A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week. At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.
Around here, I have been:
trudging through a hard week…there has been a lot of bickering and tears among the older kids. I know it has something to do with the long winter days stuck inside without sports or friends, but it’s still so draining. I’ve also got an adorable but clingy, teething baby. Another reason I’m feeling like a burnt out mama. Some weeks are like that.
surprising the kids on Monday with a trip to a new park. We were all so excited to be outside in the spring-like weather and I even extended the celebration by getting ice cream cones on the way home. D declared that it was “the bestest day ever”. Unfortunately, the warm weather didn’t last long and we’re even supposed to get a rain/snow mix today!
reading Overcoming Dyslexia (this book is so fascinating, but I can only read small chunks at a time in order to digest it) and I just started Where’d You Go, Bernadette.
shaking my head at my slightly dramatic daughter. She fell down in our yard and somehow scraped her thumb. It was minor, so I put a Bandaid on and thought that was that. Oh no. She has been walking around all week with her hand clung to her chest saying, “Oh Mama…me hand hurt.” Her pathetic little voice kills me, but the act is getting old.
researching how to fit four boys in one bedroom. We need two sets of bunk beds, but can’t decide what to do. Go for the more affordable option with a shorter lifespan or invest in better quality with the higher price tag?
baking chocolate chip cookies and I even ate a few too. It’s been that kind of week.
trying something new with a cucumber facial mask. I am an Influenster member and I received a handful of samples to try for free. So when I found myself with a window of free time (Mark was at church and the kids were all asleep…can you hear the angels singing?), I figured I’d see what this was all about. After I applied it on my face, it hardened and I was able to peel it right off. It was the weirdest feeling, but my skin felt awesome afterward!
running three miles three times a week and a long run on Saturday. I’ll be running six tomorrow and I always get the nerves and butterflies the day before. Trying to remember that I am stronger than I think.
homeschool notes:
+ History was all about early Crete this week. We learned about bull jumpers and even found a short video to visualize it. The boys’ favorite was listening to the story of King Minos and the Minotaur. We worked through a few mazes and then pulled out a Lego game that fit in with the theme perfectly. We’ll be rounding out the week with a volcano eruption!
+ In order to expand M’s reading, I’ve issued a challenge: read 100 books and he’ll get a prize at the end. We printed off this chart and he colors in a circle after he reads a book and can summarize it to me. Beginner chapter books (which I am encouraging him to read) count for one circle, but if he wants to read picture books (also encouraged, especially when he reads aloud to Sophie), he needs to read four. He loves it!
+ In Kindergarten, we ended our work on uppercase letters and are headed back around to look at the lowercase ones. I have seen so much improvement in D’s recall – so exciting!
+ We practiced our uppercase letters by “painting” them with water on our chalkboard wall. Everyone got in on the fun.
