Good Stuff

We thought the pool was finished last year, but Ed has managed to patch it up enough to hold water one last summer! Hooray for Ed! (He says that this is Definitely it, though! It is as much patch as pool.)

And we are trying a new system for discouraging the frogs. This one is Travis's idea, and it involves strips of styrofoam pool noodles stuffed into the lovely damp tunnels where the frogs like to lurk. This might work! (Despite the foam, Ed says there is already evidence of a mad frog orgy in the pool, in the form of eggs. Still, as long as they do their frolicking at night and are not sitting on the edges of the pool, staring, during the day, perhaps we can share.)

This honeysuckle showed up under one of our big oak trees. It smells lovely.

Last week we had our first discussion from Literary Lessons with Lord of the Rings (This is a curriculum guide I bought in the spring, thinking to use it with co-op this coming year, but then the co-op went kaput. Not wanting to be wasteful, I decided we'd use it this summer). I think it will be a good thing. The literary terms and concepts are mostly ones the kids have encountered already, but this presents them well, and review is good!

Here Travis is, at Latin Club, receiving a very pretty certificate (another one) for his fine performance on the NLE.

And today was the last Latin class of the year. Or, at least, the last one I won't have to present! The class was followed by lunch and play. It was a lovely afternoon!

 The boat. Sinking it is part of the game.

Here, I think, someone is being thrown in. Not Katie, thank goodness!

And just look at what the UPS man brought! Where would I be without Amazon? I can't help thinking, though, that Beowulf would never have found himself in the position of purchasing absurd items like "Nature's Miracle Cat Odor Destroyer" or "Litter Attractant." He'd have just destroyed the cat. Actually, come to think of it, so would anyone in their right mind. Still, hope springs eternal, and maybe Harry (I'm almost sure it is Harry) will mend his evil ways, and maybe this magic potion will cleanse the basement of the evidence of his misdeeds. At any rate, I am sure to enjoy my new Beowulf, and am at least briefly enjoying the hope of a sweet smelling basement, so it is a special day on several fronts!