7 Quick Takes: March 19, 2010 (Vol. 34)

~ 1 ~

I decided on Sunday that I was going to go to reconciliation (confession) on Wednesday evening.  I then spent a ton of time during those days dreading going to confession.  I dreaded it more than I have since the first time I went (on Palm Sunday in 2007).

When I went though, it was wonderful.  It was probably one of my best times in the confessional ever.  It was exactly what I needed.  The advice was wonderful and just what I needed to hear.  Now I'm just praying hard for the strength to do the things that I need to do.

~ 2 ~

Daylight savings time has been kicking my hiney this week.  I have been staying up too late and have had a really difficult time getting out of bed in the morning.  I've begun to think that I might never readjust to the time. 

When you throw in my natural sleep issues (delayed sleep phase syndrome, which I have self-diagnosed due to my extensive medical training -- years of things like ER and Grey's Anatomy), it has been a little, well, tiring this week.s

~ 3 ~

Holy Moly!  I got to try the new Almond Joy Pieces candy the other day and I couldn't stop eating them.  Thankfully, they belonged to my Mom, so I couldn't really eat them all.  Otherwise, I think I would have eaten them all. 

If you like Almond Joy candy bars and don't want to eat a ton of the Almond Joy Pieces, just don't try them, okay?  Trust me on that one.

~ 4 ~

It's been a long time since I talked about our weight loss journey.  We aren't making fast progress, but since January 1st, I have lost around 11 pounds and Eric has lost around 15 pounds. 

We both could have lost a lot more, but we haven't made a crazy amount of changes in our eating (though we have made quite a few, and are taking the time to count calories and watch fat content) and we have sometimes forgotten about exercising.  So, all that considered, I feel like it's going really well.

Then again, if I could kick it into higher gear, that would probably be a really great thing.

~ 5 ~

Speaking of kicking things into high gear, I am proud to say that on Tuesday, I managed to have whole grains at every meal!  Who knows if that will ever happen again, but I can hope.

For breakfast, I had a 100% whole wheat English muffin with a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter.  For lunch, I had a sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread while we were busy driving around to some appointments.  For dinner, we had homemade pizza.  I made the crust with -- yeah, you guessed it -- whole wheat flour. 

~ 6 ~

As a follow up to our visit from Seamus the Leprechaun, I must share that I told our priest friend that my kids were sure that Seamus had come to give me "payback" (as they said" for having toilet papered his (our priest friend's) office. 

Imagine my kids' delight when we got a message back from the priest.  He let the kids know that, indeed, he had met Seamus at his new parish (after he was transferred from ours) which is named...wait for it...St. Patrick's (yep -- it's true!), and knew that Seamus loved pulling pranks.  So, he had given Seamus the names of some families to "visit."

The kids went insane after this message.  They were laughing and carrying on.  They were also pleased to finally understand one thing that had bothered them all day -- Why had this been our first visit from a leprechaun.  Now they knew it was because Seamus had never been told to visit us.

While the kids plotted their own payback, I thanked God for all of the wonderful priests that we know. 

~ 7 ~

While discussing leprechauns this week, Molly at one point was excitedly talking about when the "Decepticon" had come and pulled pranks in our house.

"Leprechaun," she had to be reminded.  Although I had to wonder what kinds of pranks a Transformer might decide to pull on St. Patrick's Day.











 This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday and Weekly Wrap Up.

photos by:  confessional - elmada / sleeping doll - :: Hello Mizu ::

7 Quick Takes: March 12, 2010 (Vol. 33)

~ 1 ~

I got to have the loveliest experience this week.  I sat for two hours in the waiting room of an occupational therapy/physical therapy clinic while Jack had two different appointments.

That may sound like I'm being sarcastic, but, the beauty in it was that Eric had taken the afternoon off of work.  So, it was just me and my iPod.  I listened to some of my playlists while I did things like cutting out little books for my preschool co-op class and making felt cookies (and text messaging Eric from time to time).

It was just the kind of break I needed.  Not just from the kids, but from the computer too.  It was nice to just be.

