books and horsies and picnics and figures and pioneer days and even a goat or two

• I keep seeing people recording what they're reading, and it occurred to me that maybe if I write down what we're reading, I'll get some sort of feeling of accomplishment. Or nostalgia. Or something. Or maybe I'll just discover why other people list what they're reading, because I always find it really interesting but never know why they're doing it. So:
  
  
  • I'm currently reading: Hawaii, James Michener (we're on Pearl Harbor right now), Explorer, C.J. Cherryh (we have not yet arrived back at Reunion Station), and Aztec, by Gary Jennings (we're probably having sex or ripping out people's hearts and utterly grossing out a bunch of Spanish priests, since that appears to be 90% of the action, and I haven't picked it up in a while).
    
  • Chris is currently reading psychiatry texts that he bought years ago but never had the chance to read.
    
  • Daniel is reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and a whooole mess of gaming books, including the Star Wars RPG book.
    
  • Justin recently borrowed How the Cat Swallowed Thunder, by Lloyd Alexander, and often requests it.
    
  • Chris is reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to the boys at bedtime.
  
  
  
• Week 1 of home schooling went fairly well, considering that the first day was Labour Day and the second was the HBLN picnic. Daniel finished his Math, English, Social studies and Spanish goals. Not too bad.
  
  
• Justin doesn't want to do ballet again this fall. We'll see how he feels about it in January.
  
  
• Boys went horseback riding at a home schooling mom's house, out in Hammond. It's far. They loved it. They also loved playing with her kids and their dogs (2), chickens (8), and goats (2).
  
  
• Our friends Todd and Susan, who moved to Owen Sound, are going to move to Belleville!!! I'm turning cartwheels. We've missed them, and their kids, who are our godchildren.
  
  
• Random sad quotey bit from Justin: (a bit tearful) And Daniel's faster than I am, and he's smarter than I am, and he's just better at everything! And he always wins all the games, and he's stronger than I am, and [sudden chuckle pierces the tears] but I'm much better at not freaking out [more chuckles, then back to sad] - and he's better at reading than I am..."
  
  
• Random snippet from the picnic:
  Mom #1: So the next class you do will be biology?
  Mom #2: Yeah. I've still got to get the supplies together.
  Me: Oh! I almost forgot to tell you: I have a pickled fetal pig in my basement!
  Mom #2: Oh, you have no idea how often people tell me that.
  
  
• Went to my first Evidence class. Really cool. And I got my texts, and am speeding through the readings like the geeky mature student that I am :)
  
  
• Daniel goes to Upper Canada Village for a three-day pioneer immersion camp on Monday. Ever cool!
  
  
• Chris is doing figure painting with the boys, to improve their hand-eye coordination and to share a hobby he loves. It's very cute.
  
  
• How cute is it? ( six large pictures, 3 of figure painting and 3 of horseback riding, behind the cut )
  
  
  
• Our bedroom inexplicably smells like pea soup. It's possible nobody needed to know this.