Lots of Reading. Elizabeth's Second Birthday.

Andrew had another sleepover this weekend. He is developing quite the social schedule. He spent the night with his best friend, Joshua, from school last night. Wade is working all day again so I'll be picking him up in a bit.


This past week has gone kind of slow but kind of fast too. You know, when you have slow days and fast days? That was this week. AND I think since I know tax season is almost over and we'll have Wade back, that makes the clock tick slower.


Monday was a usual Monday here. Go to the fitness center, get groceries, come home and do some laundry, etc. Elizabeth got on a dress wearing kick and wore dresses three days this week. Weird for her since it's probably been two or three months since she's worn one to school. The weather was nice so the kids played outside quite a bit. I used two of my photo processing actions on these photos by Renee Oakenfull. I used "Glow" and "B&W Bite".


I took the kids to Mr. K's Used Books on Tuesday. I haven't been there in years, I'm talking since before kids! My friend Penny had mentioned getting some books there for 80 cents and I knew I needed to go look for Elizabeth. She has read through all her chapter books and needs more. She picked out six books.


Andrew picked out seven books, three of which were Dr. Seuss books because he looooooves Dr. Seuss! He was reading one of his books on the way home out loud and doing a great job. It was a harder book for him but he was trying hard and sounding out the words he didn't know.


For a grand total of $24 (plus some tax). We plan on going there more.


Elizabeth started reading The Deadly Dungeon by Ron Roy (A to Z Mysteries) before we paid for the books and then read the whole way home. When she finished she said, "That was so good, I feel like I could read it again!" She read for probably over 2 hours that day. She finished two books and started on another. She organized all her chapter books by horse theme, dog theme, fantasy, books about girls, etc. and put them back on her book shelf. She woke up Thursday morning at 6:05 and read for an hour before she had to get ready for school and then read on the way to school! I borrowed some American Girl books from my friend Lorrie for her to read because she had bought one and really liked it. She also had one at home from a year ago that she dug out and read again. Her job this week in her class was "reader leader" and she got to pick what book she would read to the class on Friday. She had finished Lizard Meets Ivana the Terrible on the way to school and read it for 30 minutes to the class. She told me last night she got to chapter 8 and everyone wanted to hear the ending. Wade and I loved to read as kids so this excites us to no end!


I was quite proud of myself on Tuesday. I felt like my house was going to pot after doing all the work on my scrapbook room in the prior two weeks so I was determined to get my house back in order. After I took the kids to school, I came home and mopped the upstairs (kitchen, foyer, two bathrooms), wiped down all the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen, wiped down all the chairs, bar stools and bench in the kitchen, washed and put up four or five loads of clothes, swept the front porch, wiped down the front door and cleaned the two windows on the front porch, vacuumed the upstairs and left by 1:30 so I could go shopping to reward myself. :) Michael's was having a sale on scrapbook storage so I bought six white photo storage boxes that all match for my room. I have some cute Autumn Leaves flower stamps that I am going to stamp on the front of them in red. Some of the boxes I'm going to use for my photo storage and a couple I plan on using for my coin collection. See, I have to find a way to store ALL the stuff that was in the various storage units in my room before on my new shelves (which I am still waiting on).


Mom and I are starting to get together on every other Thursday for me to help her with projects around her house. We just started this. I enjoyed spending time with her when I was there painting my boards and wanted to make a point to visit more. So Thursday was our first project. We tackled the closet under the steps and the surrounding area in their den downstairs. Some of the stuff had been stored and piled in there for over 20 years. We threw away one and a half black garbage bag of stuff and donated four black garbage bags of stuff!! They had some extra wood flooring that was being stored outside the closet and we were able to move that in the closet as well as a six foot table to open up some space. It looked really good. She was so excited to have it cleaned out. I called her yesterday and she already has plans for our next few get-togethers!! LOL The funny thing is that Nannie was there and was watching us some. I had to sneak some stuff to the donate and throwaway bags because she would say, "You're getting rid of that?" I think she ended up with two baskets, an ugly doll and a VERY old-fashioned wreath to take home. She said she likes old-fashioned stuff. :)


One of the exciting things that happened this week was that Brianna and I went for our annual photo shoot in an area field of wild mustard! I cannot wait to get some printed and see them all. There are a few up on her website right now. Go look! I love how they turned out even though I am feeling critical about my chin/neck in those photos. LOL That is me, I suppose. ;) Her photography business is starting to really boom and I couldn't be happier for her. She is talented as you can see!



Three more exciting things!
1. The cookbooks are in! I already have my own copy even though they haven't been given out at church yet. Shhhhh! Sorry, it's the ONLY perk of being chief editor and spending many, many hours working on the thing. LOL Some friends have asked about them. Unfortunately, they will not be for sale, not even for cost. They are going to be given out to every lady on Mother's Day next month. I'm sure the preacher will find some other occasion to give them away later in the year too.



2. I've been given the go-ahead for the school's website. Yay! It was passed by the board recently and now I'm free to get started on it. I will email or call the web designer I met with back in early February on Monday to get an appointment so we can get this thing done!



3. Tomorrow (April 13) is Elizabeth's second spiritual birthday. See here to read more about it. She and Andrew were playing "church" one day which was sort of different and odd within its self when she said to Andrew, "I want to get saved, Andrew. I really do!" I was in my room cleaning up when I heard them in the living room in this conversation. Andrew said, "Okay, what you gotta do is . . . " and he continued to explain basically what we had explained to him a few weeks earlier and then he prayed with her!!! I was in my room, jaw opened, in disbelief. They came running in my room immediately after saying, "I got saved!" Elizabeth told me she wanted to do it and not because of Andrew but because she wanted to. What could I say? Later that evening we talked with her when Wade came home. We made sure she understood, which she did, and we even had her pray again although she said she had already done it all. LOL So Andrew, at age FOUR (and a half) led his first person to the Lord! He's been trying hard since to get others but nothing yet. This makes my heart happy though. I may have me a little preacher boy for a son one of these days. :)



Okay, I'm off to scrap a little. I need to finish a challenge this weekend for SBO and I need to make a birthday card for my brother-in-law, Jon. His birthday is April 15th! Have a great weekend!