Perfect Weather for Fall Camping

Phoebe and I made yeast bread. 

With Elizabeth gone, we've got to pick up the slack on the baking.

And I do mean 'slack.' 

The above was our first attempt. It was my fault. I told Phoebe to microwave the water for, like, two minutes. And then I told her sometimes really hot water could kill yeast, but I'm sure this time it would be fine.

It was not fine. 

But the second attempt was delicious.

We carved pumpkins! 

Way too early. They are dying.

The roasted pumpkin seeds were a hit. 

I want to be sure and make the garlic ones again next year. And work on the sweet and spicy ones. They needed more salt or something.

Our pumpkins by daylight.

We said goodbye to Charlie the Beta Fish.  

He was so sad and still and wouldn't eat. But he was surprisingly alive every new morning. So we googled a humane way to put him to sleep. Now he sleeps beneath our Purple Heart plant. 

Phoebe spent hours curling her hair just because, so I had to get a picture.

And we spent this past weekend at a cabin at Paradise Canyon. 

This is our way of camping without a tent. 

We found Paradise Canyon when Liz' youth group hosted the senior's graduation party here this past year. It was such a fun cool respite and we wanted to come back. 

The water was a little cold this time of year. But it's wading friendly in a lot of spots.  And we were able to tube down it on Saturday with hardly anyone else in the water. There was a small baptism service on one end and a couple of people fishing on the other. 

The cabin was so cute and cozy! Harrison is cracking pecans.

Jonathan is our main fire starter these days. 

No S'mores for us this time! 

They were just too sweet last time we had them. So we roasted bacon and bits of canned rolls. You have to do the roll dough just right so that it will stay on the stick while you turn it and not burn it. We might try canned biscuits next time. 

We had very intermittent internet and phone service. It was so nice for all of us to get a little bored and just spend time together. We missed Liz though. 

 

It was the perfect weather. 

Seventy-one on Saturday. Cool enough at night that you want to cozy up to the fire. Absolutely a wonderful time.

October Days while Dad is Away

Phillip and Jonathan took a short trip to MO last week, and we planned plenty to keep busy while they were gone.  

They planned plenty too: Liz went to see them, Jonathan shot guns with Uncle John, Jon went to a Corn Maze with the youth group, they watched the combines harvesting....

Yellow Garden Spider ~ it's huge and it's web is big too. 

This was the only picture I got from our jaunt on the Greenway.

While Phoebe was at youth group here in San Antonio, Harrison and I did a little bit of the Salado Creek Greenway. We parked at the Voelcker Historic Homestead and scootered/skated over to Phil Hardberger Park where H could play for a bit (because the parks are open! Yay!). 

It was kind of sweet because Harrison was so worried about me falling on my skates. He said, "I can just imagine you landing splat on your face." I didn't fall once and he breathed a sigh of relief. 

Glowing coals.

We had a S'mores fire in the backyard with the neighbor kids one night. S'mores really are too sweet. But it's fun to roast the marshmallows. I need to find more things to roast that don't make you sweet-sick.

On Saturday we spent our afternoon at a Corn Maze. 

I had been planning to take Phoebe to Shakespeare's Macbeth. But they were sold out when I finally called to get tickets. I was so bummed! But they are only holding outdoor performances in which you must wear a mask the whole time (including the players ~ how did that work? Did they take off their masks to speak?). Unless you were eating or drinking. So I was going to bring a bunch of food. But then they said you couldn't bring outside food or drink, you had to buy from their people (not going to be cheap). So I was kind of glad to find out they were sold out. It made my decision easier.

So we found a local corn maze ~ a first for us. We were handed maps. Phoebe grabbed one and shot down the lane like a bull seeing red. She doesn't like the heat (and it was hot!), but she did want to conquer this corn maze. We tried to keep up while I strew my kernels of corn knowledge along to Harrison and Leila. 

The hard level maze was supposed to take 1.5 hours. But we finished it in maybe 30 minutes. We came out and I asked the crew, "What'd we do wrong? Okay, kids, we paid for this, we're going into the medium level!" 

So we rushed through the medium level and then zoomed in and out of the easy level. Then I heard the crew say, "Did you mark off all the checkpoints?" 

Checkpoints? Let me see that map! 

Yes, we had made it through the maze (with Phoebe's Master Maze skills), but we hadn't played the game. You were supposed to get all these checkpoints hole punched on your map. 

Ah well. It was hot. We were glad to be done and getting some snow-cones. 

Next time we will go when it's cooler and try to play the game.

Harrison made Phoebe a badge.

