last day

The last day of school for this year - wow! We are completing our study of France and enjoying the most beautiful snowfall...

Our plans for the evening? Some physics & engineering (building a gingerbread house), some chemistry (making chili and spiced tea), and a lot of science (in our snowy lab).

Oh, what fun!

sick days

A gentle, good day - one filled with taking care of one another. We played and cuddled and read a little. We spent lots of time just being together.

Miss M said it was a beautiful day, though she felt awful.
Blessings abound ;)

a book she doesn't really love

My Miss M is reading something for me - a book that I have asked her to add to what she is working on as we journey through France this week and next.

And she is not really enjoying it.

This may be the very first book that she has EVER picked up that she has not found to her liking. But she is reading it - and she is not complaining. When I ask her what she thinks, she answers me honestly but does not ask to quit it.

I have a suspicion that when she has it completed she will find herself picking it up again for another go. And then will find, quite in spite of herself, that she has come to love it.

I am proud of her :) And we will keep you posted about the book. I won't share the title just yet, but here is a hint: a little majesty, a desert, and a tree that is named beginning with B.

beginning

A lovely tradition begun last year. We take it up again today. Precious words, simple drawings colored with little hands and placed on a small snow white tree...
How our hearts swell as we read and see again how the Story grows. The Word, the Gift.

Happy Tuesday the first to you :)

delight

Miss M straightening her room, waiting to hear us coming down the hall...

Little Miss shouting, "Skoo! Skoo!" at the top of her voice...

Mr S and I gathering arms full of books and ideas and materials and toys...

Following him around the house and down the hall...

And we are delighted just to be here together, climbing on board our flight to France, following that silly tortoise and hare along their race course, figuring out just how to use quotation marks in a very particular situation, stacking the blocks just so -so that they will fall through the barn door and roll out, listening to Squanto explain how best to catch an eel...

Ah, Monday at "skoo"...
Hope that you had a lovely one, too ;)

in the air? in the box!

Scene: 7.5 year old and 3.5 year old gather giggling around the couch, looking into bags - so excited to begin. 1.5 year old grinning from ear to ear, just wanting to be involved in the fun.

It happens every year at this time. We begin discussing the boxes we will pack and praying for the boys and girls. Miss M smiles joyfully as she considers what another young lady her age might like to receive. Mr S can hardly contain himself, shouting his ideas for the gift list (cars! balls! and, oh Mom! some books, too!).

The only time they really quiet is when we consider that the children may not receive any Christmas at all otherwise - that they may not hear about Jesus -ever- if not for this box this year.


And so we pack :) With great joy!


It's not too late to join in the fun! Visit here for details...

welcome back sun

Oh, how we enjoyed this book today. The children and I gathered in Mr S's room. He and Little Miss played quietly in their "clubhouse" behind the door, I sat on his bed sewing up stuffed animal friends who desperately needed a surgery, and Miss M read to us.

The lovely story and illustrations provided some new insight into our study of Norway. The children were enchanted by the little heroine and her adventure.

From the book flap: Welcome Back Sun by Michael Emberley

"In the mountain villages of Norway, tucked away in the valleys between the high peaks, the sun almost completely disappears between the months of September and March. the people call this the murketiden, the murky time, and they find it a dreary, difficult time to live through.

There is a legend, however, of one young girl who longed to see bright sunlight so much that she climbed up the mountains, called the sun out, and led it to the valley. To this day, the inhabitants of the mountain villages repeat the girl's quest in the early spring.

This picture book is the story of one family's life during the murketiden and their eventual climb--so that they can rejoice and sing out, 'Welcome back, Sun!'"

Highly recommended by all :)