...or My Week in Pictures.
Like several other bloggers have noted, life has been rather busy IRL to keep up with blogging it all. I haven't really been standing still in a sunflower field drinking tea all week. It would be lovely if we could all get together to visit in person as easily as Ruth's virtual Meez party that she so kindly linked up.
Michael had time off from work last week and he used the time to work on lots of home projects. Step one was the managing of the Mulch Brigade:
Six scoops of mulch needed to be distributed to the various landscaped beds and eleven trees around our house.
Here's a little Mulchy Angel, with a pitchfork!
By the time they finished the girls were so mulchy they could have passed for a bunch of sweeps straight out of Mary Poppins, which we enjoyed watching Friday night.
Josiah worked throughout the week to complete Our Lady's restoration.
He did a fine job on the paint, detailing in the menacing viper and continents on the globe. He even put rings on her fingers, which surprised us. But the always observant and faithful Josiah pointed out that Our Lady is depicted with rings on her fingers on the Miraculous Medal.
Our Blessed Mother is now in place, flanked by lilies that I transplanted from our old house. Every year my neighbor would place a lily at the foot of our cross on Easter morning, and I always planted them in the ground. I was quite pleased that they survived the relocating. I also transplanted a shrub rose, which really did not seem like it would revive after the traumatic transplant. But happily it recovered and is right behind the statue, with its first new buds just getting ready to open for Our Lady!
Michael worked very hard putting in a hundred foot long raised bed so we could also transplant and enjoy these, the one thing we miss from our old house:
Unfortunately we had some torrential rains that washed away some of the bed so he had to repair it, adding in drainage channels.
Let's see...what else..oh yeah, Otmin the minotaur showed up in my kitchen. I sent him outside to run around and he did no harm.
Lots of nature study... That's Lydia with a wee toad.
Literary pursuits always continue, of course. This picture is for Elizabeth, ;-).
Do you know how long two toddlers can sit still with a few sheets of unwanted address labels?
I'm sure you do.
Actually, since I just finished with portfolios, I could go on and on in educationese about the numerous benefits of said stickering activity- social skills involving sharing and taking turns, sensorial (sticky) stimulation, fine motor skills in peeling (stickers), creative expression in applying the artistic (sticker) medium ...but I digress. Do please pardon my lapse, as I did just finish documenting a mere week ago.
All six of our bluebirds hatched! This was quite a thrill after our adventures with claim jumpers and other nest troubles. Lydia went to check on the nest and she actually saw one 'oozing out' of its shell.
The eyewitness reported that it looked quite silly with half a shell stuck on its head!
I enjoyed some fast moves with my Honey:
And now I think said Honey will be somewhat pleased to return to work and sit still for a change! 
We sure will miss him in the morning!
