The last week of September zoomed by!
Sunday I got to sit by this classy lady at worship.
After church and classes we ran to Dollar Tree so I could see what they had for a fall sensory bin. They had so many great items!! Mia and Evie helped me choose items while Mike and the other three children ran next door to Wal-Mart.
The rest of Sunday was spent doing what needed done. My boys assembled a can storage shelf for our basement food storage (that I bought on clearance and thought would be of help to us in organizing.)
Mike and Xavier adjusted the food shelves downstairs so the organizer would fit and then Xavier set to work on putting in the cans. We don't have any formal pantry upstairs - just kitchen cupboards - so most extras go downstairs. We try to keep at least six months of food on hand (2 fridges, 3 deep freezes, shelf stable storage) for emergencies, but I am working on rebuilding our shelf stable items after doing an "eat it down" couple of months to make sure things weren't expiring and are getting rotated properly.
Upstairs I finished preparing for my two co-op classes. I switched the sensory bin to a medium latchmate tote from Michael's for ease of carrying. All our fall goodies! Everything is from the Dollar Tree except the wooden pieces (scoops, acorns, bowls).
I went with a base of black beans.
The children played outside, Mike painted on the lockers, and we worked on setting ourselves up for a successful week. It felt good to be home - we've had very busy weekends!
Monday was co-op. This week was much smoother but I should have gotten up earlier. We weren't late, just a little harried and very thankful for Mike's help getting us loaded.
In my K-3 music and art class we were introduced to the first story in the music curriculum, Freddie the Frog and the Bump in the Night.
The purpose of the story is to introduce the treble clef notes in a fun, literary way. We practiced rhythm by clapping, with partners, and with rhythm (non-pitch) instruments. I was missing three students so I'll need to heavily review the lesson next co-op.
The kids took turns playing a matching quiz on my computer to see if they could remember which character went with each part of the staff. While they were doing that we drew fall scenes that I'll trace with black glue and we'll water color next session.
All of Evalynn's little preschool friends ended up being sick or home with sick parents so she was my only little gal. I scrapped the lesson I had planned, and will use it another day. Instead I stayed up too late on Sunday night drawing her some fall scenes with black glue that she got to watercolor.
We took the fall sensory bin into the nursery and shared with with another little friend.
It was a big hit!
Evie was very concerned that she didn't get to go to her "nother class" with Miss Josey, no matter how much I explained she was sick. The world is such a hard place to figure out, isn't it? Ha.
Bonus picture from Mia and Zayden's lit cooking class that their teacher shared!
After co-op we were so excited to head to the park for lunch. The wind turned on us, or we weren't protected by the buildings or something, so it was a bit brisk! We made the best of it and I was glad to be able to give the crumbs to the ants another day. I really like outdoor dining with children.
The older four children scatter to eat with friends and they alternate eating with playing.
We played until 2 and then started home. Aunt Annette was resting after a busy weekend so we'll catch her another time when we're up. We drove almost half way home, then turned back for a forgotten sweatshirt, and then drove back again.
The children took advantage of the nice weather and headed outside when we got home. They got six hours outdoors overall, which is pretty stellar for a co-op day! I worked up part of the apples we'd picked Saturday and froze them in quart bags. Xavier helped me until he sliced his thumb, and then he and Natalee helped me by watching Evalynn. When Mike got home, he helped me get finished up quickly so I could get supper on and Evie helped him. So much help!
The evenings are getting cool as fall creeps in - not ready to give up yet, the kids got the car blankets out and snuggled up.
Tuesday Natalee had early morning therapy sessions. I had put apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar in the crock pot overnight and mashed it up Tuesday morning and added rolled oats before I went on my walk. That made a yummy breakfast that only 3 of us really liked. Isn't that life? We played rotating rounds of Guess Who with our two different sets for our morning time game. Zayden is learning time management and missed game time this day even with repeated reminders so he's not in the photos.
After lunch, while the kids worked on finishing school and then went outside to play, I worked on apples. And worked, and worked, and worked. How grateful we are to have these put up. I would like to perhaps take some out of the freezer and can apple pie filling but I didn't have the jars and just wasn't prepared, so this goal was to get them peeled, cut, and frozen so they didn't waste.
Spaghetti supper outside!
Wednesday Evalynn woke up with buckets of snot. I left Mike at the helm and went for my morning walk - air brisk enough for a hat!
And brisk enough for a snit sweatsuit!
I hit the elderberry/aronia berry tincture every hour for Ev and worked at keeping her hydrated to cut the virus off at the pass.
We enjoyed our morning time indoors on Wednesday. Our game was Telestrations, which is one of Natalee's favorites.
