Field Trip!

Blogger has been acting wonky...totally ate one post and messed up another.  So here I go again, fingers crossed now hoping I get this one posted.

Luci had a Daisy Scout outing last Saturday.  She was so happy to wear her new "I ♥ being a Daisy" t-shirt.  The outing was a bust--they went bowling, and Luci experienced her first Mean Girl episode.  :( 

Friday I took JT and Luci to the Space and Rocket Center.  We met up with a few other homeschool families, and came up with a plan for the next few trips we go on:  To meet with the families for lunch, but keep our own schedule at the zoo, museum, Rocket Center, etc, since we have kids in the largest age-span.  It is hard to keep everyone happy when your kid wants to do one thing and the group is not interested and thus wastes most of the visit dragging you to places that your kids have seen before and then the "good stuff" (according to JT) gets missed.  Luci is at the age where she would rather visit with her friends.  She does not care where she is, and she ends up learning very little about wherever we are.  So splitting from the group is good for her, too, education-wise.

Luci promised to not be scared of the rockets and to stand next to one to get her photo taken.  This is the one she chose.  It looks big, but in comparison to the rockets around it, it was small-ish for a rocket.

See how happy she is, pointing at the rocket?  See, Mama?  I did it!

JT's an old pro on the climbing wall....

 and we got Luci up there for the very first time.  I am so proud of her.  She was scared to death but made it this high up:

and afterwards, hugged JT tightly! So I took a picture because this almost never happens. These were taken with my cell phone, which explains the bad lighting.

In the Apollo trainer...

and next to the real thing!

Come on, Mom!  The shuttle will take off soon!  I thought this was cool, walking the walk, but Luci was not impressed.

Catching Up

Saturday I got to go (ALL BY MYSELF) to Huntsville, to participate in a fun fund-raiser for Love Without Boundaries.  We painted this, at My Spirited Art, and most of the proceeds went to help pay for an orphan's surgery in China. 

 

John entertained Luci all day, much to Luci's delight.  They ended the day eating a banana split at Trowbridge's.  Mom and Dad, do you remember eating at this soda shop a week or two after Bryan was born?   Nothing has changed since we were there together!

The results of our apple experiment from last week:  The apple on the left was in the salt mixture and shrunk considerably.  It is terribly humid here lately, and I wonder how this would turn out in a drier area.  We were trying to replicate part of the mummification process used in Ancient Egypt (it is so much drier there). 

We started a 3-D human body for Luci, to go along with our study of human anatomy.  JT is studying a harder version (high school level) and Luci listens along and then we do something more appropriate for her.  This model shows the "skin" made of pantyhose on the upper body.  We'll attach organs, bones and muscles as the semester proceeds, and end up with "skin" on the bottom half as well.  Luci thinks you can't tell which one is her!

This is the book we're using for the patterns.  Weaver's 3-D Body Book is available at AOP.com.  It's only $5.  Can't beat that with a stick!

Payin' for Your Raisin'

Isn't that what it's called when you have a child who is so much like you were growing up?  You know,  a snotty, sarcastic, know-it-all lovely, endearing, precocious child?

Well, I have one of those.  Maybe two.  More on one certain child in a moment.

Remember the hamster named Fluffy, who lives in a pink cage, and is a MALE?   He spent a few days this week not doing much at night (they're nocturnal, which made Luci very not-happy since he plays while she sleeps).  I thought, uh-oh, he's probably dying.  Who knows how old he was when we bought him?

Luci began making funeral plans for Fluffy yesterday.  Then we spent the day at the park with friends.  On the way home, I called Bryan and asked if Fluffy were still alive.  After poking the poor beast, Bryan said he was, indeed, among the living.  Luci and I made a detour to the pet store to get tubes to add to the hamster habitat --because you know they don't call it a cage anymore.  It's not politically correct or something.  As if the animal cares.  I had told Luci that we'd get add-ons for the cage habitat on payday.  Payday was three weeks ago, so since the critter was still moving, we got playthings.

Turns out he was just bored with his cage habitat.  Maybe he was rebelling because he was in a PINK cage habitat.  Whatever the cause, he is happy now, and acting healthy again. 

