Last Day of September Daybook

Outside my window...
It's dark, cold, and rainy.  Hello fall!  There's some high 70's temps this week.  :/  

I am thankful for...
slow times this weekend.  Nothing pressing and no obligations.

I am thinking about...
Rory.  Stay tuned.

In the Schoolroom...
Things are still flowing.  Some days are better than others.  Just when I think we've hit a groove, life throws something else our way.  It's getting pretty tiring.  Does anyone else feel this way?  

From the kitchen...
scraps.  We're trying to make a little go a long way.  Budget conscious.  We did have a big family favorite tonight, Crockpot Salisbury Steak, Mac-n-Cheese, and broccoli.  It was delish!  I need to start cooking lean.  It's hard because I'm picky.  I already just cook for Kevin and I because the kids don't eat it, or being completely honest, Kevin cooks for just the two of us.

I am creating...
drawers of seasonal wardrobe.  I hate doing it.  I've already given 5 bags to some veteran's organization, 56 items to the local consignment shop, and Rory's clothes still don't fit in her drawers.  We were given A LOT of clothes from a friend, so that's been a blessing.  Rory and Marley are just about taken care of for the cold weather.  :)

I am working on... 
stuff.  ;)  I am thinking that I need to prioritize AGAIN.  Maybe I just need to remove that word from my vocabulary.  I get stuck on housekeeping, then home schooling, then parenting, then this, that, and the other.  I thought I was a very focused person, but I am proving myself wrong.    

I am reading...
The Year of Learning Dangerously by Quinn Cummings. 

I am praying for...
a list of folks.  Rory is at the top.

I am hearing...
the kids getting in trouble again for being loud and playing when they're supposed to be going to sleep, AND "How It's Made" for the hundredth time today.  

Around the house...
We already went over clothing changes.  Other than that, this place is a wreck.  I have tried to be diligent, but it's so discouraging to have it messed up RIGHT AFTER you've cleaned it.  Thus is life with kids, I know, but really?!  Right after?!

One of my favorite things...
Diet Pepsi.  It's like other people's coffee.  I need it which means I'll have to give it up again soon.  :(

A few plans for the rest of the week...
the doctors.  Kevin and I took the kids for a run this weekend, and he took a spill.  His ankle looks pretty swollen.  We're going to see if there's a fracture or anything.  While we're there, I'm going to get Rory some bloodwork.  Then it's gymnastics, choir, the gym, taking Kaelyn to and from school, collapsing from exhaustion, and doing it all over again.

A picture thought for you...

I have a feeling that there is a very similar picture of me somewhere out there.  I think she looks a lot like me when I was little in this picture.  Have a happy week, folks! 
  

Pictures of a Day in the Life of Me

This is the groundhog that lives under our front porch.  He has dug away at the dirt supporting the bricks of our patio, so the patio is caving in.  Might I mention the flies that swarm his hole.  Every time we open the front door, one of them gets in.  I want it fixed as soon as possible.  Waiting on funding...

Making craters

Making craters on Mercury

Snacktime.  Could I have a trophy or something?  I think I won best mom for telling my child to hold on while I take a picture as she screams her head off.  She tried to open her peaches by herself.  Stellar moment.

Driving Kaelyn to school even though technically she drives.

Picking Kaelyn up from school with Marley.  She prefers to go in her jammies since she gets up from nap right before I have to leave.  Kaelyn's driving in this picture again.

Dinnertime.  She's still in her jammies.  The firemen visited preschool today.  :)

There are no shots of after dinnertime because that is witching hour, and there will never be proof of what goes on here then.  These are the days of our lives.....

Things I Have Learned About Myself...

1. I was born during the right time period.  I don't think I would be able to make those prairie days or really any days before indoor plumbing.  I think everyone in our house is pretty regular lately, and it's just a good thing to have.

2. I am getting old.  I'm starting to notice that I do not bounce back from working out as fast as I used to.  There are a lot of younger people in my classes at the gym, and I find myself huffing and puffing while they're jumping up and down and ready to go.

3. I feel like I've been doing a lot of things better than before.  I've tried to slow down and keep the calendar clear.  I've been keeping school a priority even when I COMPLETELY do not want to do it.  We're talking EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING do not want to do it.  Our weekends are open and wonderful.  Low and slow....it's great.

4. I need a white board on the front door facing in.  Then I could write all the really important things that need done that day.  I'm worried that I would start writing down things that will be important a couple days out because I'll be afraid to forget them.  Then it'll get all cluttered and look like the calendar I already have that has things written for me to forget about.

Sorry for the random thoughts.  Sometimes I just gotta get things off my mind to make room for more awesomeness.  HA!  I'll leave you with a picture because I'm nice.

