Talent Show

Last Friday night we participated in a church wide talent show. Timothy recited Psalm 133. Gabrielle sang a song in Spanish. Raimy did one in English. They all did a fine job. After the whole show was done the Washington’s got up and did a few songs together as the grand finale. We did all the actions and had a great time. Tyler stayed at home. But in the next few days he tried out some talents. We are sure that cooking is not one of them. Pepper in the sugar? No thanks. Maybe he should just stick to the technical lean like his father. After all he is not even two yet and he knows how to run the DVD player.

Enjoy the slide show!

Doing What They Do

My ten year old trying her hand at oils for the first time. She is an artist. Her preferred style of expression is pencil drawing. But anything pertaining to creative arts is her outlet. She loves dance, music, painting, crafts, clay, sewing, drama, making books and whatever else she can do to create.


My eight year old doing a word find. These or sudukos are his choice these days. Anything that is building or constructing he enjoys as well. I am amazed at what he can do with his legos and other building sets. He is a thinker.


My six year old doing her lessons in school. She is a worker. She says to me, "Mama, I want to work hard in school today." Her undaunted approach to tackling problems is inspiring. I am wondering what God is going to do with her life. It will be amazing to see, I am sure.


My eighteen month old licking a book. So far he has tasted: deodorant, hand lotion, crayons, bubbles, all the furniture in the house, door handles, books, and seat belts. I can't complain because this flows over into his eating of actual food too. He will eat anything!

This was a glimpse at what my kids like doing. What did you do today that was YOU?

Funny Fruit - Granada

“Look my tongue is purple!” Raimy greeted me at the gate of her friends’ house where they had passed the afternoon. Promptly she went on to explain that they had been sucking on ‘granada’ fruit. The English term for this historic fruit is pomegranate. The boughs of this full bushy tree growing beside their house were decorated with dozens of pinkish colored balls of fruit. There are hundreds of bright red seed pods inside this fruit. You scoop up a bunch and put them in your mouth. Squishing them around the seed pods burst open and you swallow the tart juice then spit out the tiny cream colored ‘pepa’. And your mouth is tinted purple. Pomegranates are common trees to have in your yard here in Cochabamba.

For an interesting history of this word click here: pomegranate etymology

Laguna de Alalay

Yesterday for Fun Friday we went to the Laguna de Alalay, a man made lake in the South part of the town here in Cochabamba. Since it was Good Friday there were many families out walking, biking, playing soccer, picnicking, and fishing. My kids especially enjoyed forging a way to the shore line. It was hard to find because parts were flooded and overgrown. I let them take the lead exploring and eventually we made it through. There were piles of old lily pads that had been pulled out from last season that we had to climb over. The fish water smell was not as strong thanks to the breeze. Wild horses grazed on the banks as the men with bamboo poles waded in knee deep to catch fish for their families seated on the grass under the shade of the trees. There was even a man selling ice-cream out of his styrophome chest. The kids pulled up the large water plants and inspected the long hair like roots. God really has surrounded us with fascinating creations. As evening set in the mosquitoes awoke and were hungry so we left. As we were walking to the truck my son pronounces, “Thanks for a very fun Fun Friday mom!”

Yay for Art Day

Thursdays are Art Day here at our home school. We have been having a good time creating together. Usually some of the kids of another home school family who live a few blocks away walk down to do the art project with us. It makes for a fun time for everyone involved (teacher included). So far we have made: me posters, rubbings collections, potato prints, slot sculptures, color spinner pull yo-yos, and woven paper. Each week we learn an art vocabulary word. I make the oversized vocab cards with card stock. The top line is the term, the second line is the definition and finally the card has an example of the term. Some of my projects I find at the Art Attack web site. I love art!


Getting all set up


Raimy with some of the vocabulary cards


Gabrielle working hard


Timothy finishing up


Aren't they lovely?! (The art is pretty nice too)

Raimy is 10!

My oldest daughter had her (gulp) tenth! birthday this week. She is such a lovely girl. I am very proud of her. She chose cinnamon rolls and doughnuts in stead of a cake. She also chose to spend the day with her friend Faith. Here are some shots of the day...

Cock-a-Doodle-Squeak

We don’t have roosters, we have guinea pigs. My oldest tells me that they wake her in the morning so that she feeds them. She might just end up being the wife of a blond American pig farmer who has a weekend job as a pastor like she keeps telling me.

My childhood wanna-be-when-you-grow-up dream was tri-fold: a famous farmer’s wife who travels the world. Hm. Travel the world: check. Famous: enough to my satisfaction. Farmer’s wife: yep, if you count sowing the word of God in the hearts of people, plowing up hard ground to plant new works, and the harvest of souls that is so ripe in this land.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Peanut’s Plan

Last night my four little nuts and I were eating our dinner. I said, “Guys, after you go to bed tonight…”

Peanut-butter interrupts rolling her eyes with a little grin on her face, “I know, I know. You are going to go out.”

“I know where she is going! She is going to see papa bowling!” Peanut-man declared triumphantly.

