We've been a bit scattered this week.

We did go apple picking on Tuesday, and it was great. DD picked half a bushel of MacIntosh, and then we bought half pecks of honeycrisp and yellow bellflower.

On Wednesday we made applesauce, and it was amazingly good. We also did a taste test with a MacIntosh, a honeycrisp, a yellow bellflower, and a red delicious from the store. That was fun, it's amazing how different they tasted. We also got in some regular lessons.

Thurday we went to our first Franklin County Homeschool Group meeting. They are reading Farmer Boy and doing related activities. We just heard about it on Wednesday, so havn't read any of the book yet, but we went and played a fun game of tossing and catching a large embroidery hoop with two sticks. We also did a native edible plant identification walk and made nature journals. I'm amazed how into it DD was. Her journal is beautiful! Then we made tea from fresh applemint and chamomille and had that with gingerbread someone made from an 1800s recipe. It was really fun.

Today we have to go run some stupid errands for DH, so while we are in the van burning gas we will listen to more French. I just want to keep the great accent she has in her head, and she loves it. When we get home I hope to do some more lessons, read The Apple Cake again and maybe make an applecake or apple crisp.

We also have another monarch about to emerge, and we may set up the crystal growing kit if we feel like it.

I have also been helping the DSs quite a bit with their homework. DS15 is really getting slammed this year with very demanding teachers (thank goodness!) and he has been working his tail off. :-) He has had more homework so far this year than all of last year. And it's good, meaty stuff too! Earlier this week he was writing an essay about the leadership qualities of Ulysses S. Grant, and he has been reading The Odyssey too.

DS13 isn't having any trouble with his work at all but most of his homework is stupid busywork, and I'm trying to help him with some strategies to get something out of them and get them done faster.

Lynn, it's great to have some company here!

See you later,
-Jo