Another Wierd Appliance Happening

Remember how I blogged about the mouse in our dishwasher awhile back? Well, something else that is strange just occurred and it has to do with another appliance. Before starting this, I took a wet load out of the washer to throw it in the dryer and I heard something rattling about the bottom of the washer. It sounded like a button to me. But upon further examination, I discovered it was a tooth! A human tooth! Specifically, a human tooth covered in metal. Specifically, Ben's tooth. When he was three he had almost all his teeth capped and crowned because they were so bad. I asked Ben, "Did you lose a tooth?" He said, "No, I don't think so." But how else would it have gotten into the laundry? Although I'm not quite sure how that happened anyway. Did he knock it out of his head as he was taking off a shirt? It's very odd. Ben is my one kid who couldn't care less about his teeth, or rather, losing them. Whenever Will or David had the slightest wiggle in a tooth they would excitedly give me daily updates and insist that I wiggle it too (kind of gross!) and woe to the tooth fairy if she forgot to visit their pillow that night with a dollar bill! But Ben - nah. There's been a number of times I have happened to notice a gap in his mouth and had to point out to him that he lost another tooth. He hasn't ever seemed all that excited.

So - my weekend: It was great! This was our 7th homeschool conference and probably the best one I've ever been to. I actually got to attend quite a few workshops. I just found myself very challenged this weekend, particularly by the main speaker, Dr. Voddie Bochup (not spelled right) from Texas. So often I go to these conferences and I hear the same message over and over again - homeschool your kids, it's the only Biblical way to do it, have lots of family devotions, throw away your tv, and stay away from Sunday School and youth groups, yada, yada, yada. But this man really grabbed my heart and interest and I walked away really wanting to be a better mother to my children in all areas, not just concerning their education. I attended a workshop on homeschooling your highschooler. So I'm not quite so panicked as I was. I can do this! Actually, this woman that did the workshop has a business where she coaches homeschool parents through the high school years and gives them direction to getting their children into college. So I may look into that. One thing she was really promoting was taking CLEP tests for college credit during the high school years. I am wanting Will to do some college work during these high school years. My neighbor told me awhile back that I could have him get his AA degree online and the school district would pay for it. So I stopped at this lady's booth and asked the rep there about that possibility as well. The rep. asked, "Why would you want to use the school for anything?" I'm thinking, "Duh - because it's free!" (as compared to the $100 per subject CLEP tests). But I'll just have to look into it and see. Some people in the homeschool community - and unfortunately, a lot of times with good reason - are very, very negative on having any contact at all with the public schools. I don't see it that way at all. If we were ever threatened I'd drop it all in a heartbeat, but I view it as having the best of both worlds. We have only had experience with small districts too - that may make a difference.

Paul was able to attend Friday evening and all day Saturday with me. When I remember how reluctant he was in the beginning about homeschooling and I compare it to how enthusiastic he is about it now - kind of makes my heart glad. It's nice to have his full support. He even commented to me this past winter that he wished he had the time to take over some of the teaching so I wouldn't have to do so much. I'd go for that! And the conference is always like a "date" weekend, too, for us. I plied the boys with movies and junk food so they were content and busy all day Friday and then my parents drove down from Waterloo Saturday and watched them. Now it's over for another year...sigh...

VBS starts tonight. I am teaching the 4s, 5s, and 6s. Well, there's actually three of us in there. They put my name as the "head" teacher, but I don't think it really means anything. I was just the one that did the delegating amongst the three of us. We spent last night turning my classroom into an "igloo." Well, sort of. I hope the kids are of the "easily impressed" variety! So this will be a tiring and busy week with that. It's going to be long for Sam, too, stuck in the nursery. So I plan to take him out periodically, for puppets and game and snack time, as I can. He's getting a little too aggressive for the nursery, anyway, the closer he gets to his second birthday. I kind of fear for the little babies when he's in there!

Will started weight lifting for football this morning, bright and early. I think I need a nap. Will just now stumbled down the steps from his morning long nap. We left the house at 6:10 am (!) and I had to go get him again around 7:45. This will be every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the summer. Will said it went very well and both coaches went out of their way to make him feel welcomed. I'm glad! He said the upperclassmen were also very helpful to the younger players. That's the way it ought to work!

Well, the boys are insisting they must be fed now and I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open at the keyboard. These early mornings are really going to mess with me, I fear! So, I'm off. Be sure and know that I will continue to report on any and all future odd appliance happenings!