Gloria in Excelsis Deo: {SQT} Early Edition!

This is published early because Mama and some of the kids are winging off to California! After all is said and done, I will publish my travelogue.

1. Pro-Life Procession

While the rest of us were still recovering from hosting an end-of-year party (humbling that my energy is no longer inexhaustible), Chris and John went to the cathedral to participate in a pro-life procession to the new (fourth?!) Planned Parenthood facility in our destination-abortion city . . . followed by a full-day of ice skating and hockey lessons for the boys, an airport run, and a friend's retirement party. Meanwhile, I continued staying home, resting.

Click here for video of the procession: John is at the 50-second mark.

2. Miscellaneous

Margaret (8) read Tolkien's "The Hobbit" in less than a week. Then the next day she read the entirety of "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator," and the subsequent day I spotted her halfway finished with Carlo Collodi's "Pinnochio."

This joy is what happens what school lets out!

Early morning walks, three-year-olds allowed to wear pajamas . . .

We found not one, but two, or these giant moths in our yard! This guy was three inches long!

A decade ago, I discovered that another mom had moved all her dishes to the low cupboards so that her young children could help her in the kitchen. I followed suit and it has proven so useful over the years. While it is my 6-year-old's official job to empty the dishwasher after each load, any time the 21-month-old is around he yells, "help! help!" and then does most of the job himself.

3. Summer Schedules

I busily finished planning the summer school schedules. In the summer, my goal is:

1. Do music practice really early.
2. Play outside in the mornings. Here it is generally too hot by 11:00 or noon at the latest.
3. After lunch, do independent school work for two hours. Each child has a list of weekly assignments.

4. Fall Schedules

I'm also up to my eyeballs planning for the fall, classes that should have been booked and decisions made, frankly, a couple of months ago. I am creating many Excel spreadsheets these days!

5. Relief Coming

I've been trying to prepare for relief coming in the form of my in laws who will help Chris in my absence. The younger crew is very excited about GRANDMOM AND POP-POPS COMING! I've made meals lists, written out schedules, care instructions for pets and plants, made sure the house is cleaned up for guests arriving, etc.

I also made a wall calendar to check off showing my little ones when I would be returning, which caused a little one to start crying slow, fat tears.