(an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast)

+Apple cake is baking in the oven. It smells heavenly and makes it feel like fall here even if the weather does not.

-Three kids are in the bathroom using towels to clean up water from all over the bathroom floor. Heidi says Esther did it. Esther says Heidi did it. Autumn cleans and leaves the blame behind.

+Becca is napping. Sweet peace. Not quiet though. But still, I am thankful for the time to get things done while she sleeps.

-Ants are raiding my backyard. We seemed to rouse a lively nest from the cracks of our cement patio while rinsing off chalk drawings. I hope they don't try to take up residence in our house again. I'm not ready to do battle again, but I will. Oh I will.

+Halloween is only a few days away and we're all dressing up this year. It's going to be fun. I love my costume this year. Simple, yet a very fun idea. And very appropriate.

-My living room looks like a tornado hit.

+My kitchen is taking shape.

-Eric was gone till 11pm last night, after leaving at 10am.

+Tonight he'll be home earlier.

And that, my friends, has been my day - juxtaposed.

Today I:

made granola (More like muesli this time around...oh well. Muesli's good too even if it wasn't what I was aiming for.)
made granola bars
made cookies
made garlic bread
helped the girls clean their room (yikes! that place can get scary!)
did 3 loads of laundry (not folded though)

And that was on top of the normal get dressed, get everyone else dressed, make dinner, clean up regular daily messes and all that good stuff!

Now I'm going to see if I can muster up enough energy to fold laundry, tidy the living room and dining room, and wash a few dishes (all while watching some of my TV shows). I think realistically, I'm not leaving the living room and the dishes will have to wait till tomorrow. That's okay. They always do. They're very accommodating that way.

Hope y'all had a good Monday too!

Go see my post on our homeschooling blog if you're in the mood for a "quiz" of sorts.

We went for a walk and found lots of interesting plants. We're ready to do some research but would love it if some of you share what you know!

Autumn took these with her birthday camera. If you've already seen them on her blog you'll get to enjoy them a second time around now. :)

We've found our schooling groove and I find it easy(!) to stay away from the computer for HUGE junks of my day. This is HUGE for me. I am more "present" for the girls and involved in all they're doing.

To clarify, it's not that I sit at the computer all day. I don't play computer games. I don't surf the web. It's more the knowing that every time I sit down, there will be a new email or a new blog post from someone (or a new Facebook status, but does anyone else feel like I do? Who wants to sit there scrolling through status after status until you reach the "Oh yeah, I remember this one." point? I love how RSS feeds like Google Reader just lay it out for you - "Here, you haven't seen this.") But when I do succumb to that curiosity, before I know it, 20 or 30 minutes have passed and wait, WHAT? Who cut who's hair?? (That actually did happen recently but I wasn't at my computer...hah hah.) When I give myself specific times during the day to be at the computer and ignore the urges to "check" other times, I'm finding I enjoy it more! And I enjoy my girls more. And I get more done. I think it's a win-win situation here. But I'm not saying I tell myself, "at 3:17pm you have precisely 15 minutes to be at the computer...". I'm talking about thinking, "after the dishes are done-some lessons are done-and the girls are taking their break I can go check some things for a bit...".

Here's some of what we've been up to:

AUTUMN turned EIGHT last week (pictures to come) and got a camera for her birthday. Sometimes when they are supposed to be sleeping I hear them taking pictures in their room. They haven't learned to destroy the evidence yet.

HEIDI turned SIX two weeks ago (and yes, pictures to come on that too...). She is very eager about EVERYTHING. I know she plays LEGO Star Wars better than I do and I think she plays Mario Galaxy better too! I continue to find candy wrappers around the house and always know she's found yet another of my stashes. That kid is good. Too good. Sneaky little sneak.

ESTHER is still three. Very three. We have yet to hit the terrible two's in our house. It's always been the trying threes. But they are also the terrific threes. She is so goofy. She constantly asks me to take her picture, says "CHEESE" with her eyes scrunched shut and her face lifted in the air, and then runs over to see the picture. We're still working on mastering the whole "bathroom" thing but we'll get there.

BECCA will be SEVEN MONTHS this Saturday! She has mastered rolling and turning to get around. She loves to be on her belly and will turn 180 degrees to get a toy or something else of interest (and even roll a bit if the turning wasn't enough). She's not too fast yet. I don't mind. Neither does she. She eats rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, squash, and bananas now. She tried some green beans last night and made the FUNNIEST face ever. She loves to smile, loves her sisters, and momma and daddy. She wakes up at night to eat which has been interesting. She slept through the night early on and then at about 4 1/2 months she started waking up once a night. The times are random and she always goes right back to sleep...I wonder what exactly is going on but realize there are so many factors involved (hunger, teething, learning new things, at one point new location...) and to be honest I don't really mind! It's such a rare thing to get her all to myself these days that I cherish the nighttime quiet we share. And I have to say there are few things cuter than a baby who is SO hungry, they try to latch onto any part of your skin (face, arm, neck...) while you're still carrying them from their bed to go feed them!

ERIC is busier than he's ever been. He's adjusted to the commute and listens to music, movies, and tv shows on his ipod on the way in. Between teaching group & private lessons, working part time in the music admissions office, regular doctorate level classes, an institute class, and opera rehearsals (Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten), I am amazed he fits in time to do things at home (dishes!, tickling kids, folding laundry, and even relaxing with the wife!). We enjoy the time off more than ever before.

ABBY, yes, me -- I am busy as a bee. When I'm not teaching, cleaning, or planning music for primary, I read books (just finished The Graveyard Book -- a fun read I do recommend; currently reading Musicophilia, The Female Brain, In Defense of Food, and The Fingerprint), play my piano (someday I will be able to play Rhapsody in Blue in its entirety. It makes me feel powerful even stumbling through it. I think my head might explode if I were actually able to play it all CORRECTLY!), and plan (school for me someday, how to organize the house best, what to do tomorrow, how did I do today, what to eat....did you know planning could be so all-encompassing? And fun? I think I might be addicted...although I will say in my defense that I am FLEXIBLE and have learned the value of adjusting my plans as the days, months, and years go by. A necessity for everyone, I believe.).

That's all folks!