Sink or Float and Other Fun

It's been a relatively eventful week here. We spent Monday and Tuesday evenings without the Daddy-Man, as he had commitments outside the home those evenings. Monday night he had an early leadership meeting for BSF, requiring him to go straight from work. Tuesday he hosted a speaker program and wasn't home until 9:45pm. I'm rather thankful that those events aren't common. The boys and I did fine, enjoying Oma's company Monday evening and eating breakfast for dinner on Tuesday, both wildly popular activities. I have also implemented the survival technique known as outside time after dinner, weather permitting. Monday I told both boys they needed to run across the yard as many times as possible. And they did. They loved it. Oma and I joined them and we all got some good exercise. It was hilarious. See pictures below.

Today in science we studied density, or why things float. The experiment was fairly obvious. Collect a bunch of stuff. Predict if it will sink or float. Then drop it in some water. Were you right? The boys LOVED it. In fact, an hour later, they are still at the kitchen table sinking and floating things. Aah, density.

Here are the pics:

Run, Luke, Run!

Sink or Float?

Our Sink or Float Chart. I started putting Y for "yes, it will float" but that became confusing so I switched to S for Sink and F for Float. The biggest surprise was the piece of wooden train track. The boys were positive it would sink. Explaining that wood is less dense than water made me feel like a genius and a magician all at once. They were VERY impressed.

Yes, I just added this one because it cracks me up.

The Pirate and the Duck

Once upon a time there lived a slap-happy pirate and very forgiving duck. They resided in the same house together and made their mother laugh every day. The pirate's pants didn't quite fit right and the duck was prone to taking prat falls. It was a good life. The end.

Winks

Last night while I was reading the boys their bedtime story from the Thomas Story Collection, I discovered something hilarious and fun about both of them. In the story, Gordan the train winked conspiratorially at Henry the train. Right then I looked up and both boys were winking at each other! I laughed so hard I almost couldn't finish the story. You'll know why when you see the pictures. I didn't have the camera at that moment, but I recreated the event this evening for posterity and hilarity.

Nice!

Maybe the funniest face he makes right now. Cracks me up!

The Week of Being a Single Mom

Erik flew away Sunday afternoon for training in Los Angeles. We have done okay the past three days. It has helped that I've had amazing friends come for dinner each night. That is the time of day when the boys expect Erik's arrival the most, thus inducing the worst behavior when he doesn't appear. Some might think I'm nuts for inviting others into that environment, but sweet, non-judgmental friends who don't run screaming from the house are so helpful to me during these times. Just last night, wonderful Ashli did the dinner dishes while I put the mildly surly boys to bed. I came out to a clean kitchen and almost started crying. It's just beautiful to me when folks act as the hands and feet of Jesus, serving selflessly in everyday situations. I want to be like that.

In other news, Luke was honored this morning with his first marriage proposal...sort of. We had friends over to play. When the sweetest, sassiest three-year-old on the planet walked in, she rushed right over to Luke and said, "I'm gonna marry you." Luke said, "Oh," and invited her to sword fight with him. About five minutes later while both moms were standing in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish brewing we heard Luke say, "You can marry Jacob (her brother). I don't need to get married." Dang! I thought I had a good thing going there.

Here are a few pictures to keep the fans happy.

Luke is shading his face from that bright yellow orb in the sky. The aforementioned sweetest, sassiest three-year-old on the planet who shadowed him all morning doesn't seem to mind his ridiculous behavior. :-)

Paul making a really funny face. Love it.

Remodel Update

In honor of Ellen, here is an update on our remodel. We are largely finished, with just little bits of touch up work that will have to wait for summer days. We were able to get a fun chocolate brown, extra-long couch from IKEA. We've also finished up the desk, which now includes a station for all my crazy scrapbooking business. The most recent addition to the room has been something for which my husband has longed: a surround sound system. Fancy.

So I went back and grabbed some before and during pictures so that y'all can appreciate the update.

A good friend checks out the destruction of the bar. You can see the two windows on the right wall, covered with black out material. You can also see the amazingly ugly carpet as well as the desk, covered in clutter, on the left edge of the picture.

The new desk area. No comparison. Simplified and functional. I'm so happy.

Our former "screen" wall with lovely wood paneling and scraped floors.

That same wall with fun chocolate brown corduroy couch. There won't be ugly black wires coming out of that cupboard as soon as we get the new projector installed. The projector in the picture belongs to a friend and has been on loan.

And the new projector wall. No, we didn't install that fireplace. It was just utterly swallowed in ugly before the remodel. Now I like it and we might actually use it.

This room has become a great hang out place for our family and various ministry groups with which we are involved. It's a huge blessing from God, and we are thankful for His provision that allowed us to make these improvements to our home.

Spring!

Yes, it has been a long time. No excuses because they are all lame. Instead a post about how much I love Spring.

I love Spring. The boys are in the front yard playing happily. They don't need coats. They don't need sunscreen. It's the absolute best possible situation. Our neighbor, a County Judge, is out chatting with them. I'm sure they are regaling him with all the details of their little worlds, a recitation which may actually be welcome depending on the type of case he's been listening to all day. They are so excited to be outside re-discovering the yard. Luke must have spent an hour on his swing today. Paul hasn't quite mastered his yet, but he's getting taller every day.

In other news, for those who read and wonder how we all are, life is good. Erik's job is going really well. We are blessed to see God's hand of provision through an almost inexplicable increase in Erik's sales numbers. We are daily on our knees praising and thanking God for all He gives us, especially as good friends and loved ones experience the challenges of the current economic crisis firsthand.

I am continuing to homeschool both boys, although I will admit we are mostly enjoying reading good stories together and playing trains, legos, etc. I'm realizing that despite what our culture practices, my five year old boy is not actually geared to sit at a desk for longer than ten minutes a day. Imagine that! So, we might do handwriting, math, and phonics, or we might not. (Sidenote: he's reading nearly every sign on the road with no hints from me, including the sign at Starbucks advertising their new cake. Who taught him to read long vowel words?)

And now for the pictures!

Run, boy, run!

He's so happy to be outside running and yelling.

Cutie Head telling Daddy about the game they are playing. Rules and title change every seven minutes...ala Calvin and Hobbes.

It's the attachment for the hose...he loves it. I don't know why. :-)