I’ve been spending most of my free time on a silent retreat…at the dentist. My kind dentist is telling me that all my problems are due to my wisdom teeth and how they need to be gone. Really? All my problems? Can’t wait to see how problem free life with be without wisdom teeth! Meanwhile, I decided to break my strict “no going places on free day” policy and take the kids to the local Japanese Gardens here in Rockford. Anderson Gardens are well known. I had heard they are a sought after spot for wedding/engagement photo shoots but come with a hefty price tag. Seventy degrees, sunshine, free day, and non dentist office all sounded good time me. Off we went…

Did you know that Japanese Gardens are entirely paved with teeny, tiny pebbles? As in teeny, tiny, millions of impossible to not get in your shoes or push a stroller through pebbles. Tiny pebbles that babies cannot help but throw. Or eat. Or throw some more.

Oh, she so badly wanted to pet that duck… and throw pebbles at that duck….

So many lovely spots for pictures… So many lovely “too narrow for a stroller” gates lined with teeny tiny pebbles…

A Day After Mother’s Day outing to nearby Lake Geneva, WI…telling my little ones about all the times I played on this same shore when I was little. Shane wanted to know if I was a little kid before or after God created the animals. Sigh. After, Shane. Just right after that.

A few weeks ago Brad took Julia out on a Saturday morning date. Julia came home with a pack a gum and pair of hot pink plastic Barbie heels. Pure joy! Daddy is a sucker. I have a strong aversion to all of the above and surely would have talked her into a nice book! Hot pink, plastic, Barbie, and heels are not even in my vocabulary! This child was in love…….

Her little sister is also in love with the pinkness and the heelness and the clickingness… I caught the two of them outside… Julia helping Lauren to walk in her shoes. I can’t hardly stand the cuteness.

Lauren was done with the helping part in about two seconds and was off on her own.

All that high stepping just wore her out! She just had to lean on a tree for support. I completely understand! Fashion is exhausting!

Brad and I had a weekend without our children. This was a big deal. It’s been about 4 years since we went away with out all the children and the first time since Lauren’s birth. First time for Lauren to sleepover with Grandma. She did great, and Lauren did ok too! Thank you Grandma!!!! The boys played hard with cousins (Thank you Aunt Trudie!) and Brad and I were able to get away to Kansas City for a weekend visit with my younger brothers. I’m still trying to pull together pictures from the weekend… some are on the phone, some are on the camera.  We left a day early to visit the home of the American Pickers in Davenport, Iowa. (We love this show which probably makes us the youngest old people ever! Brad loves the negotiating part, and I love the trash to treasures part!) It was a fun stop…

Thanks to everyone who made this weekend possible!!! I’m hoping it won’t be 4 years before we can do it again!

The basics of building the best fort ever known to man five children…

Step 1. While out on a hike stumble across someone’s abandoned fort.

Step 2. Haul a few trees and make this fort your own…

Step 3. Work together to fulfill all your Narnia dreams…

Step 4. Allow the fair maidens your little sisters to play with you.

Step 5. Defend the fort with all your honor….

Step 6. Proclaim this spot the best place ever, plan your further adventures, and ask your mom to bring you here every single day.

It’s still so funny to see her sporting hair! 17 months with nothing and then overnight… here it comes! Straight up! She hasn’t allowed me to put any type of headband on her since she was six months old and didn’t know better. She runs and screams when I even attempt. Last Sunday I just tried to pin her down and make it happen. It did not happen. She wants nothing to do with accessories. And we have some seriously cute baby hair accessories just waiting to be worn! She spends most of her day standing at the door and saying “SIDE!” {which translates “take me outside so I can play in the dirt!”} The other day I heard her and Julia playing and then Julia shouted, “Lauren, you aren’t the boss of me!”

Julia, I would have to say, she is currently the boss of everyone around here!

Someone recently asked me what my average morning of home schooling looks like. That is always such an interesting question. I’m working on trying to get some photos of the “average mornings” when the children are all gathered around listening to me read aloud from the classics while Beethoven plays softly in the background and the homemade bread rises quietly on the countertop, however, I haven’t been able to quite capture those moments yet {or actually have them occur!}.

Oh well. Maybe someday. Maybe someday!

Our school year with Classical Conversations has finished and I’m always sad to see it end. I am thankful for the accountability and structure that this program provides for my home schooling. As a group we only spend one day of the week together however, the amount of learning and fun that happens in that one day is amazing. Since our move to to Illinois this year, we were also part of a new CC community. What a gift this group was to us this year!

In trying to keep up with the big boys playing broom ball, Julia took a major fall and had a golf ball size knot on the forehead. It was drama. It was tears. The Anthony’s were here so she was able to get an added dose of sympathy from everyone. In the last few days she feels as though she has been forgotten and when Kyle prayed over dinner last night and neglected to pray about her injury she just pouted for a while. Later she asked me to take a picture of her head to send to Mrs. Anthony. She figured the sympathy had run out here and she was appealing to others.

In an amazing act of simple faith she daily checks the mirror and comments on the progress God is making in healing her. I love that!