SummerTime...Gifts

waking to the pitter patter of little feet running through the house

my love...leaving a little treasure hunt for the boys before he leaves for work...what fun they have had following daddy's clues

Boo running to me and asking..."Do I know this word mommy?"...he is so enjoying learning to read

summer's bounty sitting in mounds waiting to be preserved

baby giggles and grins...first thing in the morning

 

the way everyone wants to talk to baby sis...just waiting for that smile to light up her face

shelves lined with tomatoes...freshly canned...sunshine in a jar

exhausted from canning at the end of the day...but waking up in the morning ready to do it all over again

warm friendship bread...straight from the oven

swimsuits and wet heads on hot summer days

bouquet of summer flowers

Real Life...

This is real life lately...

It's hot outside...

So the littles play inside a lot...

And this is what the house has been looking like...

I try to be patient and have a clean-up time before daddy gets home;-)

Happy Birthday Little Princess...

Four years ago today...

a little princess entered this home of rambunctious boys...

From the moment you were born you...

captured our hearts...

You've brought lots of smiles...

And I have to admit a few tears...

because...you my girl...are just like me...and sometimes...

I'm not quite sure how to handle you.

But we are learning... and growing...together...

and that makes me smile.

You were so excited about your birthday party...

all the dress-up clothes and the doll house...

"I've never had a party like this before!"

Those were your words when you and I had slipped off by ourselves for a minute.

Happy Birthday Miss LouLou!

Four Things I Love About You...

1.  I love to watch you run and hug daddy when he gets home.

2.  I love it that you smile at me every morning and run to give me a hug.

3.  I love to watch you care for your dollies.

4.  I love that you love your little sisters sooo much...and your big brothers too.

Sunflowers in our garden...

Sunflowers on a rainy day

The patch of sunflowers we planted in our garden this year are big and beautiful.  I was excited when I saw the July Newsletter this month.  One of the topics included for nature study was sunflowers.  So today the littles and I decided it was time for some more nature study.  We took a walk out into the garden to observe our sunflowers.  We used all of our senses...feel...smell...see...taste...hear.

We felt the stalks and leaves and the the boys thought they felt rough.

We smelled the flowers...they have a very slight smell...fresh...it seems

We could see the sunflowers towering above.  We measured one over 9ft tall

The boys quickly wanted to know if that's how tall Goliath was...as they pretended to be David.

thanks for taking mommy's picture Bo

and our newest little enjoyed her first nature study

We tasted sunflower seeds...yummy.

We could hear bees buzzing all around as we examined the sunflowers.  The littles counted 10 bees on our sunflowers.

We came inside and began journaling our sunflowers study.  We learned that sunflowers are composite flowers.

composite-a family of flowers with a head composed of many florets.

We examined the sunflower with a magnifying glass and saw the hundreds of tiny florets.

We completed our nature study pages and eagerly awaited our art lesson...

After lunch we used our oil pastels to draw beautiful sunflowers...

Miss LouLou used the chalk pastels...but I was very proud of her sunflower.  She usually says I can't do it right and doesn't even give it an attempt.  Today she tried her best and it turned out beautifully.

The boys used oil pastels and we followed this tutorial.

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals.  Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident;  others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the holly-hock.  -Henry Ward Beecher

A Clone Of Her Daddy...

I don't know if you can tell or not, but this girl...

Looks just like her daddy...

He always said when he was little people would say...You would make such a pretty little girl...So I guess we'll see;-)

Being An Encouragement...

We have a jar...


You wouldn't know it by their excitement, but it is more for me than for them...


It's my reminder to look and find the praiseworthy in the midst of our day...


Because everyday I need to say more than Don't do that or No or Stop That...

So I notice LouLou holding the door open for everyone...I notice Bo asking if he can help his little sister...I notice Little Bitty seeing a dirty sock and taking it to the clothes basket...I notice Boo picking the vegetables without being asked...I guess I've always noticed...but now they hear me say...

Thank you

I'm so glad you chose to consider someones interests ahead of your own

I'm so proud, you just showed initiative

You may put your name in the jar...

And then I see the smiles...

And once a week during family time with daddy we talk about a character trait...
Then...its time for the bucket of prizes...little inexpensive prizes...but what fun if you have your name in the jar.
Because the littles need to not grow weary in their well doing...

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...suffocating heat...beautiful sunset..

I am thinking...about Miss LouLou and her speech struggles...hoping its just a phase...but preparing for the possibilities of some intervention

I am thankful...that daddy had a week off last week and we were able to spend lots of time together exploring some places close to home

From the learning rooms...taking a little break

In the kitchen...cucumbers waiting to be turned into pickles...Amish friendship bread starter bubbling on the counter

I am wearing...pajamas

I am going...to make Boo an appointment with a holistic dentist

I am wondering...what to get LouLou for her birthday

I am reading...Cure Tooth Decay, When Children Love to Learn

I am hoping...for a good nights rest

I am looking forward to...a long awaited arrival tomorrow

I am hearing...the hum of the fan as everyone sleeps

Around the house...Mt. Laundry needs folding...floors need to be swept

I am pondering...a new schedule

One of my favorite things...waking with my little one nestled close

A few plans for the rest of the week: pickles...visits with Grandmother...a birthday party soon

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

this sweet baby is about to turn four years old

more daybook