more butterflies

Had to post these pictures.....After Madison's enthusiastic butterfly endeavor, Ryan was inspired to catch some caterpillars of his own.  He named them Robin Hood, Indiana Jones, and Davy Crockett.  All 3 spun their cocoons and turned into beautiful butterflies as well!  These photos are of our very last one - not sure which of the above named.....but Madison took the photos!  I guess all but the last one of Ryan - but I must say she did a great job!  So now we have moved on from butterflies to radishes.  Yes, radishes - and let me tell you I never knew one could do SO MANY experiments with radish seeds......hours worth.  Somebody thought of too many ways I'd say but either way - we are conducting many hours of observation and testing here at the Miller laboratory.  I'll keep you posted on that.

my caterpillars

One day I was with my friend in her front yard when we found two caterpillars.  We put them in a butter tub and named them Spike and Daphne.  I took them home.  I put dirt in a jar and some sticks, leaves from where the caterpillars came from and a net on the top.  I put them in and waited.  A couple of days later they made cocoons, it was really cool!  A week later while I was sleeping, my brother Ryan had just come out of the shower, and came running into my mom and dad's room naked and yelling: "The butterfly came out of its cocoon!!!!!!"  Back in my room I was awake.  I got up to see what was going on.  Sure enough there was Spike, a butterfly.  We let him go, and about a week later my mom was doing laundry and walked by the jar and noticed another butterfly.  It was Daphne, we let her go too.  I had fun catching caterpillars, but letting them go as butterflies was fun too!

By:  Madison Miller

Age: 9

Date: 9/19/08

battles

Many of you may find it hard to believe that I am at a loss for words at this time.  I have too many "musings" floating around in my head!  The last few weeks it seems I have been so distracted with the trivial things of daily life - consuming way too much of my energy - things that in the light of eternity do not matter at all yet they seem so important I can't even teach math!  Sometimes I really annoy myself.  Anyway I haven't felt very much like writing because my struggles seem so ridiculous when I consider my friends who are fighting cancer, illness, broken marriages, and other heartaches.  I pray the Lord would give them courage and joy in their battles.  I pray too that I might figure out how to look more intently into the eyes of Jesus rather than living so much in my own flesh! 

to yell or not to yell

Here's what happened one day this week when I was on the phone.....you can argue amongst yourselves about whether I was "on the phone too long" - or whether I should be on the phone at all!  With this guy I am not sure it is really me not paying attention.  I am realizing if I turn my head at all he is capitalizing immediately and into something!  In this situation however, there were accomplices.  I have reason to believe his brother Ryan "mixed the mud" and maybe Allison helped to smear it on Jonathan.  Crisp and clean Madison just enjoyed posing for the "after" shots.  When I realized what was going on and quickly hung up the phone I was ready to really yell big time at the group - but when I got outside I thought - hmmm - I think I'd better get the camera!  I actually think that me taking the time to stop and take pictures gave me enough of a time out that by the time I was done I was laughing instead of yelling!  May not always work but it worked in their favor this day!

for those wondering....

For those wondering what Jonathan does while the rest of us are doing school......here is a "snapshot".  I should mention however that these are somewhat rare moments, but he does love to be next to the kids while they are doing their work.  Sometimes he is playing in the same room and that is good enough - but all of them love it when he snuggles up next to them for love.  Other activities he has participated in this week:  jumping on the mini-trampoline while singing his "trampoline song", climbing to the top of his sister's bunk bed and jumping on the bed, sitting on the kitchen table and pouring out the entire salt container all over the place, throwing a HUGE rock and hitting Allison square on the head, and jumping on the guest bed and then proceeding to fall and get stuck in the crack behind it!  For those of you concerned that his mother is not giving him proper supervision, I guess the case could be made-but one does have to go the bathroom, switch the laundry, and sometimes answer the phone!  Also, save the comments or grief about the binky in every picture - yes I can hear you all now - he would talk if he didn't have that thing stuck in his mouth all the time or whatever the anti-pacifier camp says.  So far this is close to the only thing we have found that even begins to turn the volume down or off!  (If there is a switch in boys that I don't know about please let me know!) 

SCC on Focus on the Family

Steven Curtis Chapman will be on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson for 3 days Monday-Wednesday this week.  Here is the link to listen online.  The link is in the upper right hand corner of the page.

olympic thrills

Well another Olympics has come and gone.....sure went by fast!  This time watching was double fun since the kids were totally into it.  I know Merl is happy to have the TV turned back off - and I will be glad to get back to sleeping again!  Thought I would share a few of the highlights for the Millers....

1) Michael "Phipes" as pronounced by Allie.  I think our favorite event to watch was the swimming.  What a show that was.  As you can see from the above photo - Ryan has been impersonating Mr. Phelps non-stop.  While swimming with friends there have been many "races".  Not only did we appreciate Phelps' humble attitude but good conduct (which we cannot say for other sports as much - I'll get to that).  I also enjoyed watching Dara Torrez swim for all of us who just don't have a body like that any more!  Wow - impressive.  I have to say the competitor in me ached for her when she lost the gold by .01 of a second!

2) Gymnastics is always great - though I have a difficult time watching any sport that is judged.  It drives me insane.  You never REALLY know who did what, when and how well.  Just race or keep scorer and see who wins for heaven's sake!  I loved Jonathan Horton - how he rallied the men's team who was supposed to do "so, so" - to the silver medal and then winning his own in the high bar - swinging himself around like no tomorrow.  

3)  OK - so of course I love watching the track and field - it is where my heart is but I sure was disappointed in the "I am so great attitudes" all the way around.  Yikes - kind of embarrassing.  Though there were some not that way.  Allison Felix is my favorite.  I was a little sad she didn't win the gold in the 200 but she was very gracious and positive about it - thankful to be there.  Lots of heart wrenching moments like when Lolo Jones fell in the hurdles.....sort of irritating both 4X100 teams dropped the stick - but anyway that is what happens.  I was still glued to it all.

4) Probably the most surprising but fun aspect for us was beach volleyball.....how you ask?  Well for one thing Ryan enjoyed watching Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh a little TOO much.  I just wish those girls wore more clothes!  Anyway - we watched the gold medal match and Madison was really into the volleyball as well as Allie and Ryan.  After they won the gold, the commentator asked Misty what she was going to do when she returned to the States...."I am going to go to a Marlins game." (Hubby is catcher for Marlins).  Ryan turned to me wide eyed....."Maybe she is coming to the game Saturday!" (Marlins vs. D-backs and we were going).  I of course said "yeah, right- I don't think so honey. " But there we were in the 8th inning and who do they show on the jumbo tron but "Misty May-Treanor - Olympic gold medalist!"  We all went wild and there she was several sections over from us!  After the game she was signing autographs and the kids got up to the front - could have touched her medal around her neck which she was wearing.  Unfortunately she left before they got an autograph but it was what they talked about the whole way home.  Allison was spending a lot of time trying to figure it all out:  How did this person she recognized from China get all the way here?  "Do she live in China?"  "No, Allie - she lives in Florida"......"She play bolleyball on TV?"  "Yes, Allie - remember she got that very gold medal that was around her neck."  "How her get out of the TV to come to the game?"  Madison and Ryan's explanation to that is too long to write - but man did we laugh!  

That probably is the closest I will ever get to an Olympic gold medal - wow was it awesome.  Ryan sweetly said, "Don't worry mom, maybe someday I can win one and you can HOLD it!"  Maybe - but it would never be as precious as those 4 jewels I get to hold and touch everyday.....I wouldn't trade for it - no way.