Friday at the Science Museum

This past week we went with some friends to the Science Museum. This place has something for everyone and the kids, and Moms, had a great time.


Austin, Harrison, Caden, and Reece got to be a part of a Science Lab. Love these faces with their goggles on.
Addison was determined to get into the space shuttle, just like the other kids, so Beth ended up joining her to outer space.

Kelly and Caroline dancing in the sound room.


Lindsey caught a butterfly on her hand and here the kids are figuring out which butterflies they've seen. The Butterfly House is my favorite building minus the snakes.

The Providence Worship Team

This past Sunday was such a wonderful time of worship. The worship team, that Brian has the privilege of working with every Wed. night and Sunday, did what they call the "risers Sunday". They only do this a couple of times a year and so I always look forward to it for weeks on end. Brian's been so blessed to have such an amazing group of singers and rhythm section. There were even a few singers gone that Sunday. Love this group -- without a doubt their incredible voices but especially their hearts and desire to truly lead the congregation in worship.





People have no idea the kind of "crazy fun" this group has back in the choir room between services. :)

It's that time again...

I can't believe I am, once again, posting soccer pictures. A true sign that summer is coming to a close. This past weekend Lindsey and Reece started soccer. This is Reece's first time to play "team soccer" where he actually has a week day practice and games on Saturday. Fortunately Lindsey and Reece have their practices on the same night but it still equals 4 hours every weekend of practice and games. I cant' believe Reece is old enough. Poor kid will always be the "baby" of the family to me. :)


Yes....this is Lindsey and I coming 30 min. late to Reece's soccer game. I just don't do 8a.m soccer games very well. Brian just had to get proof that he is the "awesome parent" that gets up on his day off to make it to these early games. I'll let him hold that title all season... :)

It was such a reunion for Lindsey to see that 2 of the girls she played with last spring were on her team, a couple of girls from summer soccer camp are on her team and a girl from church is also on her team. She is blessed to have the nicest coach who has his daughter playing and he also has two other daughters so he was "made" to be a girl's soccer coach. I must admit that I have one eye on the field and the other engaged in conversation with parents from church and last season's team. Another Mom and I have already planned to have our girls do camp next summer together. There's just so much us moms have to talk about and catch up on since the spring. So, we are all very excited about this season! No more posts needed on the weekends -- you all know what we'll be doing until the end of October! :)

Be careful what you wish for.....

It seems that every time I go to Chick Fil A, when the cow is there, I am telling Brian how much fun that would be to dress up and be goofy for a job. Well.....never in my wildest thoughts did I think I would get such an opportunity. We've become friends with the marketing director of two Chick Fil A's in Raleigh and Brian noticed - on Facebook - that she needed someone to wear the cow costume for one of their promotional s. So....Brian told her his wife would seriously like to do this. Yesterday Katherine, the marketing director, calls and offers me the "cow job" from 11-2p.m. today.

I did learn a few things from this job. Not surprisingly it is a "hot" job (literally). I thought I looked a sweaty mess after the Y, but nothing compared to wearing the cow costume. I truly looked like someone had dumped several buckets of water on my head. Thank goodness this costume is washable!

It is truly not easy to see out of the nose and mouth so you feel like you are completely enclosed in your own world while trying hard to interact with the customers.

Even though Brian thought it might be hard for me.....it was sort of nice to not have to talk and make the 'small talk' that would be needed if cows actually talked. Also, it was funny to see how adults reacted to "the cow". Some talked with you, thanked you for making their child's day. Others felt clearly funny even waving back at me. As I have learned --- PLEASE don't be shy of the cow. There really is a person in there.

It really can be fun to stand on the sidewalk of a busy road and dance around being so very silly and have no one recognize you. It is funny to see all sorts of generations of people smiling, honking, and waving at "the cow".

Last but not least were these precious faces of kids that were SO HAPPY to receive a hug, high five or even dance with "the cow". The picture below shows me literally cornered by some children. That was so much fun!

