Glady brought an English custom home with her, Tea! The girls take turns being the tea hostess and serving out the sugar and milk. Today it was Juliet's turn, and Glady was showing her how to use the silver sugar cube tongs she brought home with her. I find it so charming to listen to them talking about the hostess serving herself last, and how they do that in other ways during the day, too. Of course, hearing them seriously ask "one lump, or two?" always makes me want to giggle - but I don't.
They aren't the old-fashioned girls of yesteryear, but I want them to grow up to be little ladies. We teach them manners constantly, which they never remember at home, but always seem to out in public. I started Glady on embroidery last year, and this spring Juliet and Pippa insisted on joining that parade. I don't know how useful a skill it really is, but they love doing it. Glady wants to learn how to sew, and now that my machine is in the shop (it broke down last fall and I have been missing it!), I will set aside some time this summer to teaching her.
More and more as time goes by I realize that I may never teach them at home full time, but that doesn't mean I'm not teaching in every day situations. This summer I may do some formal lessons - I'm leaning towards Latin - to feed their minds. They have a tendency to veg in front of the tv too much, so Phil and I shut off the tv last week - and may not turn it back on until football season! Hah! We've had so much fun playing games together, both inside and out. Juliet has been reading aloud to Pippa and Johann, and Glady is starting to read GA Henty (woo-hoo!).
I need to go and check on my little ones. They are far too quiet in there - I don't know what I am going to do with Johann next year when it is just him home! Yikes! At least right now he and Pippa play nicely together.
I can smell the lilacs and honeysuckle through the office window. MMMMMM... intoxicating. The side-yard is looking so much better this year. I still have to get it mowed, but one battle at a time.
Oh... anyone have any ideas on how to bait a trap for a woodchuck? We have big hungry one hanging around the garden I need to get rid of!
2 comments:
Good luck with that woodchuck. We set a live trap and caught a squirrel, then a raccoon, but the woodchuck was too "smart" to be caught. I think if you camouflage the cage with brush, it might help. We haven't seen the woodchuck in a few days, so hope he has given up. He was living under our deck until we put lattice around it, down to the ground. Even then, he continued to dig underneath it for a while. Have fun!
You might try dumping cat litter into the 'chuck hole. I'm not sure it will work, but it does seem to help with the groundhogs we have here (also the cats use the soft earth that the groundhogs dig up for a potty spot!).
Any chance of pictures of the tea parties? :)
love, Mom
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