19 September 2021

Sunday afternoon busy making things out of melty beads at the dining room table.

17 September 2021

We drop Bobo and Rosebud off at the back gate to the school, and then they walk together down the sidewalk across the yard and into the building.  Yesterday Bobo was a little crabby and tired and he was taking awhile to get his bike locked up.  I suggested to Rosebud that she could go ahead without him, but she said no, that she prefers to walk with him because they have "silly talks" together.  He is such a good friend to her.

Rosebud is ambivalent about going to school.  I think she has a good time while she's there, but she would rather be home with her family, and she tells me so often.  On Sunday we were talking about how Jesus can help us with our troubles, and she said that one of her big troubles right now is learning how to do things at school by herself without Mom or Dad to help her.

12 September 2021

Last year I had one volunteer sunflower in the front bed, and this year I had a whole bed-full.  They are so cheerful.  Last year I planted butterfly weed in the front bed and it went to seed and populated the 18-inch-square bed on the other side of the front porch with more butterfly weed plants.  A couple weeks ago, those plants suddenly produced a profusion of monarch caterpillars, who ate all the leaves off the plants, and then made chrysalises all over the front porch.  I think there were at least seven, including one hanging from the top ledge of the front door.  We watched them carefully every day, and we got to see a couple of them struggle out all crumpled and dry their wings. Amazing.

10 September 2021

Bobo is so generous with his money and often buys things for his sister as well as himself, and sometimes just for her.  His most recent purchase was poppets, and he bought a package of two and gave one to her.  She offered to give him all her money (51 cents) but he said she didn't need to.  I love his generous heart, even if I worry that his spendthrift ways will get him in trouble in the long run.

9 September 2021

Over Labor Day we drove up to see our friends in Dallas.  We got in late on Friday night (apparently a lot of other people had the idea to travel over Labor Day) and spent most of Saturday at the pool in their neighborhood and most of Sunday playing video games.  The kids always love going to see BJ and Heather and their kids.  When we were coming home, Rosebud kept telling me how much she was going to miss their youngest daughter (who is ten).