This Week at OurPlace

Besides our regular school stuff, we've had a lot of other things going on this week. I had to fit the week into four days to allow time for picture day on Friday. Our homeschool association has a yearbook, so we had to get pictures made for that. I'm not one of those parents who take her children for professional photos very often. I took each one of mine when they were around 6 months old, and Madison had a photo session(given by her grandfather) when she was a year old. Other than that, I always taken them myself. I do however, have 8 x 10's of all of the kids' school pictures and plan on making an 8 x 10 album for each of them one day. It is this album that drives me to make it to these photo sessions each year. I am always so relieved when they are over. I have always preferred pictures in more natural settings.

We bought pumpkins to carve at the fall party we went to last week, but the kids were having so much fun playing that they never got around to carving them. Madison and Carter finally took theirs to the deck yesterday and got them done! I usually sit with them the entire time they do this, making sure to do most of the knife work; however, the pumpkin carving kit came with safe tools that allowed them to do them alone. The only thing that I did was cut the tops out of the pumpkins. Then, I just sat back and watched them work. I really was amazed with what they were able to do alone. Carter did the classic pumpkin face, but Madison used a pattern to cut a ghost design. I can't wait to do one on Halloween Day!

Before carving the pumpkins, we had a little photo session with Grant and Anna, Madison's "babies". Madison is so much like Vicki and I were at her age. We were in no hurry to put down our dolls and run to the boys. I know that she will put them down one day...probably very soon...but until then, I will cherish them as part of our family!!

We were still studying cells in Science this week. We did an experiment with potatoes to demonstrate turger pressure.

Madison and I got the sewing machine out on Thursday for a little sewing lesson. Madison was a little afraid of the serger because of the knife, however, loved stuffing the pillows with batting. Jeff brought home some material that one of his patients gave him. He asked me to make pillows for the kids to take on our camping trips. While I was doing that, Madison made a little pillow for her Build a Bear. She loves to create...just put the materials in front of her and she runs with it! I love watching her!

We try to "journal" at least once a week. Because I am so strict with the kids on their grammar when writing paragraphs and papers, I try not to check it in their journals. This isn't to say that I never do, but I try to give them an outlet for creative writing without feeling held back by grammar details. Of course, Madison's favorite part of journal time is drawing the pictures that go along with the journal entry. I usually have to stop her and let her finish it on her own time.

Today, we are headed to my Dad's! He has been in Illinois on a pipelining job, along with my stepmother, nephew, and brother in law. We look forward to seeing them all and spending the weekend at my sister's.