~ 2 ~

This week, we had not only our first thunderstorm of the year, but also the first time that we ate at a restaurant and sat outside too.  I keep thinking that it's going to suddenly snow again, because this just seems too good to be true.  It's been an awfully long winter.

What are some of your signs of Spring?

~ 3 ~

I am already in the mood for the chocolate molten lava cakes again.  That is not such a good choice for working on eating better and losing weight.  I think I just need to wait until we have my parents over for dinner again, that way there is less of them to go around.

~ 4 ~

On Saturday, we went to Home Depot for their monthly kids workshop.  We made rain gauges, and they are so cool! (This was more fun than the time we went and they ran out of the project, so we had to make a project with paint stirring sticks.)

It was so fun to see the kids working on projects.  And, even more fun was watching Eric show them how to do it.  I love that man.

If you have kids in the target age for Home Depot's kids workshops, they are the first Saturday of each month from 9 am until noon.  You don't have to register -- just show up!  (And it's free!)

April's project will be a butterfly house and May's project will be a picket fence planter.

~ 5 ~

After we whipped up some rain gauges, we went to a furniture store that we have never been to before.  They have a lot of discounted new furniture, as well as used furniture.  It was just about the coolest thing ever!

One of my favorite parts was that they give a discount for cash.  And, I'm not talking about a tiny discount either.  It made me absolutely giddy for some reason.

We left with a child size desk (Molly sized) that has five drawers, is made of real wood, and was too cute.  It looks like it has been painted at least five times -- so it has obviously seen a lot of use.  It was $45.  Or, for cash, it was $30.  That little girl has been using it constantly.  That is best $30 I have spent in quite a while.

~ 6 ~

While we were at the furniture store, we also saved about $40 by paying cash for a (new in box) bunk bed!  It was one of their most expensive bunk beds they had, but it was still far below what bunk beds cost elsewhere.

Do you know my favorite part?

No, you're wrong -- it wasn't the $40 cash discount.  It's stairs.  This bunk bed doesn't have a ladder -- it has stairs!  And the stairs each have a drawer in them.  So cool!

~ 7 ~

If you're Catholic, you absolutely must go check out one of my new favorite sites -- Catholic Icing.  Not only does it feature the coolest Catholic projects and crafts, but Lacy (the gal that runs it) is super sweet.




The only thing I don't like about Catholic Icing is that I get hungry every time I go visit the blog.  Be warned, you might get hungry too.







This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

7 Quick Takes: February 19, 2010 (Vol. 30)

~ 1 ~

The biggest event of the week around our house has been sickness.  Lots and lots of coughing and stuff noses.  Quite frankly, with three of the five of us on antibiotics, I'm getting really tired of it.  

As I mused on Facebook the other night, "I think my lungs are trying to stage a mutiny.  Don't they know they need me to survive?"  I'm just praying that we'll be a lot healthier by next week's Quick Takes.

~ 2 ~

So now, with being sick, I have found that I am considerably less enamored with the snow.  Eric and I talked about how at the beginning of the winter, we loved the big snows that were coming in.  But, now we're cringing as they talk about things like "significant snow" next week.  I told him that it reminded me of the first two verses of the song "In Like a Lion (Always Winter)" by Relient K.

It's always nice to look out the window

And see those very first few flakes of snow

And later on we can go outside

And create the impression of an angel

That just fell from the sky

When February rolls around I'll roll my eyes

Turn a cold shoulder to these even colder skies

And by the fire, my heart, it heaves a sigh

For the green grass waitin' on the other side

~ 3 ~

I have decided on something to give up for Lent that already makes me nervous to think about.  That must mean it's a big sacrifice if it makes me nervous when I haven't even done it yet, huh?

I decided that starting with the first full week of Lent, I will be giving up the computer for one day each week.  It won't always be the same day each week (not always Mondays, for instance), but it will definitely be one full day each week.  Although I would have loved to have counted from midnight to 11:59 pm as a day, I know that for me (and my crazy sleep habits), I had to say that a "day" will be from when I wake up until I go to sleep for the night.  

I'm hoping that this will allow me at least one day a week to really focus on non-computer things.  Who knows -- maybe I'll keep it up past Easter.  (Somehow, I doubt that.)

