Dipping Candles

Our co-op makes for such an enjoyable day. This week Sapphire learned about the sense of touch and practiced counting using nursery rhymes. Pearl played store with her math class (but it is so much fun she does not realize it is a math class) and worked with maps in geography.

In second period I taught the 2nd and 3rd graders about the history of candle making, including a look at 19th century whaling (candles from whale heads!), and we dipped our own candles. It could have been very messy, but the girls were just great.

My girls love to wear their Chinese dresses. This week they wore them to church. We had an emotional children's sermon; the kids prayed for the littlest ones' Sunday School teacher who left directly for the airport and his officer basic training. It ended in a ferocious group hug that could have easily tipped him over.

The little ones don't fully understand where he went. In her thank you note, Sapphire had me dictate "I hope you armor fits."

And, just as an update, Sapphire has added a line when she offers grace: "Help our house not to blow up." We feel like just about everything is covered by the time we are done praying.

Pearl and I had the chance to visit our newest family gem in Lancaster County. We established that Pearl is, according to my husband's family term, a baby hog. She would be content to hold her cousin all afternoon. What sweeties!