We are so boring . . .

In what had to be the most boring box ever delivered to this house by UPS, we got most of our new school books last week–math, handwriting for D, and Latin for A, oh, and a new science encyclopedia, which might be redundant considering the three we already have.  I already own practically everything else we’ll need.  For the first time ever, I didn’t buy a single thing for history.  We already have Story of the World (and the accompanying Activity Guide), several history encyclopedias, and the maps we’ll be using.  There are a few extras I’d like to get, especially some of the great literature I want the boys to read for our medieval history period, but those will have to come later if I decide to buy them at all rather than use the library.

So the UPS delivery didn’t generate much excitement.  Our upcoming school plan (which I will write in detail later) looks pretty much like last year’s plan, especially considering there were several things we barely touched that I hope to get to this year.  Nothing new and exciting though–well, D was pretty excited about his new math book and has already been working diligently in it.  He’s also reading everything in sight–road signs, cereal boxes, the newspaper.  It was a long time coming, but reading has clicked!  He even read two full paragraphs of our general conference talk in family home evening tonight, mostly without help.

Other than that, nothing new and exciting is going on.  DH was fantasizing about flying me away somewhere for a weekend, but it’s nothing more than a fantasy that we can’t afford this year.   This may be one of our most boring summers yet.  The boys play (after scriptures, piano, and math) and I am working on decluttering this house.  Still.

OK, we’ve done a little bit more than that–

• We’re on a two-week hiatus from swimming lessons because I didn’t register before the classes filled up for this session.  Although how do you know what level to put them in before they finish the previous session???  Someday they might be swimmers, but it could be a while at the rate we’re going.  I’m really enjoying not getting everyone out the door and to the pool by 9 a.m. every day though.
• Grandma and Poppa did take us swimming last week after my cello lessons and the boys’ piano lessons were finished.  E wasn’t terribly thrilled to be in the water though.  He’d want to get out and I’d put him on the side of the pool, but then the wind would blow and he didn’t like that so he’d jump right back into my arms.  It was a great way for the rest of us to cool down though.  It has been HOT!
• The weather finally did cool down to where I could stand to turn on the oven again so A made some delicious ginger snaps for us yesterday. It’s really amazing the number of cookies we can finish off in a little less than 24 hours.
• I finally cleaned off the dining room table and A pulled out a jigsaw puzzle he got for Christmas.  (Something else to distract me from dejunking the house.)
• A also finished his 1940 census indexing goal–49 states (he missed out on doing Delaware in the first 24 hours) plus the District of Columbia and a Panama Canal Zone batch.
• I, on the other hand, have backed off from indexing lately.  I’ve been doing more work on my own genealogy while I patiently (or not) wait for Massachusetts to be finished.  The entire census is 89% finished today though, so it shouldn’t be too long now.  And I still have much house to declutter anyway.
• We watched another good movie–the 1940 thriller Night Train to Munich.  It had some really funny lines, mostly from a really young Rex Harrison.
• I’ve hardly read a book in months due to my massive amounts of indexing.  I should really dig into my list again.
• I did finish the Book of Mormon again and turned right around to start it again with the new institute student manual, which is fat!  It’s recently been updated and looks to contain a lot more than the skinny little manual we used in Religion 121 classes at BYU.  I’m excited to use it to supplement my scripture study.  I’ve been studying conference talks more than anything else recently, but have missed spending daily time in the Book of Mormon, so I’m putting Pres. Hinckley’s promise to the test again: “Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” (“The Power of the Book of Mormon,”Ensign, June 1988, 6).
• Oh, something fun!  Our stake had the opportunity to have a float in the Days of ’47 (commemorating the Mormon pioneers’ arrival in our valley in 1847) Youth Parade which was last Saturday.  DH had to work, but the rest of us went and marched in the parade together with the other Primary children from our stake.  Our float was based on the “Wise Man and the Foolish Man” song.  My children were dressed as raindrops and I was a builder complete with hard hat.  I would have taken pictures but the memory card has mysteriously disappeared from my camera.  Maybe some other people with cameras will send me some pictures (hint, hint.)  It was really fun and probably a once in a lifetime experience.