Blessings of the Week - vol. 28

The Halloween version of my blessings:

-1-

Three Hour Lunch Last Sunday. I mentioned it earlier in the week, but last Sunday's brunch with my friend from church was a real blessing in this week. What a gift to connect with another person, and to know that a real friendship is growing from that connection.

-2-

Lots of Halloween Fun. I never used to pay much attention to Halloween (which is one of DH's all-time, favorite holidays). This year, we have had an entire week of fun... beginning with last Saturday night's "Trunk or Treat" at church, through the homeschool Halloween party on Tuesday and the adults-only costume party on Friday night. Tonight, we are hanging with our good friends... for dinner, trick-or-treating, and some s'mores around the fire pit (because there aren't enough sweets to go around without adding s'mores!). We've certainly gotten our fill of Halloween fun this year! (And we even got the jack-o-lantern carved... better than last year!)

-3-

Princess' Early Morning Company. Thursday morning, when I returned from mass, I found Princess sitting in the family room, tights half-on, crying. She had wanted to go to mass with me, but hadn't awakened in time. "Please, please, Mommy, please wake me up tomorrow." So, Friday morning, I slipped into her room at 5:55 AM, helped her dress quickly and quietly, and we headed out into the rainy darkness. She curled up in the corner of the loveseat in the Deacon's office as we prayed Morning Prayer, joining us for the Our Father near the end of our prayer time. Then we settled into the chapel for mass.

I don't know if she realizes just how much it means to me that she is there. I love having her company. I love the little extra time for us together. I love the very real reminder of why I am here, what my true purpose is. It is just an absolutely incredible blessing that she wants to get up early and be a part of my morning routine. Her presence adds another layer of sacredness to my quiet time with the Lord.

*****

Will you join me in welcoming November with a grateful heart?

Blending Together

It's fall. For us, it's one of the busiest times of the year. This year, however, has seemed even busier... perhaps because of DH's travel, perhaps because I am homeschooling two children, perhaps because we actually are busier than in the past. I'm not sure. Maybe it's a combination of all those reasons, and more.

Whatever the reason, I cannot believe how my days are blending together, bleeding into one another until I really can't see any differentiation between days and weeks. Without my daily agenda emails, I would be completely lost. (Thanks, Google!)

And yet, it's all good. Our lives are full... in the best possible way.

And, somehow, everything is getting done. The important things (school, daily mass, household chores), the less important (soccer practices, dance classes, playdates) and even the silly things (Halloween costumes, baking scout snacks from scratch), somehow, are all getting done.

I wonder, though, if there aren't some things this fall that are helping me keep this family on schedule and moving forward, despite the craziness.

1. Praying the Hours. I started this practice in early September. I am, by no means, perfect in my attempts; many, many days I miss one or more of the prayer stops. But I have noticed that, generally, my life is feeling more balanced. I keep my prayer book with me throughout the day, and sometimes all I have time to do as I am rushing out the door is to set my hand on the top of the book, pause, and ask for His help. But, it's there. It's a reminder to stop, to quiet myself, and to pray. It's a reminder that I am not in this alone.

   
   

2. Scaling down my expectations. When I realized that 2 months into our school year we had already accumulated 1/3 of our required hours, I decided to relax. Maybe we didn't have to do science and social studies every single day. Maybe we could alternate days for those subjects. Maybe we could alternate days for some of BigBro's language arts (we do lots and lots of language arts). We are still covering all of the important stuff, and have time for the fun stuff... and there is a lot less frustration, a lot less annoyance, a lot less yelling on my part.

   
   

3. Getting organized. Admittedly, I am still working on this one. But, I am trying to be more organized. The kids' drawers/closets have been cleaned out and sorted. I am trying a new approach to tame the ever-demanding laundry monster. I've gotten the main level of the house less cluttered than it's been since BigBro's baby shower, and I am really motivated to keep it that way.

   
   

4. Getting the kids involved. My kids have always had chores, always pitched in. But, we've scaled it up a bit. I've given them more responsibility for their laundry. BigBro is my weekly vacuum-er, and Princess helps clean the bathrooms every week. LilBro's been pitching in a lot more... and the more responsibility he gets, the happier and more cooperative he seems to be. But it's not just chores. I've been giving them more responsibility for completing school work, for planning meals, and for planning family activities. The more they are involved, the smoother everything else runs.

