Small Successes

1. I persevered through the sweet pleading of my two year old, even ignoring the single tear rolling down his cheek despite my aching mother's heart, to follow through with a punishment I knew my doodle Dan needed. Thankfully, I was able to find a time to award him the denied cookie later that day.

2. I made a decision about our homeschool curriculum for next year. Decisions are not my expertise, considering every detail of each option from all angles, is.

3. I did not make one correction, suggestion or interjection while my husband prepared dinner for us and allowed me to rest my sprained ankle. He did quite well. Thanks my dear.

School Room

Last weekend my mom came to town for the next phase in the on going "School Room" project, that of texture and painting.

Here are the first strokes of her first texturing attempt ever. Five thousand four hundred fifty eight strokes later the room was finished!

With the new texture, which unfortunately doesn't show up well in the pictures, and a coat of paint along with some help rearranging from my husband, the school room is possibly our favorite room in the house.

Our new art center.

Our reading corner.

The time out chair... but with the addition of another table it will become a great private work station.

And finally our math and sensory development area.
Who would have thought a ten by twelve area could be divided into four separate areas? And as long as none of the kids grow, we can continue this way.

Small Successes

1. When things got crazy this week, twice, and dinner prep was replaced with doctor visits, ear infections, fever and chills, I forced myself to put the car keys back on the hook and open up the fridge for another helping of "Casserole Creations." It is amazing how many left over veggies can be tucked into a fritata!

2. Knowing it was hotter than I like, the kids and I still took one of the last pre-lunch walks we will enjoy for a while, courtesy of a slight break in the descending Texas heat. Upon returning, we all promptly kicked off our shoes and spread out under the fan.

3. After a long day of juggling the roles of house cleaner, nurse and teacher, and after persevering through my second "Casserole Creation" of the week, instead of taking a break while waiting for the healthy portion of the family to return with my baby's medicine, I used the minutes I had to clean what I could rather than leaving it for my husband while I attended the homeschool meeting that evening. Unfortunately, my minutes were few, sorry my dear!

Come here my little pretty!

At various times throughout the day today, the children have burst into the room to declare, "Hey mom, your the scary monster who tries to come eat all the little children safe in their house," or "Oh, mom, now your the mean pirate who wants to steal all the toys on the boat from the little kids," and my favorite, "you're the evil dragon who's vacuuming and trying to suck up all the kids!" I have also had the unintentional privilege of being a hungry lion and some kind of ferocious beast who was forced to fight the sword wielding Peter with nothing more than a stack of laundry.

I am not sure if I should be pleased that none of them were willing to assume the role of such vile characters, or concerned that I was their constant favorite.

Mommy and all her sweet little prey