{pretty, happy, funny, real}, fingerpainting edition

Welcome to my first {pretty, happy, funny, real}. I have always wanted to join in this, but always forget! So, here goes, a p,h,f,r from our first week of school---
Here's a *pretty* little girl celebrating her name day (Blessed Mother Teresa's feast). She requested purple cupcakes for dessert.

I know they don't look very purple. But they were.



a *happy* boy at his first Miracle League baseball game of the season. Notice him "sliding" into first base below.




Here's finger paintings crafted by Tess and Henry. The *funny* part is, I'd bet you could tell, even without peeking at the names on the bottom, which one was painted by a 5 year old girl and which one was painted by a 3 year old boy.



And here's the very *real* mess I cleaned up after they were done!




~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

A is for Alphabet- our first week of school

I wish I had taken more pictures....I too often don't think of it. I am getting better though. Anyway, here is our first little Alphabet Path stop this school year based mostly on Little Saints this year. Little Saints is (still) very mom-intensive for me, but I am only choosing a project or two out of each unit.

A is for new Art supplies, including Mary Claire's first pack of fat crayons. She loves them! She scribbled quite a bit, and only took a few bites. She is very driven to do whatever the big kids are doing. After having an autistic child, we welcome this behavior because we know it is evidence of Good Social Skills.



A is for Architecture, like these new lego architecture sets Maria got for her birthday this month!
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These are the Almond A's Tess and Henry made for our wall.

Here's alllll the Alphabet picture books we read this week. We had kinda gotten out of the habit of reading aloud regularly towards the end of summer, so this was a good kickstart to that habit.



Sorting scrabble crackers and spelling our names. Naked. Are my children the only ones that are so clothing resistant?



We also made chicka chicka boom boom pictures, ate almonds, apricots, and animal crackers for snacks and made alphabet brownies for the first day of school. Up next, B is for Bird!

First day of school pics

I have an alphabet path post coming, but we are not quite done with Letter A...finishing that today. In the meantime, here are our first day "portraits". To be very honest, this was a rushed job. The kids were on the way to the park with dad and not interested in posing. But they are funny anyway.

Mary Claire, entering pre-pre-pre-preschool

Henry, entering pre-preschool

Tess, our new kindergartner!

Jack, third grade (still can't get a decent picture of this kid. he never stops talking, for one thing.)

Maria, 11th grade

The brothers

The sisters

The whole motley crew of our little one-room schoolhouse