Library Challenges

I have 2 hours and 12 minutes until my life changes. My regional library system, in an attempt to keep the work load of our lovely and quiet librarians manageable, is halving the number of books one can reserve via our on line reservation system. Gasp. How can they do this to me? Us? We? I live with my reservation system. I love my reservation system. We are deeply close and personal best friends, when I'm not perusing Amazon at the same time, determining the latest and yes, greatest books for the littles. How I am going to live? Adapt? Change? 

 I am going to set up an on line account for an unsuspecting male in our house. I am going to help him reserve some books, and he's going to sigh and say, “you have book and coffee issues.”And I'll smile and hit, submit request.

Cause my Punkins' Love Pumpkins...

Impromptu visits are the best. The little punkins' and I made an impromptu visit to the pumpkin patch after school yesterday.

 Perfect moments and perfect mud.

 Scones anyone?

 Before.

 Sitting pretty.

 Sitting, at all.

 After.

 Smile...

 ...if you want one of these. Yes, I bribe them,

to get pictures of punkins' and pumpkins!

Soccer Season Officially Over

 The soccer season is officially over. Brother really enjoyed his time on the field with both his coaches and his teammates. He even ended the year scoring the last goal of the season for his team and his first goal ever. It doesn't get much better than that!

Young Woman of Words

This daughter, not yet woman, is filled with words. Her love of words is with her all her day. She is working hard to form and shape them with care. Diligent to dare. Whether soaking them in or shaping them without, she sets forth a stillness that encourages me to form words wisely. For she lives on the edge of her seat, soaking them all in.

Favorite words right now. Trying to live them. Trying to speak them. 

Truth, trust, transparency.

Small, still, silence.

Real, resolute, responding.

Query, question, quest.

Probe, persist, presence. 

Open, optimist, ocular.

Necessitate, needy, now.

Grasp. Grace. God.

Let us be like lace. Letting light shine in, and illuminating inner rooms.

Little Boy Bean

Little Boy Bean

Long and lean, little boy bean.

Tall and lean, face so clean.

Eyes wide, longer stride.

I shrink, you grow.

He's not so little anymore.

He's losing more teeth each day, but he always keeps his sense of humor! 

First Fire of the Season

The first fire of the season is glowing. The house has a distinctly smokey sweet smell. My lighting weapon when the wood man is getting home late? The blow torch!

I'm about to dive into, It's Easier to Reach Heaven than the End of the Street by Emma Williams. 

Today was blessed with a soccer win and then some long overdue yard work. I finally finished the gutters! The kiddos relished five hours to do absolutely nothing. Nothing in my mind, everything in theirs.

They did manage to watch a DVD about  American Government for Kids. They also made swords and arrows and became Assyrians, which they have been studying at Classical Conversations as of late. (The kids attend school 4 days a week and join a CC community one day a week.) Loving the resources here:

Classical Conversations Cycle 1

The week is finally over. The rain pouring down. The leaves are yellowing and falling, but it will be weeks before the raking begins.

Praying as you light fires this fall that your loved ones and children will find a warm nest to lay their head.

Recommending for rainy afternoons:

The Story of Classical Music by Darren Henley. Brother pulled some yarn right up to the cd player and worked on a variety of knots, all while soaking in the sounds.

Panoramas of the Painted Hills

My favorite pictures and kids from last week's adventures.