Carving Time

We had gotten behind on our science experiments.  Each unit we read has an experiment to go along with it.  They're usually fairly simple, so the falling behind was more a result of my exhaustion than anything else.  We took this week to do experiments and we mostly met our goal of two a day.  The very first one was about the impact of meteors.  The kids got to create a cityscape in flour.  Then we all dropped salt (meteor dust) on it and didn't see any significant impact.  Josiah dropped a marble to see how a larger meteor would impact the land.  Finally, Henry got to drop the big meteor - the golf ball.  When I asked if it made an impact, Caroline said, 'No.'  Well, what if you were the size of the Lego people? (See? Simple experiment, but it did involve flour, which is messy, and then the kids wanted to play with the scene.  I closed the garage door and let them have half an hour.  When finished, they were literally covered head to toe in flour.  So then they had to take showers, and now the "experiment" has taken two hours.  Sigh.)

Dropping salt on the city gave Caroline the impetus for this thought:  "Mommy, I love you smaller than a grain of salt, because God's the best."  Theologically sound.  She knows who's #1.  (definitely not me...)

Playing 3rd Base.

Josiah and Caroline have complained a bit lately that Henry gets everything with all his new baseball gear and all the games/practices we attend.  They've been a bit woe-is-me, but then after CC this week, the two of them got to stay after with a friend.  They went to the park and then got to go back to their house to play.  Anytime they get to play at someone else's house, it's like winning $500 to them.  Everyone's house is "funner" than ours.

Henry's baseball game this week was one for the books.  The game started off on a bad note, because we had the same bad umpire behind home plate that we had last Saturday.  He was just very inconsistent with his calls and seemed to have a chip on his shoulder when speaking to our coach.  Plus he didn't direct the kids in any sort of way.  Like if a kid got hit by a ball, he didn't tell them to take first, which at this age, they need that help.  He hasn't been our favorite.  The game began. 

Sliding into home.

Henry started off in center field, but was able to play third base for an inning as well.  He was happy to get some infield experience.  He also made a good slide while stealing bases and even scored a run.  So, they're in the bottom of the 3rd inning, our team has a few boys on bases.  One kid stole home and, according to Todd, he was safe by a mile.  The umpire called him OUT at which time our team's parents started yelling.  One particularly vocal grandfather on our side yelled at the umpire, "You're horrible!"  The umpire turned around and told the grandfather to leave.  The grandfather said he wasn't leaving, so the umpire called the game and walked off the field.  The grandfather said, "Fine.  I'll leave." so the kids could play, but the umpire kept walking and didn't come back.  So then the stands went in another uproar that he was walking off in the middle of an inning with kids on bases and everything.  Todd yelled, "Yeah, that's real mature.  Walk off."  Ideally we don't see this ump again.  We don't think this is a good career choice for him.

Friday we had magic.  The morning began at 80° but then a cold front blew in all day long.  By evening time it was an amazing 55°.  We had the windows open and the winds were blowing the cool air all through our house.  It felt so good to feel cool air.  While I was working on school with Josiah, the two littles just sat at the window enjoying the breeze.  We did go outside to enjoy it that afternoon.  By the evening time we were actually cold. After nearly five months of 90°+, this was glorious.

Saturday morning we headed to the playground to get in some more outdoor time with the coolness.  Henry finally got to try out his new basketball that he got at the end of the school year.  Caroline and Josiah played on the playground.  And, as they say here, that was our two days of autumn.  It already warmed back up today, although this coming week is supposed to stay under 90° which is the first week for that to happen since the spring.

Today, Josiah, Caroline, and I went to Aldi to take advantage of their $2.50 pumpkins.  When we bought this house, the previous owners left a pumpkin carving kit in the garage.  Josiah's been asking to use it for the past five years, so today was the day.  (And he says he never gets to do anything...)

Josiah carved a "classic" pumpkin face because he's into all things, "classic."  Henry's was a skull, and Caroline's was a ghost with the word, "Boo!" underneath.  They each carved the tops off their pumpkins.  Henry spooned his innards out, though the other two were squeamish.  They all got into the carving.  The knives from the kit were really easy to use, so they carved the pictures, they carved their initials in the back, they would have carved for another hour if we let them.  That pumpkin carving kit was the bomb with how easily everything worked.  Henry had some intense expressions during his carving time.  He was focused.