1 1/2 Years of Summer

Summer is officially here! The heat, which has been hinted at, lost its subtlety. Rising just after 5:00 AM, the sun practices its bleaching power on the curtains in my children’s rooms, causing them to wake up waaay too early. At least the noise of the powerful fan we’re using since our ceiling fan broke makes it harder for me to hear them while I catch a few more winks. Seth rises with the children and tries to meet with the Lord in the middle of child-chaos.

Carson gets tired right after dinner from his early rising. Daddy, too!

I knew when we planned our furlough to America for America’s summertime that we would essentially have a year and a half straight of summer, but it is a little hard to think of at this point–the thought of 5 more months of heat ahead still.

We’re also catching up well from furlough in homeschooling. Caleb began level two of All About Spelling and was excited to already get two Wild, Wild West stickers on his chart for level two’s lessons passed this week. And just today he finished another ABeka reader, Kind and Brave! We always make that an occasion for celebration.

We read about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection this week in Bible. This is the climax of all history, so I slowed down to have shorter lessons and to try to make the points stick. We talked about the seven sayings of Christ on the cross, especially what He meant when He said, “It is finished!” (in Tsonga, “Swi hetisekile!”) I began reading aloud some picture books on church history written by Sinclair Ferguson. This week we faced the lions with Ignatius of Antioch.

For history, we finished reading about Julius Caesar, first meeting Cleopatra, and ending with his dramatic death on the Senate floor–“Et tu, Brute?” Colin likes to sit in on the history time. We read extra books on Rome this week: You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Roman Gladiator! (No, I wouldn’t–beware, parents of sensitive children, the gladiator you traveled from Gaul with from the beginning of the book dies in the end!), Rome Antics, and Cleopatra. (I just put Cleopatra out for the boys to look at the pictures. There are several words on each page, making it long to read aloud; and considering that Caesar scandalized Rome by living with Cleopatra when he had a Roman wife already, I didn’t want to introduce those kinds of topics at their age.)

We continued studying the circulatory system this week. One day we discussed how important our heart is, and how I played the role of the heart in our little drama last week when I sent Caleb back and forth with dirty and clean laundry. Another day we did every single exercise in Caleb’s health reader and compared our heart rate afterwards with what it had been before at rest. We also discussed what a cut does to our circulatory system. I gave Caleb a “cut” with a red washable marker, and then we practiced a little first aid. 🙂

We also finished the first level of Singapore Primary Math (level 1A–we are using SM to review what we learned in MUS Alpha) and will continue reviewing with level 1B either until it’s finished or the year is finished before beginning Math U See Beta. I am sure we’ll go more slowly in level 1B, as we will hit some topics Caleb hasn’t learned yet.

Caleb measured his hand and foot with “units” (paper clips) to see which was longer.

Today was a very light day in homeschool because we went to town (half-hour drive). The three younger kids got immunizations (Carson got MMR+, and Callie and Colin got Hepatitis A shots, something I feel they need over here). I had fun getting to shop in the grocery store in town, which feels very modern. I haven’t been to town for about 7 weeks, since our village has its own mall, including grocery stores, now. The grocery stores here don’t carry all of the luxuries that the stores in town do, however–certain dairy products and meat.

Carson, snoozin’ in a cart. I heard the cashier laughing as she rang up my things and turned around to see this!

He was so tired from an early morning and shots.

Seth and I brainstormed drawings for a church building that we hope to start building as soon as our church can raise the money. That was fun, since it made the building seem more real. It will take our church years to complete, however, and quite a lot of effort to get the money. Please pray that our people will be willing to give–if not monetarily, at least from their heart and hands.

Two friends from Johannesburg returned to the village this week–one, a college student (church member) whose school year just finished; and the other, a policeman who works “eJoni” and is very near the wicket gate. He needed some teeth extracted; but thankfully, he still wanted to fit in a Bible study during his short visit home! A former church member and neighbor also returned from Joburg. She will have a baby any day, but I hope to remind her about things of the Lord as well during her maternity leave.

Colin went with Daddy on his visit. He wasn’t sure what to do with the plain boiled potatoes they kindly offered him for lunch.

I had three new experiences this week: a bird relieved itself on me while I hung the laundry, I found nail polish remover here for the first time, and Carson got into super glue. Thankfully, he only minorly stuck a couple of fingers together. It could have been sooo much worse!

We also discovered a South African pop we like–Iron Brew. Tastes a little like Dr. Pepper with a fruity tinge, only a little more…iron-y. Want some? We’d love to have you visit!