Week ending 10-17-21 Thomas's closet, fall outside fun, primary program

 Every day this week had the same schedule: school until about 2:00, work on Thomas's closet or house project until 4:30, thirty minutes of outside work, dinner at 5, leave at 5:40 for play practice which was from 6-9. It's the last week before the performance so rehearsals were all 5 days for Thomas and Kaitlyn and 3 days for Makenna, a munchkin.

Tuesday: For science the kids ate a powdered donut without using their hands and then took a bite out of a chocolate donut to see what it feels like to be a bee with pollen on its face and then pollinating another flower.

Thomas and Alexis got rugs for their bedroom. They were so funny opening them together just like when they were little kids.

I had fixed Thomas's ceiling on Monday and bought trim at Lowes while the kids were at rehearsal so Tuesday I was ready to cut the wood trim. Samuel and Anderson hung out with me and grabbed the scraps to make cute 4" cell phones. It was a fun afternoon cutting and nailing up the trim, filling nail holes, and caulking the gaps as it's not a square closet at all.

I worked till 5:00 and Spencer used to be dinner on Tuesday nights so I thought, "What would Spencer make last minute if he were here?" Nachos!! So I made a couple of deluxe nacho plates with chips, cheese, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream. I love watching my kids eat and chat together.

Wednesday: After school play time. While I worked, they played. :) But I'm glad to see them hang out together.

I primed the closet in the morning before school and then painted it in the afternoon.

Thursday: I love the little squirrels coming up to our porch.

Thirty minute work time before dinner. They picked up thousands of walnuts. Several huge garbage cans full. How we will ever move them, I don't know. I've been too consumed with Thomas's room renovation decisions to figure out that problem.

Alexis went to an ecclesiastical endorsement interview and Thomas and Kaitlyn went to rehearsal. I was going to let these 4 watch a show while I did a second coat of paint but they just wanted to draw. 

My interior designer friend suggested a navy rug here but I don't think I like it. What color and texture do you think will look best? I'm thinking beige and kinda flat to play games and puzzles on. Or I could go with soft and fluffy for reading on.

I also need closet ideas for Thomas. My mom is coming on Wednesday and I'd like to have a rod up and some shelves for her to put her clothes on. Right now someone gave us this for Tom's clothes.

I worked so hard all week and was thrilled when some homeschooling friends invited us over for dinner. We played with kiwi crate stuff, volleyball, archery and climbed trees.

Saturday: We tackled the old rotting wood pile on blueberry hill. First I wanted to haul it all to our wood pile but when I saw how rotten it was I wanted the light the whole thing on fire. I was afraid it would take all day to burn so we ended up loading it up and dumping it in the woods to rot. It only took an hour. Thomas took 2 loads of the good stuff on the lawnmower trailer to our wood pile and we dumped the rest. Forgot to take before pictures. Now our driveway looks much better! It was an eyesore.

Makenna was a great helper. She and Alexis stayed till the very end.

Removing the log pieces. Briars and brambles were growing up all over the wood pile someone had cut and left there. The cattle couldn't graze there so we removed it and it looks way better. Hopefully the cattle will now graze there and keep it from growing brambles.

We opened our new recriprocating/jigsaw. It can be both and I was so excited about it. I've been wanting to get one for months to fix the little boys' closet but just hadn't gotten to it. Finally found this cheap one that takes our edger battery so it was perfect.

While the little boys and I oohed and awwed over our new saw, Thomas went through his clothes and threw the holey ones away and cut one pair into jean shorts. I love productive Saturdays. Everyone was busy getting things done.

During lunch all these leaves began pouring down. We ran out and tried catching them in our arm hoops.

Tilly wanted a picture of her holding a leaf. A cold front came through with a lot of wind to rip the leaves from the trees. It was so hot working on the hill in the morning and suddenly it was 60 degrees! Felt like a perfect fall Saturday.

After lunch we took a break and had a reading party outside with homemade granola bars and chocolate. I wouldn't pick Samuel's cozy spot, but it looked fun.

Kait and Kenna read on the swings. Talea and I sat on the porch rocking chairs. Alexis sat on the steps.

Then I put a piece from the obstacle course on the rope from the swing and had fun holding onto it and going way out over the ground.

Kait is on one and I'm on the other and we were spinning around and around like a carousel until our ropes were wound up.

Now Kenna and Kait take a turn.

In the afternoon I used the new saw to cut the metal bar as it was stuck way up high. I was able to move it down and put a shelf in so they could reach their clothes. The rest of their room will get a facelift down the road.

Today: These 5 were in the primary program. I'm so sad I only have 5 kids in primary. And next year will only have 4. Such a sad thought. My kids are growing up too fast. Seems like last year the older 5 were in the presentation together. These 5 sang "I Love To See The Temple." Talea sang the first verse solo and everyone loved it. She was adorable.

She asked me to go on a walk with her and her baby so we did and picked flowers. She melts my heart.

Week ending 10-10-21 Painting Thomas's room, squirrels, Mabry Mill field trip

Forecast for the week: rainy, foggy, and drizzly. A good week to work on indoor projects.

Monday: Sweet note from a sweet boy.

After school I painted the trim across the ceiling and all 3 doors and the window.

Outside these 4 are making sets for their own Wizard of Oz play they're doing with dolls. 

Kaitlyn wrote the script and designed all the sets and is the leader of it.

A finished set piece: the yellow brick road to Oz.

Tuesday: We stopped our history lesson and grabbed binoculars to watch the squirrels. There have been a lot of them scurrying around, getting our pecans, taking off the outer shell and spitting it out, then taking their nut and burying it. It was fascinating to watch.

We have an adapter to hook up a phone to the binoculars so we were able to try it out for the first time and take pictures of the squirrels. They were so fun to watch. I've always loved squirrels as I grew up with lots at our house but haven't lived in the country with them in 24 years so I've really missed them.

Staring at me while covering his hole.

Kaitlyn setting up a phone into the binoculars.

Wednesday: I finished the painting on Tuesday and today I'm moving the furniture back in. It turned out so good! Much better than the dreary brown wood paneling. Now it's a pretty painted beadboard and his room is much brighter. Now I just need to get him some bedding, wall hangings, a rug, and window treatments. I'm terrible at interior design and shopping so it's a learning experience for me.

(Before)

Kaitlyn loves blowing leaves off the shed and keeps asking if it needs it yet.

Thursday: Anderson and the 5 older kids went to audition for "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." It was so cute how he was saying goodbye to Talea and hugging. Alexis took the kids to the audition and I stayed home with Talea and did yard work. They all 6 got parts and are excited to start a new play when they're done with Wizard of Oz. 

Friday: We went to Mabry Mill on the Parkway with some old friends from the East.

The Walkers! Our good homeschooling friends from Goldsboro.

Ava and Alexis.

Talea wanting her picture in a few places.

Talea and her betrothed, John. First time they've met as we haven't seen each other in 6 years since we left NC, but when they were born we thought they should marry each other. :)

Makenna, Lydia Walker, Kaitlyn

Samuel was already back at the car.

I should have brought a good camera, but it was really pretty.

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway home. Still can't believe I live off of it! A dream come true!

Saturday: Weeding the garden and cutting wood in the south pasture. I love looking up and seeing our beautiful homeplace.

The view of the bald from the south pasture where I was cutting wood. It is breathtaking in real life.

I spent the week deliberating in which bedding and and colors to do for the bedrooms and finally decided and ordered stuff on Saturday. To celebrate me finishing the online shopping (which I hate doing), I rewarded myself with weed pulling and cutting wood until it got dark. Three big piles by the south pasture. :) It was a lot of fun.