We've had so much fun the last few days!! Yesterday Brad was on so Mother and I took the children into town and decided to check out San Angelo's mall. Yes.....it does have one. After walking through it though I don't think one could really classify it as a real mall but one that tries real hard to be. The length of it is about 1/2 of 1 side of Grapevine Mills, if that. It was funny! Of the stores though they do have an Old Navy, Claire's, Dillard's, Victoria's Secret, Bath and Body and several western deco stores. It's really interesting since every shop is like a miniature version of home....typical of everything down here...including, Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, Target, etc. It's really a cool little place and the best part is that it was empty! We could walk in pretty much any store and have the whole place to ourselves. There wasn't one person in Claire's. Evye thought she'd gone to heaven! In FW you can't even walk in there without having to move somebody out of the way or wait on them to finish looking and then move.
We went to Rosa's to eat lunch and then by Target to get Garrett a bottle and some juice to pacify him since I didn't bring anything with me, unrealistically thinking he would actually not get hungry! Ugh! We had the whole children's clothing and baby dept to ourselves in there too! We got over to the boys' section and Grayson needed a cheap t-shirt to wear for the day since he had worn a long sleeve long john material shirt. Once we were over there looking I began to realize how far America has come by what they tolerate in children and think is ok for them to get away with it in their attitudes......and they even view it as funny and humorous. They had shirts I would never in the world let him wear. They said such awful stuff on them for anybody...not to mention a boy his age! Thankfully, he was as aware of it as I was and it was so incredible to see it hit him like it hit me. He didn't think they were funny at all. For a few examples, some said "I see your lips moving but all I hear is blah, blah, blah". I can't imagine trying to teach him or get onto him for a bad attitude with that staring me in the face. He said he didn't want to wear what isn't in his heart since his shirt says what's really on the inside too. he couldn't have put it more appropriately. Another that really got him was "Brother for sale" with 1. 50 marked out and "FREE" written instead. He really had that stuck on his mind the rest of the day and every once in awhile he'd say "Mom, that's really like saying I don't want Garrison, Grant or Garrett. Can you imagine not having them or me not liking it when they laugh or want me to help them? Can you imagine not having them around?" Another said "Be careful what you say to me...someday I'll be YOUR boss!". Another said "I hate my sister...will you take her?"........another one that really got Grayson to thinking. A bunch were about hating school. One even went as far as to say "I hate school, I hate my teacher, wake me up when it's game time"...and it had a little stick figure playing video games in front of a TV. I really honestly couldn't believe it. I guess it's just been awhile since I've shopped for him. One even said "Don't expect me to do my homework. You'll just be disappointed". It was shocking.
(Grayson in his new ARMY shirt)
We ended up with a great bright green soccer shirt since he's really into soccer and bike riding and the other is an army green shirt with ARMY written in camo on the front. We both loved these. I love it when I can actually see the fruits of everything we are trying to instill in them beginning to manifest in their character. He no more wanted one of those awful shirts then Brad or I would ever allow him to wear it. Even as intense as he is his heart remains so ever gentle and sensitive and is so soft when it comes to cherishing and really valuing the people around him..including his own family. His heart is just so tender and soft. And Garrison and Grant are to the age now that they adore him and really look up to him. yesterday he saved Grant's day after Grant let go of his balloon outside and it blew down the street to the park. Grant stood at the edge of the driveway and just cried. Grayson quickly put on some shoes and flew down the street on his bike and rescued the balloon from it's imminent demise as it blew towards a cactus. Upon seeing Grayson riding back with the balloon blowing in the wind Grant jumped and laughed excitedly and then wrapped himself around Grayson's leg, said "Thank you, Grayson!" and kissed him over and over on his jeans. It was pretty sweet.
(My front seat buddy)
We went home backroads so that Mother could view the Kickapoo for herself. She had taken her truck into town earlier and I met her there with the children so we were in 2 separate vehicles. Somehow with a buddy it added some measure of security and fun to the thought of crossing it so we decided to forge ahead through the river. It was sooooo much fun!!!! We then went mud sliding on the backroads until we finally got home.
(exhausted twin angels...my backseat buddies)
(Doing the fun stuff!)
The children and us all had so much fun crossing it 15 times that we talked Brad into going back and doing it again today so he could experience the thrill. That was fun and the children were breathless with laughter watching Brad go mudding. They thought that was about the coolest thing ever and they all said he was much better at it then I was! LOL! I think the most ridiculous but funniest part is mudding in the family vehicle with your husband and then being 7 months pregnant on top of that! He hit one of the muddiest puddles so hard that we ended up sideways in the grass facing the fence line of the ranch that had just previously been on our right that was now directly in front of us! We had Garrett with us and the rest of the children were with Mother in her truck behind us. They were still laughing when we reached the house again. We all drove through the river over and over again just for the sheer fun of it. And, no, we didn't sink like I was so thoroughly convinced we would! LOL! This is the way to have fun!!!!
