Catching Up

 One of the great advantages of Sarah being two (and having no baby at the moment) is that I can finally go on some of the older kids' field trips.  This is the only photo from Jacob and Hannah's trip to their teacher's farm (which included a hike through the bush and pastures while Farmer Shulist explained the concept of biodiversity - actually, quite fascinating).  We ate lunch at the farmhouse and then ended the day at the Pioneer Museum at Madonna House.  Sarah (yes, I am allowed to take her on field trips - what a life!) fell in love with the player piano and spent thirty minutes sitting side by side with an MH staff worker using her hands to choreograph an elaborate dance.

 These two photos are an inevitable consequence of living in a house full of boys.

 I happened upon this scene on a Saturday morning.  My immediate reaction was to admonish them and make them untie Joe at once.  And then they explained the game.  You see, this is a Houdini-type game in which the subject (always Joe) is tied up with ropes and timed to see how fast he can release himself.  I was assured that he was a willing participant and had reached Level 8.  Ben explained that Level 7 involved stretching the subject (ummm?) and that the blindfold was introduced at Level 8.  Jacob was in charge of tying up Joe while Ben timed and Hannah filmed.  Dave shut the whole thing down at Level 9.  I don't quite know how this bodes for their future.  Hopefully we can temper these skills with a good dose of empathy.

 My two ever-present buddies.  Isaac and Sarah really are my shadows or, as Dave refers to them, my two little calves.  I refuse to follow that metaphor to its conclusion regarding my role.

 A new sibling combination of love.

 Joe took a break from school today and set up an elaborate jumping course for Isaac and Sarah involving the couch, coffee table and copious amounts of blankets and pillows - "For safety, Mom."  Joe informs me that he has started a company called Jump and that he will charge money if not allowed to play on the iPad.

Ahh, feel the love.