Journal #12

 Out my window:

 

Maybe 60 degrees, sunny, slight breeze, some clouds now and again.  Really a beautiful spring day.
 

Clothing myself:

Jeans, sandals, Franciscan University Lady Barons basketball T-shirt.  (On the bright side, my mom watched the kiddos for me this morning and I was able to pick up a couple pairs of Capri pants and a new shirt at JC Penny!!  Gotta get 'em washed and I will be a "whole new gal" :)
 

Around the house:

Since Paul and Miriam's birthdays are approaching (same day) I have been collecting items for their presents.  I usually find the gifts from not only our immediate family but my folks and my brother (makes it nice to get them a bigger gift sometimes and/or just get them something I know they will really love).  For Paul we had already ordered a balance bike (got a pretty good deal on it, too) as he has one but it is really too small.  This one should be good for him for a few years.  However, not more than two days later a friend listed a train table for sale.  Well, we just could not pass up the train table as we KNEW he and all the other kids for that matter, would love it.  So we snatched it up and it is waiting patiently in the back of the escape (not a lot of places to hide a toy that size).  However, in order to find a place for it I had to some serious rearranging!

 

Here is a "before" picture of the corner of the TV room.  (The irony is that I have a folder full of TV room pictures - in nice sections - that I was going to print and hang up so the kids would know where the toys go, but now that folder has been rendered useless as not a week later I am rearranging again!! - hah)

 

 

And here is an "after" picture. 

 

 

We had been meaning to replace the monster TV for a while, so this was a good incentive. 

 

Funny story tangent:  I measured the old TV (22 inches straight across) and told the hubby we should replace it and the size, so I found an acceptable 24 inch (according to the site dimensions) TV and the hubby thought we were upgrading.  Well, the TV comes in (site to store) and he picks it up.  All he can say over and over: "it is small, it seems small, it MUST be smaller than the other."  Well, it was.  I KNOW to measure a TV diagonally, but for some reason I had a major brain fart (something about going from an old box screen to a widescreen - had me confused) and measured it across.  So we actually went from a 27 inch TV to a 24 inch TV.  Facepalm on my part.  But. . . when it came to hanging it on the wall. . . because of where the studs are in this room and the location of the window, there was NO WAY to hang it where we wanted it.  And since we have an older house, there are only outlets on two of the walls in the room so that limits our options, too.  In any case, in a moment of inspiration I noticed it would fit PERFECTLY on the bookshelf.  So with a little rearranging of other items our bookshelf turned into an entertainment center and I could not be happier!  So apparently I accidentally bought exactly what we needed!!  Thank you GOD!! :)

 

I will be sure to post another picture soon with the new train table.  As of now you can pretty-much guess where it will go.

 

 

 

In other news, I'm planning to do the great clothing sort (shorts out to the drawers and most of the pants to the tubs) so we shall see how that goes.  HOPEFULLY I can find homes for everything and will discover my kids have enough summer clothes.
 

 The Baby:

Working on teeth.  She is up to 8 broken through.  She has been a crab at night lately and although I feel for her, I am TIRED.  Yep, just tired.  She CAN sleep through the night and she will (when her teeth or other ailments are not bothering her) and that is perhaps the most frustrating part.  She had me spoiled!!

 

She also had a bad diaper rash and infection AGAIN.  She seems to get them a lot.  I'm doubting my baby-care skills, but the doc says sometime sit just happens. 

 

She is standing more on her own in addition to the constant cruising on furniture or with Rebekah guiding her.  She also has the most adorable babbling.  All in all she is pretty cute and growing up way too fast!
 

The Kids:

Rebekah is really getting into art lately.  Our amazing neighbor, who happens to be a graphic designer and a "professional" artist and all has agreed to give Rebekah art lessons!  All for the low price of watching her two kiddos during the session.  I cannot tell who is excited, Rebekah or the neighbor.

 

Samuel is learning he has a temper and I am having trouble helping him control it.  His first instinct is to hit or pinch or push.  He has great remorse afterward, but getting him to stop and think before acting is turning into quite a challenge!
 

In the Kitchen:

I really need to find some more recipes (don't I say that every time?) but I am still plugging along as best I can.  I am back to the fridge calendar.  I'm pretty sure the secret is to cook ahead and freeze as much as I can.  I keep trying, but often it is difficult to get ahead with this growing, HUNGRY family!
 

Crafting:

I really have not had much time for crafting lately, but I am ALMOST half way through my mom's scarf and I am not touching anything else until it is DONE.
 

Learning:

I ordered the California Test of Basic skills for Rebekah and Samuel.  It was very affordable from Seton Homeschool.  It should arrive in a week or two and take about 2.5 hours to administer.  Then I send it in and should receive the results in a couple weeks.

 

Rebekah still has some book work to do, mostly because I had her do THREE math books this year.  She finished the catch-all book for her grade and then is about three quarters through the word problem book I got her (as I thought her word problem solving needed practice).  She also started a multiplication book as she is super-excited about it.  So she will keep doing Math throughout the summer I believe.  We are also going to work on her Spanish.  I got some Spanish music and we have been reading some kids' books in Spanish.  That makes it more fun, for sure.  In addition, she did not get through her spelling book, but she is a VERY good speller and the only reason she did not get through the book is because I did not take the time to test her on all the tests.  But the obsessive compulsive part of me says we need to finish taking all those tests to be SURE she gets through.  These subjects, coupled with her journals (the prayer journal and the saints journal) will keep her "indoor time" busy this summer.

 

For Samuel I plan to push the math board games we have and encourage him to keep writing.  I think I will give him a handwriting sheet each day and maybe have him start a journal of a sentence a day with a picture.
 

Reading:

Recently I have had a problem with my reading.  I cannot seem to finish a book, but I keep starting more!  I am currently reading: Surrender by Father Larry Richards, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice, Beyond the Birds and the Bees by Greag Popcak and Lisa Popcak and John Paul II's Thelogy of the Body Explained by Chris West.  In addition to the Daily Mass readings from The Word Among Us, and a few chapters from the bible (usually an old testament, a chapter from the Gospel, one from the prophets or Psalms, and one from the letters of the new testament).  I was also trying to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but have not gotten to it lately.  When they changed up the format it was delivered to my inbox it kinda stifled my interest as I wanted to read it cover to cover, not just get the highlights.  I've read it before, so I have the gist of it, I wanted to look for details and such I might have overlooked.  Oh well, I made it about half way, that is something.
 

Bringing me joy:

+Looking forward to our homeschool coop's end-of-the-year celebration.  The kids are going to do a little program.  My folks and Gordie's mom are going to be able to make it and I think it will be REALLY cute!

+Our neighbors.  We are really blessed to have such a great family next door - wonderful friendship and playmates, right beside us :)
 

Thinking about:

Weird sick-like symptoms I have had and how the antibiotic the doc gave me is not really helping :(  I hope these either pass or it gets figured out soon as it is just annoying.
 

Bible verse:

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” (John 15:9-11)
 

Pictures to share: