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Do you remember the Sunday School ditty that sings about this Bible account? Funny enough, it’s become one of Maddie’s favorite songs. As it were, we were studying about Joshua and this famous Biblical battle that day in school. We decided to build our Jericho the best way we could and act out the story. So fun! And Matthew got in on the story, too.

LOL. This was the best that could be done at the time. It’s a pitiful Jericho, but you can see the Army men trying to defend the city and animals on the wall. ROFL. Matthew had to have animals on the wall of his city. I mean, what would Jericho be if not for the x-ray fish and the polar bear?

Clearly a before picture.

AFTER! We did walk around “the city” they way the Bible describes it. This was Maddie’s destruction. And Matthew loved jumping up and down to destroy it, too. This is one story I think they’ll both remember. And yes, we had to do this several times. Poor Dora. Do you see her lying there on her side. Not even a princess could remain.

I have to admit. That e*trade commercial was hysterical. We didn’t even watch the Superbowl last night (I know, take away our American citizen card right now!) but saw a few of the commercials online. Anything with talking babies just cracks me up.

But speaking of talking babies… what are we up to?

A lot, actually. Maddie is really progressing in My Father’s World First Grade curriculum. We still struggle with Math, but I am finding it’s because I dislike math so much. Grrr….even first grade Math. I mean, it’s not like it’s hard or anything, but I’d much rather be reading the Bible, studying scripture, teaching phonics or even doing science experiments.

Matthew is starting to want to do school more and more like his big sister. That’s great, but now it’s starting to get challenging doing things for both of them at the same time. And now throw Micah in the mix. This week, he’s decided he wants to reduce his naps and that’s well…just plain awful. I know we’ll get used to the routine, but it was nice doing school while he napped in the morning, let Matthew play, then the girls could do “our thang.” However, life changes and we all have to roll with the punches.

We went to the Virginia Aquarium and had some of the best homeschool time in a while. I mean, the kids got eaten by a shark, how much cooler can it get? These are just a few of the pics. We’re gearing up for Valentine’s Day around here, and I bet there will be some more. I’ll update with birthday pics tomorrow.

Yes, it’s true. RIP Beninghove.com.

Ironically enough, I’ve had two separate people tell me that they’ve come here and seen our posts. Really? Wow. I need to update the site so very badly.

But Facebook makes it sooooooo easy. I post my pictures of what we do and all our family is on there and I can do it quickly and I don’t reeeaaalllly have to be witty and…(I’ve been around my kids too long and now I’m whiny.)

BUT, I’ve made a commitment to the site and I want to see it out. My creative juices can’t entirely dry up. So you know what I say to you, Facebook??

Just kiddin’. I could never leave you.

Yes. Fortunately, they are contained.

Ok, so we got the caterpillars in and I was so very excited. Per the instructions you had to let them chill in their cup until they formed their chrysalides. So..where do I put them that neither I nor the children will knock them over. Oh, I know. The top shelf of the pantry. That’s a superb idea…

…until you forget they are there and in a hurry you fling open the pantry door to have these insect things staring at you. AUGUGGH! In my quest for wanting to watch them, I moved them to a closer eye-level shelf. If you don’t like bugs-don’t do this.

and for a closer look…

Sound the alarm! Send in the troops! Release the doves!

Do whatever it is that you need to do to rejoice in this experience with us. I think waiting for these caterpillars was the most patient my little girl has ever been. So…if you need a lesson on patience, do this project.

They arrived in a little brown box. Seriously, this thing could have held sweet diamond earrings for a fabulous wife. (Are you reading this, Joey?!?!) The box was small. I guess I was expecting some grand package announcing to the world that we were doing a home science experiment. I wanted neon lights. I wanted an entomologist to pop out of the mail truck and sing our praises for teaching the kids this valuable lesson early. LOL. I hate bugs, remember? The reality of this project has hit me. What seemed like a fabulous idea has now turned into the starkness of, “Oh no. I am going to have caterpillars in my house.”

