Catching Up

I'm back (finally) to play catch up.  Major catch up.  We've celebrated five years of Luke's life, 3 months of Abigail's, and 9 years of marriage for Steven and me.  Not to mention lots of homeschooling, another Georgia game for Steven and Luke, gorgeous fall weather, and the stuff that doesn't make the blogs.  Like...endless piles of laundry, endless mouths to feed, bottoms to wipe, and the mental exhaustion that comes from breaking up yet another argument.  But it is what the days are made up of, isn't it?  Exhausting and so incredibly fulfilling at the same time.  


I will start with Luke's birthday.  It was one of the easiest and most successful birthdays we've done so far. Saturday morning to Chuck E. Cheese, with a couple of his buddies from church.  He loved it.  He is five now and very quickly corrected Steven last night when he made the mistake of telling someone that Luke was four.  He adores Steven.  I'm pretty sure he loves me too (smile), but won't admit it so easily.  He is very much into being a boy.  And after two Georgia games now, he "wins for Georgia."  He's trying to convince Andrew to "win for Georgia."  But thankfully Andrew still loves his Auburn hat too much.  Luke is giving it a go with soccer.  I don't think it will be his thing.  His favorite part is getting a ring pop when the game is over.  He is beginning to read and on the verge of taking off like Ellie did.  He is still my sweet Luke and it tugs at my heart how big he is now.  I had to tell myself to calm down the other night when I was tucking him in.  I was making him promise he would still call me, come visit, etc. once he was grown and gone.  He grinned and said with an annoyed sigh, "Yes, mom!"

That was almost a month ago.  I meant to blog last weekend while Steven and Luke had gone to the Georgia game.  We enjoyed a beautiful Friday with just the girls (plus Andrew).  We treated ourselves after a trip to the library to a Little Caesar's pizza and we each got a Zaxby's coke.  It hit the spot.  Such a nice break from the constant meal prep and clean up in the kitchen.  Then, math lesson on the screen porch.  One of my favorite things about homeschooling-flexibility of time and location!   

I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy history more when I was in school, but now I find it fascinating.  I definitely appreciate it so much more and am now able to look at it through the lens of Scripture.  We've been studying Egypt for several weeks now.  What an amazing civilization!  Here is our Nile River that we made.  It is supposed to "flood" and then the grass will grow on the banks.  It's not working out so well, and our play-doh pyramids have drowned from the rain here in Alabama.  

Ellie continues to love reading and devours all of her library books in a few hours.  So, I suggested she try a chapter book.  I adored the American Girl books when I was young, so she checked out one of the newest ones, but I think those are still a little too much.   She wants to be Belle for Halloween because she says, "Belle loves books just like I do!" 


Now, here it is a week later and I am finally getting around to the blog.  It is another glorious fall day, so Steven took the oldest three to Chattanooga to the Children's Museum and for a visit with his parents.  


I'll wrap things up with a few more pictures of Abigail who contiues to plump up and spit up!  She is getting so much easier, although eating twice at night instead of just once as she was doing for awhile.  I'm also getting ready for a more consistent daytime nap schedule.  

I guess that just about wraps it up.   The major highlights and a few minor ones.