~ 4 ~

I was struck by two things this week while at Ash Wednesday Mass.  They are the same two things that strike me each year.

The first is one that I can't even seem to put into words.  There's just something about seeing the parade of people walking by after having been freshly marked with ashes (and told "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return").  There are babies and there are elderly people.  Rich people and poor.  Our mortality is something that nobody can hide from.  But, there is also a sense of unity in seeing it too.  

The second, on a lighter side, is that at some point while waiting for our turn to go up front, I always have to turn to Eric and say something along the lines of, "Is this church a clown car?  Seriously -- where does this endless line of people keep coming from?"

~ 5 ~

Speaking of faith related items, it's coming up on First Communion time soon.  If you're working on First Communion banners this year, you might want to check out some of my popular past posts about this topic:

How To Make a First Communion Banner

More Than 40 First Communion Banner Examples

First Communion Banner Examples

I can't quite believe it, but it's the first time in three years that we don't have a First Communion in our family.  Granted, it was very different for us, but Eric and I both had our First Communion in 2007, then Noah in 2008, and then Jack in 2009.  It seems a little odd to us that we aren't busy with it this year. 

~ 6 ~

I can't believe that I almost forgot one cool thing from this week -- Brenda and I launched a free toolbar for Catholic families/homeschoolers.  I'm really excited at the kind words that people have been saying about the toolbar.  I can't wait to watch as the resource grows.  (If you know of great sites that should be added, please pass them along.  We already have a list of more sites to add, but the Internet is so big that it's impossible to be aware of all the gems out there.)

~ 7 ~

Do you ever feel like you just can't keep up?  I would love to say that it's the illness talking, but I know that's not it.  (The strong cough medicine probably doesn't help either.  So, if this has all rambled, please blame that, as I took it right before writing this post.)  

Every so often I just feel like the things that I think are my priorities are a little out of whack, and like I need to do some things to bring things back to how they should be.  I know where some of the issues are, but I guess I just need to figure out what to do about it.

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday.

photos by:  snowflake - circulating  /  keyboard - julian-

In Defense of Taking Snow Days

Three of my favorite words when I was a preteen up through my high school years were “blowing and drifting.” My husband and I still joke that those are magical words.

What would be so special about these words? It’s not so much these words by themselves as what those words mean together with words like “Four to six inches of snow.”  Since the school district that both my husband and I attended has many areas that are into very rural areas, blowing and drifting of snow would often make roads in the country difficult to pass and would cause a snow day for all of us. 

(You can read the rest of my post about why we still take snow days, even as homeschoolers, at The Homeschool Classroom)
 

7 Quick Takes: January 8, 2010 (Vol. 26)

~ 1 ~

As I already mentioned earlier this week, Brenda and I have been busy the last few months working on two sites that launched earlier this week -- The Homeschool Classroom (which is not new, of course, but moved to WordPress) and then Homeschool Lifestyle Media.

If you haven't stopped by the big giveaway at The Homeschool Classroom, definitely make a point of stopping by before Saturday night!

~ 2 ~

Have you read the blog Awful Library Books yet?  If you haven't, you must.  (This is fresh in my mind after just reading there about the book Latawnya, The Naughty Horse, Learns to Say "No" To Drugs.)

After the first time I read just a tiny bit of it, I had to immediately add it to my Google Reader.  It is one of those blogs that just doesn't cease to make me laugh.  Not only are the books they find in libraries a hoot, but the comments people leave are usually an added bonus.

~ 3 ~

Speaking of guilty pleasures, I have been enjoying driving our to clients' houses for therapy lately.  The reason?

The soundtrack of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

(If you're familiar with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, then you may realize what I just realized -- it's kind of funny that a quick take that mentioned a naughty horse was followed by one that centers on someone trying to impress Bad Horse.)

~ 4 ~

We really have been exercising and eating better!  WooHoo!

We kept saying that come January 1st, we were going to buckle down.  We eased into it during the last week of December, and then jumped right in on the 1st.  I know, it's only been about a week, but both Eric and I have been doing really well with eating better and exercising daily.

