Zoe's First Professional Photo

I found this on my old hard drive. It was taken at minus-5 months:

What's going on right this second in our house...

Sascha is playing with a giant train track.

Zoe and Matt are playing a reading game (Leap Frog); they just spelled "bog" (which is very close to "blog"!).

(Zoe is wearing a swimsuit top and shorts....she is hanging onto summer as long as she can!)

I am writing this entry. :) And about to get back to work.

Sascha had her first cleaning ever at the dentist's today - she did great! She was not ready last time we went, so they were cool about holding off for another few months. And she was all patient and following-directions like today. I was quite proud.

(I also am miffed that no one ever offers *me* toothpaste that tastes like cookie dough when I get a cleaning. It's mint and only mint....what's up with that??)

The leaves are leafing out all over, and it's outstanding. Every year, I try to take photos of the multicolored mountains and the photos never do it justice. You just have to stand and look and let your mouth drop open.

This week Sascha has:

- learned about negative numbers
- started getting back into reading, in earnest
- found a new caterpillar she's never seen before
- helped make up an original version of "Red Light, Green Light"
- learned how to play Connect Four (on paper, though)

Our version of "Red Light, Green Light" includes other colored lights as well. "Pink light" was jumping, "purple light" was hopping on one foot, and there was an "orange light" as well....I think that was slow motion. Mixed in with red, yellow, and green, it was a great workout for the kids and a nice relaxing time for me (lie on the couch and shout out colors every once in awhile while they run around...I can do that!).


Here's a pic from last weekend...we are still having glorious 65-70 degree weather, but the leaves they are a'turnin.

Some apple-picking pics...we went with Tessa and her kids, Miro and Emmett. They are the same ages as Sascha and Zoe.





Sascha and Miro in the wagon on the way back



Zoe with a mouthful of apple



Zoe, Emmett, Miro and Sascha climbing around on pumpkins



Girl with gourd

Apples and More Apples

Friday night: apple crisp
Saturday: apple picking (photos to come; have misplaced camera)
Monday morning snack: homemade applesauce (YUM)
Monday lunch treat: apple crisp

We are freezing some of the applesauce in zip-top bags (because I am too lazy to try to can it, and I have read the bag method works just fine). It is very easy to make (in a slow cooker) and warm applesauce with cinnamon will ALWAYS put a smile on your face.

Inside the Mind

I would love to be able to see inside Sascha's mind. Last night in the car we were playing "math problem." The first one was something like, you have 10 jellybeans and give away 8 and then get 5 more from someone else, and how many do you have. Seven, she said. So then Matt gave her this one:

Say you have 20 jellybeans, and you want to share them among yourself and 3 friends so you each get the same number of jellybeans. How many jellybeans does each of you get?

Silence for a moment.

"I know, it's kind of a tough one," Matt says.

"No it isn't," says Sascha. "Five."

I about drove off the road.

After recovering, I asked how many they would each get if she had 16 jellybeans instead of 20. She couldn't get that one (she actually guessed 4, but then guessed 2 before we could say anything, so she was doing something along the right lines, but couldn't explain what she was doing), and then we used 8 instead of 16 and she said that was too hard. "I do better with bigger numbers," she said.

At home we got out some little stones and did the same problem in a more visual way, so she could physically divide up the stones among four people. She thought it was fun.

Homeschooling Update - Phys. Ed.

Not much to update, but it's nice to check in every once in awhile. Sascha started a VERY l0w-key soccer program on Saturday mornings. One hour for six weeks. She seemed to like the first session. It is all 4- to 7-year-olds and they are just kicking the ball around, playing dribbling games, etc. She is still taking karate on Wednesdays, and soon we'll add skiing and ice skating back into the mix. Not to mention the intermittent gymnastics that take place in the living room (she is working on cartwheels and handstands), the biking, and the running (she and I are going on a run together very soon, or I will hear about it).

This has nothing to do with phys ed really, but yesterday we picked over a pound of awesome fall raspberries and promptly ate them all for dessert. Next time we will pick enough for jam AND for snacking.

Sojourners' Return

We are back from 15 days in the heartland (WI, MN, IL [just passing through], IN, and WI again). I have plenty of photos, just haven't gotten around to editing most of them. I also have videos of both my dad and Matt parasailing.


Here are a couple of photos, though.....

Reagan and Zoe (they are first cousins once removed, or something like that - Reagan's dad and I are first cousins):






Matt at his cousin JR's wedding in Duluth, Minn. - doesn't he look super cool?







Matt's cousin Eric holding Ming Li (also Matt's cousin) and Zoe at the wedding reception:






Eric and Sascha tearing up the dance floor! Matt's cousin John Henry is on the left.



More photos to come, including an impossibly large Volkers family photo, taken just before we broke out into song.