Raccoon

In an effort to simplify our homeschooling as well as get things more on track with wanting to have an emphasis on Biblical teaching, we have decided to not return to our homeschool co-op in the Fall. Instead, we will be diving into KONOS. We are really excited about this type of learning. We will be teaching all the children at the same time and they will have assignments based on their learning level. My husband is very excited about this as it will enable him to do some of the things with the children that he has been wanting to do but never seemed to have time. For weeks (since our decision to use Konos) he has been talking about making raccoon skin caps for/with the children. He had it in his mind to pick up five raccoons from the side of the road, bring them home, skin them, tan them and bury the remains. I have smiled at him as he has spoken of this adventure, knowing that he certainly had the fortitude, but that I would in no way encourage him to bring it to fruition. Tonight the long awaited dream of scraping up road kill and bringing it home became a bittersweet reality. Bitter (blaa) to me, sweet to him! He used a large plastic bag to first poke the animal. You have to make sure they are really dead you know. You don't want those possibly rabid suckers suddenly waking up, clawing and shrieking for freedom, while your children kick, scream and throw pretzels in the back seat. So, it was dead and he made the "really good husband" decision to tie it to the top of the van. We/It made it home safely, except for the fact that it was dead of course. He spent time and creativity in skinning his prize, then buried the remains 18 inches underground in the garden. Yes Dad, I am hoping the neighborhood fox doesn't find it either. The skin is stretched (aka nailed hands, head and feet spread as far apart as possible) on a large piece of scrap wood outback. I am awaiting the vultures. My husband is awaiting the salt to help dry it so that he can begin the next step of assembly. I may have to make a needle out of its bone to really get the whole effect. I am not sure which child will get the first cap. None of them are jumping up and down yelling, "oh pick me, pick me!" It may just wind up that Hubby gets the honors. He is so cool. What a manly man!