Smoking & Slip-n-Slides

Tuesday morning, the kids and I headed out to Henry's tutor's house.  She proofed Henry while I hung out with the other five kids.  We had never been to their home before, so there was a warming-up period for the kids.  And what did the kids choose to play?  Monopoly.  Not just regular Monopoly, but the electronic version that we had never played before.  After Henry's proof was finished (he passed!), I left to go proof one of Josiah's classmates.  Meanwhile, all six kids stayed with Henry's tutor.  It seems there was no trouble warming up after I left.  They played on their trampoline, ate pizza with brisket on it (which they talked about nonstop on the drive home), and when I came to pick them up, Caroline was dancing to Just Dance.  It was such a relief to complete this proof.  We stopped by Dairy Queen on the drive home to celebrate.    

The following day, Josiah asked for a haircut.  I think starting jiu-jitsu prompted the request.  When he was on the mat sparring, his hair was actually getting in his way, covering his eyes.  We had told him that if he wanted to keep his hair long, he had to take care of it (e.g. washing it regularly... which has not been a huge priority at this stage in life).  There was also a fine line between shaggy-cute and 1970s-not-so-cute.  I think it is the length of the sideburns.  We went to get his hair cut by professionals, and Henry said he wanted his cut, too.  I thought he'd just want a trim, but Henry asked for a short cut.  

 The kids had Awana Store this week.  It is their biannual "shop" where the kids can spend all the points they've earned at Awana for the semester.  They love it.  Josiah brought home glow-in-the-dark chalk.  He chalked up our backyard fence, but we never could see it in the dark.  

Saturday morning, Caroline came downstairs mad at me because of what I had done in her dream.  At dinner, she wanted me to relay the dream to Todd.  I told him that she dreamt I was smoking in the house.  In her dream, Todd came home from work to see me sitting on the couch, smoking, but he wasn't mad because, as he told the kids, I was teaching them that it was not okay to smoke.  

Todd, to Caroline - Was she coughing and looking sick while she smoked?

Caroline - No, she was [and then she demonstrated what I was doing - Caroline held her head up high, face to the ceiling, eyes closed, what appeared to be a fake joint in her hand given the fingers she held up, and she was exhaling fake smoke with a strong look of pleasure on her face].  

I laughed out loud.  She would not recreate it for a photo, but that's probably for the better. 

This evening Josiah had his last LifeGroup get-together.  He's been going to his leader's house every Sunday evening along with eight other 6th grade boys.  They have Bible study work to do throughout the week, then they get together on Sunday evenings to go over their lesson and have a lot of fun.  Tonight was their end-of-year party and they had a big inflatable slip-n-slide along with pizza and ice cream.  Not just ice cream, though, Josiah made himself a large banana split.  Then he froze until Todd came to pick him up.  A wet body, eating ice cream, after the sun had set, made for a cold little man.

We have a busy week up ahead.  We have our last CC day of the year (yay!!), there are parties in all their classrooms, and the boys are going to give their Faces of History presentations.  Tomorrow, Henry has his last proof for Memory Master as well.  It's the Director Proof and he's doing it over Zoom, which makes it nice and easy.  No driving involved.  :)  I think we'll all crash Thursday night when this is all over.  I know I will.