Okay, you stayed with me for the hamster tale so you get rewarded with finding out which kid is like me, the I-wanna-wring-his-neck-sometimes kid.  It's JT.  God bless my parents for letting me live out my teen years. Now I know why they sent me all the way from Idaho to Arkansas for college.  Because their hands could not reach my neck from that distance.

JT knows everything.  I mean, EVERYTHING.  He's read through the Alabama Department of Public Safety's driving manual once, only because we forced him to before getting his learner's permit.  So now he knows all about driving safely, even though he's only gone as fast as ten miles an hour in the local school parking lot.  He corrects me all the time!  Me, Safety Susie!  I mean, I am a good driver and he's correcting me?  (See, we're both know-it-alls.  John is nodding his head.  My parents are shouting, "Amen!")

But the clincher was yesterday, when both boys were trying to be in charge of adding on the hamster's playthings...pushing and shoving and insulting each other as only teen brothers can do (hey, wait, that's what Tom and Charlie were like, why am I getting to pay for their raising??).  Then Luci gets in on the insulting thing.

Don't miss it, now, here's the JT-is-just-like-his-momma part:  He corrected the grammar of one of Luci's insults!

I was rolling on the floor.

This is for Uncle Tom

Yes, there really is an Uncle Tom in this family.  The kids have an Uncle Sam, too.  What can I say?  My parents were pretty creative back in the '50's.

Tom (one of my big brothers) is very good at folding little bits of paper and making something fantastic out of them--also called origami.  So, Uncle Tom, this one's for you.

We got another installment in our Little Passports geography study. (I am not impressed with the contents of this program--way too little for the money.  I don't recommend Little Passports.)  This month's country was Japan, which happens to be where I was born.  The gift included was a little origami set.  These are Luci's first attempts.

Kitty Cat

Butterfly

Not really flattered about this...

Luci likes wearing my nightgowns (those t-shirt looking things, nothing slinky here) for bedtime.  Fine.  I don't mind.  I really think it's sweet that she wants to wear them.

Except for the comment tonight:

Look, Daddy!  Don't you like my nightgown?  

Yes.  Maybe someday you'll be tall enough to wear that without tripping.

Yeah!  But now, if I fall off a cliff, it can be my parachute!

I want to do an Experience!

Um, I think that would be experiment, Luci.

JT peeled the apples with his handy-dandy pocket knife.

One apple was covered with a salt and baking soda mixture.  The other is our control.  In one week we'll see what happened.  Replicating some of the mummification process with these apples.

My favorite line in the experiment's directions:  Set the bowls where they will not be in your mother's way.

Six Years Ago

Six years ago today, we met Luci face to face.   For better or worse, our lives all changed that day.  All adoptions begin with a loss.  Luci may never get to meet her birth parents or know what happened that had her end up in an orphanage.  Since this is the anniversary of her adoption, there are lots of mixed emotions running through her mind.  Happiness that we went out to eat in honor of HER, and sorrow that she is not with her original parents.  Joy that Mommy played video games with her "in celebration, Mama," and consternation that I would not play Disney Princess Wii for more than two hours.

Here are some photos from that trip six years ago.  They are not in any particular order.


Here is a photo that was taken at the orphanage before they traveled to Guiyang to meet us.  Pictured:  Hannah, Luci and Annaleah.  We sent a disposable camera (along with other goodies for the staff, ordered from here) and were thrilled when it was returned to us when Luci was put into our arms.  The shots were all from the morning they came to meet us, probably all taken in about fifteen minutes, but they are the only glimpse we have of Luci's life before we met her.

Bryan and JT with all three Bearden girls.

JT and Bryan with some cigars that John bought at the White Swan.  That bed was supposed to sleep two.  TWO.  It didn't.  But at least it was more cushy than the bed in Guizhou.

JT with Jophy, our guide.

Bryan and JT climbed up a temple.  This was about seven flights up.

Eating with chopsticks!

The boys with their "I'm the big brother" and "I'm the bigger brother" t-shirts on (Bryan's actually says, "biggest."  But it should say, "bigger." The editor in me comes out!) .  Luci has on an "I'm the little sister" shirt.

Happy baby at Lucy's Bar in Guangdong.

On the way to LuiZhi, the city where Luci's orphanage is.

