Our Week in Review

In my life this week...I am slowly adjusting to our 'new schedule' - we had our first full week of school, with both boys on their regular schedule of Kindergarten and Preschool - last week was a lot of beginning-of-year prep for the kids, but this week was the real deal.  They both did great!

Helpful tips or advice to share...sit and play with your child(ren), even if its only for a short while.  I had some great fun playing with Luke this week.  Its been a long time since its just been us, and he has grown and changed so much since the Spring.  Both my boys are very good at entertaining themselves (together or apart), so sometimes I forget to get down on the floor with them.  Its a good way to hear his take on the world.  This week we played 'house' for a long time at a park - we pretended to eat dinner, play games, walk to the bus stop, do homework, sleep on our beds, play with our toys, etc.  It was great fun!!

App or website I love…I added this one this week when I realized my 'helpful tips' might always be websites or apps - there are too many helpful ones to count!  One of my favorite websites is actually a blog.  The Pioneer Woman writes in a way that makes you feel like you're a close friend.  She gives you witty insights into her family, but also great tips on photography, cooking (try some of her recipes, they are VERY good!), and even cool info on movies and other entertainment.  Her quizzes are very fun and her giveaways are stellar (although she has a lot of fans, so the competition is pretty numerous).  Check it out if you have a few minutes to spare.

Questions I have...how are we going to celebrate John's 6th birthday (its only a week and a half away)?  We will do something as a family, but I don't know if that is going out to eat at a fun restaurant (we took him out for pizza one year, and he was a little embarrassed when they sang to him - but really he loved it), doing a fun family outing (we've done indoor water parks in the past), or starting a new tradition.  Any fun family celebration ideas are welcome :)

I am inspired by...the Bible study I started attending this week.  I love a good study to get me into a regular habit of reading and studying the Bible.  I need that sort of motivation :)

Places we're going and people we're seeing...we took another trip to Busch Gardens last weekend.  It was Jack Hanna's Wild Days, so they had even more animals around the park than normal.  We didn't get to see Mr. Hanna's show (the theater was full and the line was around the building) but the kids enjoyed seeing the animals.  John got to hold a small hawk and pet a skink (Luke watched from a distance) and we all got to watch the wolves being fed and see a farrier shoe a horse!

My favorite thing this week...eating lunch with John at school on Thursday.  In Kindergarten, its still cool to have your mom at school! :)  It was fun to meet some of his classmates that he talks about and just to see him interact with the other kids and the teacher.  If you have the opportunity to do this, I highly recommend it!

I'm reading...Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.  Its the second book in the Hunger Games series.  I read the first one earlier this summer and then put this one on hold at the library.  When it came in, I dropped the other books I was reading (I wasn't very into them anyway) and picked this one up.  I can't stop - the story and the writing just make you want to keep reading!  I expect to be finished by the end of the weekend :)  

I'm cooking...pasta.  I made pasta dishes twice this week and am still in the mood for more.  Maybe I need to take the kids to Olive Garden this week :)

I'm grateful for...a wonderful church!  It has helped so much in moving to have a great connections through our new church family.  I have met some wonderful friends (who in turn introduce me to their wonderful friends) and am very blessed by these relationships.  I am involved in a Bible Study at this church and a MOPS program.  They have been great ways to meet other families here - the kids have even met some friends!

A photo to share...