As an aside, I have to tell you Internet world, that my mailman did ask me what was inside. I guess the InsectLore people did accomplish something by putting the bright “LIVE INSECT” sticker on the outside. So, be prepared for questions…

I made Joey open the box. What if they were dead? What if there were scrambled caterpillars all over the cup? I just couldn’t handle that. Fortunately, the excitement of Maddie’s new Highlights magazine that also arrived today distracted her from the initial opening.

Ya know what’s funny? Neither Joey nor I saw the red and yellow sticker that so prominently is displayed. And the consequences of that..the bugs were upside down. Ooops!

But here they are. In all their caterpillar glory. It’s hard to see them, but one is right up against the wall of the cup.

The brown stuff in the bottom of the cup? No, it’s not caterpillar poop. It’s their food. And they eat on that until they make their cocoons.

We’ll keep you posted on every step of the way. We are excited and thankful to have this opportunity to watch first hand God’s magnificent process at work. Yeah!!

Butterflies…here we come!

Now why didn’t that turn my head more when I heard it come from the mouth of my five year old in the middle of June?

Hmmm.

Maybe it was because I was nursing the baby and not really thinking clearly. Maybe it because I was basking in the glow of our new Nutrimill Grain miller thingy. Maybe I was just tired. Whatever the reason, I paid for it.

Let me back up a second and perhaps I could lay the blame of the most catastrophic mess I’ve ever had the misfortune of cleaning up on someone else other than myself.

A few weeks ago some friends of ours started talking about how they were starting the mill their own flour. “What? That’s crazy! We don’t live in Walnut Grove. I am NOT Caroline Ingalls.” My friend said it really didn’t take that much more time than normal and it’s way healthier. Her husband lent a CD to Joey who recommended I listen to it. I was hooked. So, maybe I can blame my friend or her husband…

But a few days before we listened, I knew the speaker on the CD was Sue Becker from BreadBeckers, Inc. Coincidentally, she was speaking at the HEAV Homeschool Convention we attended earlier that this month. We didn’t get to hear her because of some other sessions we chose to attend, so we purchased the MP3’s. So, maybe it’s Sue Becker’s fault. Or perhaps the fellows at the MP3 table who recorded the sessions. Maybe I can blame them.

We listen to the MP3’s on healthy eating and Sue Becker’s CD on milling your own grain and decide that we really want to live a healthier lifestyle. There is no doubt about the benefits of whole grain (I mean they put it on every cereal box, every granola bar box, and any other place a retailer could print it, right?!?!) We broke down. We ordered the mill. Then UPS brought it. So maybe it’s the UPS guy’s fault.

So what am I talking about? Here’s a picture for you to gain some clarity.

The mill arrived in a glorious brown cardboard box just ripe and ready to be opened. Joey and I were excited, the kids were excited, the UPS guy was excited to not have to hold it anymore. Joey brings the box in and opens it. Maybe it’s Joey’s fault.

While my husband trudges back upstairs to work (to pay for the said mill that was just glowing on our table!!) I feed the baby and let the other two wreak havoc, apparently. See, here I was trying to be a good mom and encourage creativity.

I thought, “Yes! Let them play in the box together. This is good! This is what brothers and sisters should do! Use your imaginations children and soar!!”

Really. How hard could some styrofoam pieces be to clean up? Then I heard it. I heard the breaking of the styrofoam. I’m still feeding the baby, reading the instruction manual to my new appliance (woo-hoo!), and not *really* listening to the chaos in the kitchen.

My zeal for creativity left Joey and I cranky and grumbling with each other. I tried to sweep it up. That was like using honey to clean up pancake batter. I tried to vacuum them up. That was like using an eyedropper to clean up Hurricane Katrina.

And this picture does not do justice to the infinite number of styrofoam peanuts that were on my kitchen floor. And living room floor. And playroom floor. And because these suckers are static city…my walls, chairs, table legs, and every nook and crevice on the first floor of my house. Just look at the bottom of Matthew’s shoes.

I was so mad. I wanted to blame the children for playing. (That’s just dumb, huh?) I wanted to blame Joey for opening the box. (That doesn’t make sense either.) It wasn’t Sue Becker’s fault, my friend’s fault, or even the fault of the UPS guy. It was so mine. lol. But, at least the kids had fun.

