Emptying Nest

Thursday was surreal.

Lauren was nannying.
David worked at the bike shop.
Daniel is still in Spain at World Youth Day.
Joseph was at camp.
Marianna spent the day with her best friend and Lauren.
Rebecca was in MD, visiting her favorite cousin.

Okay, a few of the kids were home for dinner, but it was strange to be in such an empty house for so long.  At least my chores were still family oriented--grocery shopping, school planning, organizing, etc.

Some quiet and uninterrupted time is refreshing, but I'm going to miss this crowd when they're gone!

The Garage

Apparently, I'm not the only one with the urge to reorganize.  Len will be moving some items to the shed and disposing of others while he changes the garage set-up.  Everything on the right-hand side will move to the left so we can pull the van more easily in and out.

And along the lines of giving a mouse a cookie:  if you're going to move a boatload from one side to the other, you might as well remove all the shelves, sand some spots, and paint the whole place!

Harvest

Not so big, but this is the first melon we've EVER harvested!  Usually bugs or critters ruin them before we can enjoy the fruit.  It was delicious.

For some refreshing summer ideas, check out the recipes for bubble tea

 and real lemonade

over at my cooking blog.

Progress

 Setting up the sewing center

 Sew pretty     ;-)

Although the transition is a bit messy . . .
And yes, that rug is at my front door.  This is definitely a public undertaking!

Hope Falls Eternal

It's not about New Year's resolutions.  The freshness of spring doesn't do it, either.  For me, autumn is the time of new beginnings.

As I get ready for the latest academic year, I am filled with hope.  Although years of experience have shown that I won't (don't?  can't?) get everything done, I still make a plan.  Maybe this time . . .

I could get discouraged and consider these efforts a waste.  But I don't.  It's good to have a vision, a goal.

This year I want to concentrate on fewer subjects, but with more depth.  Botany will include more time outdoors than usual, with nature notebooks and drawing (an old habit renewed).  The girls will write with structure and style all year.  We'll learn to draw.  How to keep all that going?  I'm back in a co-op.  Accountability works!

Of course, there will be traditional studies (math, spelling, etc.) too.  And inspired by Elizabeth I'm going to try for the third time to teach daughters (and myself) to sew.  How to stick with it?  That's a good question, and I have a few ideas. 

On sewing days, we'll start right after prayer and Bible time.  We won't cover math or piano first.  We won't start after lunch.  We won't skip it while we finish other subjects.  Sewing will be the priority, not the good idea we don't have time for.

I'm hoping that having a dedicated sewing center will also help the three of us continue.  My house isn't small, but I still had trouble finding enough room to set up shop.  Then I thought outside the box and came up with . . . our schoolroom!

This is the open (with only 2 1/2 walls) dining room just off the front door, and as such is a visual part of the entire main level.  For my own sanity, it must be tidiable.  We can't just toss piles of supplies in there and walk away.  Besides, right now the classroom is full!

So I'm in the process of packing away books we won't use this year.  I'll declutter a bit, too, and use the table for the sewing machine.  With desks elsewhere plus the kitchen table, there are other spaces where my girls can do their seatwork.

So far this is just a great idea.  Will I persevere?  I pray.  For now I'm looking forward to fall (even though I'm so not ready)!  :-)