Oh, FUN!

There are so many wonderful events in the area this time of year. Some are recurring, such as the County Fair. Some are unique opportunities, like the Egyptian exhibit at The Frist. Ohhh, how fun! I wanna go! Wanna come with us? It seems that there are Egyptian displays all over the place, but I think that's just the circles we run in. Everybody but us has made it to one at some point in the past two years. This is, though, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I hope we can make it.

We'd also like to make it up to Nashville for the Harvest Days. There's something almost every weekend from now until Christmas. The hard part will be choosing what not to attend.

James' birthday is approaching, also. Way too rapidly, really. He's growing up - they all do that, but somehow, the first one seems to hit me the hardest. The two front teeth that have been dangling lopsided, a'la Nanny McPhee, are still hanging in there. But not for long. When they're gone, and those big adult teeth come in... *sniff, sniff* Where did Baby go? When did this happen? How can he be eight when he was just five... two, even? Of course, he's ready and rearin' to go. He's enjoying this journey. He's challenging himself, and finding the things he's proud of and the things he'd like to work on. If he simply must grow up, at least he's doing it well.

We watched "Elf" this afternoon, and laughed until we cried. I can't watch the chewing gum scene, though. That just grosses me out too badly. I've got the shivvers just thinking about it.

School is moving right along. The kids are learning new things, reviewing old things, building on the two. Today wasn't an "a-ha" day, but it wasn't a freaky circus of climbing and hooting and hollering day, either. Considering we had to be at an appointment by ten, which I discovered when I called at nine to confirm that it was at one (not enough zeroes made it to the calendar - oops!), it was a pretty low-stress day. Claudia called for a bit this afternoon and got to hear Smidge marching around the living room, chanting "Amas, amat, mamus" (yep, drops the a on that last one). I think the rejuvenated Latin studies with the older two may be helping quite a bit with his speech and vocabulary skills. We don't require anything of him in Latin, obviously, but he picks up the chants and songs so easily that he's capable of reciting it quite well. A friend had mentioned hearing someone speak at a homeschooling convention many years ago, and the speaker said she never really schooled her youngest child. At the time, said friend panicked inside and thought, "Oh my word!" But now, her third child is a junior and she looks at me and winks as she says, "It'll all turn out okay. Trust me."

There's a ton to post, but it's my turn at the dentist tomorrow bright and early, so I'd best sign off and get some rest.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy