Weekly Happenings: This past week really did a great job letting me know it’s August in South Texas. It’s been so hot that we haven’t done much. We pretty much hung around the house unless we needed to go somewhere to do something (we did accomplish both grocery shopping and a trip to the library, but that was about it, haha).
The Weekly Weather: As I mentioned before, it’s been super hot. I still forget how different a humid heat is from a dry heat. Growing up in the inland part of Southern California, I was used to a dry heat. When we moved here and I realized that the air actually felt…thicker, I realized it was something that would take some time getting used to. I’m still not sure I’ve acclimated and we’ve been here for seven years now. 😉
What Paul’s Been Up To: He’s been busy with work and he’s also been working on repairing a few of our sprinklers. He’s got them better, but needs to wait until it’s a better time to dig deeper around them to really fix them (the grass would really suffer if he tried to do a lot of digging in this heat).
What Sarah’s Been Up To: Mostly just entertaining kids, keeping my plants alive, teaching piano, and…so on.
What Joseph’s Been Up To: There isn’t too much I can add that I haven’t said in past weeks. I think he’s pretty ready for school to start so that he can see his school friends again and have a bit more of a structured day.
What Abigail’s Been Up To: She’s been keeping all of us on our toes and making us laugh every day. We’re sure glad she’s a part of our tribe!
This Week in Pictures:
I’m not sure how she got in this position (she was in between the seat of the stroller and the undercarriage storage). She kept telling me that she was stuck, but she didn’t seem concerned at all. I asked if she needed help and she declined. A few minutes later, she got herself out, just fine.This is how we grocery shop now. She won’t sit in the cart, so she wears her harness and we walk. This particular trip, she became rather…attached to a package of bacon and wanted to carry it. Whatever (within reason) gets us through the store, right?I love seeing teeny rosebuds pop up.Pile-on-Momma time!This is a different day than the previous picture, but almost an identical situation. This is what Paul saw when he walked in from work.Wearing Daddy’s old patrol cap (backwards, but that’s how she wears most hats).Two little baby birds in a nest.She finally found the book she wanted…Sometimes Saturday mornings call for pajamas, dress-up, and cars all in one.Not much surpasses a toddler in a hooded towel as far as cuteness is concerned.
Weekly Happenings: This week was rather uneventful. We essentially did what we normally do. It’s hard to believe that we’re already into August. Before I know it, we’ll be back into the swing of things with Joseph in school and following a defined schedule. I did go to Lowe’s with the kids and buy a couple more plants for the backyard. They have the prettiest orange blossoms!
The Weekly Weather: Warm, humid, and not a raindrop in sight. I’ve actually had to water the plants every day (and some of them twice a day) to keep them going strong. I hesitate to call it a heat wave, since I still think of a heat wave as 100+ degree temperatures, but I suppose it’s a heat wave for San Antonio because we have been close to (if not right at) 100 degrees for close to a week now and we haven’t had any rain. We’ve been staying inside a lot since the humidity makes it feel much warmer than it actually is.
What Paul’s Been Up To: He’s been as busy as ever at work. He also continues to work hard to keep our yards looking great. I’m so grateful for him!
What Sarah’s Been Up To: Not much out of the ordinary on my part. One cute thing that happened was that as I was out scoping my tomato plants for ripe tomatoes, a hummingbird apparently thought I was too close to its feeder for comfort. The feeder hangs off of our porch over by where the tomatoes are planted. The cheeky little thing kept “buzzing” me and chirping. I told it to be patient and I would be out of its feathers in a moment. 😉 I’ve been quite engaged keeping my plants watered during this warm time of the year. I kind of enjoy getting to go out during the quieter times of the day (either the morning or the early evening) to water my plants. Because it’s quiet, I have a moment to think and breathe (which sometimes doesn’t happen in the chaos of kids, haha). I’m so grateful for the beauty Heavenly Father has blessed us with in this world. In this case, it’s specifically beautiful flowers, plants, and cheeky little birds, but there is so much more!
What Joseph’s Been Up To: He’s a bit of a rinse and repeat, too. He did confide in me and let me know that he’s ready to go back to school. He’s excited for all the new things that happen during the first little bit of the school year.
What Abigail’s Been Up To: She’s slept through the night for almost two full weeks now, and it’s been amazing. I hope I haven’t just jinxed myself, though! >.< She has also decided that she is big enough to not need to sit in any type of shopping cart *enter exasperated sigh from Mom here*. Luckily, she is still open to the idea of wearing her puppy backpack that has a harness and a long *cough-cough* “leash-like” tail. I put that thing on her and she is free to walk, but not free enough to bolt (which she’s tried a couple of times). It’s quite an adventure raising this little girl!
This Week in Pictures:
She discovered her old umbrella stroller and now wants it out on occasion to sit in and push around. She doesn’t want to be put in it to go anywhere, though. Let’s be clear on that, haha. I suppose it’s better than her trying to sit in her doll stroller, though… I added two more plants to my back garden area.These bright orange blossoms are what drew me to them.Walking up the stairs “all by herself” (with me one step behind).A new month means a new quote for the board.Sitting down and actually playing with her Little People house for more than thirty seconds. I love how she set up the little people to eat at the table.She was excited to get a crown from Burger King earlier today.
