Beyond Co-op: Sarah Plain and Tall #2

Today I was talking with one of my boys about co-op.  He asked me what *I* liked about co-op.  I told him that one of my favorite things about co-op is that other Moms teach on topics that are different than what I would have selected.  I love the shared experiences, talents and interests.  It just makes for a lot of fun.  He then asked if I enjoyed teaching and again I said yes.  It is a sweet time to teach these kids - many of whom I have none now most of their lives.  :-)

For our second co-op, we had two topics to cover - windbreaks and family resemblances.  We had a lovely day and sitting outside was a great way to learn! 

The children learned about windbreaks - what they are and how they work and the benefits of them.

Then they were put into pairs to create their own windbreaks.  They each started with a large pan of sand and were told that they could use whatever natural materials they wanted to build a windbreak.  They quickly got to work!

Then came time to test their windbreaks.  They had 2 hair dryers which were cut on and aimed at the windbreak.  The others tried to see if they could feel the wind from the other side.  The plants on the other side of this one aren't moving!  Great job!  However, they did use a lot of land in creating their windbreak which meant less room for crops.  Hmmm ... lots of factors to consider.

Oops!  The strong wind knocked this one over.

Many of them went back and made improvements to their originals designs and tried it again.  They had a great time with this one!

We enjoyed snack time and then it was time for art.  I love when we cover areas like this because this is not my strength.

The children talked about and examined various works of art in which a family or members of a family were depicted.

They had each brought a pictures and possibly some other items in which to make a collage of someone in their family that they resembled.  It could be a physical similarity or one of interests.  Whatever they wanted to choose.  (Can you see the pictures of Isaiah and Christopher and how much they look alike at this age?)

 They painted and created.  I love watching them at work!

Loved the end results too!  What a fun project!

Thanks Lea and Yvette for a wonderful morning!  Looking forward to our next time together.  :-)

With love

Leslie

Amazing day

Today was an amazing day!  I expected it to be good, even big, but it wasn't one that I anticipated being so personal.  Isn't that just like God?  To show up in places where I least expect Him and to bless me in ways that are so sweet.  

Our church has been planning a big event and today was the day!

The Summit is a multi-site church meeting in various places around the Triangle area.  This was an opportunity for all of the campuses to come together and worship as one for the first time.  We met downtown at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.  A baseball stadium.  Thankfully the weather was beautiful!

 The place was packed!  When Christopher called me, I couldn't find him in the crowd (and it was very hard to even hear him on the phone).  We did meet up after the service.

We spent time praising and singing.

 And then listened to the message of the Gospel.  This event was a big outreach for our community in addition to being a time to gather together.

 The screen on the scoreboard was used for the words for the songs and also as a live feed of our pastor and later of the baptisms.  After the sermon, there was a call for any who wanted to be baptized to come forward.  There were 4 baptismals ready.  As people started moving toward the tents to meet with a prayer counselor, my heart was overwhelmed.  I was keenly aware of what a huge spiritual experience this was.  We watched person after person being baptized as we praised God in song.  It always touches my heart deeply.

This is when it became even more personal.  Isaiah leaned over and told me that he wanted to get baptized.  (This isn't the first time we've talked about it.)   I asked him if he wanted to do it today and he did!  He met with the prayer counselor that talked with him about his decision, what he believed and why he wanted to get baptized.

After talking we went down to the field with a change of clothes in hand.  (The church brought many bags of clothing for people so that this wouldn't hold anyone back.)  Isaiah went into the locker room to change.

 Getting ready.

 Talking with Josh Lawrence (R) and Andrew Hopper (L).  You can see one of the other baptismals behind the one Isaiah is in.

 Family and friends watching.

 "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."

 Praising God that my sweet boy was ready to make a public profession of faith!  So thankful for his heart to know and love God.  So thankful that God has entrusted us to love and raise this wonderful son!

 We watched people being baptized for a long time.  Over an hour.

Today was amazing.  (I know I've said that already, but it bears repeating.)  We attended church today with 7200 people.  Over 300 people were baptized!  This isn't about numbers.  These are all people.  People who have decided to state publicly that they love Jesus.  I am so thankful to be a part of this church and to see the things that God is doing here!  I am excited.  I'm excited to be a part of a community that seeks to love God, love each other and love the world.

