Dear God, Thanks for the Free Unit Study

Dear God,

I know that I should be thankful in all things, so in the spirit of that command I would like to issue my most sincere thanks for the hands on Science experiments you have been providing with us all week. Although I had full intentions in continuing with our Apologia Astronomy lesson on Venus . . .you saw it fit to give us a hands on - real life - immersion science lesson in the stomach virus.

This prayer is not for the weak of stomach, so if you find yourself in that category you may want to start praying silently to yourself for a while.

We learned many wonderful things. We learned about viruses, that they are mean, that the doctors really can't do much for you when you have one, and how they can come and go. We learned the word "Contagious" and "Susceptible" as we have watched them start with one person and then move on to someone else. We learned the full scope of the GI tract, that when a virus is in your tummy it has two ways it can get out (Three if you count the nose).

We learned that sometimes these viruses make a person so weak they can hardly stand. These people sack out on the couch for days at a time. Other times the viruses have a potency that gives 2yo boys a high fever and a slightly grumpy disposition. Sometimes when 1 yo girls get the virus they seem like they may have recovered completely and then suddenly demonstrate that they haven't after consuming a large sippy cup of milk. (At the lunch table, when mommy just sat down with her bowl of soup, immediately after asking, "Hey, How are you feeling Megan?")

I realize now that this incident was actually a pop quiz. It gave me the opportunity to witness the speed at which my oldest two children can evacuate the kitchen. They even did it with their eyes mostly closed and their fingers pinching their noses. I now have the utmost confidence in their emergency exit skills.

We observed the soothing effect of ginger ale on a stomach, the clean smell of bleach being used about the house, and the true capacity of our washing machine. I would like to say a special word of thanks for the washing machine.

I believe, however, that we have met all the requirements of this Unit Study on The Stomach Virus. We would like to submit our coursework for your grading, and then continue on with our study of Venus.

Thank you Lord,
Me

Getting Ready for Auntie Beth

As we were getting ready for Auntie Beth to visit (last month) the kids realized that they could all fit in the downstairs shower . . .

and speaking of which, there are other places that James and Megan like to hide

We went to Louisville

While Auntie Beth was visiting we went to Louisville . . .can you guess where we went by the pictures?

There was a carousel . . .

And inflatable jumpie things . . .

And a playground (wher eother moms were getting nervous with the 2yo's playground skills) . . .

Have you guessed yet? Well here ya go with a better clue, around the playground was a baseball diamond

Yep, it was a baseball game! ( A far cry from our AAA Rochester Red Wings at the now retired Silver Stadium) There were also fancy concession stands, shaved ice carts, and we had a great time watching the Louisville Bats. The stadium is incredibly close to the famous Louisville Bat Factory, which we will tour at some point. We did actually watch about 1 inning of the game before taking advantage of all of the diversionary activities. It was also military appreciation night, so that is why the inflatables were there. Thanks for a great night Bats!

A Really Cool Thing Happened On The Way Back From GA

A really cool thing happened on the way back from GA, and fortunately I had my camera ready:

I have a video of it actually changing, but I am having trouble posting videos . . .which is a shame because I have some really cute ones of the kids. I hope we get another 100,000 miles out of our van! In case you don't know (or have forgotten) we bought our van the day before Jack was born. It is now 6 and 1/2 years old. It has travelled from in and through a bunch of states (20 of them, multiple times) and it has always proven reliable. We have a few more trips planned for the next few months. . . more on those trips when they happen.