Seven Quick Takes (beets, cookies, Mark Twain, and more)

Remember when I told you that I don't really have time to blog?  That's why this is just going to be a neat little list of a few things that have been going on around here lately that don't involve ancient Egypt...  (except we did receive our Life in Ancient Egypt Dover coloring book in the mail yesterday!!  Seriously, Dover, are you sure you don't want to tap me for a spokesperson????)

(1)

If you feed a baby beets for breakfast, be prepared for the fact that he'll probably spend the rest of the day looking like a satisfied carnivore. (I wanted to write cannibal but that seemed a little too grotesque...)  

(2) 

Want to know about something that makes school work a lot more fun than it otherwise may be?  Smencils.  Look into it.  They make the school table a little more pleasant place to be each day!

(3)

Taking some of my own advice from my recent "Preschool Posts" (read parts 1, 2, and 3 here) I've been making the most of the mornings my boys are at the study center and have been having wonderful time with my girls.  We've raided the library for books on apples, made pony bead bracelets, gone out strolling with mailman Dave, and have done some "painting."  It's been delightful!  (I've even managed to get a few lessons in with Ruth!  Things are looking up!)

a mother-daughter still life project

 (4)

Want to reveal to me and the world what your favorite song to belt out in the car is??  Head over to the Ordinary Lovely facebook page to leave a comment.  Just look for the post with the super cute video that you may have already seen but know you want to watch again :)  

(5)

Here's a look at how I spend my Sunday afternoons nowadays - mapping out the boys' lessons for the upcoming week...

My two favorite things about this picture are (1) it feels so good to be planning their weeks this way.  I loved my old magnet board system, but it just wasn't going to be enough this year since there was no way to write specific assignments out.  Now, I'm plotting out which lessons need to be done each day and exactly what they are so that the boys can self start.  It's been working well and I'm so happy about the change - anything to help things run more smoothly around here!  And (2) LORNA DOONE's.  This pack of cookies mysteriously appeared on the kitchen counter last week, so I ate them.  I love Lorna Doone's, but never buy them for myself.  For me, they are a food with a strong emotional attachment that you usually only get to eat under very special circumstances.  At the hospital where four of my babies have been born, you can ask for a snack any time day or night and they always have Lorna Doone's.  Lorna Doone's and cranberry juice: the preferred snack of this postpartum mother :)  

(6)

A happy project from last month - crocheted matching pencil jar and zippered pencil pouch  birthday gift.   Haven't picked up a hook since then :( and have resigned myself to the fact that my awesome list of Christmas gifts to crochet might not get done.  (allow me to go cry quietly in the corner for a minute...)  

(7)

I posted this picture on the facebook page yesterday as a way to celebrate the fact that the school days have actually been going quite well this week!  I mean, you can't argue with little ones reading Mark Twain in big cozy chairs.  It's thoroughly American, and thoroughly adorable =)

Also wanted to mention again how much we love this books, so I'll direct you to this post in which I review and praise the Cozy Classics series.  Still love 'em, still recommend 'em.  

Happy, blessed Friday everyone!  

Thank you Jen for kicking off another weekend with Seven Quick Takes.   Don't forget to head over to Conversion Diary for more!