Just Another Monday

Autumn came for a brief visit today.  Summer is coming back in just a day or two, but today was chilly and cloudy and drizzly.

E13 had planned to mow the lawn for our elderly neighbor, but the rain put a stop to that.  However, E13 did manage to not shower or get dressed ("I'll shower after I'm all sweaty instead of before!") until after lunch.

M11 had a violin lesson this afternoon. Yesterday she was inspired by a beautiful violin number performed by one of the sister missionaries at church.  She told me today that she complimented the missionary and got a hug in return along with the advice to, "Practice, practice, practice!"  It was advice that M11 doesn't really need to hear, but it certainly won't hurt.

S11 got to go babysit our neighbor's toddler daughter while our neighbor worked on prep work for a catering gig she has this week.  She's a professional pastry chef.  S11 had a blast all afternoon and came home $20 richer.  "I'm supposed to go back tomorrow morning at 9 am!"  she exclaimed.

"What about school?"  I asked with my eyebrows raised.

"She'll call you to find out if it's okay," S11 replied.

I've yet to hear from our sweet neighbor.  I'm happy to rearrange our days to be helpful, but last-minute plans that don't go through me leave me disgruntled.  I'm not sure how to handle this . . . but I do know that I should be friendly.

Poor J9 has a bad case of poison ivy.  From what I've gathered she and some little friends used poison ivy leaves to make homes and playgrounds for the frogs they caught at our church campout.  S11 says she warned them that it was poison ivy, but they didn't believe her.  I've not heard about the friends, but our J9's face is swollen so that she doesn't even look like herself.  She's also got it all over her hands, lower arms, and it looks like it's spread to her midriff--she must have scratched an awful lot before we figured out what was going on.  She's faithfully dosing herself with calamine lotion, applying ice packs when the itching is so bad she simply can't take it, and this afternoon I asked my husband to give her a dose of Benadryl.  Her face stayed swollen, but the medicine knocked her out so that she slept the day away--unaware of any itchiness.

A6 is still in love with paper airplanes.  Her every free moment is spent making or decorating them.  H4 and I1 follow her around like puppies, imitating her every move.

--We worked on our New Testament journals again. 
--The big girls did their independent schoolwork.
--A6 did her little bit of reading and writing.
--H4 and I snuggled together with our Beatrix Potter collection in lieu of our normal preschool.
--I1 remains devoted to Peedie and Boo Boo, so I read those stories to him several times.  He also got to go on a walk with Daddy this morning to keep him happy and busy while the older girls and I cut and pasted together.

 I've been trying to stick to the couch as much as possible since Saturday, and it has been a blessing.  It is making me insane to leave chores undone or watch others do them for me, but I'm finally starting to heal, so I'm making myself stay put. To help me keep my place, I have been reading the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke.  I'm confused as to why I've never heard of these books before now.  They are great fantasies about a book world come to life.

I have a particular weakness for books about when our world and fiction worlds cross paths.

I need very much to make jam of the peaches that I picked up on Saturday, so tomorrow I will sit at the kitchen table to cut and organize while the older girls (I hope!) help cook and stir.  I'm hopeful that just standing and sitting in my kitchen won't be too much of a burden.

Tonight S11 has choir practice.  I sent everyone with Daddy so that those who were not singing could run around the field and play for an hour after spending the whole day holed up indoors.  I'm jealous and lonely at home--and snacking too much--but they should be home soon, windblown, happy, and tired.  I made a zucchini cake for them as a bedtime snack.  I hope that will induce unusual cooperation over baths and bedtime routines.

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