Avery's Costume Recital

Today was Avery's first recital since starting violin lessons in July. The kids all wore costumes, and Avery dressed as Joan of Arc. Avery had her own cheering section with the four of us plus Papa and Ronnie there to watch. Avery has been working really hard to prepare for the recital, and I think I've heard her practice her recital piece about a billion times in the past few weeks. Her hard work paid off -- she did a wonderful job. We're very proud of her!

Barack the vote!

Avery and Rhys have become very interested in the political process. Even Griffin can recognize and point out Obama yard signs (although he does not fully understand, since he asked me yesterday if "Obama" was a store!). Rhys is very aware of who the different candidates are and who Bill and I are supporting. But Avery has really gotten more involved this election cycle. Not only does she know information about the candidates, but she has started to explore some of the major issues and form her own opinion. (She seems to be a fan of "fair tax", but environmental issues are what seem to resonate most with her.) She watched two of the presidential debates and the vice presidential debate, and she's very serious about her support for Barack Obama.

This week, she and I went with a few friends to put out voting and candidate signs for the Democratic Party. We started at about 8:30pm, and weren't finished until well after midnight. She hung in there the whole time, and she was very excited to be contributing. She and Rhys also went with us to vote, and I know she was sorry she couldn't do that too!

A day at the dump

A couple of weeks ago, Bill took the kids to Homeschool Day at the landfill. I wasn't too distraught that I had to work and miss a trip to the dump, but it turned out to be a fantastic time. Apparently this wasn't just any landfill. This landfill doubles as an exotic game preserve. Yes, that's right. Giraffes, ostriches, and buffalo at the dump. Makes perfect sense, right?

First, the kids listened to presentations about recycling and managing the landfill. Then they took a bus ride around the facility, where they got to see the recycling centers, composting center, huge machinery, and the huge hole they're digging for the new landfill.





On the bus ride they saw tons of different animals. A buffalo even ran right along the bus, next Griffin's window.



But the highlight of the day was feeding and petting a giraffe.





(And I just like this picture....)

What a week!

You know those weeks when you check your calendar on Sunday and you wonder what on earth you were thinking when you made the week's commitments? This week was one of those. After hyperventilating and working out logistics with other mamas that share my compulsion to overschedule, we embarked on a whirlwind week.

Monday was our warm up day. Bill and I dropped the kids off at a friend's house, where they did schoolwork as a group. I was amazed to find that the kids actually got all of their work accomplished and had a blast doing so. And the mom in charge survived the eight children in her care and lived to tell about it! In fact, she even let them bake their own cakes (without a recipe) and have a chocolate fest. During the time that this wonderful friend was sacrificing her sanity (and kitchen), Bill and I were free to go on a date! We started off by going fabric shopping for Halloween costumes, then we went to a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse. It was such a lovely day! Then we ended the day with the last of Avery's new member classes for the 4H Dog Club.

On Tuesday, I headed off to work in the morning, leaving Bill to handle school work with the kids. After lunch, I went to a Homeschooling for College seminar, which was both very helpful and very overwhelming. Meanwhile, Bill took the kids to violin. Unfortunately for the disappointed kids, tennis and t-ball were both rained out.

Wednesday began with school work in the morning for the kids and me, while Bill went to the doctor. After lunch, I dropped Avery off at a friend's house for a Mystery Party, in which one overachieving mama plans out a "mystery" for the kids to solve using both logic and science. Since this was an older kid only activity, those of us with youngers met at the discount movie theater to see Wall-E. Afterwards, all the littles (six wild and rowdy boys) came over to play while the mystery was unraveled. Avery spent the night at a friend's house, and Rhys had a friend sleep over here.

On Thursday, Avery went to a water and rafting class with the LCRA at McKinney Roughs. Unfortunately, it was less than successful due to some rowdy kids and blase adults. Meanwhile, Rhys, Griffin, and I played at the park with friends, then took Ollie to the vet and to run some errands. Avery came home late Thursday, and we all piled back in the car to go to the monthly dog club meeting.

Friday began with a flurry of lunch making and readying children (I so would not survive getting my kids off to school every day), then a mad dash to Fencing/Art/Logic classes. After the classes and lunch, we spent the afternoon at park day.

Whew. I'm glad we all survived the week, and I sure hope next week is more sane!

Book Club at the ranch

Last week we had book club out at our friends' ranch in Copeland. The kids did something different this time -- instead of reading fiction and discussing, they each researched an animal, plant, or insect that is native to Texas. When we met, the kids each gave a mini-presentation, then the group went on a search to find the living things they discussed. Avery researched monarch butterflies, and Rhys learned about honeybees.

They all had such a nice time tromping around the fields, but the highlight was visiting with Star, the world's friendliest duck.

Baking pumpkin bread

Overheard...

As we drove by a pumpkin patch, this conversation took place between Rhys and Griffin in the backseat:

Rhys: Look! We need to go there and get a pumpkin!
Griffin: To cut up and put fire in it and put it in the grass?
Rhys: No, to put on our porch.
Griffin: To fight away the ghostses?
Rhys: No, just to look good. Plus, if you punched it in the mouth, you're hand would get fire on it. And you would die.
Griffin: Ooooooh.

Fall Ball

This fall, Rhys is playing t-ball for the Astros. It has been a wonderful experience, mostly thanks to a really organized team and fantastic coach. Rhys is loving it and wants to practice constantly. He's a great little fielder, and I'm amazed that he's really learned where to throw the ball to make plays. He's been playing lots of short stop and second base, as well as spending some time at pitcher and first base. His favorite, though, is batting.

Dinoland

This month, our Nature Club outing was to Dinoland, an exhibit currently on display at the Botanical Gardens. Throughout the gardens, you could find dinosaur models hidden in the greenery. Pretty neat!

The 39 Clues

A few weeks ago, we went with some friends to the release party of Rick Riordan's newest book. The kids are huge fans of his, thanks to his fantastic series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. His new book, The 39 Clues, is the first in a new series of books put out by Scholastic. The kids had a blast at the release party, despite the fact that they weren't already well-versed on the book (or accompanying website/game). Avery devoured the book within the first couple of hours, and Rhys has been enjoying it as a read-aloud.