March Days

 March mornings, wish you could hear the wrens. Feeling springlike. 

Public Presentations 2024

 So proud of my kids and their fellow 4-Hers.  Truly the Public Speaking Competition is a highlight for me.  I love seeing what the kids pick and I love seeing them shine! 

Happy 13 and a HALF, Adrian!

 

13, 12 and a HALF and follow the links for all his other birthdays. 

Happy 13 and a HALF to Adrian, 

You are growing into a fine young man, Adrian.  The word that describes you most is dependable. Whatever you commit to, you do.  In all weather you spend the first two hours of the day outside with your coffee waving to the cars.  You give me no trouble about doing your school work or chores. You just do what you need to do. 

You are a very, very creative guy.  Your dioramas are unique and intricate. Your drawings have very careful detail. You focus and do your best at all you do. 

You are eating everything and anything and after you finish, you're looking for more food.  I cannot fill you up. The doctor said you grew 3.5 inches in the last year. You tower over me now. Lately you've been doing a bit of cooking, not because you really want to but because you're still hungry after I feed you mounds of food, so you want to make more. 

Your love of humor is increasing steadily. Dad jokes are constant. You love to roast the people you love most, particularly me.  You find me embarrassing more often lately, but aren't shy in expressing your love when there's no audience. 

You loooooove country music and sign it all.the.time.  Your sisters know all the words thanks to you.  I haven't listened to country music since I was in high school, but I am apparently now. 

You almost always prefer a regular day to any other day. You love the routine and the predictability.  When I drag you to places you aren't excited about, you come along anyway without complaining too much. 

You enjoy following the Bruins and Red Sox.  You love riding your bike, ice skating and being alone. Your other new hobby is setting and checking a game cam. 

Adrian, you are an absolute delight to raise.  I feel so fortunate to be able to annoy you regularly. I'm super excited that you decided you want to be a dad one day, I hope you have a whole bunch of mini Adrians for me to love. 

Happiest 13 and a HALF!  Love, Mom  

Home sweet home

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Home sweet home and a spectacular sunset that pictures don't even come close to the experience. 

So thankful to live here.   

Sunshine

 To be perfectly honest, our week has felt really heavy, with big dark rain clouds that aren't letting up like I hoped.  What I want to do is wave a magic wand and have things be different. Obviously that's not possible.  So, instead I look for the sunshine and find the joy. Tomorrow is a new day.

(She made the spring table set up.  I forced the forsythia). 

The Queen

 We affectionally call Anna-Kate the Queen.  Why?

Well, she enjoys waking late, reading in bed until breakfast is ready.

Her preferred activities of the day include playing, talking, reading, talking, writing notes and talking. 

Definitely not doing chores.

She doesn't need to be convinced to relax.  She does that quite well on her own.

She sleeps like a beauty queen must. 

She's the biggest hoot and I'm so thankful I got my 'one more'. 

Sundays

 Sunday was just ordinary.  I was thinking, what do I have to blog about?  We didn't do anything remarkable.  Then I was thinking, why not document an ordinary Sunday, which is so much like every other Sunday.  

I got up before the rest and made a breakfast feast.  I made strata with our own eggs, homemade sour dough, homemade cheese and homegrown herbs and I made banana bread. All that with oranges=breakfast. I think looked out in my backyard at the crows and juncos and washed the dishes. 

I went for a walk by myself.  Noticed the high water levels and inspected the beaver activity. 

Church followed by a packed lunch with our church friends. I brought a big salad and a homemade pizza.  I love the garlic herb pizza crust I make. Yum. 

The big kids stayed at church for archery and we came home. Anna-Kate played American Girls in the attic.  I put new sheets on the bed and did some laundry and cleaning. 

I then did some sewing (finished a stack of 25 miniature wipes, that we use as washcloths/tissues) and helped Audra with her puzzle. I helped Justin and Adrian mend things they wanted mended.

We all went outside.  I planted some spinach and turnips under the circular domes as an experiment in a couple places and checked on my winter sown jugs. I potted some spider plants I was rooting to bring to the thrift store as a donation.

The rest of the crew played with the dogs, gathered eggs and the girls played "Good Fairy/Bad Fairy". 

I went in and made a pasta salad that had way more veggies than pasta and smashed burgers for dinner. I wasn't fast enough, everyone was hungry so they all munched on apples while they waited. Then I made chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  I did more dishes and tidied the kitchen while the rest folded laundry and watched Dr. Quinn for our Sunday night fun. 

We then read night time books.  Currently reading Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder.  I read it as a kid. My kids all love historical fiction. This is the 3rd book of hers that we have read together.  

After that, I did some paperwork I needed to do, some last minute tidying and blogged. 

Just an ordinary day.  Ordinary days are my favorite.