Please save the Bluebirds!!!!

We are in desperate need of a new BBQ! My friend, Amy, told us about a contest on our local news station to win a new one. Well, I entered a photo of our old BBQ and now, I need your help!

Please go to: http://ktvq.upickem.net/engine/Votes.aspx?PageType=VOTING&contestid=1742
To vote, you do need to register. It’s painless, I promise! We’re “Barbequed Bluebird?!” and you can read my woeful tale under the picture.

You can vote once each day from now until Thursday (6/12).

Thanks in advance! (The bluebirds thank you too!)

~Cinderella~

Both Kjersten and Rhys were able to participate in our homeschool co-op's Missoula Children's Theater production of Cinderella. Oh, they loved it!

The week begins with auditions on Monday morning. The kids practice all week long and, by Friday night, have a fantastic show complete with songs and dancing. Kjersten was cast as a pumpkin~ the very cutest pumpkin ever! Rhys was a lord (as in "lords and ladies"). I was truly impressed with both of their performances. Kjersten's because she tends to be very timid in unfamiliar surroundings. Standing on stage in front of hundreds of strangers is, by it's nature, very unfamiliar. She did beautifully! Rhys' because he had to dance with a girl! He did well with his lines and he danced very confidently.

Fortunately, we have a video of the production so we can relive the entire thing over and over and over...

The cast.

Nice mustache, Rhys!

She did enjoy it, I promise! But I was worried that this would be her demeanor throughout the play. Nope! Just caught her looking contemplative!

That's more like it!

Next year's play (yes... we're already signed up!) is Snow White. Rhys' comment? "I don't want to do another princess play!" Oh well...

Rhys' embellishment...

Before Christmas break, our co-op class made teddy bear magnets after studying Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. This is Rhys'. Care to guess what the pink dot on the left side might be?

Anyone?

No? Well, duh! It's a gunshot wound. Teddy Roosevelt might not shoot cute little bears, but Rhys would!
(It's a wonder they keep us in co-op!)

Boring field trip? Nahhhhh...

Going to see a little airplane might seem like it would be less than thrilling to Rhys. After all, he has a grandpa who flies a helicopter. He also has an uncle who, not only flies a plane, but lets Rhys fly it as well.

Wrong. He loved it. We took our middle grammar class to a flight instructor to learn a bit about flight. We're in the middle of studying the Wright brothers so it only makes sense to go sit in a little bitty plane. I, personally, prefer to fly in planes that have their own bathrooms and beverage service.

Double yolks? Why?

I was busy wasting, I mean cracking, eggs for co-op tomorrow. Lo and behold, I cracked an egg and there were two yolks! O course, I broke one yolk. I thought that was interesting. Then I cracked the next egg and got another two yolk egg! What gives?

I guess it's not that uncommon. For more information on egg oddities, look here: Odd Eggs Be sure to read about "fart" eggs. Rhys will find that particularly funny!

Grandma co-op.

We have two co-ops. Our Monday co-op is Tapestry of Grace. Wednesday is our Shurley Grammar or as my littles call it "Grandma co-op." Of course, grandma isn't there, but no matter...

Kjersten's Macaroni skeleton.

We studied Madame Curie and x-rays last week. Kjersten's teachers sent them home with a bag of pasta and a piece of black paper to make a skeleton. This is Kjersten's rendition. Doesn't it look friendly?! And yes, that says "to: rhys from: kjersten." She loves her brother!

Good thing glue is non-toxic...

As you can see, the letter of the week is "C". I warned his teachers... repeatedly. We learned last year, that any and all craft projects involving food items would be consumed en route home. Yesterday was no exception. The candy corns never stood a chance!

First day of co-op... (Or why I am so far behind...)

Well, I don't know how I survived these first few weeks last year. Co-op, our schooling, and MOPS all start at about the same time. It's exhausting! (and to think, last year I was busy gestating...)

Here's a photo of our 1st day (last Monday). Next May, our last day of co-op photo will look so very different. Buddha baby there will be all grown up.

Yesterday was co-op day #2. I am teaching Middle Grammar (3rd & 4th grade) Tapestry of Grace (mainly history). This year we are covering 1890- present. I love this period in history and I think it's going to be a very fun year of teaching. We have a small class, but 6 of the 8 kiddos are boys. Busy boys.

Cael is spending most of the day with me, although there are plenty of arms to hold him in the nursery. Brennen is in "preschool" and, believe it or not, there is another Brennen in his class. So, we really do call him George. Kjersten is in Lower Grammar and is enamoured with her music teacher. She comes home and plays "music class." It is too precious! Rhys is in my class. Lucky boy. He is thrilled that his karate instructor is teaching PE at co-op this year. Seems those boys cannot expend enough energy without help throughout the day.