Tonya here reporting for everyone. We REALLY need to wake up before 7:00 a.m. Sleeping just a bit later has thrown us off, off, off. That being said, we have accomplished the following:

1. some schoolwork for the little ones
2. Stennes and Josiah have worked diligently on Fair projects
3. We have super-super-super-cleaned 2 rooms
4. We reached a consensus that the schoolroom is for school ONLY and that playing, camping out, toys, etc. are unacceptable and will be dealt with accordingly. This was a MAJOR blessing for us.
5. We wrote out, posted and signed Panem Nostrum Quotidianum (daily rules) and a penalties chart. MAJOR blessing, again.

I'm overwhelmed with work at the College, unacceptable attitudes, trying to figure out a decent schedule for us all, and yet I am very, very pleased at how a few solid rules have made life much more easy for us all.

Next week's intentions:

1. Try to find time for the big boys to do schoolwork. This is tricky because their projects are substantial (as usual) and they work pretty much all day, every day . We're going to have to use "minutes" here and there to do the best that we can.
2. Continue doing a super-super-superclean of the porch and storage area. The rest of the house is pretty organized and easy to maintain.
3. Work on more of a groove for KP/chores/cooking detail.
4. We're starting a Bean Attitude Counter (a quantity of beans in a cup for everyone in the family, a bean is lost when the attitude is unacceptable, the most beans at the end of the week wins). Childish but perhaps it will keep us all more aware of how we're speaking and acting.

Hi! Wilson here. Sorry for not posting. Mom, Kajsa, Rosie, and I were at a concert, Thurs through Sunday. It was a youth group trip. The concert was called Higher Ground, and it was a christian place, though we didnt enjoy their 'hard christian rock' songs. One word can describe practicly everything... LOUD! I didnt do school but we did do work. We change the location of the pig pen, took down the chicken fence, and washed the North side of the garage. Then we left for the concert, came back from the concert, and here I am now. Bye- bye.

Hey all! Teresa here. I suppose I had best post if I am to remain in good standing. Much has happened since my last little post. Our trip to LA was profitable with the GA team winning second place in the nation and Caleb having the highest score in the country. Proud Mama! The trip to KY netted us 800-1000 lbs. of Osage Orange wood. The boys helped cut it down and load on the Suburban. Useful for fair projects.

Forestry practice started this week (miss you Wilson). Only two weeks until competition so, we aren't going to have much time to get it all together. Caleb starts college back this week (last semester grades- 3 A's and one B) and Levi needs to start something!!

Levi is outside helping clean the shop so I'll post for him. He has started working on projects for the GA National Fair. Everything thing seems to come so quickly! He has done a bit of algebra, Greek and Latin most days this week. Of course, there are always lots of garden chores. Plus, he and the boys have had a good time exploring and throwing knives.

This week we're going to hit it hard!!! Hmmmmmmm?

We're back! We had such a neat vacation and we've been trying to unpack and find a bit of a groove. I start teaching at the College this coming Tuesday, so we best find the groove quickly! Lots of paperwork to catch up, lots of plans to finalize, and lots of kids to inspire to be more self-directed! Ufda.

Josiah here. I am working on a project for the GA National Fair. There are lots of chicks hatching from the incubator and many Seminole pumpkins in the gardens. I have done some Greek, Latin, a bit of math, and a few Reader books.

Anders now. Today I did some Greek, Latin, math and we went swimming with Stanton Long and his family. My chickens are now laying!

Branch now. I'm going to get some more Silver Seabright chickens soon. I have done some math and reading. My garden is very weedy and I need to clear it out. I need to practice violin more, too.

Ufdah!

We've been busy, busy, busy. The past two week-ends we were to Minneapolis. The week-end before last, we brought down the pig we butchered and also left Rachel to stay with our Solomon Island friends. Last week-end we had our first Solomon Island Independence Celebration there in Bloomington. There were about 40 people that we served "motu" (stone/earth baked) pork, barbequed chicken, coconut rice, cassava, sweet potato, "island" or Asian yam, taro, pineapple..."evri kaikai blong Solomon nao." Solomon Islanders came from Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Florida. Another had been in American Samoa and happened to be visiting at his sister and brother-in-law's in Minneapolis to help with the kids when his sister went back to the Solomon's for a month. She didn't make it but her husband, children and brother did! He is leaving this week to go back to Hawaii and then American Samoa where he teaches Science in the high school. About half of the people there were kids under 14! Of course, when islanders get together we stay up and talk into the wee hours, so we are all exhausted from the cooking, story-telling and, as you can imagine, non-stop laughing. We had a great time.

