Hib Gun, Hib Out Sride

Four is very distressed.

I took the crib out of the bedroom today. She has to sleep in the big girl bed in the same room as Jack O'Hearts. She has been running around calling: "Hib Gun! Hib Gun!" "Hib Out sride." (Which translates to: Crib Gone! Crib Gone! Crib Outside!

The crib is dis-assembled and is put away in pieces in the basement. It is NOT outside; but to her anything that is gone MUST be outside. Therefore the crib is outside.

She's been outside looking for the crib all day, calling "Hib! Hib!" It still is not outside.

We'll see how tonight goes.

An Interesting Conversation

While waiting for Deuce to finish up choir today, I was sitting at the park. I had my book in one hand, and my apple in the other, and was determined to eat the apple. (Visualizing myself NOT going to Culver's for a chocolate malt - which was what I really, really wanted.) The only benches were by the playground, so I sat near a woman who I know from church. She was waiting for her granddaughter to finish choir.

We chatted a bit about traffic and weather and sports and stuff, and the conversation turned, as it always does, to the kids, how old are they, and where do they go to school. I told her they didn't go, that we homeschooled.
"Wow, you are one brave lady." she said.
I told her that I wasn't especially brave, but that we really liked the flexibility of not being tied to a school schedule. To be able to pick up and go and do whatever we wanted, without worrying about missing something.
This she agreed with.
Then I also mentioned that the kids really liked it because it allowed them to study whatever they were interested in.
Horror Ensued.

I guess that the point of school, if this woman's reaction was any indication, is to study a bunch of crap that kids really aren't interested in.

TGWH!

Field Trip today

The kids and I took a field trip out to Hebron, IL to pick apples. It is a bit of a haul, but the place we like to go - Royal Oaks Farm Orchard - is really worth the trip. Little Four just walked from tree to tree, eating apples like crazy. She adores apples. I think her first non-family word was "apple." She even named her favorite teddy bear "Apple." (Of course the other ones are "Blue" and "Swiss Meat.")

We picked Gala apples which are at their best right now. Crispy and sweet. Yum! After that, we wandered over to the little gift store and got some hot-from-the-fryer apple cider donuts. They are so amazing. You could smell them cooking all over the orchard, how could we resist?

While we were leaving, Michelle, from Bargains Rock! arrived with her kids. We chit-chatted for a bit, but we were on a mission for a letterbox that was planted nearby, and we wanted to get on the way. We found the trail head, and began walking. Now, it didn't say how long the journey was going to be, but we didn't really expect it to be quite as long as it was, which was really long.

Deuce found over a dozen different frogs and toads, however, and we found some of the COOLEST mushrooms and fungi that we've ever seen. I wish I would have thought of bringing my camera. The letterbox found, we headed back to the car when I LOST MY CONTACT! I squinted like a pirate the whole way back. Arrr.... matey.

Still, despite the ups and downs of it all, the heat, the mosquitoes, the persistent sound of whining, we did have a really good field trip adventure.