Masterpiece Literary Society

Josiah is really enjoying the dinners and discussions of his book club. This month was "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by H.G. Wells and our family was blessed to host. Since there was a shipwreck to start the book off, the boys and I had fun collecting various island themed items to create a small table scape...

Our dining room is small, and there are eight students plus the teacher, so we set up the long folding table in the living room. It was still close quarters, but they are a friendly group and didn't seem to mind. We have a "salt water aquarium" DVD and Josiah chose a shark scene to play on the TV, as background, since they are circled by sharks in the beginning of the book.

Katie, your costume was so imaginative! (Since I know you are one of my faithful blog readers I thought I'd share your photo!) Dr. Moreau did horrible experiments on animals so you see a "Hyena-swine". She was trying to look miserable in this photo-pretty good, huh? It's hard for smiley Katie to not be grinning so please appreciate her excellent acting abilities...!

Josiah doesn't look very insane in THIS photo, but he came to the party as Dr. Moreau. We bought our first tube of Halloween vampire blood (and our last) to make the leopard claw death marks on his lab coat.

When Josiah read the book, and he started telling Sam all about shipwreck and science experiments and deadly animal attacks and insane Doctors? Sam was in a froth to read it, too! He devoured it in one day and it was killing him to not participate in the discussion. All day he was miserable as he helped us set the table! and decorate Josiah's clothes with blood! and hear that the teacher was bringing his favorite, coconut cream pie! and Sam, who knew and loved the book "just as well as Josiah does!", had to go hide in the back bedroom for two hours?

As Newman would say "Oh, the humanity!"

John took pity on his son and they snuck off to Dairy Queen to heal the trauma and medicate with cold, creamy soft serve. They say that ice cream has calming, restorative powers and our two youngest boys did seem mighty relaxed...

If only Dr. Moreau had occasionally enjoyed an Oreo Blizzard.