   
   

5. Regular, scheduled time away. This time last year, I was a mess. I remember feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and stretched to the breaking point. This year, with the help of my once-a-month visits to Vision of Peace (and, of course, DH's unfailing support), I am much calmer, better able to manage the craziness of our daily lives. Truly, Vision of Peace is an absolute necessity for my mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health.

   
   

6. Regular exercise. Even if I am not getting 45 minutes every day, like I did all summer, I am still running regularly. My body tells me, in stiffness and lack of flexibility, when I've been too lax and need to ramp it back up. Even though it's still a struggle to get started, and I still don't love exercising, at least I am doing it. That, in and of itself, is enough for now.
   

Whether these things, individually or together, are the key to my smooth-but-busy fall, I do not know. I do know that, by the Grace of God, these same things will help me get through the next 10 weeks of holiday craziness, out-of-town guests, decorating, shopping, baking, and party planning, in addition to the usual stuff to do.

You Know You Homeschool When...

... you need Google Calendar's daily agenda email to remind you at 7:50 A.M. that your preschooler is supposed to be in school at 8:00.

It's not that we weren't all up and dressed... I just completely forgot that LilBro had school today.

(We made it... just two minutes late!)

It Doesn't Really Count... It's Only Number 4

(Ok, so I admit that perhaps it might be a bit of a pain to have your mother be your religion teacher).

BigBro will be celebrating his first Reconciliation next week, so we've spent a good part of the past month talking about sin, the Commandments, and forgiveness. This afternoon, he spent a good part of the afternoon in his room after a particularly disrespectful series of interactions with me.

As I was prepping dinner tonight, he and I were discussing his behavior choices this afternoon.

"It's not a big deal, you know, Mom. I was just being disrespectful. You got way madder than you should've."

"Really? Not a big deal? It's only one of the 10 Commandments. You think God didn't really mean that one? Only the other 9 count?"

No response, other than a shrug and eye roll.

DH walked into the room at this point, and joined our conversation:

"What do you think Pastor will say next week, if you tell him you've been disrespectful to your mom, but it's not a big deal?"

"Well, I'm not going to tell him that."

No, I wouldn't think so. Might kill that whole contrition thing.

(Lest you get the wrong idea, he and I ended up curling up at bedtime for a real heart-to-heart on his behavior, the Sacrament, and general issues of respect).

Bits and Pieces of Life Lately

I was looking at the three bulging bags of candy from Saturday's Trunk or Treat, and realizing that we still have a homeschooling Halloween party tomorrow (thankfully, candy-free! gotta love those crunchy homeschoolers!) and the big trick-or-treat-fest on Saturday night. What on earth are we going to do with all of this candy! I know I don't want to be eating it all.

One idea I came across last year was to wrap a small piece of Halloween candy for each day of Advent in place of a traditional chocolate-a-day Advent calendar. Perhaps I'll get the kids involved. They love to wrap nearly anything, and I've got a bunch of small pieces of leftover wrapping paper.

*****

Speaking of Advent, as of yesterday, Advent is only 5 (five!!!!) weeks away!

Last year, I was so organized. I had all of my shopping done before Advent started. I think I even had my Christmas card envelopes addressed. I don't see that happening this year.

But I have started thinking about Advent, about what I want to do to celebrate the season personally, how I will adjust our schooling to accommodate more seasonal activities, and how I want our family life to reflect Advent. Now is the time for me to prepare for Advent. If I can also get some of the Christmas duties out of the way, all the better (since Christmas morning is, after all, only 8 1/2 weeks away). Starting next week, I'll be posting suggestions for Advent preparation/celebration on Monday mornings. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment box.

*****

BigBro read Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Farmer Boy" last week, and since he enjoyed that so thoroughly, was willing to crack open "Little House on the Prairie" yesterday. After a short time, he pronounced it "boring." I encouraged him to read just a bit further, just another few chapters, fifteen to twenty more minutes. That was about 8:05 pm last night. At 9:55, I walked into my bedroom to find him laying in my bed, eyes glued to Wilder's words, about halfway through the book. With a grin, I sent him to bed. This morning, he appeared downstairs with the book in hand, and immediately curled up on the couch to continue the saga of Laura and family. I'm not sure we're getting much book work done until he's finished.

*****

The kids are all dressing up as St Louis Cardinal players for Halloween this year. LilBro is catcher, Yadier Molina; Princess is first baseman, Albert Pujols; and BigBro is second baseman, Skip Schumaker. All three of them required my skills with the eyeliner pencil to create the appearance of facial hair. Albert has a goatee. The other two men like that five-o-clock-shadow look. I'm grateful no one has a full beard, though. They all looked adorable. I'll post pics later this week.

