Just checking in . . .

The weather outside . . .
is wet, dreary, etc.  Isn't spring funny?  One day this week we were playing at a park in the evening with just our shirtsleeves.  Now for the last two mornings I've been wearing my winter jacket for my daily walk.  Oh well. Warm weather will return one of these days.

I'm listening to . . 
Mace running around getting into everything.  Doug is at work tonight and the older kids are downstairs watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the second time. They are just thrilled that they are finally watching it! They were convinced they were the last on the planet to see it. It was good.  Two thumbs up from all of us.

Mace's seat during the end of Star Wars.

Around the house . . .
The home improvements have ground to a halt. Hopefully they'll pick back up in the next couple weeks and will be successful.  Doug is going to put into new countertops (not expensive ones obviously but will definitely brighten things up) and I'm a bit nervous about the operation. It sounds really tricky to get the seams tight. Is it silly to ask for prayer for countertops?  ;)

In the garden . . . 
This would be part of the reason we haven't gotten to the indoor part. We spent a couple Saturdays prepping the gardening and getting the spring veggies in. I put the plastic back down as a weed barrier and also some straw.  I'm thinking I'll more of both. Those weed are tenacious. We built up our raised rows with some more dirt and also turned a number of them. Remember we planted winter rye in them last winter. Winter rye is supposed to add nutrients to the soil for the next year. So we needed to turn the rye and then add some more soil.

Our garlic that we planted last fall is doing great!!  I'm so excited to harvest them mid-summer.  I don't have any garden pictures right now but I'll try to do that soon.  I also planted lettuce, spinach, kale, onions, carrots, peas, broccoli, and potatoes.

Learning, learning, all the time . . .
We are moving along steady eddy. Nutmeg has started on first grade math and handwriting. She's moving right along in the phonics book.  She started on some longer words this week and was so pleased. It is gratifying to sit alongside my children as they beam with enthusiasm about their progress in learning. That was Nutmeg this week. She was absolutely beaming about her reading accomplishment.  Such a great perk of homeschooling to walk alongside them so closely!

Basil had one of those moments this week as well. Both he and Sage are working on three paragraph essays on American historical heroes. I was dissatisfied with Basil's third paragraph; it didn't flow. We had a wonderful discussion about communication/writing and how the themes and details need to flow logically. He ended up rewriting the last paragraph and was so pleased to he did. Several times he has mentioned has satisfying he finds writing. He's proud of his hard work. I couldn't be happier for that kiddo.

Sage and I also a had a meaningful conversation about writing today. You never know when these conversations might pop up and the light goes on. Sage isn't quite as motivated as a student as his twin brother but he does have a curiously complex creative side. This one takes a bit more time to figure out what's going on in his head but let me tell you, it is worth the wait and the patience.  Anyhow, he had a few struggles as well in his essay. We talked them over and he discovered that he needed to rewrite his as well. This kid thinks there is one rough draft and final draft. That's it. I explained to him that it is quite typical to have to rewrite a piece many times. I do that myself (WHEN I am trying to write well. Unfortunately, ya'll get the quickie type-up. Sorry.)  We talked about how anything that is done well often has to be redone a number of times before it is right and good. The light came and he related the idea to his Lego masterpieces. He was animated as told me about how he had to rebuild his Thinking Tower and lighthouse several times before he was pleased. After that he was good to go on yet another draft of his essay.

We are reading . . .
Nutmeg and I are almost finished reading Doctor Dolittle.  Sage is reading The Silver Chair. He just finished the book about Stephen Bishop and Mammoth Cave. Basil is reading an assortment of books about Kentucky and Tennessee.

I am finishing up another Louis de Wohl book. This one is about Saint Ignatius of Loyola. I LOVE these books.  I learn so much.  I'm bummed that the library system only owns five of his books. Maybe I can convince them to purchase more. Next on the docket is Don Quixote by Cervantes. Right now I'm intimidated by the size and accolades. I hope I'm up for the challenge. Apparently it was voted Greatest Book of All Time by the Novel Institute. Sheesh.  Fyodor Dostoyevsky said "Profound and powerful . . . the final and greatest utterance of the human mind."  Well, goodness, we'll see how this little mind does. This is supposed to be sleepy time reading. I'll let ya know.

Mace gets plenty of reading in too. 

In the kitchen . . . 
I'm not sure if you would notice but things are looking a little different these days food-wise. Looonngg story. Maybe I'll get to that one of these days. But I am dairy-free, gluten-free, and low, low sugar these days. It's a bit tricky but its working out so far.  Anyhow, I'd write more but this mama has some kiddos to get to bed.

Gotta run . . .

I love you!!  Ya'll are in prayers and in my heart.

new haircut.