Yesterday was amazing!
I had my crew of the Goob, Liliputian and Chugger-dude, however reluctantly, help Q-dawg and I bottle 60 quarts (approx) of tomatoes! We have a few pint jars and 2 quart bottles thrown in for good measure but we started at about 6 pm and Q-dawg pulled the last jars off about 1:30 am, bless his heart. This pregnant body went to bed when the kitchen was relatively clean and the second to last batch was processing. Q-dawg was in good company though: he and the kids were celebrating watching movies "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "White Fang" (Chugger-dude) and eating ice cream. They deserved it!
It was so fun. Even though they didn't really like that I couldn't give them a firm "you will be released from labor at this point before the end," I explained that I really needed help, the tomatoes would be a blessing, and they pushed up their sleeves and did it. We rocked to a song selection provided by Q-dawg and the Goob that ranged from modern to 60's, slow to hard rock...and everything in between. Pipalicious and Hava did amazing duty with the little ones, keeping them fed, happy, and eventually putting them in bed.
The youth had a contest going: who could go the longest without dancing, singing, swaying, humming, anything, to the music! Liliputian, iron will Lil', held out the longest and eventually just said, "I am done now" after leaving her bros in the dust a few hours earlier. Chugger-dude got the challenge of depositing the tomato remains in a compost heap down by the river and deciding that it was okay to be "young and innocent" (aka not watch anything scary until he passes the pineapple test" and not do it. His siblings stepped up to it. He did get kudo awards, though, for going into the cellar and finding the last, essential wide mouth ring lid amidst the masses of bottling supplies we have there.
They were awesome.
********************
We also had the chance to meet a few more homeschoolers in the area yesterday after an intense morning of "world summit" and history, combined with seminary and little kid bonding and work.
(Our "world summit" was like a mock United Nations where we each represented--5 of us--one of the major countries and we were trying to decide what to do about North Korea...it ended up being pretty cool.)
Some groups of homeschoolers in the area are focused on a particular curriculum or religious base of beliefs and these are ones that aren't...and thus options for our kids by default. The few I have reached out to before this didn't really work so it was fun to broaden the potential for socializing.
Personally, I think my kids socialize great with all ages and with lots of people but you know kids...always looking for that one good friend. I guess we all are in one way or another. We may have many or few, but the potential for just one more "bosom buddy" is sure alluring!
I had my crew of the Goob, Liliputian and Chugger-dude, however reluctantly, help Q-dawg and I bottle 60 quarts (approx) of tomatoes! We have a few pint jars and 2 quart bottles thrown in for good measure but we started at about 6 pm and Q-dawg pulled the last jars off about 1:30 am, bless his heart. This pregnant body went to bed when the kitchen was relatively clean and the second to last batch was processing. Q-dawg was in good company though: he and the kids were celebrating watching movies "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "White Fang" (Chugger-dude) and eating ice cream. They deserved it!
It was so fun. Even though they didn't really like that I couldn't give them a firm "you will be released from labor at this point before the end," I explained that I really needed help, the tomatoes would be a blessing, and they pushed up their sleeves and did it. We rocked to a song selection provided by Q-dawg and the Goob that ranged from modern to 60's, slow to hard rock...and everything in between. Pipalicious and Hava did amazing duty with the little ones, keeping them fed, happy, and eventually putting them in bed.
The youth had a contest going: who could go the longest without dancing, singing, swaying, humming, anything, to the music! Liliputian, iron will Lil', held out the longest and eventually just said, "I am done now" after leaving her bros in the dust a few hours earlier. Chugger-dude got the challenge of depositing the tomato remains in a compost heap down by the river and deciding that it was okay to be "young and innocent" (aka not watch anything scary until he passes the pineapple test" and not do it. His siblings stepped up to it. He did get kudo awards, though, for going into the cellar and finding the last, essential wide mouth ring lid amidst the masses of bottling supplies we have there.
They were awesome.
********************
We also had the chance to meet a few more homeschoolers in the area yesterday after an intense morning of "world summit" and history, combined with seminary and little kid bonding and work.
(Our "world summit" was like a mock United Nations where we each represented--5 of us--one of the major countries and we were trying to decide what to do about North Korea...it ended up being pretty cool.)
Some groups of homeschoolers in the area are focused on a particular curriculum or religious base of beliefs and these are ones that aren't...and thus options for our kids by default. The few I have reached out to before this didn't really work so it was fun to broaden the potential for socializing.
Personally, I think my kids socialize great with all ages and with lots of people but you know kids...always looking for that one good friend. I guess we all are in one way or another. We may have many or few, but the potential for just one more "bosom buddy" is sure alluring!
