It really does take a village, this raising a kid business.
Did I just reference a Hillary Clinton quote?
Multiply that by the number of kids we’ve got and, well, we end up needing a healthy metropolis. Good thing we seem to have one!
Elizabeth has faithfully come on the Sundays of Lent to bring gum to the girls who are fasting from it and to visit with them. Luke and Randy and Michael and Kyle hold kids, wrestle kids and toss kids. The Scout Master picks Max up and drops him off as if it’s his job and Gail glides into the house like the sun beam that she is and takes the helm effortlessly. Allie teaches new slang and (some might say annoying) phrases. Bridget reads, Shawna screens, Susan quizes, Fr. Mark cheers, and on and on and on . . .
In short, we are abundantly blessed by our friends.
Even over miles and miles, we are blessed.
The first week of March, the mailman brought a small manila envelope addressed to the Daniel Kids. Oh, the frothing! Oh, the guessing! The return address told me it was from Chrisa but the bulk and heft of the package added to the mystery. What could it be?!
An Epic Pi Day Family Fun Pack!
It was as if they had won the lottery. We quickly glanced at the contents but decided together that to put it away would make actual Pi Day that much more epic.
“I like how she always remembers us on Pi Day.” Philip mused. My homeschooling heart agreed.
Now Chrisa is to her very fiber a teacher. And how she can light up at a teachable moment is distilled joy. So I rejoiced with and for her forethought in utilizing the Epic Pi Day as one for us. Lord knows (and Chrisa, too, evidently) that I would’ve mentioned it and moved on because math is not my strong suit. I need that village!
We watched the clock and rang in March 14, 2015 at 9:26 and 53 seconds. 
Then it was on to the other fun activities! Jac read the pi trivia sheet while the kids colored the symbol for pi (she sent new crayons=BEST. DAY. EVER.) Next came the beaded bracelets coordinating colors to numbers thereby creating a wearable symbol of the number. This was great fun and Max and Ellie proved particularly adept at translating the given code.
There was a challenge to measure circles and find pi. Jac and Max worked hard to get exact measurements in an attempt to arrive at the tricky number. Another challenge was given to see how many digits you could memorize. Max took this seriously and is currently up to 15 (and continues to work on it). 
Over lunch, we worked through the Pi quiz and followed that up with the procuring of actual pies because those were the instructions sent with a generous envelope.
Jac and I had a talk to give that evening so the pie and kids and remaining activities were left with 3 joyful villagers who came to watch the kids. Josiah found the suggested video (and others!) on youtube and they all worked together to make a pi story. And by the ruins present when we got home, they enjoyed the delicious pies thoroughly.
I could write to the many decimal points of pi thanking all of those who we love and love us well. But for today, this meager offering must suffice. And to Chrisa, math teacher and friend extraordinaire, our infinite thanks and appreciation are given. You made our once in a lifetime Pi Day truly epic. In the words of Tess, “If I live to see the next Epic Pi Day, I will still remember this one!” Lots of love from our village to yours!
