Daybook: First Day of School

Outside my window...

It's dark and hot. Bleh

I'm listening to...
Quinton telling jokes while the big ones wash dinner dishes, thumping and bumping from the little ones rough housing with Daddy before bed, and Marie Claire cooing. It's a bedtime cacophony!

First Day of School 2012
Our Lady of the Mountain Homeschool

I am thinking...
About our first day of school. It was not the most peaceful like this one nor was I bracing for a sleep deprived year like the last one. It was just rushed and unsettled. Usually the rituals of planning, cleaning, and organizing set a tone of expectation and industry. This year the deep cleaning with my mom never happened, the intense planning was cut short by events and illness, and the calm readiness never materialized. I felt like unprepared runner in a marathon, cranky and beset by pain. But then, then I remembered to do one small thing to find order and peace. So, I cleaned out a drawer in my bathroom, said a prayer, and turned it over to God. I must have opened that clean organized little drawer a half dozen times (my mom understands that craziness) and the calm peace of letting go to the One who loves me most finally descended. In the end, we had a truly lovely day.

Olivia, 9th Grade
almost 14

Quinton, 7th Grade
12 years

Grace, 2nd Grade
7 years

I am thankful for...
Peace from prayer, my husband who loves me unconditionally, and indoor plumbing. About the plumbing, you see, we have a toilet that works imperfectly. Really, it drives me nuts. But every time I want to dismantle it, I say a little prayer of thanksgiving for indoor plumbing instead. I'm trying to remember the gifts, trying.

Collette, 4th Grade
9 years

Dominic, PreK
4 years

Xavier, Preschooler in Training
3 years

In the kitchen...
Ah well, it's looking like Marie Claire has a gluten allergy. We've kept all things gluten away from her and me until her skin cleared up. She actually had soft baby skin without copious amounts of lotion. Then I let her have some baby snacks. Within 24 hours, her skin had broken out in rough, red, scaly rashes. I suppose I ought to make a doctor's appointment to have official testing done, but until then I'll be cooking gluten free for both of us. It's really not too bad and dovetails nicely with all of the paleo menu planning I had been doing anyway.  Olivia is not pleased.

I am wearing...
Black pants and a loose grey top. I don't think it's stylish in anyway. One of these days I'll get myself some new clothes.

Photo by Dominic

I am creating...
More order and plans for the school year. Stephen has promised to take all the children off for fun while I cram one more day of organizing and cleaning in. After that, the year will move relentlessly forward, hopefully in a pleasant and productive manner rather than a painful steamroller one.

I am reading...
Nothing much right now. Once the planning is done, I'll try to read the children's school books so we can have a discussion or two. I'd really like to read 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. My children would be thrilled, I'm sure.

Marie Claire, Mascot
1 year

Around the house...
I'm trying to create a calm and organized home so that the chaos of seven children doesn't become overwhelming. We're still working on the big bedroom switch. I have a feeling that the boys will be sleeping in a lemon/lime room all year.

Living the liturgy...
We haven't done much this summer. Usually, the start of school kicks off our feasting but I am not sure what to do about the gluten free/ paleo diet. How does one feast without treats? That just doesn't seem right!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Catching up, yes just catching up
A beach day for Olivia's birthday
Planning for our camping trip to the beach
Finding tasty gluten free recipes
Decluttering Flylady style- 15 minutes at a time. I can do that, right?

Xavier's 3rd Birthday

A day in photos:

This is my little dear's idea of looking sweet for the camera so I could take a birthday photo. Ah well, it does capture his personality remarkable well.

 Happy Birthday, my love!

Daybook 2 at Night

Outside my window...
The night is hot and dark and singing with the crickets.

I'm listening to...
Stephen reading Andrew Henry's Meadow to the boys and girls while Marie Claire coos, squeals, and interjects at exciting points.
The hum of the ceiling fan and the air conditioning unit. The thermostat on the van read 107 today. We need both.

I am thinking...
I have a very odd dog. He has been jumping around begging to be fed since Stephen arrived home from work. Not odd. However, a bowl full of dog food has been waiting for him all day. Would he eat it off the chair? Nope. Would he eat it off the floor after the baby sampled and then scattered it? Absolutely not. Would he eat it after Stephen reminded him again of its existence? No way. He will only scarf down his dinner after Stephen has banged the bowl against the metal trash can or I have made him perform sits and downs for kibble. Strange dog.

I am thankful...
The love of Our Lord. A little story from today:
Loneliness and envy have a way of walking into my life, hand in hand. Just when I was feeling the full weight of their ugliness, my ipad's alarm rang. This gift surprised me because I had set it's clock for regular prayer breaks throughout the day last Spring. However, the app was terrible and stopped working months ago- no chimes, no bells, nothing for weeks and weeks. And then today, just when I was struggling to remember give thanks for the joy that others receive, to remember that loneliness must be vanquished with contentment in His Mercy, the chimes rang. Three O'clock Prayer. Here it is from the website that I downloaded months ago:

Dear Lord, remembering the hour when You experienced death
So that we might have Eternal Life,
May we appreciate in our hearts
the necessity of Your sacrifice for us
And with Your help, Your guidance, and Your grace,
May we be made worthy of it.

In the Kitchen...

I finally made a frittata worth eating. It was a tasty combination of heavy cream, egg, potatoes, spinach, and herbed goat cheese. Oh, it was perfect for a Friday dinner! Stephen's s remarked that I must add it to the rotation and he would do all the dishes! High praise, indeed. 

I am wearing...

A black skirt, white cami, white t-shirt with lace sleeves, and bare feet. I was also wearing a nursing babe just a few moments ago but her Daddy whisked her off for bed.

I am creating...

Oh, I just love love love creating stacks of books and curriculum plans for the new school year. My head is so full of ideas and grand plans that I am utterly distracted from all those mundane tasks like cleaning and cooking. (Well, except for that tasty dinner tonight, but it was served ridiculously late.) I am even color coordinating all my stacks with little tiny post-it notes. Nerdy heaven. 

I am reading...

Instructor's guide from Sonlight Core D and book lists from Serendipity. The two will weave themselves together beautifully, I hope.

Around the house...

My mom and I are swapping the girls' and boys' rooms this summer and completely repainting them. Stephen is adding moulding and painting all those corners waaay up high.

Living the Liturgy...

We celebrated the Assumption early with our homeschooling group. It was beautiful. However, Marie started wailing right in the middle of the Rosary and I had to reluctantly take her far off for a change. A truly kind mom reminded me later that mothering is our first vocation even when we would prefer to be lost in prayer.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Garage sale-ing tomorrow

Pampered Chef party with the big girls

More painting with my Mom

More time lost in book lists and online curriculum stores

Posting Xavier's third birthday photos a little late, oh my