The Good, the pure, and the lovely

We had one of the best science lessons in our front flower bed.  The boys had the opportunity to observe a praying mantis.  We spent part of the afternoon watching him.  It thrilled the boys to see him in action.

Working back into the routine of school is always a challenge.  Not only do the boys have to adjust, Mommy (that'd be me) has to adjust.  This year was no different.  We went through the routine of remembering how a school day runs for us.  After a long (long by our standards) day, the boys needed to blow off some steam outside. They ran off to play wiffle ball in the front yard.  I hustled off to make biscuits to accompany our soup and salad dinner.  That's when the screaming came.  In the front door came some very upset children . . . one holding his bloody eyebrow.  Yes, nothing like blood spilling out from under a child's hand to send terrors up a mamma's spine. After a few phone calls, a trip to the ER a, few stitches, and a very late dinner, all is well.  We are very blessed that Big Brother's cut was minor.  When he tells the story, he emphasizes that he "CAUGHT THE BALL!!!".  It was just the PVC pipe that got in his...

This beautiful scene greeted us at the local amusement park last week. 

The topper of our last week before school was a very special treat.  Momaw and Popaw went camping at a campground nearby.  It was wonderful to spend extra special time with them.  While we were there, we caught something spectacular on film.  Brother in the Middle was riding his bike.  He had started to learn at the beginning of the summer, but the heat discouraged his efforts (the helmet makes it so much hotter).  The beautiful weekend and the paved road provided a great learning experience for him.  He even had his own cheering section from the campsite down the street.  They encouraged him every time he fell and cheered for him when he made it all the way around the circle.  Big Brother did his best to encourage him too.  Brother in the Middle was really cruising by the time we had to head home.  What a great end to a fantastic summer!

To everything there is a season A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born,   And a time to die; A time to plant,   And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill,   And a time to heal; A time to break down,   And a time to build up; A time to weep,   And a time to laugh; A time to mourn,   And a time to dance; A time to cast stones,   And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace,   And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain,   And a time to lose; A time to keep,  And a time to throw away; A time to tear,   And a time to sew; A time to keep silence,   And a time to speak; A time to love,   And a time to hate; A time of war,   And a m of peace. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 NKJV

Our second trip included shopping . . . and fish.  But, we weren't shopping for fish!!!! Hey, Little Man, what do you see???? The boys think that this is the best store ever - fish tanks and candy (for the boys, not the fish).

We decided to have the fun come before the work.  By that, I mean that we planned some fun activities the weekend before school started.  I'll be posting throughout this week to remember what fun we had. Our first activity included bashing into one another, And lots of pretty horses. We got to ride the pretty horses. And then bash into each other some more. I think Snoopy is waving good-bye to summer for us!

This is my very favorite Psalm. Psalm 150 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! If you have a moment, go enjoy this version from Steve Green! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8ocfxhsYRA

"Bribery , a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift given that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering , giving , receiving , or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty ." ~Courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribery Bribery is not know as a good thing.  It can cause good people to do bad things.  But are there times when bribery can be good?  I think so.  Take for instance, this scene: This does not appear to be a deep, dark scene of corruption.  It is, on the other hand, a small form of bribery.  This is the scene that welcomed me when I went to take care of my parents' cats last weekend.  These offerings were greatly appreciated.  Well, now that I look at the definition of bribery which says that the, "gift given that alters the beha...

These leaves of these flowers come up in the spring and then die away in the early summer.  I forget about them every year after the leaves disappear.  Then, in August . . . SURPRISE . . . I have beautiful pink flowers in my garden.  It is so nice to see them smiling at me when so much of the garden is starting to fade. I love flowers.  I wonder what I'm going to write about when they've all gone away for the winter?????

While this may look like any old mess, it has a story to tell . . . One child was absent for the day, so the others went looking for something to do. What they found was the boxes that hold the toys. The boxes became a hideout from enemies. They became a train. They became turtle shells, boats and so much more. And the fun that was had was all from the imagination of small children!

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; b ears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NKJV   

After one long, lazy, hot summer, we are staring down the barrel of  the last week of summer break.  At the end of it, we will be catapulted into the fast pace of school days.  Monday morning, we will open the books and get to learning. The excitement is building.  Yesterday, we cleaned the office . . . also know here as the school room.  We then opened the boxes of books that have sat in the entry way of our house for two weeks.  Until yesterday, I was not able to face the fact that summer break was ending soon.  I had avoided the office/school room like it carried some terrible disease.  The disease that it carried (other than the dust from being ignored so long) was responsibility.   I was not ready to face it.  Every year, at the end of the school year, I have a terrible case of burn out.  It takes me the whole summer to get over it.  While opening those boxes of books and organizing the shelves for e...

This little boy is hiding in my garden.  He sits among the inpatients on his bench with his puppy at his feet.  When I took this picture, his bench and feet were hiding.  Today, his entire head is hiding under the flowers.  What a silly boy!