Misc.

:: We are in our final week of school here in the little yellow house. Gabriel and Bronwyn have finished all their books/objectives other than a couple more days of history. Jackson has 2 more pages of math (he has finished the entire Bob Jones 1st grade book in about 5 months), some Explode the Code (now that he's reading books like Danny and the Dinosaur, it seems kind of silly to have him doing page after page of words with the tch ending so we may just be done at the end of the week, regardless of how much is technically left undone), and a few pages of handwriting. The fact that we are so close to being finished with everything I'd hoped to accomplish feels like nothing less than a miracle, and I absolutely mean that. I seriously have no idea how this happened. My kids amaze me.

:: Elliot is finally napping almost every day, thanks to a swaddling blanket a friend lent me. He's also a bit less fussy now that he's got a decent sleeping routine at night, is nursing and growing better (last week he was 9lbs7oz and 22" long), and as long as I don't eat a lot of corn in one day. So although he isn't even remotely what I would call an easy-going baby, I'm finally able to snatch time here and there throughout the day to take a shower, do the laundry, cook [occasionally], weed the garden, etc. This makes life feel much more manageable.

:: The weather has been amazing. Absolutely amazing. Even yesterday's rain was welcomed as today the gardens are bursting afresh in size and color (along with the weeds, I'm afraid). The kids play outside endlessly once their chores and school are done-- and we've even done history outside most days so we can enjoy the sun during that time, too.

slip n' slide fun in the 89-degree heat on Sunday afternoon
 

:: I'm in my fourth week of trying to get out at least 3 mornings a week for a walk/run. Most days when I return after the 20-30 minutes I'm gone Elliot is crying (what can I say? the boy loves me!), so this is as much a commitment on Daniel's part as on mine. Some mornings I am so tired when I wake up that I come up with a million reasons why I shouldn't, but after I've made myself, I am so glad. It's not just the exercise that's so great-- it's also getting outdoors first thing and that brief time alone with Jesus. I love it.

:: We are incredibly close to getting into our upstairs bedroom. Daniel had set a deadline for himself of being done by the last weekend in May. Due to some emergency things that came up on several of his recent days off, the work is barely getting done in time-- but it's getting done! Elliot even cooperated the other night and let me pitch in for a couple hours of late-night painting following a full day at work/home and the boys' first baseball game of the season. As Daniel and I burned the midnight oil, we wondered how many hours we've clocked doing just that sort of thing together. It's actually become quite special in its own way.

the trim is painted and the oil is curing even as I type;
the room will be ready for furniture tomorrow evening

:: I have been making a plan of attack for best enjoying and most thoroughly taking advantage of summer's fresh produce. In early April, I signed us up for a full share from a local CSA (community supported agriculture) and we'll begin receiving weekly boxes of produce in June. Our own personal vegetable garden will mostly be filled with foods that I can preserve for the winter months, like lots and lots of tomatoes for canning, winter squash, etc. I'm hoping this is a good combination that ends up best facilitating a largely organic, vegetable-rich diet for us year-round. Time will tell.

:: With the conclusion of our 2011-2012 school year right before us, I have been trying to come up with a strategy for the summer months. As our family grows, so too does the reality that fun takes work/preparation/planning. We don't just have one or two sets of feet tracking in loose grass and dirt throughout the day. And at the end of the day, we have a good deal more than one or two children's sweaty, grass-stained clothes and bodies to deal with. (Don't even get me started on how long it takes to get ready for and then clean up from a swimming/beach outing!) I love, love, love the opportunities for fun that summer provides, but I must be ever armed with a plan for how to make the logistics of it all work-- logistics like laundry, keeping the house in some semblance of order, meal planning and preparation, and making sure everybody gets enough sleep. Any ideas/suggestions that you find helpful are gladly accepted over here!