I've been inspired by Kris, and I keep thinking that I need to start a blog about the journey toward weight loss and a healthier life.  Well, honestly -- I already started it in November, but then abandoned it.  I keep thinking it might keep me more accountable.  Who knows -- maybe next week I'll be able to link to it, huh?

~ 5 ~

On the exercise front, we have primarily been using our elliptical trainer (that Eric got a great deal on in December) and recumbent bike.  But, today, I tried out EA Active for the Wii that I got from Eric for Christmas.

Oh. my. goodness.  That was a workout!  I did day one of the 30 day challenge.  Let's see if I can continue with it.  But, at least I can say that I still managed to do our 20 minutes of elliptical/bike later in the evening, plus some crunches.

~ 6 ~




How in the world is Blissdom less than a month away now?  Why didn't I start trying to lose weight about a year ago to get ready for it?


At this point, I am horribly ill prepared.  But, on the up side, one of my very best friends is coming along with me.  She won't be going to the conference, but will enjoy quiet time (she has six kids), go swimming, and work on her novel.  She just let me know this week that she is coming, and I'm thrilled.  Road trip!

Are any of you going to Blissdom as well?

~ 7 ~

It has been so much fun watching the snow today!  Granted, I didn't have to go drive in it at all, so that makes it a little better, I suspect.  But, still, there's just something fun about watching big, fluffy snowflakes fall for hours on end.

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday and Weekly Wrap Up.

snow flake photo by CaptPiper

Four Months Makes a Big Difference in Our Backyard

It's hard to believe that in just four months, our backyard and vegetable garden will look very similar to the above picture.

This is the picture that Eric took of the same general area of our backyard tonight while he went out to fill our bird feeder:

Today, we had a more hands on school day (after our math was done) -- baking zucchini muffins, playing games, checking out the window at the constant snow fall, and gleefully keeping an eye on the full bird feeder becoming empty by the end of the day (having fed many, many feathered friends today).  It was also a day where we all stayed in our pajamas, only changing out of them in the evening to put on new pajamas for bed.

So, while it's hard to not look at the green picture a little wistfully, today was a really nice day.  Without a doubt, I would say it was definitely one of those finer things in life.

7 Quick Takes: October 16, 2009 (Vol. 18)

~ 1 ~

Molly is having a birthday party this weekend (though she turned five a couple of weeks ago).  It will be her very first party with friends, instead of just family.  She is so excited, and it sounds like a lot of her friends are too (from what I have heard from some of the Moms).

It is a tea party/dress up party.  As part of the party favors, I went to Goodwill and bought all kinds of different tea cups for $.49 each.  That way, each girl can pick a special cup to use during the party, and then she can take it home as a way to remember the party.

Wish us luck!

~ 2 ~

I almost wanted to bang my head on a table tonight.  I'm sorry -- it may not be right, but it's really hard to have to listen to someone who always has to have the last word, always needs to one up people on whatever story they are telling, and always has to be right.  This is not a person that I really know well at all, but it definitely made my evening seem considerably longer than it was.

What are some of your biggest pet peeves?

~ 3 ~

Anyone else a fan of the show Big Bang Theory?  Eric and I have found ourselves looking forward to Monday night each week.

Oh, and Eric, if you're reading this, I have just one word for you...

Bazinga!

~ 4 ~

We have now officially given up on the violin.  With Jack having motor delays, it just seemed like violin wasn't the way to go.  He was having such a difficult time with it.  But, what a trooper -- he was going to just keep sticking with it.  However, seeing how it was going, I realized that I needed to step in.  I gently worked on moving his interest toward the piano (you know, what with our refinished "free" piano now).

He started piano lessons last week, and he seems to be enjoying it.  And, with Noah just about a month ahead of him in lessons already playing many recognizable songs, I suspect Jack will be very pleased with his instrument change.

The only draw back?  They can't practice instruments at the same time anymore.  Oh well -- it does save me a total of 60 - 70 minutes of driving per week, so I guess I'll deal with them having to take turns practicing.

