A Baker's Dozen: Daily Life in a Large Family

Hezekiah Plans His Life

Sorry about two Hezekiah posts in a row, but I can't help if he says or does charming things so close together....

 

Yesterday I had this delightful conversation with five year old Hezekiah.

Hezekiah: When I'm a grown up man, there's going to be just one other person in my house.

Me: Oh really?

Hezekiah: Yes, just me and one little boy. I'm going to adopt a little boy.

Me: What are you going to do with your little boy?

Hezekiah: Well, I'm not going to have so much money, but if he wants a war helmet or dress up clothes, I'm going to buy them for him.

Me: Are you going to have a wife in your house?

Hezekiah: No.

Me: Who's going to take care of your little boy while your at work.

Hezekiah looks up at the ceiling deep in thought.

Hezekiah: I'm going to have his grandmother come over and take care of him.

Me: Who's his grandmother going to be?

Hezekiah (with a huge smile): You!

*Kristine, I answered your photography question over on my Little Earthling blog. For part two of Taking Better Photos, click here.*

Hezekiah Takes On Camp X

Hezekiah, age 5. Photo by Tilly

Yesterday I noticed Hezekiah carefully sticking a bookmark in this book (Camp X by Eric Walters). He then told me he had just finished the first couple of pages. I have to admit, I didn't quite believe him. I asked him to read me a bit. He opened the book and proceeded to read the following:

"A twig snapped under my feet and I froze at the sound. How far had the noise  travelled? Had I been heard? My heart raced and I held my breath, listening, listening. There was nothing but the sound of crickets softly chirping in the twilight". 

The only word he needed help with was "twilight". 

I don't anticipate him making it through the whole book, the print is tiny and the book is long, but wow. He's been reading a little less than a year (he began last december). Another plug for Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I find the book boring and tedious, but it's worked seven times over for my children now.

Looks like we'll have to check out the large type books at the library...Hezekiah needs some new reading material.

School at the Beach

Yesterday we took our classroom to the beach for some up close and personal learning about sea life. I've mentioned the Marine Biology class Judah and Tilly are  taking. Well, thankfully I managed to wrangle Syndi and Carolynn into having their children take it too. Syndi and Carolynn live only five minutes from the beach and spend lots of time there in the summer. Having friends in the class means plenty of field trips together.

 

The purpose of this particular trip was to use our underwater viewer. It is a large plastic tube with glass in the bottom and a couple of handles. It was really neat. I can't wait to use it in the summer when we can actually comfortably step into the water and look a little deeper.

I loved seeing Tilly and Taylor exclaim over a huge snail they found. It wasn't visible from the surface of the water, but apparently quite impressive in the underwater viewer.

 

Tilly with limpets.

 

Carolynn holding...um, I don't know what. Carolynn, Syndi, could you help me out? What is this?

Of of the highlights of the day was finding a dead, eaten seagull. Just as exciting was the dead seal discovered further down the beach. Click on over to my children's blog to read Tilly's perspective on the day.

 

Ben holding...something. Once again Carolynn and Syndi, can you help me out?

Once we were too cold and several of my children too wet to stay on the beach anymore, we headed to my house. We moms couldn't help it if there just happens to be a coffee shop at this beach, selling eggnog lattes. At my house we fixed hot chocolate for the children and had a wonderful time of visiting together.

*For those of you asking- I blogged about my children's names in response to the same question. Click here and here if you are interested in hearing their names, what they mean and how we chose them.*

Avi's Two Dads

Avi (4) came up to me yesterday just as she awoke from her nap.

Avi: Mama, we have two dads.

Me: Really?

Avi: Yes, a dad in heaven and a dad at work!

Well, that's one way to put it I suppose.

And to the blog reader who asked, we pronounce Avi's name: AH-vee.

Man Talk

Do you ever wonder what it is men talk about when they're together? Saturday night at church I wandered over to where Chuck was talking with some guys and overheard this conversation.

Chuck: The ground beef was only $.99 a pound. It wasn't marked as on sale or anything.

Other man: Wow, that's a great price!

Third Man: I saw whole and 2% milk for $1.99. I've never seen that brand for less than $2...

And on and on the conversation went...I had no idea men liked to compare grocery prices...