Week 9: Rise Up

The week started off hot.
Everyone was just hot and we were seriously wondering where the fall weather is.
There's so much work to get done and it seems we work much faster when the tempture is a little lower.  Our house is seriously rising up out of the ground.
It's the neatest thing to watch.  Brick by brick it is taking shape.
The kids hobby this week is hunting and chasing...

LIZARDS

Sunday morning I couldn’t even roll out of bed or sit up without feeling like I had been beaten in the head. My vision was blurry and I tried every remedy I was capable of trying.
James took the kids to church and I somehow managed to fall back to sleep and still woke up in pain. After another round of remedies I was able to feel normal.
My normal self cleans the dishes while singing worship music. After awhile I was able to do both. I put on my face and fixed my hair and led an online Bible study.
The next morning, Monday, I was so afraid it was coming back as I was driving to my 5:15 am workout. Thank goodness it did not.
If nothing else, it takes energy and constant cleaning and putting away to love small. One ounce of down time and I regret it. Things constantly need organizing and sometimes reorganized.
Feeling my best all the time is absolutely key.

Our house is taking shape.
Our septic system is in.
That is the only update in the house at the moment.

Not that I need another spinning plate but I’ve started trying to give the kids more constructive playtime. I’m slowly adding to their collection of quality play toys and removing the stuff that’s just not great.
I have also started implementing more structure for learning their letter sounds, number sense, colors, and shapes. Even though I have a background in education and a masters in Reading I feel like I’m falling short just thinking about what is ahead.
Why?
I think it’s because of the rigor I was used to in the classroom. All the planning and constant preparation. I really don’t want to do all that. Just give me an easy curriculum and let’s move forward.

The 3 older kids have been on Fall break this week and it’s been full of hard work and little play. I did manage to take them to downtown Rome for some
playtime in the water and we stopped at Goodwill. I hate bringing home junk but I love finding solutions to storage problems.
The water foundations are SO fun for little kids and hilarious with big kids.

I honestly think my goal as a mom is to completely wear them out before naptime. They start exploring as early as possible. I just need them to finally take those naps.

There’s been several comments from friends about how the kids don’t ever have shoes on. I promise they have shoes. They have piles but for some reason they go out without them and sometimes they go out with them and come back without.
My neighbor friend, Amy, called it grounding.
I’ve heard of that.
I think it sounds like an appropriate word for their desire to feel the earth beneath their feet.
Sharp and painful.
Or
Soft and sweet.