Out of the Mouths of Babes

Mom: We are going to eat cornbread tonight because Dado will not be home. We will however get to stay up and see if we spot Dado on T.V.
Beedle: Dado is going to be on Dancing with the Stars?!!

All silliness aside---GO PACK GO. Sorry to all the local Saints fans.

The Zoo in Lights

What a treat! The Chopins were cordially invited to the opening night party of the Christmas Lights at the Zoo. It was a great opportunity for us to have an action-packed night for the kids. The Thomas family (including Mrs. Marilyn) also came along. This was great for the kids to have some friends to play with. After strolling through the different exhibits, we were amazed to see how many families we knew. Plus it must have been "Godchild Night" because we saw all of them there except for one (we're still praying for you too, Sam!). Finally we were all treated by the Zoo to hot dogs, chips and drinks. We were able to thank Mr. George, the owner of the Zoo, and the rest of the staff for a wonderful evening. Here are some additional pics from our evening...

Thank You

Third Day rocked. Thank you Gigi and Khaki for watching all the kids. Mom and Dado had a great time and felt really filled after such a great concert. Thank you Third Day for playing so close to home so that it was possible for Mom and Dado to attend. What a great time! The kids had a wonderful time playing with their cousins!A great evening for all. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Friday Fun

Today we got to do our Scripture and Sculpture. We have been missing it because we do this on Wednesday and we have been bowling lately. So this week we decided to sculpt before tea time. Our scripture was Acts 16:11-15. Gus was excited because Lydia was a purple cloth dealer and we only have basic colors and green. He did not want to make the people or the river, but instead he wanted to make the cloth! The kids know what happens when you mix two particular colors together but they still think it is amazing every time. I guess it is the hands on approach that they like instead of just reading what happens. This is a picture of the end result. Gracie is getting really good at making rivers. It always looks like there are waves in the water. We will be continuing Paul's journey each week until the end of the year.
We also got to make candy apples today for tea. Because Mom had made the original candy apples before, we opted for something a little softer for the kids this time. We made carmel candy apples and they were a hit! The kids want them again next week. This seems like a fall treat but maybe we can do it once more before our Advent lesson begins.

What a Surprise

What girl doesn't like to be greeted at the end of the day with flowers? Thank you Dado for thinking of both your girls today. Making an extra stop after a long day of work means a lot to us. Gracie was so proud to get her own flowers and she even got to put them in her room. Mom put her flowers on the dining room table to have a constant reminder of what a great guy she has!

The kids returned to the alley for another day of bowling with their friends. Nate tagged along and bowled with Gracie and Beedle, while Gus bowled with some of the other kids. They all seem to be getting better from week to week. All of them got at least one spare and Nate even got a strike! After bowling, Dad took the kids, less James, to the park to feed the ducks and play on the playground. The weather was perfect for a day at the park and the kids played and played and played. After a stop at the library for books and movies, the crew headed home for Dad to make a good shrimp stew. Nate spent the night, so the kids got to have a sleepover.

Reason # 101 to Homeschool

There are many, many great reasons to homeschool the kids. One major reason is the ability to assign independent work specifically designed for each child. It is definitely a gift that all of the kids in our house are SO different. On the bottom of the list but still important is that each kid has the freedom to study in their own way. Today, while straight-laced Gus took his Latin class, our more fun loving group, Nate and Beedle, did their workbooks. Beedle and Nate were uninterested in doing their work but Obi-Wan (Beedle) and Nancy (Nate) decided that they would do the work for them. What you do not see is Gracie pretending to be the teacher to B.J. on the picnic blanket. On the syllabus for this class was phonics, math, and science (ie. letters, numbers, and animal recognition.) We feel so blessed that learning can be so much fun.

They Blinded Me With Science

Monday night was science night for the boys. Beedle begged for us to do what he calls an "experience" (which means "experiment"). He got a wonderful book from GiGi that had over 500 science experiments for kids to do. As Mom and I thumbed through them we realized that they were all time-consuming so we picked an old favorite that was quick and could be done before supper. The boys mixed vinegar and baking soda in a bottle and placed a balloon over the opening. The boys learned that the chemical reaction emits a gas and that is what filled up the balloon. There were a couple of tricky elements (pun intended) to this. The first was putting the baking soda into the bottle of vinegar with the balloon on at the same time. We came up with the clever idea of spooning the baking soda into the balloon, fastening the mouth of the balloon over the bottle top, and then emptying the baking soda from the balloon into the bottle. This led to a trickier element. We had to carefully explain what we were doing, making it very, very clear to Gus and Beedle. We wanted to be sure they weren't telling other people that their Mom and Dad were putting white powder into balloons. We found it funny at the time, but we certainly don't want anything to be misconstrued (no, we are not using our kids as drug mules). All kidding aside, the boys are always eager to learn about the wonderful world of science. And as you can tell by their faces, it can be a whole lot of fun!

