Boat-Building Brothers

In the last few weeks, my big guys have embraced a new project.

It started with lots of conversations involving paddle boat designs
and aspirations of building a kit airplane.

Dad humored the dreaming, but every time talk turned practical
he gently steered in the direction of baby steps. "Why don't you build
something simple first?"  He'd say.  "How about a row boat?"

I'm pretty sure Zachary was hoping "simple" would include jet engines
or submarine power, but eventually he was won over by a set of actual
plans for a Portuguese Dinghy.
Once the boat design was settled on, a fever of activity ensued.
Despite the fact that Clay had been working diligently on his own  model
for a paddle boat, he bought in and took ownership of this new endeavor
right along with his brother.

The boys made a list of supplies, called local building supply stores to check
prices and availability of the plywood they'd need, and talked their dad into
hauling a trailer to pick it up.

Once pieces were cut out, the boys spent several evenings assembling
the boats.  Here are some pictures to document the work up until this point.

Awesomeness.

I am so proud of these fellas!

Next step is fiberglass and epoxy.  Right now they are in process
of building sawhorses to set their boats on for that phase of the project
('cause I guess dad doesn't want his sawhorses covered in permanent goo).

You could ask them how this whole boat-building thing is working out so far,
but really, the smiles tell you pretty much everything you need to know :-)

Putting the Pieces Together... Slowly.

I don't usually play Christmas music this early, but today it just seemed like the right thing.
I wasn't going to fix the froo-froo whipped-cream topped coffee today, but then it started snowing...

And after the bumpy morning ride, I couldn't apply my brain to any more school.

*Side thought here, what's with having to do so much school anyway?!!
   After collecting a diploma I thought I was done.  I didn't realize what was ahead in teaching
   5 different grades and wrangling 2 toddlers while pregnant, potty training,  and trying to fix dinner.

Okay so back to my brain being used up.

I then decided to sew binding on a quilt, and it's amazing how benevolent Christmas music,
mocha and snow can make you when you're doing something therapeutic
- like not overtaxing brain cells. Ha!

I found I could work through a reading lesson with Lina, and a math chapter with Clay, and all of a
sudden my binding was attached.


I have been trying for years to sort out how my roll as mother fits together with that of teacher.
I say years because I am standing on my own mothers shoulders, and I know that she wrestled with
that same question frequently as she taught 3 different grades while wrangling 4 toddlers, potty training,
and trying to fix dinner.  And believe me - fixing dinner is not the hard part!

It's been a slow process, but I'm coming to realize that I am not dividing two roles.
I am one mother all the time, teaching and training and instructing my children as life flows naturally.
Since life's "natural" flow entails a lot of interruptions, accidents, and attitudes, I have to figure it's all
a part of our learning process.

My mom did what she believed was best for her family, but I'm pretty sure she was trying daily to convince
herself of what she believed. It's hard to tread a new path, and that's what she did.

I don't have to convince myself.  I believe in what I'm doing, and that's largely in
part due to the first-hand experience I grew up with. I lived the value, the importance, and the blessing
of how my mom spent her time.

I hope my daughters will stand on my shoulders, will live with even greater understanding of what
motherhood means.  Lord willing, I look forward to watching them work out different puzzles,
not the same ones I  labor over.

I know that what I am doing here with my children is valuable, but I am becoming more comfortable
with looking at interruptions as part of the teaching package and not as a curve I can't hit.
I'm willing to stop and change direction when something's not working, or someone is hung up
on an assignment they can't wrap their brain around.

"Do something else for a while...
Come back to it...
Bring in some firewood...
Go out and catch snowflakes for a few minutes..."

And same for me - I'm overwhelmed.  I'm taking a bit of a break to sew binding on this quilt, to turn
the music up, to sip something that tickles my taste buds, to watch flames lick a piece of split birch.

This is life.




























 A few moments of reprieve can refresh the soul to carry on, and that's a lesson which reaches farther
than dividing fractions or cleaning up a puddle of pee on the floor.  We don't always get that reprieve,
but in many cases, who's decision is that?  I get to decide.  I'm the mother/teacher/potty-trainer... :-)

I'm learning.
It's a process, always a process, but I find I can never learn too much about grace! Bring on the grace.

We taught ourselves how to felt balls last night, and today the girls are busy with other colorful
projects.

The wire LOVE above my window are letters that Susanna worked for me when she was "playing"
outside yesterday (did we count that as school?).  She also created a USA, and MOM.

There is not much that compares with the pleasure of watching my children develop into their
own people with their own ideas, their own art and interpretations, their own uniqueness.

Shh.... can't say too much about the other scraps and tidbits in the photos - at least not yet :-)

In Which I Relinquish all Appearances of Coolness and Embrace Reality.

I had a hard time settling on a title for this post.  Among some of the options I considered were:
"Raisin' 'Em Redneck" and "We Call it School" and "We are "THOSE" Homeschoolers"
and you know what I mean by that last one, don't you.  I bet most of you are grinning because
you either know some of "those" homeschoolers, you attempt not to be one of "those"
homeschool families, or... you are one. :-)

For those of you in the dark, there's a bit of a running joke we (homeschooling) moms enjoy
about the homeschooling stereotype.  I won't digress into exactly what forms this stereotype takes,
and each of us likes to embellish with our own brand of humor, but basically, no one likes to be
lumped into a box and so we resist any outward appearance of fitting some definition that's well
established.
Heaven forbid we appear... dorky.
And here I insert (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) that homeschoolers have been trying to eradicate
that stereotype since the dawn of homeschoolism!
 I would know; I'm a K-12 homeschooled veteran dork myself.

