The Saturday 7

1. I cannot believe we're halfway through July already. I just looked at my calendar and realized we have something going on every weekend from now until August 18. And then we're starting school on the 20th! Slow down, summer!!

2. I'm starting to freak out a little bit about homeschooling. So I did what I always do when I'm overwhelmed: I started planning. The planner I ordered came in the mail this week, so I decided to lesson plan our first week. It took me 3 hours. Lol. But it was a lot of trial and error to figure out how to juggle both of the girls at the same time. Planning should be faster from here on out.

I'm still semi-freaking out about what to do with Levi during homeschool, and of course I'm terrified that I'm going to let the girls fall behind and if they ever do get to go back to ACS they'll be woefully unprepared . . .

3. I also finished that book about the Charlotte Mason method (For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay). It was not the easiest read, and I'm not sold on all of CM's methods, but it was interesting and informative. I love a lot of her ideas but can't see myself ever really implementing them to the full. (Hours outside instead of TV? No thanks. Also Michigan. Winter. Frostbite.) I liked some of her suggestions for art and music. I'm one of those terrible people who doesn't care much for "the fine arts" and I figure we sing/listen to music/do crafts enough that I wasn't planning on incorporating too much more into homeschool. But good ole Charlotte may have convinced me to put forth a little more effort.

4. Both girls had playdates this week. On Thursday, I brought Lena (and Lucy and Levi) to the splash pad to meet up with Lena's friend Ruth. I was anxious about sitting and talking with Ruth's mom - who I've never met - but it went really well! She's an extrovert who asked me tons of questions and always had something to talk about. I love people like that! Haha. And Lena and Ruth had lots of fun together. Don't get me started on how sad I am to take my kids away from their school friends . . .

5. Yesterday Lucy got invited to a girls' day out for her friend Avery's birthday. She and three other girls got mani/pedis, went to a movie, dinner at Logan's, then back to Avery's house. Lucy came home raving about Avery's huge house, and how she has a TV in her room and her own "Alexa" and her 5 year old brother has a working phone and "why don't I get any of those things?" Ugh. Maybe homeschooling won't be so bad after all.

6. I'm afraid Levi's hitting the terrible twos. And I know, I know, three is worse, but this is no fun either. He's in a ridiculous "throwing phase." He just loves to chuck things for no apparent reason. He's not mad. He just likes it. He broke our wet brush this week by throwing it violently across the room. And when we were at the Splash Pad with Ruth, she brought a pony toy that Levi got his hands on and promptly ran across the park to toss it in the creek. Fortunately, it didn't actually make it in the water, but I still had to climb down the bank to rescue it. He's also a major runner. And it doesn't matter how firmly I yell, "Stop!" he just laughs and keeps running. The girls were always so anxious they didn't dare wander too far from me, but Levi has no such qualms. It's exhausting.

7. Pictures