We all go to work with dad! Part 2

Jack in a box!

Alec working with mom on English.

Jack at the band saw


Ryan helping his dad move channel.

Dad working the fork lift.

Ryan using the skid jack to move "Jack"! Ry-guy, waiting on dad for the next bundle move.

Dad and Ryan - great team work!


Ryan is such a blessing to his dad in the warehouse. Bobby is a great dad, always patient and thorough when teaching Ry how to do things safely. Taylor is also a big help in the office. She helps with the phones and filing. Olivia helps her Pawpaw pull orders and get them ready for pick -up's and shipping. Alec and Jack help with orders and cleaning. It is truly a "family" business!

We all go to work with dad!!!

One of the things we love about homeschooling is the flexibility! My husband works for my father in a small business. I am very blessed that my husband and dad have a wonderful relationship! (My mom loves him, too!) Sometimes if my dad is out of the office the kids and I go in to man the phones and pull orders, and Ryan helps his dad unload trucks. We take our school work with us and do it throughout the day. The kids have learned a lot about hard work and how to have a good work ethic from going to the office to help out. They also get to see their dad and pawpaw deal with others in a business fashon and they have learned about honesty and doing a good job always.

Olivia taking a break.

Alec and Jack do some math!

Alec and Olivia taking a break and eating snacks that their Pawpaw brought them.

Jack working hard.

Taylor and Jack goofing around!

A day in the garden.

Today we woke to storms, which put our morning walk off. But we did get school done in record time and I treated the kids to McDonald's in St. Clair, where the play place is huge and they could run off a little steam. On the way back, we stopped at Grandma and Pampaw Davis' house to pick the garden. I love gardens, but I have never been successful at growing one. I am blessed to have a mother in law who will let me pick hers! We picked enough green beans for 10 quarts. LOTS of green bell peppers (I'm looking for any good stuffed pepper recipes? Got one?) and Alec's favorite, sweet banana peppers. And a nice lot of tomatoes. The kids love going over there. Ryan was a sport and herded the new cows out of our way, and part of the garden. I guess they haven't figured out that the "hot" wire is supposed to keep them out yet! It was muddy, which makes it all the more fun for my little boys who happen to be mud monkeys! We all had a chuckle as Ryan was trying to find a place to go to the bathroom, as the house was locked. As he was heading around the barn, Alec and Taylor yelled, "Remember to wipe with your left hand so you can eat with your right one!" (thanks to the Country study we did at our homeschool co-op where they learned this little tid bit about the people in India!) We all started to laugh, even though Ry did NOT think it was too funny! So we have canned the green beans and Alec has me looking up recipes to pickle and can the banana peppers tomorrow. Then we'll deal with the tomatoes, maybe we'll make salsa? Well, have a good night, I hear the timer going off for my last batch of beans in the pressure cooker!

A Monday in the Davis House

So I (mom) decided that this week we are going to start taking advantage of this gorgeous weather and start walking in the mornings before school. Today was day number 1, and all things considered, it went really well. We only had to carry Jack 1/4th of the way home as opposed to half the way ;-) We got back home around 8 am, had a light breakfast and dove into school. Ryan and Olivia take their book baskets and flop on the floor or a couch and start in, while Alec and Jack sit at the table with Taylor and I. This works out pretty well, if you can get Jack to sit up instead of upside down! But whatever works is typically the rule here. Alec and Jack typically start with math and Tay and I work with them, then they do a subject like handwriting and this gives me a few minutes to check in with Ryan and Olivia and answer any questions they may have. Then Alec and Jack do reading and language arts, and Tay and I usually split them up for this. After they both finish their individual subjects then they come back together to do history, science, art and music. They LOVE science, and now that Alec can read just about anything, they love to attempt their experiments by themselves. They are quite funny in the kitchen getting out their supplies and talking about their experiment and why it did or didn't work out. Ryan and Olivia are pretty self learning unless there is new material being introduced in math or science. Then I prepare ahead of time and teach the new concepts to make sure they understand it. Their other subjects are pretty self explanatory and when they have a problem they come and ask and we work it out. I try to check their work as soon as they complete it. This lets me know where they are having any difficulties, and what needs to be gone over again. It is also easier for them to see their mistakes while it is fresh in their minds. We love to read and discuss anything. So we typically add a lot of reading and discussion time to history, especially. We were all done today by 12. The boys went out and started demolishing their old swing set. We are really hoping to replace it come spring. The boys had a blast using the big mallet and the ax to chop it all up. Now lets hope they picked up all the screws and bolts before Ryan mows again! Taylor and Olivia go to piano Monday's at 2pm. Their teacher is wonderful! They both love Miss Faith. They have learned so much since starting lessons again. Faith is also good for Taylor. Since she was a lot like Taylor when she was younger, she is really good at pushing Tay out of her box. For those of us that really know Tay, this is huge! We are making homemade pasta carbonara for dinner and have both our crock pots filled with apples to make applesauce and apple butter tomorrow. Ryan goes to Boy Scouts on Monday nights. He is a Star Scout and is two ranks away from his Eagle. So that about wraps up our Monday! Have a great and blessed week!

