The first month of our new school year has been much busier than I expected.  The Boise area homeschooling community is so great we are almost TOO busy!  There are activities for the kids, activities for the moms, activities for the whole family!  There are field trips galore and take your pick of co-ops and extra curriculars!  I started a Lego club for the boys, we have a PE co-op on Tuesdays and an all day Co-op on Thursdays.  We have cub scouts every Wednesday and Piano every Tuesday.  I was asked to be the party planner for the Deseret Homeschoolers Association which is the LDS homeschoolers group here in Boise.  Two hundred some families!  So now I’m knee deep in planning the biggest Halloween party of my life-on a shoestring budget, no less.  I started couponing, canned peaches for the first time ever and tried to read Les Miserables for book club.  Note the word tried.  Luckily I’ve already read it twice!  I’ve had physical therapy for my neck and back two times a week all month.  On top of all that I had a cold that lasted a week and the rest of the family had a week long bout of the stomach flu and diarrhea.  Last week I washed Liberty’s bed sheets, bumper, blankets AND stuffed animals EVERY SINGLE day.  Tip: vinegar water and baking soda will get anything out of your couch. 

So yes, we are still alive but I am very glad September is almost over!!!  Next month I think I’ll can applesauce and read War and Peace.

Wink.

Sounds like a great horror movie, doesn’t it?  Or maybe one already exists by that name.  Anyway, we learned about volcanoes this summer so while in WA we went to Mt. St. Helens!  I was amazed at the growth that has occurred in the 30 years since it blew.  Weyerhaeuser has been busy!  I first saw it only a few years after the eruption and I remember it as being a moonscape.  It was so desolate and depressing.  I’ve always been fascinated by the stories of those who chose to stay, though warned to leave, like Harry Truman or those who drove away chased by the pyroclastic cloud or the couple who was saved just by hiding behind a tree.  I think part of my fascination came from growing up next to Mt. Rainier, also an active volcano. It was fun to pass on the fascination to the boys.

Before we went to Washington we made our own volcanoes.

I say “fun” because when you take four little kids out of their home, away from their toys and yard, remove any semblance of routine and order and put them in a small space for a week, you get “fun”.  But they were good sports, my family.  Even Sarin, who chose to sleep on the couch all week rather than trip over the three sleeping boys sprawled on the floor next to her bed.  They were all patient with my parenting woes and grouchiness.  And the kids did have fun last week with the grandparents Wesel.

Sarin introduced Liberty to the wonderful world of Barbies.

And can I just say here how unfair it is that little miss Sarin has/had umpteen million Barbies and I only ever had one.  ONE!!!!!  (you can all put your fingers together now and play your mini violin in my honor)

The boys got to camp out in the back yard for a night.

Grandpa took them on a midnight hike.  (to wear them out enough to get them to sleep so the rest of the neighborhood could too)

Look familiar Wesel children?  How many times in your life did you have to hold the light so Dad could work in the dark?  I lost count when I was four.

At least he got to use the drill.

Liberty enjoyed looking at pictures of her mommy with Grandpa. 

She thought they were pictures of her!  She kept pointing at them and saying, “Libby!”

The boys LOVE Grandma’s chair.  I should just pay her for it now because I know one of these years they are going to break it having way too much fun on it.

When they all got too loud and rambunctious we’d send them in the bedroom for a little Nintendo DS time.  (Thank you to Aunt Sarin for sharing your toys!)  Almost I am persuaded to buy them each one.  Almost.

One evening we did a Pizza Picnic at the Park
Two Purple Girls

Grandma loves to tickle. (Going on a treasure hunt)

Thanks for putting up with us for a week, Grandma and Grandpa!  We love you! We’ll miss you too, but I’m sure you won’t miss our noise!

When we lived in WA we always had to distinguish great Grandma and Grandpa Hymas as “Grandma and Grandpa ‘across the ferry’ because they live on Whidbey Island.  The kids knew which grandparents we were going to see if they knew they were going to get to ride the ferry.  As part of our trip his week we drove up to see Grandma and Grandpa so they could meet Liberty for the first time.  It was a wonderful visit.  They live out there with no family around and were so very excited to see us.  I think Grandma hugged the boys at least fifty times. 

On the ferry

The boys almost knocked Grandma over.

I want one of these on my doorstep!!! 

Liberty went straight to the doll case.  Grandma has hundreds of dolls all over her house.  And she even gave Liberty one to take home!

Grandma and Grandpa have a wall dedicated to America’s founding documents and founding fathers and so I knew they would enjoy hearing the boys recite what they’ve learned of the Constitution and Declaration.  Here is Cade doing the Preamble.  Reagan did the Declaration, but did NOT want to be video taped.  lol

No, this is not a post about the recent Great White shark sightings at various beaches in the country.  Though we have seen sharks this week AND been to the seashore, they were not together (lucky for us).  We’ve been studying the ocean this summer and during our visit to Washington this week  we went to the zoo/aquarium to see some sea creatures as part of our ocean study.  I was very sad to learn the Beluga whales were gone from the zoo, but we got to see lots of other fun things.

Point Defiance Zoo overlooks the Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.  It’s a beautiful setting.

I’ve always loved this shark tank.  You can get right up close to the sharks.

A consternated sea anemone

And a cute girl.

A happy sea snail

Then yesterday Grandpa and the boys and I tried to find a tide pool so we could check out some REAL sea snails and anemones.  We went to a beach on the beautiful Hood Canal and found LOTS of oysters, clams, muscles and tiny crabs, but none of the more exciting stuff like sea stars, anemones and sea urchins.  I was a bit disappointed, but the boys had a great time exploring.

Levi’s first big find-a cluster of oyster shells.  He was pretty proud of his find.  Behind him you see thousands of other oysters shells, and muscles carpeting the shore. 

Reagan found this oyster shell full of tiny hermit crabs.

Cade was happy collecting shells.

Levi searched long and hard for a crab…
and finally found this one.


He carried his new little friend around in this shell until it was time to leave when we put him back in the water.  And then he filled the shell up with all kinds of little treasures; dead crabs, tiny shells, barnacles.

When it comes to outdoor exploration, thank goodness these boys are easy to please!