as cozy as spring

An Ordinary Day

I woke up before dawn to start dressing the children for Mass and started a load of laundry on the way out the door.  I think there are some years that I want the day off, but this year I just wanted an ordinary day taking care of my children and my husband.  Cooking and mopping and matching socks.  I wanted them to call for me every five seconds after I put them to bed for extra kisses or books or cuddles.  They complied.

They did, of course, give me a lovely day.  Green olive pizza on paper plates, thoughtful gifts reflective of their little personalities, sweet hugs, a nap, and a pleasant after dinner walk.  I'm so very grateful that I couldn't possible ask for more than a day like any other. 

Happy Mother's Day, friends!

At the End of the Day

I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, but it's been a very helpful exercise during the past few weeks.  As I face a day fortunately full of options, I frequently run into trouble prioritizing.  This is especially true as our lessons wind down.  So at the beginning of every day, I've been asking myself where I want to end it so as to avoid wishing I had made better use of my time.

Here are my daily priorities:

1. Feed my family nutritiously / have a balanced dinner planned for my husband.  I need to start thinking about this early because it's my biggest challenge.
2. Pray with my children.
3. Read with each child individually - preferably through the day as bedtime is jam packed 'round here.
4. Have the house neat and tidy before my husband arrives home from work.
5. Take a walk.  My doctor forbid me to run whilst pregnant, but I am managing to walk several miles per week.
6. Spend an hour on lessons (we're supposed to be done, but we have a few lessons to wrap up here and there)

Today, a blessed and rare day at home, I added a few more fun items:

1. Stitch scraps into strips for my daughter's quilt
2. Start and finish her promised pillow cover
3. Clean out another vegetable bed and plant cucumber seedlings
4. Catch up on laundry
5. Sort through one random box of junk per day.  Today it is the broken crayons and dried paints box because I did cave and purchase a craft cart and I'm in the process of getting it all organized.  I was hesitant, but I ran the problem by my husband, who is a very clear and logical thinker.  He saw it as a no-brainer and insisted I buy the cart.  I'm so glad I did.  I can already see that having things sorted will eliminate buying doubles (this is especially true for paint brushes).  

If I can manage the top list I can sleep as well as is possible when 7 months pregnant (third trimester, y'all!!).  If I can manage the bottom list as well I feel uncomfortably on top of things but that only happens rarely.  I started this post yesterday morning and the cucumbers did not get planted.  And I made my daugher sort the paints.  

Happy Tuesday, friends.  I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend.  It poured on Easter here, which was such a blessing.  It allowed us to cancel all our plans and sit in front of the television watching The Masters AND take a nap after Mass.  Just what we all needed!

Halfway Point

I have books to talk about tomorrow but it probably won't be first thing in the morning.  I think I have the schedule cleared enough to do a whole bunch of sitting around this weekend (pleasepleaseplease).

I'm just really, really tired.

Filed

I didn't make many New Year's resolutions, but when I saw that Martha Stewart had a new line of office supplies (ht Dawn) I thought I'd take another stab at managing my paperwork.  It seems particularly sensible since already I'm being inundated with medical forms and lab bills that I'll need to have organized at tax time next year.  

I didn't go overboard.  I bought myself a little binder and some dividers.  Three packages gave me a section for each month of the year, a section for each of my current children and a section for medical forms.  I'll probably need to add more later, but for now it's enough.  Behind each folder I have printed a blank monthly calendar to be filled in by hand as events come along.  

I also had the idea to print out our favorite recipes for each given month.  We tend to eat seasonally and certain recipes are made in certain months just out of tradition so this system also works.  I'm taking a very casual approach and just printing the recipes as I go along right now.  At the end of the year, it will be a nice collection that I can reference from year to year.

I hope to include a hit list for each month as well, certain activities or subjects on which to focus .  A knitting/sewing schedule would be nice too.  But I'm not hoping for perfection just yet.  This binder is currently a nice receptacle for all the important papers that come into the house and if it stays only that, that's OK.  

Note: The Martha stuff is obviously slightly more expensive and I really argued with myself before splurging but it's just the simple truth that if something is pretty I'm more likely to use it.  Having our important papers organized is worth doing right - especially this year.  

Hiatus

Hello friends.  I didn't intend to take such a long break but frankly, I'm only here to say that the break will probably continue for the next few weeks.  My dad insisted I post something.  I'm in the midst of a very big project of sorts, and it's taking a lot out of me. 

All is well.  I wish you a peaceful Advent and joyful Christmas.  

October

This page has been open for some time but I ran out of time to write anything at all.  Because it's October.  We seize not just the day, but the entire month.  I'll try to pop back in in the morning.  Happy Tuesday night, friends.  I've got to go put my babies to bed (and hopefully watch a bit of the game - go Rangers!)

Outside, go.

In the morning before lessons and in the evening after dinner.  

Other notes from this week:

In the kitchen: I used Ina's idea of roasting random vegetables and pureeing them for soup.  It was fabulous.  My best homemade soup yet and I cleaned out the fridge in the process (that sounds appetizing, doesn't it?).  I can't wait to try it again.

In the schoolroom: I keep meaning to write about our new schedule, implemented out of desperation.  Theme days.  Or One Table Subject Per Day.  We work on math every day and one other main subject.  We are completing the same amount of work, it's just more concentrated.  This excludes read alouds, sort of.  It really helps me to focus and helps me to integrate the children's studies.  I also cannot believe how much time we spent moving from subject to subject.  It really deserves a post of its own; the theory behind it as well as the logistics.  But so far it's been been tremendously helpful in simplifying my days. 

In the garden: It's nearly time to plant bluebonnet seeds and garlic. 

In the car: Seemingly all day long.

But I make the most out of it.

I need to get our pencils sharpened - I'll be back in the morning for the Friday Morning Book Post!

Just for fun.

Three great parenting moments:

• Playing UNO with my super competitive son and surreptitiously dealing him a hand entirely made up of Wild cards.  Pure joy.
• Watching their faces as they hear 'Bohemian Rhapsody' for the very first time.  Highly recommended.
• Stopping by the Godiva counter 'just to look' and then letting my children choose anything they want.

                    

On the last day that you were six.

I threatened to stick your tiny hiney into the shopping cart at Target because you act like every outing is to an amusement park.  

We read Frog and Toad.  Ox Cart Man.  Pajama Time.

I tried to sew some secret pajama pants from your torn Star Wars sheets, but it was so much more fun once you joined me.  You took charge of the pedal and learned all about French seams.  I don't know if you really cared, but you love anything that goes "vroom".  You said we were making something old into something new and made me feel like I was teaching you something that mattered.  

I took you to a gymnastics class.  You, who learned to bounce from place to place before you could walk.

You had me take pictures of you making your "cool" face.

I held you in my arms before bed while we sang your favorite song to each other.

"I just want to be the one you love."

Happy birthday baby boy.  (But for the record, you are still six for another hour and fifteen minutes).

Best Friend

To Daddy: I've received thousands of comments on this blog but my favorites will always be from you. Thanks for knowing (and being) everything.  I love you.