Is this the little girl I cared for?  :( 
 

This and That

Pyro in the making

Painful Pansies

 

Rory wanted to be art teacher for the day.  She gathered some fabrics and told me to make flowers with buttons for the middle and straws for the stems.  This was the best I could do.  I happened to have some little flower pots, and they were decorated with stickers.

Freaks

 

I have no explanation for Rory and her knee high fuzzy socks with sandals.  Look at Miss Marley with her hand on her hip.  Crazy!

Kung Fu Computing

Morning Marley

Rory Animation

 

 

 

 

Shrinky Dinks

Do you remember these things?  My sister and I used to do them ALL THE TIME.  We did them before there was a special Shrinky Dink oven and everything.  Old school.  I have only fond memories, so when I saw them in the store, I snatched them up for a Marley birthday gift.  One morning instead of "school" we did Shrinky Dinks, which by the way, I totally count as "school."  

It was so cool we had to call daddy up from downstairs to see too.  (SIDENOTE: notice sleep pants again)

I don't know if you can see them in there through Marley's hair, but they're shrinking!  It was a lot of fun and reminded me of my childhood.  I've wanted to get this Shrinky Dink Christmas tree every year but can never bring myself to spend the money on it.  I can't believe some people buy the Shrinky Dink oven.  Anything to make some money, huh?

 

School Daze

Yes, we are still getting some school done.  Crazy!  I really like the science curriculum we have.  The kids like it too.  One of the assignments was to refrigerate a chocolate bar and take it outside on a sunny day with a microscope.  We were learning why it's not good to look directly at the sun.  We have never done the microscope in the sun stuff.  It was pretty cool.  We were having such a good time, we called daddy out to play too.

Kevin grabbed a leaf instead.  It was awesome how the chocolate held it's shape.  You could smell the burning chocolate and see the smoke.  When Rory touched it, it completely melted.  And yes, those are Kevin's pajama pants that he was still in that afternoon.  :)

What our table regularly looks like these days.

We made igloos a couple of weeks ago.  Since I'm not an architect, I did not know how to handle the arched roof.  Then we didn't have enough sugar cubes, so I grabbed marshmallows.  Not great, but oh well.

Yeah, pathetic.  Again...why I'm not an architect.


 

Cooking Class - Greece

We had our second homeschool cooking class this past week.  Unfortunately, Rory got her cooking class privilege taken away.  Marley and Logan still got to participate.  They love cooking and often fight over who gets to cook with daddy because, yes, Kevin does the majority of the cooking around here.  They made yogurt with honey and pistachios or walnuts, pita chips, and cucumber salad.  Rory and Marley liked the cucumber salad.  It had grape tomatoes and onions in it.  They made their own yogurt (kind of...the chef did it before hand since it took overnight).  I thought Logan would love the yogurt, but he didn't like it with the honey.  Even Rory liked the yogurt, and she normally doesn't.  There was some Feta cheese there that Marley and Rory ate up too.  

When we went to leave, I couldn't find my keys.  I prayed the whole way to the car, only to find it locked with my keys sitting on the driver's seat.  I had to call Kevin.  He drove a half hour to open the door for me with the other key.  My friend, one of the other mom's, mentioned that at least it was a nice day and not raining.  True.  We sat on the stairs of a courthouse and waited for Kevin.  He let us in and we were on our way home.  

The kids and I are really enjoying these cooking classes.  We'll be making the pita chips for sure.  The kids loved him!

Marley's Birthday Blog

There are so many pictures.  When I see them, there might be a story, but let's get goin'.

Marley got to pick her cake from Safeway.  They had, at one point, a cake that looked like a pizza.  She really wanted it, but by the time we got there the next day, it wasn't there anymore.  :(  This cake looks sad.  Kevin got icing to write on it with, so I stepped up to the challenge.

Not bad, eh?

She got a dreamlight, Dora chair, gymnastics lessons, a musical Dora book, and money.

My mom made cupcakes and the kids decorated them.

Look at how much Logan and Marley look alike in this picture.

She stuck her face in the cake.  I don't know if it was on purpose or not.

Cousin Samantha made cupcakes...pink and purple for the girly Marley.

By the way, do you love the reggae candle colors?  Fitting since she was named after Bob.

Something for a jumpy Marley.  We were schooling the other day and Rory said, "I'm itchy."  Logan said, "I'm hungry." Then Marley said, "I'm...jumpy."  It was funny.

We couldn't get it open, so Kevin ripped it open and poured it out.  There were Peppermint Patties.  I LOVE Peppermint Patties...because of my mommy.  :)

And then she celebrated it at school today and got a birthday ribbon.  She's looking so grown up.  :(