Grasshopper Days

  Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, May 9, 2016

Outside my window...  a cool, sunny spring day.  A nice breeze is blowing through the dogwood outside my window and it's like sitting in a cloud of white blossoms.

We had a "Book Shower" for this mom of three boys from our chapel!

Hearing...  robins - they always sound cheery :D

Our youngest chapel member and one of our oldest :D

Pondering...  we had an absolutely lovely Mother's Day (here!) yesterday, and I took not one photo.  I was RE-LAX-ING.  Well, and hosting fourteen for lunch.  But that's fine ;D

I love the way so many chapel ladies pitched in to help  - fun people!

Praying...  my dad is seeing a surgeon tomorrow to make a plan for his knee, Wyatt is (with our approval) quitting his job to focus more on school (that's the plan), Kerry has a ton of work (yay!) and needs to keep up the pace, and a good family friend fell and ruptured her spleen on Friday (emergency! surgery! and now recovery).  Whew!

Fun!  And slightly nutty :D

Thankful...  oh so very thankful for my family.  I don't want to take them for granted :D  It was fabulous to have everyone here for Mother's Day.  And all the cousins get along.  And not just "get along", but have fun together.  I know there was a rousing game of Apples to Apples.

More lovely chapel ladies :D

 Wearing...  capri jeans, a tank top, and a summery (turquoise! lime green! blue!) shirt - all my happy colors.

Gunnar, hanging out in the Tech College library.  We take school work to do while Tate's in class.

Going...  out to dinner tonight!  Got our tax return back.  Although it's pretty much already spent (paying off a couple of things), we're carving out enough for a good dinner at Bob's Burgers and Brew :D  (News flash: my "brew" will be tea.  Iced.)

Gunnar and I were just heading out for a walk when what to my wondering eyes should appear...

Reading...  the calendar, because apparently I read it wrong.  I thought next week was our last week of Sunday school, but - lo! - I was off by a week.  There are two more.  Which is just fine :D  Yesterday I sat down for our Sunday school opening of singing, and two of my favorite little boys ran and jumped into my lap.  Love that!

Number one...

 Looking forward to...  a Malibu chicken burger with teriyaki sauce, and - if I'm lucky - sweet potato fries :D

And number two.

In the kitchen...  lots of yummy leftover baked potatoes, taco meat, and other toppings - I made extra for yesterday.  A feast for tomorrow :D

Oh, you're close to me.  I'll look at you, but not bother to move.

In the learning rooms...  Tate has just one more chapter of Economics, and he'll finish that subject - woo-hoo!  He's doing so well in his computer class that he hardly ever has to go on Friday, as he's finished the week's work already.  Gunnar and I powered through the whole week's worth of Physical Science today, as well as today's language work, and all his history reading.  We could do each day "normally" (a little of each subject), but it's kind of fun at the end of the year to start knocking them off, one by one, and finish early :D

What.  You're in my personal space.
But neener-neener, you can't shoot me
so I'll just sit her, insolently, and mock you.

Around the house...  boys.  Always, boys :D

Love this periwinkle/purple clematis!

The Mother Load...  oh boy.  I need to FIND it.  Everything got put on hold for the shower and Mother's Day!  Time to get organized.  Again.  But OH LOOK! A pretty flower!  Let's look at that instead of the Mother Load!

Noticing that...  Gunnar and I had a giggle on our walk today.  We could hear a squirrel chittering in the tree.  Can you see him?  He's on the first branch up, on the left.  (Click on the photo to make it larger.  But it's just an ordinary squirrel. Nothing too exciting.)

He was facing away and didn't notice us, because he was relentlessly scolding two fat cats, that were sitting in the driveway below him, soaking up the morning sun.  He didn't see us approaching, but they did, and they moved away.

Oh!  Victorious triumph!  His vocalizations reached new heights as he celebrated the vanquishing of his mortal enemies!

We laughed all the way home.


Something to remember for later...  Tate's cards.  They're amazingly wonderful.  And it's not just Tate.  The other boys help too, but it's his creative genius.  Here's my Mother's Day card:

I'm the mother bird, in the nest, and my three grasshoppers are wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.  And they've brought me chocolate - see the red Lindor bag?!

They also gave me a beautiful hanging basket of fuchsias :D


A favorite quote for today...  I read this quote from Martin Luther.  Words often change over time, and I suspect the word "careful" is one of them.  He seems to be meaning something more along the lines of "weighed down with care" or anxious/worried.  Anyway...

He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow,

but labors joyfully and with a great heart.

"For He giveth His beloved, as in sleep."

They must work and watch,

yet never be careful or anxious,

but commit all to Him,

and live in serene tranquility;

and with a quiet heart,

as one who sleeps safely and quietly.

Gunnar and I love the Golden Chain trees in bloom right now.
AKA Laburnum, if you want to know.

One of my favorite things...  hearing all the cousins laughing together :D

A few plans for the rest of the week...
* Tuesday - all the boys have school (various), Gunnar has his violin lesson, Wyatt and Tate work, and Tate and Gunnar will go to CAP.  I'm meeting my friend for errands, lots of mom-talk, and probably a treat :D
* Wednesday - schooling, Tech College and work for Tate
* Thursday - schooling, Tate and Wyatt work, Gunnar babysits
* Friday - Gunnar babysits, we'll have lunch with the little guy Gunnar watches and his mom :D, Tate and Wyatt have school, Wyatt works
* Saturday - Wyatt and Tate both work
* Sunday - church, and we're having friends over for lunch - yay!

So creative!

A peek into my world...  I do love spring!