Today FEELS Like Fall

What a gorgeous day! It put me in the mood to let the kids make their favorite cookies. They really enjoy making these because they get to "paint" on the icing. I like them because they are really small and it doesn't feel like I'm eating too many (even though I am). We sent the extras off to the neighbors. It's funny to stand outside and listen to my kids talk to neighbors. Who knows what all they tell them, but now we have instant friends next door.

Pocket Dancing

Beach With Morales Family

We spent our day at the beach today with our friends, The Morales'. The kids played while the adults visited. I should have taken a final photo of the three kids and myself. We forgot sunscreen and borrowed some from our friends, but I didn't put it on us very well. We are lobster red. In fact, we went all summer long with no sunburns and now that it's Fall, we get the worst burn of all! But we sure did have a great time.

I thought she was waving to me, but I think she was actually trying to get the attention of a Morales boy. She loves those 3 guys.

Daddy and Liv napping in the breeze

Jay leading Josiah out to the "bathroom".

a few of our kids

There was seaweed all over the beach. I think there was a hurricane out in the ocean a couple of weeks ago and it really stirred up the waves around here. But the kids thought the seaweed was the perfect mountain building material. It made me think twice about eating sushi. :) Just kidding, just kidding.

Sushi, Anyone?

Back in July when our family had a reunion in New Mexico, I started talking about how I had become a fan of sushi. My Uncle Gary told me about this great product that made making sushi rolls super simple. I was totally interested but completely forgot about it by the time I got back to Florida. I think that moving at the end of July had something to do with that. Well, to my happy surprise, a couple of weeks later a package arrived at our door from Gary and Amy. They had sent us the International Sushi Maker Plus. Yay! Not only was I pumped that I would be able to make my own sushi, I felt loved by my favorite uncle (He makes us call him that.) Along with the sushi maker, Gary made a video of himself demonstrating how to use it. That was a bonus!

Anyway, I have put off making the sushi because I was just a little intimidated by it. I tend to do that...ignore things that I'm intimidated by. :) Well, today Isaac begged me to make him some sushi. We ran to the store and we got after it. And I think it might be easier than making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I'm pretty sure I made 5 rolls in about 10 minutes. (Yes, we ate them all.)

Thanks, Gary and Amy! We are really going to enjoy this!

I watched as I sushied.

all put together and ready to be cut...

Oooh, that looks good!

I think Josiah ate about 4 pieces. He's such a picky eater that I can't believe he kept eating it.

This guy is a sushi lover.

And I think she just might be, too.

Cute Story:

I watched the video before I went to the store so that I'd know what ingredients I'd need. As we were driving, I overheard Josiah saying, "Okay, now we are just going to put the seaweed right here. Now spread some salt in here. Good job. Now pour some salt on that. Okay..." I'm pretty sure his sushi would have had about 1 cup of salt in it.

Next Cute Story:

As I was making the sushi, Isaac told me what to do. He said, "Make sure you don't press down too hard." And then when I pushed the sushi out onto the plate he said, "Voila!" just like Gary.

Making Laundry Soap and Getting Real

Okay! I've heard lots about making my own laundry soap from a few of you so today we tested it out. Well, we made it today, and we'll test it out tomorrow.

grating soap

Each boy had a turn, of course.

She's getting old enough to notice that she's left out.

Everyone got to stir--even the princess.

Now to getting real...

While all that cute laundry detergent making was going on, this is what my kitchen really looked like.

Notice Mr. Bellumnus' fish bowl. Poor guy. He got a good cleaning today. These are all dishes piled up from dinner last night and breakfast this morning. By the time I got my kitchen clean yesterday, dinner came. So I gave up and started again this morning.

breakfast stuff out (still)

Josiah's cup for the day, breakfast bowl and plate that couldn't make it to the sink because there was no room, Wal-Mart and Publix bags, ingredients to detergent, electric knife from dinner last night, and a cereal box that needs to be recycled.

But why clean when this kind of cute stuff is going on?

Isaac working hard and Josiah connecting lines.

I always thought that moms who home schooled their children must have had a perfect Martha Stewart type home. I think it's pretty far from the truth. If they do, I may be in the wrong business. But guess what?? My kitchen is clean tonight...now onto the laundry that I let pile up.

Before/After

The outside of our home was an eye sore, and it needed lots of help. We aren't finished by any means, but we have a great start!

The boys and I decided to start digging up the rocks in the flower beds.

It was a lot of work.

The grass had a fungus...but we got that taken care of.

UGH!

This was a lot more work that I could have ever expected. We filled up one trash can full (that, of course, I couldn't move after it was full of rocks) and decided to call someone to do the work for us. It was well worth it!

The boys really pitched in and helped us out a lot.

They loved every minute of the work.

Isaac cleared off a few more rocks before the mulch arrived.

It's so much fun to do hard work as a family.

Eager helper.

This picture just doesn't do it justice. There was a lot of mulch!

We have a yard!

It's starting to feel more like home.

The hard work paid off.

By the way, I wish I would have taken a before and after of the mailbox. It had so many vines and plants around it that we had to dodge spiders and lizards just to get our mail. We knocked ALL of the plants down and I'm so glad because now I feel like our kids can be seen more easily when cars come around the corner. Plus, it just looks nicer. (You can kind of see the mailbox in the background of the last photo. One of the plants is lying on the ground next to it.)

A Day In My Shoes

9:00

School begins.

Usually the kids have clothes on. I promise.

10:00

Wright Olympic Ceremony

(We are studying Ancient Greece.)

Isaac won gold in the triple jump.

(He's singing the national anthem. He knows the song from me singing around the house like an opera star. Pretty good teaching, huh? haha)

Olivia- gold in "flying jump"

Josiah-gold in long jump

11:30

Nature Hunt (Thanks, Kayla!)

Olivia's stash

Isaac's find

Josiah's proud pile

12:20

turtle found in yard

12:21

Olivia thinks the turtle needs to read a book.

Josiah loved that turtle.

12:50

Isaac reads to Josiah

1:15

Olivia napping while boys try out the "tornadoes" we made today. The "tornadoes" were a flop.

1:17

This, of course, was a lot more fun than playing with a dud science experiment.

Let 'er fly!

smelled like watermelon...

And Josiah is the one that sniffed first. One more drug dog in the family. :)

cheap fun

1:45

off to make bead designs

2:30

swim time

2:45

snacks!

3:00

I sent the boys off to their room to find something quiet to do. This is what I walked in to find.

3:45

?

4:00

gifts from Gee in the mail...and boys on the phone with her

4:30

Here's an idea...football OUTSIDE instead of in bedroom.

serious about football

4:45

Daddy!

love these clouds...I should know what type of cloud this is since I just studied about them with Isaac. I wonder if he knows...probably not!

5:00

Liv awake from nap...snack time!

6:00

off to Alpha at church...

9:00

Home

spotted a HUGE rat in the front yard

...kids awake until 9:45 from fear of rat...