Collage Friday - Surprises on Spring Break
Friday, April 5, 2013 at 5:00AM 
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There were so many wonderful surprises this past week. One surprise was expected and the other was unexpected.
The unexpected was a package I received Monday. You see, I had been feeling a bit of criticism from a couple of different sources. My husband and I had taken a long walk Sunday afternoon (just the two of us) and both agreed we were suffering from Plom's Disease: Poor Little Old Me. My husband talks with the kids about this disease all the time, but this time it was affecting us.
That is interesting, because normally we have pretty thick skin. After our walk and a good talk we adjusted our attitudes to approach the week in a better way. I also wrote When Being Normal Looks Weird to alleviate some stress.
Back to the package.
A very sweet reader of Homegrown Learners sent me a thank you note and two knitted dish cloths. She just wanted to tell me thank you for the LEGO resources and encouragement.
I stood in my driveway and cried. I came inside and tried to read her note to my kids. I cried some more. My husband came home later that afternoon and I cried again. They were happy tears.
Michelle, thank you so much for the encouragement and vote of confidence on a day when I really needed it. It is because of people like you that I write this blog and share our homeschool journey. You were the Holy Spirit moving in my life on Monday and I'm so grateful.
The "Expected" Surprise
My brother and his sisters have been planning a surprise 80th birthday party for my father-in-law. It was hard keeping it a secret. There was a dinner for lots of family and friends last Friday night, then a barbeque Saturday night for 50 people.
It was a BIG weekend.
1. A rare picture of my husband and I. We will celebrate our 16th anniversary this summer. I know it sounds cheesy, but he is my soulmate.
2. Grant and his Uncle Chuck played a lot of chess over the weekend.
3. Our niece and her husband live in California. They have a three year old daughter who is sweet and smart. At an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday she grabbed Grant's hand. It was so sweet.
4. Anna spent most of the weekend babysitting her second cousin, Sophie. It did my heart such good to see them together.
5. Grant enjoyed a lot of old fashioned fun at an egg hunt - I don't think he'd ever been in a sack race before. Check that off the bucket list, right?
6. My sweet father-in-law and Anna. You would never know he is 80 years old. He is so sharp.
7. The birthday boy blowing out the candles!
First Communion
Grant's First Communion was Easter Sunday. I've written before about our church and what a blessing it is in our lives. We were so happy to celebrate this special day with our church family.
Each of the children that communed had made a special banner. Grant and his buddy Nickolas proudly posed with their banners after the service.
Our children are growing up - pretty soon Anna will be going through Confirmation. Where does the time go?
LEGOS (Of Course)
How could I go through a Collage Friday without talking about LEGOS?
Did you see the Language Arts and Minifigs download?
Since the local schools are on Spring Break this week our library decided to do "LEGOS at the Library", which is a time when children can bring their creations and talk about them with other LEGO lovers.
We have a sweet neighbor (who was in Anna's first and second grade class in public school) that also loves LEGOS. He came along with Grant and I (while Anna spent the morning at the bookstore with her aunt) and we had a great time.
Grant proudly shared his vehicle that he had made with the Simple and Motorized Mechanisms set.
OK. He is loving working with the gears and motors. His car went backward and forward and took quite a bit of time to build.
I HIGHLY recommend this set. It is a great investment in your homeschool science and technology curriculum!
Spring is "almost" here
The beginning of the week was very warm and sunny.
The end of the week: not so much.
We got done what we could outside Monday and Tuesday, with the rest of the week being a wash.
I bought and planted lots of flowers one day. My front porch and back deck have some color now. This weekend my husband will attack the mulch in our yard. Eight years ago when we bought this house we loved the lush landscaping around the acre the house sits on (the second acre is woods behind our home). Now the landscaping is a lot to keep, and we need to dedicate several weekends a year to maintenance.
Our deck is huge and it is my favorite place to have school (once the pollen goes away). It looks so bare if it doesn't have a lot of color, though, so I need to find a little more to put out there, without breaking the bank. We set up a bird watching area on the deck and have spotted tons of birds this week!
Grant spent a lot of time in the yard practicing his batting. He and his dad have been watching MLB TV incessantly this week. Go Braves!
Anna also had her first official "mother's helper" job with a friend from co-op. She worked all morning with a 6 and 2 year old and had a great time.
Odds and Ends
I think we may extend our spring break another week. I have felt so relaxed and accomplished so much this week. I'm thinking if we have some read-alouds and fun activities that may be enough. I have never totally taken a break from school - I mean just NOT thought about school at all. Strangely enough, it feels GREAT.
