Yesterday was our official first day of homeschool for the 2014-15 year. Micah said "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually excited." That might have something to do with the fact that we've decided to start giving him an allowance so he can learn how to handle money well. Since school is his "work", he earns $1 for every school day as long as he works hard. He loses 10 cents for every complaint/whine/hateful remark about school. Somehow, his whole perspective has changed! Caleb will get 25 cents a day if he works hard without complaining... he thinks that's great! He plans to buy the Lego Death Star at the end of the school year. (Which costs $300.... we'll have to work on math.) :)
Caleb told me to write that he wants to be a Dad when he grows up. "Wait! An AWESOME Dad! And I want to drive cars and vans." (Ben is working part-time as a valet at the airport.) :) "WAIT! No, I want to be a Dad and an astronaut.... write that!"
Last night's cuteness: Abby was walking around saying, "Hulk! Mash!" (smash) with her little fists raised in the air. You can tell she has older brothers. :)
We just got back from a long trip to Ohio. First we went to Wes and Joyce's for one night. Then we camped with Ben's family Friday night and spent the day at the campground Saturday. Saturday night we went to Springfield and stayed at Mani and Denise Anantharaman's. Ben preached at VCN Sunday morning and the church had a lunch for us afterward where Ben could share more about how things are going with the church plant. (When we pulled up to VCN, Caleb said, "THIS is the church!!! THIS is the church I wanted to go back to!" Every Sunday when we visit a church here in Rock Hill, he was always like "No, I like the other one better." But we never quite figured out what church he was talking about.) We stayed in Springfield through Wednesday, then went back up to Wes and Joyce's through Friday night. We drove back to Rock Hill Saturday.
Abby loved the bubble blowers at Wes and Joyce's
Hiking at the campground
Making crafts at the campground
Sunday evening we met up with Kristine and Ian Carcamo at the new Snyder Park playground in Springfield and then we went out for ice cream afterward.
Abby really liked the hats and the swing set at the Anantharaman's :)
Puzzles with Zane Anantahraman
Monday and Tuesday evening we got to join in the "community dinners" at our old house. When we were living in Springfield, Jenn made dinners on Monday nights and I made dinners on Wednesday nights.... now with the Slyes and Craycrafts, they have expanded to Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays I think. It was SO GREAT to be back and to hang out with our old friends like old times. There are so many people in Springfield that we love like family... it definitely made me a little homesick!
It was a little sad that Abby obviously didn't feel comfortable with everyone like she used to. I thought if she remembered anyone it would be the Reeves and Craycrafts since we all lived so close together and saw each other almost everyday. She may have remembered a little, but not enough to "feel at home" with them. By the second night, she had warmed up a little more to Avery and Noah. Of course, it doesn't help that Abby is scared of guys for some reason. :)
I was also worried that Caleb would have a hard time walking into our old house and seeing that it's not really "our's" anymore. The "green house" is what he talked about the most when we talk about what he misses in Springfield. But he did great. Abby ran right up to her old room to play. :) I had a hard time remembering to call our old side of the house "the Slye's" and not "our side." I also started twice to go get something (a photo album and a kitchen item) before I stopped short and remembered that our stuff is South Carolina. :)
Tuesday for lunch we met the VCN staff at a park (so the kids could play while we ate.) It was great to catch up though it was cut a little short because Caleb got diarrhea and I had to run back to the Anantharamans' to get him new pants. :) It's my fault really... we had this gift card to Tim Horton's we needed to use up because we don't have a Tim Horton's in SC, so I got sandwiches and donuts from there Tuesday morning. Caleb, who usually doesn't care much about sweets, ate two donuts for breakfast. Whoops!
Wednesday morning/lunch we went to Young's with Ian and Kristine again. We left from Young's to go back to Wes and Joyce's... although before we even left Springfield, we got stuck in traffic (completely stopped) for a full hour. There was a wreck just up ahead. Thank goodness for portable DVD players... I don't know how people with kids used to take long trips without them!
Not sure why Abby thought she needed to show her muscles while sitting on the cow:
She knows what to do :)
On Thursday, Joyce took us plus Chuckie and Chloe (Ben's niece and nephew) to the Infield. Caleb was JUST tall enough to drive a racecar on the kiddie track. He was thrilled until it was actually time to make it go. Then he drove - slowly- with a very serious face for the first three laps. He eventually averted his eyes to look at us and would quickly wave but his hand would always return to the wheel very quickly as though he thought he would wreck if he took it off for just a second. By the end he was all smiles.
We went to the Buckeye Museum on Friday with Joyce. Ben and Wes were golfing.
In the afternoon, Wes and Ben took the boys golfing. The introvert in me was feeling tired after such a busy people-filled week, so Joyce and Abby and I just relaxed on the porch with books and toys. Note the sweatshirt on Abby. Joyce actually turned on the heat for a little bit in the morning as the house was in the mid-sixties. Such cool, beautiful weather made it hard to come back to hot and sticky South Carolina.
Backtracking a little bit, here are a few photos of the past couple of months that deserve to be posted:
Our kids LOVE having the Ziebers in South Carolina. This was fourth of July... Mike's boss got us all tickets for free food and a concert at the festivities. The concert got rained out, but I was the cool mom who went back at 10:30 at night with her kids in pajamas to watch the fireworks.
Abby never takes naps anymore, but this day she especially pooped... she fell asleep on the dining room chairs.
Zuri Bucher, one of Abby's favorite people:
Caleb was walking around with spiderman like this. I said "Oh no, what happened to Spiderman's head?" He said, "No, he's swimming!" He's my imaginative child. :)
On our one-night trip to Greenville, it rained all day so we couldn't go to the zoo or walk around downtown like we hoped. So instead we went to Cabela's (and quickly left because Abby threw a fit) and a bookstore and Chic Fila... Abby liked her milkshake. :)
This one doesn't need a caption :)
Abby "holding" baby Selah. The Anantharamans came to visit us in July.
Micah and Caleb with Deavonte, a neighbor boy who comes over all the time. We really like him. :)
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