Quick Takes: A little of everything

As always, thanks to Jen for hosting!

--1--

Little bit late getting these done today.  Instead, I've had the pleasure of sitting in 100º heat helping to host a yard sale with lovely Miss Kara .  It is actually going quite well, even though I was afraid that my sweaty, clothes-sticking-to-me fashionable self was going to scare off anyone that pulls up.   We'll be hosting it again tomorrow morning, so if you're anywhere near Scottsdale, come visit us!

--2--

This is what happens when you wake your 3 year old up early to go to said yard sale, and then he refuses to stay in the air conditioning during said yard sale, and instead insists on playing in the 100º heat alongside you:

We're going on hour #2 for this nap.  I'm a little terrified of bedtime.  Say a prayer for us, please?

--3--

In a moment of beauty this morning, we stumbled across this on our way to Kara's house:

That's the mountain we live  next to, blanketed with a fluffy cloud.  It was pretty cool - especially as the sun came up and the cloud turned pink.

--4--

This letter to Melinda Gates written by a Nigerian woman is excellent.  You must read it.

A short excerpt (emphasis mine):

With all the challenges and difficulties of Africa, people complain and lament their problems openly. I have grown up in this environment and I have heard women (just as much as men) complain about all sorts of things. But I have NEVER heard a woman complain about her baby (born or unborn). 

Even with substandard medical care in most places, women are valiant in pregnancy. And once the baby arrives, they gracefully and heroically rise into the maternal mode. 
I trained and worked for almost five years in a medical setting in Africa, yet I never heard of the clinical term "postpartum depression" until I came to live in Europe. I never heard it because I never experienced or witnessed it, even with the relatively high birth rate around me. (I would estimate that I had at least one family member or close friend give birth every single month. So I saw at least 12 babies born in my life every year.)  

Amidst all our African afflictions and difficulties, amidst all the socioeconomic and political instabilities, our babies are always a firm symbol of hope, a promise of life, a reason to strive for the legacy of a bright future. 

Really, you must go read it.

-- 5--

I emphasized that one section above because it really stuck out to my anthropology-loving self.   I'm intrigued and will now be looking for data regarding culture and postpartum depression.   I'll keep you updated on what I find out!

--6--

Recently, I had a friend over for a lunch playdate.   During our little chat, she asked me what I had learned or discovered about homeschooling our family now that we had a year "under our belt."  I'm embarrassed to say that I totally couldn't verbalize an answer.  There's been so much growth, so much education (for me AND the boys), and so much, well, enlightenment, that's happened over this past school year, that I really had a hard time putting it into a concise, coherent answer.  I've been thinking about that all week.   

I've started working on a "Top 10 Things We Learned While Homeschooling" post, with the goal of having it published this coming weekend.   If you homeschool, what have YOU learned over the past year?   What did you discover about yourself, your family, your children, or your schooling routine this past year?  (I know even you veterans out there MUST have learned SOMETHING).   Share!

--7--

We're attempting to make a mushroom this weekend.   The boys are super excited....I'm a little nervous!   I'm not so nervous about the actual project, or even whether or not we can complete it.   Knowing what we've done in the past with home renovations or repairs, I'm confidant we can build a mushroom.   I'm nervous about what's going to happen once we let the boys loose on it!!   I have some pretty dedicated gymnasts in my house.....will I ever see them again?  Will they be able to share?  Fingers crossed!

And with that, I'm out to enjoy my air-conditioning, my freshly brewed coffee, and a book!  Have a great weekend!