I finished The Homeschool Experiment this week. What a wonderful little book - the author knows JUST how I feel, and it offers so much encouragement. If you haven't read the book, you SHOULD. I literally laughed out loud.
I also tried a new recipe for Beef Stroganoff in the crockpot. It was fabulous!
Today (Friday) I am taking the kids to The World of Coke in downtown Atlanta. I might be crazy, because the Final Four is in town, but how bad can it be? We're going to meet my husband for lunch (he works 2 blocks from The World of Coke) and call this a mini staycation!
I think that's the sum of our week. I've spent little time online and lots of time just enjoying my kids, being their mom (not their TEACHER), and connecting with friends. It has been glorious!
Please join me for Collage Friday!
The rules are simple. Link your post (that incudes photo collages) about your homeschool week. Be sure to grab a Collage Friday button or text link back to this post in some way. Then, be sure to visit the other blogs on the list to offer support and gain ideas. This is a wonderful community and I love reading through your blogs each weekend and seeing how you all encourage each other.
*I will delete any links that don't comply with these guidelines. {not trying to be crabby, just trying to respect the hard work of those who do follow the rules}
Reader Comments (16)
What a wonderful week. The love just shows so much through all the photos and your words, too. Those were some wonderful surprises. I have found much encouragement through bloggers.
What a fun week! Congrats to Grant on making his first communion! Have a wonderful weekend!
Looking at your sunny, warm weatherish and flowery photos is making me very jealous that I don't live where it's warmer! Jeremiah was given one of the Bilbo Lego sets for Easter. It's pretty cool actually! http://www.faithfulmomof9.com/wordless-wednesday-legos/
Busy big week/weekend for y'all! And isn't it wonderful spring is finally beginning to peek through!?
Oh, that looks like a perfect Lego set for my youngest! I've pinned it to my Christmas 2013 Ideas board. LOL We already have the non-motorized simple machine kids and he builds with those a lot but MOTORIZED? he'd be thrilled. Anyway, what a GREAT week with family?! So much fun and celebrating and just enjoying LIFE.
My son is dying to have one of those lego sets. They do look amazing. I wish they didn't cost so much money.
Blessings, Dawn
So, I just spent about 45 minutes looking through your Lego stuff...Wow! I started a pinterest board! LOL I think it would be PERFECT for the new co-op being planned in my area this fall. Each of us has to teach a class and what better than Legos, right? We have like a gazillion of them! LOL Thanks for providing these things FREE for us frugal homeschoolers! :)
I had a bad case of PLOM disease last week. I really fought depression too. I'm glad your situation is looking up. Mine is too! Thanks for being such a source of support and encouragement. You bless me!
Oh a wonderful week of surprises all topped off with a trip to the Coke museum! (The sun is out now in Georgia - so perfect timing!) Love your spring time images, first communion and of course the appreciation package from your reader. We do appreciate all you do to encourage - you give so freely :)
Great post today, Mary. I have to say, the picture of the check besides "Communing today" really made me stop and pause for a second. In fact, I went back to that photo several times processing how such a simple act of checking a box could be such a meaningful moment in the life of someone else. It kinda caused me to go back and think once more about not taking communion for granted. It is always good to have those reminders.
I've commented on it before, but I'll say it again. I love how pictures of your family are always happy shots. I know there are times where your kids aren't smiling. Every family has those moments. But your family sure does smile a lot! I think it's great. Awesome even. Keep up the good work!
Oh, how I wish we had more yard! I know it's a lot to care for but the privacy is priceless. I can relate to wanting to stretch the spring break longer - I'm having a hard time getting back into the groove but I'm enjoying the more relaxed time like you are :) Especially with a good read aloud to fill our mornings :) Have a great weekend!
It sounds like a lovely week, and thanks for the book recommendation. I hope your field trip went well today, despite the traffic. I always read your posts on Fridays from my phone while I wait for Amber at her sensory therapy. It is sooo hard to comment through the phones. I have to make an effort to remember to come back and comment. But I do read bright and early on Friday mornings. :)
Oh, it does sound like a lovely week! And thanks for letting me live spring vicariously through you--our snow is finally gone (except in the woods) but no color yet. Brown grass and mud. The crocuses are just beginning to pop up through mulch...
Yay Grant!
You DESERVE those dishcloths, and probably an entire crocheted bedroom set, for all that you do for us homeschooling mamas! So good to hear you were crying happy tears... :0)
What a lot of blessings this week :) Congrats to Grant!
Nolan is on the Braves this season :)
Thanks for sharing another great post!
I am so glad to hear that you got some unexpected encouragement! It's wonderful to get encouragement just when you need it.
What a great week for you all...I hope that next week is just as good! It does sound like the time "off" is serving you well :)