Today...

This isn't actually the schedule from today but several days ago when I took the picture. One night I got the idea to write out our schedule on the board and the next day we were done with school by 1:50 as opposed to the usual 5:00. Now keep in mind when I say 5:00 that doesn't mean we did school all day from 8 until 5. It is very choppy and the boys get plenty of time to play. Even at 1:50 they have enough time to play. The little boys are only sitting down for school for about an hour to at most an hour and a half. Isaac sits down for school for probably 2 1/2 to 3 hours. So now on a good evening I copy from my schedule onto the board what we are doing the next day and make sure I have it all prepared. Such as if they are going to be coloring a picture from their Bible story I put the white paper and crayons at the table and also the books we are going to read afterwards. If it is all done ahead it makes life so much easier!

I'm definitely learning that planning ahead and preparing ahead, whether it be for school or what we are going to be eating, is the key to survival and not just surviving but thriving so to speak. For grocery shopping I always making a list of meals or a menu for the week. Then the night before I look at the menu, pull out anything that needs to be thawed from the freezer, put beans in to soak, etc., and I write on a small write on/wipe off board on the fridge what we will be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This helps me so much to be prepared the night before!

So this is from today. We are focusing on the letter "L" this week and so we have been learning about leaves. Today we learned that leaves that turn red or purple is because when the season starts to change the trees block off the stem of the leaf so it doesn't get anymore water. The sap that is left in the leaf makes the sugar in the leaf turn red or purple. Cool huh? So the boys went out and picked leaves and made "leaf rubbings". What a simple and fun thing to do! They loved it!

So, when we were outside picking out leaves I noticed that we had broccoli ready to pick! Unfortunately most of the heads didn't look so great and I threw them away but we at least got a serving for everyone out of the bunches for dinner. It was really neat eating fresh broccoli! I told Steve I want to extend our garden so we can plant even more.

Okay, so I look down and realize, "O my goodness, look at what I'm wearing. " The reality is that on any given day you may come over and find me dressed in some weird concoction. And the sad thing is it isn't a cool "weird". It is just bad.

I really want to go shopping and get clothes that coordinate and that are trendy, etc. But A-shopping costs money and we are trying to conserve funds for more important things and B-I hate shopping and C-I hardly have time to take a shower, much less go shopping. Oh well. I'm glad Steve still loves me :)

Oh, I've been meaning to share this little tidbit about my season of life. It is summed up in this one little sentence:

I washed my face with public school bathroom soap and dried it with a public school brown paper towel.

(I take Andrew to speech at the local public school every Monday morning at 10 am and some mornings not only do I not get a chance to take a shower, but I also don't even remember to at least wash my face....) (and no, I don't go in my pajamas, I at least throw on some "weird" concoction of clothing)

It is almost 10 oclock and I'm off to go make some grits (yes I'm still gluten free, wheat free, egg free, peanut free, tree nut free but happy to say after 6 weeks off dairy and I am trying to add it back in again and see how Benjamin does...ahhh, yogurt has never tasted SO GOOD!)----and going to watch Anne of Green Gables.... (Yes, Steve is out of town)