Gardening, Writing, and Singing

 In many ways, it was a typical week for us.

Morning Meetings

Daily school readings and oral narrations

A written narration

An art project

A hike

A show

Time playing outside

Chores

Bedtime reading

Church activities

The weather included a blizzard, 60-degree sunny skies, ice, and fierce wind.  I got out into the garden and the kids got some football and basketball in on Monday after school.

I ordered raised beds because our garden beds are hard to work in.  It reduces the planting space, but it's already making the space more accessible, so I think it will be good for productivity.

Helping me dig out compost

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday indoors because of the weather, and we finished The Taming of the Shrew.  Because I love the Zeffirelli version so much, I rented it quickly, and we settled in for some good fun.

Interestingly, it doesn't translate well for our modern sentiments.  This batch of younger kids watched Petruchio's abuse with very serious faces, and we had to talk a lot about Kate's behaviors, healthy boundaries, boundaries vs abuse, marriage relationships, and a whole host of other serious topics.  

It ended up being a sobering experience.

It was very educational for us all.

I assigned the kids to write narrations about the play/movie.  I told them I wanted them to write what they remembered, not what they couldn't remember.  They really struggled with simplifying the complex story, and I felt badly for how frustrated they got.  Ladybug and Mister Man handled it with aplomb, but Beowulf and Baymax both had emotional breakdowns of a dramatic nature.  It took every bit of diplomacy I could muster to get them through the assignment.  Brother struggled because the plot twists confused everyone's identities in his brain.  I told him not to worry, just to keep reading his narration to me because it was true to his memory, but he got frustrated with himself, and I found myself trying to balance encouragement with honesty when he asked me questions about what he'd written.

But Lola gets points for creativity!

This is her narration! :) 
She said, "You told me to do what I could and not what I couldn't.  I couldn't write it, so I drew it."
Lines divide scenes in the story, and she narrated the story perfectly picture by picture.

On Thursday we finally did our show for the assisted living center that we had to cancel twice in February.  

Backstage cuteness

Our audience was so small at first--maybe half a dozen residents.  As people heard the music, though, they trickled in slowly.  They were a reticent group.  It was hard to feel like we were doing any good until the second-to-last number.  Though the song is politically touchy, we chose to sing Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA.  Some of our dancers opted out of it because of the political issues attached, but most of them sing.

As the kids finished the first verse and started the chorus, residents started raising their hands and/or standing up.  

They sang along.

Obviously wheelchair-bound folks struggled to their feet while more mobile friends helped them balance.  

It was so touching.

Moms were crying.

Singers were crying.

Audience members were crying.

After the show, most of the elderly found their way to one mom or another and said, "Thank you.  We don't see such patriotism in the young people very often.  Thank you for teaching your children."

It led to some interesting talks at home because in history, we've covered a lot of white privilege and native abuse lately.  The kids and I just finished Sing Down the Moon, and the teens and I are reading To Kill a Mockingbird and covering "Age of Revolution and Independence" in The Mystery of History.  There is much to be ashamed of in our country's history, but the fact that people are still risking their lives to come here because of opportunities they don't have in their home countries is indicative of there still being something to be proud of in our nation.  We talked about modern immigration struggles and how extending equality to all is a concept still in progress.

All in all, it was a powerful week of learning!

On Friday afternoon, I hauled the kids out to hike.

We made it maybe half a mile before we reached a bridge over running water, and they all wanted to stop to play.

Beowulf and Mister Man are like delighted 4-year-olds over playing "Pooh Sticks."

Brother found a 10 or so foot pipe that he found inspiring.

Being inspired by the pipe in the water

Hauling the pipe a little at a time to the bridge

Bringing the pipe to bridge height

Getting it across the bridge

Preparing to lower the pipe

Got it lowered

Angling it for water flow
But also pausing to study the changing pattern of the water as it encountered the pipe

So close!

Success!  
(There's water flowing through the bridge and through the pipe!)

Eventually, he got the pipe situated parallel with the bridge tunnel, and the water flowed rapidly through the pipe.

He. Was. So. Pleased.

I loved watching the process.

Lola was mad

Not having a happy time

But, oh, what a good time the rest of the kids had!

Watching for his stick, preparing to catch it as it came through

We never made it past the bridge!

We spent 45 minutes there with every kid (except Lola) occupied and happy exploring water power.

Then we got a call from Nature Angel that she was stranded in a broken-down car and needed a ride to work, so we left in a hurry!

We finished Mary Poppins on Sunday night and started a modern book called Counting Thyme.  It has a Wonder/Mustaches for Maddie kind of flavor, and it's motivating good discussions about ethics and family relationships.

We have been honored with the request to provide childcare for an infant yet-to-be-born.  It's opened a lot of big feelings (good and bad) in the family, and we are taking time to consider the request, to discuss the pros and cons as a family, and to pray over what is wisdom in the Lord.