Warm October Days

It's still in the low 90's over here, but the mornings and evenings are cooler and you can feel fall is coming. 

Last year it was very cold on Halloween. Other years we've had a lot of rain. I'm interested to see what it's like this year. 

Still doing Drive-In church on Sunday mornings. 

I very much look forward to meeting in person. 

There is a bird on the tip-top of our front yard tree. 

He sings so beautifully. I think he must be a Mockingbird, but I couldn't get a good look. 

Phoebe suggested we go to Gruene Antique Store while Dad and Jon are gone to Missouri. We had ice cream, and after browsing, she bought an old-timey photo.

Harrison and the Neighbor Kids call these Legendary Crackers. 

I mean, with a name like that, who wouldn't be happy to make these any time they are requested?! Ritz, peanut butter, and honey. 

It can be so easy to please kids sometimes.

 

The Parks are Open!

 

And so we've been going to the parks. I love watching all the kids run around! 

And it's cooling down, so..... perfection.

And the neighbor cat Nina killed four of these birds (Wrens, I think) and didn't eat a one of them. She eats birds; we've witnessed that. 

Why didn't she eat these? Not hungry? Easy kills and just obeyed instinct? 

Jon and Phillip have been growing new grass in our front yard, so the birdies are now fertilizer. 

Liz is still selling cozy hats over on Instagram or Facebook!

I was listening to a podcast where a homeschool mom and writer was being interviewed (Susan Wise Bauer). She said that in the high school years, the homeschool parent becomes more of a guide and less of a teacher. The parent has to find the resources, curriculum, classes, online help that the child needs to learn his high school level material. 

I have definitely found this to be true! Firstly, high school age is ready to be more independent and in control of classes. Secondly, the mom can become an irritant ~ there needs to be some parent/child separation at that point. Thirdly, the child needs more interaction with other people and ways of doing things so they're prepared for college and bosses. 

There's still stuff we do together. We have about an hour of morning time where all the kids are eating breakfast and participating in readings, poetry, music, art...... And I'm usually reading something with my high schoolers ~ the Iliad this year, and a couple other books which Phoebe and Jon and I read together. 

But there's a lot more out of my hands in high school. I get to be the sounding board for other curricula and teachers that my high schooler is having a problem with instead of being the one he's complaining about. :-) 

I can do that. 

Salado Creek Greenway and The Kids

 

Jonathan and Phillip took a Basic Handgun Course at a nearby gun range. 

I hear Jon did better than Dad at the shooting range. Good job, Jon! I need to get him on a hunting trip with Aupa.....

I've been slowly making my way down Salado Creek Greenway. I've done maybe a third of it. It's too much to walk in any sort of quick way, so I've ridden Jon's bike and this time I tried skating. 

I have to say that skating outside is v-e-r-y different from a skating rink. 

I fell only twice. I will have bruises on both knees and one hand. 

It was a nice breezy ramble. I went from McAllister Park to Walker Ranch Park ~ 6 or 7 miles round trip. Lots of people out bicycling and walking on this Sunday afternoon. I'm looking forward to conquering Salado Creek!

Liz is selling hand-knitted hats on her Instagram. She is taking orders and has three colors ready to go: black, cream, and the above autumn orange.  See Liz Gore on Facebook or liz_gore_ on Instagram. 

I've always loved that she keeps her hands busy. She knits every spare moment and has made beautiful baby sweaters, cute pairs of socks, and so many lacy sweaters and shawls. Good work, Liz! You were Proverbs 31 from a tiny tot.

I sneaked pictures of all the kids Saturday afternoon. I like to catch them doing something besides being on a screen.

Phoebe is sewing (but don't ask her what; she likes to keep her projects a secret until she knows if they're going to work out or not). 

Harrison is doing the laundry he didn't do the first time I told him to do it. (I swear, I understand why the youngest gets away with so much ~ the older kids have worn us down! But lately I've been thinking, "What will his wife think?" And that has been a big motivation for me to Keep On That Boy.)

Jonathan made a neat helicopter. He doesn't get out the Lego very often anymore. But he makes some pretty cool stuff when he does. And it's fun to see him and H work/play together.

We bought this boy a new coat since his old one is too small. We had an actual "jacket needed" day last week, and that made us go through all the coats to see what still fits. He snuggles in the new coat, knees and all. Jonathan loves to push him over and watch him flail about. 

Drawing contest. 

I think the boys drew guns. Not sure of Phoebe's drawing (see above).

Jonathan puts out the flag every morning. A pretty sight. 

