Seven Quick Takes vol. 97 - Now with Lip-Syncing

Joining the great takers at Conversion Diary, be sure to visit the better contributors!

{one}

I didn't intentionally not blog for a week but with all of everything in the world and internet being so...awful...I just didn't get over here to write at all. I also have a bad case of writer's block, or summer laziness -- not going to lie. 

{two}

Although I didn't get around to blogging this week I felt, on the whole, to be organized and on top of things. Which means, first of all, two things: a) It's taken this long into summer the summer for me to have a good grip on the  summer schedule and b) I obviously need to start school soon. 

But you know that feeling of being on top of things? It doesn't mean you're cranking out the scrapbooks, or throwing parties, or whacking out freezer meals until Christmas, it just means you did the dishes today, you're on top of the laundry, each minute you're not accomplishing something you aren't dealing with the stress of 15 other things that should have already been finished. You find yourself saying aloud, "Wow, I've really got my shit together." That's how this week felt to me. For some reason my kids were sleeping in, I guess the heat and constant play outside was working. I wasn't being awoken by screaming, crying, or fighting. Nora had been sleeping through the night for almost a week straight which I don't think had ever happened before. The overall euphoria of sleep and the added mental health benefits of not being woken by many babies really improves your outlook on life! 

I was just getting to the point where I was actually believing I could get up before the kids to have alone time, maybe I could begin that hallowed road to the creative mom who scours time for herself to write. Or maybe I could actually contemplate exercising before 5 pm when utter exhaustion hits me like a semi truck. The opportunities springing up before my very eyes! Maybe everyone else isn't crazy and it is possible to accomplish things on a daily basis with children! 

{three}

That all lasted until Thursday. I can only keep up on top of things, while maintaining a patience filled attitude, and extra margin for extra non-neccisity-of-life-basis for 4 days. 

Thursday was a long day. Full of everyone fighting over everything the other touched. So many questions. So many overreactions. So much potty-training accidents. And then: a two year old who could somehow get a paint can lid off in a carpeted room.

By 5 pm I was destroyed. The waves of questions, and fighting, and outrages washed over me like I was caught in a riptide of small children. 

All this is just my 148,937th example of why a stay at home mom could use a housekeeper, chef, nanny, and bartender among her household staff.

{four}

Each year we always have hummingbirds come to our little feeder outside our living room window. They first arrive near the beginning of May and frequent the feeder before their eggs hatch, then as the dandelions bloom in June and the rest of the flowers in July we don't see them as much. But come August they love the feeder and are buzzing around constantly because they've gotta bulk up for that epic journey back to Guatemala or wherever it is they escape to for winter. 

I just love them, they seem to have such personality for birds and are always dive-bombing each other, or fighting over the feeder. Photographing them is always difficult but I got this picture on my phone the other night, it only took about 100 shots to get one with two of them. Yesterday we saw five buzzing around but I think that far exceeds my photography skills. 

They've really the cutest until the dive bomb you while you're sitting on the deck with your coffee and you jump out of your chair spilling said coffee all over yourself because the crazy birds have scared the crap out of you. Or so I've heard.

{five}

Here's a question I would like to pose to my pioneer ancestors should God in his mercy let that day come: "How on God's green earth did you keep your family alive by canning all the things that grow in summer while having children??" 

In my area pioneers settled this land just over a hundred years ago really. I used to work with seniors who were born in sod houses. They remember their mothers taking care of their 9 siblings through winters where they couldn't get two miles to the nearest town for months. 

But I walk by the canning aisle in the grocery store these days and would love to make jam, can some peaches or green beans and then I think it would also be great to be in a movie with Brad Pitt. I just think it is impossible. So how did those wonderful women pull it all off a hundred years ago when they were alone on a prairie with a sod house full of children? 

I know there are a lot of differences and things that helped and so forth, but still, all my hats are off to them and I'm sure that was their time in purgatory burnt off right there!

{six}

Shirtless, with a temporary tattoo on his chest; classy.

I've been meaning to post about this great book from Ignatius Press; Peter, Apostle of Jesus. It's a well done book full of very child friendly artwork and it covers all the events of Peter's life from the Gospel with a great explanation of how he became the first pope. My kids are just beginning to make connections from one Bible story to the next, so I appreciate as many materials that emphasize people from the Bible in connection with the Gospels themselves. Part of my general attitude towards religious education at home is to have them as well acquainted with the Bible as possible, which usually looks like retelling, rereading our children's bible and as many different Bible stories and books as we can get. 

Ignatius Press is doing a good job of bringing together books on the saints, the Church, and the Bible for all ages of children. I really appreciated that they sent me this one to review and the boys especially enjoyed the portrayal of St. Peter in the garden with his sword! I noticed that this book along with many other great children's books are on sale right now if you need another reason to buy some books! 

{seven}

Kelly called me out on this one, and so here's my very silly contribution to her lip sync-athon! 

(It's only half the song because I didn't think you all wanted me to do 5 minutes of singing, and there is much more likelihood for success if I try to get my kids to be quiet for 2:30 minutes.)

Hopefully I just won't watch it and I'll be able to leave it on the internet for competition purposes. God Bless the Youtube.

Happy Weekend everybody!

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