The Brothers Karamozov

I belong to a book club online. It is a yahoo group. I don't always read what they are reading, but it gives me great ideas of things to read and then when I do read their pick, I can get insight and discussion about that book. It is nice. Not as nice as an in-person group would be, but it will do.

We started reading "The Brothers Karamozov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Actually, it is the pick for July, but I started reading early because it is long and hard and so was the June pick. So I figured I would jump ahead and then ask questions next month.

It is translated from Russian by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky and I really like it. The last Russian book I read, I hated, mostly because of the translation. Anyway, it was written in 1880. The chapter I read last night had the brothers, their father, and a couple of priests arguing about the separation of Church and State. Amazing conversation! I wish I new a little bit more about Russia at that time, but maybe I can check that out sometime this month too.

I'm Trying!

Ok, I am totally going to try to add "bloggin" to my "things to do daily" list....but that list is getting long!

Today was our last Cultural Cooking class at Bower's Kidseum in Santa Ana. The coolest thing about this class is that the teacher puts out a list of what area we will be studying each week. I have worked out getting to the library and getting a boat load of books related to that area and building a little theme each week. This week was China! Cool stuff! Did you know they invented a kind of earthquake measuring device? We have had so much fun with this.

We made sushi today but with rice, sugar, and coconut milk (I know, but seriously it was good) and then you cut up fruit and put it inside the rice like a California roll. It was delicious! Ok, it wasn't Chinese! But the Chinese invented wrapping fish in rice and then Japan stole it. :))

Karate Kids

We just got back from the last karate class for this session. The boys love this class. They can't wait for it to start up again. We take it through the city of Anaheim Parks & Recreation and it is the best. Joe Baker does an excellent job with the kids and they all love and respect him.

Tom and Jake both did really well. They pay close attention in class and rarely horse around. Tom, as usual, is more serious than Jake. Jake is very mature though, in class. It makes me so proud of them. They prove their listening and following directions skills that I didn't even know they had!

So, they were promoted to the next beginner class for older kids and they start that in two weeks. They can't wait!

Old Dale Mine For 4 Days!

Another happy report about a great trip to the desert! We left on Thursday morning (barely, it was 11:30) and got to the desert to set up camp. Here is a picture of the place.

After we got there, we set up camp and relaxed a bit. It was hot! Not half as hot as it will get later in the summer but pretty hot. While we were sitting there a truck went by. About an hour later, we noticed two men walking toward our camp. At first I thought it was just weird that two people would be walking around in the desert (like we do) but then they told us they had gotten stuck in the sand farther up the road, just like we did the first time we were out! They had called the tow truck and told them where are camp was since they had seen us when they had passed earlier. They had been up there in the hills a long time ago but either the roads aren't as good as they used to be or they went the wrong way. We hiked up there later and found that they had gone the wrong way. Anyway, they were real nice and we sat and talked a while then the tow truck came. It was the same guy that had pulled us out. Crazy! He said he was the only tow company that has a guy to pull people out of the sand.

When they were rescued, we went for a quick "walk-a-bout" until we realized the sun had gone down and we didn't have flashlights so we high tailed it back to camp. We made some dinner and messed around watching the stars. We played a game of Sequence and hit the hay!

Friday, we started out real early because we knew it would be too hot to walk around later in the afternoon. We went for a walk and found lots of places that some people had camped at, a big dirt hill probably from when a grading truck worked on that road, a wash, and another rock hill. Then we came back and snacked. Then we got in the truck and went for a drive. We drove down a road that Dad wondered about and it was REALLY rough. I think Dan was trying to kill me with anxiety that day! We went to Twenty-Nine Palms and checked out an Military Surplus store. I got a cool bag and a magnet for the truck. Then we got McDonald's for lunch (I know that's cheating!) and got gas for the truck. We drove out Amboy Road into Wonder Valley and decided that they called it that because they wondered how the heck they got there! We tried to drive down a road to our camp but it was washed out to bad for our truck and turned around. Then we went down a side road and almost got stuck in the sand AGAIN! Dan got us out though after a few prayers and a panicked "PUT YOUR SEAT BELTS ON BOYS!" from Mom. Then we breathed a bit. And went down Iron Age Road that we know goes back to the highway. It was decent but I was still worried about it until we were on paved road. We saw a coyote and that made it all worth it! When we finally got back to camp we found our shade blown over and all our chairs. I guess the wind picked up while we were gone. We rested a bit from the drive and then made some dinner and went to bed. It was so nice out that we left all the screens open and it was like sleeping outside. The wind blew gently all night and it was so dark!

