Soup kitchen, Sunday pics, et al

On Thursday the children went with Marc to the shelter to feed the homeless.  They really love it, and Marc says they work very hard.

On Friday the children and I went to ballroom dance, lunch and then to the science center.  We say the National Parks Adventure Imax  movie that we had been looking forward to seeing.  It was a great movie with gorgeous cinematography, but the shocking thing was how they didn't talk about the Great Smokey Mountains National Park at all.  Many people don't realize that the Great Smokey Mountain National Park receives over double the visitors than any other national park in the country receives.  The park receives more visitors each year than the Grand Canyon and Yosemetie Parks put together.  I just feel like I need to stick up for the park we love.  :)

After the movie we looked around the center and saw the new superhero exhibit that Charlie had been dying to see.  Tucker and Marky rode the tight rope bicycle-
 

 

 

 

Saturday morning Marc and Marky drove to Tennessee for the Fraternus summer ranch.   They are apparently having the time of their life.  They will be white water rafting, horseback riding, playing paint ball, and all the other camp games and activities.  They arrived last night and had Mass and a Eucharistic procession through the camp.  They played really fun games on a dark field with glow-in-the-dark gear.  I did hear they are in a 30-man cabin with bunks three high, one bathroom and no air conditioning!  It's not for the faint-hearted!  They are with over 230 men and boys from all over the country!

Meanwhile I am here with my sweeties taking it easy.  Saturday we went to the gym and when we came home everyone had work to do.  Julia took her standardized test (we take them every year).  Tucker decided he wanted to write a paper on the periodic table.  He worked on it all afternoon and then woke up this morning and added to it.  It's a VERY slow process because he types with one finger and is a stickler about it looking perfect- font sizes, italics, spacing, etc.  He doesn't want any help.  Quirky little guy that Tuck Tuck. 

While I made dinner Charlie worked on the Flashmaster.  

He helped me make dessert.  We ate it on the porch as usual.  

 

And finally, a few Sunday pictures.  I had gotten out of the habit of taking them!  I want to keep the tradition going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This and that

This week has been so relaxing.  It's the first week in ages that we didn't have things to do.  We have stayed at home all week- I love it!  We're doing a lot of cleaning, reading and cooking.  :)

I caught Julia reading some Smithsonian Backyard books to Charlie this morning- I love those books!

 

We've started reading The Jungle Book together.  I wanted to finish it before we see the movie in the dollar theater.   There is just nothing like Rudyard Kipling's unabridged words- I remember falling in love with his writing in sixth grade in my literature class.  We are still working through Farmer Boy and I want to finish the Indian in the Cupboard if we find it.  

I used to think I shouldn't skip around from book to book, but I read this article the other day that says what I've instinctively felt- you need time to savor a book.  It needs to sit with you.  Some books we've read I think we've gone to quickly.  We needed several days to think about all we encountered in a chapter, but instead I kept pushing through.  So now I love to have several books going at once- the children love it too.  

We've been reading up on St. John the Baptist getting ready for his feast day tomorrow.  Every saint book has a different angle- I think it's worth it to read several.   At dinner we were asking questions about him and Tucker said, "he lived on grasshoppers and honey," and Charlie said, "no, I fink it was wocusts." (locusts)

I texted this picture to a girlfriends the other night saying, "this took a lot of work and messed up the whole kitchen, and I think I made nothing more than homemade shake and bake."  :) 

 But I will say it was worth it- MUCH better than Shake and Bake.  :)  And everyone in my family ate their pork chops.  :)

The artist in residence is still leaving his marks everywhere-

(Those are galaxies)-

The other day he came up and said, "Mommy- did you see the refrain I made?"  I said, "refrain?"  And yes- that's what he'd made-

The heading is "Refrain"- "The Lord is kind and merciful."

Such a precious boy.  A few days ago he came up to me and said,  "Mommy, my life is about making and searching."  I think that's about right when it comes to Tuck Tuck.  His new interest is the periodic table so that should be fun!  He loves this book (and I do too)-