And now for something completely different...

If you received this update via e-mail, please note there may be associated photos available only on the actual blog. Visit site to see the latest. OK, not completely different, but certainly back to our earlier use of this blog...sharing the news of our homeschooling life. We started the new year with holiday cleanup and some relaxation. V is taking off with her reading (just like Big Sister E did). We'll return to projects in late January, but for now we're cruising with books, holiday wrapup, one last holiday camping trip and a trip south to visit Grandma L & Grandpa D. For most of the past week, we've been camping with our friends, former neighbors who ditched our cul-de-sac in favor of a larger house with a larger yard just half a mile or so away. Same good school district. Same quiet neighborhood, but space for the kids and the dogs. Go figure! It was FREEZING cold the first night at Lopez Lake. Fortunately, our trailer is small enough to hold in the body heat of three people snuggling under shared covers. Our friends tried not to rub in the fact that they had a heater - but we could hear it firing up throughout the night. (Actually, they graciously invited us to squeeze in with them if we felt the need. We were fine and cozy.) Fortunately each day brought warmer temps, and warmer nights. Clear skies, a waxing moon, wonderful stars and lots of wild animals including: skunks, raccoons, deer, turkeys, fresh water clams, red-headed woodpeckers, a bobcat (?) and myriad birds. Each evening brought splendid dining with a coordinated menu that included super spaghetti and salad, Grandma Kathy's Peach Cobbler (always a hit) and our first stab at Dutch Oven Blueberry Pudding ala The Little House Cookbook. All the kids got a photo lesson about painting with lights (photo removed)