We met up with Mimi and Papa in Kingsville to celebrate Papa's birthday. The last few years we have talked about touring King Ranch, but then Papa would say, "We'll do it next year." So this year we finally said, "Let's do it!"
It's quite the story of a guy who grew up poor but went on to make a fortune. He wanted the railroad to come near his ranch, so he built a town. He started a printing business and newspaper. He had almost a little village on his ranch so that his "Kinenos" (ranch hands) could live with their families and have school for their children. They bred a better cow. They bred a better horse. They made their own saddles and wove their own saddle blankets when they couldn't find such that were good enough. I was pretty impressed by the time the tour was over. Lots of vision and business sense.
That there is a javelina.
It's supposedly a different family than the wild hog; they run all over King Ranch.
Ah, my precious Phoebe.
She is getting ready to go to a Murder Mystery Birthday Party right here. She was playing the part of a snobby actress. She couldn't wait.
And do you see that book shelf? Phillip bought me a new bookshelf for all our school and personal books. It doesn't hold them all, of course, but we now have a place for all our current books so they aren't stacked up in weird places in the garage. I love the look of books on shelves!
Phillip made this trench run set for Harrison and his Star War ships. He drew up the plans on the computer and figured out how to make the trench so it could be torn down and put away. Pretty ingenious and super fun for H.
This was so pretty! Phoebe is going through Discovering Density , and this was the first experiment using different kinds of liquids and figuring out how to layer them without them mixing (the densest liquids must be put in first, etc.)
Neighbor friend and Harrison heading to an empty field to fly the kite for the first time this year.
We've been working hard on the homeschool scheduling app that Phillip built. We've got lots of bloggers reviewing it and an online convention and google ads and spiffing up the website.... Lots going on in that area. The kids and I have been using it every day since last August and it definitely makes my homeschool life easier. Phillip is doing great work.