*****

Yesterday afternoon, I had lunch with a woman from church whom I've always wanted to know better than I do. I've always looked up to her, and most especially, admired the way she incorporates her faith into her life, seemingly seamlessly. When she asked me to lunch a few weeks ago, I was thrilled and flattered. We had an amazing time. Three and a half hours flew by in what felt like fifteen minutes. She shared her story. I shared mine. We both shared a tear or two, some laughter, and a deep warmth. We've promised to do this regularly, and to incorporate some shared prayer into our regular time together.

As I got back into my car, much later than I'd told DH I would be, I offered up prayers of thanksgiving: for the gift of a burgeoning friendship, for the similarities and differences in our stories, for acceptance, for love, for faith.

*****

Blessings of the Week - vol. 27

-1-

Surviving the Invasion of a Reality TV Crew. A week ago, I was anxious and stressed. Would the house look ok? Would I? What would we say? How would it go? What a blessing it is to be on this side of the filming... where life can get back to normal.

-2-

Morning Prayer with "the guys." On Tuesday night, Father and I prayed Evening Prayer before beginning Spiritual Direction. Since I am still a newbie at praying the Hours, it was very helpful (and really quite nice) to pray together. He then issued an open invitation to join him and the Deacon in the Deacon's office before morning mass. Wednesday morning, I took him up on the offer. Thursday morning, too. I can't join them every day (schedules and me not being a morning person getting in the way), but I am going to make an effort to get there as much as I can.

-3-

The Food Pantry. BigBro and I volunteer at our local food pantry once a month. This week, we were there on Thursday night. We have been doing this since last December, and I've certainly been changed by this experience. I am pulled out of my comfort zone every single time. It's a blessing to serve those who are struggling... but it's a bigger blessing that I am helped, changed, and softened through this small act of service.

*****

Where have you seen God's hand in your life this week?

Another Reason Why I Love St Louis

Check out the new Planet Walk: a walkable, scale-model solar system in the Delmar Loop, opening later this month.

The Planet Walk

How totally fun is this going to be! A science lesson topped off with rootbeer at Fitz's!

A Monk's Heart

In Spiritual Direction the other night, I made some small joke about celibacy looking quite enticing these days, and after laughing and agreeing, Father responded that we all - celibate or not - needed to have "a monk's heart."

What does that mean?

Our conversation delved into the longing that we all feel in the core of our beings... the longing that is never really quenched: not in marriage, not in priesthood. We both feel it. And it doesn't mean that our vocation choices were wrong, that we mis-read a call. It means that St. Augustine was right: Our "hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in You."

The next day, I came across this quote from Chesterton: "Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair." I emailed this to Father, who wrote back encouraging words... urging me to "nurture that love affair, keep it vibrant, fresh alive -- the challenge of a lifetime!"

I think about the peace and joy... deep, contented joy... that I feel when I am alone with the Blessed Sacrament, or alone at Vision of Peace, where I can focus on God, free from the distractions of my everyday life. I long for that peace. I long to feel that connection in my everyday, ordinary life.

Which isn't to say that my life isn't filled with peace and joy outside of my rare moments of divine communion. There are incredible moments of grace in the living of my ordinary life... listening to Princess reading aloud to me, hiking with our friends on an autumn afternoon, nestling in DH's arms at the end of the day. These are real moments of grace, peace, joy.

And still the longing persists.

Still, my heart seeks Him.

Lessons Learned

Ok, so the thing is over. It's been an unbelievable week in so very many ways.

First of all... The Thing: Now that my part is over (for the most part), I'll explain what it was. Without exactly intending to, DH submitted us as possible participants on a new reality t.v. show. Because his stadium basement is so unusual, it was a hook that brought a t.v. crew to our house this afternoon, to make a screen test of us. The crew seemed really excited about our performance, and now we wait to see if the producers will agree and choose us. DH and I are the least likely people on the planet to be on reality t.v. I can't stand the genre, and never watch it. But it was really important to DH, and so I went along with it.

And, along the way, I've learned a few things:

1) I really did mean it when I vowed to help DH achieve his dreams on that beautiful September day nine years ago. This is the first time that particular vow has been tested, and I'm happy to say that my love for him transcends my own selfishness.

2) Apparently I can actually keep a neat, clean house and still homeschool. (Of course, I don't think the yelling and frustration are worth the tradeoff. I'd bet any amount that the kids would agree).

