Georgia Aquarium

Our Labor Day family outing.

The moving sidewalk through the tunnel under the big tank.

The tropical tank.

Meg got up the courage to touch a horseshoe crab in the touch tank.

Centennial Park across from the aquarium has a fun playground. These spinning seats are the best. You just have to lean slightly and you keep turning. We all tried them; Caleb laughed the hardest.

Nose Blower

He has the general idea, we just need a little fine tuning.

Hideouts

Here are a few spots I've found Caleb recently. Would you say this fourth child needs a space of his own? Too cute!

Kindergarten!

One week after Meg started first grade, Nate and I began our homeschool adventure. He was most looking forward to opening all his school supplies. That process took up about 20 minutes of our first two-hour class time. After day one he said that he wanted the next day to be longer. Erik and I chuckled to ourselves and wondered how long that eagerness would last. Well, about 24 hours. Tuesday afternoon he reported that he hoped Wednesday would be shorter. After three weeks I would say we're in a good routine. I ran across an old Childcraft "How Things Work" at Goodwill and we have been reading that for science. So far it has covered inertia, friction, magnetic pull, and gravity. I'm as enthralled by the explanations as he is. He also enjoys math but doesn't have much patience for handwriting. Today he started reading a simple first reader on his own and is quite delighted. It is fun to teach his little sponge-like mind!

Boating

We ended the summer with a fantastic outing to Lake Lanier with our friends the Melendezes and Chet Lilly. Perfect weather, beautiful scenery, great company, yummy picnic, crazy tubing, mediocre skiing :) We were all sore beyond belief, but are already looking forward to next summer!

Julie and Meg take a spin on the tube.

Avery and Caleb were not too sure about the whole adventure. They looked like this for most of the day. We did get a few little grins out of Caleb. And when I asked him if he had fun in the water he answered with his soft, sweet little "no" which actually means yes.

And at the other end of the spectrum there is Kate. She was so tired from being out on the water that she fell asleep as we started back toward the dock. But I had promised she could have a turn in the tube by herself, so I woke her up. She was so groggy I almost had to carry her to the back of the boat. But it was well worth it. She bounced back as soon as she got in the tube and had the time of her life!

First Grader!

At last I am posting Meg's first day of school (almost a month later). She is doing very well in a class of eight students. Her teacher, Mrs. Anderson, is orderly but gracious and is passionate to help the children grow in their love for Jesus as well as develop academically. Fridays are Meg's favorite days; the teaching responsibility rotates among the class parents who prepare an hour and a half lesson on an assigned topic and and chaperon the children to their music, Spanish, and nature study classes. The kids LOVE having parents in the room.

Probably Not What C.S. Lewis Had in Mind

This summer we read the first four Narnia books. It has been fun to hear the kids knocking on the backs of entertainment centers and talking to each other like the kings and queens of old. However, the other day Meg took it to a whole new level when arming for a battle scene. (Somebody buy this girl an archery set!)