I asked Maddie, “Did you like playing in the styrofoam peanuts?”
Maddie said, “Oh yeah! That was great! When can we do it again?”
I replied, “Never. Enjoy this while you can.”

But you know, I am still finding pieces in random spots, even after we’ve cleaned up. Instead of freaking out about it, I think I’ll go get some honey and some freshly milled whole wheat bread and be thankful my kids did get creative.

Yes, yes, I know. You’ve been wondering where and what the Beninghove clan is up to, haven’t you? You’ve spent many sleepless nights thinking that you are missing some incredibly cute or witty thing these children are doing. I know. It’s a travesty, really. But have no fear bc the Beninghove Blog is back. We’re up and running again, ready to allay (sp?) your fears and help you sleep again. (Seriously, if you aren’t snoozing reading this already….)

What have you missed? Not much. I’ll be honest in the fact that Facebook has really eaten up my Internet time. I’ve loved reconnecting with friends and staying connected. I love it. I hate the stupid quizzes, but I guess I am nosy enough to love to know what others are doing. Hey, they post it for the world to see, right?

But now, I am back to blogging. Maddie and I ordered a Butterfly Kit and my plan is to blog that process so that you, the Internet World, can share in our successes and not so successes. (I say that bc you have to actually transfer the the caterpillars into the habitat and well, I am NOT the most graceful person out there.) We are using this kit as a part of our homeschool science lessons. Yeah!

So…

Here’s the butterfly habitat and instruction booklet with coupon. You used to be able to go online and order your caterpillars ($3 w/the coupon) but their website had bugs. LOL. (It was their joke, not mine.) Look at Matthew’s overly excited face. He just can not wait to start growing one of God’s most beautiful creatures, huh? The mesh thing is where they’ll grow and live. oh my. My goal is to get Joey to hang a hook in the kitchen so this thing will still be visible but out if reach of 20 little curious fingers. These poor caterpillars….

Do you see the key word in this picture? LIVE. Meaning- ALIVE. Most of you know about my issues with squirmy, wiggly things that have more legs than I do. Why am I excited about this? I have no idea. BUT, I am. I am not excited about transferring them. OH and the instructions said that they guarentee that 3-5 caterpillars will hatch into healthy butterflies. WHAT DO I DO WITH THE 2 THAT MIGHT NOT?!?!

Egads. I did not think this through.

So, I’ll post again when the caterpillars arrive. We sent the coupon off today, so I am expecting 2 weeks until we see them. Wooooo-hoooo! Feel free to come over and see them in person. But don’t tell my kids they might die. Yikes.

This weekend, my mom and dad, Micah, and myself made a whirlwind trip to Florence, SC. to see my great-aunt Nolia. She’s had some health problems lately and it was just important for us to go and let her know that we love her and care for her.

A gentle soul without any children of her own, has the ability to kindle a smile and laugh from my three month old son. This same boy who had been riding in the back of his grandparents’ car and wouldn’t even smile at them, easily batted one of his crazy long eyelashes and smiled at her. It’s just the affect she has with kids.

Even as a child I remember her sweet smile. She never fussed at me as some of the other adults around and she always asked me how I was doing. She came with us on our “Around the World” trip when I was 14 (really, it was across the country–but not as far as California) and I never minded being around her. In fact, I liked it.

So, Aunt Nolia, we are praying for your healing. May you know the presence of your Lord even greater in these days. We love you!

I love this picture. It’s basically 4 generations. Micah with his mom, his grandpa, and his great-great-aunt.

Joey’s cousin always sends the cutest slideshows using this app. It’s free, but of course you can always upgrade. I thought I’d play around with it and share it with you. I hope this one works better than the video I tried to post.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

the irony is that the shirt says, “Tiny little turtle.” You all know I don’t grow tiny babies….

That’s my girl! The next famous bowler. And that would be….???

Yep. They are always this serious. The hat that Matthew is wearing is Maddie’s. He found it on the floor and decided it would look better on his head. He’ll hate this picture one day.

’nuff said

This was right before he climbed on the chair and almost over their little half wall/window thing. You can’t take your eyes off this boy AT. ALL.

Micah at just a couple of weeks. Such a sweet profile picture.