10 Things About Our Week

 1.  Monday was amazing.  Those kids of mine spent hours playing outside and in, entertaining themselves without any of that back and forth fighting in high-pitched voices that has made mothers through the ages want to run and hide.  I'm so sorry for what we put you through, Mom. 

Ella wanted a "summer party" on Monday that included a lot of backyard activities:  swimming, swinging, horseshoes, bubbles, and lunch on the porch.  This was so nice, as it gave me lots of time to work on our yard sale project for the coming weekend.

 2.  Tuesday the kids got bored.  The previous two weeks I took them to the free movie on Tuesday, but I really felt like I needed time to keep on cleaning out closets, and we stayed home.  No matter that I took time out to play Rummikub and Chutes and Ladders... Ella still uttered those famous summertime words, "I just have nothing to do... it's been a boring day."  I find that I vacillate as a mother between thinking, "These kids need to get bored and then learn how to entertain themselves," and "I feel like such a bad mother because I didn't provide enough organized activities for my children today."

 3.  I got impatient.  Last week we had a really fun time playing baseball in the front yard.  I even threw the ball for the neighborhood kids, too.  I tried to recreate our fun time and to document it with pictures Tuesday afternoon, but it didn't work.  It was humid, and there were bugs, and complaints that I was throwing the ball too high, and it ended in me feeling frustrated and tired of trying to find things to do.  

 4.  There's been a lot of throwing out, giving away, piling up to sell of the accumulation of our things.  I love the idea of saving things that my children can look at and enjoy when they're older, but I also hate the idea of just having boxes of stuff that we carry with us all over the world, wherever we go.  So with some things, I'm thinking a digital memory works just as well, right?  Conveniently stored in about 20 external harddrives that we can carry with us wherever we go.  That being said, I found this old sign Ella used to have on her bedroom door.  Maybe I should have saved it to re-tape during her teenage years.

 5.  Normal things happened, like drawing and coloring.  It's been fun watching James start to draw this week.  Ella draws rainbows.  James draws a spider and an egg.

 6.  I finished the latest Flavia de Luce book by Alan Bradley.  (And it was just as I suspected, Mom!)  When I really enjoy books, I have to read them to my husband, of course.  So I checked out the first book and started reading aloud to KJ at night while he plays a game on his iPhone until my eyes can't stay open any longer.  So Netflix is getting a breather from us.  I love Bradley's writing and use of language, and the characters are hilarious and fully developed, and the similes...oh, his similes are the best.  And KJ laughs at all the right places, and I think hearing good writing is good for my aspiring author.

 7.  Yesterday we had a full morning out with a friend from my college days and her girls.  We made it to the Wednesday showing of the free movie, and they all had such a great time.  We need more play dates with these precious girls!  The movies was followed by lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then a quick run into the library, making James an hour past his nap time.  Whoops. 

Movie Magic

 Dancing to the Credits

 Beautiful Girls

 Holding His Own

 8.  Today is my brother's birthday.  I really wish I could be with him and his sweet family today, but with the yard sale planned for Saturday, I just didn't think I could pull off a road trip, too.  Happy 30th, Josh!!

I can't believe we'll be celebrating that little guy's first birthday in just a month and a half!  

 9.  Tomorrow is my sweet mother-in-law's birthday!  Summertime is full of birthdays in our families.  She's celebrating in part by keeping my kids tomorrow night, so we can yard sale it up early Saturday morning.  That gives you an idea of her selflessness towards her family and others.  We're so thankful for T.  And we want to make it all about you with a family birthday celebration on Sunday.

10.  James woke us up at 5:45 this morning.  It's just unacceptable, folks.  Happy Thursday.