Today was amazing.  One we will treasure.  Thankful to be a part of this.  Praising God for the work He has done and will continue to do!

In His love,
Leslie

Science experiment

I love that fall is coming.  Its my favorite time of year.  For now though, we are enjoying the lazy days of summer still.  One day we headed out to a nearby pond.  Rebecca and her friend Hanna were needing to collect samples for a science experiment.  It was a beautiful day!  We chose a pond that was beside a playground.  Fun for everyone.  

Sometimes its just fun to play with a different setting on my camera.

Though I usually quickly head back to my favorite.

On top of a large berm around the pond.  What cracked me up though was what he did after getting to the top.  He rolled down the hill.  Not a small feat for a boy who used to struggle greatly with sensory issues.  He is doing so much better now!

The girls collecting samples.

The boys running around.

These two are often partners in crime.  LOL

The pond looked so pretty and peaceful.

Eliana took this photo - and more.  ;-)

We played some before heading home.  It was still quite warm - and there was science to do.

One very humorous thing happened when we got home.  The samples needed to be kept in a cool dark place where they would not be disturbed.  I immediately thought that on top of the kitchen cabinets would be a great place.  Its dark and by the cobwebs you can tell that it doesn't get disturbed.  Well, guess what else was undisturbed up there?  A jar of some sample from at least a year ago when the guys did this - or some other experiment.  LOL and gross!

We'll be studying these stinky samples for a few weeks and hopefully not leaving it there for the next time we need a cool dark place.

Lots more to catch up on and will hopefully post more soon.  Things are going well here.  Just trying to find a routine for our days, and to declutter our house in prep for a garage sale and still need to revamp the kitchen though I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to do that.  Hope you are having fun, enjoyable and productive days at your house!

Blessings
Leslie

Biker #5

Its a rite of passage.  One of those moments many of us remember from our own childhood.  Learning to ride a bike ... without training wheels.  None of my boys have been really eager to do this at a young age.  I haven't been one to push it either.  I just thought that when they were ready, they would be motivated to do it themselves.

A few weeks ago, it was time.  He was ready.

Daniel caught on quickly and has LOVED that he can ride his bike!  I'm thrilled with the enjoyment he is getting from this too!

He likes riding on the streets and even around the house - on the hilly, bumpy yard.  LOL  Its fun riding with his brothers too.  Great job Daniel!!!  I'm proud of you!

I see more bike rides in our future.  After Rebecca and I went biking on our girls week-end, I thought we should do this more often.  I think we are at that time now.  We have something we can use to give Eliana a ride and the rest can now pedal.

Milestones and changes.  They are coming so quickly these days.  More on that later.  

I hope you are enjoying these beautiful ... end of summer ... days.

Hugs
Leslie

Duchess Bakes a Cake

Just thought I'd share a little bit of our fun time with this fun book.  This is part of the Five in a Row curriculum and this is at least my 4th time rowing this book.  So many fun memories with this one.  If you haven't read it, I do highly recommend it.

We enjoyed reading it outside one day.  Love that fall is coming!

We made a catapult.  It was simple, but it did the trick!  Marshmellows made a great thing to shoot with as well.  Lots of fun doing this over and over and over again.

We did a lot of fun activities in the FIAR manual for which I didn't take a lot of photos.  We did end our time with a feast.  We dressed up for it too!  Daniel was surprised when he saw me change.  I liked doing this with him!

It was a good chance to get out some of the serving pieces that we don't use too often.  Perfect for a feast!  We had a wonderful dinner too.  Our menu included broiled asparagus, balsamic potatoes, mashed carrots and yummy chicken (from Boston Market and yes, it is gluten free!).

The Duke was having a great time!

Rebecca had been doing some medieval studies too so it was nice to have her help in this feast as well.  She set the table and folded the napkins.

In our reading about medieval times, Isaiah learned about the serf's table where they didn't use any utensils like they had at the table for royalty.  He and Joshua both decided that they wanted to sit at that table!  LOL  We used waffles for their plates and they ate with their hands.  And loved it!

Of course with this book, we had to have a cake!

We didn't make the usual "lovely, light, luscious delectable cake", but instead made a GF cake.  We played it safe and used a mix.  This is an area in which I need to venture out, but just haven't yet.

All in all a fun study!  Next up is The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge!

Blessings
Leslie