The Anniversary Daybook

• Outside My Window… weird weather… but getting warmer.  We had sunny snow today, and above freezing.  Yes.  Sunny snow is a term… the sun shone through the snow flakes falling.  for at least half the day.

• I am thinking… of 11 years ago today… when I married this man who has become more than I dreamed of… who has given me beautiful children, amazing memories and so SO much joy.

• I am thankful for…Bryan.  His sense of humor.  His unconditional love.  His quiet spirit.  His unwillingness to react to my emotional outbursts (or lack there of). His uncanny gift of  ‘drawing a bath’ at just the right moment.

• From the learning rooms…Workboxes.  Games.  Test practice on the computer for state testing in another week.  Reading.  Black Plague.

• From the kitchen… I made bean & cheese quesadillas for the kids… which they are now eating in front of “Chip & Dale”.  Bryan is peeling shrimp to go with our steak and mushrooms… which we will eat after we put the kids in bed! 🙂

• I am wearing…Jeans, white long-sleeved T under a summer shirt.

• I am creating… more white space in our days.  more white space in our home.

• I went…to an annual meeting today for the Dunamis group I lead worship for  quite often… If every churchy annual meeting were like these, I wouldn’t cringe at the thought of going to them… I love how the Spirit moves.

• I am reading… 2 John Holt books… (he is the one who coined the term unschooling, I think)

• I am hoping… still… to have the major projects done before the baby comes.  Still hoping…

• I am hearing…Chip and Dale.  and chatting with Bryan while I type and he works 🙂

• Around the house… Kitchen is mostly finished… at least entirely usable.  Bathroom… its coming.  We use the toilet and sinks!! 🙂

• One of my favorite things… the technology of texting we recently discovered… It is so great on hard days… Bryan and I text each other constantly.  Sometimes desperate for prayer.  Sometimes flirting and making each other laugh and blush.  Sometimes udpating on the routine aspects of life.

• A Few Plans For Next Week: OB appointment.  More ‘white-spacing’. Make a few things to put in the freezer for after the baby comes.

No picture thoughts today… the ‘picture’ computer is being backed-up and de-virused.  Plus, Bryan needs my help with dinner… its time to go be together.

Lounging at the table… her favorite eating position:

And the ultimate Bath Queen…

A Simple Woman’s Daybook

The emotional pregnant woman’s version…

FOR Thursday, March something…

• Outside My Window… brown trees. white skies. It did dust snow this morning.  Its just warm enough to make things a wee bit icy and expose the random dog poop in the yard.  But not warm enough to convince me spring is coming.

• I am thinking… of the time I’ve wasted stressing and crying all week.  And how I love my patient husband while he deals with pregnancy hormones.  And how I can’t… but I must… but I can’t… but I must… wait for these dang renovations to FINISH already!!

• I am thankful for… maybe we should have started with this one… there is so much, REALLY, I’ll have to erase all my whining if I start.  I’m thankful for frozen blueberries that feed my sweets craving. (don’t admire me… I already ate chocolate, marshmallows and drank hot chocolate)

• From the learning rooms…ummm.  Leap Frog DVDs.  Mia Math CD Rom. Does that count?  Its been a hard week.  We did get a castle made and some books read about castles…

• From the kitchen… oh yes.  the kitchen.  Let’s list what is NOT in the kitchen.  Dishwasher.  Sink. COOKTOP!!! Since Saturday.  I am so tired of toast and cereal.  And washing all my dishes by hand (The other side of that should go in the thankful paragraph – also very thankful for my electric griddle I got for Christmas this year… it is WELL worn).  BUT needing to cook something other than pancakes, quesadillas and grilled cheese… I guess I will start digging into the cooking I’d been freezing for when the baby comes… Fajitas tonight.  From the freezer.

• I am wearing…Black yoga pants (pregnancy happies) and my pink t-shirt that makes me look like a big pink marshmallow.  Not pretty.

• I am creating… lists of totschool type activities for Shand so she gets a little quality time with mom.

• I am going…insane.  Oh, I don’t think that means mentally…

• I am reading…A book about a Spelling Bee.  Really good actually.  Bryan found it at the hospital and brought it home for me.  Just finished Irresistable Revolution… LOVED it…

• I am hoping… to have a stove top this weekend.  for Bryan to miraculously make a bunch of extra money to cover the hearing aids and the ridiculous number of extra costs and extra time everything is taking on the renovation end. And miraculous intervention from the Spirit to take thoughts captive, whether they are hormonal or not, and bring this woman to PEACE.

• I am hearing…thumping of downstairs music. (this is when it’s not fun having a triplex) and Thad playing On the Bubble (Trouble) by himself, waiting for me.

• Around the house… we’ve covered that.  piles of stuff waiting to be installed.  piles of tools waiting for Shand’s fingers to discover. piles of stuff to be taken to the dump.

• One of my favorite things… the technology of texting we recently discovered… It is so great on hard days… Bryan and I text each other constantly.  Sometimes desperate for prayer.  Sometimes flirting and making each other laugh and blush.  Sometimes udpating on the routine aspects of life.

