Babysitting Spaghetti Sauce and Another Redneck Swimming Pool #FamilyFun #Books

Today is Monday. I love Mondays. Used to HATE Mondays. Then I quit the cubicle life and joined the stay-at-home mom ranks over 14 years ago and never looked back. I love working from home, being a mom, homeschooling, taking care of my home and cooking. Okay, I don't ALWAYS love these things ALL THE TIME ... but some days it all comes together in a beautiful symphony of family life and those days make everything worth it.

Today we got a lot of homeschooling done, my writer friend who I never get to see anymore since we started doing coop came over with her daughter, I got to go for a long walk while listening to inspirational podcasts (love-based marketing versus selling in an obnoxious way) and dictating book and blog ideas, the kids got to play with the neighbors a lot, I got some writing done, and I got to babysit spaghetti sauce ... some of which then turned into a manicotti dinner, which is Mr. Kerrie's fave.

Here's the recipe for my husband's spaghetti sauce, plus what to do with tomatoes when you aren't ready to can them or process them yet.

Two big pots for babysittin' and stirrin' ... Goodfellas style

At one point I did wonder if it was too early to drink my Trader Joe's moscato with the foil lid instead of cork.

My struggling reader girl read a book to her brother so I could shave my legs. TMI?

Samuel got creative and made our cooler into a redneck swimming pool. Wheelbarrows, truck beds and now coolers.

The sauce made this manicotti!

And the laundry did not get put away because you just can't do everything every day ... it's just the way it is.

Oh, and I got to order my anniversary gift early ... a book by Elizabeth Gilbert called Big Magic. You may know her from Eat Pray Love fame, but she has written more since then and it's always amazing. I also want to check out The Signature of All Things ... being made into a multi-part movie as you read this. Here are some book covers and I also follow her on Twitter and Pinterest and YouTube and Facebook because I am super in love with her and her writing.