We have had a good day today.  Busy as always.  Here is a picture of Abigail posing with her yeast experiment. There are also pictures of Abigail and Ethan punching down the bread dough, because we also made bread.  She discovered that the yeast mixed with plain warm water will not bubble, but the yeast mixed with warm water and sugar makes foam and bubbles.  I explained that the sugar is food for the yeast and after the yeast eats it, they give off gas.  I'm not sure if she will remember, but it was fun.

The weather seemed fitting on today, our first official day of school at Plum Castle Academy.  It was quite chilly this morning and I actually saw the first leaves of the season fall to the ground.  It really did feel like an early fall day despite only being August 13th.  We walked to the playground after breakfast to burn some energy before our first schooling session and we definitely needed our jackets.  I wanted to make the first day special for the kids so we ordered a pizza for lunch.  They loved that.  I hope I didn't set expectations too high even though I said it was only for the first day.  We had fun at the playground with Isaac and I playing bad guys trying to catch Abigail and Ethan in the jungle gym castle.  They loved that. 

We worked on the letter I using the word insect during our first session, which was actually over lunch by the time we got to it.  We also studied insects today and their anatomy.  Abigail and Ethan looked for insects outside later today and found a red beetle like bug, which was indeed an insect.  I think Isaac broke one of its legs poor thing. 

It really was a good day.  I think the main thing that happened today was that I entered into their world, which is a really precious and interesting place to be.  I don't want to make predictions for my future days, but I am so glad I have the opportunity to be seeing into and influencing their priceless hearts and minds. 

This is Abigail's picture on her first day of school today in front of the sign that she colored for the school.  I will get Ethan's picture this week too hopefully.  He is a little here, there, and everywhere right now.  He is so full of energy, imagination, enthusiasm, and other unknown adjectives.

Missing teeth

Abigail's losing teeth!  Her second front lower tooth came out yesterday during lunch.

Isaac is slowly getting bigger.  I expect him to walk any time, though it could still be a month or two.  He stands unassisted whenever he wants to, and even took an unassisted step the other day.

 Debbie has been able to arrange her work schedule so she is home four days a week now.  I think everyone's happier about that.

Bunkbeds!

The kids have been upgraded to bunkbeds: Ethan needed to move to a full-size bed, so a bunkbed fit the bill.  I spent weeks looking for it on Craigslist before finally finding one in Ann Arbor, loading it during a driving rainstorm.  

 Abigail begged for the top bunk:she tried to convince Ethan that the bottom was "better" because it had a ceiling.  Ethan was not fooled, but he did eventually let her have the top.

 But the joke is really on Abigail: she doesn't like being that far from Mommy at bedtime, so since these pictures were taken the first night, she's moved down to the bottom and Ethan now has the top (along with new Lightning McQueen sheets and comforter).

Summer fun

This is not our church building (I wish it was!) but it is the most beautiful one in Hillsdale.  So I asked the kids to pose for me.

Isaac fell asleep on the floor.  He is not the first of our babies to do that!

It's gotten hot here.  No complaints from me: June was mostly quite mild, and high summer is when it ought to be hot.  The wading pool is very popular, of course, with all three of the kids.  Isaac loves the water: he was pouring the watering can on himself in this picture.

 

This was bought to be Ethan's tricycle last year, but he couldn't reach the pedals.  So mostly Abigail has used it.  But Isaac loves to ride on it too!

Picnic Time

The plan was to enjoy a picnic and then play some wiffle ball and play on the swings. They chose to add playing in the water to the activity list.

 Poor Ethan was soaked and cold, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the swings.

This may have been Isaac's first time in a swing.  His sister was as excited as he was!

 

 It was a gorgeous early-summer day!

 

Home on the farm

 

The kids spent yesterday at the farm with their grandparents, supposedly making strawberry jam.  At least that's what the adults did: the kids played in the pool, 

 

played with squirt guns, 

 

went riding on the four-wheeler and enjoyed free ice cream courtesy of their oldest cousin, 

 and generally spent all day outside.  Isaac cried whenever he was brought back inside, and pointed at the door.  He loves being outside!