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Its almost over… My plans are to get through it loving the littles, and hope for something better next week.

Here are some picture thoughts I am sharing… Shand… the princess…

Dressed up by the boys, complete with pink horse:

Lounging at the table… her favorite eating position:

And the ultimate Bath Queen…

Pregnancy and Renovations

I think I am the  puffiest I have ever been while pregnant.  I have my first… VARICOSE vein!!  My dr says its because this is the first pregnancy I have been on my feet for most of it.

Whatever the reason, I’m really, REALLY looking forward to having this baby.  As long as my bathroom and kitchen are finished.

We’ve been without a cooktop and sink since Saturday.  The counters went in yesterday, so hopefully I’ll get a cook top in today.   Last night I went to Home Depot and bought a new sink, because the original one has a bunch or rusty stuff that we can’t get replaced… so I get a white cast iron sink after all.  I would rather have NOT spent the money.  We are feeling WAY over extended.  Sigh.

We get the final fittings for Keenans new hearing aids.  We just got the ‘medium’ quality ones for $4500.  That’s all.  I still can’t get over the fact that insurance doesn’t cover any portion of hearing aids… Do they think they are cosmetic or something?

And and the glass block in the bathroom will hopefully be finished today.

Floors go in Monday.

It’ll be so nice to have my bedroom back… all the cupboards and drawers back in and the tools out, and the be able to take my 3rd trimester naps on my bed!! 🙂

It really will look nice, even though it has taken twice as long as they said, and I cringe to think at the final total!  But I keep reminding myself, we got strong leading that this WAS the time to go ahead… and we scrimped in every area we could, which meant when upgrades were necessary because of available materials, etc.

Oh I am rambling.  I’ll just be glad to have it done.

and to find my ankles again.

Making Slimy Plastic

 

 

 

 

 

This was the most fun of science experiments… stir together glue and water and a wee bit of food coloring… just for looks…

Then dissolve some borax in water. POUR into glue mixture and watch the cloud form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reach in and pick it up! J The boys had so much fun… you can see in by their facial expressions how they went from unsure to elated!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Live Is Christ

Please watch this…

Kids Say Meme

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you. Thank you

2. What makes mom happy? When I laugh. Kisses and hugs.

3. What makes mom sad? Sad movies. When I lose something, like if I really needed a pan or something that I didn’t have, but I actually did have it but I lost it it would make you really sad.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? When I tell you something funny. When you tickle and when you make me really really happy it makes me feel ticklish a little bit.

5. What was your mom like as a child? Funny? I don’t know. I wasn’t even born.

6. How old is your mom? Maybe 32. I think you’re 44

7. How tall is your mom? 100 cm. 90 inches (that is short as grandma)

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Read stories. Read your bible and pray to God? Get mad.

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around? You watch TV. Come find us and play I’m just thinking things that you MIGHT do.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Paintings. Maybe you’ll be a ballerina. I think you’d be a good ballerina.

11. What is your mom really good at? Writing. You’re really good at telling me stuff that I don’t know.

12. What is your mom not very good at? Running. When you’re pregnant. You’re not very good at ballerina and dancing. But I’m good at dancing.

13. What does your mom do for her job? Take care of us. Take care of us.

14. What is your mom’s favorite food pineapple. Mac and cheese. I think its MY favorite food and yours too.

15. What makes you proud of your mom? She cooks well. You do good writing and drawing.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Bugs bunny (no hesitation!) mickey mouses’s sister. Minnie mouse?

17. What do you and your mom do together? read. we sometimes read a book.

18. How are you and your mom the same? We both like each other. We both have one nose and two eyes.

19. How are you and your mom different? we both have different hair. I don’t have glasses and you do. That’s different. that’s really different

20. How do you know when your Mom is mad? When she “hrrr.. arrghh. Aahh!” cause I can see with my eyes.

21. How do you know your mom loves you? Cause you give me kisses and hugs. Cause I do things really nice and you do things nice for me. Like do the dishes for me sometimes.

22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go? Home. church

interesting.  just shows how well my kids know me! (or don’t know in some cases… ballerina???)

rescheduling… finding the balance

I find it quite absurd that I’m making new schedules and new curriculum for Thad and activity plans for Shand when come the April I’ll probably throw it all away after I die trying to do it.

Until then… oh yeah… the schedules and plans and routines are rocking in a laid-back, take-the-day-as-it-comes way.  Most days.

OK.  Some days.

Once again.  Finding the Balance.

I was singing to Jesus in the car my own little made up song.  It went something like this.

I’ve tried schedules and new shelves

I’ve tried internet and self help guides

I’ve tried chocolate and too much coffee

But only You can satisfy.

Only You are what I need.

THAT is why I don’t write songs! 🙂  But when you are singing to Him in the car, rhyming and rhythmic meter doesn’t matter.  The words work only in the context of my life.  I just thought it was rather humorous, so thought I’d share.

You TOO can write your own songs to Jesus!! 🙂