Daybook just before February
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Outside My Window
There is a blanket of snow everywhere. A quick check of the weather tells me that there may be more snow in the immediate future followed by lots of cold rain midweek. Not much good to say about cold rain...
I am Listening to
quiet
I am Wearing
Yoga pants and a sweathsirt. I slept in these. I do plan to dress for the day.
I am so Grateful for
~a safe trip home for Mike (only three hours) on a snowy night when many people spent up to ten hours in their cars.
~a safe flight out early the next morning so that my sweet Mary Beth could surprise Patrick with a real life visit--meet his friends, see his school, take him some Valentine dots in person. My husband is a travel genius and we are blessed by his expertise.
~a warm gym on a bitter Saturday morning.
~making a quick exit from said gym before my two-year-old threw up. Getting outside was a huge blessing. to a lot of people, no doubt.
~a trip for Mary Beth and Mike to see Patrick in Florida
~black tea with mint and coconut milk
~long talks with Linda about all things theological
~Mary Chris' knitting lesson when every other plan for fun last week failed
~Katie's enthusiastic love of all things yarn
~a hot pink lighted Kindle case
~hours in bed on Sunday recovering and reading
~snow
~a new deacon at the mission
~bedtime talks with Mike
~a good night's sleep
~cashmere socks
~hair bows
~newly organized school baskets
~the Charlotte Mason organizer
~Latin DVDs
~a solid school plan for the term
~a good dentist (if I can just drum up the courage to call her)
Mary Beth in the airport on the way home (note the sunburn--sign of fun in the sun)
I'm Pondering
“If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.”
~ Amy Carmichael H/T Ann Voskamp
I am Reading
Catholic Controversies: Understanding Church Events and Teaching in History. I'm reading this one with Christian. He's a huge fan of National Geographic and the History Channel, but is driven crazy by occasional anti-Catholic. This book is very helpful in sorting fact from fiction. Edited by Stephen Gabriel, different topics are written by different authors, all experts in their fields who share their knowledge in this one comprehensive volume. All of the authors are well-respected writers, editors, historians, scientists, or theologians and they bring their strengths to the project, making it an exceptionally credible resource. The resulting collection is both impressive and exceedingly useful. Complex and commonly misunderstood doctrines and historical events of the Catholic Church including evolution, Galileo, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Reformation, the role of women, natural law, and contraception are addressed in solid, readable essays. I think this go-to guide is going to be ready at my fingertips as one teenager after another asks tough questions in this household over the next couple of decades.
I am Thinking
about how grateful I am for the sacrament of marriage. There's a lot of grace there.
I am Creating
endless knitting projects. In my head. Because really, I'm no at all sure I can sit still long enough to bring any of them to fruition.
Patrick's dorm
On my iPod
same old, same old. But I did install the Divine Office Mac app on my computer. Bliss. Really, it's amazing. I love it. It's clean and beautiful and I love that it's its own button on my toolbar and not dependent on browser. Love.
St. Stephen's, where Paddy goes to school
Towards a Real Education
We cleaned out all the individual school baskets and got all caught up on CM Organizer. Ordered a few new things for children who have whipped through previously planned curriculum. Nicky and Katie have blasted through math this year. Kindle has been such a blessing to Mary Beth, who is still struggling with an eye injury from last spring. We're getting there, though. making steady progress.
Karoline loves the geography studies especially and she's becoming our resident map expert. She was teaching Sarah all the countries in South America last night. Too cute for words. "This is Bolivia, but you can call it Olivia if you want betuz that's what I called it when I was little and I didn't know better." Like last week?
Towards Rhythm and Beauty
Time to get back to the "put the computer away" rhythm. I've gotten sucked in to having it open all day and then I get sidetracked. I wish there were an iPod app for the CM Organizer. Then, I wouldn't need to be online with my laptop. It's too tedious to just acces the Organizer online for iPod--it's just not configured for that small screen. Perhaps a little self discipline is in order, yes? Anyway, I need to finish up here this morning and close all window but the Organizer. And focus.
We're having a Kind Conversation about
gosh, I don't know. I haven't been there in several days. Must check in today.
dorm room
To Live the Liturgy
Today's the Feast of St. John Bosco.
I am Hoping and Praying
for Elizabeth deHority. She is constantly on my heart and in my prayers. She needs you now. Please, please pray with me.
Around the House
It appears that I'm going to have to do a clothing switch in the middle of winter. Sarah has suddenly decided to grow. She had been wearing last winter's clothing (the 6-12 months size), but all of a sudden, she needs something bigger. Down to the storage room today, to unearth the clothing Karoline wore the winter she was two. I think those might be too big. And then, I'll be stuck because a quick look around Target the other day let me know that bathing suits are already ready and available for purchase. Ironic, since I was there to look for snow pants.
headquarters of US Soccer Men's U17 National Team, where team meetings happen
From the Kitchen
I'm inspired by Andrea's post. I tend to make dietary changes for me, but hesitate to make them for all of us. At least, I haven't really put my foot down in the kitchen in a long, long time. I remember when Paddy had surgery on his hand on his second birthday and we stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way home. He didn't even know what a donut was. My current two-year-old would happily live on chocolate chips, unless of course, M & Ms were available. We've loosened my formerly militant dietary rules way too much. It's time to clean up around here.
One of My Favorite Things
Snow days. I'm learning to embrace cold rain days this winter. Not so much.
Sarah Annie this week
She's sporting a new haircut. More on that later.
A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week
Need to schedule a visit to the dentist.
Lots of basketball
Senior night for Christian. How is that possible? I always cry at Senior Nights...This one will be particularly tough. I wish so much for this child and life knocks him around more than a little.
Stephen's birthday
Candlemas
Tomorrow begins our Small Steps Together study of Simplicity.
Picture thoughts:
after the match on Saturday
Paddy and Mary Beth after his match on Saturday
These pictures are from Mike's and Mary Beth's recent trip to visit Patrick at the U17 US Soccer Men's National Team Residency program in Bradenton Florida. They were taken on Mike's Blackberry.
