hope and honey: tGif

oh, am i so ready for this weekend. a normal weekend with a protected sabbath and low-key family time. jesse put in so many hours at the office and on the road the last few days. that man works hard. a project he began in may '09 is wrapping up next week, meaning lots of overtime until then. but this weekend will be treasured.

it won't be all leisure time. there has been a definite sense of unpreparedness and chaos recently around this home. piles building up. meals unplanned. short fuses. while i can find corners of the home with pretty (if dusty) decor and happy colors that make me smile, there are many more that make my chest feel tight with a sense of neverending and fatigue and guilt.

why do they need to take out their winter coats in june? why are their granola bar wrappers on the ground? why are the beach towels stuffed into my bag?

this weekend will hopefully have some intentional scheduling and much needed organization. jesse and i want to get me in a good position to manage the home better next week.

i want to be able to care for my crazy active toddler without wondering what he is ripping, swallowing, or climbing.

even with some tidying, he will find something to tear apart. that's just who he is right now. (but i am still mourning this book.)

luca is competing in his first-ever swim meet tomorrow. the last couple weeks have been a tough transition for him. rough as is in he screams and refuses to get in and then i lose my temper. it is a hard balance of giving him space to be comfortable and pushing him to follow through. but today was a good day. a product of the warmer weather and some learning on both sides. he is a natural in the water. i am hoping the expected high temps will be helpful for the meet. he is pretty excited. so am i.

neat things are happening for next year and our homeschool group. we are gearing up for a 3-day free parent practicum at the end of this month. i have also been working on our new blog for classical conversations in champaign-urbana. if you are considering homeschooling and interested in the classical model, come check us out.

i almost never go to garage sales. when would i? i can't bring my littles with me on fridays and saturday mornings don't usually make sense. but last weekend, my grandma was is town for gia's recital and she is a garage saling professional. for reals. she, my mom, and i set off early and spent several hours around town. i found some fantastic things during our hunt. a 24" vintage embroidery hoop for $2 might be my favorite. it might be awhile before i can get to it, but i look forward to using my finds around the house (and sharing them with y'all).

but i have been sporting my new scarves almost every day since then. i bought three at 25 cents a pop. wrapping up my summer mane is a sure way to keep the lioness looking frizz at bay. see my new profile pic up on the left?