Ozark CC is going back to in-person classes tomorrow. They're gonna see how it works out. I can just see them see-sawing all semester! Shut it down for a week, open back up the next. Ah, to be young and flexible. Liz seems to be rolling with the punches. I can't imagine how the professors and administration are doing.....

I try to stay sane on Facebook and with anyone I talk to. Covid has really riled me up. Or maybe it's the election that's coming. I usually don't pay a ton of attention to political things, but this year is different.

 My rage outlets have been The Lord and customer satisfaction surveys offered on receipts. I get to say whatever I want and no one is going to care or know who said it! It's been therapeutic. The last survey included "muzzled," "harassment," "free-breathing," and "I'm not blaming your store....." Usually the store has been fine, but I get to just let them know what I think of the state of our city in general and store policies in particular. And I might just win a $500 shopping trip! 

Company Over and a Cibolo Creek Nature Outing

I told Phillip, "We need people. Who should we have over?" And he said, "Why not that girl you meet with?" So we invited my Schole´ Sister and her family over for dinner last week.

Schole´ Sister comes from a homeschool podcast (which is quite a good podcast) and is applied to this book group that I've been meeting with for the last couple years. Kelly and I are the only ones in the group right now, but our meet-ups have been sanity-saving during Covid. 

I didn't get any pictures of the family, but we had a great time visiting with them.

I did, however, get pictures of the organic scraps before I put them in the appropriate waste bin. For some reason, I was really loving the bright colors and I took a number of pictures of my fruit and veggie scraps this week. 

Sorry, not sorry. These make me happy.

And then we did an afternoon trip to Cibolo Nature Creek yesterday and put an announcement on the San Antonio Homeschoolers Facebook group. 

And who should show up but Levi and his family!!!! 

He's a youth minister from many moons ago. He's now married with children. And it was awesome to sit and talk and get to know Heather while the kids all played in the creek.

They're homeschooling this year because of Covid, and they. are. killing it. 

I sent Liz a picture because she was the one in that youth group the longest, but Jonathan also was in there for a bit and he had a good time talking with Levi.

A great place to play! 

This was a magnificent Cyprus (?) tree. I couldn't get all the magnitude in one picture.

Liz is doing great, from all that we hear. Looks like the whole campus will be quarantined starting next week. They can come and go to jobs and pick up meals from the cafeteria, but all classes and chapel will be online and they are supposed to stay in the dorm rooms and not be out and about on campus. 

The news from campus is that one whole boys dorm was first totally quarantined "because that's just the way that dorm is," and then I found out the Boatman boy's dorm has an oven and "it isn't fair because women should have the kitchen!" 

I agree, girl. You can't bake without an oven. 

 

End of Summer and Isolation

We had a great week off of school right after coming home from Missouri. There was just enough bored time there at the end of the week, that everyone was ready to start school on Monday. At least Mom was very ready. Kids were reluctantly ready. 

Jon and Danny.

Jon and Phillip went on a father/son camping trip with Jon's old youth minister and another father/son friend set. Enchanted Rock was the camp spot. Phillip was worried about the heat, but a huge storm passed through right before they arrived and cooled things down a good bit. They were tired when they got back, but I'm so glad they got to go. Fellowship time is precious and rare these days. 

One of the panoramic views.

Early morning hike to the top to watch the sunrise. 

Jon and his license. 

He's our new errand guy. He's driving to Walmart with Phillip in this picture. 

The Kids' Clubhouse.

Phoebe working on her thrift store find. 

She cleaned it up real good and covered the seat with new fabric. 

Harrison at a friend's birthday party. 

Our usual summer pool has been closed, so any water that we can get to, we appreciate!

And Liz. The beautiful Liz. Away at college and already has gotten herself into Isolation.

Not hard to do these days. Just carpool to church with your D-group. All of you wearing masks. But it doesn't matter, because if one girl tests positive for Covid, all girls go into isolation. And so she found herself there her first week of college.

She had a most positive spirit about the whole thing. 

We texted, talked or face-timed just about every day. We sent her packages right away, but they took a few days to arrive. The college had a good plan in place for taking care of those in iso ~ getting their mail, getting them meals, giving them Keurigs with coffee and hot cocoa. 

They even got yard time (yard time! :-). 

She attended classes online and got a lot of homework done. She and the other girls were isolated on the same floor, but they had to stay 10 feet apart. They would sit outside their rooms and do homework together in the hall. 

I'm sad she missed out on a number of Freshman week activities, but she will have a story to tell, and hopefully a bond with these girls. 

She's out now. Doing great with the school work. Proud of that girlie!