Spook-and-Seek

It’s just like hide-and-seek but all the lights are out and everyone wears dark clothes and carries a flashlight. And if the seeker can’t find the hiders and yells “I give up” the hiders start to flash their flashlights to help the seeker locate them. Oh, and you have to play in pairs because everyone is too afraid to hide alone in a dark house.

Roman Feast

Recently we finished studying the Roman Empire in history. Our book suggested throwing a feast, which the kids thought was a terrific idea and we invited our friends, the Parkes, to make it more festive.

Meg was a servant, in charge of foot washing and food serving. (Hope she washed her hands in between duties.)

 

We decorated with mosaics we had made a few weeks earlier. Nate and Meg began the evening with short presentations on the history of Rome and the gifts of Rome, respectively. (see video clips below)

 

Next we served a three course meal…some items were definitely more popular than others.

First course: lettuce and goat cheese with olive oil, hard boiled eggs, purple grape juice

Second course: bacon, olives, beans, broccoli, bread and cheese, red grape juice

Third course: custard, honeyed dates, white grape juice

 

Between courses we presented our interpretation of Roman entertainment: musicians (Nate-Old MacDonald on piano), clowns (Caleb-knock knock jokes, although he was actually too shy and didn’t really do it), acrobats (Meg-summersaults and cartwheels), dancers (Kate-freestyle ballet, of course), jugglers (Erik-evidently an upper class juggler, since he was in  a toga.)

 

It was a fun evening and a great finale to our ancient history studies. On to the Middle Ages!

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Roman Speech Excerpts

Off to the Races

September 17 - Meg Turns 9!

Good morning birthday girl! A chilly campsite (see previous post) breakfast  of homemade granola, yogurt, and biscuits.

 

Since this wasn’t a “friend party” year, it was fun that our camping trip fell on Meg’s birthday as a special activity. Birthday lunch on the boat: egg salad sandwiches, chips, and mini cupcakes.

 

Time to open a few gifts: lots of great books this year.

 

So excited to receive a soccer outfit for Mia. (Thanks Grampy and Grammy!)

 

Due to the camping trip, we saved birthday supper and the rest of the presents for Sunday evening. Of course Maggie was invited. Pappy and Mema made a special trip over and Mrs. Lamos also joined us for ribs, mac & cheese, baked beans, broccoli, and rolls.

 

Stylish hat from Pappy and Mema.

 

A bird feeder to hang outside Meg’s window.

 

Hard to believe—9 candles!!

 

Birthday request: carrot cake. 1000 calories per slice!!

 

Happy Birthday, Meg.
You grow more precious to us every year!!

Camping and Boating

In mid-September we had a little outing to Lake Lanier with some friends from church. Once you load all the stuff in your car--camping chairs x 6, sleeping bags x 6,  pillows x 6, beach towels x 6, change of clothes x 6, tent, duffle bag, cooler, laundry basket of food, fishing gear, coffee maker, air mattress (not trying to rough it here)--it does seem a shame to stay only one night. But still worth it.

 

After the roasting hot summer we had it was hard to believe the high would barely break into the 70s. When these crazy girls went in the water Friday evening it was probably 60 something and breezy.

 

Before the trip Nate had declared he would catch a bass to eat for supper. Sure enough…

(at least, Erik is letting Nate take the credit)

 

The kids had a great time playing at the water’s edge while burgers were grilling. You can see that the lake is pretty low again. I think that whole “beach” area they’re on should be under water.

 

Brothers throwing rocks.

 

Fish cleaning.

 

Fish sautéing.

 

Fish eating.
Nate was very pleased and did eat a good portion, but I think he may have discovered that what he had previously identified as a taste for bass was actually a taste for fried food (the only way he has eaten it before).

 

Chow time.

 

Since Meg’s birthday was the next day, we brought along one present,  glow bracelets from Nate, which she magnanimously shared with the other 10 kids.

 

Marshmallow time.
(I think Nate had 6 s’mores.)

 

Cutie.

 

Outdoorsman.

 

Saturday morning dawned cloudy and windy, so we bundled up in jeans and jackets to board the pontoon boat we had reserved.

 

Brrrr.

 

Meg and Anna.

 

Optimistic, we brought our swimsuits along. Caleb stayed in the water about 45 seconds.

 

Nate held on a little longer because the slide off the back of the boat was so fun. But before long everyone shivered back on board and changed into warm, dry clothes again.

 

 

Halfway through our four hour rental period the sun broke through and it turned into a beautiful day! Blue skies, sparkling water. Back into the bathing suits. More swimming, sliding, playing on muddy little island shores, picnic lunch. A good time was had by all!

Meg with the famous and beloved Maggie Halbert, babysitter and friend from church.

Soccer

Meg and Nate’s second soccer season is off to a good start. They both won their first game (they didn’t win any  games last year.) It’s also fun to see how their skills have improved over last season.

 

Tippy Canoe

Over Labor Day weekend we borrowed the Lamos’s canoe to paddle around the lake at Stone Mountain. All six of us fit in at once. It was fun even though we spent the whole time telling the kids not to lean over or turn around or put their hands in the water for fear we would flip right over. Surprisingly, we never did.

 

The kids had even more fun scrubbing the canoe in the rain a few days later.