handsful

Just like last year, our homeschool co-op held an Amazing Race for the middle and high school students.  Abbey was joined this year by her siblings…but, they were all split up and put on different color-coded teams.  This year’s theme was Bible, and the kids had a blast in the Florida heat.  Most of the kids are easy to find in the photo…Ethan is behind the girl with the white sunglasses. 

Abbey and Marley have their game faces on. 

Payton is volunteering for some unknown thing…

Ethan had a hard time finding the rest of his purple team members…it was confusing, his headband was a darker purple than the others! 

I wasn’t sure about all the challenges…it was difficult chasing down each of the 4 teams AND making sure Lainey got her playtime, too.  Here, Payton’s team is trying to put together a paper skeleton, putting the bones in the right places. 

This came from Matthew 7:6, where it talks about not “casting your pearls before swine”.  The kids had to dig through slimey mud to find 21 white “pearls”.  Some loved this, some did not! 

There was LOTS of running involved in the Amazing Race!  Go Ethan!

Lainey LOVES to swing.  I’m doing double-time here, swinging Lainey and her friend Elizabeth. 

Abbey works to put together a puzzle, so that she can read the verse on the back.  Part of their activities required them to write down the verse in a notebook that went along with each challenge.

Marley races to dump water that she gathered from another bucket, into this one.  Problem is the cup has holes in it.  I totally forget what the point of this one was.  I knew it at the time!  My brain cells are consumed with our upcoming move.  On FRIDAY.  And, I’m here posting…

We’re so thankful that our move was put off by a week, so that the kids could enjoy this last activity with our fabulous homeschool co-op.  :)

for downtime.  Lainey has had a change of heart, and is back to swimming.  Not sure why she had such a slow start this year?!  She swam in the fountain yesterday, and held onto Payton in the big pool too.  Today, we told her she should wear her floaties and she went right in, like nothing had ever been wrong.  A few pictures of their pool time…

Ethan, I told you if you made that face it WOULD end up on the blog…

Lainey says water is good. 

Twins, by accident.  Lainey’s suit if from last year.  Marley just got hers this week. 

Pictures from today’s homeschool co-op Amazing Race coming tomorrow!  During a packing break…

Catching a toad in the pond.  Currently buying crickets to feed said toad.  He’s Marley’s newest best friend. 

Swimming IN the pond that the toad came out of.  3 out of 5 kids think it’s just grand.  Marley only wades in a little. 

Comtemplating.  Lainey has decided that all water is bad.  This is her after we forced her to swim in the pool.  Not sure what’s going on there. 

Being tackled and/or dunked by their friend, Ian.  Why are we at the beach instead of packing?  Because our time with our FL friends is precious. 

Speaking of friends…here’s Abbey and her friend John.  John is in our homeschool co-op.  His mom was the girl’s geography teacher.  We’re really going to miss our co-op friends. 

Practicing a new skill.  Those new chop sticks are really fun to use.

Must. go. pack.  But, I blog instead :)