“Nu-uh! You don’t know!” Peanut-butter stated trying to get the upper hand.

Peanut, ever the peacemaker, raised her voice above the din of the argument brewing across the table, “There is a way we can know! In the morning we can go into mama and papa’s room. If there is a trophy there that means that papa was bowling!”

Cheers of approval from both sides of the table revealed their enthusiasm as to the validity and rightness of this plan to verify mama and papa’s extracurricular activities. The unanimous observation was completely founded on logic (in their heart): If papa is indeed bowling then a trophy will be the sure proof of this activity.

In conclusion: Papa bowling = a trophy won.

All in their jammies this morning my little nuts gathered around the gleaming white trophy in the shape of a bowling pin. The comments were varied.

“You got another one?” Peanut-butter clarified.

“How many of those do you have now?” Peanut asked with proud grin on her face.

“Is this one bigger than the last one?” Peanut-man implored with eyes wide inspecting the first-place, city-wide championship prize.

Nutmeg just watched and listened, contented to be in the middle of the mix as his papa showed the trophy to his ever adoring and most faithful fans. Someday they might actually get to see him win one of those things; when the championship is not held past their bed-time.

What do you think?

An intriguing conversation with my 9 year old daughter:

Her: Mom, why do we call people in church brother and sister?
Me: Because God is our Father.
Her: So who’s the mother?
Me: Can I get back to you on that one?
Her: I have asked other people that and they don’t know either.

Raimy’s Song

It all happened so fast. Church was about to start one Thursday night a few weeks ago. A couple of members came up to me and asked if my 9 year old daughter could help them with a music project the next day. They assured me that the song that she would be learning was a Christian one. The couple had been attending church for a while so I said that it would be fine.

The next day when they came to pick her up I got some more details, turns out that they needed a child’s voice for a music CD that they were making. They were going to teach her the song in the morning and then record it in the afternoon. Then in a couple weeks they were going to go to La Paz (Bolivia’s capital) to do a children’s crusade. Each child at the crusade would receive a free copy of this CD with 10 songs on it.

She came home for lunch after learning the song in the morning. They had also sent with her a DVD so that she could practice. What a surprise we got when we popped it in and found out that all the songs were in English. My daughter explained to me that this couple had translated the songs to Spanish and that all the songs that they were making were in Spanish. The DVD was Hillsongs for Kids. It is a great DVD. We made a copy of it before she had to go back to do the recording.

They did the crusade in La Paz and are planning to do one here in Cochabamba in October. We are very excited about it.

Just yesterday they were able to bring a finished copy of the CD to give to Raimy. My kiddos were listening to it all evening dancing around and singing along. It was great fun.

To hear the song you can click on this link: RAIMY’S SONG. It is called "Tus Ojos" (Your Eyes) and speaks of the eyes of God looking for children that will worship him. Raimy's voice is the back up vocalist.

Raimy said...

With dazzles in her eyes and a budding carnation in her hands she held out the common kitchen cup turned vase and exclaimed...

"Patience makes perfect!"

She had been waiting since Saturday for the flower to open up. Ah, the hope of a child. If only we could all trust God and know that his will is perfected when we are faithful and patient.

Funny Fruit - Chirimoya

Chirimoya [chee - dee - moy’ - ah]

It has other names depending on what part of the world you are in: Atemoya, Cherimola, Cherimoya, Custard Apple, Custard Fruit, Sitaphal

Taste: For those that enjoy the fruit they would describe it as sweet, yet mellow with a soft ripe pear feeling, but not so grainy. For those that don’t enjoy it they have described it as mushy with the strong taste of dish detergent or soap bubbles.

Look, size and feel: One of those especially ergonomic fruits it ranges in size from that of a soft ball to four times that size. It is heavy and dense. The bitter green skin bruises and tears easily. The actual fruit that you eat is white and a bit juicy with a few large black seeds throughout.

Just the gals in our house consider it a treat. The guys only like it as a flavor of ice-cream. Even though I just finished eating the one you see in the picture with my daughters, my mouth is watering just typing about this treat. We have a chirimoya tree here at our house, though this one I bought in the market.

The Finite Points of Life

While cleaning up around the house with the family I stuck my finger in a live current. Upon hearing my yelp my good husband inquired, “What happened? Are you ok?” A bit disgusted with myself I responded, “Yeah, I just stuck my finger here and got a shock.” My five year old asked, “Did you get burned?” “Yes, I did,” I said. Moved to sympathy she cooed, “Ooh! Ow!” as she examined my finger. Glancing over and surveying the situation big sister purses her lips and frowns at the little one then curtly replies, “Yeah, but at least she is still alive.”

My pinky is still tingling, making it hard to type my a’s. But, as the sage said, at least I am still alive.

teeth

Here are the fun before and after shots of the happy day when two of my kiddos lost teeth, last Friday afternoon. Raimy was so glad that this tooth didn't hurt at all. Timothy didn't want to be left in the dust so he worked on his tooth and finally yanked it out when he was supposed to be going to sleep. They are such dolls!