~ 5 ~

I've been trying to think of some handmade gift ideas (either for me or for Eric to make) for my boys (ages 8 & 10), and am coming up blank.  Any great ideas for something handmade for Christmas that might appeal to this video game loving age?  I would love any ideas!

~ 6 ~

My boys (especially Noah) have just been loving all of the books with Winter Promise's American Story I.

In one day this week, I had both a child that begged, "Can we please read more about John Paul Jones?" and then another that started crying because he was so worried about the main character in the book Sign of the Beaver (so we have to read far beyond bed time to finish the book).  As far as I'm concerned, that's the sign of some engaging education.

~ 7 ~

Where did Fall go and why is it so darn cold? 

 

This post is linked to Weekly Wrap Up and 7 Quick Takes Friday.

Photos by:  :: Wendy :: (tea cups), TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ (violin), cutiepie company (gift)

Reading in the Bathtub During the Tornado Warning

It had rained off and on throughout the day on Wednesday, but during a nice part of the day, I had the children out with me working on picking some grape and cherry tomatoes.

We had only picked a few before, out of nowhere, the tornado sirens began to sound. Having a couple of naturally skittish kids, all of the kids ran in to the house without me having to say anything.

We turned on the local channel to find that the storm was actually supposed to hit us in 37 minutes. (Isn't weather reporting amazing?) So, with sirens still going, I persuaded Molly to join me in finishing the harvest.

As the 37 minutes got closer to ticking down, we watched as the sky got more and more dark. It was an eerie dark. Finally, the rains and wind came. And, then it got even darker. That was when the kids got even more nervous. So, we got set with a flashlight, glow sticks, pillows, and a book, and we headed for the bathroom. (In our small home, we don't have many options of where to go during storms.)

When all was said and done, we spent around 30 minutes in a small bathroom -- all five of us! Eric, ever the gentleman, offered me the toilet to sit on (with the lids down, of course). I, however, opted for more leg room and took the bathtub (since nobody else wanted it). The kids all sat with their pillows on the floor (along with Eric, though I'm not sure how they managed that, as it is probably not more than ten square feet of sitting space).

We said a prayer (I prayed aloud and then had us join together for a Hail Mary, noting to myself that I probably shouldn't have picked a prayer with "death" in it while the kids were scared), snapped the glow sticks, and tried to take everyone's minds off the blowing wind sounds by reading a couple of chapters from The Birchbark House.

We were very thankful for the glow sticks, because the power went off for a few seconds. Long enough for the kids to scream, but they didn't, because they only ended up with enough time to notice their glow sticks glowing brightly, and then the power came back on.

While I wouldn't wish for weather so bad that it sends us all into the bathroom, but I couldn't help but smile about the whole thing. I'm sure it was quite a picture to see, that's for sure. But, more precious was that Noah thanked me several times for reading to them during the storm, and thanked Eric several times for making them comfortable and getting their glow sticks ready.

Overall, I think it's safe to say that despite the bad weather, the experience was one of those finer things in life.

photo by David Kingham

Do you think that the sun might rise tomorrow too?

When I watch the news, it is usually our local news. This is not, however, because it is a stellar news cast.

As a matter of fact, sometimes it is almost painful to watch them stumble over foreign names, occassionally look like deer in headlights, and sometimes looking in the wrong camera for longer than one would think they should when they are doing it on accident. Oh, and then there are times when they cover a local dog event for five full minutes, and the world news for just moments.

But, on the up side, I enjoy that it isn't like watching the big city news. While crimes certainly happen here, it just isn't as depressing to watch.

And, occassionally, I get to leave after watching it with a little nugget to cherish. A gem that makes me smile every time I think of it.

Tonight was one of those times.

The news anchor said (previewing the weather report to come), "We haven't seen any snow yet, but we can expect to see some this winter."

Really? Is this a news worthy statement? Might your next prediction be that the sun will probably rise sometime tomorrow?

Seriously -- it's not like we're living in Texas or Florida or somewhere else that we rarely see snow. We live in the Midwest, and I can't say that I've ever had a winter that didn't involve some snow.

