Yikes!

I'm behind again. In short we've been...

going to camps
planning school
making messes
starting some school
rehearsing for a show
preparing for a music camp
making messes
planning a mini-getaway
painting a cabinet (finally)
putting on the show (this week!)
making messes
scrapbooking
reading
playing music
making messes

questionable activities:
gardening (aka weeding 101)
organizing
cleaning
decluttering (HA!)

looking for:
live-in maid
live-in cook
live-in handyman
(all volunteers, of course)
bon-bons (no nuts)
light at the end of the tunnel (no trains, please)
pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (in case I can't find any volunteers)
silver lining (this one is promising)

And truly, we have been praying for all of our family, friends, and friends of friends. There are so many needs right now, but some we pray for just because!

Love to all.

I'd be dearly amiss...

if I didn't share Ivory's latest adventure. We finally got around to cleaning out her cage, and we put her in her ball which has a slight crack in it. I asked Mr. Al if we should duct tape her in, and he reminded me that she doesn't run in her ball like hamsters do, so we left her unattended and went about our business and checked on her as we went back and forth...ball still in the same spot. She was chewing on her treat and scratching every now and then.

I noticed Miss Daisy in the room, and Ivory's ball was open, and I asked her if she had Ivory, and she said no. Apparently, Ivory scratched her way out and was nowhere to be seen. We started to look, and then stopped and decided we should pray, and so we did. Mr. Al and I started to look in his room under the bed, and Miss Daisy went to her room and not 30 seconds later, she hollered, "here she is!" Ivory decided to take a trip next door and was under the doll house. A quick word of thanks, and Ivory was placed back in her freshly cleaned cage. Whew!

Here's a pic of the dynamic duo in their old cage before A Rodent's Tale and A Rodent's Tale part two.

Back by Popular (?) Demand

Top Ten Ways to tell that school is almost out:

10) Several subjects are completed, leaving only the ones that were put off and nobody really likes.

9) Mom ignores the excess reading and piano playing in place of schoolwork (not entirely)

8) Mom is thinking about how much more time we'll have to clean and declutter and has a plan in place!

7) Summer schedule is picking up, so busyness just shifts directions.

6) It's stinkin' hot outside!

5) Everyone is counting down the hours (although it's really about finishing the curriculum. hahahahaha).

4) Next year's schedule is nearly figured out (except for what isn't).

3) Mom is anxious to completely clear off the shelves and get rid of some school books to make room for the new (a daunting, emotional task).

2) First camp is in a month!

And the number one reason...(drumroll, please)

1) Did I mention new books?

Too funny!

I guess I'm not very original, because I was going to do a Top 10 ways you can tell school is almost over and realized that I did that last year. Ha! Most of the things are the same, too, only we don't have any tadpoles dying on the counter...only flowers we started from seed that didn't do so well.

Guess I should do a garden update. The things we started from seed indoors didn't do so hot. I think our pepper plants survived, but the tomato plants didn't get hardened enough and have bit the dust. Broccoli was frail to start with. The other things that we started from seed outside are doing ok. Need to check on things tomorrow and see how they held up after all of the rain this week.

Since I stole my own thunder, I guess I'll close this out and just say SIX MORE SCHOOL DAYS (provided they stay on task...they better!)! Then comes all the fun of cleaning out and finishing planning for next year and doing some deep cleaning in the house.

A Mighty Fortress

It's fort building week here. Half of the schoolroom is covered in couch cushions, blankets, and pillows, and a remodeling is currently taking place. A fort has generally been thought to be a place of refuge or safety...or if you are a 6 year old, it can become a place to hide all of your favorite things to protect them from siblings. I could hardly think about a fort without thinking of this hymn:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.

fortress: any place of exceptional security; stronghold
bulwark: any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt

It's an amazing image really...a mighty God who wants to shelter us as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings...and never fails!

Coming up for air

Highlights of the past two weeks:

12 pepper plants growing
11 piles of paper
10 books a reading
9 loads of laundry
8 minutes of sanity
7 ballet lessons
6 bills awaiting
Walked a 5K
4 rehearsals
3 concerts
2 many things
and a family to love and enjoy.

So many blessing through all these different things. Thank you, Lord!

Praying for you KayPea! Hope you're feeling better!

Light

Since that last post was so deep, I'll leave you with these lighter thoughts.

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own. ~Ben Sweetland

Moonlight is sculpture. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home. ~Author Unknown

Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm and you won't see the dust on the floor. ~Irish Proverb

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore