On Friday, we spent the afternoon getting dressed up - our friends Meghan and Josiah had told us they wanted to surprise us, and all we needed to do was get a sitter and dress up fancy; they'd pick us up and we'd have an evening out. When they arrived, they revealed that they were taking us to the Navy and Marine Corps Birthday Ball! (Not to leak sensitive military information or anything, but I can say they don't not cut the birthday cake with an actual sword. That is my kind of party.) It was such an honor to be invited, and we had so much fun. It was a privilege to get to attend, and to get to see Josiah in his element. We have been so blessed by our friendship with them.
On Saturday, I took my weekly Time Out (as I call it, because when you're a mom, you call everything by its kid-related name; toilets are now always referred to as potties, stomachs are now tummies; adults are now grownups, and I talk about myself in the third person like my name is actually Mommy. This is all just standard reality now. So it only makes sense that time removed from the family is called a Time Out. Ironically, I'm the only one in the family who receives time-outs.) I went to the library, as it's getting too cold out to sit at Shelter Gardens. I love this time to read my bible, clear my head, plan my week and realign my priorities and my focus.
When I got home, I wrote most of this week's blogs because, oh, yeah, I BLOGGED THIS WEEK! Maybe I'm prepared to re-enter the world of internet interaction. (Or, maybe just kind of. I actually put locks on my phone this week because I am just too distracted by social media. My phone is locked before noon, and after that I have 30 minutes of social media time per day. It has been SO good for me - stupidly hard, but good.)
Van Voorst girls know how to party on a Saturday.
On Monday, we celebrated Rocco's actual birthday! I cooked all his requested meals - pancakes for breakfast, cheese board for lunch, and PB & J for dinner.
This is literally just normal lunch - crackers, cheese, meat, fruit - but it feels so much fancier on a platter.
I also dragged all the kids out with me for a haircut appointment. It was not ideal, but I really needed a haircut... and I really needed to have my hair toned after getting it highlighted two weeks ago. It was brassy like nothing you've ever witnessed. I wanted to have it all done in one appointment, but the first time I went, I had to leave before getting it toned, with my hair wet and everything, to get home to nurse Juniper, and therefore had to come back to finish what we started. I'm not sure if I will ever fully acclimate to how difficult simple things can be with kids. Luckily, my kids make my job really easy, but the nature of kids is just pure inefficiency sometimes.
On Tuesday, I ended up staying home from Connection Group because the kids were coming down with a mild bug - low grade fever, rumbly tummies, headaches. On Wednesday, we tried to get caught up on some school, and Penelope spent the afternoon baking with Grandma Linda, an amazing older woman who has taken our family under wing.
Also on Wednesday, JUNIPER STARTED CRAWLING? Yes, that's a question mark. I still have no idea how this is happening. She is still just a tiny infant. We have only had her with us for a few months. She has no business being mobile. Luckily, she still just crawls in circles, so she doesn't actually go anywhere yet, but I am still astounded. There was really no head's up, either - no rocking back and forth on all fours, or planking, or army crawling. She just figured out how to get her knees up under her, and then a few days later she was like, "I think I'll move my arms forward, like this, and then get my legs going, too..." and then she was motoring around in slow, choppy little spirals.
She doesn't look at all repentant that she's shattering my visions for her eternal youth.
Yesterday, we were supposed to go the planetarium, yet again. Perhaps if you've got a steel-trap memory, you will take note that this is the third time we've scheduled this. The first time, we got snowed out. The second time, I was in labor. The third time is supposed to be the charm, but no banana this time either: the kids were still sick. Laurelai seems to have been hit the hardest. The other kids just had a mild case, lasting a few hours each, but she has been sick for over 48 hours and is still not feeling well. No appetite, difficulty getting warm, a bad headache. Poor little mama. Baths seem to help.
So anyway. We cancelled our plans and stayed home to do 'normal' school, much to everyone's delight. (Not.) It was for the best, though - I'm running a bit behind on our schoolwork, and November is chock-full of appointments, so any opportunity to get or stay caught up will be a blessing in the next few weeks.
If everyone is feeling up to it today, we'll be getting Friday school under our belts, then we'll be headed to Shelter for lunch. I have a few seasonal projects I'm trying to get on top of - switching to winter bedding, getting all the kids' wardrobes switched and washed and stored, and I've started Christmas shopping, which I hope to have done before the end of the month.
Laurelai has joined me in my perusal of seasonal catalogs, against the counsel of Penelope that "it's all just Vanity Fair."
And, in case you were wondering, there's no need to panic - I can assure you that all the kids are still just as adorable as can be, in case there was any doubt.
Rocco, reading the Jesus Storybook Bible to Juniper.
Callista, having stolen yet another item that doesn't belong to her and looking exactly 0% remorseful.
"Independent play time" for Callista almost always involves getting into a bunch of stuff that isn't hers. Like sitting on someone else's bed and digging through their personal things. For instance.
She is dang lucky that she's elite-level Cute, or she would've been chucked out a window a long time ago.
Oh, no; she's definitely not a stinker. What would make you think that?
Well, I have a few good books calling my name, so I'm going to go log some quality time in that sphere of life. Bring on the weekend!
1 comment :
re: Time Out? brilliant! love it.
re: Juniper... her crawling like a boat with one paddle. She's just stomping the yard, marking her perimeter.
re: Callista... her cuteness covers a multitude of sins.
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