Today we had a great time at Grandma Dee and Papa Barron's. As always Grandma Dee made a delicious dinner. Today it happened to be chicken stew. Everyone made a happy plate but Gracie even LICKED her plate clean. It is nice to have JJ and Aunt Laci with us now. It makes for a very full and very loud house. Aunt Annie added to the chaos as well, with her newest addition--a puppy. He is a one-pound cutie. She has named him Isaac and is proud that she can even spell it! All the kids had a blast playing with him.
James was definitely wondering who this new dude was. In the end, he decided that he would give up his spot as youngest in the family. Mom had to remember that she could not take little Isaac home with her.

More Fall Fun

Today Mom and Dado got to relive some fun fall days from our past. Broadmoor Elementary, one of our local schools, put on their annual Fall Carnival. Dado is a business partner with the school and he wanted to attend to support them and their endeavors to raise money. Gus enjoyed some bowling. Too bad the wind was really blowing!!! It is much easier at the bowling alley.

Gracie opted to pick a duck. I think the lady running the booth really knew how to sell it. "EVERYONES A WINNER, COME PICK A DUCK. EVERYONES A WINNER!"

Plinko is definitely a game for a child who does not care what the end result is.Gus tried to ring a drink. Mom did notice that there were three different sized rings. They gave Gus the smallest set and the next two guys, who were obviously older, got bigger rings. Only a mom would notice this, but it is true.

Everyone decided to go fishing and everyone caught at least two fish on one hook. I bet we all wish that our percentages were as good out on the water!
This was definitely a new one. Nether Mom nor Dado remember having a tattoo parlor at our school festivals. This one was set up in a special tent that had an Indian (dot not feathers) princess motif. There were sheers draped everywhere and two chairs in sort of a temple area. Beedle was the only one to go into the tent. The others decided they would get their tattoos outside where all could watch.

What a fun fall day! It was like being a kid all over again! We exited through the concession area. They had many homemade goodies. Since Mom could not convince any of the kids to participate in the cake walk we had to cheat and buy it out right. Oh, darn!

Good Luck and God Bless

Tonight we decided to send Gigi off to work in style. We asked Gigi and Nanny Wanda to come over for dinner . Friday is the first day Gigi goes back to work. However, it has definitely not been a vacation for her. We did our best tonight to make her feel special. On the menu was Mahi Mahi with fresh asparagus and broccoli cheese and rice. Because of our large family, we let the kids eat picnic style and the adults dined at a more formal setting. For desert the kids put lots of love into some fall sugar cookies. This was of course served with our favorite drink--blue raspberry Italian sodas. What a fun filled evening! We enjoyed the dinner but the dinner guest more! We wish Gigi good luck and God's blessing on her return to work.

Do you think the boys are excited about bowling? Every year our homeschooling group does bowling for its winter sport. The moms are in charge of this sport because it is at 2:00 on Wednesday. We had to miss last week because of a doctor's appointment so the kids were busting at the seams today. This year Gus, Beedle, Nate, and Gracie are bowling. James was suppose to be napping but he was just as excited as the rest of the kids. He totally skipped his nap and skipped eating as well. He just jumped up and down the entire time squealing. Gus is getting quite good at bowling. Gus knocked down the most pins but Beedle was a champion as well. Last year Beedle would bowl two frames and then be too tired to finish. Today he bowled every frame and never complained about being tired. Gracie is stronger this year as well. Last year she bowled the other eight frames that Beedle refused to play. At two she often needed help but was entirely too independent to accept it. We had several balls not make it down the lane. This year Miss Independent used a eight pound ball (instead of the six pounds that the others use) and it propels itself down the lane. What a difference that made! What a great chance to get out of the rain and the cold and expel some of that pent up boy energy. Everyone was happy to get started.

A Day at the Zoo

Does it look like these guys had fun? Sunday we spent the afternoon with the Thomas and Bayard families at the zoo. For those of you who are counting, that's five adults (Mr. Brett was coming back from a hunting trip) and twelve kids. With a day of brilliant sunshine ahead, we brought our little animals to see some other animals. And we saw a bunch! It was a great chance for not only the kids of all families to spend time together, but the parents as well. Here are some more pics from the day at the zoo...




Once the fun at the zoo ended it was time for everyone to head back to the Chopin estate for more play time. Dad made a brisket, mashed potatoes and corn and Mom made some pumpkin bread. We all ate well and continued our visit. The kids play so well together. We can't wait to do this again!

