Henry's Baptism

Our week began with our second Ancient Greek Olympic Games.  We played the same games from when we did Ancient History three years ago:  (They were so little!)

Our events were javelin, "discus" (using a football because no one wanted to go find a frisbee), running long jump, and a running race.  We opted out of the boxing and wrestling events of the Ancients.  I couldn't see any good coming of it.  Caroline was concerned about losing each category, so we competed with girls vs. girls and boys vs. boys.  We began with javelin.

Henry and Caroline were the javelin victors:

Josiah beat us all in running long jump:

I won "discus," but Henry's picture is cuter:

The athletes:

We'll revisit these games in another three years. 

Caroline has been asking me every single day, What did you do as a kid?  She wanted to know what I did on a daily basis - what I played with and whom with, etc.  She's asked so many times at this point that I have my answer to her memorized.  Finally, one day she said, You know why I keep asking what you liked to do?  [No, I really don't.]  Because you lived in the old days and I live in the new days and I already know what I like in the new days.  Ah.  Thanks...

Despite living in the new days, we keep teaching them about the old days.  Specifically the early 90's.  All three kids have been trying to learn the lyrics to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song.  They sing it constantly.  Henry has almost got it all memorized.  Caroline likes to say, "Yo Holmes, smell ya later," which is always endearing to hear.  Josiah likes to repeat the lyrics of Parents Just Don't Understand.  Todd felt that if I was going to introduce Fresh Prince, he was going to introduce his own favorite Fresh Prince/Jazzy Jeff song.  Todd also taught Caroline how to do duck lips with Pringles, so we're passing down the important things from our childhoods.

We went to Goodwill this week to look for a vest for Josiah because he wanted to be Hans Solo for Character Quest at Awana.  We not only found a vest (for $0.75!), but Henry spotted the game, Clue.  I couldn't resist buying it because it was my favorite game growing up.  So far we've played two games together.  The first was just me and the kids.  The second game Todd joined us and he, of course, read the rules.  Apparently I grew up never playing by the written rules of games.  In the rules version you not only take the weapon into the room with you, but you take the suspect there as well.  In the last game we played, several people figured out my player (Mrs. Peacock) was the suspect and were taking me all over the board.  It was slightly frustrating to never get to the room I wanted.  Durn rules...

Awana had their Character Quest night this past week and the kids all dressed up.   We splurged on their Dollar Store costumes this year.  Josiah was Hans Solo.  Henry was a ninja.  His headband had the Japanese symbol for peace.  Caroline was a butterfly princess who wore her sagging wings from last year instead of the new pink wings we bought her that fit correctly.  Why?  Because her wand matched her old wings better...  She told me that at Awana she kept forgetting what she was because butterfly princess is such a long title.  She also kept taking the costume off piece by piece.  Every time I saw her that night, she would give me her wings, her headband, etc.


The boys had their last October birthday party this weekend.  It was a video game theme and the boy whose birthday it was is big into Mario, so Josiah dressed up accordingly.

While the kids played video games, the adults played a mean couple of games of Uno (which was hilarious because we all had different rules for that game).

While we were at the party, Todd took Caroline out to Target to get some Christmas ideas.

Our weekend ended on a great note as it was Henry's baptism day at church.  He has been so excited about it.  He's been telling everybody at CC, karate, church, and Awana.  Todd was able to baptize him which made it all the more special.  Our church always encourages the fathers to baptize their own children.  Todd did a good job, too.  Todd kept teasing Henry that he was going to dunk him down good and long to get the sin off of him.  For us, baptism is just an outward show that you are a believer in Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection.  Salvation, surrendering your life to Him, comes first.  Henry did that this summer with his buddy Roberto at VBS.

Josiah came to the baptism and tried to sell newspapers for a penny apiece.

Caroline wasn't quite as excited, because for one she wasn't going in the water, and for two I wouldn't let her climb all over the rocks.

Fortunately, google made an animation of it so everyone can see his baptism.

We celebrated at Sweet Tomatoes which was totally packed with the after-church crowd, but since it was Henry's day we stayed.

It's been such a busy time that we may have to take a mental health day tomorrow.  I've been trying to plow through this fall knowing that November brings some fun that will keep us from our school work.  I think it's catching up with me, though.  A mental health day may do us all some good.  There probably won't be too much complaining from the student body.