Offspring Update.

The Freckled Beckenbauer scored three more goals in Saturday's scrimmage. I tried to get him to pass--honestly. He was up against another Mia Hamm (the girls are really more advanced at the same age) who beat him in athleticism, but not in sheer heads-to-the-storm determination.

Yesterday he helped me with the lawn. The show business part, as I call it--scouring it for dog poop before I mow. He scooped it up and even grabbed the cat litter bucket we use to "store" it in. I showed him how we use charcoal ashes to neutralize the smell in the bucket. He found that interesting.

Maddie's ballet recital is in a little over two weeks. She's excited about that, but was more excited about a visit to the last surviving one-room schoolhouse in the area. She's wanted to go since March, and has been disappointed we couldn't make it. Speaking of school, Maddie is now in the second quarter of the first grade in most of her subjects, and the first quarter of the first grade in the others. Remember, she's the girl the experts wanted to place in a two-year kindergarten program. Grrr....

As to the schoolhouse (the Bunert Road School), it's located in Warren. It was used from 1875 to 1944, and the Warren Historical Society lovingly renovated and restored it, ultimately moving it next door to a local high school. It's loaded with artifacts from the era, including a couple of books donated by a student of the last class. Heather's probably going to donate her globe from the 1930s. The school is only open on the first Sunday of the month, but it is packed when it is. Heather spoke with one of the volunteers, and when asked about school informed her that we homeschool. She responded, "I thought so. I could hear the patience in your voice."

Rachel is a tomboy with a love of dressing like a princess. She gets the dress-wearing from Maddie and Mama. Yesterday she wore the pink gown-like dress I bought her for Easter (I had to coax her out of wearing a dress suited for an 18 month old. She still scraps like the offspring of Laila Ali and Wyatt Earp.

They all had a ball at the banquet hall following the first communion of my nephew Greg and baptism of my newest niece, Ruby. Yeah, a full day. But a good one.

The newest addition has an ultrasound this Thursday. Our Ob/Gyn is taking no chances this time. She's a good one, and has four sons herself--in fact, she was eight months pregnant when she delivered Madeleine. And yet she is remarkably sane.

More about the ultrasound on Thursday.