3) If you've spent the past week scouring the house, and all morning on last-minute cleaning, and you have a film crew coming to your house in 1 hour, do not (and I mean, DO NOT) leave your children unattended while you shower and get dressed for said film crew. For some unknown reason, they will choose this time to pull out the playdough and start creating a mess of colored clay bits all over your freshly cleaned floors.

4) Prayer is your best friend. Lots and lots of prayer can help you get through anything. I was lucky enough to have a Spiritual Direction meeting (and Confession) last night. This morning, I took Father up on his open invitation to join him and the Deacon for morning prayer before mass. And I kept the Lord on my lips throughout the day, even pausing to pray evening prayer while the film crew was in the basement with DH. Prayer makes all the difference.

5) When all is said and done, most things... whether a few hours with a film crew or a few months parenting my niece... most things end up being a pixel in the entire bigscreen of our lives. If we do end up on network television for our 11 minutes of fame, that, too, will be just another pixel (and hopefully a not-so-embarrassing one at that)!


I'm sure there are more lessons, but I haven't slept well all week, and the adrenaline buzz is starting to wear off....

Blessings of the Week - vol. 26

-1-

Good Friends. I am blessed to have so many friends wonderful friends. Yesterday, one of my dearest friends ignored the fact that she was fighting a virus and spent 4 hours helping me get ready for the chaos of next week. I am so much calmer now. And I owe that calm entirely to her. Thank you, dear friend!!!!

-2-

Creative Husbands. I am so very blessed to have such a creative husband. He keeps life interesting. Even as he challenges me to step outside my comfort zone... again and again.

-3-

Sunshine. We haven't seen the sun much in the last week or so, but this morning, we woke to clear, blue skies and bright sun. What a welcome sight that is! It's still unseasonably cold, but I'll take cold sunshine to cold rain anyday!

*****

Won't you join me in thanking Him for another week of blessings?

Getting It All Wrong

There's this ... thing* ... going on in our family right now. It's not something I want to happen, but going along (and, in fact, helping it be a success) is an important part of being a good and loving wife, so I am trying to do just that.

But I am messing up so much along the way.

I am feeling an enormous amount of stress. And it's a different kind of stress than I usually feel. It's an other-focused stress.

I am used to feeling stressed because I've put too many items on my to-do list. I'm used to feeling stressed because homeschooling three children while my husband is gone every other week is demanding, exhausting, and lonely. I'm used to feeling stressed because I am failing to pray, to exercise regularly, and to eat well. All of those are more self-focused stressors.

But this stress is other-focused. I am anxious about the state of my home, it's cleanliness, it's order (or severe lack thereof). I am anxious about how I look, what I will wear for this thing and how I am going to appear to others. Actually, I guess it all comes down to that. What are others going to think of me? How will I come across? Will the perceptions in any way resemble the reality? And when they don't (because I am certain they won't), how do I deal with that?

I don't have the answers.

But I do know that I am getting it all wrong in the preparation. I am yelling way too much. I am losing my cool, giving in to frustration and impatience, and not pausing to ask for the help (both divine and human), which I so desperately need.

Which begs the question: does it really matter what the others think, if, in the process, I hurt the folks I love the most?

* Please forgive me. Right now, I can't elaborate at all on what it is... but in the future I will explain everything.

The Simple Gift of One-At-A-Time

Last Friday, LilBro didn't have preschool. That gave the two of us a few hours of "special time" while the older two kids were in their enrichment classes.

I had a meeting to attend the first part of our time, and packed LilBro's Nintendo, some snacks, and a promise of something fun afterwards. It helped a lot that one of the older women in the meeting had set aside a chocolate donut for LilBro. When the meeting ended, he and I headed over to the History museum for storytime.

LilBro sat on a cushion down in front. I sat on a stool in the back, watching him the entire time. He was engaged. He listened. He answered questions. He participated. He seemed so grown-up to me. I was awed. And thrilled. I think I had the goofiest grin on my face the entire time. It was such a joy to get to relax and enjoy LilBro, just being 3 1/2.

Later that same day, I dropped LilBro and Princess at a friend's house for a sleepover. BigBro was staying with another friend, but wasn't being dropped off until later. We had a few hours to ourselves, and BigBro was anxious to see the second Harry Potter movie. We popped some popcorn, dug some tiny boxes of Milk Duds out of the bag of Halloween candy, and curled up on the couch together. It had been a while since we'd read this book, and it was fun watching BigBro remember the details of the story.

