• blog
• groceries
• laundry
• write postcards

Yeah I've begun making myself to do lists even here. What, you're laughing because I wrote blog on it?? Well I should add eat chocolate too. That way I can be SURE to check something off. :) My week is looking decently full of productive time even while the kids are at school. I want to work on leaving the house as clean as possible.

I've been having a great time with the kids, just as I'd hoped and expected they are being very good for me. The point system I put into place right away has definitely been oh so useful. The kids have responded very well to it. School days are challenging because while I have several beautiful hours of quiet down time, when the kids get home it's pretty much nonstop activity doing homework, getting dinner, cleaning up and preparing for the next day. It was so nice to have Saturday and Sunday with quiet times at home to clean things up a bit. The piles of things I didn't know where to put was growing. :) A quick ten minute M&M helped solve that!

Sunday was quite an adventure though as I had not really talked to anyone about how exactly to get to church. We'd driven there a few times but I was the passenger and not the driver so I was afraid I might not remember exactly how to go. Claire was staying with the McAuleys or I was sure she would have got us there. I kind of mapped it on Google and wrote down directions but I felt handicapped without my GPS on my iPhone and not knowing the language so I couldn't just easily dash in some place and ask for directions. I knew there were plenty of people who could help me if I called but I was hoping to not disturb them on Sunday morning. We loaded in the minivan after breakfast and I asked the kids if they knew how to get to church. Emma and Sophie both assured me they felt like they could remember the way so off we went. We only had to turn around once because I misunderstood what Emma was telling me but they got us to church in perfect timing nonetheless! I was so proud of them. When we were looking for a parking spot I realized I was going to have to parallel park for the first since I began driving. Thankfully I'd been analyzing everybody who had done it before me and managed to pull that off pretty well (and took a picture to prove it!). Then we got home again without any incident and I was just beyond impressed.

I've been having fun cooking for us and the kids seem to like it too. I made pot pie on Saturday night and apple crisp for dessert. All of the kids are anxious for me to make more. :) I am going to get more butter at the grocery store today and I can make more. Emma announces to anyone who will listen that I'm a world famous cook (not!) and has been begging me to make more yummy things so now I'm afraid of the act I have set for myself to follow. :D

Last night I think it finally hit me as I was closing the volets and locking up for the night that I was the responsible adult in charge of four precious little lives this week. It was kind of an overwhelming thought and I don't know how it didn't come to me before. Every time someone has mentioned anything about it I just kind of shrugged and smiled and said it wasn't too hard but the full gravity seemed to have finally sunk in. It's such a strange feeling to think I'm solely responsible for making sure these kids eat, get dressed, go to school and their activities...wow!

Well I'd better get on to the rest of my to-dos. :) 9 more days!!