Art Day

My amazing friend who invited us for Water Olympics, invited us for Art Day. This time it was pot luck style. Each mom that came, came with an art project to share with everybody. It was like an art carnival! Super cool. Here the kids are using street paint.  This was homemade paint made with corn startch

We're painting with shapes, mostly circles!

Cookie decorating and eating

painting with marbles

necklaces with colored noodles

There was even a mom brave enough to do tie-dyeing but I wasn't brave enough to photograph that station. It was a fun day with lots of great projects accomplished.

lost his first

There seems to be something monumental about that first tooth that falls out. For some, it's scarey and for some it's exciting. Ryan - well he is thrilled.

He's slowly entering into the life of the big boys. He's no longer required to have a daily rest although I often regret that decision. He has the Cub Scout promise memorized and ready for his "Meet the Pack" night.

He'll be starting his second year of soccer this week. I suppose there's no turning back. He's growing up before my eyes and now he has the legendary gap in his smile to prove it!

Water Olympics

Our family had the privilege of being invited to the 2012 Water Olympics! Being friends with super creative and brave friends definitely has its advantages. Two days before the Summer games, several families converged for the Water Olympics. 
 
 The children were divided up into two teams.  Efforts were made to divide them equally according to age.  One of the advantages of homeschooling is that events are super family friendly.  The wide variety of ages are accommodated for instead of segregated.

 You can't have an Olympics without an Opening Ceremony.

 Nathan and I got to be the torch bearers.  Didn't I mention that Amy was creative!

There were games, relays and all sorts of fun. Everything involved getting wet.

We even had torch ice cream cones!

You can't have an Olympics without medals! 

twin tooth

Now that Nathan is three it was his turn to take to the Dentist's chair. He's been to Dr. Bradsher's office more times that I can recall; he's sat in the chair and tried it out but this was his turn. He was ready. Ready mostly for a new tooth brush and a ring! He did a superb job in the chair. He even tried to answer questions with all that stuff stuck in his mouth!

I had already spoken to our dentist about this weird thing that I noticed in Nathan's mouth. This time however I understood better what it really is. He has a "twin tooth". Instead of 2 front teeth Nathan has 3. He is one of 0.5% to 2.5% of Caucasian children to have this double tooth.

If you look close, you can see on his right side the twin tooth. Pretty cool anomaly.

a decade

It's hard to decide which one is harder to believe- my first born is 10 today or that I've been a mommy for a decade.  Ten years seems like such a long time.  So much has happened in these 10 years in my life let alone in Peter's.  He's has been a rock since the very beginning.  He continues to be dependable, reliable, strong, loving, caring, playful, competitive, intriguing and so much more.  I love to see how his personality is shaping.  How he still looks a lot like his Daddy but is beginning to resemble my personality in so many ways.  He reminds me on myself in those ways that parents would rather ignore.  He's taken to sports this year with a passion.  He played soccer and kickball with a tremendous amount of team spirit and desire to improve.  He watched basketball and studied the players with an intensity that is shared with his Dad.  He taken up the hobby of collecting basketball and baseball cards, realizing that it's good to buy things with your money that will be lasting.  Peter takes the challenges of being the oldest in stride and relishes in the advantages of staying up late to watch Star Wars with his Dad. 
As you enter the next decade of your life, Peter, I pray that you will continue to grow in your knowledge and love for the Lord.  I hope that your heart will always be soften to those around you. 

Already August

 My 9 days in Jamaica seemed to fly by.  They were days filled with hard work, heat, laughter, long van rides, lots of food, good conversation, smiles from adorable dark faces, long walks to bathrooms and a wonderfully air conditioned room to lay my head down at the end.

 Our team of 10, 5 adults and 5 teens, arrived at Mitchell Town Methodist church ready to serve.  We were ready to build but first we needed to pick up rocks while we waited for the supplies to arrive.

 It didn't take the kids of Mitchell Town to enter into our hearts.  They were hungry for our attention, our time, our hugs, and our candy.  We were blessed to spend 3 afternoons with them during VBS.  For a church with a membership of only 12, we faithfully had around 30 kids every afternoon.  Even when it wasn't time for VBS or even when VBS was over, as we always greeted by these wonderful children.

I was struck by the simple beauty of Jamaica.  It seemed as if lots of the teens and adults had cell phones with internet access but yet their broom was a simple one made of straw.  A sweet woman from the church cut the grass of the church yard with a machetii while the young people gathered around a laptop to watch a video.

 

 We worked under the direction of a local foreman and his work crew to complete this cinder block structure.  We worked until we ran out of money to buy supplies.  The work we started will someday be completed.  Someday soon, the members of Mitchell Town will have bathrooms to use when they fellowship. 

It didn't take long for this young man to gain access to all of our hearts.  It was obvious that he had a severe lazy eye.  It was apparent that he didn't have the confidence that we saw in the other children; it was apparent that his pants didn't fit.  It was most obvious that he didn't own any shoes and therefore couldn't participate in VBS until he found some.  It was a no brainer for my team mate to offer him her pink flip flops so that he could join the rest of his peers in side the sanctuary.

 Jamaica is a beautiful country with beautiful people. My time there will not soon be forgotten.