Kings & Queens: Week 3

This week focused on everyone's favorite:  KNIGHTS!

Everything we read & made led up to our big

jousting tournament on Memorial Day morning

of the following week.  Here are some photo 

highlights.  ENJOY!

AWANA Awards Ceremony 2009

Special thanks to Auntie for joining us for the kids AWANA Awards Ceremony for the 2008-09 school year.  What a blessing it was to have her there to celebrate their accomplishments this year!  Thanks, Auntie!

JSS's T & T club leading in the pledges to

the American Flag and the AWANA Flag.

COS's Sparks club entertaining us with song,

complete with hand motions.  :)

The moment AMS received her 

7th Book Award...

...and her on stage afterward for photo ops.

The moment JDS received his 9th Book Award...

(gotta love his leader's stunned expression)

...and his being placed on the floor front and center

for photo ops because of his height.  (If you look closely,

you can see our social butterfly on the back row.)

The moment COS received her Sparks

2nd Book Award...

...and photo op on the stage.  

She's so timid to be in front of people.

The moment JSS received his 

1st Book Award for T & T ...

(They start over in #'s when they

reach T & T, which is why he's getting

a 1st book award when he's actually

completed about 6 books by this point

in his AWANA history.)

...and subsequent photo op on stage.

Special recognition went to AMS for her

award-winning photo from Summit.

She was asked to bring it for display

along with her Best Of Show ribbon

and Gold Metal.  YAY, AMS!!!

Celebrating JSS's Accomplishments

JSS had an end-of-the-year award ceremony for Cub Scouts.  This was my favorite pic of him taken just as the ceremony began.  He was goofing off beautifully for Mom's camera.  :)

This is his reaction to having his name called

to get his awards.  I love his timidity!

Awards in hand, it was hard not to give

in and peek into the envelope!

Our manling went into the ceremony a bear...

...and crossed over...

...some symbolic bridge...

(I confess that I do not understand all the 

ins-and-outs of Scouting.)

...into the land of the Weebelo.  

(Scouting has been a weekly Dad/Son activity

this year that BOTH have loved!  Simon has even

become the camping coordinator for next year!)

Dad helping the newly promoted Weebelo.

Hamming it up for the camera again...

just before the reception and subsequent

service project of cleaning up the church.

Kings & Queens: Week 2

This week we learned about castles and castle workers...and had the BEST TIME!  

After reading many books, we laid out a simple

pattern for a castle.  (FYI, we learned that

in order to qualify as a genuine castle, there

has to be a keep & a wall.  Ours were made out

of flower boxes and rolled up sleeping bags.)

Next, we began constructing a castle in detail.

Here JSS is cutting the top of the keep, which

I later turned inside out so that the writing on

the box didn't distract.  You can look for that in later photos.

Here is our keep surrounded by our protective walls, 

complete with a gate house & drawbridge.

This is going to be a project we keep adding to as

our study progresses, so check back for updates.  :)

On Thursday, we learned that oftentimes

the only glass would be in the windows of

the castle chapel, so we visited several

local churches to learn about stained glass

(as well as an online field trip watching

How It's Made: Stained Glass on youtube).

One of our fav's at a local Methodist church.

When we got home, Simon very sweetly

took over making dinner so that we could

make our own version of "stained glass"

for our castle's chapel.

And then installed those beauties.

Last thing we did this week was make our castle

exterior complete by making faux brick.

Happy #19!

Simon and I celebrated anniversary #19 on May 13!  Without giving too much away, I did want to share with you just a LITTLE of how we celebrated...   

Simon had to go into the office that day and the next, so we spent the day texting one another.  Subject content private...wink, wink.

I made arrangements for all four kids to be out of the house by the time Simon got home from work and had this beautiful spread ready for us, just a quiet, light, romantic, candlelit dinner for TWO...

...and he surprised me with matching "Team Smith"

jerseys, a la my new favorite Relient K song!

He even had our birth years on the fronts as our #'s!

