We’ve been off this week! My mom, who is faithful at joining us for all our field trips, was sick earlier this week. Thanks to homeschooling freedom I just erased the 2-day DC field trip from last Monday/Tuesday and wrote it on our calendar for next Monday/Tuesday. Wha-la! Education marches on and onward Christian soldiers! Monday we were very blessed with getting two guinea pigs complete with food and large separate cages from freecycle! I told our children that even though our plans had changed for that day God still was directing our steps and had a hidden blessing. We don't know much about our "piggies" (as Naomi calls them ) but we are getting them use to us by feeding them their veggies while we hold them.  Our boys have been praying for an indoor pet, namely a Hamster or mouse.  I told them that they'd really have to talk to God about that because Daddy does not like indoor pets unless it's a cat.  Somehow my husband was moved by God Himself when I told him about the guinea pig's give away and he let me get them...what-a-guy!  Now the rule is though, he doesn't want to see them.  So their upstairs in the school room and we're not "rubbing it in his face."  I told the boys this was 100% a God Thing! 

 I let the kids joyously “do whatever they wanted” on Tuesday and Wednesday. These two days were filled with an abundance of Star Wars movies, Wii, tire swing and bike riding. I stayed tied to the computer printing off our resources for our next go round of “official” school. “The Plan” includes several lap books this go round with a healthy dose of kitchen science and crafts. Yes, we’re in for some learning messes! Yesterday we had our monthly homeschool co-op style group. Our theme this year is the Continents and this meeting covered South America. I made a rain forest matching game for the preschool class I taught. I don’t think my little students got home with the exact pieces they colored but it was a good lesson on sharing (this means I forgot my trusty sharpie marker to write their names on their bags….opps!) Zion’s class time dealt with map reading and topography and Jadin’s class read several missionary stories from that area. After “grade appropriate” classes in the morning we had our community pot luck lunch also with a South American theme, which gave all us casserole making mommas free liberty with the main ingredient of rice (insert Forest Gump movie sence here "we had rice salad, rice and beans, chicken n' rice, rice pudding, chili w/ rice, you get the idea), then we broke off into afternoon club time. Jadin is in art club and Zion is in Lego club. Jadin is working on his rough draft for a sketch that he has to show completed at the next meeting. He’s also excited that at the end of our meeting year his club will be holding an Art Show. Jadin also loved the missionary stories his class read so much that we went home and watched “End of the Spear” for our much needed relaxing time. Today we had to run errands and went out to eat with Grandmother. Naomi went with her for her own “girl time” sleep over (she will NOT want to come back home). The boys are having another good, Star Wars loving, buddy over for a sleep over tonight. They are instructed to stay up as late as they want, eat all the pizza and popcorn they want and watch all the Star Wars/play all the Wii they want. It’s funny, after only a few hours of being able to do whatever they want they’re currently spread out on our school room floor drawing together. The TV is off and it's good 'ol pencil and paper as entertainment. Whenever they get up tomorrow I plan on taking them all to the Children’s Museum for the rest of the day before we drop their buddy back off at home. Now I need a week off from the “week off.”

And it’s going to snow! We did receive a call from our foster/adoptive agency about a “very small chance” placement in the future of a severely handicapped child. Actually when I heard the medical needs of this child I laughed to myself because being a nurse the “severe” needs would be very manageable for me (“manageable“ in that I‘ve dealt with/seen it before….I can‘t manage getting myself out of bed in the morning, let alone anything else, w/o the “BIG“ JC!!!). Please pray for us We’re very ready and willing for any placements. We just want HIS best and HIS will!

That's my wrap up of our very unwrapped week!  Check out how other homeschoolers got wrappy with their weeks HERE at the Weekly Wrap up!