Is It Monday Already?

We had another lovely weekend, though I didn't accomplish much of what I had intended.
Ed has been campaigning for the kids to get more exercise, so on Saturday we drove over the Stone Mountain for a "hike." The children and I walked up the trail to the preserved 1850s homesite, and Ed drove up. The trail was very smooth and clear, and actually quite busy, but we are wimpy enough that it was a very good little hike for us. T. complained that he was dying of thirst, and K. alternated sitting down and saying that she couldn't walk another step with dashing ahead and darting off the trail to climb on rocks and rotten stumps. I was tired by the time we got to the homestead, after our .5 mile "hike." We saw markers for a 1.5 mile trail which I think we might try next time, but I'll have to remember to pack food and drink and reading matter to amuse Ed while he waits for us. We stopped on our way out of the park at the ice cream place that K. had spotted on our way in for cones to replenish our slightly diminished calorie stores. The view from the porch (the shop is in a log cabin) was gorgeous.

T. was catcher when his team played on Saturday morning, and did well in that position. I guess there is more to keep his attention there than in the outfield.

I had agreed to take the Sunday School yesterday, but had forgotten about it until Saturday night. The text was John 10:22-30, and I had a hard time figuring out how to present it in an entertaining and educational way. The Jews in the temple are asking Jesus to state clearly if he is the Christ, and he says, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me..." I can deal with this in context, but I don't think it is an easy passage for teaching Episcopalian children, and I had an awful picture of myself teaching the lesson and converting all the children to Five point Calvinists, but then I looked on the internet and found an easy craft where you trace the childrens' hands and turn the handprints into sheep (and print John 10:29 around the edge of the sheep -- it looks pretty cute, especially when you give the sheep googly eyes and black construction paper ears) and decided to focus on how shepherds take care of their sheep. We read the passage and, probably inspired by the pools of Elmers glue we were using to stick cotton balls to the handprints, the kids told me about how God's love and our faith keep us "glued" safely in God's hands. I didn't actually have to teach anything after all, thank goodness. T. got to be the Bible carrier this week, and he did a fine job, though he wobbled quite a bit holding the Bible while Father Blanck read.

I dug in the afternoon, and have now finished the major part of my front flower bed. Once it is mulched and the roses start filling out, I think it is going to look really nice.