From Museums to Maypoles

     Despite Sean and Sylvia getting sinus colds, we still managed to have a good bit of fun this week.  I loved going north to see the older HinkyPunks with Ephraim on Wednesday.  First stop was at Noel's house in Fox Lake, about an hour north of us.  Second stop was Appleton (another hour past Fox Lake) to see Asher and Mattias.

     In Appleton, we played at their awesome children's museum. It's not far from Lawence University, so Asher and Beth (his girlfriend) joined us for a while.

This is just before Ephraim turned his gun and started squirting Asher and Beth.
 He was laughing uproariously about it.  Asher looked less amused,
because he had to go to work at his fancy restaurant job.

Ephraim loved the water play area.  He got soaked. That's why I always pack a spare change of clothes when we come here.

  We moved on to driving a crane,

 and loading balls into a maze of air powered tubes.

   He was tired by the end, and wanted to collapse on a polar bear, but we had to go change his soggy clothing before we met Mattias for dinner.

   After speed changing clothes, in the back of the van, we met  Mattias at Josef's (great place for gyros!).    I had a good visit with him.  I always enjoy hearing about the research projects he works on.  His current project deals with measuring how electrons wiggle when bombarded with microwaves.  He's great at explaining the advanced science to me.  Often as he talks,  I look at him, and wonder, "How did I end up with a son this brilliant?"

     The week continued on with finding out that Sylvia had received a "1" - a top score - on the violin solo she played for the state level festival on Saturday.  ( Handel's Sonata III in F Major). I'm really proud in the practicing she does. She has a great teacher, and tries to implement every bit of advice she receives.  Sylvia is incredibly teachable. I think being teachable and determined are the reasons she has succeeded at most things in her life.

     Friday was one of those perfect sort of homeschooling days.  (You do some school in the morning, then go outside to enjoy a beautiful spring day. )   After lunch, we loaded up our bikes for the first time this year, and drove to the bike path a little north of town, in McFarland.  Even I biked!   We went across a mile long bridge, and enjoyed seeing ducks and geese with their babies in the lakes below us.

    I turned back after a mile with Ephraim, so he could go play at the park.  Sylvia kept biking a few more miles, then returned to meet us at the playground.

   

   Sylv was torn between reading the book she had brought, and playing.  This playground has those spinney-stools that whip you around and around really fast.  She gave in, and played, and laughed, and got dizzy, and stumbled around like a drunk with Ephraim.

It was a beautiful day.   We enjoyed sitting on the benches and laughing together, while Ephraim explored.  This was one of my favorite days in the week.  Relaxed, laughing, no time crunch.  Just enjoying the sunshine on my arms and the kids.  This is why I homeschool.

   Saturday night, we went to a Maypole activity at Folklore Village.  After a tasty potluck dinner, the kids helped decorate the Maypole with flowers.

     A teacher taught us several dances.  Each wove a different pattern with the ribbons around the maypole.  Some were like diamonds, some like a spiderweb, some like a braid wrapped tight around the pole.  There were a lot more kids there than I had expected, around 20, mostly tweens.  They were joined by a dozen adults.  It was a large maypole, with lots of ribbons, so everyone was needed.
     My favorite part was the live music!  It was fun hearing a fiddle and accordion huffing along, helping the weaving dancers to keep time.

     After the activity was over, everyone helped roll up and rubberband the ribbons so the maypole could be stored until next year. Sylvia had fun.  We were both a bit red faced and sweaty after all the dancing.

     Ephraim spent the last part of the maypole dancing out in on the back lawn of the building with Sean.  There were a couple of other younger kids who had had enough of dance lessons as well.   The lawn had just been mowed that day, and there were still piles of fresh cut law everywhere.  Grass-fight!

This is Ephraim's latest signature pose.

  He yells "Super Strike in Three Two One... HACHA!" 

 Then he strikes this pose.  Not sure why.

Today, Sunday, has been a nice break. After church, we grilled, and then rested.

Training the next generation of grill masters.

Grill master with his plate of glory.

      Then, there is Ephraim.  As we are about to eat, he finds a slug.  He is soooo excited about the mucus trail it leaves, that we can't eat until we get a jar, and put the slug in, and carry it to the dinner table, so it can enjoy our fine company.   With this guy around, everything becomes an adventure.