Journal: December, Advent, Winter

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny!  But do not be deceived.  When the sun started peeking out yesterday around noon, I realized it was the first time we had seen it since sometime last Wednesday.  So much rain on Thanksgiving and a bit of ice over the weekend as well.  If temperatures had dipped just a bit more south things could have gotten pretty nasty.  Thankfully though, all was well and I believe my pansies even survived!  I have put a few potted plants in the window well to see if they will weather the Winter.  I'm not counting on anything, but it will be a fun little experiment never-the-less.

Around the house: We got our Christmas decorations up over the course of Saturday and Sunday and the Advent wreath is on the table.  Listening to the beautiful voices of the Benedictines of Mary currently.  Christmas shopping is mostly done, now I have some wrapping in my future.  The kids are excited for the Feast of St. Nicholas this weekend!

 

The kiddos: We had a fun-ish break last week.  Two of the kids (who shall remain unnamed) were incredibly a bit grumpy for way too much of the week; and then Gemma was a little under-the-weather on Monday, Kolbe followed on Thursdsay (and had to miss out on going to grandma and grandpa's) and I felt a little down on Friday.  But Clem and Aaron seemed to escape unscathed and everyone else seems to be completely recovered for the most part.  We did make it to the local science museum one day, and took a trip to the zoo to hit the indoor exhibits on Sunday because we were stir.crazy.  We also managed to get a good (enough) family picture Thanksgiving morning to include in Christmas cards.

In the kitchen:  

This week:

meatloaf, twice baked potatoes and steamed green beans

crispy chicken salads

pesto chicken, parmesan rice and steamed broccoli

creamy tomato tortellini

that's all I got so far.    

Learning: We got started with our Jesse tree this morning, and are on Day 3 of our Picture Book a Day.  I love Advent!!  Gemma read The Elves and the Shoemaker in her reading book at school (I really am very pleased with their reading selections this year) so I checked a different version (Galdone) out from the library and it was fun comparing the two.  Kolbe will be reading Gingerbread Baby at school this week, which has been a longtime favorite at home, so we have checked out several other versions of The Gingerbread Man, including The Library Gingerbread Man which was adorable by the way, and will be enjoying those plus a few other Jan Brett titles as well this week.

Reading: I just finished Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer and took away some pretty great things from it.  Now I am getting ready to begin Fire Within.  I am hoping this will be a deeply beneficial read. Keeping up with the usuals as well.

Watching: New season of Survivorman. Gold Rush. Booze Traveler.  The Curse of Oak Island.  We are an exciting bunch, those are the latest things we semi-keep tabs on.

Bringing me joy: Peace.  Read a great quote about peace here.  Searching for it and maintaining it can be difficult for me.  But then I catch glimpses of it here and there.  Praise God.

Thinking about: The above.  Gratitude.  Prayer.  Salvation.  The saints.  Virtues and vices. 

Pictures to share:  

A chilly day for the zoo but we sure had fun.

 All my turkeys.

Journal: early Advent

TODAY

Out my window:  Dark.  Cold.  Wiiiiiiindy.  Twinkly Christmas lights.  

Clothing myself in: pass

Around the house: Most of the Christmas decorations are up.  The kids actually helped with the ornaments on tree...all three of them (well, Clem played with the purple shatter-proof ornaments that don't match the red and gold on the tree)...and it went really well.  I think they are OCD like me (scary, yes? no?) because I only had to move like three ornaments.  They did a really good job.  Aaron got a bunch of icicle lights and lined the outside of the house with them.  In years previous he has just done our two evergreen trees, but he decided the kids were getting old enough to think that was kind of lame.  ;-)  It looks really nice.

I need to write our Christmas letter.  Sigh.  Starting is always the hardest part.

 

The baby: Cute cute cute.  My parents have this dancing monkey thing that sings Jingle Bells and he started rocking. out. to it on Thanksgiving evening.  Never seen that kid, or ANY kid, dance with the moves he had.  In footie-jammies no less.  I got some video on my phone, but it is horribly awful quality.  Kind of makes me want to cry.  OH well.  Maybe he'll do it again.  I treasure the memory.  He has started shaking his head "yes" when you ask him a question.  When he has to poop he grunts and looks at me and holds my hand while we walk back to his "poop chair".  He doesn't talk much but he definitely communicates.  Oh, and he LOVES the big slide at the park and can climb up to it and go down it all by himself.  I usually guard him because I am paranoid and over-protective but he can do it on his own.  The other kids weren't doing this until they were sneaking up on two.   Oh my.

