A Week, Briefly (1/29/18)

The week has been so full that memories, emotions, experiences are all crowding in and around one another so that I am just lost in the midst of it all.

Much of it has been good.

Some of it has been awful.

Some of it has been just plain frustrating.

I guess that's real life!

Last weekend 3 of my teens went to a spectacular function during which they were all dolled up by professional makeup and hair artists and loaned gorgeous gowns, then they were fed and treated to a professional speaker on the topic "You Are Loved."  There were live bands providing music, and 230 young women sang, danced, and received an important message of how they are each known and loved by God.

My girls LOVED it.

I did some organizing, clearing out old stuff and making room for new.  One of the new items is a hand-me-down game from cousins called Moustache Smash.  The kids have had a blast playing this hilarious and noisy game.

Knitting and crocheting have been the girls' activity of choice.  Ladybug is thrilled to finally be coordinated enough to catch on to finger-knitting.  And sweet Nature Angel has patiently sat by Ladybug's side for hours this week, teaching her how to chain stitch with a crochet hook. 

And Nature Angel is always happy to share some of her Greek studies with her siblings. 

We had 4 good days of Academy and Symposium, and we're 6 for 6 for Morning Meeting.  (Saturdays do not go without a devotional if I can help it). 

Little Princess finished 3rd grade math this week!

And Brother finished his first math book, too!  He's excited to start a new one.

Temperatures swung from frigid to mild, and the kids spent many hours outside.  With our woods so winter bare, it is easy for the kids to wander through them, and the pathways are getting firmly entrenched.  I did a bit of a wander one afternoon and noticed that we have some trash to pick up.  Hopefully that will go onto next week's activity list.

I found this little nature-adventure vignette of Mister Man's.  It made me smile.

Our printer and computer have decided to stop communicating, so I've spent 3 days on the phone with various tech people.  They all get one document to print, but then the changes don't last.  Sir Walter Scott finally set us up for wired communication, and it just shows how much I've changed in that I'm annoyed every time I have to get up and plug in cords to print instead of enjoying the convenience of wireless.

First world problem.

Feels bigger than that.

I'm trying to understand why and keep some perspective. :)

Lola seems to be basically potty-trained.  She still has accidents, but they tend to be right next to the potty--from waiting too long to actually get where she needs to be.  She changes her own pants, but she never puts on underclothing, so it's pretty funny when an older child goes to help her and yelps with surprise.  She's mostly cooperative about trying to go potty when she's told to, but she does look surprised and say, "Again?!?!?" as if she thought she could be done with this by now. 

Poor little lady.  She's got a lifetime of this ahead.

Belle's vision board--created at a church youth activity. 

Rose Red's--There's hope that she still has some good goals in spite of her actual behaviors.

Pixie's board.

We had a huge, triple-header dance show this weekend.  We do this service for a local theater group fundraiser in exchange for free use of their theater for our end of year recital.  Unfortunately the theater is booked more solidly than usual, and they only gave us one date, but half of our group will be out of town that weekend for important family events. 

Now we're scrambling for a new spring venue.

But it was Lola's and Baymax's first time performing, and they simply stole the show. 

(I'm not the only one who thinks that--lots of other people said so.)

The lady who runs the book sale table remembered our family and was moved to tears when she spoke with Brother and Beowulf.  She said, "They've just grown and opened up so beautifully!  I can't believe the changes!"

Truly, she's right, and she's not the only one to notice.  In the past two weeks, I've had 2 other people tell me the same thing. 

Such lovely encouragement for me, but what a miracle for them!!!

Before signing off for the week, I must record that my main kitchen stove top and my basement oven were finally fixed this week!  I've been cooking for 14 on 2 small burners upstairs, and while having 2 ovens is a luxury, my upstairs one is miniature.  For my family, I need a full-sized oven, and I've not had one for many, many months.  The night I was able to bake meatballs in the basement and roast carrot fries upstairs, thus prepping and serving dinner within an hour was so glorious I cried.

And then I did a happy dance when my largest burner on the stove--the one that fits our giant frying pan--cooked our scrambled eggs evenly and in only 10 minutes!

The kids have been laughing at me.

It was a long day for this little Viking hero.

(linking here)