Mid-April Daybook

Outside my Window ... overcast and rainy days Monday and Tuesday, but today we have sun. I’ve been enjoying this weather as Tuesday was a rare stay-at-home day. We had a soccer practice yesterday, but it was cancelled because of the rain. I love watching B play soccer, but no complaints here on staying in. I don’t know the last time I had a whole day at home…

I am thinking ... today’s busy-ness makes up for yesterday’s at-home day. Field trip / play at the children’s theater, lunch out (picnic-style), then an orthodontist appointment for N1. Home for a bit, then Awana tonight. Whew.

I am thankful for ... my sweet family. It was another busy weekend around here but for the first time in way too long, all six of us were at the table for dinner together on Saturday night. Dinner wasn’t even anything fancy – salads for me and T, hot dogs for the munchkins, and lots of fresh fruit since I’d been to the grocery store earlier that day. It was the perfect ending to a day where there hadn’t been a lot of connecting because we were all going in different directions.

In the learning room ... We are less than 30 days out from officially finishing our school requirements for the year. Yay! Does that mean we will have finished up everything? Not so much. The girls are in the final pages in most of their language arts workbooks – N2 finished her handwriting Monday, and both N’s are about to wrap up their respective Explode the Code books. (ETA: N2 finished book 1 1/2 yesterday!) N1 has also almost finished Writing With Ease, Vol. 2.(First Language Lessons have languished a little so we need to pick that back up).

I’m deep into thoughts about next year’s plans, as well as what we are going to do this summer. There will be math to do for N1; N2 is already in 1st grade math so she’ll get more of a break, but I’ll be picking Amy’s brain about some of her favorite math games to supplement with. Hopefully (yet I hate to promise, because I am sorely lacking on time) I'll blog our summer plans soon.

From the kitchen ... creamy chicken chili is in the crockpot and I need to make a batch of cornbread. Yum. That was Monday’s menu … it’s taking me forever to wrap up this post.

I am creating ... my Project Life album weekly as I can. So far I’ve managed to stay caught up but we’ll see what happens when summer hits. Next week, I hope to take place in Ali Edwards’ Week in the Life Project again. I don’t know what that will look like for me this year beyond taking the photos and taking notes on our week but I love taking part and seeing the inspiration from my own surroundings. Last year, for the first time, I finished my week in the life album and just plopped it in my Project Life album. That’s also on the list of things I want to blog this week when/if I get a moment. : )

I am going ... and going and going. I realized that I keep saying how busy our weeks are in anticipation of them slowing down some. I think I’ve finally realized – that’s not going to happen right now. It’s busy season for us right now with a few more weeks of chess for N1, a few more weeks of soccer for B, a few more weeks of Awana for all of us, and on it goes. With this has come the realization that I need to lower my expectations of what I think we can get done on our days where we are in and out of the house. Doing that has reduced some of frustration level and feeling behind all the time.

I am wearing ... my favorite outfit right now and the one I would wear every day if I could. Hot pink cotton skirt from Walmart, white t-shirt and brown flip flops from Old Navy. This will probably be my summer mama uniform, especially if I get another skirt like this in another color.

I am reading ... the new Mysterious Benedict Society book, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Also, recently read and devoured: Gregor The Overlander. This is the first book in a series of five and is written by the same author who penned The Hunger Games Trilogy, but set for a younger age range, i.e, I will probably assign N1 this first book this summer for fun reading. I couldn’t put it down. It is a very good thing that I don’t have book two in the house. And, I’ve told myself that I’m not allowed to read the next book until May which is two whole weeks away! : ) (I’m also trying to conveniently forget that I can instantly download it for my Kindle … must. wait. till. May!)

 

I am hoping ... for peace in the lives of friends that have big things going on. Thankfully our God is a big God!

I am hearing ... little girls playing with our neighbor quietly, as the boy is napping.

Around the house ... it is in pretty good shape. Our unexpected night in last night brought about some serious cleaning out in the girls’ rooms, folding of the ever present laundry, and other miscillaneous tasks that I needed to do. I was also driven to empty and reorganize the hall closets after the girls pulled out all the blankets to make a giant fort/tunnel in the hallway – everything had to be refolded anyway and the games were in desperate need of being moved to higher shelves now that the boy is into everything not nailed down. Even though no ones sees my hall closets, I’m so glad that they are straightened!

One of my favorite things ... watching these girlies love on their brother. Now that the boy has dropped his morning nap, we are working on a new morning routine with a little guy that wants attention during our prime school time. Yesterday was our best day by far as I had figured out a good plan for how our morning would (should) flow and the girls took shifts with him in his room when I worked with the others. Our afternoon (when he was napping) was then turned over to lots of reading aloud when I need them all with me and not on boy-duty. We’ll see if we can have a repeat good day tomorrow for him. He sure misses those girls when they are busy…

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... a full day today (mentioned above). Tomorrow is another day almost fully at home – N1 has her second-to-last girl scout meeting for the year. Friday holds Bible study, of which we have about three weeks left of as well. Saturday is another full day – soccer game for B in the morning and a baby shower here in the afternoon. (T will escape that and take a couple of the girls to a birthday party – win/win situation for both him and the girls invited!) : ) Sunday will be spent celebrating my Dad’s birthday and then we start our week over again. 

A photo ... a cute boy pic as it’s been a while. Some one turned 18 months a week or so ago and thinks he is BIG STUFF. This picture of him outside in our backyard is so him right now. Bare feet, overalls, big stick. What a boy!

The Simple Woman’s Daybook blog can be found here.