Weekly Happenings: This was another low-key week. We pretty much all just did what we normally do. It’s crazy to think that we’re almost into August. The summer is just flying by!
The Weekly Weather: Warm, sunny, and humid. We had some rumblings of a storm, but it didn’t develop into anything.
What Paul’s Been Up To: He took down our pool (we were just too worried about Abigail since she is so unpredictable right now) and put in a really nice plant area with wood walk-ways and some large potted plants. I love it!
What Sarah’s Been Up To: I had a really good time today going to the art museum with friends. It was nice to get to hang out with friends and take in some beautiful art pieces. I also had a bit of a snaffu. I realized I messed up when I put in the prescription for my new glasses, so when my glasses came in, the prescription was obviously wrong. When I realized my mistake, I called the company and they let me return them for store credit (they emailed me a shipping label), change what I needed, and reorder my glasses and sunglasses. All I was out was shipping for the new pairs. Not too bad for a mistake like that! My correct glasses and sunglasses got here today and they are so good I don’t know why I didn’t realize the other ones were not right sooner.
What Joseph’s Been Up To: He has continued to soak up summer. It’s hard to believe that we have roughly three weeks left before school. I’m not ready and ready for it at the same time. I think he feels the same way.
What Abigail’s Been Up To: She continues to keep us on our toes and makes us laugh a lot. Just one example: anytime anything (including inanimate objects) falls to the floor, she needs to pick it up and ask if it’s okay. For example, at lunch one day, she dropped a piece of chicken on the floor. Immediately she was scrambling down to get it, saying, “Oh no! Oh no! The chicken!” She then picked up the chicken and said, “You all right, chicken?” After she assessed the situation and decided that the chicken was, indeed, all right, she popped it into her mouth (she seriously lives by the 5-second-rule at home) and resumed her meal. 😏
This Week in Pictures (some kid pictures, some yard pictures, and a lot of museum pictures):
Sunday afternoon snuggles.A style all her own.Abigail taking a “selfie” with Joseph (while I held the phone).Loving Pluto and her tutu.Yummy dinner one night: chicken tortilla soup.Right after the pool got cleared away…kind of blah.A little rearranging of the board walkways, some fresh mulch, and some new plants…It’s such a pretty part of our yard now!Looking at one of her favorite books, The Very Hungry CaterpillarI love it when she’s digging through her toy chest so deep that part of her body disappears. In this case, I think she had found what she was looking for and was on her way out.Playing with her Mickey Mouse and friends figurines.The patio area of the McNay Art Museum.It used to be the private residence of a woman named Marion McNay who decided to have it turned into a museum upon her death. Some of the art collection is hers and the rest is either on loan or gifted from different galleries or families.The info card said this dated from the 1400s, from Germany.This stained glass window was from the 1500s.There was a really beautiful glass installation.I thought the little green figurine (I think it may be a Buddah?) was really cute. I also loved the tall vase and the marbling on the vessel in front.The decorations on these vessels was breath-taking.I was in awe with how different each piece was.This was probably my favorite. I loved the contrast.No. 2 -B and No. 2 – A; Jackson Pollak (1952; oil on canvas)Leaf Motif, No. 2; Georgia O’Keefe (1924; oil on canvas)PicassoAlso a Picasso. I was surprised in the difference of style.RenoirHaymakers Resting; Camille Pissarro (1891; oil on canvas)The Customs House at Varengeville; Claude Monet (oil on canvas; 1897)Still Life, Dusk, Setauket; John Koch (oil on canvas; 1963)Houses on the Hill; Paul Cezanne (oil on canvas; 1900-06)From the Plains 1; Georgia O’Keefe (oil on canvas; 1963)This was so cool. It was made of burned wood and then the “drip” lines are charcoal.An Andy Warhol portrait.This is an Andy Warhol self-portrait.Joan Collins as an Andy Warhol portrait.One last Warhol. I loved the color contrast.I thought these “pondering” women were beautiful.There were two, from different artists, This was by a fountain area. It was just beautiful!I thought this was a pretty cool piece as well.This was by one of the entrances. It’s a portrait of the founder of the museum.I liked this guy who was walking right up the wall.This bronze girl was also a favorite. From the back, she looks like a log.I had to get a picture by the LOVE sign.Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter from the Apple Core series; Claes Oldenburg (lithograph; 1990)The simplicity of this caught my eye.A shot of the lily pads in the pond that’s in the patio area. There was only this one flower sticking out.I found the detail on this mesmerizing.The Kiss; Edvard Munch (oil on canvas; 1921)New glasses (that look just like the other new ones, but these ones don’t give me vertigo, haha). Another shot of my sunglasses. I’m so glad I didn’t ignore the promptings I was getting to go and check my order form. Since I caught it as early as I did, not only did I get them returned well within the warranty period, but I didn’t inadvertently mess up my eyes by wearing glasses with the wrong prescription.
