For this first time in over a week, no one got sick in the night! In the morning, yes, but thankfully not between the hours of midnight and 3 am. Here's the current victim, happily coloring away while she watches Cinderella. She's so very tired, but not too tired for a one-liner while watching Fritz take on Snickers, weakly observing "Are they going to kill each other or what?".
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Little Prince, however, cried from 4 am to 6 am over the loss of his flannel baby blanket. We had to wean him cold turkey after he started sleeping with it over his head. Of course he does not realize he could suffocate and die and that we, his loving parents, are saving his life by refusing to let him have his blanket. He just wants his horsey blanket! Instead, we cover him with a loose-knit wool blanket I knitted while expecting.
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On busy days spent cleaning messes with Clorox wipes and doing laundry I am grateful for cans of soup. Not that it's difficult to make home-made, but sometimes opening a can is a life saver!
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See this clock? I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love the antique look of the face and the bathroom location that helps me keeps tabs on the amount of time it takes me to get ready in the morning. But the ticking! If I am in a pattern of sleeping well it does not bother me, but on a week like this last week it drives me nuts and I have to get up and remove the battery. It took me two more hours to get back to sleep.
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The Downton buzz this week is all about Poor Edith. Folks, she got jilted at the "altar", not the "alter". I am no professional copy editor, but this common misspelling drives me more bonkers than "Saterday" or misplaced apostrophes. I see it all over the place, even among Catholics who worship at the "altar" every week. I'll get off my soap box now with apologies to anyone I may have offended!
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Typepad bloggers, do you use the $5/month plan or upgrade? Other than being able to change my banner photo, what are the benefits of upgrading? Tabbed sections? I feel guilty enough paying $5/month when Blogger is free, but upgrading would seem easier than transitioning to Blogger.I also miss having spellcheck on all the time - Typepad seems to have changed this somewhere along the way because now I have to select it and then it disappears before I am done checking my post.
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On Monday I attended a homeschooling support talk on "Chronic Chaos" presented by a homeschooling veteran of eight with nary a wrinkle on her peacefully contented face. She was truly a beautifully gentle soul (from Oklahoma, I might add - made me so homesick). I felt both validated and vindicated. I mean, I DO most of what she advised! We have a cleaning routine, menu plan, to-do lists, the plan for the day on display, a Biblical/spiritual basis for even attempting to delegate age-appropriate tasks to our children. So,, anyone who has been in my house - do you think I am a perfectionist? Be honest now! I don't think that I am. I have my piles and unsightly messes. I just try to hang on to some semblance of order to avoid slipping into total chaos that would make it impossible to find things, clean surfaces, organize, or have anyone over. I talk to the kids about stewardship and responsibility, and try to raise cheerful helpers, but most of the time I seem to be the only person in the family motivated to implement these principles. I am starting to wonder if I should just let it all go, have more fun, and surrender.
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In the meantime, one take-away I applied to The Junk Drawer. Our formal junk drawer never gets used, while the pile of junk I use daily lives on the center island now that the bill desk is home to the laptop. So, I emptied The Junk Drawer and put the stuff I actually use into it. My files are still on the island, and I have no idea where to put the contents of The Junk Drawer. Some of this I will need later - like patches for the kiddie pool, little light bulbs, hooks on suction cups, shoelaces, mystery keys, etc.
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Would you ever consider renting out your house and renting another in the city? The only school my husband and I agree would be a good fit with both our budget and educational goals is quite a commute from our outside-the-metro location. Unknowns and fears may just paralyze us from ever taking advantage of this excellent opportunity. We might be able to carpool, but it's still a fair distance from where we live now.
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How can I possibly put these impossibly cute dish towels to use? My talented needle-working friend stitched these to represent everyone in our family. They have been gracing the handle of our lower oven, but she insists we actually use them. How can I?
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Fritz and Marie go to the vet tomorrow. I called around for quotes on exams, shots, tests, spaying, neutering, etc. Prices ranged from $400 to $630! We going with the $400, but will wait until they are six months old for the operations.
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Isn't this the cutest? Got behind this Mini Cooper on the way home. Someone, please tell me why "British" breaks the phonics rule of having a double consonant after a short vowel. And why "much" and "such" do not have a "tch". Moms using Logic of English want to know.
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One last thing: thank you Kim for turning me on to Zingo! This is a hit with the little ones!
Have to go now, I apologize for any misspellings I don't have time to check!
All for now, blessings on your day, friends!
Tracy
