Our little daredevil

Yes, Noah's room really is THAT messy. groan!

Daybook 1-19-09

FOR TODAY . . .MLK day. The kids are jonesing for a day off of school like "the rest of the kids". HA! I think I may just have them do math, though. Mom could use a day off ;)

Outside my window. . . I think the temperature this morning is 13. Positively balmy ;)

I am thinking. . . about more furniture moving plans. The boys will not be happy.

I am thankful for. . . teen boys who can move furniture.

From the schoolroom. . . In all our moving I actually got a space in the office for a desk....

yee-haw! Finally a place to keep all my *stuff* safe from the maddening crowds. I wasted no time emptying all my *up high* baskets of office type items that were strewn about the house in the drawers and making an organized desk top.

From the kitchen. . . we made Neana's chili on Saturday and it was terrific! I cooked it all day and the aroma was driving everyone crazy. heh heh heh.....do I know how to torture people or what? ;)

I am wearing. . . navy sweats, powder blue fleece, crocs. What do I plan to wear? Brown pants and brown patterned top.

I am going. . . I think we are going to check out the new Target today. Noah and Dyl are off to the March for Life in DC starting tomorrow.

I am reading. . . Georgiana and Elizabeth. More English history.

I am hoping. . . (praying) the boys will have a safe journey there, back and during their stay in the capital.

I am hearing. . silence. 6:23 and Jed isn't up!

Around the house. . . revised the room switch. Al moved in with Dyl and Noah so we now have an official bachelor pad :) Since it is painted black ( that's got to change....yikes! my "to paint" list this spring is mighty long) and usually an EXTREME mess, I'm going to dub it the "black hole". Ella moved in with Jed and Manny and they are so excited about it :) The room actually looks cute. Long ago I found some bright pink curtains with orange specks on them, and they match perfectly with the orange walls. So I can have a girly side and a boy-ish side. It works for now, anyway. Geo and Jacks moved into Al's old room and that spoiled - - - -, er, um, sweet pea Naomi still has her own room. But it won't be long, Sissy, it won't be long......

One of my favorite things. . .making everyone happy! LOL- that is an issue I have. I probably like it waaayyy too much. Unhealthy, really. ;)

A few plans for the rest of the week. . .finish up rooms. Get boys ready to go. Figure out some fun things to do while they are gone. Get the 500 bags of clothes and other give- away items out of the house. Get the downstairs cleaned up because when you focus your attention on one part of the house, the other generally falls apart.

Here is picture thought I am sharing. . .

The difference between boys and girls.........

at our house, anyway. :)

This morning I decided to get dinner started in the morning since my plan is to move all the rooms around and I knew I'd be pooped by supper-time.
While I was attending to things, Jed, who was eating breakfast at the island, spilled his milk all over the floor.
"Jed!" I said. "You have to clean that up!" "But mom....." he wailed. "I can't! I don't know how!"

pffftttt

As I was holding a heavy pot of meat that needed to be drained I put off handing him a paper towel and lifting him off his chair to attend to it. As I walked away from the sink I noticed Miss Ella down there with towel in hand mopping up the milk.
"Isn't that cute!" I thought. "She'll get a little bit of it taken care of and then Jed and I will get the rest up." The next time I looked the job was done. ;)


and in deference to the males in our family.....
the difference between girls and boys?
The reason I expect to get the rooms switched around in about an hour or two comes (well, the furniture moving part :) in the form of 3 nearly or over 6 ft teen/young adult, brawny boys. Naomi and I just stand by smiling and nodding as the furniture flies up and down the hallways.

7 Quick takes Friday

1. I don't think we've brought the snow pants down from the attic in recent years. This year is different. I'm pleased to say they've been getting a pretty good work out......and more snow is predicted for tomorrow! ( 7 inches!) I took the little kids sledding for the first time in a lllooonngg time Sunday. I remember taking them several years back when Jed was a baby and stayed in the car with him :) but other than that, I don't think I've hit the hills for quite some time.
It really was a heart-warming-ly wonderful time. A large crowd of fellow Michiganders out enjoying the day. It wasn't awfully cold ( like it is today, windchill -21) the snow was gorgeous, the hills perfectly compacted. Ah, the glories of a Michigan winter........when we have one! ;)
Little Ella Belle had the most fun and cried heartwrenchingly when we were leaving ( and it is a LONG walk back to the car from that hill! :)

2. Yesterday as I was browning some Italian sausage for our lunch-time pita pizzas Dyl walked in and said "I thought you were going to get us on a healthier eating plan?" LOL! Well, as I told him, I feel the need to use up all the junk and high fat items. I don't really know why I can't just throw them away ( I have so many excuses to not get down to business in this area!) Still, it is nice to have someone keeping me accountable. ;)

3. On that note, our Dyl and his Panthers won another game on Wednesday night. That means only one loss so far and that was the heartbreaking one point loss to their arch rivals. :) Good job, boys!