When I had some quiet time on Saturday afternoon to sit still, my mind returned to my busy Friday, and how incredibly special it had been. It is rare that I get to spend time alone with one of the kids, unless it is something pre-scheduled with DH, or someone decides to tag along on a grocery trip. The things we did together were simple: story time, watching a movie. But, for me, the real power in it was in the slowing down... the focusing on just one child, one activity, at a time.

DH's Fifteen Minutes

This weekend, while I was resting and renewing at Vision of Peace, DH was hosting a group of guys for the playoff game. Along for the ride was a reporter from the local paper.

Since the Cards didn't advance to the next level (bummer!), he didn't get much play in Sunday's paper. But he DID get a video on the paper's website. You can view it here.

Two Very Different Bits of Wisdom

From this afternoon's midday prayer, James 1:26:

"If a man who does not control his tongue imagines that he is devout, he is self-deceived; his worship is pointless."

*****

From a bumper sticker I saw on Saturday. (Granted, this is completely unrelated to the above quote, but I still think there is real wisdom here).

"Ask your doctor if medical advice from commercials is right for you."

(Belated) Blessings of the Week - vol. 25

Ok, so I missed my usual Saturday morning posting, but it's never too late to stop and thank the Lord for our blessings, right?

-1-

Sleepovers. Friday night, the kids all spent the night at friends' houses, so DH and I could have some much-needed alone time. What a blessing to have some time alone, and to know that the kids were all having fun, too!

-2-

Vision of Peace. Saturday afternoon, I made another trek down to Pevely to the Vision of Peace Hermitages. After days of torrential rain, Saturday was sunny, with clear blue skies, and cool autumn breezes. I only had about 24 hours to spend down there, but it was all good. I soaked up the sunshine, the quiet, the peace. I caught up on some sleep. I read 2/3 of a novel. I got to experience a tiny mass in the chapel... just Father Ed, Larry and me. Thank God for the blessing of this place in my life.

-3-

Productivity. Last week, we didn't get a ton of school work done. Princess had a virus in the beginning of the week, and our morning school time kept getting trumped by more important commitments. By mid-week, I was getting frustrated with our lack of productivity. But when I look back at last week, I can see that we were incredibly productive... that, in so many ways, we accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.

And so, as I work on getting back to our reliable routine this week, I pause to thank Him for the blessing of productivity even amidst seeming chaos.

*****

Care to join me in starting this week from a place of praise and thanksgiving?

Rainy Days and Half Birthdays

I woke this morning to thunderstorms, and tried to roll over and go back to sleep. Alas, DH (up late watching the Cardinals lose to the Dodgers), had to iron his clothes. Since there was no going back to sleep, I gave in and went to mass.

When I arrived home, shortly after 7, to a quiet, still-dark house, I decided then and there that I had no intentions of leaving the house today. In fact, if I could just crawl back into bed, that would be just fine.

Slowly, the boys woke up and joined me. We all commented that this was a perfect day to stay in our pjs, slow down and hang out. I adjusted our school workload for the day, and headed upstairs to pray. I ended up falling asleep.

Wakened shortly after 9 by BigBro with his religion book in hand, I gave up the dreamworld and came downstairs. Princess read to me, then got on the Starfall website for more early reading fun. BigBro and I worked through some fractions. There was lots of goofing off and daydreaming... things I usually try to keep to a minimum. The rain continued outside all day.

About 12:45, DH called and reminded me that today is BigBro's half-birthday. Cool. We usually make a little deal out of those. I checked the cabinets and started (surreptitiously) baking one layer of a cake and a dozen cupcakes.

At exactly 2:15 pm, when BigBro turned 7 1/2, the phone rang. I asked BigBro to answer it, knowing that it was DH. BigBro had forgotten the importance of the date, and was totally shocked to find that I had a half-birthday cake ready to frost.

Still in his pj's, he happily sat at the table and devoured a cupcake. The half-birthday cake will wait til Dad's home later.

The Good News I Needed to Hear Today

Today's Gospel is Luke 10:38-42... the story of Mary and Martha, aka the basis for the retreat I gave three weeks ago. I smiled this morning when the Deacon began reading those verses which I had gotten to know very well over the past few months. Father referred to our retreat in his homily, and my mind was flooded with memories of the weekend. I was no longer sitting in the chapel listening to the pounding of the rain on the roof. I was at Vision of Peace, soaking up the sunshine, the quiet, the shared prayer and shared experiences. It was amazing... a truly transformative moment in my morning.

And then I left the peace of the chapel.

