Retreat, Retreat

This week I've felt the need to retreat ... retreat to my room during quiet time and after the tots go to bed to read and rest. I've been wiped out lately from sinus headaches, tension back aches, and tiredness (I guess growing a baby and mothering 3 tots takes it's toll on a body).

The run-down on the week (pretty long - but a nice summary for my record):

I feel like I maybe get one household thing done every day.... not the most productive, but just how it is lately.

Yesterday I did a serious vacuum job on the baseboards, corners, edges on the entire kitchen/laundry/dining/bathroom. Then I mopped. It definitely needed a good mopping. Max came downstairs and tromped and danced on the wet floor. He thought it was really funny to watch me mop - guess he's never seen me do it before. Oops - better mop more often!

I decided to try the vinegar mixed with water solution ... it sure is cheap. I added a few drops of dishwashing detergent and some essential oils (which were supposed to make the vinegar smell less powerful). Well... Jimmy came home and of course could smell the vinegar. But my floor was super clean (for about 5 minutes until we ate rice for supper).

Today's task was to make bread. I just plain wanted to plus we've been out of bread for a few days and I didn't want to go to the store. It took me until 3 p.m. to find the energy for it. I made all-white bread and though the texture wasn't refined (I didn't want to spend the time to roll it out tidy... I just plopped it in the pan), it was tasty bread (with NO hole in the center!!!).

The most exciting news around here is that Jimmy started the swingset this week. Yay!  The kids are beyond thrilled! Here are the beginning shots and I'll post more this weekend when he gets the 2nd platform finished. It will look similar to our swingset in Tennessee - only on Steroids - bigger - taller - with a slightly different layout. I'm glad he understands all the measurements and building plans because I know if I built it, it would turn out topsy-turvy and lopsided. He's a good man - that Jimmy!


Hannah was moping around for a few minutes tonight because she "only has 6-more weeks until school is out... with no more school for the rest of her life". She's been dealing in absolutes lately... such as, "today is the best day of my life... well, Easter will be pretty good too." "This bread is the most delicious ever." She's not dramatic at all!

Abe went to the aquarium this week with his preschool class. He came home with this drawing of all the animals he saw. Abe hasn't loved drawing until recently. I love to see what he comes up with.
Abe is doing really well in preschool. He has come leaps and bounds from the beginning of the year. He actually seems to enjoy writing and he asks how to spell things. His teacher sends home little books for them to read and he can pick out 'the', 'an', 'on'. He can read the color names and he tries to sound out words. If you know Abe, you know this is monumental.

Max - ummm. He learned where his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tummy, head are. He likes to plug his nose and snort - just to be funny. He's still working on his 2nd molar - it's taking forever to break through. We cut his hair really short and it doesn't really move at all. It's not pokey like Jimmy's and Abe's... it lays down all tidy and swirled. Max is a really funny kiddo. I like when he gives me a lovey - which lasts for about half a mili-second and then he's off again.

Guess that's about all for this week. I'm off to RETREAT to my room, get in a shower for today, and read Goose Girl. This week I read Princess Academy by Shannon Hale and I loved it - as usual. I love these clean books that are written for teens. I guess I love that I can zip through them quickly, I know there are no nasties, and they don't make my brain think too hard. I only go through reading spurts once a year and this is my month to ENJOY so I've been loading up on my favorite good-reads.

('Mother and Baby' painting by Edna Hibel)