Summer Update

As I write this post, Nolan, Caleb and Isaac are in the kitchen canning pickles using my Granny's famous recipe. I love summer for the simple things.

Nolan and I just returned from our 10th anniversary trip to Colorado. We were gone for six days while my parents kept the kids! We had a lovely, relaxing time, and the kids were not ready to go home with us if that tells you how much fun they had! Nolan and I wandered through bookstores, took hikes in the mountains and ate gourmet breakfasts at the B&B where we stayed. The kids gathered the eggs (multiple times a day), helped Grambo in the garden, had water fights, played games (including learning chess), played with cousins, ate lots of hot dogs, watched movies, stayed up late and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There were several funny stories, but one Benjamin story took the cake!

It turns out Benjamin wasn't tired one night. So, after everyone else was asleep, he entertained himself. Being the "helper" that he is, he cleaned the bathroom using an entire roll of toilet paper. And, then, he decided to wash Caleb and Isaac's dirty clothes. Mom heard him upstairs and went to explore. Like any good kid, as soon as he heard her coming up the stairs, he jumped back in bed. She checked on him and then went to check on the other kids - including Willow. The lights were off, so mom felt in Willow's pack-n-play to be sure she was covered. That's when she discovered a week's worth of dirty, wet clothes. She went to Benjamin to question his behavior, and with a sweet smile he said, "I wash the clothes!" Indeed he had...in the toilet. And, for reasons known only to him, he then put them in Willow's bed. Willow slept peacefully through the entire thing, I might add.

This story reminds me of another that happened shortly before we left on vacation. One evening, Nolan and the kids were playing in the backyard. I noticed a baby bird (from the nest above our front door that we've watched as intently as any National Geographic special) had fallen and couldn't fly. I asked Nolan discreetly to put it out of its misery so the kids wouldn't be traumatized. Well, before he could do so, the kids saw the bird and wanted to hold and pet it (YUCK!). Nolan, thought this was a great opportunity to see nature up close and personal - all I could think of was the germs. But they loved on the bird for a little while....and then it died. I didn't know this part of the story until later the next day, or I possibly could have prevented the rest of the story. They lovingly buried the bird, which they had named "Pecky" under the shed in the backyard.

The next morning, I recruited Caleb and Isaac to pick up apples in the backyard so we could mow later in the day. Isaac, then recruited Benjamin to help - promising him (unbeknownst to me) to do Benjamin a favor later on. Next thing I know, the apples are all picked up and all four kids have disappeared. As I go to do a little investigating, Isaac runs into the house asking if we can have bird soup for lunch. (Remember, I didn't even know "Pecky" died.) I make my way to the backyard behind the shed and find the other three kids and a dead bird. (YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!!) It turns out the promised "favor" was unburying and playing with the dead bird. I promptly threw the bird over the fence and took all the kids to disinfect.

That's when the questions began. This was Benjamin's first experience with death.
He watched me throw Pecky over the fence (somewhat heartlessly), and he wanted to know where Pecky went.
I told him that Pecky went to Heaven to live with Jesus (which by the way I have no way of knowing.)
Benjamin wanted to know why.
I told him because Jesus would make him all better so he could fly.
Benjamin wanted to know when Pecky would be back.
What the heck??? I need a lot more schooling before I'll be qualified for this parenting thing!
But I wouldn't trade it!

BTW, when Benjamin asked when Pecky would be back, I quickly offered him candy to distract him and went on my way. ;)

Oh, and one more story. Tonight we were playing croquet in our front yard. Nolan had already played several games with the kids when I entered the picture. He explained that mommy is the croquet champion and Caleb and Isaac better bring their A-game. Which, by the way, is totally bogus. So Caleb, Isaac, and I proceeded to play croquet. It was a good, hard-fought game in which I came in second. At the end we stood on our imaginary podiums (like the Olympics) and sang the national anthem. Unfortunately half way through I couldn't remember the rest of the words and instead I sang, "I can't remember the rest of the words to this song..." The boys thought that was hilarious and have been singing those words all evening. Shoot. If they start singing that at the next home football game, I apologize in advance to all the home school families who work hard at proving they teach their kids the important things like the national anthem. We'll work on it.

Speaking of...year two of Silvey Home School Academy commences Monday - ready or not.
And, I continue to work on midwifery studies. My original goal of having all my assignments completed by the end of August is seeming more impossible every day. But, I'm still on track to meet the school's deadline of October 10.