Saturday morning we got another early start and took the truck up to the mines. We walked really far and climbed up into the rocks and found 5 mines. They boys loved that part but they were pretty big complainers on the way up. We talked all about how to look for snakes and critters. We talked about the mines and what they did to dig them and what they were looking for, how to find a trail, how to find shade, drinking lots of water on the way. We also talked about what might be in the mines now. It was great. On the way back we finally found a little rattle snake. We took some pictures of him. I kept telling the boys that I was walking ahead on the trail looking for them every step and they should follow me exactly because the snakes that were ahead had moved away from where I was walking.  This little snake did exactly what I told them he would. He froze and then slithered away under a bush to hide from us. We talked about his camouflage and who would eat him and what he ate. Then we moved on.

We had a late breakfast when we got back and took a break, then we got back in the truck and headed to Amboy! We wanted to see where that road led. We could see it on the map, but what exactly is on the other side of that mountain? So we went. Besides, it was cool in the truck! As we went over the mountain it got hotter and hotter. We saw nothing for miles. On our side of the mountain there are lots of people living there scattered all over but there was nothing on this side, not even an abandoned homestead. All we found a huge dry lake and a chloride plant, whatever that is. We took pictures though! Then we found Amboy Crater! A volcano! Can you believe it? We climbed around a little, but it was 100 degrees by then and our water had been in the bed of the truck so it was nice and hot to drink. We plan on going back in the winter and climb to the top of it. We came back home and went through Twenty-Nine Palms and got an ice cream.

We got back to our camp and our shade was blown over again! We sat there hiding in our shade until the sun went down more. There were a few clouds so it was a little nicer earlier than sunset. Dan and I shot the pistol a few times and the boys watched in amazement. Then Dan sat and cleaned the gun while Tom watched attentively. He is just completely fascinated by any kind of weapon. It is just a little scary. After all that, I went for a walk as the sun set and took some great pictures. Jake "built" the fire. That is a tradition. The boys each take a turn putting together some sort of tower with the wood for the fire in the fire pit and then we set fire to it. Then we shot off some rockets. The first one went really far and they had to chase it. The wind was really blowing! The second one we lost. It was just too dark to see where it went. We lit the fire and it was the hottest, fastest burning camp fire ever. The wind was blowing so steady and hard that it just went up SO quick! We did have time to roast some hot dogs though. We ate in the trailer because of the wind and then went to bed. We were bushed!

Saturday morning we walked out to our monument! We built a stone pile the last time we were out there and this time we brought a note to put into it. Maybe someone will find it someday! The next time we go out we will put something else in it. Jake made me carry this huge rock back! Then we had a lunch and broke camp. It was hot and yucky. I was getting tired of blazing sun. While putting the trailer away there is little to no shade.

On the way back through town we stopped for a shake to cool off. We usually stop at a rest stop in Whitewater (off the 10 freeway) but it was closed so we stopped at the Dinosaurs at Cabazon instead and it was a gift straight from God! They have a whole Creation theme now about how the dinosaurs fit into the Bible stories. And you can go up to the top of the T-Rex now! It was awesome! We bought a couple new books and some post cards.

We are home now and very tired! I can't wait to hit the hay in my own bed with no bugs and clean!

Look What We Found!

