My Daybook: An August Wednesday

Outside my window:

Storms have cleared out the 90-degrees-and-humid of last week and left us with cool breezes that carry with them the promise of early fall.

Planning and scheduling:

I have set our first day of school for August 31st.  That's the first day for the parochial schools in our area, and it will motivate my children to know they aren't alone in saying goodbye to summer.  Amazingly, when I floated this idea at dinner last night, they started cheering and were thoroughly excited at the prospect of begining a new year.  

I'm still planning on using commonplace books to record our studies, but I need to finalize the living books lists and the concrete spine of our path of studies.  

More importantly, I am trying to figure out a schedule for visits to the perpetual adoration chapel each day.  We are so blessed to live probably a half-mile away from the chapel.  I want to let my children take their bikes for a quick visit.  They can do this in pairs, so we don't overwhelm the chapel with all 10 of us at once.  I'd also like to let the kids go earlier in the day so that it doesn't get too late, when we start forgetting things.  But of course, "early" is when the most productive schooling gets done.  Maybe after Religion and Math, for a recess break.  Then after lunch for the second pair.  

  

 I am listening to:

nail guns and power saws.  All but one window is in!  I am praying that the school room will be ready for us by October.  We'll get started at our dining room table as usual, and then transfer in right as we're in a good rhythm for the new year.

 So so thankful:

I asked my Mom to come help me go through my clothing bins.  I have many bins, and I want her no-nonsense input on what I should hang on to for hand-me-downs, and what needs to go.

This is a project I've had on my "to-do" list since Christmas! I bet you she'll plow through it by tonight--oh my goodness the thrill of that thought!

 And for the raw milk my brother-in-law has been driving to get for us!  For years I have heard of the benefits of raw milk, but of course, it is illegal to sell in our state.  So, you join a co-op, work for a farmer, and own part of the cow, and thus rights to the milk.  That seems a bit ridiculous just for good old fashioned milk from a cow!  Well, my brother-in-law has jumped all of those hoops and is able to bring home milk on account of it.  My favorite part: the cream on top!

I am thinking:

I love being pregnant.  I love this little baby inside of me--whoever he or she is!  My kids love their little sibling.  They are so excited!  They keep asking if my stomach is getting bigger.  They get a huge kick out of me having cravings (it's Gatorade, y'all! Hand it over!)

My husband?  I'm dying here.  My husband is researching 15-passenger vans.  I might cry.  I'm so attached to our nice, dainty 12-passenger van.  And yet, I can't deny we need the space.  I had my three nieces with us the other day, and we so did not fit.  Have you seen the new Ford Express?  Or those Mercedes'?  Hideous!!  I'm going to try to get some pictures up.  They are really worth a belly laugh!