#somanylittlepieces

Sometimes this is as good as it gets for "cleaning up"...

Errand Day

We just got home from a long outing to the doctor's office, library, Target, and Costco. The kids got a shake on the way home but that didn't keep 3 of them awake!

What's also funny is that when we got to Costco, Blaise said, I sleep, Mommy?

But this time he didn't fall asleep; he just stayed laying down most of the time. 

Now, what am I going to do with those 3 sleepers in the back of the van?

Skip Counting

Silas is learning to skip count as part of our math curriculum...

Thank goodness for songs that make this do-able!!

Anyway, this evening Blaise and Lieren were playing hide and seek. I had to laugh when I heard Blaise say, "Leyen, I am counting. I count by 3's!"

I guess everyone is picking up on it!

PS, Blaise did not proceed to count by 3's if you are wondering ;)

Costco, Sleep, and Prayers for Grace

I posted a pic of Blaise the other day on Facebook, asleep in the cart at Costco. I guess that place has quite the effect of him because it happened again today...

He actually fell asleep in the van on the way there today at 10:30 in the morning (results of not going to bed till after 9 and being awake and in our bed at 4:30 this morning. He really has been sleeping great recently but I teach Bible study next Wednesday and the kids historically don't sleep well for about 5 days before I teach.  Sim was up last night too. I did pray out loud at 10 tonight when Blaise had already woken for the first time. Praying for grace whatever God sees fit with our sleep the next few nights. But I suppose that's a discussion for another day.)

So anyway...Blaise slept through the entire Costco outing: Christmas toys, free samples and all. He finally opened his eyes as I was buckling him back in the van. And subsequently fussed that he wanted to "go in there!"

In 1492...

Our history memory work last week was on Columbus. So what are the chances that we have replicas of the Nina and Pinta harbored right here for us to visit? 

They tour the country and are just here for a few days.  So fun that it happened to be now!

We met my friend Heidi and her kids. They have a son in CC with Silas and two younger boys. They are also going to be having a baby girl soon. But me and pregnant Heidi managed to keep all the kids from falling in the water ;)

I didn't take too many pictures mainly because of wanting to make sure no one fell overboard. 

I was so glad we went when we did because as we left, an incredible amount of school field trip groups began arriving and those boats are just not really that big. I was thankful we got to actually walk around and explore on the ships rather than having to fight the crowds. 

After seeing the ships, we played around the riverfront then all seven kids played tag. It was really such a fun morning...our first field trip. 

Waiting

What Blaise got to do today while we waited to go in to pick up Sim and Lieren from preschool...

He kept saying, Mom, I drive it?

This Past Week...

Silas and I had our first week at Classical Conversations. We both really enjoyed both the academic challenge and the camaraderie. It's going to be a good fit for us as we homeschool...

Silas did his first class presentation on the first day. He will do one every week...

We did several experiments at home this week to walk through the scientific method, which Silas learned about on Monday at CC...

One of our experiments was stacking books on eggs. Silas loved that one. We also used the scientific method when we mixed colored water and learned about measurements...

It pretty much turned into a free-for-all water play activity by the end...

This week was also the Pumpkin Festival. We love this every year. We went on Wednesday and spent the evening riding rides with friends...

I took the kids again on Thursday for the kiddie parade (they dressed up and walked in it, hence the angry bird hat Simeon is still wearing!) and they all got to ride one more ride...

Yes, it turned suddenly cold this week!  After leaving the festival on Thursday we went up to church for our young adult thing. The kids watched a movie while I led a small group. It was another late night, but it's what you do when you don't have babysitters ;)

Friday we went back to the festival to meet the characters. They were having Anna and Elsa and Olaf this year and I knew Lieren would love it...

 

She did!

Blaise told us he didn't really like the guys but then later changed his mind and said it was fun to meet them. 

Saturday morning was the parade. It always feels like the longest parade of all time. It helps that we sit with friends. These little ones, though, loved every minute...

And now it is late Sunday night. Another week starts soon!

Getting It Done

We have a sick little girl here tonight. So sad she will have to miss her first full day of preschool. But brother says he is ready to go alone and will tell their teacher that sister is sick. 

We had a sick baby boy this weekend too. But he hung in there for all our weekend festivities anyway. 

We celebrated daddy's birthday yesterday. 

Today Shane and I took our first step toward leading the premarital class at church. It meant our kids were in their classes for two whole services. They did awesome. 

I had a friend come over this afternoon with lots of questions about the twins she will be having this winter. So many unknowns in her world right now. Four years in, I remember those days well. We preached to each other today; God is faithful. And we made a laundry survival plan for her. 

I am also in the middle of painting a bathroom. 

And am counting down the days till women's Bible study at our church starts. 

Sometimes people ask me how I get it all done (especially the Bible study part). 

Well, it takes a husband who is deeply committed to it. And after that, it looks a lot like getting it done amidst real life. 

Like writing homework while the kids play at the park (which sometimes means a visitor at the computer)...

And at times it is studying in the wee hours with a little friend...

And somehow, it all seems to get done. 

First Day of Preschool Treasures