7 Quick Takes: pumpkin seeds, apple slicers, wait...SEVEN?!!

1. Learning loops.
   
   I've been thinking a lot about our summer schedule, as there are only FIVE WEEKS left in the school year!!!  We have some nice activities to keep us out of trouble busy during June (a few camps, swim lessons, baseball for Kolbe, and Gemma will continue with piano lessons).  Things will pretty much come to a grinding halt around the Fourth of July though...  I am trying to not be terrified by this prospect.  I have always tried to do some learning activities at home with the kids during summer, and it's always either been met with pretty huge resistance or we just get busy with other things on the days/times I scheduled educational stuff and any "structured" learning simply gets left out.  I don't have much higher hopes for this year, but I do have an idea.  Learning loops.  I've broken down some activities I'd like to see the kids do regularly (math facts, independent reading, journaling, letter writing, handwriting practice, etc.) into three categories..."Reading", "Writing", and "Math".  I know.  So creative, right?  It's really a wonder no one has thought of that grouping before.....   Anyways, there is also a fourth category, "30 minutes of free computer time".  I'm typically not much for bribes and rewards (except for when I turn into the dragon version of myself) but the system will go like this... You complete the prescribed amount of work from each category (we will aim for one category per day and I am sure there will be days we don't get to anything) and then you get to do the magical fourth category.  Motivation.  It's motivation. Because it has become apparent that the lure of the glowing screen on my laptop is pretty darn strong, and if I schedule math on Monday and writing on Wednesday and computer on Tuesday and Friday, I can GUARANTEE you they will make time and remind me 400,387 times that it is a computer day, but somehow it doesn't work the same for the math and writing days.  Go figure..  I will report back.
2. Pumpkin seeds.
   
   The kids saved seeds from their jack-o-lanterns this past fall and we finally got around to planting them in some pots this morning.  They have illusions of a pumpkin patch in our yard, which is an odd thought considering the fact that Aaron has put his foot down and said no pumpkins in the yard.  Numerous times.  And I reminded them of that this morning and somehow it didn't phase their plans.  So we'll see where this project takes us.  
3. Birthday.
   
   Oh 36, am I really approaching my late 30s?  What the....????  How did that even happen?  My kids were so good to me yesterday.  Clem even insisted on wearing his six-month-old Mater birthday hat (that he found littered on the ground somewhere last Fall and went on to claim as one of his most prized possessions) to Mass in my honor.  I was...amused.   So were the people around us. At least he didn't insist that I wear it.
   
4. Windows.
   
   I cleaned them again this morning.  The outsides anyways.  Because wouldn't you know like the WEEK after I did my spring window cleaning it rained juuuuuust enough to blow dirt all.over.them.  Like, enough dirt to obscure your view when looking out.  Ridiculous, ugly, dusty nastiness. I kept hoping subsequent rains would wash them off, but no dice. At least this time I only had to do the outsides.  And my ecloths make it pretty easy-peasy, I must say.  Also, speaking of Windows, I really wish my almost six year old laptop would quit asking me if I want to install Windows10.  Seriously, I think this poor old dinosaur would blow up if I tried that.  Hopefully one of the kids doesn't accidentally install it for me.
5. OH my word...it's been forever since I've done this.  SEVEN things?!?!?!!  Trust me, I can't remember the last time I've had seven things exciting enough to actually blog about.  And judging from the above, this post isn't any exception.
6. Bible.
   
   Psalm 25 has been my absolute fave lately.  I went through a phase where I read the 23rd Psalm almost daily (because, right? I am so creative and no one has ever thought to read Psalm 23 on a regular basis before) and one day my eyes wandered over to Psalm 25 and it is so beautiful, and now I find myself returning to it daily.  I particularly like verse 15...
   

   "My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
   for he will pluck my feet out of the net."

   What a beautiful image. Stop focusing on my failures, and obsessing over what I have or may have done wrong.  Keep my eyes on the Lord. Love others. Do His will. Always.  He'll take care of all that other stuff.
7. Apple slicer.
   