I'm sure I would do this again if asked, but I'm thinking of changing my retirement plans. When my sister and I were at Universal Studios and watched the kids excitement over a person dressed up as Barney the purple dinosaur, we said we could retire doing such a job at Disney World. Unless they have air conditioned costumes....I might have to change those plans! :)

I guess my husband put on his facebook a picture of Lindsey and "the cow" saying it was his wife. Boy....did he get roasted for that comment. Well.....he WAS telling the truth. It really was me. So....Brian was not trying to be mean - just stating a fact. :) He wanted me to save his reputation so I needed to quickly get this "cow post" up. :)

Finally!

This poor child has been 6 years old for a week now and literally spent the week walking around with his lego hellicopter still in its box. Why? Because he has a mother whose eyes glaze over at any toy with more than 10 pieces to it. This hellicopter has 94 pieces. We call that a "daddy and son" project. Last week our evenings were pretty full, but this past Friday - Brian's day off - gave Reece the perfect opportunity to get his toy together.

Look at that face! Thanks for the helicopter Grandmom and Granddad!

First Week of School...

I'm always a little nervous until we actually begin our school year. We get in our routine and a peace comes over me as I see so many blessings in our days at home. This year was no exception. I was nervous because it was the first year to have all three kids in a grade level. Yikes! What a huge relief to see how much we can accomplish even before lunch. I LOVE being at home so this trumps the "out and about" of summer for me. It's been a wonderful week! The pictures below are their first art drawings on the first day of school. I think it is pretty obvious who drew what but I'll still write that above the pictures. I'm still helping 2 ladies with homeschool decisions, one lady I have never met and the other lady I've met once, so I'm still digging out my research for their little ones.

Monday night was my last summer Bible Study on the book of James. I can't tell you what a blessing that was to spend every Monday night with a group of wonderful ladies and just seek out so much of what God wanted to teach me this summer. This past Monday night alone spoke so much to me. We talked about busyness, saving and hoarding up things for this world and not looking for worthwhile treasures in God's eternal kingdom, and how prayer is an unnatural activity for our proud human nature. Whew! That's just one night!

So many thoughts and convictions from this Bible study. Here's one quote from this week: "Today's money will be worthless when Christ returns, so we should spend our time accumulating the kind of treasures that will be worthwhile in God's eternal kingdom." It was just convicting to me of how I spend my time and my money. Am I in God's word and in prayer? Am I furthering his kingdom with my resources and not hoarding what is not even mine to claim? So much to still digest.
We ended our week in such a sweet way too. Lindsey got to spend the night at Cailey's house. She came home telling me about their dog and lots of candy and junk food. Sounds like a party to me. Also at the end of the week, Austin's friend - Lewis - got to spend the day with us. On Friday the kids all got to spend Friday night and most of Saturday with the Harts. This family just spoils our kids and they eat it up! Brian and I enjoyed a "date weekend" and yet were excited to pick up our kids and hear all about their fun! All in all a great week was sure had!
For those who asked and the two ladies that I'm still working with, at the end of this post I'll put up a condensed list of our curriculum this year. It would feel endless to post all the biographies of great men and women in history, all the artists, composers, etc. to list. I will say I get my lists from THE WELL TRAINED MIND, by Susan Wise Bauer.

Reece's picture..

Lindsey's picture..

Austin's picture..

