Activities at Home

Did you know that eggs can stand on end–without being cracked?  It can only be done twice a year–on equinox, the days that the sun crosses the equator.  That is the first day of spring and the first day of autumn, so around March 20-23 and September 20-23.  Today happens to be equinox, and for once we remembered to try this trick.  It works!  Take a look at these pictures.

About sixteen years ago, someone told my family about this, so we tried it.  I have a couple of pictures of four or five eggs standing on end in our living room.  I remembered that Tuesday morning, so found those pictures and took them along to Dead Boring (writing group), and told the group about this.  Then, believe it or not, I would have forgotten again until too late, except that one of the moms texted me this morning about it!

Our bedrooms are totally unheated.  During the winter, it is COLD back there!  It never got quite down to freezing this winter, but not too far above.  We’ve learned quite a good strategy for going to sleep in a cold bed, though:  Bed buddies!  Esther cut a sheet into long rectangles and sewed them into tubes, then filled them about half full with wheat or barley and sewed the ends shut.  She made one for each member of the family, and in the evening we put them all into the oven for awhile to warm up.  It’s amazing how a hot bag of wheat at your feet makes the whole bed feel warmer!

Tonight’s boy activity had to do with spear fishing from “boats” on the living room floor.  Earlier, I had been hearing stories about riding sharks.  It seems that you need to know how to swim before you try to ride a shark, because they might flip over and dump you!  The game abruptly ended when I took a picture; the boy you see as a blur in the picture decided he was violently opposed to having his picture taken tonight, so they all decided pictures were taboo and went elsewhere so I couldn’t get another picture!

We got home from church a little earlier this afternoon than most Sundays, and I realized that the entire family was sitting around the living room doing their various things.  What a special little time together!

Studying for a Bible Study later this week.

These guys were playing with the walkie-talkies.

I love having all my helpers around–but it’s awfully nice to have peace and quiet at times, too!  This morning, Joe got up at 5:00 when I was packing Gayle’s lunch.  I don’t blame him; the bedrooms are totally unheated and not much warmer than the wintry out-of-doors; he probably got cold when I left the bed.  He went back to sleep on the couch, though, pretty soon, and I had an hour and a half alone.  After my quiet time, exercises, hanging laundry in the living room, and computer time while brushing my hair, I was actually able to get three items off the mending pile, and have a bit of time with Elijah, who likes to get up at 6:30-7:00.  Now it’s time to get everyone else up and get on with our busy, noisy, (hopefully) productive day!