   I want an apple slicer so bad.  Something like this.  Apple slices are my go-to snack for the kids, and they especially like to eat them at bedtime.  When the thought of grabbing a paring knife and carving up yet another ~#&($&^$"#+% apple is enough to make me want to jab said knife through a wall.  OK.  Maybe I need therapy instead of an apple slicer.  But if a $10 kitchen gadget can buy me that much peace, maybe I should just buy myself one for my birthday because it's cheaper than therapy.  Seriously, when I am carving up the 47th apple of the day, the only thought going through my head (aside from a keen resentment for the fact that my kids are always wanting me to feed them...seriously, what is wrong with them?) is that  I just know that I could solve all my life's problems by owning an apple slicer.  If you own one and your life still has problems, just keep it to yourself, OK?

   

   the image I see in my nightmares...

   Peace out, friends!
   (Find more Quick Takes over at This Ain't the Lyceum!)
   

Journal: happy

TODAY

Out my window: Sunny and so springy.  We've had 3 inches of rain since Saturday.  Everything is so green.

Around the house: The CD player in the boys' room has gone wacky.  I turned it on last night and it started playing full-blast with the volume turned all the way down.  It worked a little better this morning but I decided I am just going to shelf it for Clement to use (he likes to listen to CDs during the day sometimes and likes to stop/start/change them himself).  If they still want music at bedtime, I will do what I did last night and just stream their music from the GooglePlay app on my phone to our portable speaker (whose sound quality is way better than the boom box I might add), placed on their dresser.  Sometimes I don't hate technology!

 

The kiddos: Great this week.  Rotten Not so great last week.  Oh my, they were sick and then they were hungover from being sick (which IMHO is worse than the actual sick, unless it's puke, which it wasn't) and let me tell you my sanity was hanging by a thread by late week.  A very.thin.thread.  It was ug.ly.  But all is well (it always is) and we are having a very good week this week.  SO much outdoor time.  Love this time of year.  They've been really tired since being sick though.  Like, for more nights than I can count, everyone has been asleep well before 8!  It is crazy, but I'll take it.  Loooooooove me a quiet evening with the hubs.

In the kitchen: Chicken Parmesan tonight with spaghetti and steamed green beans and carrots.  Other recent menu items: the illustrious hot dog night, a new shepherd's pie recipe that was better than my other one (sorry Alton), and I have already started planning next week, which will include chicken tertrazzini as requested by Father (never made this before) and French dips.  

Learning:  Clement has been enjoying another cutting book (his scissor skills have really taken off!!) and it is S week.  Fave books have been Seaver the Weaver and Camille and the Sunflowers (which we now own, a beautiful used copy that ended up being like new, squeeeeee!!).  Gemma has gotten to multiplication in "Rocket Math" at school and is super jazzed about that. Kolbe read You Are (Not) Small to us this afternoon in the van while waiting at pick up.  GREAT early reader picture book, if you're looking for one for a sweet kindergartener in your life.  Didn't love it enough to buy it, but the amount of words and difficulty level were perfect for him.  Love the library!

Reading: Same.  Nearing the end of everything we're working on it seems.  Many new reads in the near future.  We took a roadtrip this weekend so I checked out the audiobook of The Mouse and the Motorcycle from the library and the kids got about 3/4 the way through that.  It nipped many "are we there yet"'s in the bud. #ilovebooks

Watching: MLB of course, and the end of the season of Forged in Fire and some new  River (Ocean) Monsters too!!

Bringing me joy:  The kids. Field trip with Kolbe.  Walking with the boys, hand-in-hand, in the grocery store parking lot.  Gemma as she is growing up.  I love these kids so much.

Thinking about: The outdoors.  I am not an outdoors person, no matter how much I like the idea of being an outdoors person or how much I say I love the outdoors.  I just don't.  I mean, I enjoy walks and being out in nice weather and sitting on the deck and such.  But hard-core outdoorsiness?  Nope.  We spent the day at Aaron's grandparents' farm last Sunday.  We did some fishing and a few other things and of all people, I had to be the one who ended up with three ticks (they hadn't embedded yet thank goodness).  I told Aaron that I was never going to the wilderness again and he kindly pointed out that a farm pond 3/4 a mile from the highway wasn't exactly considered "deep wilderness."  I beg to differ.  I also conceded that camping probably isn't going to happen unless we stay in a hotel.  He kindly pointed out that a hotel doesn't qualify as camping.  Blah.  I really want to like the outdoors, but I just can't.  Makes me grateful for my little patch of suburbia. 

Pictures to share:  

The park by Aaron's grandparents' small-town Church had a monkey bars just like the one I remember playing on at my grade school growing up.  It was probably that old too.

