Journal: June and a Summer slowdown

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny and warm.  Today is the first time I've run the air conditioner before evening.  This has been the longest stretch (5 days?) we've had without rain for awhile.  There's been about a 20% chance every day but we seem to be out of the super rainy pattern.  I tell you, it's either feast or famine around here with the weather.  We've had some very pretty mornings and evenings, but the days are definitely getting warmer.

Around the house: Meh, not much.  It's been pretty low-key around here (see below).  The kids have been doing some really creative playing though with Gemma being out of school and that's been fun to see.  Sometimes I feel like I am so at my wits' end with them, and that they always fight, and can't entertain themselves etc. etc. etc., so these days when they play for hours, HOURS together and work through their squabbles on their own make me realize that life really is pretty good in our little corner of the world.

 

The kiddos:  All three kids currently have Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.  Joy.  Gemma has had it since last Thursday evening, though we didn't know for sure that's what it was until she came up to me Sunday morning (she had been fever free since Friday PM and was acting fine) while we were (frantically) getting ready for Church and said, "what are these funny spots on my hands?"  NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!  Needless to say we ended up splitting Masses that day.  The boys both came down with it within the past 24 hours, so we are still quarantined for 10+ days.  Good times.  We had to miss VBS, reschedule swim lessons and Gemma is missing out on a friend's birthday party this coming weekend.  Sigh.  Trying really hard to make the best of it.  A neighboring parish is letting our kids come to their VBS in several weeks though so that's a real bright spot.  After the initial fever, Gemma has felt fine and been her normal self, which is good and bad.  I am glad she doesn't feel super sick, but it is hard being cooped up in the house when you feel fine.  They can still play out in the yard, and we've let them do a little fishing behind the house as long as no one else is around.  We will probably OD on TV today since both boys have fevers and are definitely feeling more under the weather, although currently the kids are making life-size replicas of themselves on big white paper with seemingly every craft supply we own.  Hopefully the boys' cases are as mild as Gemma's has been.  Still waiting for their spots to appear.

In the kitchen: This week:

Dijon chicken with boiled potatoes and steamed green beans

homemade beef, pepperoni and mushroom pizza

French dips with WW sourdough, au jus and broccoli salad

vegetable tortellini

I need to work on next week's meal plan...shredded Mexican chicken is tentatively on the menu, we'll see what else I come up with.

Learning: I have not been forcing the issue.  There are more educational activities I would like to be doing, but it is also nice to not have WWIII over a math facts worksheet.  The kids all have summer  journals and we are trying to write in them daily.  We've done a lot of reading.  Our "routine" that I made up before summer started seems to be a pretty good fit.  I will be anxious to jump back in fully the week after next when we are un-quarantined.

Reading: The usuals.  My Theology class only has three more sessions and I will be finished up with that!  Hard to believe!!  It has been a great year; I have learned sooooo much.  The kids and I decided to do a "theme" each week for library books, so this week (among others) we have a whole pile of books about chickens.  I hope to discuss these further in my next Read Aloud Thursday post.  As far as chapter books go, reading The Moffats with all the kids, and The Courage of Sarah Noble with Gemma at bedtime.

Watching:  Baseball, River Monsters, an episode of Good Eats here and there.  Honestly nothing of note.

Bringing me joy: prayer.

Thinking about: forgiveness.

Pictures to share:

Birthday wishes to one of our favorite readers!!

Saying farewell to our dear neighbor.  SO sad to see them go.

Seven Quick Takes: summer vacation!

1.  School wrapped up for the year after a short half-day on Thursday!!  The boys had dentist appointments that afternoon so Gemma and I went on a celebratory date.  We started with Eucharistic Adoration (I am soooo excited for her second grade year and the Sacraments that it brings), then off to eat ice cream at Braum's and she picked out a book about St. Teresa of Avila at our local Catholic bookstore.  We had such a nice time!!  Isn't she beautiful?  The first picture just captures her so well I think.

2.  That evening my hubby and I had a date (!!!!!!!!).  We went to Vespers at our Diocesan Cathedral and then spent the evening with the (around 70!!!!!!) seminarians of our diocese, various priests and about 300 people.  I am normally not much of a crowd person, in fact as we were walking in I was like, "Aaron!!!  We're going to have to talk!!! To people!!!!!!!"  But it was a positively wonderful evening catching up with people, some of whom we hadn't seen for years, and it made my heart swell with pride for the wonderful things that are happening in our diocese.  The number of seminarians (men studying for the priesthood) that we have here is astounding.  The Bishop even commented in his opening remarks that there isn't a Bishop in the world who wouldn't want to trade places with him. This morning there will be five young men ordained to the priesthood and last evening one to the diaconate.  God is good.  Sadly there is no pictorial evidence of our date.  OH well.

3.  We kicked the first morning of summer vacation off by turning our heater on, and it's running again this morning.  A little chilly for my tastes this time of year (I thought I was done with hoodies and sweats), but I won't complain.  It has been a gorgeous Spring in these parts!  And rain abounds, and looks like it will continue to abound for most of the holiday weekend.

  

4.  We signed up for the Summer Reading Program at the library yesterday...the kids had been looking forward to this for weeks now!!  They revamped the program a bit this year and I'm really happy with the changes.  The kids have to do four reading inspired activities (there is a list to choose from) and then read 20 twenty-minute reading sessions.  This is sooooooo much easier than having to write 120 titles x3 on papers that have room for 50 books.  Even with Gemma writing her own titles last year it was still so tedious.  This is going to be good.

5.  I printed out our "Summer Schedule" a couple weeks ago and hung it on the fridge so the kids (namely Gemma) could start looking at it and know what to expect each day.  It's not incredibly rigid...I am trying to keep waking/eating/sleeping times pretty consistent and see that prayers/breakfast/chores are the first thing to happen upon waking. Everything else is just divided into tasks that need to be accomplished between breakfast and lunch, and tasks/activities between lunch and dinner with lots of free time for play.  We have a few planned activities, mainly Bible School and swim lessons...just enough to keep us out of trouble but not crazy busy.  I have added a few more chores for the kids.  Gemma is getting to be a huge help around the house and out and about!  I was worried about taking three to the grocery store yesterday, but I think it was easier than shopping with just the boys...she helped load and unload stuff, kept an eye on Clement...  She is growing into such a fine young lady.  I am amazed at how she has changed over the past year.

6.  Yesterday evening our neighbors invited us over for homemade pizza.  We have the best neighbors.  Who knew when we bought this house eight years ago, that aside from the house and neighborhood/park/walking paths etc. suiting us so well, we would also end up with the nicest neighbors in the world. 

7.  I know I mentioned this on Facebook, but it bears mentioning again.  I just finished a beautiful book on prayer entitled Prayer Primer and it was a gem.  I have read several of Fr. Dubay's books recently, they are all fantastic.  One of my favorite parts in this book was the section on Family Prayer, specifically the way it explained teaching/encouraging meditation for young children.  I gleaned plenty of good information from it for myself as well, particularly on the subjects of meditative and contemplative prayer. Well worth the read, and it is a quick read, I think I finished it in six days.