4. Since we have one less family member in the house it has made me re-think room arrangements. No use leaving an empty bed empty :) The plan hasn't pleased everyone. Poor George is feeling quite despondent about being left with his two youngster brothers while Jackson gets to move up in the world and in with his two older. Al is being rerouted to Naomi's room ( off to Home Depot to find paint to color over those ice cream pastels!) and Ella is moving with Naomi into Al's old room........which is a great shade of blue that my 14 yo tomboy loves, but it breaks my heart to put my teeney girly-girl in there. Well, it WILL be painted lavendar at some point :) I'm bound and determined to find some curtains that will soften it for now.

5. It really is a relief when I've got one that *catches* on to reading fairly quickly. Considering the struggles I've had with a few of them ( and still do) my heart sings when I catch a break :) and am working with one who gets on with it with relative ease. The current boys is Jed and he is just about ready to take off on his own....and not quite 6! Hooo-ray!

6. I can't believe it is already just about time for the March For Life! Dyl and Noah will be heading to D.C. next week for several days. I'm always so proud that they go, even though I know there is an added bonus of having fun with friends :) Dyl is going on the "Right to Life" bus and Noah is going with some friends.

7. There really are some very sad and heartbreaking stories out there of people who are struggling financially....
a friend of ours started an e-mail loop seeking donations for struggling families in the Church and homeschooling community. Some of them we know somewhat personally and had no idea. It reminds me that you never know what crosses people are bearing just from surface appearances. Kudo's to Ken Sharp for coming up with this ministry!

What burns more calories?

Pulling two toddlers on sleds around the neighborhood or gathering up all their outdoor gear and getting them dressed in it?
The jury is out.

Tim

Daybook Week of January 12, 2009

Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ January 5th, 2009

January 5, 2009

FOR TODAY . . .

Outside my window. . . Snowing again! We've had lots of snow recently, although not a huge accumulation.

I am thinking. . . about trying to get out and about today before the temps take a nose dive for the rest of the week.

I am thankful for. . . a dh who is a computer whiz :)

From the schoolroom. . . I am relieved that I got a good bit of school stuff organized over the weekend since we were snowed in on Saturday.....including a couple boxes of books and paraphernalia that have been sitting in the basement for months!

From the kitchen. . . Last night we had butter chicken, with basmati rice. We found these little packets of the sauce on Amazon and they are out of this world!

Made some banana bread. I have loads of frozen bananas from a deal I got on them weeks ( months?) back.

I am wearing. . . brown track suit and crocs. What I plan to wear? Short gray jumper with patterned knit hoodie over.

I am going. . . I've REALLy got to get Naomi to the mall to take back some Christmas stuff this week. I think the expiration date on doing that is Thursday.....but it is supposed to be SO cold all week. :) Dangerously cold, that is. Plus we both have gift cards we are itching to use!

I am reading. . . Georgiana and Elizabeth. More English history.

I am hoping. . . we can get all our thank you notes done this week. They are waaaayyy overdue.

I am hearing. . .just the furnace running.

Around the house. . . almost have all the Christmas stuff down. Now it just needs to get back up in the attic. Got the boys room finished ( painting). They don't want to put their beds back together but want to sleep on the floor with their mattresses? I don't know what I think about that, it bothers me, but I don't see the harm. Laundry was organized yesterday, but it is back to it's usual state this am.

One of my favorite things. . . scordalia from Greektown! Who knew potatos, garlic and beets could be such a terrific combo? ;)

A few plans for the rest of the week. . . Dyl has a basketball game Wed. Other than that I am hoping to stay in and keep warm. After I get to the mall, of course.....

and the kids are bugging to go to the library.

Sunday Al and I took Dylan down to Greektown to celebrate his birthday. Later I took some of the kids sledding.

Here is picture thought I am sharing. . .My newest 18 year old. Happy Birthday Dylan!!!