goings on

I know I haven't updated daily but that is a whole lot better than MELISSA! She hasn't updated in months!! And she promised in her last update to do better!! shame on you! :-)

It has been very busy around here. School has started, I'm working one day a week, we're starting new ministries at church, we've had company etc... etc...

One of the most exciting things (which Bobby reprimaned me for not blogging about sooner) is that Annie won a 2nd place with some sewing at the Farmington fair and Lianna entered 2 paintings in 2 different categories and won 2 firsts! One of the paintings also won a Best In Show!! I think this is her 6th year winning the Best In Show!

Both girls had appts. in Portland last week, Lianna to see an orthopedic doctor and Annie to start the procedure for braces again. Lianna only needs to wear a lift in one of her shoes!! no more appts for that doctor which is a good thing because the appt. resembled the one Bobby blogged about! Annie's went well also except that I think she got fed up with them putting trays of plaster in her mouth and taking pictures and x-rays. The interesting thing was the trip down.

I got stopped by the state police! I was traveling south in the Subaru on RT 27 behind another car when a cruiser came screaming north with lights flashing and sirens going. We all pulled over for him to pass and then pulled out to continue. I looked in my rearview mirror to see him pull a"U-ey" ( how does one spell that?) and he pulled me over! I really wasn't speeding or anything! He came up to the car, gun drawn, bending a bit to look inside. When he got to the window it went like this:
"Good morning Ma'am"
"Good morning"
"Where are you coming from?"
"New Portland"
---he chuckles and smiles rather sheepishly--"We had an armed robbery in Waterville and your car matches the descriptionof the get-a-way car to a T! You're obviously not who we're looking for!Sorry to bother you."
He started to walk away but I was laughing at the thought of me pulling an armed robbery with the girls and the Lord hit me with the opportunity so I said:
"Excuse me, can I tell you something?"
"Sure"
"Well, I just wanted to thank you"
"For What?"
"Well you have a thankless and dangerous job and I wanted you to know that there are people out there that appreciate what you do and are praying for you, Keep safe today."
"Ah,,,,ah......ah....um.....ummmmm (mouth flapping) ahh well um thank you!"

I can only imagine what he was thinking!

In school we're studying The French Revolution and Napoleon. For the American part of that era in history we're looking at inventors, Eli Whitney and Robert Fulton. We made a working model of a cotton gin (okay, it's not an exact replica but it demonstrates the idea). Annie was supposed to make a model of the steam boat but said, "I'd really rather make a model of a guillotine!" Can you imagine? Sweet little Annie? ( I think Bobby and Dan Parrott) have had a negative influence here!!) So we now have a mini guillotine! Mike thought the idea was kind of gross but he was a trooper and helped her make it.

Both girls studied Bach for a composer during this Baroque Era study and then moved on to Beethoven. Lianna found it particularly interesting that Beethoven composed for Bonaparte and played for him until he became very pompous and crowned himself emporer at which time Beethoven removed the dedication on the concerto he had dedicated to Napoleone. (yes, that is actually the spelling. Lianna read that in her study and has corrected me many times!)

We are finishing this week with the French Revolution and reign of terror and moving our study more toward England and the Industrial Revolution. We're in the Romantic period continuing on with composers and artists of the time.

We changed quite a few of our curriculums this year and we're loving what we are using for Grammar!! The girls have commented that it is clearer and easier to understand. This is a good thing!

Italian is going well. Better for the girls than for me! I'm having trouble keeping up with it. We've also added Latin this year. They are also better at this than I am! I don't think I have a gift for languages! I am going to plug along though.

Math is going extremely well also except that Annie isn't impressed with geometry! Of course she has just been introduced to new concepts so maybe her impression will change. Lianna is doing so well that I've ordered the next level. It looks as though what I had bought for her was 85% review. She's still a little behind in math so I'm bumping her up. If she has difficulty we can go back to the concept and review it. She needed the challenge!

Annie is studying botany this year and is going to be classifying the house! Not really, just legos and currency. She'll soon be growing things and doing many experiments including making herbal soap out of some herbs she will grow!

Lianna is doing a heavy general science course that includes lots of experiments. I hope she doesn't blow up the house! Of course I can always use that explanation when the house is a wreck!

Mike is keeping busy on a new construction. We had to tear the existing house down before starting the new one. It is interesting but Maddy is doing a great job as foreman--- or is that foredog?

I think that is about it other than my baby boy is about to turn 24 !!!!!!!!Pretty impressive considering 20 years ago we weren't sure he would see 4 due to his severe asthma attacks!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIBBIT!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!! (now aren't you glad you told me to update?)