My flesh can't help agree with my girlfriends - fellow moms, most of who were also home schooled -
when they refuse to drive a van until every other possible options has been exhausted.
And if they have to drive one, they'd prefer their progeny didn't disembark wearing outfits that matched
their siblings', or were arrayed in an excess of plaid or camo.  Don't we already draw enough attention
to ourselves by our numbers, or the fact that we're grocery shopping as a family event at 10am?

Despite my own aversion to being stereotyped, I'm not one to make a decision based on what other
people think.  If a thing makes sense than we do it.  If a monstrous vehicle is practical and serves our
needs well, we drive one.  If it makes sense to buy the same boots for everyone, we do.  If my
children like camo, leather belts, skirts with jeans underneath... I've been known to turn away a
discerning eye now and then for the joy of watching them be their own unique persons!

All this to say, it's become clear to me in recent years that the truth is:
we ARE "those" homeschoolers.
 
It'd be really great to be those cool homeschoolers, but then look at who my kids got for a mom.
I'm not complaining, just pointing out the obvious. :-)
I can't help but laugh.  I mean, just LOOK at us?!! 

The truth is such an irony sometimes!
And yes there really is a point to all this blather.

Today, my son Zachary invited his sister Susanna to go hunting with him.

While they were off on their venture, 

Clayton and Olivia built an "Almond Roaster" and a fire, 

and "roasted" almonds.

Zachary returned with his grinning sister 

who was holding a handful of limp squirrels by their tails.  

Then he showed her step by step how to gut and skin them, 

and roasted all three over Clay's fire. 

 The four siblings moved on to roasting (or at least blackening)

other things such as marshmallows, apples, and fingers.

And faces too.  

About the same time, while I watched the smoke rise beyond the picture window,

on the floor of my living room,three-year-old Bryce lounges with his blankie.

Little sister Aloria sits beside him and tenderly strokes his head.  

He knows he is loved.

It looks to me like the kind of life many children only dream of - the kind of friendships
most people never experience, love extended truly and without strings attached.

All of a sudden it doesn't seem to matter that we look like vagabonds and rednecks.
The important part is shining bright from underneath the soot and camo.

Now you can believe me or not when I say these are relatively common scenes in our home.
Sometimes there is more noise and less tolerance, but overall, this is what I get to be a part of
every day.

I've known for a long time that good character is not defined by outward appearance.
I also know that the playing field levels out quite a lot with with the advent of maturity.
There can be an awful lot of insecurity underneath a "cool" exterior.  Whatever we do or don't
drive, however we choose to dress, who we associate with, how we speak, what we say...
if in the end it doesn't come from a heart that loves Jesus and cherishes people
more than any of these external things?
It doesn't matter how together we appear.  It amounts to very little and maybe nothing at all.

And these are the conglomeration of thoughts, chuckles, sighs, and bright praise I found myself
reveling in today as I took in the amazing-ness of the people I call my children.
I'm really really thankful for them, and all the ways the Lord grows me up through being their mom.

And it almost (just almost) makes up for my being... dorky.  ;-D

Craft Friday (on Wednesday)

We dug out some doilies last week, lay them on folded newspaper
and broke out the watercolors and paint brushes.

I instructed the Bugletts  to splash color over the whole surface of the
white doilies, hoping to create a stained glass effect.
As you can see, their interpretations were wonderfully unique!

I sure do love to see the light coming through their handiwork, and to enjoy
each personality that shines through their art :-)
It's also a great to have something prettier than smudges to look at on the glass!

Two Heads are Better than One

This is just the sweetest sight that ever my eyes beheld!

I see it often, in many varying combinations.
Sometimes a big brother and little brother,  sometimes a big sis and little brother,
often a big brother and lil' sis.

There's something about having company while
you drudge through the ol' 'Rithmatic, and every little bit of interaction from
those adoring big siblings toward their equally adoring lil' siblings is money in the
friendship bank!

Who knows - maybe more work gets done too?

There is definitely good work being accomplished!  Whether it involves numbers
I can't really say :-)

Rainbow Rice

Carolina and Bryce tried a new project with me today.

We colored rice!

We did use a recipe, but I'm a dump-and-a-pinch-and-a-pour kind of gal, so this is our loose version.

*Take a gallon Zip Lock bag or quart jar for each color.

*Pour about 2 Tbs white vinegar into the bag (or jar).

*Squirt in some food coloring. (I have read of people using watercolor instead)

*Pour in about 2 cups of white rice.

*Seal container, then let hoodlums shake it up!

*Lay a piece of parchment on a cookie sheet with a lip (jellyroll pan).

*Pour all of one color rice onto parchment, and cook in oven for 10-20 min at 250 degrees.
The goal here is to dry out the rice.  It may take more or less time depending on how
wet the rice is initially.

*Pour dry, cooled rice into a plastic tub and let hoodlums explore their indoor "sandbox"!
If you are smart, you might prefer to let them play this game on a sweepable surface :-)

Rice is in abundant supply here, so I didn't have to buy umpteen little bags of rice.
We have a big bin of it, and usually use brown rice anyway, so this was a PERFECT
project using things we had on hand and it was a big hit!

I looked at the clock a couple times and realized that both Carolina and Bryce entertained themselves
at this bin of rice for over an hour.

In fact, they were quickly joined by Sue, and later I had to let the second shift (Olivia and Clay)
have a turn!

Hooray for colors!  Hooray for projects that don't need special planning!
Hooray for a mom with enough energy to enjoy playing with her hoodlums today!

Operating Scissors Is No Small Task

And don't let anyone tell you otherwise!