Weekly Roundup: Friends, Thoughts and Discoveries

Inspired by another blog that I've enjoyed peeking in on, I'm trying a new theme for Fridays: Weekly Roundup. In these posts, I'll stack my stones and pebbles as a marker in hopes of helping my children remember what the Lord showed us all by way of homeschooling, funny family moments, trials trod, and other milestones over the past 7 days. I reserve the right to republish often, because I have the memory of a gnat; don't mind me.

Saturday, we had a workday around the house. With a summer of rain finally coming to an end, Husband saw the benefit in hacking through the jungle that had become our front and back yards. It looked wonderful, but served a greater purpose...

Only some of these girls are mine. The rest are visitors from church, and they are truly an answer to prayer! We have--especially Fifi--been praying the Lord would bring a few more like-minded families with children to our wonderful church.

And then one Sunday a few months ago, Fifi came to me before the service and whispered excitedly, "Mommy! There is a family here with eight girls! Girls!"

As it turned out, they weren't quite eight, but close enough. Unfortunately, we were the very first church they attended after moving here that week, and they would be visiting around.

Fortunately, they were attracted by our church's dedication to preaching the Word.

Unfortunately, they were gone for many, many weeks when Fifi finally asked about them one Sunday on the way to church, and I had to break it to her that we probably weren't going to see them again.

Fortunately, God delights in answering a young girl's prayer and brought them back that very morning!

They spent last Sunday with us. Here's the very formal crowd pausing for some equally formal after-dinner music.

On Monday, Dumpling went with Fifi and Husband to her very first evening of Bible study, complete with teachers, new friends and homework. You could almost hear the butterflies fluttering in her tummy! Here she is doing homework with her daddy. They spend about 15 minutes before bed doing it together. It is a blessing to...well...all of us!


And then, there was the usual fare--the three "R's" if you will.

Fifi, a girl of many words, is in her 2nd year using Wordly Wise. It's not much in line with the Charlotte Mason way, but Fifi thrives on it, and I see new words popping up in her writing. Sometimes I check with her to be sure she's not just plagiarizing copying great phrases from her books--but no, they're really coming out of her own head!

Here is Dumpling, a girl who knows how to enjoy the moment, not practicing her reading lesson from the McGuffey Eclectic Reader.

Cuddlebug, an inquisitive girl and always eager to help, wanted to learn all about the agitator in the washing machine.

Later that day, she bounded into the room to practice her piano looking like Mary Poppins. When she does her lesson well, she gets to turn the page for a brand. new. song!

This week, we began a new read-aloud during lunchtime: Margaret J. Anderson's Children of Summer, Henri Fabre's Insects. You can read it online here, but there really is nothing like holding this little treasure in your hand. I think it was recommended by Sarah at In the Midst of It, but I really should have read it by now. I mean, I've been educating the Charlotte Mason way for 7 years! It's a great book--all three of mine (and I) are enjoying it! We've always found the process of keeping a nature journal a challenge, but I'm hopeful this will inspire us. It certainly renewed the girls' interest in seeking out new creatures. They called me out to see...

holes in acorns...was this the work of the Acorn Elephant Beetle?


And what about these ants, larvae, and what appeared to be self-propelling egg sacs? I can't say I know what to make of that...


In between times, we learned about the the Creation view of the Ice Age, realized that the first dinosaur bone was discovered in England, by the wife of a doctor--and not until the 1820s! Fifi is intrigued by Einstein's Theory of Relativity. And we read about plant life and some of its terms.

And finally, another new theme: Quote of the Week. This time around, the honor goes to Dumpling.

When I asked,

"Honestly girls, y'all have complaining spirits this morning. I'm pretty transparent with y'all, so I'm asking you: do you see me modeling that for you? Do you think I complain?"

"No, Mommy!" said Fifi.

"No, Mommy!" said Cuddlebug.

"Maybe we're not related to you?!" interjected Dumpling.