Not Quite Ordinary Observations

For Today...Monday, April 22, 2013

In the great outdoors...a gorgeous day of sunshine. A yard desperately in need of mowing before the next rain. Lots of fruit growth. I was going to stick just a picture or two in here, but there are so many beautiful pictures of blossoms and new fruit! So, I’ll post those tomorrow. Here’s a sneak peek, though – our first blueberries!

blueberries

Within our four walls...quiet as the children have already finished working and are outside (well, Olivia’s not quite done – she’s just waiting for the computer so she can finish). It’s also comfortable. No heat. No A/C. A few windows open, probably to increase as the day wears on.

A heart of thanksgiving...the sunshine and a yard where my kids can play. Prayer support. The  blessing of being a reviewer. Friendship. Connection with people I cannot see face to face.

A heart of prayer...several friends in times of great struggle, salvation, daily discipline and focus on doing all for God’s glory.

Random observations...I have orders ready for most of the kids’ school stuff for next year. Now I get to shop for supplements! Angela needs a lot because she is working with Steven for one more year, and their core is definitely too easy for her. So, I have a ready-made excuse to start shopping for some of those books that I’ve really wanted but haven’t been able to get as review resources. Fun!!

My silly children...found great delight in working together this morning. I kept hearing Olivia talking and the other two laughing, and I was afraid that meant no school work was being done. I discovered, though, that Olivia was doing her school work out loud (another blessing of homeschooling – talking her work out helps her TREMENDOUSLY) and the other two (who have always been able to focus even amid distraction) were pretending she was telling funny math stories. All three were finished with their work in record time!

Thoughts from the kitchen...finally, a menu plan, at least for this week! The crock pots will be used heavily. That makes me smile. Today, however, we will be pulling a ready-made meal straight from the freezer. That makes me smile, too. Methinks I need to do one of my massive cooking sprees before it gets too hot so I’ll have a good number of pre-cooked meals in the freezer and ready to go. I’m feeling motivated! Hopefully that motivation will last through getting it planned, doing the shopping, and getting the cooking done.

On my bookshelf...continuing Beautiful Battlefields and starting Shattered, my next scheduled fiction review. Also reading Desperate with a group of friends. (If any of you moms want to join us as we read and discuss, let me know! We’ve got a blog and a weekly conference call for discussion purposes.)

Projects...I finished Olivia’s shrug! (pictures to come) YAY! Really not happy with that pattern, but the end result was cute. Then I found an adorable knit shrug pattern that I want to make for myself, so I’m going to give it a go. It looks pretty straightforward, but we’ll see. Maybe I’ll also get to the sewing machine this week. Hopefully.

Sounds of the moment...still quiet. Except for the occasional ring of the phone. We have a telemarketer who will not leave us alone, so we’ve started ignoring that number. They try at least twice a day.

Last week we learned...that a tent with a screen “porch” works perfectly for spending time outdoors in mosquito country. Yay for the restoration of outdoor school! Even the “room” of this tent is nice and airy when the top cover is off, thanks to the netting in the roof, the large windows, and the vent in the back.

2013-04-20 14.10.52

A favorite thing from last week...flexibility.

The planner...a pretty normal week. School. Church. That’s about it. I like weeks like these. Soaking them up before summer’s busyness begins.

Because visuals are fun...Well, I’ve shared a couple of pictures already, but here’s one more: Taking Thea for a ride.2013-04-19 18.50.41

Comments

Oh Ann, you're so right - you remind me to be thankful, too, for our yard and neighborhood, where the kids can play safely :D

isn't planning for next year fun?! Can't wait to get going on that!

Love the tent with the "screen porch" :D

Julie
Choate Family said…
I love cooking ahead! It's such a blessing on busy days :-)

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