Reece's 1st grade list: Math: Right Start
English: First Language Lessons
Spelling: All About Spelling
Handwriting: Zaner Bloser
History: Story of the World
Science: Animal kingdom, human anatomy and plant life.
Art: Draw Write Now (2 days), Artistic Pursuits (2 days)
Religion: Abeka Salvation flashcards and Proverbs study, Bible stories midday.
Music: classical listening, Music Ace (many books to list that Brian does with them.)
Reading: Phonics Pathways and Abeka readers
Writing With Ease
Copy work

Lindsey's 3rd Grade Year: (Math, Spelling, Handwriting, History, Science, Art, Religion, Music, Copy work,) are all the same curriculum
as Reece except at her grade level.
English: Rod and Staff 3rd grade
Abeka readers
Writing: Just Write
Latin: Prima Latina
Dictation- 3 times a week from classic novels
Piano, music theory, orchestra and composer studies

Austin's 5th grade year: (Math, Spelling, Handwriting, Art, Religion, Music, copy work, Latin, Dictation, music ed, English and Writing
are the same curriculum as Lindsey - just at his grade level.)
History - Ancients
Science - Biology (History and Science follow the Well Trained mind for the Logic Stage of learning.)
Extra English: Story Elements, Note Taking and Outlining, Teaching Students to Read Non-Fiction.
Logic (3 hours a week) Building Thinking Skills

All of their reading this year is following history with ancient Myths and Legends; epics also. We'll ease into August and then discuss their extra classes that they take at co-op and New Life Camp along with their sports. Whew.....nice to ease into the year before all of that starts soon.

Day 1 Agenda for the 'new' 6 year old

Reece is loving being 6. He is already talking about how he will "soon" be 7. The kid has big plans. Well, I had some big plans for him his first day of being 6. That little stinker....after being at the ocean all day Saturday, he was up super early today. Please understand that this is the child I have to literally drag out of bed at 8:30a.m. so I can get to church on Sundays. Well....this stinker was up, with his buddy, before Brian got up this morning. Brian got up at 5:30a.m. Yes....it is true.

So...as I went out to pick up a bunch of books, on hold, at the Library I gave Brian the instruction that Reece needed a nap. The child was rubbing his eyes at 8:30a.m. A nap was needed. Well...I can never just go and pick up my hold items -- the Library is such an exciting place filled with gigantic possibilities. So...two hours later I come home and get a motherly report from Lindsey. "Daddy didn't have Reece take a nap because Daddy fell asleep and he is the only one that took a nap!" There is a possibility that she even had her hands on her hips. (Don't know where she gets that from).

So....this child will sure sleep good tonight and won't he be fun when we start school tomorrow. Yep...first day of school after an eventful weekend.

Reece is 6!!

Today is Reece's 6th b-day! What a fun filled day for this little guy. As is the Megilligan tradition, Reece woke up to a room full of balloons. We also had to get up early because, per Reece's most favorite activity, we were going to the beach. To top it off he got to have his buddy, Braden, join us.

I did not even have my bag and chair off my shoulders when these guys went running to catch some waves. I told them not to go in too far until I could join them. Braden (pictured below) said, "I'll only go up to my ankles!" Love that kid!!
Braden, Austin, and Lindsey had a great time burying Reece in the sand.
Reece's face is actually under that towel. What a thing to do to Reece on his b-day.

After Ci Ci's, we went home to dive into Reece's Wall-E cake. He loved that movie and he also loves going to the bakery and picking out his cake.

Reece LOVED all of his presents this year. Here he is with his nerf gun from Braden. Just look at that smile!
Well....the kids, including Braden (a sleepover to boot!) are all tucked in and I must say that I'll be heading that way myself soon. I couldn't help but think back to 6 years ago when this little guy was born. This stinker had his umbilical cord all twisted around his wrist and in such a fashion that the doctor's hadn't seen it in such a way. I was assured we wouldn't have little Reece had they not raced me down to the operating room for a c-section. As you can imagine Brian loved it today as I sat on the beach recounting the moments of his birth. Fortunately I had a doula for all three kids and I have a book for each of them that my Doula recounted minute by minute, play by play. She was also our 'photographer' during those moments of labor and birth.

Reece continues to be a little "stinker" in the best of ways. He is our little clown always ready with a big smile and the cutest laugh ever. He has been such a joy and I love him very much! Happy Birthday Reece!