My week has been off to a rough start. Yesterday was not a good day. I was short-tempered and easily frustrated. My plan was for today to go better. Start off right with mass/prayer and make sure to get my treadmill time. Practice the discipline of patience.

Ohhhh, I have so far to go. Thank God He's not done with me yet.

After screaming at BigBro for wasting time and dragging his feet this morning, I sat down to email my retreatants about the morning's Gospel. Here's what I wrote: Remember "that your attitude is what matters most. Your work is 'diakonia'... ministry."

Yeah, and then I actually hit "send," hypocrite that I am. My attitude is what matters most. Not how quickly we get through our lessons. Not whether or not I get all of the laundry done today. Not even fitting in a grocery trip. It's my attitude that matters... that what I am doing, I am doing in a spirit of service, of love, of charity.

I think, perhaps, this morning's Gospel was there not to remind me of the retreat, but to refocus me. As I said last month, it was Martha's attitude, not her service, that Jesus rebuked. My attitude definitely needs some rebuking this morning, too.

"You are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing."

First Goals and First Pitches

What a day it was yesterday! BigBro scored his first goal of this year's soccer season. (And I, the very proud mama, need to shout it from the rooftops and post it on my blog!)

After the soccer game, we drove downtown to the stadium to see our friend throw out the first pitch before the Cardinals' game started. The kids, especially, were so excited to see their friend (who debuted on this blog a few months ago with her comments on Albert Pujols) on the jumbo-tron.


After all that excitement, DH and I needed (and took) a nice, long nap. Another fun and busy weekend day!

Blessings of the Week - vol. 24

-1-

Traveling Together. I had several posts on our trip this week. It was such a huge blessing to keep the whole family together this week... to be able to school the kids while traveling with DH. We had a great week together, and I am looking forward to doing it again when we can.

-2-

Marriage and More. Last night, our Marriage and More group met again. We watched "Fireproof" and had a really fascinating, emotional, stimulating conversation afterwards. DH and I continued the conversation long after everyone had left. Our marriage was in a good place last year when we approached our Deacon with our interest in starting a new M&M group. I am awed and humbled to see how much this group has helped us to grow closer, deeper, more connected. What a blessing our group... and each individual... is to us.

-3-

My Chiropractor. Ok, so last weekend, I steam-cleaned the carpets/furniture. Then, we spent 4 hours in the car on Monday, and I slept in a hotel bed all week. I woke up on Thursday morning in so much lower back pain, I was in tears. The 4 1/2 hour drive home Thursday afternoon left me barely able to walk into the house on Thursday night. Friday morning, I called my chiropractor. He worked his magic, and by Friday afternoon, I was able to get the house cleaned and a small amount of grocery shopping done in anticipation of M&Ms (and just to replenish the empty fridge). What a blessing it is to be pain-free... something I know I take for granted way too often!

*****

Won't you join me in thanking God for all your blessings?

On The Road Again

This afternoon, we will check out of the hotel and head back home again. This experiment has been a pretty solid success, and will definitely be repeated again.

A couple of observations from the week:

1. It's an absolute gift to be able to relax and enjoy our evenings together... no meals to prep/clean-up, no activities/meetings to get to. We drove 45 minutes into Kansas to visit the T-Rex Cafe on Monday night, splashed in the pool on Tuesday night, and the kids caught a movie with Dad on Wednesday night (while Mom got some much-needed downtime).

   
   

2. With kids, even the ordinary becomes an adventure. We stayed in a small hotel suite. One queen-size bed in the bedroom, and a pull-out couch in the living area. LilBro slept on the couch cushions, which I made up as a small bed. BigBro and Princess shared the pull-out. Every morning, they were thrilled to help me make up the bed back into a couch so we could do school. Every night, they loved turning the couch back into a bed. It's like life-size Transformers... how fun is that!

   
   

3. After years of saying that one of the benefits of homeschooling is that we can do it anywhere, it was nice to put it to the test... and succeed! We got all the work I had planned done each day, and even got some bonus hours in the form of field trips. Next time, I'll plan a lighter load of book-work, mostly because the hotel room starts to get really small after a few hours of confinement with an active 3 year old boy.

   
   

4. I desperately want a few days alone with DH. As much fun as it's been to have all of us together, it's made me realize just how much I want the time alone with DH. And how amazing it would have been this week, if it had been just us. Soon... I hope.
   

Well, I have some packing to do and some math to check over. Better get to it, so we can have some time for one last field trip before heading home.