9 year olds...

My daughter turned 9 last week and so, of course, we had to have a party! This year, since the kitchen isn't quite done (and the laundry also doubles as storage and kitchen) we decided NOT to have it at the house. An early spring pool party seemed like just the thing!

For those of you who haven't yet experienced the joy of 9 year olds, I will share this:

They have finally come to the realization that mom and dad really don't know what they're talking about and can't possibly understand the life and experience of a 9 year old girl (who is no longer a little girl!). (A truly dizzying and complex reality.) We no longer understand what is stylish, or have good dance moves (this didn't really surprise us). But, although we are old and don't get it...we are still loved and tolerated--if only for the weekly allowance we offer, purchasing power we have, and for tucking her in at night (with hugs and kisses)!

Flood

Okay, so it's not really a flood...I have had a crazy morning. Had to run back to school after dropping the kids off because I forgot August's medications. Then ran to return some clothes and pick up some underwear for him, because I didn't buy enough new, larger ones to make up for the worn, outgrown ones I've been getting rid of. Well, I also needed to do laundry (in part so my son will have clean underwear tomorrow!) so I got a load ready. What I haven't mentioned yet is that our septic tank needs to be emptied and the water from an average load is draining out, but then coming up in the basement bathroom...so I was only running medium sized loads. But..it was a whites load and underwear to boot, so I was filling the tub and put in the detergent and bleach. Then the phone rang, so I was busy with that and forgot that I didn't actually put the laundry into the washer... ...needless to say, I heard the washer chugging away and thought I was getting laundry done, and then whoops! looked into the washer to take out the "clean clothes" only to find a clean, empty tub, and water on the bathroom floor! Thank God the septic guys are coming over tomorrow!

Australian Art

When we visited Australia--about 5 years ago--we picked up some aboriginal art (prints) which we really liked. We weren't sure about how or where we'd display them and therefore, have had them sitting in a drawer for several years. Finally, as the kitchen project began to come into focus, we thought we had a good place for them!

The top picture is about women hunting for their dinner. The tracks represent animals. The c-shapes are the women hunters, providing for their families. Below you see the kangaroos with Uluru and the sun as the backdrop. The use of dots of paint in art is common in aboriginal art from Australia. We like the vivid colors, the natural beauty of creation and also the reminder of how God provides abundantly for our needs on the earth.

Science Fair Time Again!

We are again preparing for the Science Fair. August is doing some psychological testing on his guinea pig, Puzzle. He is interested to know whether he can get Puzzle to go through a maze by using food (Puzzle's only passion) to guide her. We shall see how successful this experiment is--and whether our unmotivated Puzzle will walk the maze!

Katie is now also old enough to enter the Science Fair and will be exploring the properties of crystals. We have done some preliminary research and found some different ways to grow crystals using sugar, alum, borax, and some other materials. She is especially excited about growing sugar crystals for a tasty treat!

Hopefully we'll have some interesting pictures to share soon!

Countertops!!!

They're here! And looking kind of snazzy (if you ask me)! The long-awaited counters are now gracing our cabinets. Still more ends to tie up--it didn't help that they had to remove some of the trim and had to cut out around the sink. But...wow! I'm delighted. God is so good!

Below is my favorite part (the dark wave running up to the backsplash) and they're so shiny! You can see the light reflecting in them.