Isn't this every kid's favorite meal? Mine are no exception. And tonight, we were all in the mood for it. So much so, that everyone helped to prepare the meal. We cranked up the music and got to work. Browning the sausage. Making the sauce. Preparing the salad and the noodles. Warming the bread. A group effort. All for the joy of spaghetti!
My boys like to play games in the car on the way to school. And it's fun for me, as a former teacher, to play learning games. Keeps me sharp! And them, too! More than that, it helps me to see their progress. Which came out in spades today. My two sons wanted to play math games in the car. I started with simple addition and subtraction but then they wanted to understand "times" (multiplication). I kept making it harder and harder and they rose to the challenge each time. I was so impressed. And so happy that they find joy in math, too!
Spring has sprung! And today it really felt like it. The temperature for later in the week is supposed to hit almost 80. The grass is still brown. There are many trees that still have bare branches. But the flowering trees are in full bloom. The daffodils have been out for a while. And now with the weather forecast not predicting any cold weather any time soon? I think we can safely say, Welcome joyful spring!
A great escape. And when I need to recharge I like to do it with a good movie. Movie popcorn. An icy Coca-Cola. I like to sit in the back row so I can enjoy the audiences reaction to the film. I like all kinds of movies, too. Dramas, comedies, thrillers. It doesn't matter. As long as it's well made. On this rainy, Sunday afternoon I escaped to the movies. Joy!
Well, not exactly. But my husband was away. So the kids and I played. We went to a movie. Ate a kid friendly meal of tacos and chips and carrot sticks. Then, after their bath, we crawled into bed and read and read and read. They dozed softly and I snuck downstairs. I could watch whatever I wanted to on television. Play word games on the computer for as long as I wanted to. Stretch out in the bed, take up as much space as I could without snoring waking me up. I love my husband. But there is joy in a night away.
My son's class has been studying the Victorian era and to culminate the unit they had a Victorian Tea Party. They had lessons on manners and etiquette. They dressed up in formal dress complete with top hats for the gentlemen. I was one of the parent volunteers to help host the party and it was so much fun. I loved seeing my son in his school environment, learning more about his friends and just seeing the kids in action. Plus, the tea party was delightful! It took two hours of preparation on the front end to prepare the scones, cucumber sandwiches, biscuits and assemble the cakes. It took about an hour and a half on the back end just washing all the delicate china, teapots, platters and silverware by hand. All for a one hour tea party. But so worth it because it was a joy to participate in!
Today was a really long day. Really long. More detours than yesterday. And two crabby boys. So I became frazzled and when I become frazzled everyone else seems to come unhinged. I managed to get dinner on the table a little earlier than usual. The boys in the bathtub and in bed a few minutes early so we'd have plenty of time to read. And now? I hear the delightful, gentle snoring of two sleeping children. My husband is working late so the house is quiet. I can blog uninterrupted with the sounds of soft sleep. Yawn. It's making me sleepy, too. Ahhh, the joys of sleeping children.