On another note, Mother went up to the library to work today since they have better computers up there and it's quieter. All of the old ladies of the town run it and were sooo excited somebody was actually going to use it. They have a brand new computer up there but could not even get on the internet for her. None of them even had a clue where to start! She showed them how to do it. She then loaded Windows onto it and everything else it needed to be able to work. They were so impressed they told her she had a job at the library anytime she ever wanted one! LOL! Of course, it's all volunteer here! Mother took Grayson and Evye with her and they did the remainder of their school work up there while she worked. The old women just love the children and were so excited to have them up there and could not say enough times how well behaved they are. One of them in particular has fallen in love with Evye and Evye has a soft spot for her. She's Catholic so it makes it even funnier since denominations are such a huge deal here. She sat with Evye while she worked and exclaimed over how smart she is! Evye thrived on it, of course. She actually wanted to help her with her work..in which Evye promptly told her she could help if she wanted to but she didn't really need help with any of it! Oh, the joy of honesty. But the little old ladies loved Mother and the children being up there so much that they gave her a key and told her to come whenever she wanted to since it's only open T & Th from 1-5! So, now Mother has a key to the the Paint Rock library. They told her to bring the children with her anytime and they could read or find the books they want or do their school work, if it was during school hours for us.
(waiting to do it again!)
Mother and I also went to the spring Sunday School class party Tues night. Brad was off and stayed with the children. That's a story for Sat night once Brad goes back on shift. It was sooooo much fun but I also walked away feeling like Brad and i do indeed have a very specific purpose for being here. Even in the fun and lightheartedness of it all the Lord was very present and I think, for the 1st time people, I really saw how He is using us here even when we have no clue what is taking place. It was so amazing and I walked away with a feeling of exhilaration but also feeling like I could just cry at the sheer joy of kind of finding myself through all of this too.
(just a little bit dirty..if you click on the pic which enlarges it you can see the 3 little hands waving furiously in the back)
Also, Evye took her 1st 6 wk test this morning and she did so great. She had to match the correct definitions to their partners of noun, verb, adjective, synonym, antonym, homonym, compound word and rhyming word. She then had to underline each one specifically in a sentence and then as I called them out she had to circle the correct one of like "to/two", hot/cold", "run/jog", "land/sand" and then "sandbox". I made the test myself since I still do not want to spend money on curriculum yet. But she did so incredibly well. I was just amazed. These are all being logged and I will make their report cards over there weekend. They will both get another 6 wk report card at the end of May when we slack off a little on the pace for summer but still continue on in our schooling routine. They will be graded on their understanding of each subject along with their grades and also on behavior and attitudes while doing their work. They will also be graded on Bible since it is now officially a subject and also on the memory verses they have worked on memorizing and writing. I think it will be great for them and is a huge accountability for all of us. Grayson now has all of division completely mastered and so after a few more days of the double and triple digit divisors (the # on the outside of the box) then we will move past division. I'm a little nervous about this........no, I'm really a lot nervous about this......since I never did well once I got into that kind of division and everything past it. Brad said he will take over from here since he absolutely loves math and has an ability to teach Grayson in that realm. We've talked this through quite a bit and both prayed about where to go from here and Brad will take over for now and if we find the need we will start pursuing another means of teaching him also....like DVD's from specific curriculums or even a tutor if we need to. Mrs Blair said she would be glad to continue with him both in anything we need help with. She would just tutor him and probably have 1 mtg p/ wk at her house in SA. Brad and I are both at peace with him going on and my pursuing other nontraditional ways of teaching him since he is sooooo very gifted in this area. So, we'll continue to pray about it and see where the road leads.
(Plenty of helpers for clean-up!!!!)
And in the midst of all of this teaching of the older ones Aubrey now knows and can recognize each letter and its letter sound and Garrison and Grant both know most of their shapes and colors and can sing the alphabet. And, believe me......that was not even an issue for me in doing this! I figured I'd begin them when later when I thought they were ready. Honestly, I think it's just a reward for being willing enough to walk in obedience to what the Lord was leading us to do....even when I walked in fear and trepidation at times. It's the little boost of confidence that I desperately needed to know that I can indeed do this and God has given me these children and the very specific ability to teach each one of them in each of their very different styles of learning.
(twin kisses....and Garrison is slightly taller but since he has shoes on in this pic and Grant doesn't he looks like he's towering over Grant!!!!) (2nd pic....how in the world do people really come to the twin conclusion on these 2?????!!!!!!)
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