A week in review...

Our first day of HIS co-op was on Monday the 18th. Who is the young man that doesn't look like he is getting ready to turn 13 but 16!?!?!

Art class was a hit!

Everyone had fun busily creating a collage that would be the cover of their Art Portfolio and getting to know each other.

Science was awesome too.  We learned about molecules and atoms with a battery, wires, water, and baking soda.

The copper changed the water green-blue pretty quickly and it was so cool.

We put a completely new shinny penny in the water and a couple minutes later it looked like this:

Jake and the other kids with summer/August birthdays were celebrated.

And our co-op has GROWN!  Doubled in fact-which is a great thing!

And of course there was the playing in the gym to make the day complete.

This was after most of our friends were gone.  We are often the last ones to leave. :)

After co-op we headed to the library to practice our memory work (based on US History) with some of our friends. You are looking at a picture of "one room schooling" at it's finest.  Grades represented: 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th.

We are going to learn about the systems of our bodies so we will need paper bodies to use the whole year to add too.

Later in the week we decided an extended recess was need so we took advantage of Aunt Sheila's pool.

I love this picture.

Jake is serious about the suction of his goggles!  Nee was with us but I tend to focus my camera on my favorite face.  We had fun playing Marco Polo and Categories (one person says a category like ice cream.  The other people pick a flavor and the person who is it calls out flavors.  When you flavor is called you try to cross the pool with out getting tagged by the person who is it).  Nee learned you should never jump into the shallow (3 feet) end...ever!

Aaron and Jake restarted guitar lesson and Jake has been doing a great job practicing daily.

I am in continual planning mode.  I was searched the house for my three whole punch...do you see that is was in front of me the whole time?  It took me 10 minutes (at least) to realize that...

And on Friday nigh-it was my night to pick the movie for our traditional Friday night pizza and movie night.  I have watched so many super hero, intergalactic, boy movies that I thought it was time for a chick flick...Decisions, decisions...I choose Pride and Prejudice and after explaining what was going on through out the movie, they declared that it wasn't half bad. :) 

On Saturday Jake went to a lake day with the Youth from church and came back with a very red face.  Aaron and Jake watched Star Wars on Saturday night while I tried to organize more of the office/school room..This is what I got done...

 I almost bought paperclips and...

 ...Sharpies this week.  I am glad I didn't.  I need it in my face to remember we already have what we need.  This is a sneak peek of the amazingness that will be the office/school room!

It was a pretty good week. :)

Keeping it cool Southern style.

We are lucky enough to live not too far (at all) from a state park and decided last Friday was a good day to take advantage of that fact.  Enough words...Pictures will suffice.

(I love how Jakes' pockets are inside out...opps...words...)

Besides these words...Can you see how Jake's right top eyelid is swollen?  It was for a week and a half (went away one time) so I set up a doctor's appointment (called Wed. morning and we were going in that afternoon).  In just a few hours before going to the doctor's is went away almost completely and hasn't been back-of course.  We went any way and they thought it was just allergies.  I should have called the doctor on day one and it would have disappeared that day!

And these words...Sadie slept for 3 days after her swim and romp through the woods. :)

                                                                     The End.

I can't even come up with a title for this post...

How about stuff we've been doing that I have neglected to post about and now I have to dump them all in one post so I don't get so far behind I never feel like posting again?  Yep that sounds about right.  So, here is a quick on words but not pictures post to catch up on life.

Jake is learning how to type.  He doesn't like to write very much and he has been wanting to learn how to type the right way so we are going for it.  He is in the memorizing of the keys stage....

We set up a reading tent....I mean why would you want to read in the comfort of your air conditioned home when you can sit in a tent in your backyard, when it is 100 degrees out with a heat index of 110?  We took it down today because there was a thunder storm brewing.  I think the tent bed is about to make it's appearance again soon.

This is one of Sadie's favorite things to do.  Believe it or not I had just refilled the pool about 10 minutes before this.  She likes to dip her head in it, kick as much out as she can, get completely wet and then do this...

...Roll in the dirt.  She then starts the process over again.  Can you see why the freshly clean pool water only lasted a few minutes?  She is crazy.  I think it maybe due to all the lotion she licks off our skin as soon as we put it on.  There must be something in it that is killing her brain cells.  It is a good thing she is totally adorable, cuddly, and loving other wise she wouldn't stand a chance in this world.

We have apparently been watching too many episodes of Man vs. Wild and Dual Survivor at our house because Jake has spent a couple of days this week in the backyard practicing his surviving skills.  Here is his shelter:

He even made a rope swing in a tree to cross the snake pit.  It used to be a fish pond and Aaron finally has time to fill in the hole since he is out of school until the middle of August.  Wouldn't you know it.  He has some time off (he is still working full time 3rd shift...) and it is in the hottest possible time of the year to do yard work...

I packed a lunch and made my way out to our dangerous backyard to share a meal with my favorite survivor man.  I am a germ-a-phobe but dirt doesn't bother me.  It probably should since we have a dog that goes to the bathroom out there...Okay, I just puked in my mouth a little now that I have really thought it through...Just kidding I didn't.  Still not bothering me so much.  Strange how people bathroom germs can literally make me puke (public restrooms are one of my worst fears), but dirt that our dog has possibly peed in doesn't really bother me...It really is interesting how the human mind works.  Keep in mind I did not look like this while eating my lunch...

Sadie enjoyed my apple core...

Freezer pops are a must in the summer.  He looks kind of like he could be homeless in this picture doesn't he?

We also went to the library and enjoyed seeing some exotic animals...This lady was great.  She was funny and she gave a lot of facts about the animals...none of which are coming to mind right now...

How many people can say they have seen a Bear Cat in person?  They aren't even at very many Zoos because they are endangered.

They sniff peoples/animals heads to get to know them and show affection.  She looks like she is pain in this one but she was really just talking or something...

At the end you could wait around and pet the chinchilla and we did.  It was sooo soft.  We walked out the door and I told Jake we should probably go back and thank her.  Luckily we did because Jake got to hold it.

And while he was holding it some other children asked to pet her dog so she held the dog while Jake got to keep holding the chinchilla.  He was very proud that he got to hold it longer than any one else. :)

Okay, as usual there were a few more words than I anticipated.  I am sure that doesn't surprise you.  I am caught up on my pictures-mostly because for whatever reason I haven't taken as many as usual.  I guess I better get on it!  What have you all been doing this summer so far?