Mid January Daybook

Outside my window... 

...cold and very grey. Yesterday we went to Mass with no coats (I typed that in December, too!). I was actually very hot in Mass, which is unusual -- it's usually rather cool in our church. Now today it's very cold out, the temperatures dropped over 30 degrees since yesterday afternoon. Indoors my toes and nose are cold. It is time to light the fire again, but right now we have no wood. Sad face. Our very friendly  neighbor has told us we can take from his huge stack of wood from trees he cut down last year, and I ordered the most darling little outfits for his twin girls to "pay" for the wood we take, but my husband has to move it over a fence each time we get some. 

 I am thinking... 

...that I have become the most boring blogger. Time to pack it in? I'm hanging on with the hope that I will be inspired some day soon to write very interesting posts. Until then, it's Daybooks and sewing posts. My apologies.

From the lesson plans...  

...today Noah has an appointment with an allergist right smack in the middle of the day. That requires driving to get him at school, to the appointment and to get him back -- about 2 to 3 hours in all. Not very productive, but I have to schedule with this doctor six months in advance and you can't choose your appointment times. I will have to get Faith's math ready to travel, as well as a couple other subjects. She is not very good at school on the run, though -- highly distractible girl that she is.

Speaking of distractible, I wonder how many other homeschooling mothers write out each math lesson from the Saxon book. We really like Saxon math -- it just works for my kids. But, Faith can not do the problems straight from the book. None of my kids could. It would take them three or four times longer to continually find their place, write the problem down on paper, do the problem and find their place again. I have to write her entire lesson down in a notebook in order for her to have a productive math lesson. I know families with many children could never manage this, so I wonder what others do. Is it just my extremely distractible kids?

From the kitchen..

...hot creamy brown rice cereal for breakfast, lunch on the run (homemade Lara bar for me), and shredded beef tacos for dinner. I went through the entire  Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook and planned out my week, freezing at least one meal for every meal I make. I spent a lot at the grocery this weekend, but I am hopeful I can stretch the food at least two weeks, with just a run back for milk and produce. Have you noticed the cost of groceries? Wow. With less paycheck (thank you, Mr-I-am-liking-you-less-every-day-President) and grocery costs going up, there are going to be some serious changes in our house. More on that later.

 I am wearing...

 ...khaki skirt, navy turtleneck, grey sweater, black patent loafers, and MM earrings (my chains are currently in need of repair, so I'm not wearing them).

I am creating...

...a rosary, scapulars, a preemie hat (my first knitting project in a long time) and a long, long list of sewing projects since two shipments of fabric arrived late last week.

 I am planning...

...sewing projects, cooking, baking, budgeting...trying to make a little of it fun (not the budgeting).

I am hoping... 

...that the orthopedist I have an appt with tomorrow can help me with my leg pain. I am so very tired of pain. I also hope to stop coughing soon. The cough syrup my doctor prescribed on Friday made me itch like a fiend, so I had to stop using it.

 Around the house...

 ...laundry and laundry. I cleaned over the weekend for guests (always a good motivator), so now it's just keeping up for another week.  The Christmas tree needs to come down this week, and my family, sadly, is never quite so anxious to help take it down as they are to put it up.

I am going...

...to the allergist's office, and I am anxious to see if Noah is still allergic to almonds. He had an accidental ingestion of candy that had almonds listed on in the ingredients and he did not react. Curious. We were told when he was two that he would not likely grow out of tree nut and peanut allergies, but I wonder did he grow out of them or were the allergy tests wrong?

 I am praying for...

...my children, and my husband

...my dear friend Gina. She finished her chemo and is planning to start back to teaching in a couple weeks. She then has to do daily radiation for, I think, six weeks. She still needs, and appreciates prayers.

...our priests and all religious

 ...all of the babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion this week, and for a change of heart for their mothers.


...baby Simeon


...for baby Domini Pio


...for Kelly and Anna

Thought for the day...

St. John the Gardener, feast day January 14. 

A monastery garden was tended well to feed the community, not to make the grounds pretty. John saw to it that the refectory table was well supplied. But he also added a bit of beauty, growing flowers to enhance the chapel. God is surely pleased when we add a bit of beauty to the world—especially when we warm it with an act of forgiveness. For, as John insisted, forgiveness is the loveliest thing in God’s eyes.