On the way down to the Cities I picked up Wilson at Camp Wilderness. He was there for the week at Boy Scout camp, as probably the oldest new recruit ever. His scout leader asked him to be SPL (Scout Patrol Leader). When I picked him up I was told by the Area Director that they were very impressed with the leadership he displayed. He had a great time and looks forward to more events and opportunities with the Scouts. I was happy to hear how he stepped up to be SPL and took it seriously, never missing a meeting, encouraging his buddy ( a younger new recruit who has trouble building relationships), and coming alongside the Chaplain to lead the Scouts in morning prayer at the flag. Proud Mama.

Kajsa and Rosie didn't come down with us to the the Cities, but stayed home with Grandpa. Kajsa had her last two games of the season, and now we go to the district championships in Coon Rapids, so I'll be heading down to the Cities again this week-end with her. Wilson's tournament will be here in Detroit Lakes, so Sailasa and he will be here this week-end. Kajsa's team is ranked 1st in their division. Those girls are very excited and practicing hard for their upcoming games.

Well, final confession. The kids haven't done any...any...school work. Rosie read Elsie Dinsmore, Kajsa read Boomtown!, and Wilson read his Bible and Scout handbook (the only books he brought to camp). Rachel didn't bring one book, even to read in the car, and just played, played, played all week! Oh! She just told me she wrote a story. That counts :)

Well, gals. I was really on the ball, "up and at 'em", ate negative calories (well, the food was cooked in a hole!) and ....okay, I'll do better this week.

This is Levi posting from Tonya's house because I'm down here playing games with the cousins. This week I got a lot of tomatoes from my garden. I fixed my tiller. I made the most delicious pickles from my cucumbers (Tonya says "Most delicious"). I did Latin and Greek every day and I finished all of my schoolwork every day. This was a first. The End.

Stennes here. We have been doing a lot of Latin lately because we have been observed so much by college students. I have done some Greek and I understand it a lot better after Mom and I read through the chapters together up to where I am. My garden is producing some cherry tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes and the chickens are doing fine. This coming week I need to be more steady in math. I need to do more Greek, too. Latin is going well, but I would like to do more on my own.

Hi, it's The Girl. I have been reading in English and in Spanish. I did a little of Greek and Latin. My favorite is both of them. Ha ha! I hope Mommy will buy me a new math workbook so I can do more. I need to finish my reading books, practice piano and keep my room clean.

Branch now. I am holding a lizard now but I'll let him go in a minute. We're planning our trip to Minnesota in two weeks. I am excited. I haven't done much school this week. I need to do more and practice more violin. I have cherry tomatoes in my garden.

Hi, it's Josiah. Right now some of our cousins are here and we're playing Stratego. I have watermelons, cucumbers, canteloupe, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and squash in my garden (plants, anyway). I hope they produce a lot. This week in school I improved a lot in Latin and in Greek. Many people have come to observe us lately.

Tonya's turn now. We have been busy, busy, busy. The Patriotic Performances are finished, so that's a relief. We're getting excited about our upcoming vacation. Next week we're planning on doing as much school (push, push, push!) as we can, then do a major Spring Clean/Pack-a-Thon for our vacation. It would be lovely to wrap up "little" books and leave the house ready to move back in when we return. We're doing the best we can, I suppose, but sometimes life can be a bit overwhelming. As the kids said, we've had quite a few people in the home completing their observation hours. Kind of throws things off a bit. On the good side, though, we've been doing our Latin because that's what I teach when we're being observed. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to "lying low" next week and hope that we can get back into a good groove (at least for a week) before we throw things off again with the vacation.

Anders here. We bought a nice little used camper last week. I did a bit of Greek and Latin. There are large watermelon plants in my garden. Next week I need to do lots more school work.