This Week In My Home: Happy Days

 In my home this week:

...I had a week full of grandchildren this past week and this grandmother's heart is happy.   Of the nine grandchildren, I talked to one via text, and visited with 5 others.  All in all, a rare week and a very happy one.  This week will be a happy one as well.  Those of you who shared with me how very much you've enjoyed having your grandchild or grandchildren living with you.  Well I'm finding Josh just such a joy in my life.  Daily he does something to amuse me or tug at my heart strings in some way.   Oh how I wish I had this opportunity with all, but just possibly not all at the same time!

My oldest son confessed his concern that a home task might keep him from visiting this past week.  And we weren't just certain if all three children would come with him, since in the past he felt overwhelmed with all three.  Happily my son finished his task enough to leave it behind and came with all three children.  The house exploded.  Honestly, it's been since I've had grandchildren that I realized that my home is a small house.  Before that I'd have said it was average sized but it's small (1100 sq. ft.) and never seems so small as when the grandchildren are literally racing from one end to the other and back again and the grown ups are ranged about the dining table and living room chatting. 

I enjoyed seeing them.  I hadn't seen Hailey in over a year.  The boys are taller than they were last summer when I saw them last, Zach almost as tall as Daniel though 2 years separates them.  What was the most fun was to hear Hailey mothering Josh during a crying spell.  And to watch Josh who is almost, but not quite, two suddenly realize that Zach, at four, was the sort of boy he wanted to be.  "Dack" soon had a shadow.  Josh declined the high chair and sat on the dining chair.  He ate foods he'd have shook his head at and said "No" to any other time.  He ran.  He followed.  He went up and down the front steps hundreds of times.  If the big kids did it, he at least attempted it too and he did a fine job of keeping up.


John's plan to grill burgers, Bess' pans of chicken enchiladas she'd made and frozen last week saved me a  lot of worry and stress.  I was left really with just breakfast to make.  It was exhausting enough keeping up with the kids, trying to keep pathways free of toys, etc. without adding in the struggle to make meals while children ran through the kitchen (starting gate for the pony races conducted by Aunt Bess by the way).  Just 24 hours we had them but goodness, when they were all packed up and gone, after shedding a few tears at seeing them go so soon, Bess looked across the table at me and said "Good Lord.  That was work!  Fun, but a lot of work."  Having experienced this many times in the past myself, I could only nod wearily and smile.  "Yep."

...I plan meals:
Meals keep being shifted about as schedules and plans change.

Crock Pot Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread

Pizza Sunday

Stuffed Peppers, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans,  Corn Muffins

Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

Chicken Paprika, Potatoes, Carrots

Chicken Curry in a Hurry, Yellow Rice, Tomatoes

Mongolian Beef, Rice, Steamed Broccoli

...I plan my work:

 I bought a blue hydrangea last week that I need to plant.  I'd set I it in a spot where I thought I wanted it but it's doesn't seem to have liked that spot.  I'll be putting it in a new spot to see how it fares there before I dig a hole to plant it.

Water plants (at least every other day unless it rains).

Lay weed mat and spread mulch back end of house.

Pay day this week so the usual work related to that:  bills, banking, errands.

Choose one room/porch each day and really work in just that spot.  I've done very well with keeping up my bed/bath since I'm so seldom in that space but the rest of the house could use some extra attention.  I'll be limited in what I might do but it's a good time to focus on each area in turn and simply spend a day setting to rights, dusting, etc.

Order presents for two birthdays.

Make birthday cupcakes for Josh.

...I plan my leisure:

she looks a bit done in, doesn't she?  Lol 

I would really like to see the new movie "Love and Friendship" but it's apparently not playing in my area at present.  I went to two yard sales this weekend and looked for things for me, not the booth, and that was fun. 

I don't have an adult coloring book, but this past week, while we were dealing with all the children at once, Bess and I both took a time out at separate times and colored in one of the children's coloring  books I have on hand.  I so enjoyed that time and it was a great focused quiet time.  I have some adult pages I've culled from magazines that Mama had given me I'm going to copy off on regular paper and perhaps spend some time coloring.

I'm just going to look about me for little ways to enjoy myself...and keep an eye on the cinema offerings in case the movie does come to my area.