Not Quite Ordinary Observations

For Today...Tuesday, July 8, 2014

In the great outdoors...clouds increasing, although I don’t think we’re expecting rain today. We’ll see.

Also, a new round of peaches ripening. They’re almost there, and this tree definitely is producing nicely! And they’re much bigger than the few we got off the other tree. We picked one yesterday that was just shy of ripe, and it was really good. Slightly firmer than we like, but oh so sweet!

Within our four walls...still chaos as we try to get books switched out and the house back in order after the weekend rearrange.

(This is just a portion of the chaos. There are also stacks and tubs in the foyer. Lots of books!)

We got the big stuff done in this room (pictures to come, just for those of you who like rearranging as much as I do), but I just keep running out of time to get the old books put away and the new books up and ready. I will have it done this week before Olivia and I leave for camp next week!

A heart of thanksgiving...for my incredible husband and for children who truly delight in helping one another. For such a wonderful supply of books! For a continued (relatively) cool summer.

A heart of prayer...rain for the Choates, as the village is in desperate need of water. Needs of friends and loved ones.

Random observations...I keep finding little notes scattered here and there where I have written down funny things the kids say. I don’t know if I’ve shared these things yet, so I’ll look back to see if I have. If not, you’ll soon find yourselves entertained.

My silly children...love to sing while they work. It’s precious, even if a bit off key and somewhat of a cacophony.

Thoughts from the kitchen…Doug has been experimenting with béchamel sauce. Oh my goodness. Saturday night for date time, we had this:

I know the picture comes nowhere near doing this justice. But, it is sausage-filled tortellini with tomatoes (fresh from a church member’s garden) very slightly stewed and infused with a garlic flavor, topped with a bit of mozzarella, and immersed in the béchamel. Words cannot express the deliciousness in that bowl.

Yesterday he took the rest of the sauce and more fresh tomatoes and created a skillet lasagna that was absolutely phenomenal.

Let’s just say I will never crave Olive Garden again. 

On my bookshelf...more organization than I’ve had in a while! I’ve switched to a cubby shelf, each one currently holding a “theme” of books and supplies. Let’s see how long that will last.

Projects...finish the books. That’s tops. 

Sounds of the moment...heavy equipment across the street as they continue to work on the new store. I think they’re getting ready to pave the parking lot soon. It’s not far from done.

From Hibbard Academy...sorting books. That’s it. This year will be a challenge because the kids will all be in different periods of history for the first time. Angie will be doing an Eastern Hemisphere study, Steven is starting American history, and Olivia’s focus will be year two of world history. I really wanted to keep them together in the scope, but I think this is just going to work better with our resources. We’ll see how it goes!

A favorite thing from last week...a three-day weekend of reorganization and family fun.

The planner...pool, work, tackling chaos, and getting the family ready for Olivia and me to be gone to camp next week.

Because visuals are fun...I just have to share a little of my excitement. The featured product in the bottom right hand corner of CBD’s homeschool catalog is OUR product. I probably say it took much and get on people’s nerves with it, but I absolutely love being a part of Home Educating Family. And when I see our products featured like this, I cannot help but be proud that I get to be a part of it. And I get to work with some amazing people while still being home with my babies. What a blessing!