well, hello september

how about a picture post to document the recent weeks? we've been settling into a rhythm of sorts with homeschool. i don't have any pictures of our first day. if i did, you would probably see both female members of this family in tears. it has not been that bad since, though i'm sure we are bound to have more hard days. i really don't know what i'm doing.  we are learning and we are stumbling and trying to figure it all out, praying for grace, realizing how weak and inadequate we are. go read this for more on that.

 also, i'm really struggling to figure out adam's totally random schedule. since when was i so controlling about schedules? seriously. i find myself having to study my calendar each week because i just can't remember which weird shift falls on which days and when will i exercise (i'm addicted you know) and when will we have real dinners (as in not flat-bread pizza or quesadillas)? and if adam is home in the morning, do we skip school? do i keep the kids on the same schedule all the time? how do we flex and still educate around here? i'm sure those of you with experience with rotating schedules have some advice to share?

 i'm not complaining, just trying to figure it out. adam looooves his new program and is learning so much and he is home more than last year for sure. i'm also so thankful to be homeschooling this year because otherwise marit would go days without seeing him and that would be hard on both. plus, he loves to be involved in the adventure/explore nature part of it all. here are some pictures of life lately. it is full and we are thankful!

love this photo a friend shot.  miles has hair (and it's fiber-optic)!  and i think he looks a lot like his daddy.

this kid would spend all day stalking creatures in the yard.  the humidity has slowed him down a little, so he does it shirtless.  classy?

sometimes our learning happens here.  here they are taking apart some interesting plant stem.

sometimes learning happens here (sometimes graham does wear shirts)

cutie pie/trouble maker

sometimes he "helps" me make peanut butter (peanut-butter-nut might be his new nickname)

i buy more than 20 bananas a week for these monkeys (graham is wearing his super-hero cape)

handwriting while miles is so quiet under the table

covering himself in stickers.  i let him do it.

nature often finds a way inside...

sometimes we have a substitute teacher

her pupils are eager

this week's shipment of diapers and flour has provided us with this entertaining box

and all this craft paper for our Joseph coats of many colors to go with our week's history lesson

today we braved the humidity and tore out our mostly dead summer garden and planted a few fall plants.  we found this night-crawler

and this SNAKE.  i caught it and squealed a little.

marit was convinced of it's undying affection for her

looking it up in daddy's reptile book...just a friendly earth-snake.  we let it go back in our garden

poor thing is getting molars, but also more words, and sweet blonde curls in the back.  i don't think i will be able to cut his curls off for a while, even if they do get sweaty and mostly smell like vinegar.

what's not to love about getting original art in the mail? my sister is so talented and has been learning to etch.  love it char!

got to water

miles does not want graham's ever-willing assistance

dirty summer yard legs and crooked shorts