Monday is...

Monday is art day...and I didn't forget about it...though I almost forgot that today Emmett's work samples were supposed to be mailed into his teacher for k12. Aaack!

The city of Jacksonville has a cool homeschool art program for free! Besides the neat art projects (like paper mache bowls that we didn't finish) another great thing is the cool building it is in. The other picture I took inside wouldn't rotate right so I'll have to take another today...maybe take one of the outside too. It is in a neighborhood called Murry Hill that has a bunch of arts and crafts style homes that I LoVe driving by. I've thought about taking a few pictures of them for ya'll to see but I'm always in such a daggum rush. Immediatly after art we scoot back across the river to an area called San Marco that has tremendously big house being sold by Sotheby's which is where the boys' new piano teacher lives/gives lessons. Ah, contentment is a work on Mondays. I've done the grocery shopping this morning and the dishes today but need to pick up Elise's room in the last few minutes before I start my Monday Madness routine. Just checking in with you and hoping you are having a great Monday...not too manic.

Hurricanes and Football

My cousin's son played football in jr. high and high school and whenever we were in town we would go to his games. I never thought in a million years that I would be watching my own son play. We have never been a sports family. And even at the first game last week, as soon I realized that the first half was all John-Thomas was going to play in, I was ready to go...not much of a team player. We stayed of course, Stewart was still the water boy for the rest of the game and Josh was helping with the chain to mark the plays. Elise and Emmett had a blast running around the bleachers with the other kids their age. The whole time he was playing I wondered if he was going to get injured. Craziness, I thought, last year we were a quiet little homeschool family who did rock climbing on Fridays with some other homeschool kids and this year look at us. It reminded me of the hurricanes.
Who would've thought that two hurricanes hit the same place (over our house) in one hurricane season?
Who would've thought that the kid that had never been in public school before or played on any team sports would be playing football? This week he goes on his first field trip, I have to take him to school at 5:30 in the morning.
And while I'm at it, who would have thought that the very same loud and wiggly girl would sit still in her seat and ne'er peep a sound in kindergarten?
Lord help my unbelief, give me faith to believe in all your promises and not in some boxed in notion of what I think my life should be like.
Romans 4:20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to
God,

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3 : 17

Almost Homemade Birthday

Elise turned 5 on Tuesday.
I finished the Birthday Banner on Monday....not real happy with it, I used bias tape instead of some other tape I can't think of......more shabby than chic.
Elise has been asking for months for Josh to build her a dollhouse. He had it in his head to get a kit...I didn't think he was following through with but what was delivered Monday morning? So he started it around 5 and I started helping him around 10 and we went to bed at 2 without getting all the shingles on. The valleys on that roof were a pain to shingle...Josh was very diligent about getting all the cuts just so.
We got a cake from Publix...way to big...it's gone to waist.
Elise has been sick since last Friday and now I have it...not as bad but I still feel yucky and I haven't done any real exercise in over a week and my hair is starting to fall out again and I feel like a blob so something has gotta give...
Sorry, talking about myself again...Elise had a very nice Birthday some homemade, some not. When my mom heard about the dollhouse she quick whipped up a lovely little chair...yesterday when I tried to whip up a bed it looked shabby to say the least.
Alright before I digress again, I hope you have a wonderful day.
God Bless You!

Back to School

Emmett is doing 3rd grade K12 Virtual school at home.
Elise is cheerfully going to Kindergarten at Love Grove Elementary one mile from home.
Stewart is in 6th grade at Julia Landon College Prep...first time in public school.

John-Thomas is in 8th grade at Julia Landon....1st time in public school.
Oh, boy what a day...no one was late for school and no one got in trouble.
Elise greeted her teacher with a bold Good Morning as soon as she saw her teacher.
John-Thomas and Stewart were comfortable in what they had learned before going to this new school but unfortunately aren't comfortable in being part of the masses that are herded from place to place. I on the other hand had a very stress-less Math review study time with Emmett that lasted 2 hrs., we had a full day running everyone back and forth to their schools we really didn't have time to goof off at all. Tomorrow I am definitely going to the Y after drop off. Stretch and Tone here I come.

A Quickie

Susan needed me to pick her to take her to airport at 1 today so we had just enough time to run out to the beach today.

Unfortunately I decided this at 8:45 so by the time we got to my favorite beach (4th street...not 3rd street like I previously reported) the two available parking spaces were taken...so we went to 5th street and even though it has no shower it had parking. I figured we could walk the three houses down to shower....and we did. The surfers were out today...good waves for them but not for an 8 and 4 year old.

We just laid in the water...for some reason it reminded me of highschool and us girls sitting in the shallow water. Don't know why today of all days that memory surfaced. I love the beach. The other day I read a diet/fitness article that listed how many calories you could burn doing different activities at the beach. That was some encouragement when the kids asked me to help build a beach castle. Otherwise, I would be happy sit on my sore but. (from tone and stretch class)

After I dropped Susan off I made a quick stop at Once Upon A Child out at that shopping center near there to see if I could find a size 7/8 smocked dress. She has grown out of all of her smocked dresses and I haven't seen any in stores in my price range. No luck. She has plenty of dresses...just none smocked...and I do love the smocked dresses.