Wow, it has been a busy month! Where did September go???

We are in Week 10 of school this week. That feels great to type that out! Overall, we’ve had a great start and now just 3 weeks shy of a third of our year complete … well, we’ve accomplished a lot I hope.

In this post, I thought I’d try to catch up on some photos and learning opportunities we experienced while on the go this past month.

First up, we have attended a few field trips with the tutorial we are attending. One was historical in scope, one was geared toward science and yet another a live performance on the stage.

A Civil-War Era Plantation somewhere in the South …

I need to upload the photo Li’l Bro actually took on his iPod while standing there in the photo above. It is a spectacular photo, which I’ll definitely encourage him to enter in the County Fair next summer.

This tree is massive. I am always astounded every time I see it. That is Li’l Bro on it, just to give a bit of perspective.

On a recent camping trip … we attended a “Step Back in Time” event being held at the state park where we camped … it was small and ample at the same time. Just about perfect!

This sheep-herding demonstration with a border collie left me with my mouth gaping. It was unbelievable how devoted this dog was to his owner and the job.

Li’l Miss and Mo stood in a line to try the pottery wheel. They both loved it, and Li’l Miss seems to have a knack for it. The couple who had this booth were just a joy to meet, and they were so kind and patient with all of the children.

On Sunday morning of our camping trip, we took a hike that parallels the river. It is so wonderful when you happen upon a surprise view and in spite of one of our children being …

… angry and disrespectful, we still had a nice time of reflection and God was there with us. I figure He understands disrespect, even during a family prayer time, as He is the creator of all of us.

I love the above photo because the Prez was talking with the children and all were listening at that moment, and all seemed to be enjoying this at the moment.

The following pics appear way more dangerous than it appeared while there. It wasn’t as high as it looks, but they were climbing right beside the river on sheer cliffs. They can all swim (well all but one), but yeah, these look a bit more dangerous than I recall it being at the time.

While the other 5 rode their bikes right past and/or walked right over this box turtle, the Prez spotted it and Li’l Bit was more than happy to hold him/her on her lap for a minute. So sweet! (and yes, we washed her hands with “tizer” until we could wash them back at the camper).

The girls had a date night with Daddy on another tutorial-sponsored field trip to the theater in the large city downtown area. They had dinner first, then saw Beauty and the Beast live on stage! I’m not sure which they liked best–Belle or the Date with Daddy–but they loved both!

Finally, we went to our local science center last week, again with the tutorial. It was extra fun to attend with other families we know from tutorial classes and other classes we attend. This was the only time really I saw Larry and Mo besides the planetarium where we saw a show about the night sky.

The best part for me was perhaps the impromptu lunch I shared with several Moms while our big kids attended age-leveled classes. We had a few preschoolers around us, but they were happily entertaining one another and it was so nice to dine with other Moms!

For those local, yes, I climbed to the top and yes, my legs were SORE the next day!

What a photo! Li’l Miss is using an exhibit that shows how a NORMAL heart pumps blood. She was beating several children around her with the amount she could pump in the set time, and they were all much larger than her (and presumably born with NORMAL hearts). GOD IS GOOD!

In the body discovery area, they have an ambulance, and the little ones flock to it. I had them belly-laughing when I jumped in the back and played the part of their patient … who had stubbed her toe! I of course explained later that this was NOT A VALID REASON for calling an ambulance. 😀

Do y’all think Li’l Bit would be swayed by the difficulty of climbing to the top of the indoor tower?

No, not for a minute. While other three-year-olds gave up long ago, here she is almost to the top. For the record, she is not quite 6 months post-op from her open-heart surgery.

Today’s Tip: Do your little girls love to wear their skirts? Mine do, but I always make sure they have shorts or leggings on underneath their skirts. Ask my why? I teach in a 3-year-old Sunday school class, and that is enough for me to know that little girls, both those taught modesty and those who are not, WILL at one time or another sit with their legs apart and/or roll around on the floor with no care as to whether or not their skirt is still covering the private areas! So, for me, I don’t sweat the skirt knowing they are covered with shorts (or leggings) underneath!