Birthday on Ice

Saturday afternoon was spent "chilling" with Sam and Ella as we helped celebrate their birthdays. Sam turns six on the 16th and Ella turned 5 on the 29th of last month. The party was held at the Hockey Plex which meant ice skating for everyone. Well the learning curve was short for the Chopins as it would be the first time we'd be on ice skates. Fortunately the camera ran out of batteries so there wasn't any evidence of ridiculousness. It was a lot of fun. Not easy. But fun. Gus really seemed to enjoy it. He was very good at marching and only fell a few times. Beedle made it all the way around the rink with Dad. He tried it again but had his fill after it became too cold for him. As for Gracie, it was not her cup of tee. One fall, many tears. And Dad started to get the hang of it after a while. He thinks he had a gimp skate cause he always seemed to pull to the left (yeah, like that was his problem). As for the Blankenships and Billeauds, they seemed to be naturals on the ice. Sam was smooth and sleek. Emma and Ella were one figure-eight away from being ice princesses. Chilling with friends was fun, especially to celebrate birthdays. Happy Birthday Sam & Ella!

Teamwork!

On Saturday, the Chopins tackled nature. We decided to take advantage a beautiful day, so we spent most of the morning and early afternoon working in the yard. This is the time of year were pine needles get everywhere. Dad and Gus decided to take care of the needles on the roof. Gracie, Beedle and James worked on bagging the needles in the yard. Mom worked on raking and in the flower beds. We all worked hard to improve our yard. It was a total team effort! Great work, team!

Today's Paper

In today's paper there is an article about gas prices in Houston. We should be reporters because we got a better picture Sunday....

The Big Egg

Today Mom had her annual appointment with Dr. Hardey...no new news to report. The kids were in tow today because Dado was unable to get away from the office. Gus, Beedle and Nate waited patiently in the lobby. Gracie and James came along with Mom. Because everyone was so well behaved we took advantage of a special open house at LITE. Those of you in town know about the "Big Egg." The kids are aware of this colorful dome and get very excited at night when it is lit up with its multicolored lights. Today they had an open house for the public. We were excited to go in and explore. James was sleeping when we got there so of course he woke up in the middle of the presentation. Mom excused herself but left the kids in the theater. How many people can say they left their three year old with their six and five year old with no problem. Nate is always "the man" and did fine without my supervision as well. Mom was so proud. James figured out that although this was a strange place to wake up in it was way cool. We were able to tour the rest of the building. They had several displays up but the kids were most impressed to travel in stereo through someones nose. Beedle almost peed on himself when we entered the last room. There was a two and a half foot R2D2 robot that actually talked to us. This was not as high tech as the other things but was a hit with our group. Apparently the technicians are big star wars fans and bought this as a mascot. Isn't it funny how things work. We went to this very high tech place and learned some amazing things but the best part was the this simple surprise. We want to encourage everyone to check this place out. We are so proud that Lafayette has such a wonderful company that offers this service. The next open house is November 26, followed by one on December 3.

We finished our day with a visit to Gigi's house. She made a wonderful shrimp stew and we had a nice visit. The kids love this dish and it is always easy to make a happy plate. We play a game and the kids always hunt for the biggest shrimp in the whole pot. Gigi could not let the clean plates go unrewarded so there was birthday cake ice cream to follow dinner. What wonderful Gigi time. Thanks for the memories Gigi!

Are You Pictureing It.....

Okay, so it is no big surprise where we were at this morning. We just want you to picture it (yes I forgot my camera!) It was nine in the morning and Fox news was reporting loooong lines all over the country. Dado went to vote at six in the morning and had to wait for thirty minutes. He also said that the people were being very strict about the voting process. So Mom loaded up all seven kids, Gus 6, Beedle 5, Nate 5, Gracie 3, B.J. 2, Eeiah 11 months, and James 8 months. We took a very short drive and were happy to see there was not a long line at all. Gus had asked if he could vote today since he was "aware of the issues." (I thought I would choke on my coffee when he said this) Of course I obliged him. We checked the sample ballot to make sure we knew about the proposed amendments and we were ready to vote. So the two babies came into the booth with Gus and I to vote while the middle four sat in a couple of chairs. In the short time that it took to vote, all of the people who were in the room knew who we were voting for and why. They also knew where we lived and how we would be happy to have more kids. They found out that although we love Nate, he is not ours to keep, but just a cousin. They found out that Nate lived in Orlando and he had friends over there. By the time that Gus cast our vote, I was very curious to see the reaction in the room. When we opened the curtain I saw EVERYONE looking at Beedle. He was just sitting there going on and on and on. A young couple had chosen to leave the line and stand over the kids. They were so impressed with them just sitting there talking to everyone. They were very tickled with the kids and kept saying how precious they were. So I rounded up the kids and we were off again. It really was a short trip and a nice experience for our little group. A great chance for the kids to be a part of our governments process. I was quite pleased that the experience was not what I anticipated. I hope that others left feeling the same way:)