The Soph, The Dude and I spent oh, about EIGHT hours working on social studies reports and huge project boards that are due on Monday. Hey, can anyone say "FUN???" Yup, what else would any other ten or twelve year old RATHER due the morning after a night of pretty much having nothing but fun and waking up nursing a candy hangover??! Yes! Two children that woke up with the knowledge that they would be working pretty much all of this gorgeous Saturday on SCHOOL work was um, joyful. If you have not yet noted my sarcastic tone, I will wait for you to catch up. Boyfriend and I tried to soften the blow by taking them out for breakfast, but really I think they felt like it was their last meal or something. So I gave up and just said, "Hey, sometimes we have to work and do what needs to be done. That's just the way life is sometimes. you don't have to like it, but you still have to DO it." You can imagine that went over like a lead balloon. Tough love it was.

I only had to flip out and scream one time when I got just one eye roll too many. That seemed to get them back into alignment and I think they realized that this was not nearly as much fun for me as they thought to might be. That I wasn't taking pleasure in making children write, glue and god-forbid THINK on a Saturday. We got through it all with just a few tears, a few mumbles and grumbles and mom retreating to her room just one time to "take a breath." I am happy to report we all woke up THRILLED that everything is done and Sunday is a free day. Woohoo!!

As a reward, I am taking Sophie to High School Musical 3 (Who says I don't sacrifice for my kids?!?) after her tutor comes today. Noah got to rent a game for his reward.

The day was so gorgeous that this afternoon I asked Sophie if she wanted to make some Earth Art. Inspired by Penelope's entry here, I thought it would be fun to do on such a pretty day. I said we would collect different things we found all around and make some kind of installation out if it. She was excited about the idea and off we went. We looked all through the back and front yard (It is GORGEOUS Autumn weather here in Georgia today) and even walked around the block to find more. When we got back we decided on a hanging mobile. We had no string though. Sophie remembered she made a strangely long rubberband rope last week and went and got it. (Don't ask, she makes strange stuff from various household objects and 'trash' ALL the time and you would think it useless until you need a extra long rope made out of rubber band and VIOLA! The Soph runs to her room and her secret stash of created stuff and she saves the day! She is pretty much The Professor on Gilligan's Island around here.) Now, I know the rubberband is not so "earth" like, but we needed something as the closest oak branch was a good 20 feet high. Anyway, we built a lovely mobile that is boucey and swings off a branch of a very large oak tree in our front yard. I imagine if Mother Earth had a baby, she could hang this over the crib. That is kind of hokey, but The Soph and I liked the story. :)


Behold! Our Earth Art!








Detail shot - please note the acorns and acorn hats so carefully placed within the mobile.