Tossed by the Waves

 The ocean has a mood for every day that we're here. One morning the water is so cold that you have to just plunge in and let the icy numbness take over.  Sometimes the waves hit you so quickly one after another that you loose track of the sky.
Today, the water was warm and gentle and shallow out for a long- long way.  Some current deep under the surface decided to come ashore and it brought secrets we hadn't seen before.  There were jellyfish with bright red tentacles lazily floating onto the sand and commanding great respect from all.  Also making an appearance were beautiful shells that the  waves dumped at our feet for a few seconds before snatching them back out again. I grabbed a few and was thankful for these surprise treasures. 
The jellyfish and shells were gone after lunch....the ocean must have changed its mind.

Smoke this Art

  We spent the afternoon today wandering around Manteo, NC, one of my favorite towns anywhere.  Lunch by the water watching sailboats rock in their slips, little shops full of seashells and driftwood and sea glass.  
My favorite stop was the local art gallery.  We watched artists turn canvas into paintings, marveled at sculptures and each person had to choose the piece of art they liked best and tell why.

And then I found an Art O' Mat machine.  They are re- purposed cigarette machines filled with tiny pieces of art for $5 and a pull of a knob.  You didn't quite know what you would get (which made it even more exciting).

I scored an adorable mermaid painting from K. Larabee mounted on a wooden block which is immensely better than a pack of Kools. ( which I haven't smoked in 18 years, but when I did that's the knob I would have pulled.)

Things That Go Bump in the Night

The first morning we woke up at the beach, Jeremiah showed up to breakfast looking like this. 
My first thought was some brother had duked it out with him.
Not the case. 

He had no idea what happened. 

When I kissed him good-night, he didn't have a mark.  After some investigation our best guess is he fell from the top bunk onto the end table, as everything on the table was on the floor. He said he woke up in his bed and his two brothers sleeping in the bed under him never heard a thing.  I think we'll file this one under Beach Mysteries - sure to become a family legend.

It's Your Birthday

A few days ago our family celebrated two birthdays - my Dad who is 93 and my granddaughter Abby (his great granddaughter) who turned 2.

The presents ranged from princess dishes and sheet sets to an iphone 6 car docker. (Yes, my Dad at 93 is that cool) There was a beautiful Barbie cake for Abby and a delicious Dairy Queen ice cream cake for him.  I sat and thought about the things he had seen in his life and what the future would hold for her. Between the two there are many years and a love that spans them sweetly.

Bon Voyage Bethany

A few days ago we had a going away party for one of our friends.  It was supposed to be a bonfire, but the weather and our weird kids morphed it into a pool party.
It's hard saying good-bye to Bethany and her family, because they are our people.  We all homeschool and somehow God has arranged us into a strange, strong, safe family.  We differ on pretty much everything...what we eat (vegan to Chik-fill-a addict), what we collect (chickens, dogs, kids and quilts), and how we school our kids, but it works - together.


You will be so missed Bethany...you leave a colorful, crazy hole in our hearts.

Once Upon a Time.....

  I love a great many things about homeschooling - being the one there when they "get it",the relaxed schedule, the closeness that takes place when you spend your days working, learning, and fighting struggling together, and the great education that I get by teaching it all over again.

 But the best- best- best of all is reading through book after book as a family. We have read the history of the world through exciting fiction books, cried over missionary stories (okay, I'm the one who cries) and been inspired by great men and woman who have changed the world.  Our list of favorites goes on for a mile and we talk about them often.
The sweetest times we have are sitting outside while the neighborhood is quiet and reading ourselves to another place.

Sometimes Less is Good

 In our house, you can't get a cell phone until you drive, and driving is a privilege given to those who are trustworthy and mature.  At the moment, only one of our six kids at home has the much coveted phone. Two are working on getting their license. 
And yes...just like they think, they are the only kids in America who don't have any devices that go online. 
Which means that when Emma got her much needed graphing calculator yesterday she was very excited. She said it was almost as good as a phone.
That makes her a science/math nerd and she still can't text.  I'm okay with that.

Education is a Process (slow one apparently)

  One of the many benefits of homeschooling is that you can begin and end your year according to what works best for your family.  As we always go to the beach in late May, we choose to start school earlier in August, not take time off for many of the holidays that the public schools do, and never lose a day for snow.  Our curriculum has 35 weeks and we just finished up week 33. YES!!!

I came home today to find this note on the board.  

Maybe I should reconsider.