June- Brave Girls, Funny Girls

Striving for fitness gains at Fitness 535- for the boys, anything pronounced a competition suddenly seems fun.

A. runs circles around Columbia competing with fellow competition-minded friends.

Extroverted MJ is in her fun-loving element with thrills and friends

Crowned with beauty and honor

 

Finally, time to play and reconnect with old friends

Watching Finding Jane and Zootopia with the kids, and hitting the neighborhood pool (only to learn ten minutes in that they are closing up earlier this year), attending a friend's birthday pool party sleepover

Chonda Pierce comedy night with the girls in the family

Got floaties?

 

Sunday School pool party, pig pickin', and a touch of sun

Furman girls- at least for the week of orchestra camp

 

I've taken a stroll down childhood, high school, college, and young adulthood this week in delightful contacts with friends from different seasons of life. When I stop to reflect, I feel very blessed to have met so many wonderful people along the way.

 

June 2016 - School's out

Brennan plays Pachebel Canon in D with an ensemble

Natalia is headed to high school

Saying goodbyes to good friends- I'm so impressed with Natalia's adaptability. She has the ability to make close friends wherever she goes, and transplants well. I am already praying for next year's friends.

The girls make these colorful bagels...they creep me out because they make me think of poisonous snakes, but I am still proud of them for learning to work with yeast.

Roller-skating on a Saturday night- We learn that Saturdays are hip-hop night. We make note of this for next time.

Building forts out of blankets for optimal Netflix viewing

Pool time with friends and neighbors

Clemson football camp weekend for the boys

My beautiful friend Gennie throws a lovely baby shower for a new mama

Family time

 

 

Memorial Day Weekend

Taking a day off

Lake time with extended family; kayaking with my man and feeling a little sea-sick with all the wake from the heavy boater traffic

Celebrating with family members who have reached milestone goals

 

Della jumps in the boat first chance she gets; she has taken to water sports

Another attempt at a Saturday morning breakfast date- enjoyed trying something new, but wouldn't repeat the venue

An attempted stroll in Riverfront Park- surprised that the bridges were still out from the October flooding...It was, therefore, a short walk.

Strolling through City Market instead- running into friends who are venders; noticing entrepreneurial young violin players busk the corners, lots of dog-walkers and people carrying boxes of vegetables

Praying together as a class

 

Forced family fitness at the Y and turning deaf ears to grumbling and complaining;

Regular complaints about having no (junky) food in the house. Adding gratitude to the list of family expectations and core values

Trying out the "resolve your differences in a tight space" technique mentioned in the latest book I'm reading. Jury is still out on that one. I think if your kids are extra stubborn, tight spaces just aren't that helpful in working through problems. Back to the drawing board.

Guys have a guys night in Charlotte, girls catch Alice Through the Looking Glass in theaters.

 

Fourth Week in May

I continue in the fourth "week of May" title series as my creative writing juices are drowned out by someone asking me for ideas on her homework. Are we done yet?

Lovely Laurel plays her violin at St Martin's-in-the-Fields. Great acoustics.

Hydrangea envy. Can't get ours to do anything. Must check into this one day when we are not going to daily activities. I realize that I focus on my lack of healthy hydrangeas when I am overwhelmed with bigger things...little details

Della loves to play... and chew up balls....Her storm-drain phobia persists

Loving the unusual spring temperatures. These geraniums will be toast later in the season,

but I love them so now!

My latest audiobook on the carpool trail: Have a New Teenager by Friday- From mouthy and moody to respectful and responsible in five days

Soul Sisters jump on the Bitmoji band wagon as we send up prayer alerts and share parenting griefs, joy, and wisdom; walks and talks are another form of therapy/sisterhood bonding

Celebrating with my sweet friend, Gennie, and all the work that God has done in Ivan's life.

Chorus and recorder end-of-year-celebration

Natalia goes on training runs

Final football games with a strong showing. Bummed that they are out of the play-offs, but the game night / recital night conflict has been eliminated too.

 

Saying goodbye to a loved orchestra teacher. Kind words of affirmation from several of the kids' teachers. The decision of whether or not to audition for keyboards.

 

Which one is the crazy mad man?

Registering for online summer P.E./ health, camp paperwork and sports forms

End-of-school-year Color Run fundraiser...an opportunity to learn lessons in laundering

Lit magazine is published and distributed

Will learned how to help cook chicken Parmesan for dinner. I want them to be able to manage something beyond pizza and cereal when they leave the nest.

Family trying the visual plate method of half our your plate being fruits and veggies, and the other half protein and carbs. One meal at a time. Baby steps. Baby steps. Baby steps interspersed with pizza night. Can we make cookies?

We draw up a list of family responsibility expectations. Trying to get the things we repeatedly say in writing to see if clear expectations will make any difference in the house-keeping that doesn't get kept. Family forum at the round table.

This one wants to play a round of Pretty, Pretty, Princess just when I thought games of chance were through. I didn't mind, though, when her comments earlier in the evening were about wanting to concert surf

Side-by-side in a techie world

Mom got an "all clear" report from MDA!