LuiZhi

The back of Luci's SWI (Social Welfare Institute--different than an orphanage, in that senior citizens also live there, and probably infirm adults as well).  I think those folks in the red are exercising.

The first photo we ever saw of our precious Luci.

Answers to that Prayer

Two days after the Rain, Rain post, we got 0.51 inches of rain.  Half an inch!  That was really nice.  Thank you, thank you, Lord!  We got more in ten minutes than we had in the past three weeks all together.

Yesterday we got another 1.19 inches.  Yippee!  And perhaps some more today.

And now, it's our turn.  To have grandchildren here when it's raining.  John's daughter Audrey is in town, and bringing over her three children for some fun.  I'm sure they'll have fun with Luci's bed , which will mean that bed is seeing some action.  Since Luci's slept on the living room floor with me ever since it was built.  (Told ya so.)

So, here we are, with lots of wet ground.  John's out now, scrounging for some dry wood so we can make a fire in the fire pit and roast marshmallows.  It's a fine substitute for going to the big creek with all the girls.  We haven't been able to use the fire pit since the weather has been so dry, but today that is not a problem.

Justice, huh, Lord?  You laughing at me, up there today?  I would be.

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And now I feel really selfish.  Here is Luci's province, Guizhou, in the news because of a severe drought.

Rain, Rain, Wherefore art Thou, Rain?

We've had very little rain in the past three weeks.  Finally, two days ago, some big storms rolled through.  Areas around us got three inches of rain.  Just 15 miles away, in two different directions, THREE inches of rain!  We got...ready for this?  0.15 inches of rain here.  That's right, not even two-tenths!  Arrgh!  Then, today on the way home from town, the rain was so intense that we nearly came to a standstill on the highway.  It was a real toad-strangler.  I was so excited, now we have some rain!  Then we got home...and it was bone-dry.  Not even a drop!  About two hours later, though, we did get some rain.  A whole 0.05 inches. Woo-Hoo! Celebrate!  Not so much.

It is so dry here that I've been praying for rain.

Which is unusual.  Me, praying for rain.

I remember very well one summer that we went to Tennessee to see all the grandparents and cousins.  I was six or seven years old (no older than that).  Here is a photo of my family around that time (Dad was behind the camera) .  I'm the blond girl on the left, in front of the Mother who looks like she's about to pass out from being a mother to five children.  She was exhausted, I'm sure. (Mom, this photo is so funny.  I love it!)

While we were in Tennessee, it began to rain!  Oh no!  The only thing we kids could do in Tennessee was play outside.  Heavens, five children descending upon grandparents who hadn't had kids living in their homes for decades, and what, did you say FIVE kids?  Send those boogers outside to play!  Don't call them in until supper.  After that, send them back outside to chase the fireflies.

We were in our station wagon with Grandmother.  Sandwiched in, up close and personal, getting to know Grandmother better.  Driving through Nashville somewhere, going someplace and under pain of death to be good to our siblings.  And it started to rain.  Rain!  What are we going to do now?


Grandmother, sitting in the middle seat, said how happy she was to see the rain.  "I've been praying for rain!"

I remember just as if it were yesterday, thinking, "What a stupid thing to pray for!"

Now I'm praying that stupid prayer.

Cool Things

Tonight, after working on World Bible School, I made smoothies (love that VitaMix!). 

Luci's gave her brain freeze!

I caved and got Luci some Skechers "Twinkle Toes" shoes.  They are plenty big, so she will get lots of wear out of them.  The shoes are sorta expensive (yipes!) but wow, they flash!  LED lights in the toes of these already-sparkly shoes (they have an abundance of sequins, and then they added the lights) really make them stand out.  Lots of fun for a little girl.

Heard today, I think my hearing is going:

while listening to a Christian CD (Wee Sing):

Luci sang along, and then said:  Jesus likes hearing this CD.  It makes Him happy!


Yes, it does.  I know He loves hearing you sing, too.

 I know!  I am a fish stick!


What?  You're a fish stick?

No!  I said, 'I am a Christian!'

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Also today, Luci told us this story:

One day, when I was in my bedroom with Bryan, I wanted to hit him!

I heard this voice in my head saying, "Don't hit him.  Don't hit him."

That's your conscience, Luci.

Then I heard another voice saying, "Hit him! Hit him!"

But I didn't hit him.

Much.