The younger ones

I can't do everything of course but am trying to be a bit more conscientious about spending time with just the little people.   I have noticed especially that the younger ones do not pay as much attention to catechesis in the morning so have been attempting to do this with just the three youngest ones before they go to bed by praying with them and singing a hymn with them.   They love it.   I love it when I hear them singing during the day.   I love it when Ingrid sings the Words of Institution with the Pastor at church.   She is three.   Three year olds are awesome.....a lot of the time.   My five year old Stefan keeps randomly telling me how he is working on screaming and whining less.   I found that an amazing statement.   I told my sixteen year old earlier today in a joking way, that even though his younger siblings can annoy him that he really needs to work on screaming and whining less (said in a quiet tone while looking at him with my 'talking to little people voice).   He laughed and told me he would see what he could do about that. 

Even getting to all of the kids by reading to them is certainly a challenge.   I am reading the nine year old the Narnia books just for him.   Being a sandwich child puts him a bit frustrated at times or at least he senses the older and younger ones pulling me away from him.   I was having the 13 year old read the Harry Potter books to me but that has sort of lapsed.   I suppose I could find another hour or two somewhere to see about that. 

And.....another conscious effort is trying to get the younger half out of the house so the older ones can be home alone with quiet to study.   There is no reason for me not to be able to take the little ones to the places I took the older ones to play at parks, go to the beach or whatever.    Both sides benefit from this set up.   It went very well today and even a child who had a tantrum this morning was 'able' to be left behind with older studying brother as he had no one to bug and pester and quiet time on his hands to ponder his behavior. 

Remembering it all......that is a challenge (understatement).....one day at a time by the Grace of God. 

Biking ha ha

I finally took the plunge and got some biking shoes and clips for my bike.   Sweet relief.    The guy at the store gave Erik and I the whole run down on how to use them and described what it would look like to fall off.   (Erik actually used some of his money to buy himself a bike which fits his tall self).   I of course thought to myself, nah, that couldn't possibly happen to me.  

The first day available I took off and figured out how to get my shoes in the clips and YES, they are awesome.   It is so much easier to bike and use all the muscles etc to burn up the road - ha ha.   Having gotten through the first four miles, I neglected to test out getting out of the clips and was forced to come to a stop by one of those annoying cars at a cross way.   First try with my right foot and my foot did not come out.   Second try with the left foot and I was already headed down to pavement land.   Meeting the pavement I just started laughing my head off.   I am sure I looked pretty looney with my feet stuck on my pedals and laughing on the ground.  

Learned my lesson, got back on the 'horse' and took less pains to figure out how to get out of the pedals.   Slow prideful learner am I. 

Hardly sluggards

The sugar season (maple syrup) is a lot of work when you don't have the modern convenience of tubing through the woods.   There are some 200 or so buckets out there and the water hsa been running like crazy the last few days.   I am waiting till our five year old wakes up, to get the older kids up to go out and start collecting.   Sigh.   It is way too busy right now for me.   Cecilia has a piano competition on Saturday and somehow I am trying to keep things calm enough so she can find time to practice and relax and feel confident.   She will do great I am sure.   Then somewhere in there I am sort of giving up on school right now and asking the kids to keep reading as they are able.   I am doing my best to not worry about what the house looks like either.   This is all a bit tricky.    Time to go make bunches of food for their tummies.