Flowers for Grandma

Lest anyone think that homeschooling is a sedate affair involving quiet, still children in a calm environment of intellectual pursuit, I was reading about the first missionaries to China yesterday, quite involved with the story, when Isaiah said, "Mom, look!"

He had tied one end of rope to the top of the bunk ladder, wrapped and knotted the rope around his waist, and tied the other end to the next rung. Somehow at that split second, he lost his footing (maybe on purpose?) and there he hung, horizontal, suspended by the rope bisecting his middle.

By the look on his face, it must have been painful. I'm not sure he intended to imitate Peter Pan, but it was a good imitation, nonetheless. When questioned, he had no coherent statement of his intentions. But since he repeated the feat sometime later, perhaps that had been the desired outcome all along.

Happily, the boys changed tactics away from the internal injury category. Today Isaiah strung up a line between bunk and doorknob, and used it as a tightrope, somehow navigating with another rope for balance.

Then they strung up a hammock of sorts, out of various ropes and sleeping mats.

Though it wasn't restful (as it fell apart without notice), they practiced "resting" for quite some time.

But I sent them outside when they began a pillow fight.

Joe came to me then and said, "I want to go with you and pick flowers for Grandma. I would love to do that with you."

So we went together. I picked seeds to sprinkle around the base of the building, and he gathered a small collection of red clover and Queen Anne's lace. I think he said something about shipping it, but we took some pictures and put them in water. Then he headed out to play with some trucks.

And since he didn't specify which Grandma, I assume he meant both. Much love to them.

Phil had a stressful day, in some ways. Trying to figure out water for the cows until the well is serviced consumed much of his time. He pumped water from the creek at Butch's house, then had to be towed up the steep road. I know he wishes he had ag tires for the tractor on an almost daily basis. We've even talked about getting an old, fairly cheap tractor with ag tires just for those times when really needed.

Before moving to a farm, I never understood why farmers needed multiple tractors. I'm starting to understand, though: ag tires would be useful for getting to the lower pasture after a rain, or for driving on steep slopes in general. The tires and tractor we have are excellent for most other applications. Ag tires for the tractor we have would be almost as much as an older tractor with the right tires already.

Phil and the boys also spent time prepping for the well guys. They dug up two crabapples and put them in buckets with soil. They removed fencing. They spent a long time moving all the 2"x12" form boards, which Phil had moved to an out of the way spot on the farm. It just happens to be right in the way of the pump. As was old irrigation lines, left there from replanting of peach and cherry trees a year or two ago.

Isaiah came down at one point with a little lizard. He wanted to play with it when he finished working, so he put it in a pot with a fine strainer over the top.

The lizard escaped, but I figured I must have joggled the strainer. We located the lizard on the floor of the RV kitchen and I put him on the sink.

He went missing again. I had horrid visions of the lizard creeping into my stove and igniting when the gas came on: I made sure he was not there before lighting the stove.

We found him then, in the sink under a package of thawing hotdogs. He wasn't moving much; I suspect he was a bit chilled. Isaiah played with him, even built him a little house of pattern blocks in the home trailer. But I had no desire to have a Houdini lizard skittering about, so Isaiah set him free in the comfrey in the greenhouse.

And so we began September.