 

The kiddos:  I enjoyed Gemma's week off school, it really was nice having her around all day and I loved seeing her get to just play.  But it is nice being back in our usual routine this week too.  I am excited for Christmas break and so is she.  Not much else new.  I have been getting more "okays" and less fits when I ask her to do something, or answer something she asks, even if she isn't particularly happy about what I ask or answer, and that has been nice.  She is growing up, have I mentioned that?  

Kolbe's speech is improving so much.  He has been working on initial /k/ and is learning how to say his name!!!!!  I am noticing that he is starting to use sounds that he learns/works on at speech in his everyday conversation and I think that's so cool. 

In the kitchen: This week homemade pizza, chicken picadillo, meatloaf, chicken noodles and baked salmon.  Steamed veggies, some stuffing, tortilla chips, cheesy bread and fried rice for sides.  We have also discovered ground pork at the local meat locker and have been subbing it for beef in some things and it is really tasty! 

Crafting: We made pine cone turkeys for Thanksgiving!

I have been working on Christmas shopping (mainly online, although I did get out on Saturday for a bit...no Black Friday shopping for me this year!) and thinking about wrapping.  Lest anyone think that I think shopping is crafting, I do not.  I just had nowhere else to put that.  Progress is being made.  WHEW, this late Thanksgiving is really throwing me for a loop.  Tomorrow is the 5th?  Of December??  holy crap.

Learning:  Advent is in full swing, and I love our activities.  I was telling a friend the other night, Advent just brings such a nice rhythm to our days.  The kids are watching the Holy Heroes Jesse Tree DVD each morning during breakfast and coloring an ornament for that.  We light our Advent wreath during mealtimes.  Our Picture Book a Day selections are being enjoyed by all and we are using O Radiant Dawn (I really love this book) for family prayertime/meditation/discussion each night.  The kids also have a story each night before bed from The Advent Storybook. It is very sweet.  We are also using our activity chain again this year and I am liking it, as are the kids.  It's a fun visual to count down the days and the activities are simple yet meaningful.

Reading: bleh. nothing.  I really should pick up something.  Should. 

Watching:  This and that some evenings.  Enjoying this season of Gold Rush immensely.  

Bringing me joy: Advent.  I think this is my favorite time of year, liturgically speaking (and maybe otherwise as well).  Shopping for the kids for Christmas.  Listening to Handel's Messiah.  (Buy it.  You will not regret this purchase.)  Kolbe singing Christmas carols.  The beginnings of Christmas traditions in our family...it is really fun that the kids are getting old enough to remember things we've done other years, and I love how excited they get about some things.  Kolbe thinks Christmas lights are THE BEST, and gets so excited when he sees them. 

Thinking about: Life and death.  My aunt passed away today and there is nothing like death to get you thinking about life.  May she rest in peace.  

This article, Choosing to Make the Coffee, was really good and since I don't think I will Food for Thought anytime soon I am just sharing it here.  And speaking of Food for Thought, I liked this one entitled Can Charity Hurt? as well and thought it brought up some really good points.  I am glad to see that those who oversee large charities are asking these challenging questions of themselves and others. 

Pictures to share:  

Happy Feast Day, Clement!

LEAVES!!!

Turkey week

Besides our regular letter of the week activities for "K" week, we had some fun Thanksgiving activities as well.  We checked out several Thanksgiving books from the library, and Gemma had fun learning about the pilgrims and Indians.  Our favorite book by far though was Turkey Trouble.  I really liked this book.  A whole bunch.  Enough to buy our own copy, but not for $900 as it is listed on Amazon.  Really?  Why do people do this?  Is there anyone out there that would pay that for any book?!!!  I mean, I realize it may be out of print and everything, but seriously?  I have stumbled upon this more than once and I really just don't get it, but I digress.  Gemma and Kolbe both got quite a kick out of "Turkey Trouble" as well, and we read it multiple times throughout the week.  The pictures were so clever and adorable and the repetitive text was cute and fun.

We made this turkey craft and they turned out so cute!  Even Kolbe got in on the painting and I helped him make a turkey of his own.  Gemma made a turkey for herself and one for each set of Grandparents.

Gemma's Turkey

Kolbe's Turkey

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!