Three kids for only $159.86??  It's a steal!!!  I'll take 'em!

Journal: early April updates

TODAY

Out my window: Sunny and springy.  We've had lots of wind lately.

Around the house: I spent a lot of time last weekend clearing stuff out of the basement.  I got rid of like 7-8 tubs of baby stuff (mainly clothes and some gear and toys).  I left enough that if we have another of either gender we'd just have to fill in some holes clothing-wise, but that shows you how much excess we had!  The longer I live, the less I realize we need.  I was actually able to find homes for all these items this week as well, so it feels good to have it not only sorted through but OUT of the house.  I do have another pile of donations that needs dealt with.  Whether it's baby stuff or just household stuff I am telling you, the less we have the less we realize we need.  Once you start getting rid of things it just really self-perpetuates...clothes, household items, you name it.  Less really is more, cliche as that sounds.

 

The kiddos: 

Kolbe is home sick today.  :-/  Apparently there is something going around the kindergarten room.  This has resulted in some plan changes for today and the weekend that have left Gemma none too happy.  Fun times.

Clement loves to smell things (spices, etc.) when I am cooking.  It is really very adorable (when I am doing well at practicing the virtue of patience) and he always has a little comment about how each item smells.  He has been really into writing lately and coloring pictures.  He can stay in the lines ridiculously well and writes words with the letters actually in the right sequence (either with me spelling them to him or copying something I have written).  Both my other kids just scattered the letters all over the paper with no rhyme or reason at this age.

Gemma is officially less than a month away from her First Holy Communion.  Today I sat down and made a list of final preparations for her (soul namely, but body too) and wrote her a little note on top of it to tell her I am looking forward to traveling this last leg of her journey to the Lord's Table with her.  I got some really neat ideas from this article my mom shared with me, and I am looking forward to praying this Novena in the nine days leading up to her big day.  I am so impressed with the school's focus on the preparation of their souls for this source and summit of all sacraments.  It is a great testament to the joint effort between home and school, parents and teachers.

In the kitchen: Aaron did a great smoking project last weekend with St. Louis style ribs and brined rosemary chicken.  I contributed a broccoli and rice casserole, which was obviously the centerpiece of the meal. Not.  Some tacos and leftovers and a new recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese that was super tasty with some veal (that Aaron caught on a ridiculous clearance price) meatballs. And homemade pizza.  Up next week: fajitas, breakfast casserole, meatloaf and Dijon chicken.  Asparagus (if it's on sale), broccoli, baked potatoes (sometimes you just can't beat a russet) and creamy parmesan rice are on the list for side dishes.

Learning:  I am hoping to work with Gemma on her First Communion banner this weekend.  She has also been champing at the bit for me to pick her up some multiplication flash cards, so we are starting with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4s on those.  For a girl doesn't particularly like math, she is really into these for whatever reason.  She is making great progress with her piano lessons!

Kolbe has been diligently learning his spelling words each week and his reading is improving by leaps and bounds as well.  Much more confidence in sounding things out, especially when big sis isn't around to do it for him (or ridicule him when he is wrong...sigh...)

Clement and I have settled into a nice routine with his preschool.  We spend a lot of time together on Monday mornings working on Letter of the Week activities.  I have a few things I like to make sure he accomplishes, otherwise I really let him take the lead on activities etc. with a bit of guidance from me.  The rest of the week we read lots from our pile of the particular letter's books, and I leave our letter folder out for him to request activities (either from it or to be printed from the computer) at his will the rest of the week.  I am so much more chill with this than I was with Gemma and Kolbe (imagine) and he is getting so much out of it!  Funny how that works... I recently got him a Cutting Book and he has really taken off with his scissor skills.

Reading: The usuals.  Fire Within myself.  Moffat Museum with all kids.  Caddie Woodlawn with Gemma.  We are sneaking up towards the end of all of the above (especially the latter two) so I need to consult my list and figure out what we'll be reading next.  A ridiculous amount of time and searching has now ensued and I have decided upon Caddie Woodlawn's Family (which I had to order used as the library didn't have a copy of it, or under its old title, Magical Melons), James Herriot's Animal Stories and The Mouse and the Motorcycle.  Up next for me will probably be Seeking Spiritual Direction.

Watching: Opening Night of course!

Bringing me joy: I attended a Relic Display at our church last week and it was a very neat experience.

Thinking about: 

Pictures to share: