Spring Break & Lots 2 Do

*1*

Had a quick, spur of the moment visit from the in-laws and 12 year old cousin, Danny. My mil and fil have built a couple of houses, remodeled a couple more and are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to home improvement. Monday we spent the dayg rilling a salesperson at our local DoItYerself store and learned so much more than we knew was possible about toilets, counter top, cabinets, appliances and sinks. KB took notes and we all came home on overload. Tuesday after the company left we went back out to the acerage to talk electricity with our trusty electrician. Thursday we met with the cabinet maker. Eaelier in the week we had discovered that after the ~250% mark-up at your local builder place having custom made cabinets just isn't that expensive. Cupboards, size, height, shape, fancy work, pulls. Details. Details. Details.

*2*

School was a wash this week. I'm calling it "Spring Break." Cub did finish the 3rd book in the Wilder King Series (an analogy of the life of King David set in the Florida swamps), from whence the name "Feche Boy" comes. Great series.

*3*

How is the weather in your neck of the woods? Life in the Dakota's is weather whip-lash. Last week we had snow boots next to flip-flops by the door. In the high 70's temp-wise with, literally, snow on the ground. But we awaken daily to birds singing. Huzzah for SPRING!

*4*

Thursday = TDA and we fit in Art (they kids are on Day 5 of Creation so spent the time creating animals. Each lesson has been sooo goood!) , Drama (the laughter and fun that emanates from Drama class is worth the day!), Music (Dona Nobis Pacem and Christus Vincit, sung as prayer -soo beautiful! ) Apologetics, which rocks. Cub joined us for our Beit Midrash study later on that day where we are studying Exodus, and declared that Apologetics is just "Bible Jr." Pond scum was carefully examined under the microscope for Biology by everyone, Bio student or not. We happened to catch what we think was dragonfly larvae as well as a couple of snails; Cool and gross all at once. Recess at the park. The weather was beautiful. Another great day.

*5*

After lunch on TDA days, KB reads a devotional chapter book, Christiana, the follow up to Pilgrim's Progress, to the younger kids while they draw or play quietly. Thursday was so gorgeous that the kids went outside, made an cool city-state in the large sand-box while she read. it was a sweet picture. The kids were quiet and listening, some slowly digging in the sand, a couple placing pine-cones on sand hills, one laying on his back, looking up at the sky. Their ears full of beautiful words, their eyes full of a beautiful day, surrounded by friends and God's peace. Socialization at it's finest.

*6*

If it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert on something (i.e. Outliers- review to follow) I qualify for: cooking, raising/teaching/training kids, and reading. How bout you.

*7*

Played Risk and Settlers of Catan and Rubiks this week in various permutations, Grandpa and Grandsons, Flower and the boys, last night it was KB, Feche Boy, Flower and myself, with Viking Man banking. My family will tell you that I go for the jugular when playing games but it's just not so, I just play to win = ). My grandparents had a cottage built by my Grandpa and Dad at a lake where we would spend cool summer Indiana evenings gathered around card-tables with various games and relatives and play for hours. Grandma Rummel reigned. She could beat anyone, anywhere, anytime. Same with croquet. She could also cook. And we could have pie (homemade, no less) for breakfast. After a very early foray on the lake fishing with Grandpa Grandma would fry fish for breakfast and we'd have that with pie. Good, good times. Grandma and Grandpa didn't talk much but they made memories for us that are sweet. And I play like Grandma. Focused. And now I'm getting all nostalgic...again.

More quick takes over at Conversion Diaries, but for some reason I can't link. And, of course, weekly reviews over at The Well Trained Mind. Both links on my side-bar.