The professor

So, I've been si-zick.  Blah!  And I've also been feeling the pressure of finishing Term 1 of ManSoul Academy, since we took that nice long break in and around Ethiopia.  Today... early this morning, I should say... Girumy came into the sick chamber with his suitcoat over his PJs, saying that he was a professor.  "Great!  So, do you think that you can do school with your brother and sister?  I just can't."  And the child read to them all of their texts for the day, in English and in Spanish.  What?!?! 

Feliz navidad

Arepas, buNuelos y Mabel!

Happy grad-anni-birth-day

That's how we roll...  What?

Trying to get a family photo

'Twas the best we could do.

The namesake girls:  Sophie-Ona, Ona Belle and Anna Belle

What I heard during the past two weeks

"Amy, you are FAT!"  (Yeh, this was supposed to be a compliment, but... oh, UH-uh.)

"Allah-u-akbar!"  (AWLL pre-dawn long!)

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"  "Quiquiriqui!"  AND "Cocorico!"  (Also, all pre-dawn long.)

"Now you are half-caste, Amy."  (Thank you very much!)

"Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"  "Eh-miy!"

"May I please eat French fries for dinner, MamA?"

"Where..."  "When..."  "What..."  times a gadrillion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Iyesus yezalalem geta!"

"Farenj!  Farenj!  Farenj!"

"Money!  Money!  Money!"

To be continued...

Mother-Daughter Day

Nails, honey face wash, oatmeal mask, witch hazel toner, coconut oil moisturizer, all topped off with some carrot-orange-cinnamon juice and a teary viewing of Dolphin Tale.  "Naw-ice."

Ah, the freedom!

Punky Brewster, Jr.

Family Fun

Their first high-school football game.

With the main attraction! 

Mr. Belgium and the Italian pigs... Who knew that rural Wisco was so international?!

Miss Belgium never looked so great!

H., A. and I... beautifying ourselves, Nippon-style.

My babies!

My deal has been that as soon as she could comb her hair out herself, that I'd let her wear it loose and free.  Yeh... that was a mistake.  Post-Afro, it was still torture for both of us.

"This is the outfit you need to ride a motorcycle!"

You know, just doing chores: rubber boots, his home-made bow (in case of a rabid squirrel attack), and well... posing with a bike tire is just cool.

Life around here

We have begun Term 1 of Mansoul Academy.  The kids are happy, I am happy... a nice sigh.  It's Grades 2 and 3 this year; and with each advancement, I am so much more interested.  I am so glad to be able to learn with my kids.

G's solo work

Our table work

Cursive!

Notice the insertion of the cursive a.  I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.

And although I'm not done outdoors in the yarden, our time there is now curtailed to a bit in the afternoon.

Goodbye, dear Summer.

The Revolving Door, it is!

Where have we been?  Settling in with A., our French student for the year.  It's been quite natural and very pleasant, thank God.  She is a blessing to us, for sure.

And then arrived A, one of the Colombians that will be here for a semester.

This weekend?  Shoo!  Colombian L. should arrive, unless the hurricane impedes her travel.  Then Mr. and Miss Belgium arrive to visit for a week (Wahoo!), followed by Miss H., from Japan, who will be with us for a month.

It's all very fun, my kids love our new interesting friends and... well... all of the action has decided on the name for our house, even though it sounds like an English pub.

Our hens

So, it's that time again.  Soon we'll say good-bye to Mery, Aly, Roxy, Roxy, Roxy and Roxy. 

And here are the replacements, one of which must be hiding: Summer, Inge, Roxy, Ana, Ana and Dela!

Our yarden

It is all SO beautiful!  I am so grateful for God's amazing creation.  

Harvest!

What G says

The other evening, G wanted another helping of cashew chili and asked if he could serve himself.  Wanting to avoid a disaster, Rob offered to serve him; to which G replied, "But, it's good to try new things.  You know I'm always seeking adventure."  And so!

"MamA, have you forsaken the moon roof?"

Mr. Cheeky, himself

Charlotte Mason meets Summer Camp

So, every mid-summer I re-read one of Charlotte Mason's books, to refocus my efforts to home-school.  And in her first, she talks about a lot of obvious things that we should do for our children, but don't; one of them being spending as much time out of doors as possible.  And so I get convicted and begin serving meals on the balcony.

By the way, it's Crazy Hair Day at Church Camp today!

Bounty!

Thank God!