rushing around looking for something to wear...In fact, though I do have my children get dressed for the day, we do have occasions where we might school in our pajamas. This day was one of those days: it was snowing outside, and PJs just seemed the appropriate attire for school. It seemed the least I could do since the public school system enjoyed a snow day and we did not.

My two boys here are not only doing school in their PJs, but they are also enjoying another perk of homeschooling: They do not have to sit at a desk all day long. I do make them do some things at a table if glue is involved, or if the assignment demands extra careful attention, but often you'll find them on the couch, on the floor...or in a tent. They built this tent about a week ago and have enjoyed sleeping in it, playing in it...and completing their assignments in it.

{Day 2}
how they look

This is my beautiful Alex. Of course, I am a biased parent. But she really is beautiful, isn't she? She is almost as tall as me and still has a good 4-5 years of growing left. Her feet are bigger than mine. So much for sharing shoes (though she does still steal my socks!). She is smart, compassionate, fun, silly, sweet.

She loves this hat. It has been a winter staple.

To join in the fun, visit Willette Photography.

I'm dating again...

Shhh!! Don't tell Mark, but I went on a date tonight with two men. At the same time. One ordered chocolate milk and put ketchup on everything. A lot of ketchup. And he passed the waiting time zooming a cow over a centerpiece carnation which he dubbed "the moon." The other man has a quieter personality and didn't say a whole lot but did at one point engage me in a conversation about his Silly Bandz.

The two men took me to Chick-fil-A* which had been especially set up for the occasion. The tables were prettied up with doilies, pink napkins, and balloons, and the register lines were replaced with waiters. At one point during our meal, the waiter asked my two dates to follow him. They excused themselves from the table and returned a few moments later, each bearing a beautiful red rose to present to me. A photographer captured the evening and gave me a photo souvenir.

There were conversation starters on the table, but my two men and me? We quickly got beyond our favorite colors and TV shows and focused on the important stuff like Legos and our favorite rides at Disney World.

I couldn't have chosen a better setting, more delightful conversation, or two better men with whom I would like to spend an evening!



*This special Mother/Son event further solidifies the fact that Chick-fil-A is my favorite establishment in the world. They are the only ones who consistently offer friendly, quality service to their customers. They think outside the box to go above and beyond what is expected of a fast-food establishment. I won't ever forget the evening I showed up at the drive-thru a few years ago. I had switched diaper bags and had forgotten to put my wallet in the new bag. I realized this when I pulled up to pay. "Just hold the food for me," I said. "I'll run home and get my wallet." "Oh, no! Don't worry about it. Meal's on us!" Seriously. You can't beat that!

I've finished my shopping list for Christmas 2010 already.

I know. We joke about it every Christmas...about how the children seem to be having more fun with the boxes the gifts came in than with the gifts themselves. But I think after yesterday I've come to a decision: For Christmas 2010, the children will receive boxes.

This is a brilliant idea. I know it is because the gifts we spent a fortune on this past Christmas received a few glorious moments of attention on Christmas morning. But the gigantic box my new chair came in?

It has been a train,

a house,

a spaceship,

a sarcophagus,

an ideal place in which to complete schoolwork,

a sled,

and a really cool thing to tote around in the wagon.

What kind of toy provides that much amusement?

So here it is...

My Christmas 2010 Gift List:
Audrey: box

Michael: box

Jacob: box

Alex: Notice she is not in any of the box pictures. I guess she's too mature for a box. I'll have to figure something else out for her. Still...that's quite a savings for the Christmas 2010 Budget!

You Capture - Motion

I've mentioned before that I rarely escape the following exchange when I'm out with all four kids:

"Are they all yours?"

"Yes."

"How old are they?"

"9, 8, 7, and 3."

"Boy, you have your hands full!"

Yes, I suppose I do, though certainly not as full as many of my friends who have 4 and growing! My babies are all fairly energetic, but my two boys especially are always in Motion.

Last week we followed our blueberry expedition with a trip to Toccoa Falls. The path to the falls and the giant rocks surrounding the falls all afforded many opportunities for Motion:

And of course there was the obligatory group picture. No small feat trying to get four of them to remain MotionLESS for a few seconds!

Bring Your Kid to Work Day

I was enjoying a Girls' Night Out some months ago, and we were all catching up by discussing our husband's jobs. After one of my friends finished explaining what her husband does, she pondered, "But what man likes his job anyway?" I said, "My husband loves his job!" I was met with some questioning looks.

It's true, though. He really does love his job. While he dislikes being away from his family, he does love to travel, so the traveling doesn't bother him. And when he's not traveling, he works upstairs, so he's right here with us. His job also affords him the flexibility to, if he has to be home to help with doctor's appointments or be involved in something with the kids, it's not a problem.