So, thank you local news -- you have again shared with me a gem to make me smile. And thanks for the warning on the weather. I might never have expected snow this winter if I hadn't been watching tonight. Thanks for the heads up.



photo by Kevin Eddy

20 Little Things to Treasure in Autumn

Melissa from The Inspired Room has asked people to post 20 things they love about Autumn. Since Autumn is my favorite season, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to declare my love for that season.

1. Watching the leaves on the maple tree in our backyard change color.

2. Crisp, but not cold, air outside.

3. Carmel apples with chopped nuts on top.

4. Watching the kids try to carry the pumpkins they choose from the pumpkin patch.

5. The earthy colors that are typical of the season.

6. Molly's birthday.

7. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin STUFF.

8. Fall festivals.

9. Thanksgiving with family (and the food isn't too shabby either!)

10. The start of the new television season.

11. Cozy nights inside.

12. My annual trip away for four days of scrapbooking and friends.

13. Leaves blanketing the ground.

14. Burning bushes turning from unimpressive green shrubs to gorgeous, bright red wonders.

15. The extreme bounty that can be found at the Farmer's Market toward the end of the season.

16. The excitment of Election Day.

17. Christmas begins to loom closer.

18. Greeting the smallest trick or treaters at our door.

19. Finally being able to see when you drive through the country, as the corn crops are harvested.

20. A cool night with a huge moon and a sky full of stars.

Our Unit Study on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

We read the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, and we enjoyed a week of activities surrounding the book (about weather, nutrition, and conservation) throughout a lot of subject areas. We even made a lapbook! We were able to get the lessons and lapbook for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs components free on Homeschool Share.

Here is a brief pictoral overview of the things we did last week with that unit (peppered in with some of our more traditional lessons as well)...

Check out the rest of this post (with the pictures) at The Homeschool Classroom

Earthquake: The New Alarm Clock?

I guess if I had ever lived on the West Coast, this wouldn't have been a new thing. But, I was quickly awaken this morning a little after 5:30 am EST to shaking in our house.

I jumped right out of bed and started to look around. My first thought was, "Is Eric home?" (because I didn't really realize what time it was at that time). He came running up stairs to see if everything was okay (he was getting ready for work). He said he thought maybe it was a very strong wind, since he had put his hand on our sliding glass door when it was happening and felt it shaking. (Perhaps not a smart move, in retrospect.)

After I kind of composed myself, my first statement was, "I think it was an earthquake, Eric." (This is only because I know about the New Madrid fault line. I have never actually felt an earthquake before, as I was out of state when the 5.0 earthquake on that fault line happened in 1987.) But, then we turned on the news right away, and nobody was saying anything about it, so I thought it had to be wrong. But, a few minutes later, they finally announced that it had been a 5.4 magnitude earthquake.

I thought none of the kids woke up, but after they got up for school and we talked about it, Jack said it had awake him, but he thought it was rain.

They have now downgraded the earthquake to a 5.2 magnitude and they mapped the epicenter as West Salem, Illinois. Jack noticed right away that they showed St. Louis on the map as having felt it, and so this led to a perfect discussion of how powerful earthquakes can be. Since we just made an approximately five hour drive to St. Louis, I was able to point out that we felt it AND our friends in St. Louis felt the very same earthquake.

So, it sounds like there was no major damage, and hope that all my friends around the blogosphere in the middle section of the country are all fine.

Oh, and that nobody thinks that we should continue to use earthquakes in lieu of alarm clocks.

(ETA: Apparently Noah was the only one that didn't wake up with the earthquake. When I got Molly out of bed, she told me about the "thunder" that scared her. Apparently she, like Jack, just went right back to bed though. Go figure!)

Enter the House of Discontent (aka Seriously -- just give me your waffle order)

The weather report over the last several days has predicted that today, we would be looking at anywhere from 3 - 14 inches of snow by this afternoon. Of course, they didn't say that range all at once, but that's basically the range of the predictions they have made as the date got closer and the snow shifted one way or another.

My boys' school closed before it had really even snowed an inch. They were thrilled to be home, but some of the contentment ended there.

