Fiddler on the Roof

Why is it called "Fiddler on the Roof?" It should be called "That Sad Movie!"

(Lee, age 7, at intermission after the pogrom scene)

Clara's Ideas

Clara is full of ideas. She's so full that sometimes she can't sleep at night. The other night we suggested we write down her ideas so that she could go to sleep. We started the list that night, but continued it the next morning as well. Here it is:

- make two books: school things and animal things
- make a fairy house that is very big to fairies but small to us
- every two weeks send a letter to Xan
- have the power to pull animals out of quicksand
- have the ability to turn into any animal
- have all powers of herbs
- talk all animal languages
- make awesome forts
- have a beautiful cape that swings behind me
- wear matching clothes every day
- run faster than a cheetah
- have tiger babies instead of human babies
- eat well
- have cat babies instead of human babies
- be an awesome climber
- be an awesome swinger
- be good at sneaking
- always be smiling
- have hair powers
- have eye powers

Where does she come up with this stuff? Whew!

Stripes, Polka Dots, and More Strips!

Halloween

I think this is the first time I've ever seen snow on the ground for Halloween!

This year we had planned on having a haunted house in the screen house the day before Halloween. Due to the snow, we moved our haunted house into the basement of the CH. It was a lot of fun.

A beekeeper, a tiger, Harry Potter, and a very mean dragon

First Monadnock Hike

Clara and Lee hiked up Mt. Monadnock for the first time this week. Bridges took the morning off, and we went with another homeschool family that we have become friendly with. The kids did great, and they had a good time, Lee getting along well with Sigmund and Henry (lots of Harry Potter talk), and Clara and Margaret babbling to each other.

We took the toll road, which starts at a bit higher elevation, and is a dirt road for the first time (boring on the way up, but much appreciated on the way down when they were really tired). 5 1/2 hours round trip, which wasn't all that bad considering. It's not something I'd do again this year, but I'm glad we did it.

The Stone Throne

Margaret and Clara kept each other going

Lee, Henry, and Sigmund

Post-Lollipop

80th Birthday Celebration

We had 28 of us at the Red Jacket Beach Resort in South Yarmouth for a weekend to celebrate Mom and Dad's 80th birthdays this summer. The weather was so-so, yet we all had a wonderful time. We had a private clambake on Friday night, and the rest of the meals were in the common dining room. The resort had lots of activities, like a campfire with S'Mores on the beach. There was an indoor and outdoor pool, both heated, and a hot tub as well. And, of course, there were cousins!

The kids spent most of the time on the beach constructing enormous sand castles. Here is Lee with her creation.

First Swim Cunningham Pond