Has it really been a week since my last post on the blog? Our days have been so full it hasn't left much time for blogging! Here is a little peek at what we've been up to lately.
{pretty}
January 15th
It's rainy and overcast today, but yesterday was gorgeous! I wish I would have pulled out my camera to capture a few pictures of my three girls up on the hill behind our home with their color pencils and sketchbooks. They loved spending their afternoon enjoying the sunshine!
I always love seeing the new additions to my daughters' sketchbooks!
{happy}
January 13
I survived yesterday! Tutor here for an hour working with my 2nd grader, then five oldest had Math tutoring sessions while I took the youngest two to the next town over for their dental cleanings and exams, back to our little town to pick-up the big kids, drop the oldest boys and babies off at home before heading back to town to drop the 2nd grader off for his dental cleaning and exam while the girls and I went down to the Orthodontist to have wires taken out, back to the Dentist for our cleanings, back to the Orthodontist for wires back in, then back to the Dentist to pick up oldest daughter from her cleaning and exam. Only two more Dental Exams/Cleanings (and two trips to the Ortho for wires in/out) to go next Tuesday afternoon! As exhausting as it was, I'm grateful that our dentist lets me schedule so many appointments back-to-back and that I don't have anything other than a quiet school day at home scheduled for today before another full day tomorrow!
*Note: There wasn't quite enough room to list everything out in my
Catholic Daily Planner, so I wrote it all out in my
Mama's Notebook so I could keep track of where I needed to be when... Whew! What a DAY!
January 9
Three things that are making me smile at the moment…
1. Christmas tree lights. I know I told my husband that I would have the children start removing the ornaments after school today, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it... I'm usually ready to pack it all up right after Epiphany, but this year I just don't want it to end. We cut the tree ourselves and it isn't dropping very many needles yet, so I'm going to enjoy it for a few more days! The Christmas season doesn't officially end until this upcoming Sunday anyways.
2. Theo Nutcracker Brittle. I need to make the mistake of giving the girls dark chocolate in their stockings more often! I was focused on the "Nutcracker" part when I purchased it since I had just taken them to the performance. Whoops!
3. Our Math progress for this school year. I'm so proud of my children. They got a little jump start during the summer and worked hard all fall keeping up with all of their independent studies. I just pulled out my lesson plans for the first time since we started our Christmas break on Dec. 19th and am so pleased to see that not only are all of them at least right where they need to be, the three oldest will finish 3/4's of their Math books by the end of our second quarter later this month. Saxon Math, combined with the teacher CD-roms and extra help from tutors, has been such a blessing and they are learning so much!
{funny}
January 14
The older boys' writing assignment for this week is to interview a person and then write a five-paragraph essay based on the interview using their Composition Checklist. I really enjoyed listening to one of the boys interviewing his Grandpa (my Dad) this afternoon and learning more about his childhood! Our oldest son has a phone call scheduled with his Grandma (my mom) later this afternoon and next week they are hoping to interview their other grandparents for next weeks interview assignment. I can't wait to read their essays!
My Dad, the second oldest in a family of nine (Aunt Shannon, followed by seven boys in a row, and ending with Aunt Bridget), has SO many funny stories from his childhood! My siblings and I always loved listening to them while we were growing up, and my children love listening to his stories too. If you have met my dad you know how much he loves to make everyone laugh! He did manage to remain serious for part of the interview and answered all of Ranger's questions! When he got to the question about where he attended school I was amazed to hear him list all the names. He actually attended a different school nearly every year of his childhood before getting his high-school diploma through the early entry program with the Coast Guard!
{real}
Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."~Matthew 2:1-2
This was the first time I've made Chicken Tikka Masala and I most definitely will not be waiting another year to make it again. It turned out amazing! I just finished posting the recipe at Catholic Cuisine: Chicken Tikka Masala for Epiphany
January 6
Mmmmmm.... Dinner is in the crock pot and already smells amazing! Tonight we will be having Chicken Tikka Masala over basmati rice with fresh cilantro and naan, for today's traditional feast of Epiphany and those wise men from the East!
