I don't have any pictures this week, because the camera battery died and I kept forgetting to ask John to re-charge it (I am so glad I have him! Not only does he earn all the money, pay all the bills, do all the grocery shopping - he also rescues me from our gadgets!).
We had a talent show at our house for the homeschool group. I had spent the morning the day before making chocolate chip cookies to serve, much to the kids delight. Mark and Sarah did a skit, Matty told jokes, Elijah did taekwondo, Kate told a poem, Ethan showed off his rock collection, Liam showed a video of how he could hang from the pull-up bar, his little sister had cute scripture-poems memorized (she said to me, with the cutest baby-voice "I used to be a baby, until last week." !). We also had various, spontaneous dances from Joan "My turn!" and turning of summersaults from little kids. Nathan had made a large cube encrusted with jewels in the backyard the day before ("It's arts and crafts, mom!"). He got covered with our lovely orange clay.
I played the opening song. This was a big deal for me, because I usually get very nervous and mess up when people are listening, especially singing along, but I have been practicing for my family. So, I didn't mess up, but I did chicken out and stop after one verse!
Mark has been helping A LOT around the house lately, and it has been fantastic! He keeps Joan busy, switches out the laundry and puts it away, loads and unloads dishes, sweeps, cuts veggies (not his favorite). Not all of those things on the same day, but pretty much whatever I need him to do, he has been an extra pair of hands! He has also been cheerful and great company, although he does enjoy debating when he gets the chance!
Instead of being satisfied and resting on my laurels, I am fascinating about how clean and gorgeous our house could be....
We went to a play ground next to a lake yesterday. The weather was GORGEOUS, and it was exhilarating to stand on the pier. The kids were thrilled with the playground, it had a spinning monkey bar.
Nathan was fascinated with the 'beach'. There were clams there. John and I decided they could only go on the beach if escorted by an adult, but this just whetted his appetite (he found several clams).
John took the girls down the pier one more time, and Nathan took a 'short cut' across the beach and got stuck in very gooey mud. I stopped swinging Ammon and took him to go and stand with Joan on the pier so John could pull Nathan out.
I got a great view of John leaping deep into mud, yelping and leaping again. He thought it was going to be a slow sink and he could leap across the top. John and Nathan both had mud up to their calves, but this must not have been a new thing at this pier as there was a convenient washing station...
Noah got to talk to Caitlyn on the phone the other day. When he was done, he did not hang up, but just walked with the phone swinging in his hand. John instructed him to push the off button when he was done, and he did and said "I pushed the off button!" and did an energetic happy dance. When I am not feeling satisfied with what I am getting done, John has said to me "Remember Noah pushing the off button?"
September 2012
