Outside my window…it is sunny and hot, but I learned last week that it could always be worse…there could be no breeze! 

I am thinking…of how one simple story changed my outlook on life.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Jewish folk tale, It Could Always Be Worse, you should find a copy to read or listen to (we love Jim Weiss’ audio version).   Now when I start to complain about something, I’m quick to remind myself that “it could always be worse!” 

I am thankful for…a memorable week in Austin. 

I am praying…for my mom’s dear friend who recently lost her husband to cancer.

From the kitchen…the pickings are slim…desperately need a trip to the grocery store. 

I am wearing…shorts and a t-shirt…pretty standard wear for a Texas summer.

I am creating…lists, lists, and more lists.  Today I created a grocery list, a project list, a to-do list, an idea list (for rainy days), and a Target shopping list. 

I am going…to sort pictures this week. 

I am reading…nothing.  Isn’t that strange?  I finished reading Wish You Well by David Baldacci yesterday and I haven’t made it to the book shelf to choose something new yet. 

I am hoping…to find a songbook of Mary Poppins’ music this week for Joseph.

I am hearing…William saying, “I bump head.  It hurt.”

One of my favorite things…babies.  We finally got to meet Amanda’s little Anthony last week…I wasn’t the only one who fell in love…Joseph and William thought that baby just the cutest little thing!  (As I’m writing this, William is looking at the pictures, shouting very excitedly, “baby! baby! baby!”)

Around the house…there is a pile of “stuff” that is sitting on the kitchen bar.  I don’t want to go through it…it looks very overwhelming. 

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

Here’s Alex and William at the Wildflower Center…

Outside my window…night has fallen, but I imagine it is still so very hot and humid out there.

I am thinking…summer has made me lazy.

I am thankful for…so many things.  After finishing The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas, I realize how many things I take for granted and how good my life really is.  Who knew that something as simple as windows and finished floors could make me stop and offer thanks. 

From the learning rooms…well…officially we’re beginning our school year after Labor Day, but Joseph insists that we do handwriting and phonics every day (and he’s quick to remind me if we’ve forgotten).  Anyway, I think it’s good to do a little something every day during the summer…it keeps our minds sharp and focused.

From the kitchen…berries, berries and more berries…I do so love the summer when berries are fresh, ripe, and deliciously affordable. 

I am wearing…gray shorts and a black t-shirt.

I am creating…a to-do list.

I am praying…for my friend Gail as she approaches her delivery date…may little Emily have a peaceful transition into this world.

I am reading…still reading When Children Love to Learn…there hasn’t been much time for reading this past week (or perhaps I just haven’t made much time for it). 

I am hoping…to blog more often once we get back into a routine, come September. 

I am listening to…just the click-clack of my typing and the pages turning as Daxson reads. 

I am pondering…Elizabeth’s article about transition.  Read it here. 

One of my favorite things…watching William dance…I love how he stops, looks up and announces, “I dancing, I dancing.”  Yes, my precious, I see you dancing. 

Here is a picture I thought worth sharing…

A few weeks ago we finally had some rain and quite a bit of it, too…Joseph and William just love to watch the rain come down…

Outside my window…here comes the sun, both literally and figuratively.

I am thinking…life is much sweeter after a week of being couped up with a sick child.

I am thankful for…Jim Weiss’ storytelling…Joseph is finally napping again, slowly nodding off to the rhythmic sound of beautiful, rich stories. 

From the kitchen…grilled pork tenderloin. 

I am wearing…gray shorts and a coral colored t-shirt and a rubber band in my hair…yep, it’s finally long enough for a pony tail! 

I am creating…stories with Joseph.  He draws the pictures, narrates the story, and I simply do the writing. 

I am going…to write my letter of interest to the Daughters of the American Revolution this week now that we’ve finished tracing my heritage. 

I am reading…When Children Love to Learn edited by Elaine Cooper and falling in love more and more with the idea of a Charlotte Mason education.

I am praying…that God allows me the grace to see Him in the little things I do each day like washing dishes, bathing children, cooking. 

I am hearing…it’s more of what I’m not hearing…no more barking or alarming breathing…Joseph is on the road to recovery.

One of my favorite things…healthy, playful children.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Bake cookies with Joseph, finish fine-tuning our schedule for the 2010-2011 school year, shop for two very special birthdays that are coming up soon. 

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

When William went to visit the eye doctor, they dilated his eyes so I gave him his sunglasses to put on while we played outside…

Outside my window…it’s sunny.  It’s hot.  It’s humid.  Typical South Texas summer day.

