Project 365: Week 17

Sunday, April 18, 2010

I've been enjoying our azaleas lately. They look so good with the contrasting lemon-yellow shrubs (I can't remember what they're called) in our backyard bed. These poor azaleas have really been through it, too! I'll never forget a busy Paul and a pregnant me trying to save these things from strangling grasses and weeds and too much sun (said the landscaper guys we had out to give us an opinion). I think we moved like nine established azaleas and at a pretty risky time. But they've all done pretty well, despite our very NON-green thumbs.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Today there are no pictures. It's a bad day. Very bad. But a day on which my friends came through. I am so thankful for them. And I am blessed to be a child of God, Who already knows the plans He has for me. I have hope in His promises.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Today it's just me, Atticus, and Saylor. Paul's working out-of-town and Noah and Gabriel are staying with Mimi (my mom) during the day. They're all staying there at night. So tonight I promised Saylor we'd cuddle in the bed upstairs and watch a movie before bed. She was so cozy with her blanket and dolly she decided to just go ahead and sleep there for the night.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Our second day home alone. We spent part of it quietly doing some school work at the kitchen table. Honestly, I wish I had never put our school room upstairs. It makes it so hard to get anything accomplished, as the school-age kids still need a lot of help with their work, the babies need constant supervision, and I can never break away to make our lunch, etc. I'd much prefer to have a room off the kitchen or something.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Today Paul and I stayed home from work (no Academy for me) just to reconnect and rest. The big kids went to Academy, leaving the babies home to play "Ring Around the Rosies" and such together. I tried my best to capture the game in a photographically-pleasing way, but they were just spinning too fast in too dark of a room. So, Gabe's shirt is still "moving" in the picture, but this was the only shot I had that showed both of their laughing faces. And I just wanted to always remember how silly they were.

After Academy and baby naps, we all set out for the dreaded "Evil of Evils": Wal-Mart. We needed some basic stuff and, frankly, none of us was up to facing it alone. But the kids certainly made the best of it.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Tonight we surprised the kids by taking them to the "World of the Pharaohs" Exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center. It would have cost our family $58+ just to the see the exhibit on any given day. But tonight they were having "Family Night." Our whole family was able to go for just $15. AND they served refreshments, had live actors in period costume, and lots (too many, in fact!) of hands-on activities for the kids. Paul and I were a couple of nervous wrecks because it was so crowded, and well...it's just hard keeping up with everybody, especially when some like to confidently run off to try this or that and others frequently need to use the bathroom. But. The kids enjoyed every moment. They thought the whole thing was just awesome! So. It was worth it, wouldn't you say? (Atticus didn't get photographed, since he was strapped to my hip in our sling. I'm sure I'll find a way to make up for that eventually.)

Gabriel pounded reeds for papyrus.

Saylor thoroughly enjoyed the archaeological dig. (She found the most treasures, by the way.)

Noah ground some grain into flour using a mortar and pestle.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Don't you just love it when you stay up late getting a uniform ready and making snacks for your child's soccer team, only for the game to be rained out?? What--that hasn't happened to you? At first it felt like a huge waste, but then I realized: more for us! These are Alton Brown's granola bars. We think they're YUM city! (This time I used Sucanat in place of the brown sugar. They taste great, but they don't stick together the way they do with brown sugar. I think I didn't take into account that Sucanat doesn't "pack" like brown sugar, so there's probably less sticky stuff than with the brown. Next time I'll add more Sucanat.) They are not, however, soaked. A friend recently sent me a soaked recipe for granola (not bars), but I was too chicken to attempt a new recipe and actually try it out on somebody else! So I stuck with the tried-and-true. (Shannon, I believe you were looking for a granola bar recipe...?) Maybe I'll try combining Alton's recipe with the soaked version and see what I can come up with. In the meantime, I guess we will somehow have to find a way to consume the soccer team's goodies. *sigh*

After the "rain out," Saylor and I had to go get her ballet recital pictures made. I would have liked to have gone to Beth Moore's simulcast, but I didn't have much confidence in Paul getting Saylor's hair up in a bun, etc. so I had to miss out.

She was gorgeous, as usual.

I can't imagine a prettier face in all the world.

That was my week.

Long.

And an emotional roller coaster.

Sara's got the whole list of project participants over at her place, so that's where I'm headed next. See ya!