A Week, Briefly (#20)

Though Thursday was a hard day, overall, I am filled with more delight and joy in the life we are living than I can remember for a long time.  I'm still not very organized (for some reason meal planning is killing me, and I'm usually very good at that!), but I'm happy, happy, happy to snuggle Baby L, to look I3 in the eyes and listen to him tell me a story, to sit still while H5 styles my hair, to admire A8's most recent drawing, to watch J11's face as she reads a favorite book, to take S12 with me to the grocery store, to supervise M13 while she checks out Facebook, to plan and dream with E15, and to go on a date with my sweet heart.

Our date wasn't terribly exciting by worldly standards, but it took monumental effort for us to get out alone together, and we enjoyed it.

Our first plan was to go out on Friday night.  In the late afternoon I was helping E15 finish up a math assignment, so Dad headed into the bedroom to rest and read.  When the math book was closed, I headed into the bedroom with Baby L in my arms and curled up into my sweet heart's arms with Baby L nestled between us.  I closed my eyes while Baby and Dad made happy gurgling noises at one another.

It was divine.

Within a few minutes E15 made her way into our room.  She flopped onto the bed next to me.  Soon M13, S12, and H5 found us.  They found room on the bed, too.  A8 followed shortly.  I3 popped his head in to tell us about what he was doing (playing with A8's new Barbies), but he wasn't interested in hanging out with us . . . yet.  After a time he joined us, and we laughed at 9 in the bed.  J11 was reading in her room, and we felt her absence, so someone went to get her, and soon we were all 10 in the bed. 

Then one of the big girls fetched a Mad Libs book, and we all laughed our brains out together.

So Dad and I ended up having our date night on Saturday.

During the week we manged to
--have 3 days that included math lessons
--attend our Explorer's Club meeting (It was a toy drive for a local children's shelter.  It was a whopping success!)
--get to soccer practices and games
--read aloud together all 7 days of the week
--have morning devotionals 5 days
--have family prayer and scripture study 6 days
--take the 4 littlest ones to a local pond for a hike and observation (photos below)
--complete a 5K (all 10 of us! I walked while wearing Baby L.  I3 rode in the jogging stroller with Dad pushing.  Everyone else--including Dad--ran.  Dad was the first stroller-pusher to cross the finish line!)
--have a phonics lesson with I3 (He's been trying to sound out the words in the hymn book at church, so I figured I'd help him out)
--attend youth activities at the church
--take E15 to the orthopedist to find out that she doesn't have a fracture after all (why did they say 2 weeks ago that she DID?).  After new x-rays and an exam they suspect soft tissue damage.  We get MRI results some time this week.
--make more progress hardscaping the front yard for gardening
--have a family home evening lesson on good nutrition

That's all I can remember.  I've got to get out my school calendar and start taking notes again.

Best $7 I ever spent?

This paper doll book for A8 that I picked up at the homeschool conference a few weeks ago:

She spent 3 days cutting out all of the pictures
Look at all of the outfits!

There are also pages of toys for the paper doll children to play with

That's I3's little hand holding those tiny toy soldiers
 Pond pictures:



Photo credit:  H5

Photo credit: H5

Photo credit: H5





And just because it makes me smile:



Comments

  1. WendyMay 4, 2015 at 6:46 AM

    I remember playing with paper dolls. How fun. And really cute pictures. I'm so happy that you are feeling happy and content. I'm wondering if you sang the song, "Ten in the bed and the littlle one said roll over."? A funny idea for me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. DianaMay 4, 2015 at 1:00 PM

    I especially love H5's picture of the wee one! Beautiful!!

    And I'm sooo jealous of your GREEN environment - beautiful!!

    I love reading about your sweet family. :)
    Diana

    ReplyDelete
  3. JudyMay 5, 2015 at 5:11 PM

    The pictures tell such a story. Precious children... so blessed to have parents like you!

    ReplyDelete

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