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.
Pictures to share:
