A Week, Briefly (#15)

It never fails . . . the things I'm absolutely sure I'll remember all week are absolutely gone from my memory by Saturday morning.   I didn't make the notes I thought about making, and now I'm sitting here with a blank mind about Monday and Tuesday.

I know that we completed our fairy tale unit for our literature lessons--The Emperor's New Clothes (pride) and versions of Cinderella from various cultures (archetypes and true beauty).  The older girls had to write essays about how to engrave the image of Christ on their countenances (inspired by Alma 5:19).

We did not do any chemistry lessons, but Rose Red completed All About Spelling Level 1 and finished lesson 1 of Vocabulary from Classical Roots.

The older girls did 2-3 math lessons each this week.

We finished reading Old Yeller.  I cried . . . I always do.  The older girls smirked and pretended indifference to the beautiful story that we all know and love.  The little girls were quite affected.  It was a good book to have read right now as we're preparing to have our dog put to sleep; she's terribly old, has begun to cry a lot and can't move about comfortably any more.  

Little Princess and I finished her flower fairy alphabet lessons.  She's quite proud of her beautiful book full of flower drawings and scripture story copywork.

And I never posted any pictures of her number lessons, so here's one--it's one of my favorites.

 We shopped for final base costume pieces for the dance shows; it's harder than you'd think to find white button down blouses and black pants when you're thrift store shopping.

I met with a play therapist for Brother.  She's wonderful!  I have high hopes for how she'll help our boy.  His first appointment is bright and early Monday morning.

Sir Walter Scott had to work on Tuesday night, so the kids and I all headed to the church for youth activities.  The big girls did some planning for the year ahead while the littles and I got a lot of exercise in the gym with some of the other moms and little siblings who were waiting for their teen family members.

 We attended Ladybug's final day of school party on Wednesday.  It was sweet, and low key--just right for children with special needs such as Ladybug's.  She got a few going away presents, and she handed out little boxes of chocolates as gifts to her teachers and helpers, but the true treasure was a book her teacher put together that had pictures of and projects done by Ladybug over the past 2 years.  Such cute pictures of her when she was only 2 and 3 years old!  Such a sweet documentation of how she's grown in mind and body and spirit.

This is a family portrait she drew during her last week of school.  When she had the first 2 rows done, her aide asked her if she was done.  She answered "Oh, no! Mr. G---, I have a lot of work to do still!"  There are too many of us in the picture, but I still think it is a priceless treasure!

 On our way home from school for the last time, I pulled into the parking lot of the nature center for a spontaneous outing.  We spent a happy hour watching snakes, touching turtle shells, asking questions about birds of prey and doing puzzles.

Then Sir Walter Scott and I headed off to the art museum for a date--just the two of us.  We've not been diligent about dating, but we're resolved to fix that error.  We're grateful for how much babysitting our older girls did this week.  I don't count their babysitting for legal school hours, but I do count it for true education.  They are very good caregivers and will be so very prepared for motherhood.

The kids did 2 shows at 2 different nursing homes on Thursday.  The shows were delightful.  The kids and parents are now happy and exhausted.  It is too painful to recount how crazy the day was for me when I got to the first show--23 miles from home--and realized that in spite of my checklists and careful organizing I'd somehow left 4 base costumes at home.  Suffice to say, several moms and my darling, darling husband helped save my sanity while I raced, praying, to a nearby thrift store and experienced a miracle when I found replacement pieces for everything I needed and made it back before show time.

Poor Little Princess broke her toe Thursday morning when she ran into Super Star in the hallway.   It's a pretty good break, necessitating a trip to urgent care before the dance shows, and another trip to the orthopedist this coming Monday.  She didn't get to dance.

While the rest of us danced, Sir Walter Scott took Ladybug, Little Brother, and Little Sister to a local historical site where they got to play in a miniature cabin and covered wagon.  I want to read Little House in the Big Woods to Ladybug, now!

On Friday we recovered by cleaning out the van and baking pies for the teen homeschool Thanksgiving dinner.  I realized only 2 hours beforehand that I was responsible to deliver a crock pot full of soup for a church member's funeral.  I frantically assembled the soup on the stove, transferred it to the crock pot, and got it delivered with 10 minutes to spare.  I came home to find that the big girls had successfully fed lunch to everyone else.

Hooray for my big girls!

Little Brother had a grand time when the truck arrived to clean out our septic tank (ugh--I won't go into detail about how we might have to have our entire system replaced!).  He is truly captivated by all things mechanical, and big trucks are simply the delight of his life.

Amazon delivered our subscribe and save items in an enormous box that the kids played in for hours.  I love imaginative play with boxes.

This morning the 3 oldest girls are off with the other church youth to do yard work for some widows in our congregation.  Then it will be time to clean house, send Sir Walter Scott to bed so he can work tonight, greet the septic tank guy who is going to trouble shoot our system, send Rose Red off to a church dance, send Pixie off to a babysitting job, and get the rest of the kids to bed on time to be ready for the sabbath.

Nature Angel has been learning about circuits with an Usborne book.  I checked an old science supply box I had stashed and found the bulbs, holder, wires, and other electrical supplies.  Dad found batteries, and she's had a grand day.

First haircut

 I'm not emotionally ready for Thanksgiving to be here yet!!!!