Art Day

I started to write this earlier, but found myself utterly not in the mood! Can you imagine?? I frequently find myself without the time to blog, but rarely without the words. But I'm better now. No need to fear.

Wednesday was spent doing the thing we like best... nothing. ;) The day just disappeared somehow. We did manage to get up early and head out to a semi-local farmer's market. The stuff there was gorgeous and I spent a fortune (so much for saving money, lol) but to go 15 miles away for it seemed a little extreme when gas is $4.43 a gallon. We have one in our town but it is on Saturday afternoon and we are usually doing something or exhausted from having just done something. I think they start up a second one on Wednesday nights in late-June, but I don't know that I'd be able to motivate myself to get everyone out of the house for that one either. But it could be a nice walk... a nice looonnnnggggg walk. (It's on the complete other side of town.) And that would solve the parking problem (nothing but very limited street parking).

After that, the kids played. Cassia and I read a chapter or two of Charlotte's Web. I got it for her to try and get her over her crazy fear of spiders. She literally shuddered when I told her it was about a spider named Charlotte, but she is really enjoying listening to it. Wilbur is so darn cute, how can you not? I really can't remember what else was done... laundry maybe?

Once Grey went to sleep we did schoolwork. Phonics was a couple of pages of common word endings like "ible" and "able" and such. Cameron did great until he saw the second page and then he was whining and complaining and rolling around on the couch in protest. I showed him how close we were to the end of the book though and he perked up a bit. I gave him the choice of doing one lesson each time and finishing in thirteen more sessions or just doing one page at a time and finishing in about twenty. Suddenly his attitude perked up and he was more than happy to finish out the entire lesson. Grammar was a game demonstrating linking verbs. We had subject cards, descriptive cards, and linking cards and made silly sentences like "Mommy was ferocious." I especially liked that one. ;) Math was adding money. For history we read Archimedes Takes a Bath. I'm glad I decided to just go for it and read the book (and the whole thing in one sitting too) because it was a really fun story. Cameron sat next to me and drew the whole time so he was happy to sit still and listen.

Today, Thursday, started with ballet. Well, actually it started with me making everyone clean the mess that no one bothered to pick up the day before. Then ballet. Then grocery store. Then toy store. Then home by 12:30 which seemed pretty impressive since we actually got everything done that we needed to. I was pretty tired after all that so I ate lunch in front of the tv... and fell asleep, lol. The kids were being super loud playing this LEGO adventure game (Something about a 43 yr old man and his 12 yr old son and the son kept wanting to go camping but the father said he couldn't until he properly learned how to use his sword and shield. Finally the father was satisfied and they took their horses and their camping blocks (?) and went camping... on the kitchen counter where they still are. Must be a long camp out.) and all I remember was one minute I was watching Dirty Jobs, the next I was listening to this LEGO adventure, and then the LEGO guys kept saying, "Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!!!" and I was wondering when they brought the mother character into the game when I suddenly woke up. Cameron said, "Mommy, you fell asleep!" like that was a bad thing or something. ;) You know, if one of them had fallen asleep on the couch I would do everything in my power to keep everyone else quiet and I would certainly NOT start yelling, "Cameron! Cameron, you fell asleep!" LOL. Ah, perspective.

A little bit later Cameron announced that he wanted to paint so I got out the stuff and set he and Cassia up in the backyard. Cameron painted Link from Legend of Zelda. LOL, big surprise there. Cassia told Cameron that she was painting Africa. I'll have to take his word on that one. Once they were dry the kids announced that they were going to go hang them up and took off with the Scotch tape. Then they dragged me, eyes closed, into my bedroom and showed me where they had hung them. My bed is now framed with lovely poster-paint-on-butcher-paper masterpieces. I like them. :)

Next we got to work on our decorations for the 4-H Family Night potluck on Saturday. We were in charge of making paper chains for two 12-ft tables. I had actually been kind of putting that off all week but once we sat down to do it, it was so fun! The kids really had a great time making them and since we needed two it, of course, turned into a big competition to see who could make the longest one first. We got our twenty-five feet of chain done in record time.

We have a CRAZY weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow we are going to the beach to meet our friends from Favorite Park Day. We are leaving the beach a tad early and then going to a birthday party clear on the other side of the county. The plan is that we clean up there (brrrr, beach showers) and then they will fall asleep on the drive and be nice and rested for the party. What will probably happen is that they will fall asleep about 5 minutes from the party and then be cranky the entire time. ;) Saturday we have another birthday party from 1 - 4 and then we have to be at the 4-H center by 4:15 to decorate for Family Night. That lasts until about 9pm. Looonnnggg day there. Note to self: pack pajamas to change the kids into before we drive home. And then Sunday we have yet another birthday party to go to. I should just get some insulin ready for them now. ;) We have another one next Saturday too. I should seriously make a "no sweets" rule for the month in between that last party and Cassia's birthday in July. Not that we really eat that many sweets anyway (well, ok, I do but they don't) but they are not going to need any extra ice cream or sorbet or fruit juice pops or anything. Nice mom, huh, ruin summer for them. ;)

Annnyyywwaaayyyy..... have a nice weekend everyone. Think "sane kids" thoughts for me. ;)