Geography Fair and Sylv's first scout campout

April 14, 2019

I know it has been a LONG while since last posting. The original hinkypunks are all out of the house but  the young ones are thick in the midst of adventures.  Here are some highlights from the week:

We attended a home school geography fair. There were dozens of tables with great displays.  Everyone had a small food sample  from the country as well.  Ephraim liked the cookies from Germany and Norway best.  I liked the stuffed grape leaves from Jordan. Sylvia's favorite was poppyseed kolache form the Czech Republic (I got the recipe from the ladies great grandmother afterwards!)

Ephraim letting his inner viking shine.

Ephraim loved the life like baobab tree and map at the Madagascar table.

Sylvia and her friend, Finn, listening to a mom talk about Italy.

After the geography fair, we met with our home school 4-H group to put together hygiene kits to send overseas for refugees.  I bought out all the nail trimmers and wide tooth combs that Wal-mart had, and almost all their washcloths.  We made a dozen kits to that will likely be shipped to Europe through International Orthodox Church Charities.

Ephraim helping take combs and nail trimmers out of the packaging.

The assembly line.  Finn helped the younger kids get exactly 10 band-aids in their bags.

It was good to find a hands on project the younger kids could help with.

    After the meeting we went with some of our friends to a German/European food market "The Bavarian Sausage House".  They were picking up specialty meat for a German dish "rouladen" served with "spaetzel".   I decided to get some as well, and try making it the next day for dinner.   The rouladen are thin slices of beef, smeared with mustard, onions, pickles and bacon, then rolled up and held together with skewers while it cooks.  You make a gravy with the drippings and pour it over the spaetzel (a type of squiggly egg pasta).  It was delicious. 

Perfectly browned and then steamed "rouladen".

Now one of my favorite meals.

      Sylvia joined Scouts last month.  This weekend was her first camp out.  They did "Snooze at the Zoo" in Madison.   I was soooo nervous about her going.  It made me remember to when I would stress out about Asher and Mattias going when they were younger.  ("Drink your water!"  "Wear your hats!" "Can you repeat our phone number?")     I could always think of some bit of advice they might need to know that might save their lives.. right up to the moment I dropped them off.   It was the same with Sylvia.

Hauling the gear for the first time!

Embarrassed by mom shooting pictures of it all.. not for the last time!

She had a great time.  Zoo keepers gave them a hands on presentations about a blue skink, and then gave them a tour behind the scenes, to see where animals like goats and skunks slept at night.   The girls stayed up late giggling and whispering, then tried to get to sleep around midnight. 

Unfortunately, they were sleeping right next to the nocturnal animals (swooshing bats, sugar glider lemur with glowing eyes, and moths.)   Every time a bat would swoop down in the glass case, right by their heads, it would make hissing sound.  Still, she said it was better being on that half of the room than the side where the boys were sleeping.   The boys were set up over by the cochroaches, who often escape their containers.  They picked up 5 on the floor, along the wall before they put their sleeping bags down, and had to shake out their gear in the morning to check for more that escaped during the night.  They found found three!

Siri, Raegen, and Sylvia on the ride to Madison.

Sylvia's favorite part was eating breakfast in the Arctic Glacier Cafe. (Pancakes, sausages, etc.)   She had a window seat, and a polar bear was pacing back and forth the whole time, trying to nose in and steal their breakfast.

Raegen at breakfast, with the polar bears.

After breakfast, they did some morning rounds with a keeper. Sylvia loved the porcupines best. They had two, named Flora and Fauna.  They were very friendly and loved eating biscuits the scouts fed to them.

The friendly porcupines. No we are not getting any for pets.

 This week, I loved reading a trilogy of books this week by LDS author, Jeff Wheeler.   I love his "Wretcheds of Muirwood" series.  It made religion and the battle between good and evil seem epic. Sean says his favorite part was playing our Sherlock Holmes game at the Cinema Cafe on Main St.  downtown this weekend for our date. Of course we had some of their superb ice cream.  All in all, an epic week.