("We should get jerseys 'cause we make a good team...")

Happy Mother's Day!

Some highlights from Mother's Day weekend...

The kids & Simon conspired with Aunt PJ

and adopted 2 kitties to give to me for

Mother's Day.  :)

I am happy to introduce to you Peter (above) 

and 

Ender (below), named for my favorite

Sci-Fi book of all time, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

While JDS and AMS took me to see Wolverine in the afternoon,

Simon and the little kids stayed home preparing for high tea,

which I wanted to enjoy this Mother's Day.  Sweet Aunt PJ

stayed to help when she delivered the kitties.  :)

On Mother's Day Observed (day before),

we went to the farm to love on Simon's Mom

& Grandma...and got to shoot another snake

that had gotten into the chicken coop!

Kings & Queens: Week 1

Week #1 of our Kings and Queens unit focused on...Kings and Queens!   Here are some photo highlights.

They both made a costume (King & Queen)

for our study, getting to do everything from picking their

own fabric to making their brooches & crowns to helping

"sew" their garments.  They had a STELLAR time doing all of this

and were hailed at the Ren. Fair by everyone that worked there, 

even though JSS chose at the last minute to go as a knight instead

of a king.  (He really dug the other knights that were there, too!)

World's best big bro helping measure and cut fabric

for the world's most adoring little bro.  :)

COS getting into the feel of her Queen's role...

possibly the Queen of Hearts by the look on her 

chastising face!  Yikes!  Where'd she learn THAT?!

JSS and COS working on their brooches 

to hold their robes on as they wore them.

At the Ren. Fair, JSS was chosen to do a live demo!

He was ELATED to learn how to use medieval weapons!

A live joust!  We were on the side that was to root

for the yellow/red knight, one that matched JSS's own colors!

(Sadly, he lost.)

JSS trying his hand at archery just like Robin Hood...

...and aiming true, just like the hero of Sherwood Forest.

(We are currently reading Robin Hood 

and they are LOVING the adventure!)

He's a winner at archery!

We spent more time in the petting zoo part than

we did doing anything else.  JSS caught chicken

after chicken after chicken while COS loved on

the plethura of bunnies available.  They LOVE animals

and these were the friendliest with whom we'd ever come in contact!

Poor girl got so hot & with the overwhelming humidity,

I took pity and let her put her costume in her backpack.  :)

I am a most benevolent dictator.

JSS trying his hand at jousting!

"Our knight" caught up with us toward the end

of our day, stopped JSS, shook hands and talked

knight stuff with our resident protector.  He stopped

JSS because they shared colors and symbols.  JSS was

a bit shy at first, but shook hands and chatted a wee bit.

COS was elated to ride a pony.  :)

Shocking me, JSS asked to do this "ride."  I let him

and this was the first thing the guy did to him.

If you can, zoom in on his face!  It is panic-stricken! 

After this particular jump, the guy asked him if he was alright to

which JSS responded, "I'm afraid of heights."  It's true, 

he is VERY MUCH afraid of heights, which is why I 

was shocked he wanted to do this so badly.  The poor

guy was shocked, too, and tried to help make it fun

for him.  But, alas, he was fine when it was over:)

The last "ride" of the day, which COS

thought too jerky and JSS got sick from riding.

AMS got to enjoy the day with a friend

and this fairy was her favorite.  I got this

shot right before we stepped up to the gate to leave...

...at which point Dexter here blocked our way

and challenged our brave knight before he would

let us pass.  (That woman on the left is hilarious watching this unfold 

as she passes unscathed.)

We ended the week with a family fencing lesson!

AMS practicing positions

JDS gearing up

JSS and COS going at it.  They were

VERY aggressive fencers!!

Simon scoring a point on his firstborn, JDS.

I think it's a testosterone-driven thing.

AMS fencing with her father...

...after which you ALWAYS take off your helmet

and shake hands, thanking your opponent. 

JDS taking some of his aggression out on his

partner.  He really gave this guy a lickin'!