Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Outside my window...  cool and cloudy today.

Smells carry so much better in damp air.

Today, the sweet smell of falling alder and maple leaves.

But since I don't have any photos of that,

how about some from our July - August birthday party,

for Wyatt, Kerry, and Mike?

The beginnings of Moo-wiches for our July/August birthday celebration

Hearing...  a quiet house.

My not-so-new room faces the street,

but there's not much traffic.

Just kids chattering as they walk to school :D

Pondering...  ordering my mornings, now that Gunnar is off to school!

So far, so good.

Went for a walk (by myself),

had breakfast with Gunnar,

had quiet time after a shower,

started a load of laundry,

and here I am...

A perfect day... to go to the lake :D

Praying...  for my boys, of course :D

Gunnar launched into high school,
going part-time like his brothers did.
We're having a "rolling start" to our school year,
since we have/had a lot going on.
More about that later...

Praying for Kerry's clients to pay promptly.

For my dad's knee,
two friends with cancer,
and for all September's new beginnings.


Thankful...  Kerry continues to have plenty of work - hallelujah!
Because, honestly, my mental well-being is all tied up in him working
and money coming in and bills getting paid.
And I know - I KNOW - I should be trusting Jesus with all of that,
rather than Kerry (no offense to him),
but I get completely stressed out by money issues.
Enough said about that.
I'm THANKFUL he has a bunch of work right now.

And oh so thankful that Gunnar really likes his English class,
due to the fact that he really likes his English teacher.
Can't wait to meet her at back-to--school night!
See, Gunnar has his GPS down solid.
(GPS - Grammar, punctuation, and spelling.)
But he really doesn't like a lot of writing.
Especially when he has to come up with the ideas for it.
So having a teacher that neither of his brothers had
(no comparisons)
is a big deal.

And, on the flip side,
he got the same math teacher both his brothers had,
and that's a great deal too!

Anyway, I'm thankful for a good beginning for him :D

I know, it's not an amazing photo of Gunnar and Tate,
but I love that it shows how clean and clear the water is.
Something else to be VERY thankful for!

Wearing...  a turquoise t-shirt and old blue jeans that are new again,
thanks to an experiment in dyeing.

Indigo STINKS.
It was fun :D

That's a story for another day.


Creating...  plans for ME.

September is always time for a new start,
am I right?
The kids are starting a new school year.
Our schedule is different.
My responsibilities are different.

It's time for a change :D

One of the birthday boys - my cousin's husband Mike.
Does that make him a cousin-in-law?
Whatever.  We love him.

Going...  to have a couple friends over to lunch today :D

I almost said "for" lunch,
but that would be wrong.
Very, very wrong.
It's an important little preposition, yah?


Reading...  I've been reading through a couple books Tate (and I) bought
at the end of Worldview Academy.
Just finished The Deadliest Monster by Jeff Baldwin,
and am nearly done with Rethinking Worldview by Mark Bertrand.
I found Baldwin's book more easily "accessible" -
an analogy or how monster stories (Frankenstein vs Jekyll and Hyde)
demonstrate worldview.
Tate says that Mark Bertrand was his favorite speaker at camp.
HIs book requires a lot more processing.
Not sure if that's just because he's obviously wired differently than I am
(different learning/teaching style)
or maybe his book shouldn't be bedtime reading when I'm kind of tired!
And now I'm curious if Tate liked him best because he thinks the same way,
or because the guy was just a more interesting speaker...

Lots to think about either way!

If you thought all dogs could swim...
you would be wrong.

Learning...  I need structure to be successful.
Well, no surprise there, right?

So I"m trying to build it in...


Looking forward to...  lunch out with my mom and a mutual friend later this week :D

Wyatt, Tate, Gunnar and cousin Raelynn... aaahhhhhhh!

In the kitchen...  Tuesday is pizza day!
Thawing a pork roast for tomorrow, though.


In the learning rooms...  change, change, change.

* Wyatt has one more quarter to go at WCC.
ONE MORE QUARTER.
And then...     ?????

* Tate is starting a two-year program at BTC.
I know, he took a class last spring -
a pre-requistie for his program -
but this feels like the beginning.
He's really starting college!

* Gunnar is doing the p/t plan his brothers did.
He goes to high school in the morning for
English, Algebra, and Spanish,
then comes home for
Biology, World History, and Logic.

Seems like just yesterday they were like this...

Homeschool lunch program

Homeschool recess - the beginnings of Dino-oplis, The Cone Age

Around the house...  we've been so outside-focused through the sunny summer days,
that it's time to take a good look around.
I'm sure there's some cleaning that needs to be done!
And as the nights get cooler,
some houseplants that need to move back inside.
It's time for candles :D


Noticing that...  I'm really enjoying the stage the boys are at.
Independent in so many ways,
but still happy to all be here together.

The best part of summer!
And I was right behind her :D

Something to remember for later...
I'm not trying to keep them little,
but you know what we all did last night?
All five of us watched
The Emperor's New Groove
and enjoyed it :D


The Mother Load...  oh boy.
Prepare to be amazed and jealous at my exciting life...

* re-sort my dresser and closet (changing seasons)
* vacuum and dust
* clean out the fridge
* figure out what's really in all the kitchen cabinets
* make a plan to USE what's there
* clean upstairs windows with my fabulous new cleaning cloth
* cull files
* go though coat closet with all three boys at the same time
* get Tate to BTC to buy books
* fill out online registration forms for oral surgeon
(poor Tate, he has wisdom teeth)
* sort years and years of neglected photos
(this is an all-year project)
* start thinking (don't hate me) about Christmas gifts,
because we have some hard-to-shop-for people
What do you do for your hard-to-shop for relatives?

And there's more.
But that's more than plenty for now.
And next week.
And next month.

You're never too old for the lake.
NOT THAT GRANDMA GRASSHOPPER IS OLD.
I'm just saying.  :D

Something fun to share...
now that Gunnar is going to public high school
he actually wanted to go school shopping for clothes.
Because he wanted some plain shirts.
That don't have stuff printed on them.
And then wore one of his (printed on) CAP shirts for the first day.
Love that kid.


A favorite quote for today...

It ain't those parts of the Bible
that I can't understand
that bother me,
it is the parts
that I do understand.

Mark Twain

For those of you in other climates,
this is a SCORCHING day in Washington.
Just so you know.

One of my favorite things...

the view from my parents' deck.
Ahhhhhhh :D

A Bible verse...

Psalm 18:30-33

This God - His way is perfect;
the Word of the Lord proves true;
He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.
For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a Rock, except our God? -
the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.

Ah, the sunset :D

A peek into my world...
yes, an August sunset.