How is this for a learning experience!? On Saturday, we pulled up to the front of our house to find this crawling along the curb right where we normally park. I picked him up and brought him inside! We put out some signs to see if anyone had lost him. I think he was abandoned. So sad!

Anyway, he/she was happy as can be in a box, but it stinks! So I put it outside in the yard all day. It crawled behind our planter and stayed there. I put it back in the box for the night and then put it out again in the morning. It was so friendly! The boys kept bringing it things to eat but it didn't like any of it until they brought shamrock flowers! Then it chowed and followed the boys around looking for more. I came inside for minute and watched our dog follow it around. The thing just did not care about that dog. Every once in a while Kiara would pounce at it or yip but it just hid in its shell for a second and then came out again and went on its way. I went outside again and I found the dog happily holding the poor creature between her paws licking and chewing on it! Oh no! Don't worry, it is all right. Just a little traumatized! So now they are taking turns in the yard.

The boys have been taking pictures and videos of it! We have decided to call it Lucky. I think it is an African Spurred Tortoise. And it is a girl. But that is my untrained opinion. I looked up a bunch of them on line and that is what it looks closest to.

Our Monday Park Day

It is hard to believe that when I first started going I felt like I wasn't fitting in. It seriously is my favorite group of people to just hang out with.

Today was one of those days that makes homeschooling hard. Tom and Jake both woke up with a silly bone and would not listen to a word I was saying. Just getting them to go out and get their helmets and scooters to go to the park was a battle! Ahh!

We got to the park though and after a couple hours of play, Tom fell off the scooter. It was an amazing fall really. The funny part was that I was walking over to tell him to stop riding down that hill with his brother because they were going to get hurt. Just as I walked up, Tom came flying down the grassy hill, hit the concrete edge of the side walk and went flying into the air. It takes a major fall to worry me and I ran to the scene. What does THAT tell you? I carried him back to our "camp", as the boys call it, with him crying all the way. I thought for sure it was more than a scraped elbow, but it wasn't. He wanted to go home, so we did. We talked it over and from now on they will wear knee and elbow pads whenever they are going to do any "stunts". Yesterday we had a similar thing happen on a ramp in the alley, so now both his elbows are scraped!

When we got home, there was a message from the library that they had won the drawing from last week and to come pick up their prize. Nikki got home and needed a book about Howard Hughes so we ran to the library. We also got the Flat Stanley book so that we could read it while we make ours. The boys were very happy with their prize. They got a Cat in the Hat figure and a "Are You My Mother?" book.

Anyway, they are happily playing in the back yard right now. I'm off to make dinner. Life is good!

My Thoughts On A Movie

I have really got to get back to writing here! I was just sitting here playing solitaire instead of writing...see now one of the boys is looking for me! Ahh!

Last night we watched the movie RV, with Robin Williams. Have you seen it? It just happened to be on TV just before dinner and (thanks to our awesome new cable box) we paused it and watched it after dinner.  At first we were thinking it was the worst movie ever made and I was sorely disappointed because I love Robin Williams. He is so funny! They ran into a family that drove all over the country in a bus with their three kids. They were Christians and they homeschooled their kids. The family was really backward (which was hilarious and reminded us of, well, us!) and the main characters were trying to get away from these awful people. We were so offended, but kept watching the movie. You have to finish it! And guess what? It was totally turned around at the end. The main characters realized they were jerks and that the family was different, but were really good people. The oldest son had all this school books out and one girl asked if he was studying for a vocational school and the boy says, "No, college". She says, "But you're 15 aren't you?" And he says, "Yeah, I skipped a couple grades. So did my sister.". They were great! The best was when the whole family broke into a song and dance routine at the beginning. The main characters were still in jerk mode so they were appalled. Funny that we were sitting there thinking, cool!

Anyway, I just had to share my thoughts on that movie. It was bad. If I had paid $8 a person to see it at the theater, I would have been angry. But it was cute. It had some great (and very predictable) bits. But the homeschool episode had to be shared with you all!