Surprise. . .A Family Day on Saturday!

We got the rare occasion to spend today as a family since mom worked last night instead of her normal 12 hours on Saturday. So after a short nap and making a quick Apple Custard Pie, we went to enjoy fellowship and a fish fry! Both were excellent! I have to thank a new friend of mine, Amanda, for inviting us to the church her husband pastor's for a truly enjoyable evening. 4 of my 5 children actually ate fish! We all know who did NOT eat any fish. . .Jack! He stuck to his regular fare of peanut butter, chocolate chips and crackers with a few french fries on the side! Yum, if you like that sort of thing. Taylor and Alec have always eaten fish, Ryan and Olivia have NEVER eaten fish! One smell of it is usually enough to send them running the other direction. But not tonight, they both really enjoyed it.

Meet the cast!

The Cast!

First up in our colorful cast of characters is Taylor (pictured here with her very cute little cousin, Mairin). Tay is her mom's right hand, left hand, brain. . .you get the picture! Has a rather heavy bent to the obsessively organized side. You know the type, she has lists for her lists! Taylor is a senior this year and can't wait to check that off her list! Her adoring fans (i.e. little brothers) love spending time with their Tay-Tay!

Next up is good ol' Ryan! Ryan is a hard working guy who is into guns and Boy Scouts. Ry is a Star Scout and is two ranks away from his Eagle. He loves to mow lawns and go to work with his dad where he puts in a mans day of work. Ryan loves to cook and he is a great griller! Ryan and Taylor are a hot commodity on the babysitting circuit and often tag team sit. Ryan is an aspiring stand up comic! But 9am when mom is trying to teach anyone anything is not a good time to practice your new material! His little brothers think he is pretty hysterical (and so does the rest of the family!). In the picture above Ryan is showing off his new gun a bolt action .22 Springfield which he has since outfitted with a scope. He spends many Friday afternoons at the shooting range with our neighbor!

Smashed in the middle is Little Miss O! Olivia, who at 11 is so very academic, but can't seem to find her shoes on a daily basis! Olivia has a touch of the drama gene and her brain is always going in 80 different directions. Olivia will read ANYTHING and everything! She also has a photographic memory and can look at something once and never forget it. We have learned never to debate her on facts because if you look it up, she's probably right. Olivia is starting to be a big help at home with cooking and baking and taking care of the house. Under the tutelage of her big sister she is really blossoming into a little lady. Olivia plays piano along with Taylor. She is also into animals and very much wants to be a vet. She has just signed up for 4-H and will be doing horsemanship, veterinary science, archery and quilting! Olivia not happy with the headgear, dressed as a Roman during the days of the early church for VBS!

Alec and his big boy bible on his 8th birthday!

4th in the line-up is Sweet Alec! Alec is almost 9 and he is a great joy to us all. Alec is sweet and considerate and laid back. He loves to snuggle! Alec LOVES to garden and be outdoors. He is into bugs and wildlife! Alec is in 3rd grade and moving right along in his studies.  We call Alec "Butter" because he is so soft and cuddly!

Jack tickling the ivories at the Scott Joplin House!

Last but certainly NOT least, is the Jack-attack! Jack is a 7 year old ball of energy! As those of you who know Jack, can testify, he's a trip! Sometimes a trip better left un-taken! Jack keeps us in stitches around here, and he also makes sure that our frustration capacity is stretched on a daily basis :-) You never know what Jack is going to do next! Alec and Jack are always together, where you find one, there is the other! I love to listen to them play together and create their make believe worlds complete with dress ups. Jack is as high maintenance as Alec is laid back, but they get along great!

Here is Jack (in his dad's kimono) playing with one of his swords.

Did I forget to mention he is a self described "100% weapons lover!"

The Producers!

Here's mom and dad! We are the parents of this gang of great kids! We are very blessed with a dad who is a good role model of his Christian faith to his children. We covet our family time and really enjoy doing lots together! We are thankful to God that he gave us each and everyone of our children. We have a loud, noisy and fun house and we wouldn't have it any other way!