Shaving cream fun ~

What to do on a hot day when you just don't feel like heading to the beach...*again*?
Mess around with some cool, refreshing shaving cream - but be prepared for the cleanup. Well worth it though :)

A Little Break

Or rather, a tiny fracture or two ~
Our littlest one was practicing her high jumps from the loft ladder to the couch (we've had many cloudy/rainy days here lately ;) only about 4 feet from the ground but, high enough to fracture 2 metatarsals in her right foot when she slipped and landed on the floor rather than on said couch...
This little energy sprite, the most active of the bunch, is now crawling about the house and needed to be carried much of yesterday (when this happened) and today. Mishap that it is, I have seen the shining light of a few blessings in this ~ more cuddle time, more time to sit and talk one on one in those long hospital and doctor's office waits and more opportunities for reading books, playing games and, in general, a bit of a slower pace - for a little while :) Only about 3 weeks and she will be tearing loose again...I'll enjoy this little break while I can while I also look forward to seeing her free spirit running wild again soon ~

Sporty

While we don't do Cubscouts we did pick up one of these little Pinewood Derby kits at a local store which also provides supplies for scouts. After 2 hours of nonstop work from designing to carving to coloring our 7 year old has a car he *loves* and is asking to pick up more kits :)

Time flies

What prompted this post was laundry...amazing how such an everday, often mundane task can really rock your world ;)
Something so simple too....I was sorting the laundry and had a few items in my hand ready to hang in our now 14 year old's closet...except one thing...they were the wrong size. These were the hand-me-downs our 7 year old wears from his big brother but, for just those few moments I had lost track of time. So wild. It seems to hit me in moments like this...the passage of time...the reality of where we are now, what has been and what will be. Beautiful, bittersweet moments...all tied together with a little laundry ;)

Creativity

4 year old creativity
She has *really* been enjoying these pattern blocks lately. I am often amazed at what she comes up with too ~ now to try to help her understand that they will eventually get nudged and become scattered...;)

Showtime ~

My little guy is really into science - and showmanship. What he would love is to sit at the end of our driveway and provide a science show for folks in the neighborhood....one catch...our neighborhood has about 5 folks who walk by on a daily basis. Trying to get him to understand that it may be a long wait at the end of the driveway while at the same time, not crushing his enthusiasm has required some delicate dialogue ;) In the end, he had the idea that 'hey people put up flyers to let us know when something is going on...' You're right little man, they do :) So now, in a couple of weeks - it's showtime :)

Slow and steady

Some days are too perfect for words ~ while this was not one of those, it has had its moments of beauty all the same :)
One of the reasons we choose to homeschool (and continue to to do so after moments of reevaluating and reconsidering) is to give our children the one time gift of childhood. A slow & easy meandering without too much cluttering their minds and musings...
Homeschooling on a one income budget may not give them the best bikes around, hippest clothes or fancy vacations but it does give them small, indescribable moments of pure beauty and a freedom to just be that will never fade as the bikes and clothes are slowly outgrown. I guess that in itself makes for a perfect day...