One of our more interesting conversations this morning thus far:

--------------------------------------------------

Me (to Jack): Would you like some waffles? (with the sweet motherly love in my voice)

Jack: no reponse

Me: Jack -- do you want some waffles???

Jack: no response

Me: JACK LOGAN -- DO YOU WANT SOME WAFFLES?!?

Jack: Yeah, okay.

I put some waffles in the toaster, because, well...that's how it is at our house.

Jack: So...we can't have any waffles?

Me: What? I just put in some waffles for you.

Jack: The waffles are all gone? But, I thought I could have some waffles.

Me: What are you talking about, Jack? I just told you -- I put some waffles in the toaster for you.

Jack: There aren't any waffles left?

Me: JACK -- DO YOU HEAR ME? I JUST PUT WAFFLES IN THE TOASTER FOR YOU!

Jack: Oh -- thanks, Mom!

Me: Molly, did you want some waffles too?

Molly (who happened by at this time, in all her three year old importance): But Moooooommmmmmm....I wanted a Barbie with WINGS.

Me: No, Molly -- I'm asking about waffles. Do you want waffles for breakfast like the boys?

Molly: But I thought I got a Barbie with Wings! Let's go look in the garage.

Me: There is no Barbie in the garage. But, do you want waffles for breakfast.

Molly: No. Can I have a snack?

Me: No snack. Do you want waffles?

Molly: No thanks.

Me: Okay. (Go to grab the waffles out of the toaster and get them ready for Jack)

Molly: But where are my waffles, Mom????

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously -- I love my children. But, every so often, I wonder if we're speaking the same language.

Here in the Hundred Acre Woods?

As I came home from running a few errands yesterday, Eric said to me (after stepping away from a weather screen on his computer), "You always know it's going to be bad when the National Weather Service says it's going to be 'blustery.'"

Eric said that makes him feel like we live in the Hundred Acre Woods.

He then went on to tell me the weather forecast for the next day, and then said that Monday night leading into Tuesday would be "blustery."

He then added, "Yeah, blustery, with a chance of heffalumps and woozels."

I'm going to place a lost & found ad in the newspaper

Lost:

Autumn. She's a beautiful season -- she also answers to the name of Fall. She typically has mild weather with some rain. One hallmark of her is changing leaves. Though our leaves have been changing, it appears that her sister Summer overstayed her welcome, and her other sister Winter is trying to shove her out of the picture. If you have seen Autumn, please send her this way, as we do enjoy her.

It's like Autumn is My Middle Name..

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

h/t to: Praying for Grace

I will admit, this is right on. I would have had to have argued with my computer if it tried to tell me any other season. LOL

(Oh...and for the record...Autumn *IS* my middle name. Ironic, huh?)

Wow! I've been busy!

My to do list ended up with about 54 items on it. They ranged from quick things (things that might take less than 5 minutes) to longer things (I think the longest may have been an hour or so).

After a few days of working on them (and continually adding to the original list), I finished 45 of the items on my list! A few of the items not finished were some craft projects to work on, so I'm not as broken up about not getting those done. One of the things I didn't get done (that was silly to not have gotten done) was making dentist appointments. That could have been quick, but I just didn't do it.

I'm really pleased with the amount of things I got done! On Tuesday, I didn't turn on the computer at all until I had been up for about seven hours! Wow! And, then on Wednesday, I didn't turn on the computer for just over two hours. Now, mind you, on Wednesday, our power was out for the first two hours we were up. Ha! But, that ended up being a nice blessing. It gave me extra time to *have* to keep busy and after days of sweltering heat, it was actually a BEAUTIFUL day out. We ended up having all the windows and doors open all day long (until bedtime!). What a blessing! I simply can't imagine how horrible the power outage would have been on some of these almost 100 degree days!

Oh, and, of course, I also did things like make meals and such, that weren't on my to do list. Although, I *did* put it on my list when I spent all of the day Thursday (on and off) making a big homemade meal (roast with potatoes & carrots, homemade bread, brownies from scratch, and a salad) for a family that I know who are adopting a new baby (she is already with them) and then just found out in May that their preschool-aged son has cancer.

