Back to school

"School days, school days, 

Dear old golden rule days.

'Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic, 

Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick..."

Remember that old tune?  I think I've been humming it all day long-- it just seems the perfect little ditty for the first day of our new year.  Of course, the boys have not been humming along with me, their little cherub faces all aglow.  No, they're not terribly thrilled with the idea of jumping back in to their studies, but then again, neither am I.  Our summer was so hectic, I'd much rather laze around for a few more weeks, enjoy the new pup, and tend my garden in the cooler temperatures. But alas, no... time to hop back in the saddle once again. A fourth grade curriculum awaits Bub, 2nd grade is Noh-man's to tackle, and Big Man is all set for 4 year-old preschool twice a week.  As for Lollipop, she'll be tagging along here at home and learning what she can via osmosis-- as many of my college buddies did, way back when.  

So... this morning, after breakfast and a leisurely stroll around the block with the dogs, we jumped right in with the basics-- reading, writing, and arithmetic (see... doesn't the song work??).  By the week's end, we'll be back on board with latin, and then over the next week or two, I'll fold in the rest of our subjects-- history, science, geography and grammar.  We're also going to attempt a beginner course in spanish with some friends of ours-- that should prove interesting!  Perhaps Hubby-- our fluent French minor and expert on all things french (make sure you catch the hint of sarcasm here, ha ha ha)-- will tag along on that one, as well.

Believe it or not, this photo is not posed-- the boys really did work like this for, oh... ten minutes or so.  Then they got on each other's nerves and decided to spread out (a very wise move, I might add).

Here's Big Man practicing his letters~

Noh-man and Mosby: one's reading, the other is snoring.

Bub and Mosby: again, one's reading, but this time, the other is begging for treats.

And here's the whole gang at a lovely little park down the street.  The boys asked if we could take a picnic outdoors, so we did~

What is it with boys, water, and sticks??  Is it possible to be near water and not get wet?  Is it possible to walk past a stick and not pick it up, let alone turn it into a light saber or some other weapon of destruction??  Evidently not.  Sigh...  I wish I had thought to take a picture of Big Man's wet & muddy bottom when we got home.  Needless to say, he's now wearing different clothes.

All in all, a very successful day.  Tomorrow will be more of the same, though perhaps we'll avoid the fountain...

A puppy reunion

Throughout Mosby's adoption process I've come to realize that the staff at the Humane Society really wants happy families and happy, well-adjusted pets (and to that I say, amen!).  To help achieve this goal, they provide free puppy obedience classes to their adoptive families.  In nice weather, these classes are held in a large field on the front edge of their property; on rainy days, the group heads indoors.  Well, our first session was scheduled for yesterday, so as Tropical Storm Hanna zoomed up the coast, we traipsed up the long gravel drive to the barn-- in the pouring rain-- to learn how to train our pup.  

What we saw when we walked in to the room was this little darling:

Meet Smokey (in the red collar), Mosby's brother.  That's some resemblance, huh?  His front toes are gray and the white patch on his chest is much smaller than Mosby's, but other than that, you'd have a very hard time telling the two apart.  

A short time later, Neeco (in black) and Lulu (the golden babe)-- two of Mosby's other litter mates-- arrived for their lessons.  What a great time to have my camera on hand!

Is it possible to get four 4 and a half month old pups to pose for a picture??  It takes lots of treats and many attempts, but eventually...

Yes!  It can be done.  Is this a handsome bunch, or what?

Little boy humor

Sometimes, when you feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, all you need is a few good jokes to put things back in to perspective. Here are a few my little guys shared with me this morning to do just that... Go ahead, have a chuckle!

~ Why shouldn't you do math around wild jungle animals?

If you add four plus four, you get ate!

~ What did the tree say to the lumberjack?

"I'm stumped!"

~ Why was the jester thrown in jail?

For high teasin'!

~ What do you get when two marsupials duel?

Trial by wombat.

~ What has four wheels and flies?

A garbage truck.

~ What do sea monsters eat?

Fish and ships.

~ What does a pickle say when it wants to play cards?

"Dill me in!"

~What did one red blood cell say to another?

"All this work is in vein!"

~A pirate and a sailor were exchanging stories. The sailor pointed to the pirate's leg and asked, "How did you get that?"

The pirate said, "Aye, I wrestled a shark and lost me leg."

The sailor pointed to the pirate's hook and asked, "How did you get that?"

The pirate said: "Aye, I fought Red Beard's crew and lost me hand."

The sailor pointed to the pirate's eye patch and asked, "How did you get that?"

The pirate said, "Aye, a bird came by and left droppings in me eye."

The sailor said, "That's not as impressive as the other two..."

"Aye," the pirate answered. "It was me first day with the hook."

And my personal favorite:

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak kept getting colder and colder. For warmth, they built a fire, but the blaze burned a hole in the hull. They sank, proving you can'y have your kayak and heat it, too.

And then there were eight...

Meet Mosby, the newest member of our family!  We adopted him yesterday from the Humane Society and are in love with him already.  He's a 4 and a half month-old lab mix with gorgeous gray eyes and darling little white toes (they match his chest), and he's as sweet as Chick-fil-a tea!  Our little man was rescued along with his mama and litter mates after mama went into labor in the back seat of a car (on her way to a very cruel fate, no less), and now, all 8 pups (and mommy, too!) have found their way to new homes and a fresh start.  So why the name Mosby??  Well, unbeknownst to me... 12 years ago, when we named our first dog-- Jackson-- we set a wheel in motion that my history-loving husband just couldn't derail. Stonewall Jackson, of course, was a famous Confederate general, and so was Beauregard, the namesake of our second male pup. (Naturally, Annie doesn't factor into this equation, seeing as she's a female) So here we find ourselves with our third little man-- a precious one in need of a new title-- and Hubby really, really wants to name him Mosby after yet, another Confederate general.  Not my favorite choice, I must admit, but when I googled John Mosby, I discovered that not only was he one pretty cool guy, he was also nicknamed the "Gray Ghost."  Now how appropriate is that??  So... we now have a Mosby... and he's wonderful!

Wordless Wednesday

Back to the beach

So we're back to school, we're back to soccer, and we're back to swimming-- and whatever else comes down the pike.  Before too long our trip to the beach will be nothing but a distant memory so I guess I'd better share a few more photos of our vacation now.  Otherwise, it'll be January before I get around to it, and by then, we'll be sick of the frigid temps-- pics of the sand and surf will be too much to bear!  So... here are a few of my favorites~

I'm an aunt again... and again!

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD;

The fruit of the womb is a reward."

Psalm 127:3

This evening my brother and his wife, Wilma, welcomed into this world two wonderful blessings-- a little girl and a little boy, each weighing 4 lbs, 8 oz and measuring approximately 18 inches in length.  I've seen a picture of each and they're simply beautiful and wonderful in every way.   You've done well, guys!  I so wish that I could be there to meet them in person... all in time, all in time.  

God is so good, isn't He?  Amidst the stress and strain of the day, He was there, protecting those little ones as they made their grand entrance, and He was there, strengthening their mama as she played her part.  And He's there now as they all rest and then rejoice in the wonder of life.  Thank you, Father!

Congratulations, Dave & Wilma, on the arrival of your precious little ones and welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood!  We love you guys and thank the Lord above for His most generous gifts~