Of Alligators, Dogs and Legos

      It is Monday again. Levi and I had an eventful day. We took the girls to school and returned to complete Day 6 of Easy Peasy Homeschool: Getting Ready 1. He enjoyed Bonnie the Bee today, but he was crazy about Abraham the Alligator, last week. (He liked that his shirt had alligators on it today.)

     We decided to take a walk after that and we let our little dog, Bambino, escape out into the woods. Princess, our black chow/lab, stayed with us and it took forever for Bambino to wander back home. In the mean time, Princess, decided that escaping is the new trend and she climbed the fence and joined us on the porch. We had just opened the lego set that we received in the mail today, from Pley, and this one has 254 pieces. I put the lego set, full of little pieces, back in the bag and we ate our lunches. We like to pack ourselves lunches, just like the ones that Sophie and Elena take to school. We had sloppy joes, grapes, cookies and Capri-sun Rasberry mountain coolers today. The dogs made nuisances of themselves outside, picking on the chickens and kitties, so they joined us in the house.
          Levi and I finished lunch. Then, we leashed Princess and threw Bambino in with the Terrier, Chester.
The five cats decided the dogs are just annoying and amused themselves with watching their antics.

 Levi spent 30 minutes on ABCmouse.com and I washed laundry and finally relaxed by watching Netflix.
          When the girls came home, they pounced on the new Lego set, a Friends hot air balloon and tree combo. Raul hasn't tried the Legos yet, but it is just a matter of time until he realizes how much fun it is too. c      
Pley: Rent Lego Sets

Falling into our Routine

    

          Crunchy brown and orange leaves and little pinecones are littering my yard. I can't believe it is almost fall! The adventure is in the details for my family right now. We are working on sleeping early, making our lunches, setting out our clothes and getting to school on time. The girls share a classroom this year and are renewing their friendships with kids from school while becoming closer as sisters. Sophie and Elena are going to have these lunches next week.

Monday: vegetarian sloppy joes, cucumber slices, ranch dip

Tuesday:  pasta shells with peas and pesto, salad, canned peaches

Wednesday: p & b whole wheat sandwich, yoplait yogurt, kiwi

Thursday: String cheese stick, rolled veggie bologna meat, fruit kabobs, whole grain crackers
Friday:Egg salad wrap (chopped hard-boiled egg mixed with avocado in viniagrette: rolled in a whole wheat tortilla) sliced pears in lemon juice, Snapea Crisps

        It is quiet when Levi and I return from leaving the girls at school. It was only 83 degrees around noon yesterday, when we arrived home. Levi took a long nap all afternoon. Later, we did Easy, peasy preschool. He is loving Abraham the Alligator. Levi does Easy Peasy Getting Ready 1. This online curicullum is super simple, fun and free. Check it out here! We also love https://www.abcmouse.com/
 
 This weather is neat. It isn't dangerously hot, but it was hot enough to swim. My two youngest children, Elena, 7, and Levi, 3, sprayed the slide and trampoline with the water hose when school was out and played until twilight.

School is starting and it is not!

    Sophie and Elena are in the same classroom at Community Christian School and they will begin on Monday. Sophie is in fourth grade and Elena is in second grade. I am excited by all the new possibilities. I saw this quote

C.S. Lewis > Quotes > Quotable Quote

“Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different...”

― C.S. Lewis

and it is just how I feel. I feel like I am moving like a turtle and all of the sudden, I have traveled a long ways and now I have arrived at the next chapter in the story. All Sophie and Elena's friends have traveled onward too., so school will be completely different and yet in some ways the same. I vote that all children must take their moms with them everywhere they go, because I want to go too. I get to go to Adventurer Club though. This will be Elena's second year as an adventurer and Sophie has finished and she is beginning her first year as a Pathfinder.  You can click on these links and join my adventure too, if you have a 5-9 year old(adventure club) or a 10-15 year old(pathfinders) The first meeting is Aug. 22, 5 pm, at the Community Seventh-day Adventist Church gym. So consider yourself invited.
    Then there is Levi. He is a home school student and I am so happy to be a homeschooler's mom again! We are going to The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, MS with Peak Network, our homeschooling support group. So Levi will let me tag along too.
    I have another adventure on Monday and that is my Doctor's appointment and I really hope that it is a good adventure. Please pray for me on Monday around noon, because I am a cancer survivor and I desire to remain one.  I am not posting any links for this one, because I don't want you to join this club. If you are already a member, then you know how I feel. Let me know and I will pray for you too.
    My mom has just retired and so she is not going to school either on Monday. She is coming with me to my Doctor's appointment. Maybe, there is hope for a happy Monday after all.
    I am also a teacher, so I am earning ceu's to renew my educator's license this year. Someday, maybe I will have my own school adventure.   At this point, I am floating on the waves of euphoria that my children create as a new school year begins. 

Hi, Here is my Summer

         My summer flew by. First, I painted my bedroom

Click here to learn to paint a beach mural
(You can pick a different beverage though.)

 and bathroom.

 

For several days, I was a mural painter and that inspired me to want to go to the beach. When I saw my cousin, Janine and her family in a beach picture at Gulf Shores, I jumped in the car and hit the sand too.

My girls enjoying their cousins.

I woke up early and enjoyed the sunrise alone.

Next, Raul joined us at the pathfinder parade at Bass Memorial Academy.
(Click on the word, if you have never been here.)

Then, we went to Pensacola beach and camped on Santa Rosa Island.

Click here if you want to go too.
Fort Pickens

         After coming home from this relaxing trip, we went to Family Camp at Camp Alamisco. We were so busy and always wet, that I didn't take any pictures, but it was a great experience too. I was stung by an angry red hornet, so we wandered home and saw the 4th of July fireworks at Bonita Lakes. The next time that I was on Facebook, I noticed Aunt Rose, Uncle Herb, Aunt Sue and Ann at the General Conference of Seventh day Adventists in San Antonio, so we piled in the car again to camp at the Alamo KOA. 

Click here to learn about this scary bridge.

San Antonio Riverwalk-(we have so much more to see here.)

My summer has been amazing and now my story is done.