We are so thankful for Mark's job, and we totally get how blessed we are. However, his job does present us with a few concerns as we teach the kids. We've often wondered what, specifically, the kids' perception of a "job" is, a "real" job. I mean, they've never experienced life with a daddy who leaves before they've awoken and doesn't get home until they are in their PJs again. We talk about the variety of jobs and schedules that are out there on the workforce, but we wonder exactly what their expectations are for their future careers. It's a delicate balance teaching them respect for what Daddy does and at the same time teaching them that a job doesn't always entail airplanes, hotels, and hanging out around the house.

Recently, the boys have shown more and more interest in what their daddy does. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, one of them asked why Daddy had never had a "bring your kid to work day." What the kids don't realize is that, if Daddy's home, they are at work with Daddy. And all of those trips we take? I guess while we're at the museum or mall, they don't realize that Daddy is at work. Anyway, Mark wanted to allow the boys to participate in an Official Bring Your Kid to Work Day, so he arranged it with one of his customers.


When they got there, the company owner gave them a quick office/warehouse tour and even explained to them how air purifiers work. Then, lucky for them, they got to take part in a company barbecue.

The boys had a great time. In retrospect, though, and in looking at this picture, I suppose one thing we could teach the children about "real" jobs is proper attire and that flip flops are definitely not part of proper attire. Oh well, we'll get to that lesson next time.

If [they] only had a brain...

I hope this is a phase. Someone please tell me this is a phase. My boys have officially lost their brains, and their loss of brain matter is causing me loss of patience. Two days in a row they have exhibited incredible lack of common sense.

Yesterday I found them sprinkling sand from the crabs' terrarium around the house because they were fascinated by how it sifted through the hole at the top of a pen cap. (And keep in mind that we have a house showing tomorrow, so I'm trying to get the housed cleaned up.) We had the following exchange, although my voice may not have been quiiite as calm and soft-spoken as I sound in type:

Me: When we had sand in the playground pit, what did we make you do before you came back in the house?

The Boys: Wash the sand off of our feet and legs.

Me: Why?

The Boys: Because you didn't want sand in the house.

Me: Giving them The Look.

Then today...we've been trying to cut down on the tattling, but we're glad Alex decided to let us in the boys' current escapades. Seems they had so enjoyed converting the outside playground slide yesterday into a water slide using the hose that they decided to recreate that inside. The boys' bunk bed has a slide attached to the ladder, and they were pouring cups of water down the slide for the re-creation.

I would share the exchange word-for-word, but we were speechless. I mean, what do you say? I think I came up with, "Do you EVER see Mommy and Daddy spraying the hose on the carpet???" (The anwer was "No.")

All this time I've been worried about teaching the kids their times tables, World History, and how to use commas properly when the class in which I need to enroll these boys is Common Sense 101.

BB&T (Boys Bank & Trust)

Well, it happened. On Friday, my Baby Boy lost his first tooth. I have to face it--he's growing up. Jacob was indeed quite proud of the big gap in his mouth and eagerly anticipated the Tooth Fairy's visit. His big financial goal of the moment is to save enough to buy another Webkin, a goal which he was, on Friday, still $7 short of attaining. He was thus convinced that his loss of a tooth must be some sort of divine event and that the Tooth Fairy would leave enough for him to reach his lofty goal. I tried to explain to him before bed that most kids only get a quarter for a lost tooth, so he should not be disappointed in the morning if the Tooth Fairy did not leave $7.

Inevitably, the morning came. And as I greeted him, I asked him if the Tooth Fairy paid a visit. "Yes," he said, "but she only left me $2." I once again reminded him how lucky he was to have received $2 when most kids only get a quarter. But he was convinced that there still must be a lost dollar or two hiding somewhere in his bed or in the mess beneath his bed. When his search turned up nothing, he added his $2 to his bank and asked us to count it up to see how much more he needed to save.

This morning the boys are back to counting their money and getting some wheeling and dealing going. They actually have come up with a pretty good and generous plan: This Saturday, Jacob will give Michael his allowance so that Michael will then have enough to purchase another Webkin. Then Michael will give Jacob his allowance for the next two weeks so that Jacob will have enough within that time.

The Bible says money is the root of all evil. Not that Webkinz are evil. Or allowances. Or even counting money. Or wheeling and dealing. But this constant discourse over money: "Do I have enough yet, Mommy?" "Do we get allowance today?" (Since you just got it yesterday, what do you think the answer to that question is??)? At least they're saving for something, right?!