~What we've been up to lately~

On Saturday we hosted one of our cookouts, a regular happening each summer since moving into this house with this great yard. I am not sure how long we will be blessed with such a great place, but as long as we have it I want to make full use of it, and share it with friends, new and old ones alike.

We invited 6 families, and 3 of them were able to come. Our yard was FULL with all the children just from 3 families and our own. It was great. Even Felicia had someone to play with which is a rarity. Normally it is just little kids or all boys, it was great to see her playing basketball with another girl let me tell you!!




We tried two more diet coke experiments with the mentos. This time we used the rocket or whatever it's called...LOL; a cylinder tube with string basically and boy did it shoot high!! It was quite impressive and humorous as you can see in the photos.





We grilled up some hamburg steaks and Patriots beef franks from Arnold's. They are the actual hot dogs served up at Patriot's games. They are so good! All the fixin's and 3 great salads; potato salad, my favorite seashell pasta salad, and Stacy brought a salad, too, which was also made with the seashell pasta and I was surprised because I don't usually see that type of salad. Hers was very good, too, and they were a similar but there were a couple differences. I totally forgot about the watermelon, which remained in the back of the van...haha

Isn't this little guy sweet? I just met him, my nephew for the first time at this cookout!

Even Spotacus had a friend to chase and play with! Sheila brought her 10 week old Australian Shepherd to play, so it was a great day for even the dogs!



The boys bounced till dark and then it was time to part, for baths and bedtime.

Huge Blessing In a Small Package

Yesterday afternoon, Mike called me and asked if Aiden and I wanted to go to lunch since he received a small spiff check. Since he was working, but taking a break, we had to meet him out near his work, and wanted it to be a semi-fast place. We ended up at Pizza Hut for their lunch buffet. That is not the good part, though.

While we were sitting at the table eating, Aiden (4) began singing 'Awesome God'. I was surprised, it was totally spur of the moment, and my heart burst at the seams with happiness. His sweet little voice singing Praise to God with no concern for who was around was pure bliss. Others could hear, yet I would not interrupt him. He wasn't yelling it, yet he wasn't whispering either. I was so happy for him, the first song my little boy knows by heart, and can sing from beginning to end with no help, and though we have no video camera, we still have it documented. Moms tend to think they will remember all these special little things, but take it from me a lot is forgotten over the years. Document those special things now in some way. Even if it's a simple notebook for each child.



Thank you Father,
For drawing my little ones close to you through your precious son, Jesus.

~Summer Plans~

Every summer brings sweet leisure time, free of the schedules we must keep with school as well as the homework that drains family time. The best part is that our friends schedules open up as well, enabling us to get together for backyard playdates, cookouts, catching up over lemonade...you name it. We will be absorbing sunshine, tending our veggie garden, picking strawberries, making shortcake; then blueberries, being present, really present in the moment, keeping with traditions, and taking lots of photos!

Other activities I am sticking in my back pocket to remember to do are:

Kids bowl free

Barnes and Noble summer reading program, and earn a new free book!

We don't have a Regal theater near us any longer, but thought I'd post this for any of you who might: 9 weeks of movies free for families!

AMC $1 morning movies this summer

tag sales, and the big flea market of course

picnics at local parks, followed by a hunt for frogs, salamanders or other fun critters!

I am thinking we will begin a portion of school, gliding in gracefully and slowly beginning in August when it is normally too hot to play outdoors too much anyway, so we can find our pace and get accustomed to paying attention at home, without mama feeling stressed that we are somehow behind. There will still be plenty of time for all the fun things of summer for as long as it may hang on.

What are your plans this summer? I can always add more to my list!

The Simple Woman's Daybook , Monday June 8th, 2009

For Today...

Outside my window... bird song and fleeting sunshine

From the learning rooms....I am reading up on the Charlotte Mason method for next year, writing book lists, and the whole mommy education experience. HA!

I am thankful for... family, happy memories, photos in which we can always travel back in time for a moment or two.

From the kitchen... sandwich night as we have swim lessons for all 4 boys tonight!

I am wearing... jean "trouser" pants and a scoop neck tee.

I am reading... Charlotte Mason education, Finding a mentor being a mentor, preparing yourself to mentor, knowledge of the Holy

I am hoping... to make many happy, carefree memories this year and bond closer as a family unit, and prepare to slowly move into homeschooling.

I am creating... a garden that I hope will be productive this year!

I am praying... for family members, especially my aunt and my father as we are coming close to the one year anniversary of my beloved grandfather's death. Today, June 8th, is the one year anniversary of the last day I ever saw him.

Around the house... expedition over Mount Washmore and that is about it, taking it easy today. Sad day.

One of my favorite things... cuddles.

A few plans for the rest of the week... homeschool co-op, Contagious Christianity class on Wednesday night, a weekly date with my friend Maryjo on Wed.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

an image of my book lists and recent book finds. LOVE the colored edging on these old old books! Click picture to enlarge and see more detail.


For more entries, check out The Simple Woman's blog:
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

A Friendly kind of day!

I made bread again on Thursday, it had been a couple months since I had made any. I used to make it weekly, but have been giving in to convenience as our schedules had been so busy. I am thinking I should consider getting a bread machine, since I typically quit making any bread in the warm months, as the heat of the oven is unbearable. That's a shame though, to have to settle for less-than bread just for that reason.




Friendly's was giving away free one scoop ice cream cones/dishes on Saturday from 12pm-5pm in our area, and we actually took advantage of it. I was expecting a huge line, and while there WERE a lot of people there, it was very well organized, and outdoors so it was actually a pleasant trip. I found a place for the younger kiddos to sit on a curb to eat while we waited for papa and big brother. LOL



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Finally out of hiding

When we first got this guinea pig in April of this year, she was SO skittish you couldn't even pet her. Changing her cage was a nightmare, as she ran and jumped all around to get away from us. FINALLY this month we have been able to hold her. I felt so bad before that she was living a lonely life. I'm much happier for her now. Here is Aiden holding her.

A Gardening We Go....

The garden is finally "in" as of late yesterday afternoon. Mike rototilled the plot last week, and we were able to hand-pick our goodies to plant Sunday. I was excited to get them home, and tuck them in their new soil beds, as I normally plant about two weeks early (mid May), though this year being so unseasonably COLD that I am planting even later than the widespread planting time, Memorial Day weekend. I over eagerly, with childish delight, chose beautiful robust little growers, a wide variety, and was quite astonished to find I ran out of room, being unable to foster them all. Thus, I have offered the overstock to a couple dear friends, very glad that these sweet thriving plants will have somewhere to be at home, with their true potential realized in the joyous harvest time.



update: 6/8/09
Aiden and Ryan watering our plants