Daybook Entry

For today, November 3 , 2010

Outside my window...Maddie and Owen having a tea party in a carpet of crunchy leaves.

I am thinking... about all the times I've been driving in the van and one of the kids suddenly yells, "Duck!" and how my heart jumps until I realize we are going under an overpass and they are playing a game.

I am thankful for...lunch at my grandmother's house yesterday.  Giving up nap time was worth it to have an afternoon of grilled cheese (hers are the best!) and fellowship and smiles. 

Noticing that...my new routine of getting up before everyone else is leaving me really tired today.

From the learning rooms...We are learning about King Solomon and multiplication and Norman Rockwell and the Oregon Trail.  What variety! 

From the kitchen...I put together a cheesy, gooey, meaty pasta dish this morning with a fussy baby cradled in one arm.  After a clingy baby day, I am looking forward to putting it in the oven and smelling comfort food. 

I am creating...plans for the last seven weeks of school before our Christmas/January break. 

I am going...no where-- and it is lovely!

I am reading...The Bridge of Peace by Cindy Woodsmall.  Next up is Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.  The problem is, I can't get the words of that song on the Arthur cartoon out of my head: "And I was Jekyl, Jekyl, Hyde, Dr. Hyde, Hyde, Jekyl..." 

I am hoping...Brian gets off early.  That would mean eating dinner early and then settling in for a quiet (?) evening of family devotions and play. (That would also mean we could get the kids in bed-- or at least in their room-- in time to watch Survivor at 8 o'clock.  There.  I admitted that I am a Survivor fan.)

I am praying...for patience and peace tomorrow.  Somehow, no matter how the week is going, we fall apart on Thursdays-- too many tears and too much frustration.

I am remembering...that this time last year, Benjamin was our baby and Alaine was not even a whisper in our minds. 

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Sunday afternoon nap

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Daybook Entry

For today, September 29, 2010

Outside my window...are clouds and raindrops.  It is a misty sort of rain, the kind where I can only tell it is raining my looking for the pings in the puddles as the rain falls.  It is also the sort of rain where Brian still has to work and he comes home with chilled fingers and damp clothing.

I am thinking...how overwhelmed I am this afternoon since Brian says he has to work late due to the heavy rain we are expecting tomorrow.  Alaine is four weeks today and it will be the first time I've been on my own with the kids at dinnertime, BUT

I am thankful for...rain after a drought and a hard-working husband when so many are without work. 

I am going...no where. My parents borrowed our van today to drive hours away to a funeral so we are safely tucked inside on this cold, cold, wet day.

Around the house...we have an extra guest today as my youngest sister (age 9) is staying with us while my parents attend the funeral.  So while there is an extra mouth to feed and another head of hair to brush and another set of schoolwork to oversee, there is also another set of helping hands. 

I am wearing...my hair pulled into a twisty knot-- part glamorous, part mess.  I'm wearing my new navy T-shirt with the paisley bird screenprint and my favorite comfy jeans. 

From the kitchen...a crockpot full of pintos for simple bean tacos.  With an extra guest and a working-late husband, simple is on the menu.  We might get a few minutes this afternoon to stir up some pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, too. 

I am reading...The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings, and though I've only finished the first chapter, I have heard it is excellent.  If I had recorded my thoughts yesterday, I would have said I was reading Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman, but I finished that last night with a handful of M&Ms.  My quest to read through the Old Testament with Brian finds us in 1 Chronicles. 

I am hearing...the older children downstairs take turns reciting poetry and songs and then clapping boisterously for each other. 

Noticing that...fifth babies sleep better than first babies, even when they receive a big wet kiss and hair combing from a brother in the middle of nap time! 

I am hoping...for patience to control my tired tongue during the stressful dinner hour and the rush of bedtime preparations.

One of my favorite things...quiet time in the evenings after the children go to bed.  Brian and I read or watch TV or talk.  It is a soothing time after a hectic day.  It always refreshes my spirit and prepares me for a new day.

A few plans for the rest of the week...With rain in the forecast for tomorrow, we are looking forward to another day home with Brian.  Then comes the busy-ness of the weekend with soccer and errands and a much-anticipated Date Day for Brian and me (and Alaine)and Time With Aunt Kati for the other children.

Words I am pondering... from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe:

“Then he [Aslan] isn’t safe?” said Lucy. 

“Safe?” said Mr Beaver.  "...Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

our family of 7

If you would like to type out a few simple thoughts from your own day, consider joining in at The Simple Woman's Daybook.