{SQT} What a Whopper of a Week!

I didn't miss a Seven Quick Takes Friday over Christmas, nor over Easter, but I was truly too busy in the last week! I guess this mama's breaking point is taking care of two sick little boys, getting sick myself till her voice is lost for days, hosting guests, hosting our third daughter's First Holy Communion, and finally burying the remains of my mother and stepfather.

Every woman has her limits and I met mine!

1. Aunt Erica Visited

My beloved Auntie arrived for a visit, it having been two years since I last saw her. This was a gift from God I didn't know if I'd receive: given her station in life and mine, neither one of us can easily travel.

Arrival breakfast at Metro Diner

The kids found a worm snake.

She and the children played many games, such as Bird Bingo, Othello, Life, and card games. I think we turned on the television for an hour one time over the course of a whole week, instead filling our time with so much conversation and sweetness.

We spent much time outdoors, with her pruning for us, and teaching the children proper pruning techniques, as well as just sitting and sipping a cold drink.

Auntie pruned a lot for us!

I, for one, was too busy with special occasions the whole week to do any reading (aloud to the children or silent personal reading) but Auntie got to read aloud to the kids most nights for which we were all grateful.

Reading at bedtime

It was a wonderful visit of a week and we pray that it is God's will that we will be able to see her next year too.

2. Margaret's First Holy Communion

Click here to read about our Margaret celebrating her First Holy Communion on Sunday.

3. The Forum Winners' Recital

We really are closing in on the end of competition season. On Sunday night, Mary had to dash away from the festivities to perform at a winners' recital: click here to listen.

4. The Funeral

My mother died six years ago and my stepfather died nine months ago, so on Monday we were finally able to have their cremated remains properly buried in a local cemetery, which you can read about by clicking here.

5. More Sickness

The little boys had developed a respiratory bug the prior Saturday, then I caught it Monday, and I'm still getting over it almost two weeks later. Meanwhile, the next Monday, my baby caught a new bug which caused 48 hours of fever, made particularly not fun because he is not accepting any solids yet, and that includes liquid Tylenol. (Guess who is being evaluated by a feeding therapist next week?)

By Tuesday, I'd had five hours of sleep in the prior 48, and my voice had been gone for several days. It's just been tough, and I thank God for various visiting experienced matrons who helped lighten my domestic duties.

6. Guild

On Tuesday morning, John and Mary were due to audition at the American College of Musician's "Guild" event. I had been distressed by the timing, as it requires a great amount of practice leading up to the event, yet the time slots we were offered this year were Saturday during Margaret's celebration dinner (no), Monday, the day of the funeral (no), or Tuesday. We accepted Tuesday's time slot, but that meant the children had to squeeze in an hour daily of intense practice during this very Big Weekend.

John and Mary each performed their ten pieces with accompanying scales and cadence chords and received the highest rating. Now they can relax! (Well, almost . . . Mary has two more competitions this month!)

Congratulations on their accomplishments!

7. Back to School

We got back to school on Wednesday after five school days off while Auntie was here. Kids doubled up on academics ahead of time and are doubling up on work now to make up for that.

Jennifer Cabrera wrote a fabulous piece, "Confessions of a Curriculum Junkie," that I could identify with word for word. It is so delightfully funny and embarrassingly true! I wish I had had enough functional brain cells remaining to write what she wrote.

We have three weeks of school remaining, with an end-date goal of Friday, June 1. We are counting the days. I have sketched out all our remaining work: every math, grammar, Latin, and history lesson to finish all our units/books!

Meanwhile, for about two months I've been in stressed-out but hog heaven planning our curriculum for 2018-19.

Tick tock, tick tock, the year is almost done!


For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum.