Our Week in Seven Photos

We have had a full and busy week, so I thought I’d do a quick update on what we’ve been up to with the help of some visual aids.

1.Pool Time

The start of the week was HOT, and as we do not have A.C. in our house, and my in-laws have a spectacular pool, we spent some time out at their house. The kids love, love, love to swim. Charlotte thinks she can swim on her own and is constantly trying to push away the hands of whichever adult is holding her. Will has come a long way since we started ISR swimming and he screamed bloody murder the entire time. And G can swim the length of the pool on her own! The Pressprich pool also has the added benefit of a Papa and Funcles (fun-uncles) who are always willing to play in the water.

2. Books that Teach Virture

G adores books. I think that once she is a fully fluent reader she will be the type of kid who would spend the entire day curled up in a sunny corner with a book. She already asks to listen to her audiobook (her current listen: Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott) several times each day. She is the type of learner who absorbs what she reads so fully, so I try to be careful about what she has access to. This book, Malala’s Magic Pencil, is a new favorite of hers. She always listens closely to the true story of Nobel Peace Prize Winner,Malala Yousafzai, and her journey to being a voice for the voiceless in her society. I know that G is pondering the tale deeply. We live in a world where there is so much injustice, pain, and suffering, and it’s important to me that as my kids encounter that reality, they also encounter men and women who have fought for others, who have loved deeply, who have stood up and been witnesses. I can’t recommend this book enough.

3. New Shades for Will

William got a pair of sunglasses. Technically, he received them a few weeks ago, but he only discovered that he loves them a few days ago. Here he is hoarding trucks at the Tot Lot (our local toddler-centered playground) and looking super cool in his shades. My mom gave him an old glasses case for him to keep them in, and he was over the moon. He is rarely without them outside, which is hilarious to me.

4. Weeding, Weeding, and More Weeding

We’ve been doing a lot of gardening over here. And by that I mean, we’ve been doing a lot of weeding. We’ve been slowly clearing beds and unearthing botanical treasures. The new house has some amazing flower beds, and there are some great plants there, but they are hidden underneath weeds that are waist high. Here’s G in the middle of our bishop’s weed and maple sapling forest. She and Will have enjoyed making a house for themselves in the middle of it.

4. Mosaic Fun

One of the gardens we have been working on is our Mary Garden. We were gifted a lot of fabulous raw materials from our local Buy Nothing Group, and I’ve been having so much fun creating the grotto for Mary. I’m sure I’ll write a full post about the entire process at some point, but here’s a sneak peak of the ocean themed mosaic I’m working on.

5. Sick Kitty

Our sweet little Stella started acting strangely this week- she started coming out and interacting with us during the day. Usually, she lays pretty low until the kids go to bed, and only once the house is quiet does she show her face for some attention. At first, I though that she had just finally adjusted to family life and had gotten used to the noise and activity. But as the week progressed, she started meowing more, and it became clear she was sick. I’m not going to get into all the gross details (you can google “cat megacolon” if you feel like you can handle it), but long story short, she’s constipated and we didn’t catch it early enough because apparently our other cat is a glutton and has been gorging herself on the food in both bowls. After an overnight at the vet, she’s coming home today. Say a prayer with us that her colon recovers and she is able to regain full health. After a week of having her around and receptive to their snuggles, cuddles, and petting, Will and G are very, very attached.

6. Living the Dream

In order to make laundry not overwhelming, we have a laundry schedule. Every family member gets a day of the week, and then diapers and kitchen laundry happen in between. The big two are responsible for helping with their loads, and with supervision, add detergent, clothes, set the cycle, switch them to the dryer, and put them away. G is getting remarkably proficient at the process, so this week I stepped back and watched from the kitchen as she brought down the laundry basket from the girls’ room. For the first time, totally unprompted, she checked each item for stains before placing it in the washer (I’ve been modeling the process for a couple months).

7. The Best Part of My Week

For the past month or so, I’ve been attending the weekly holy hour at the parish across the street. It has been such a blessing and renews me in more ways than I can count. I’ve asked Gram if she was interested in coming with me in the past, but this week she was willing to give it a try. We spent a glorious hour sitting with Jesus together, and it did us both a lot of good. Now that she’s seen how easy it is to get to, I’m hopeful that she’ll come each week.

Linking up with Kelly so check out the rest of the 7 Quick Takes.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the monthly newsletter if you haven’t already. In addition to getting an original St. Therese prayer card by Rebecca Gorzynska, you’ll also receive key lessons for August feast days, along with tips and project ideas for them. And since August means back to school for some and get ready to go back for others, I’ve got something really special: original Spot the Match games, a sneaky pre-reading activity masquerading as a fun game. Don’t miss out!