A Cheshire cat grin

As I write, I feel almost like stretching with languid satisfaction.  Almost.  You see, my home is clean.  Floors, my laundry, my dishes all done.  Bonus: the grocery shopping is finished and food is to be had in abundance in the form of a large potato-n-meat casserole in the oven and a big old pot of beef bones simmering on the stove for tomorrow's beef and barley soup.  Not to mention the plate of chocolate cookies and containers of chopped fruit.  :)

Why does that make me feel like a CEO who just solved a huge problem?  It always puzzles me to find out that happiness - I mean real and genuine joy - is to be found in such simple and rather unglamorous ways.  Anyhow, I figured I'd write it here for posterity actually since I so rarely have these days.

We spent a lovely weekend with some lovely friends.  I do so love having those pleasant, deep kind of conversations with a cup of tea.  :)  We also had a birthday this past week.  Little J turned four.  How time is flying.  That little one is still such a sweet baby to us.  But she is growing, that is for sure.  Her little personality is unfolding more and more.  She loves to have "conversations" (the kind where she tells mama all about something she's learned).  She can read, can zip up her own coat, do snap buttons, love to set the table for meals, loves to bake and help stir things on the stove, and is absolutely in love with animals.  And for the record, she LOVES her messenger bag.  It's just perfect for toting around the little things that four-year-olds must carry.  (Her prized notebook, a pencil crayon, Kleenex, lip balm, little model horses...)

And we had a fun week with math for M.  He is just loving math.  I can't tell you how much it just amazes me to see the wheels turning and then suddenly the light goes on.  It's absolutely amazing!  This is a photo of him working with the Montessori Addition Chart 6.  It's the blank chart that he has to fill in with the answers.  Some sums take him longer depending on if he has to figure it out, or if he's internalized the answer.  But he's pretty sharp in the end.  And he can always check his work with Chart 1 - the answer key.

Anyhow.  All in all, we had a full week.  As usual.  :)  But this one definitely more in the good books than bad.  Wishing you the same this coming week.