For Today…November 28, 2011

Outside my window…it’s sunny and cold.  What a great combination.  I love this weather.  I love having to get a sweatshirt.  I don’t love the fuss from the kids about wearing jeans or long pants.  And by kids, I mean everyone but the Baby fusses about the change in clothes.  Goose was so upset that his jeans were “itching” him that he refused to say goodbye this morning.  Because of course it’s my fault it’s cold outside.

A child who can appreciate the clothing options this weather brings.

I am listening to…No David make letter sounds.

I am wearing…black yoga pants, a grey t-shirt and my Memorial sweatshirt.

I am grateful…yes, I am grateful.  We did a different take on our thankful tree this year, opting to discuss what we were thankful for each evening at dinner rather than do one huge tree at the beginning of the month.  I liked that we were forced to think of our blessings each day.  Trying to implement this practice for myself via a gratitude journal, it’s not like I don’t have enough notebooks laying around this house.  I’d also like to start this with the kids.

Teamwork

The Martimas Lantern

I am praying…that everyone stays healthy and those that are sick get better.  A friend’s sister and for faith.  Faith for everyone.

From the kitchen…please give me some willpower this week.  I gave Squirt the last piece of pie in his lunch today.  I have two more pieces of pumpkin cake and three kinds of ice cream.  The cake is Baby Hulk’s and hopefully, the boys can take care of the ice cream for me.  We’ve planned a decent menu for the week and not over shopped.  I have three weeks before more sweets get going in this house.

On keeping home…my home is clean and neat.  That’s who I am.  Thankfully, I’m blessed with being able to keep house well.  That said, it’s much harder with five kids.  Much harder.

Playtime

Around the house…who knew it would be so freaking hard to find someone to fix my fence?  Still have dead bushes in the front yard.  Do I wait till Spring to change them out?

To live the liturgy…I made it through just fine yesterday.  We’ve been preparing at our church for this change and have said most of the prayers already.  I loved that the priest had the same feelings I had about the changes.  That it was difficult after so many years.  This morning I wondered about all those people who only go to mass at Christmas.  They are going to be so lost.  I immediately felt like a jerk after thinking that.  Those people are all probably much nicer than me.

Love her!

The season of Advent…it’s here, I’ve got some new traditions I’m pretty excited about for this year.  Hopefully, more on that later.

One of my favorite things…Christmas books.  I was going to wrap all of my books and have the kids read a new one each night, but I hate to limit ourselves to one every night.  We have 20 books that I would consider real Christmas books, plus about ten more fluff Christmas books.  (These would be Frosty the Snowman type books, and while I love Frosty and feel reading these are important too, they go in a different basket than something like Jingle, The Christmas Clown or Country Angel Christmas.)  I also have ordered about 12 more books from the library.  Did you read that honey?  The library, not Amazon.

Our first Tomie book remains my favorite.

I am creating lists…of Christmas projects and hoping to finally start a gift list.  I have no ideas and nothing is popping out at me for the kids.  I have a super awesome nativity scene that Baby Hulk and I will make this year.  And by awesome, I mean I like it and it’s easy to do.  Not sure about the nativity blocks that a certain someone promised to make for me.

Learning all the time…it has amazed me how our units have flowed into each other so well and how much the kids and I have enjoyed it.  I love Handwriting Without Tears, and while Baby Hulk’s handwriting isn’t the best I’ve ever seen, it is so much better than it was a year ago and better than Goose’s who never had any problems writing.  Next Spring I start with No David.  We have two weeks before we focus solely on Advent and Christmas which will include lots of read a louds, crafts and cards.  And baking.  Lots of baking.

We never nap together like I did with the others, imagine that.

Towards rhythm…You hear how important a routine is for kids.  They need predictability.  I’m really working on that in all that we do.  From our learning to our evenings.  Trying to find areas where we can “release” the stress from the day so everything goes smoother.  From waking up in the morning to laying down to sleep.  Part of the rhythm I crave is the true family meal.  The meal where we all sit without disruption from the phone or computer.  I hate that my children hear the phone ring and run to get it for me.  I don’t know why, I rarely answer the phone when they are around.  And to be honest, I haven’t missed one emergency so far.  Not one.

A few plans for the week…interview for Goose’s First Reconciliation, playdate, birthday party, prepping house which will be deep cleaning and figuring out when we will decorate.

A few pictures worth sharing…I tried to get my girl in her new winter dress.  This is all I got.