First week of August

I realized that I don’t want a month sized hole in my journal, so a few posts is okay during a break, right?  I am thinking maybe once a week until September. 

I am getting lots done since drastically cutting back my computer time, which really had to be done.  I haven’t even edited any photos this week, including the ones in this post. 

I get asked all the time how I manage to do so much, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t really!  If I am talking about canning homemade jam and sewing dresses here, you can bet my bathrooms are dirty, and my laundry isn’t folded.  So, I am really working to find some balance between all I want to do and all I must do.  My house needs a good bit of organizing if I am going to be ready to start homeschooling with five children in a few weeks, so that is high on my priority list right now.  I am also doing a lot of thinking about my personal goals, and I guess as I process these thoughts over the next few weeks, I will try to share them.  Right now, here is a bit from our week:

We are eating our first ripe watermelons from the garden.  The hot weather we have had this summer has been perfect for them.

We have also hit the point at which we eat our homegrown cantaloupe at nearly every single meal, until we reach the point that we don’t want to see another until next summer!

My kitchen countertops are rarely seen lately, beneath the cover of dirty dishes, recycling, and produce.  Right now they are also covered in jars of pickles Jonny and I made last night.  It’s nice to have a little bunch of flowers to focus my attention on, rather than all the work that needs to be done.  I do love finding the pretty spot amidst the mess. 

Monday night was my first knitting class since receiving donations from some of you enabling me to actually be prepared to teach.  The class went really well; thank you so much!  One mama, who caught on quickly and really enjoyed herself, commented that knitting might help her quit smoking (which would be great not only for her, but also for her unborn daughter!)

But the big news is that Larkspur, turned four years old last March, Larkspur, gave up her pacifier.  AGAIN.

How I ended up with such a pacifier addicted child I don’t know as we aren’t big pacifier people.  I’ve never had another child take one more than occasionally.  How Larkspur ended up hooked again more than six months after giving it up around her third birthday, well that’s a long story.  This time she gave it up without tears though, so I suppose she was really ready.

Larkspur’s new favorite game is “store.”  So, as a bribe incentive for putting her paci in the trashy, she got a lovely little cash register for her store.  She loves it (so do I-it’s so cute!)  In Larkspur’s store you can buy my photographs for dirt cheap along with all sorts of lovely scraps of paper, and little handmade books.  And the bonus is that you receive “change” before you’ve even paid for your items, and sometimes you walk away with not only your purchases, but more money than you started with!

We also made cake and sang Happy Birthday at Larkspur’s request.  Never mind that it’s not her birthday.  I am just glad that we are finally through with pacifiers!

p.s.  We are still working on identifying the flowers from our hike, and have added names for those we have.  I am not sure we are going to be able to correctly i.d. them all!  It is hard doing it with just a photo to look at, more than a week out from seeing them in person, but such a great learning activity for both me and my kids!