Outside my window....there is an entire forest of trees. It's been raining for days now and it smells like dying bark and fresh rain. It's beautiful. And best of all, it's quiet.
I am thinking...about schooling these days. I decided to keep Anne out of preschool this year. Not sure what to do about next year. Or kindergarten. I've done some minor reading lately about education but need to talk to a few non-traditional learners and public schoolers and get a better idea of what I think. Any opinions on schooling? Or books I should be reading?
I am thankful for....my family. My beautiful, loud, sloppy, learning, precious and wise family all together in this lovely new home. I'm thankful that we are making memories in this place already.
From the kitchen....Oh, my word. Can we talk? My friend, Gina, posted the most amazing tortilla soup recipe yesterday. I decided to try it for supper (which shows how brave I am...it's always a gamble to give Brian a bowl of soup for supper). And it was the best thing - so tasty, so filling - we'd had in a while. We both had two bowls, Joseph gobbled his and even Anne ate some. (If you knew my non-eater, you would understand the momentous occasion.) And then I had a bowl for lunch again today. And I'm having another bowl at supper. (I've asked her to post it on her blog so I can send you there. So check back later for the recipe.) Oh, and we made an apple-cranberry crisp this morning. Few things make me as happy as the smell of baking apples and cinnamon.
I am wearing....black leggings, an olive green cotton skirt and a black long t-shirt. And my sock monkey slippers.
I am creating....a little red wool sweater for Joseph for Christmas.
I am going....nowhere. And I couldn't be happier about it. My in-laws were here for a week and just left yesterday. We feel tired and the tinies are needing some routine back in their lives. It's going to be a quiet day.
I am reading...."What Difference Do It Make?" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It's the sequel to "Same Kind of Different As Me" which was a phenomenal book. A true story about a wealthy art dealer and a modern slave/homeless man who become deep friends as a result of one woman's commitment to justice. Beautiful story without any gloss over the hard bits. Neither one of these men seem too interested in coming off as a smarty-pants. Rather they are very authentic and honest even about their prejudices. It was refreshing.
I am hoping....that I will have enough time to make all of the presents that I need to make in time for Christmas. And that some magical team of elves will show up at our house to finish all of the drywall work and painting in the basement so that Brian can rest and I can unpack the rest of our stuff.
I am hearing....CBC Radio 2 Drive's Great Canadian Song Quest. I love CBC Radio 2 on the best of days, especially Drive with Rich Terfry at the end of the day. But they are holding this amazing program/contest right now. They asked for nominations of iconic Canadian places. Then narrowed it down to a few. Then held a contest for nominations of Canadian singer-songwriters to write songs about those places. Then selected the artists. So each of those artists was given a place that was chosen and asked to write a song about it. Now all 13 songs have been written and now I'm obsessed with them. Good music.
Around the house....we have a never-ending list of things to do. We're both tired. It's tempting to just leave it as-is for a while. But the over-achieving freakishness won't relent and we are still at it.
One of my favorite things....my sister called me at 7:40 this morning to inform me she was coming over for a chat and what did I want from Starbucks? We spent the morning, (me in my jammies and unbrushed hair), drinking coffee, laughing, playing with the pile of babies and generally chatting. Then she left. And that is a big reason why we moved out from the city. So my sister could be the rock star that she is.
A few plans for the rest of the week...lots of work to do. Lots of cleaning. Dry wall repairs. Painting. Scrubbing. Unpacking. And then more unpacking. Little inclination to do anything other than hang out, watch movies and knit.
I am thankful for....my family. My beautiful, loud, sloppy, learning, precious and wise family all together in this lovely new home. I'm thankful that we are making memories in this place already.
From the kitchen....Oh, my word. Can we talk? My friend, Gina, posted the most amazing tortilla soup recipe yesterday. I decided to try it for supper (which shows how brave I am...it's always a gamble to give Brian a bowl of soup for supper). And it was the best thing - so tasty, so filling - we'd had in a while. We both had two bowls, Joseph gobbled his and even Anne ate some. (If you knew my non-eater, you would understand the momentous occasion.) And then I had a bowl for lunch again today. And I'm having another bowl at supper. (I've asked her to post it on her blog so I can send you there. So check back later for the recipe.) Oh, and we made an apple-cranberry crisp this morning. Few things make me as happy as the smell of baking apples and cinnamon.
I am wearing....black leggings, an olive green cotton skirt and a black long t-shirt. And my sock monkey slippers.
I am creating....a little red wool sweater for Joseph for Christmas.
I am going....nowhere. And I couldn't be happier about it. My in-laws were here for a week and just left yesterday. We feel tired and the tinies are needing some routine back in their lives. It's going to be a quiet day.
I am reading...."What Difference Do It Make?" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It's the sequel to "Same Kind of Different As Me" which was a phenomenal book. A true story about a wealthy art dealer and a modern slave/homeless man who become deep friends as a result of one woman's commitment to justice. Beautiful story without any gloss over the hard bits. Neither one of these men seem too interested in coming off as a smarty-pants. Rather they are very authentic and honest even about their prejudices. It was refreshing.
I am hoping....that I will have enough time to make all of the presents that I need to make in time for Christmas. And that some magical team of elves will show up at our house to finish all of the drywall work and painting in the basement so that Brian can rest and I can unpack the rest of our stuff.
I am hearing....CBC Radio 2 Drive's Great Canadian Song Quest. I love CBC Radio 2 on the best of days, especially Drive with Rich Terfry at the end of the day. But they are holding this amazing program/contest right now. They asked for nominations of iconic Canadian places. Then narrowed it down to a few. Then held a contest for nominations of Canadian singer-songwriters to write songs about those places. Then selected the artists. So each of those artists was given a place that was chosen and asked to write a song about it. Now all 13 songs have been written and now I'm obsessed with them. Good music.
Around the house....we have a never-ending list of things to do. We're both tired. It's tempting to just leave it as-is for a while. But the over-achieving freakishness won't relent and we are still at it.
One of my favorite things....my sister called me at 7:40 this morning to inform me she was coming over for a chat and what did I want from Starbucks? We spent the morning, (me in my jammies and unbrushed hair), drinking coffee, laughing, playing with the pile of babies and generally chatting. Then she left. And that is a big reason why we moved out from the city. So my sister could be the rock star that she is.
A few plans for the rest of the week...lots of work to do. Lots of cleaning. Dry wall repairs. Painting. Scrubbing. Unpacking. And then more unpacking. Little inclination to do anything other than hang out, watch movies and knit.
A picture to share...
(Joseph with my mother-in-law, Leona. The tinies adore their Grandma and Grandpa from "Om'ha".)
(And yes, Brian and his mother are identical.)
(H/T to Ali Edwards for the idea.)