I am thinking…this heat is draining me of all my energy.  By the time night falls, I am exhausted and ready for bed. 

I am thankful for…fresh beginnings.

From the kitchen…fresh baked bread.

I am wearing…black shorts and a teal t-shirt.

I am creating…nothing but what’s essential…I’m telling you, my energy is consumed by our outdoor playtime…the sun, the wind, the heat…it just depletes me. 

I am reading…The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.

I am praying…the rosary of healing with a CD by Dana and Fr. Kevin Scallon.  When Mom first gave me the CD, I dismissed it thinking I didn’t need any healing, but I wanted to be able to say I had listened to it, so I listened to it.  And I am so thankful I did.  It’s not so much a rosary of physical healing as it is a rosary of healing the soul…and we all need healing for our souls. 

I am hearing…Joseph singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious for the millionth time…he’s so entertaining to watch and listen to! 

One of my favorite things…Sundays with Daxson.

Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…

Joseph has finally conquered the slide.  It took a few months to warm up to the whole idea, then a few more months to sit at the top of it, then a few more months to look down it, a few months of holding a hand to go down, and finally, a year after seeing a slide, he’s going down it…by himself. 

Outside my window…the UPS truck is pulling away.  He’s just delivered the last few items we were waiting for.  Our curriculum for next year is all here…just waiting to be devoured. 

I am thinking…some days I have it all together.  Things go just as planned.  Other days not so much. 

I am thankful for…life.

From the learning rooms…started Handwriting Without Tears’ Pre-K program today.  Joseph loves the songs.

From the kitchen…fried rice.  Simple yet so yummy.

I am wearing…yoga pants and a black t-shirt.

I am creating…a prayer corner. 

I am reading…Haystack Full of Needles by Alice Gunther.

I am praying…for peace in my heart.  William has a cyst on his eye that the doctor recommends be removed.  How heavy my heart is to think that he’ll have to be put asleep to have it removed.  His surgery is scheduled for September 1st.  Pray for us, won’t you?

I am hearing…quiet.

One of my favorite things…fresh sliced peaches with just a little sugar…brings back cherished memories of summers spent with Grandma and Grandpa Morgan.

Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…

Nothing says summer like watermelon…

Outside my window…the sun has finally set.  These summer days stretch on so long.

I am remembering…our family trips to the beach when I was a kid.  It was always an all day affair.  My favorite part?  Curling up on the blanket after lunch, under the big umbrella and falling asleep, completely worn out from the sun and water.

I am thankful for…delightful childhood memories.

From the learning rooms…We’re reading and loving Sonlight’s 3/4 year old program.  Such beautiful stories and wonderful ideas!

From the kitchen…tuna pasta salad.  Nothing like a cold salad on a hot summer day.

I am wearing…pajamas…after this, I’m off to bed.

I am creating…nothing but ideas and dreams in my head.

I am reading…For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay…now I know why this is on everyone’s recommended reading list. 

I am hoping…for sweet dreams for William and Joseph.

One of my favorite things…hearing someone say “thank you.”

A few plans for the rest of the week:  A morning at the playground, a trip to the beach, a visit from a favorite person. 

Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…

On the 4th of July, we got out the sprinkler…it certainly gave Joseph a surprise!  William calls it “rain.”

Outside my window…the wind is howling and the rain just keeps coming.

I am thankful for…Ann Voskamp’s beautiful reflections.  Some people truly are meant to write.  I am in awe of the way a few words can completely change my perception.  Tomorrow, thanks to Ann, I will not rush. 

I am creating…a scrapbook for Joseph and William.  I started it a week before Christmas and overwhelmed with the holiday season, I set it aside.  I think it’s time to finish it. 

I am remembering…how Joseph recently told me, very emphatically, “I am NOT a demanding little boy.” 

I am praying…for those affected by Hurricane Alex.

I am hoping…the sun comes out for the 4th of July.

One of my favorite things…mail…good, old-fashioned snail mail (and I am wondering…will my kids get to experience the thrill of opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten letter…email and text messages just aren’t the same).

A few plans for the rest of the week:  After all this rain, I think we’ll have to spend a morning making mudpies.  Here’s some inspiration for us.

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

William likes to climb on EVERYTHING.  Today he set the bottom of the blender up on top of the Lego table and then decided that he, too, would like to be on top of that little table, so up he climbed.  When I discovered him there, I told him to sit down…so he did…right on top of the blender.

