I'm In A Chatty Mood This Morning

Are you ready for it?  Here we go!

Last week Emma and I were the only ones up and we were having a nice morning chat when we hear this noise that sounds like a blow torch in the house!  We looked at each other and said "That was weird!"  Less than a minute later we hear it again, and I turn to look out the front window and see this!

 I was coming down and we thought it was going to land across the street at our neighbors house, but at the last minute it heated the air back up and went up again!
It was an interesting way to start the day.

I found this map on my phone.  Sarah and her friends from church have made an imaginary land with it's own language and Sarah is always drawing maps of different places.  She took a photo of her map and then used the Sketch app on my iphone.

Yesterday Kyle and Kamryn were playing outside together and came racing into the house.  She said 'Mom! Mom!  Me playing in the dust!"  She was laughing and giggling! 

 She and Uncle were playing in some dirt and were so dirty and happy!

 She calls Tim and I "mom and dad" because that's what the other kids call us.  She calls Nate and Kayleigh "Mommy and Daddy" and she knows we are her grandparents not her parents.  We always refer to ourselves as "grandma and grandpa" and she gets it.

She calls my parents, her great grandparents "Birdie and Papa."  "Birdie" got her name when I suggested it.  Kamryn always wanted to play Angry Birds on my mom's phone and could only say "bird-a" that sounded like birdie, which meant "Can I play angry birds on your phone?"  Also it was a tad confusing for a wee one to have 'grandma and grandpa' who everyone called Mom and Dad and then 'grandma and grandpa' who were called that by my kids but I called them Mom and Dad etc....so we have settled into "Birdie and Papa", "Mom and Dad" and "Mommy and Daddy."  Confused?  It's alright, at least it all makes sense to Kamryn!

On to another topic - my Mother in Law is doing well and coming home tomorrow!  Tim's sister will stay with them until the live in caregiver can come.  We are trying to decide when to go down and get some of those handyman jobs done.  We're thinking it will be better to go before the caregiver moves in, but trying to coordinate schedules with Lindsay and Emma.

I'm savoring these days with my family, enjoying each day with all it's differences and unique opportunities.  Last night mom and I went to dinner and we've decided to do it once a month.  She is here on Tuesdays spending the day and they usually eat dinner with us, too.  But, with the kids wanting her attention and Kamryn too, it is easy for us to not really get a chance to talk about life stuff.  So once a month we're going to go out, and maybe sometimes we'll let our men come too!

We are in the middle of our 6th week of school already!  It's going very well, and like the rest of this year, zooming right along!  We are studying World History using a book by Genevieve Foster called 'The World of Columbus and Sons' and it covers the years of  1451-1539.  We are also studying Botany (Kyle and Sarah are at least).  We started a flower dissection yesterday and will finish it today.  We are learning so much and it's fun!

I'm thinking through my meal planning, and how to prep some things ahead.  I don't really like freezer meals too much, as we like to cook from scratch and enjoy fresh foods, but I am trying to think through making breads and muffins etc, and freezing them and cooking up ground beef and freezing it, that kind of thing.  So on those days we are so busy, it will be easier to pull together a home cooked meal, over getting a pizza or Chinese food.

Oh, Man!  If you are still with me after all this rambling, I thank you.  If you have any tips on meal planning and favorite recipes for quick meals, please pass them along!  I love to learn new things.