We finished Rodzina on Wednesday. It was a very good book about the orphan train and I recommend it. I did slightly edit one part verbally when Rodzina got "adopted" by a man with many children whose wife was ill and realized she had actually been brought home to be the new wife/mother when the mother died. It would have been fine for my older two, but not having pre-read I edited it on the fly for the younger two. It spoke of how the man looked at her, wanted to hug her, told her not to be so shy to him. He ended up returning her to the orphan train at the ill wife's insistence, when the wife realized that Rodzina needed to be a child yet.
Mia had OT, school went forward through the day, and the kids spent some time in the later afternoon outside in the sunshine.
Snotty little Evie had clear drainage and no fever but I kept her home from Awana. Roles reversed I wouldn't choose to have another little one dripping snot and coughing next to my toddler, and she was pretty droopy. However she was sad to miss and asked if she could give me moneys to get to go. Sweetheart.
We read lots of books and snuggled.
Then she had a picnic and watched Miss Patty Cake and had a bath.
Thursday morning was a bit of a mess. I took my walk, but I didn't want to. I do appreciate the trees turning colors though. Gorgeous.
Luckily I had gotten up for my walk, which meant I was dressed and semi together because maintenance showed up unannounced at 8 o'clock to fix a shower faucet leak.
This is the snapchat I sent my friends. Ha. I was trying so hard to be grateful they were fixing it but I knew it wouldn't be quick because Mike had already worked on it for 3 hours before we ever called them and told them the whole assembly needed changed. It wasn't quick. I didn't have running water for breakfast or morning routines for the kids. Thankful for the Berkey!
We made it out the door on time for hippotherapy and we all used the potty before we left!
She is "fash-un."
We got home at lunchtime and found still no running water. I will admit I lost my temper at my poor husband whose fault it wasn't. I had lunch to make with no water, children who I knew would need to potty again, and my stress was at peak level. We made it through lunch, left the dishes in the sink, and I loaded everyone up with their remaining school. We went to the library and used the facilities, and then stayed in the outdoor garden area to get school work done. Ev rested in the wagon until we went inside.
We finished with some school inside and then I let the children check out books.
Evie doesn't check out books from the library yet, but she does get to pick two that I sit and read to her right there.
We headed home mid afternoon. Evie laid down for a late nap, even though she'd rested in the wagon. Sleep helps the cold virus recovery and she was already feeling so much better that I wanted to keep up the pace!
The children were absolute potatoes with their new books to read. Ha. I sent them outside to read, so they could at least breathe the fresh air while they vegged.
We had a field trip scheduled to a dairy and creamery on Friday. I wasn't sure Evie would be up to it, but she was great, so off we went on our adventure. I had checked out one of our morning basket books, The Birchbark House, on audio CD so we listened to that on the way there and back. Such a nice way to pass our country drive.
We all had such a good time on the field trip and learned a lot. Evie was almost glowing at all she got to see and wore out enough that she took a nap on the drive home. The kids did have a bit of school to do when we got home, since we'd had co-op Monday, but they had time to play, too.
Saturday was a day at home. Kind of. Mike was on call and it was homecoming weekend. So "home" is probably an overstatement. He was up and out by 7ish to set up and event. The kids did Saturday cartoons, and then we got going on our chores. Some of us worked harder than others...
I ran to the shoe store to get socks for Xavier who has outgrown and/or put holes in all of his. Twenty fresh pairs!
I try to be very conscious of never sighing or grumbling about our children needing fresh things because they have grown or worn them out. Xavier was wearing size 6-10 socks on size 11 feet and I realized that's why his were getting holes so frequently now. He can't control his feet size. So here's some new socks with a smile, son.
Since the weather was nice, Mike decided to go to the homecoming football game. We were all going to go, but Evalynn wasn't successful at laying down for an early nap, so she and I ended up staying home so she could get her sleep in. While she slept, I vacuumed and mopped.
Pics from Daddy...
...he buys treats!
After I got my mopping done I sat down with a book. There were a dozen other things I could have done, and I did keep the laundry going, but I've been hustling 1000 miles an hour the last several weeks and gave myself permission to pause. I read all of Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love throughout Saturday afternoon/evening. My review is....mixed. It hurts so much to read about the abuse of a child but I saw the beauty of the storyline overall and it's Biblical parallels.
When Evie woke up she played so sweetly with Honey while I read. First she and Honey had a picnic and then she taught Honey the Noah's Ark story.
I paused my book and read to Evie for awhile and then the rest of the crew came home.
We grilled burgers and had salads with them for supper. We did our best to get everyone showered and in bed at a decent time so we were well rested for worship Sunday! Even though Evalynn had been doing great, the post nasal irritation cough kicked in Saturday night for some reason and just wouldn't give. It wasn't a mean cough, just obnoxious, and I ended up bringing her to the living room so she could prop up on the love seat better and so that the other girls could sleep. I slept in the recliner. My neck doth protest! Ha!
And now September is gone....time keeps flying.
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