I am beyond understanding…why I can’t get the formatting right on this Daybook, so be patient with my inconsistencies.

Outside my window…it’s sunny and beautiful (but extremely hot, hot, hot).

I am pondering…this thought from Pearl S. Buck…

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:  A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive.

To them… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death.

Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off…They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.” 

I am wearing…khaki shorts and a light pink tank top.

I am creating…a happy home.

I am thankful for…naptime.  I know I say that often, but as a mommy of two little ones, I really am thankful.

 

From the learning rooms…well, school’s not exactly “in” right now seeing that it’s the middle of summer, but Joseph has a sudden interest in copying and dictation, so I’m obliging.  He’s eagerly been copying what the giants all say in A First Book of Fairy Tales.  His favorites?  The Selfish Giant’s quote, “What are you doing?” and “Fee Fi Fo Fum!  I smell the blood of an Englishman!” from Jack and the Beanstalk. 

From the kitchen…fresh spaghetti sauce with delicious home grown tomatoes from Grandpa Larry’s garden.

I am anxious…to hear all about Mom and Dad’s recent trip to Ohio.

I am reading…Boys Should Be Boys by Meg Meeker.

I am wondering…why William feels a compulsive urge to climb into every bucket, laundry basket, or box.

One of my favorite things…listening to William as he begins to explore the world of talking…some of his new favorite words…”ta” for coffee (he likes to help Daxson make coffee each morning), “doe” for door, “pour” for four…and one we hear quite often…”pall” for fall, as in “William, be careful…you’re going to fall!”. 

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

Joseph’s cousins have outgrown their Power Wheels so they passed it on, only it doesn’t work!  Not even with a new battery!  But Joseph and William have found that they don’t need it to actually run…their imagination takes care of that!  Now the two of them climb right in and off they go…amazing how many places those little imaginations can take them!

Outside my window…night has come.

I am thinking…a picture really is worth a thousand words.

I am thankful for…order.

From the learning rooms…”homeschooling lite”…it’s summer, so there’s nothing formal going on…just a whole lot of reading, playing, and making connections when we can.

From the kitchen…the leftover cake from Joseph’s birthday is calling me all day long.  I look forward to a little sliver each night (although Daxson will tell you it’s not really a sliver, more like a chunk). 

I am wearing…pajamas.  Old, broken-in, comfy pajamas.

I am creating…a birthday letter for Joseph (I know it’s a little late, but I’m still reflecting on the fact that he turned 3)…I’ll post it soon.

I am going…to teach Joseph how to play “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on the piano tomorrow.  He asked me to teach him today but the only copy of the music we had involved three sharps…Mom’s sending us an easier version.

I am reading…Creative Homeschooling by Lisa Rivero.

I am hoping…for beautiful weather for Mom’s family reunion.

I am hearing…silence.  Golden silence.

Around the house…reorganizing the playroom.  I feel like it never ends!

One of my favorite things…rinsing all the sand off after a day at the beach. 

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

Outside my window…it’s raining.

I am thinking…rainy days are such a great excuse for a hot cup of tea and a chance to be lazy.

I am loving…the way William signs and says “stop” and “go”…it sounds more like “top” and “doe”. 

From the kitchen…Fortified French Toast from The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine (french toast with a nutritional boost…sweet potatoes and carrots…no, I’m not kidding…yes, it was delicious!).

I am wearing…jeans and a blue flowery shirt.

I am creating…all kinds of sneaky concoctions in the kitchen (worthy of a blog all of its own).

I am going…to finish ordering curriculum for next year…and then breathe easy for the rest of the summer.

I am reading…a knitting mystery.

I am hoping…to catch up on my to-do list (I had clingy children last week, remember?).

I am hearing…the soft pitter patter of the rain outside the window.

Around the house…ahh, finally, things are organized and the house is clean…all ready for company this weekend.

One of my favorite things…hearing the excitement in Joseph’s voice as he counts down the days until his birthday.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  A morning at the beach, a trip to Barnes and Noble with my little birthday boy, visitors, a joyful birthday.

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…Last week we read Corduroy by Don Freeman and Joseph loved the story!  After reading (and re-reading and re-reading), Joseph decided to dress his bear up as Corduroy.  Then yesterday I was impressed when we went to walk at the mall and as soon as he saw the escalator, Joseph exclaimed, “Look!  Just like in Corduroy.  That’s an escalator, but Corduroy thought it was a mountain.”  What a memory!