Exploring

HI!!!!! I'm alive!!!!!

Is it shocking to anyone else that it's already December 31? There's only one day left in the whole year. That's pretty nuts.

So, in History recently I learned about Sir Earnest Shackleton and The Endurance. It blew my socks off. If you haven't heard this amazing story, look it up. You won't be disappointed. I had told the Oeys the whole story as I was learning it.

A few weeks ago the Oeys and I were home alone. We had nothing to do. (a dangerous combination) I wanted to go on a neighborhood walk, but I knew that wouldn't appeal to them. It went something like this:

Me: Hey, we should go on a walk....exploring the neighborhood....like...uh....Oh! Like Shackleton and his crew! We could play the story of the Endurance.

Oeys: OK!!

I was pretty shocked that my plan worked, but it did. We all got on boots and coats and packed our backpacks with flashlights, ropes, pocket knives, canteens, granola bars, a tape measure (not sure why), and a sleeping bag. And, of course, we got our sled dog.

All ready, we set out on what would prove to be a very fun and exciting and informative and exhausting excursion through the uncharted South Pole, a.k.a. our huge neighborhood. We camped out on fields of ice, we spotted Antarctic penguins, we killed and cooked seals, we escaped sheets of ice that were melting beneath our very feet. And we discovered that it is extremely fun to slide down hills in a slippery sleeping bag.  :)

There was blood, there was pain, there was exhaustion, there was hunger and thirst, and even an attempted mutiny. (That was when they got sick of me being in charge.)

And, I got to hear them do there cute little British accents for two whole hours! :)

Good news, guys. The South Pole has now been explored. It's a tough job, only for the strongest explorers.

Oh, and oddly enough, we saw Santa Claus several times- in the South Pole!
Or maybe those were the neighbors' Christmas decorations....hmm...

~Today's Narnia Quote~

"Smelling isn't everything," said the Elephant.

"Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?"

"Well, his brains, perhaps," she replied mildly.