Every spring I long for the summer break from homeschooling.  Don't get me wrong, we are all enjoying a more flexible routine.  However, for maybe the first time ever it has finally dawned on me that summer is all too short and realistically I'll probably only get 1/8 of my "want to do" and "need to do" lists completed.  So, anyway I sort of feel like a deflated balloon on this realization.  But, that is probably a good thing because the things that actually do get crossed off will probably surprise me and be "hoorah" moments.

We had a wonderful time with our other homeschooling friends from church on Monday at a nearby park at the lake with a picnic lunch, playtime, and fellowship.  This was our second annual end of the school year party with kids from toddlers to fourteen year olds.  I took E and S, along with two other kids out on the paddle boats.  I had one condition:  THEY had to do the paddling while I relaxed in the back.

An important lesson was learned this week.  When your hand-me-down shoes from your son wear out, it is NOT OKAY to buy some from Wal-Mart, when the purpose of the shoes is for running.  OUCH!  Ordering decent shoes is on the list of things to do right away.

The children have had a bit of routine this week with math, chores, and music practice in the mornings with quiet reading time in the afternoons.  The boys and I have been hammering away at finishing The Story of the Greeks, so we can begin Story of the Romans which have to be done this summer.   We are eagerly awaiting a replacement motor for our pool pump, so we can add swimming back into our afternoons.  Instead of swimming this week, S and Muffy have been listening to one of the Andrew Clements books on CD.  We've played several rounds of the Cupcake's Lost Puppies game and UNO Attack with her.  Also, E has made snow cones for us from his new snow cone maker he bought with his lawn mowing money.  He also got a pie maker machine but hasn't tried it out yet.  He likes to make his popcorn and snow cones inside his tree house.

I've had Muffy reading the Sarah, Plain, and Tall trilogy.  She's done with the first and is now in the middle of Skylark.  I can't wait to watch the Hallmark movies based on the book with her-- some of my favorites.  She's also reading Mary Poppins.  It is supposed to be very different from the Disney movie. She'd also like to report she is now the proud owner of a 1/2 size violin.  She's technically still so tiny she should be in the 1/4 but her teacher thought she's gotten close enough now.

Our family for fun read-aloud is Who, Me? from the Castleberry Farm Mystery Series.  Even the older boys love this series about another homeschool family.  They all think it is cool that the family also adopted a couple of  children from Russia.

I get a half-check for finishing a small wall quilt top for my kitchen.  It is a folksy birdhouse.  Maybe with it being so small I can get it quilted sometime (then I get a full check to my list).  My reading this week has included the Tozer book and Eternal Impact (about discipleship) by Phillip Downer.  Tozer has been challenging reading but thought provoking.   For example, on the attribute of omniscience, Tozer writes, "Could God at any time or in any manner receive into His mind knowledge that He did not possess and had not possessed from eternity, He would be imperfect and less than Himself."    The book is stretching my understanding and view of a very holy, unchangeable, mighty God!

Hope everyone is off to a good start for summer!