I didn't hear from anyone that they wrote up anything for their blogs on this challenge, but that's okay. I'm just happy that I got so much done. I think I may need to work on doing this kind of thing a bit more often!

The Dangers of Being Outdoors with the Pollen

I have allergies. I have for about as long as I could remember. At any time of the year, it would seem my sinuses can bother me. My Mom and I have a standing joke when I realized many years ago that it didn't matter when I said to her that my sinuses hurt, she would always say, "Well, you know, it's that time of year." It's apparently always "that time of year."

So, anyway -- yesterday, I ran outside to check the mail. As I was almost back up to the house, I let out a huge sneeze. Not some dainty "ah-choo," it was loud and it was strong. And, yes -- we know what a good strong sneeze can mean.

Darn kids...I love them...but they have ruined me.

Well...that was a little more than just surreal...

It has been cold here. Very cold. It was cold even before the blizzard, but then the blizzard that we had on February 13th just seemed to add to that. As a matter of fact -- we *still* have snow on the ground from that blizzard. (Not everywhere, mind you, but I still have snow in many areas of my front and back yards.)

And, ever since that blizzard, the weather man keeps tell us that there is a warm up in the 10 day forecast with temperatures near 50 degrees. Yes...that has been said in the 10 day forecast about every time since then, it seems. And, invariably, by the time that date rolls around, they end up telling us to expect a high of 37 instead. So, by this point, I thought we'd be making snowmen in July. They said it would get warm today, but when I bundled up Noah in his winter coat, gloves, and hat for the school bus, I still didn't really believe it.

But, lo and behold, the current temperature is 57 degrees! For anyone living in the Midwest, you may say, "Yeah -- that happens all the time." And, yes, it does. That is one of my favorite parts about winter -- those almost 60 degree days that just magically pop up to give us hope that Spring really will return again someday.

Okay, here's the surreal part (for me, anyway) -- what did I do during this gorgeous weather while the boys were at school and Molly was napping. I opened up all the windows and let in the fresh air. Then, I put on my shoes (but no coat, of course) and I went out with a shovel and I shoveled our sidewalk and the sidewalk of our next door neighbor. I can't say that I ever remember a time that I was shoveling snow and ice when it was almost 60 degrees out.

Now, you may say, "Why didn't you just wait for it to melt?" Well...darn it, it's nice out right now, and that snow has become snow and thick ice. For the past month, my kids have to walk to and from the bus in the street because they can't walk on the sidewalk. And, so, just in case it gets cold again, I was going to clear that sidewalk. Oh, and possibly it also had to do with that I had stuff to do in the house that I was putting off. But, I think I'll vote for that I just wanted to clear the sidewalk.

It is a blessing to know good people

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

~ St. Francis of Assisi

I had a variety of things that I wondered about talking about today. But, I have suddenly felt inclined to just give thanks for all the good people that I know. I know so many people that make me think of the above quote from St. Francis of Assisi.

I have a dear friend that is going out of her way to make sure that my family will be going on our first real family vacation this year. (That's right -- my kids have never been on what I would consider a vacation, other than to go visit family.) I have been thinking of her today and thinking of what a blessing it is to be friends with her.

And, then, my day was again blessed this afternoon. The county finally has been coming through the plow the subdivisions and we finally had our cul de sac (and subdivision) plowed out today. Unfortunately, this made the bottom of our driveway impassable. Eric told me not to worry about it, but I planned for the boys and I to go work on it once Molly laid down for a nap. We got all bundled up, and I stuck the baby monitor in my pocket, and we headed out. Well...what a blessing -- our new neighbors across the street saw that we were out, and they came right over to help. I told Bob that he didn't have to help, but he seemed more than happy to. So, not only did the end of my driveway get dug out, but I got a wonderful opportunity to visit with my neighbors. This action on their part really made me think strongly of the quote from St. Francis. Nobody made them come out to help me. I didn't expect it, and was actually shocked when they came out...Bob with a snow shovel in hand. They simply did it because they felt it was the right thing to do. And in that action, I was able to be reminded not only of the goodness of people, but the love that God has for us -- he has given us each other.

I am truly blessed.