Peek at our Week {June 29, 2013}

There isn’t an activity that annoys and brings so much joy more than popping bubble wrap does.


And since Saul has an endless supply of it, my kids are always popping the stuff.





One morning while the older kids and I were schooling, and Saul was working out in the garage, we kept hearing a loud pop-pop-popping.  We looked outside to watch Olivia, carefully lay out a strip of wrap, and then run it over with her trike!  So cleaver, and so loud!  It sounded like fire crackers going off.

I let her make a couple more passes and then had to make her stop so we could finish our schoolwork in peace.



The kids have moved on to Feliforms in Zoo 3.  We will probably take our time with this unit like we did with Caniforms.  The boys will finish their math books this week, and we will also finish with our Moses unit.  This is kind a good stopping point for us, since next week will be too busy for school.



We are barely surviving the heat this week!  The girls collected 25 rollie pollies and a handful of centipedes, left them trapped in the sun for an afternoon, and they all dried out.  Olivia went around wailing about her poor little babies, so crunchy and dead…

Why they insist on using the trash can lid is beyond me.  I’ve stopped asking them to leave it alone, and instead am embracing their cleaver and resourceful use of it.



We were invited to swim with our wonderful friends!










We had so much fun!  Too bad we didn’t reapply our sunscreen though, because we all got terrible sunburns.  I’m now dealing with a shiny red nose and forehead among other more delicate areas.  Yikes!







My flowers are coming along nicely.  The lily’s will be blooming soon.  Everything else is doing ok so long as I water them twice a day on the really super hot days.  I did lose one azalea though. 



Nate got to go camping with Grandma and Grandpa.  He was sooooooo excited!  We all missed him while he was gone, especially Olivia who kept asking where he was and looked around for him all day long.  Where Nate?  and Did you forget Nate, Mom? were very common questions.

He had so much fun and got to go fishing both days.








The girls and I tried to squeeze in some “girl time” while there was a little less testosterone in the house.  I let them play with this Aqua Sand set.  That in itself was a huge gift, because I really really really hate cleaning up that sand!  I don’t very often allow them to play with it and should probably either sell it, or find another use for it because it is taking up valuable storage space.







Elaina has been reading every day!

I made her a sticker chart and set out a huge assortment of books for her to choose from each day.  That seems to be motivating her somewhat, but the middle of the week I added, “You must read to have technology for the day” and that has motivated her above everything else.

Whatever works, right?








Olivia has become a little rollie pollie obsessed.  She has no fear of touching bugs, which kind of creeps me out.

Is it weird that my three year old tries to convince me to hold the creepy crawly bugs?



I could be partially creeped out because when she turns over the wall bricks, you never know what is lurking beneath. 

Like a snake.

A really big, yucky snake.

Ok, maybe it’s not as big as my imagination thinks it is, but my mommy instincts scream snake bad – run away!

(Beware: a slithery creepy being in photo below)







Saturday the kids and I went to pick up Nate from his camping trip.  We packed a picnic, but it ended up raining so we didn’t stay long.







I did cook this week, but forgot to take many pictures.  We had tacos, Spaghetti Carbonara, and a meatloaf in the crockpot.  We also got to go out to a local steak house, which was amazingly good, and we will be going back there!









I found these yummy sprouts for our Pita sandwiches.  Have you tried them yet?



I didn’t do any baking at all this week, mostly because it was far to hot to turn on the oven, even late at night.  Saul picked out these filled cupcakes for our Wizard of Oz movie night, and they were really good. 

My dishwasher is still broken, and we are waiting to hear back if/when they will replace it.  In the meantime, my dishes are pilling up more than usual because you already know how much I LOVE doing the dishes…

We are using paper plates about once a day, but still, I am sooo over not having a dishwasher.

Saul is working this weekend, and we are gearing up for a busy week.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Peek at our Week {June 22, 2013}

We had a super busy week.

One of those weeks that it seemed like every day we had somewhere to be, and lots of extra things on our “To-Do” lists.




Saturday we did a bunch of cleaning.  The kids have new chores over the summer.  This is a perfect time to teach them new responsibilities.

I think, anyway.

Right now it’s still more work than anything. 






After a morning full of cleaning, we went to a friends Birthday Party.  So fun!

Every girl needs her nails painted for a party.



Sunday we celebrated Saul.  The kids and I made him a coupon book and showered him with new clothes.  Only because most of his have holes in them.  (Is Saul the only man out there who holds on to clothes until they are so full of holes and stains they practically blow away on a windy day?  surely not…)








Aside from combing his hair like Eddie Munster, Isaac started his new planner on Monday.  My hope is to foster independence with his assignments.  He seems to “forget” about a lot of work.  Convenient, right?








I’ve been reading Reading Rescue 1-2-3 by Peggy Wilber to work out a plan for Elaina this summer.  I’m saving up to buy All About Reading Level One for her too.

She is plugging along, but really really hates to read.  Even with the incentive chart she started this week, there is much complaining and crying. 



There was a bit of pouring rain early in the week so we took the opportunity to play some great games.








And then discovered some sluggy bugs afterwards.  Ewe….






I love this big canopy of shade we have in our backyard now that the trees are fully leafed out. 






We had a fun play day at the park.  The kids only lasted an hour in the heat though.  After that we headed up to visit my parents.





















It’s amazing to me, that when they set their minds to it, they can easily entertain themselves with little to nothing to do but catch bugs and play in the dirt.

At home though, it’s an entirely different story.

They know better than to actually say the words I’m bored, but they gloom around the house and act as though they will actually die from boredom.









We tried to squeeze in as much school as we could in the mornings.  This lesson on Raccoons was NOT a favorite and brought many tears.  I still think they all did an amazing job though!









Isaac is learning about equivalent fractions in math.  Both boys are getting really close to finishing up the first math book of the sets. I won’t probably buy the next set until August though, so we may spend July working on Multiplication and lots of review.



Not much to speak of for cooking this week.

It’s really getting quite pathetic.



I did make a couple kinds of pasta, including the kids’ favorite, Spaghetti in Browned Butter Sauce.







For my Girls Night Out, Monica had a Southwest Lime Chicken Recipe for us to try out.  Talk about an amazing kitchen! 



I let the chicken marinate overnight and then grilled it.  Or rather, I charred it.  I’m getting way out of practice with grilling…




Saul has to work this weekend, and I have nothing planned but to relax.




And maybe catch up on some Zzzzzz’s…..