The Week In Review

It's Friday, once again.  I take it slower on Fridays, since it's my day off from work.  I've been doing my grocery shopping every other week (because I hate going to Walmart) and this week I'm off from that as well.  Perfect time for a blog post.

I was off this Monday for July 4th weekend.  Most companies give their employees the Friday off when the holiday lands on Saturday; since we don't work Fridays our bosses decided to give us Monday instead.  My daughter still had to work at the church, and my son had to work at the store.  I waited for my daughter to come home, and we went to see Disney/Pixar's new movie Inside Out.  I don't want to give anything away, but once again Pixar hit it out of the park.  This movie is wonderful!  The story is beautiful and well developed, with its funny moments thrown into the deeper message.  But to be perfectly honest, my favorite part of the movie was the short cartoon at the beginning, called Lava.  The story of two volcanoes that fall in love was the most romantic cartoon I've ever seen - even my 15 year old son got teary-eyed!  While this movie doesn't knock The Incredibles from the top spot of my list, it's definitely in the top 5.  I recommend everyone see it at least once.

Our weather has been slightly milder than last summer.  Last year was killer; it rained almost every single day - at least 5 times a week - so that the humidity levels were off the charts.  This year has been drier, with rain a couple of times a week, or just in the afternoons for about a half hour.  There have been thunderstorms but they've been quick to pass by.  It's actually been pleasant in the shade, with warm breezes blowing.  Once you step out into the sun, though, it's like being in an oven.  I've thought that I would melt on several occasions.

I finally got the chance to use my new weed eater last weekend.  It's lightweight, so it wasn't a hassle carrying it around as I trimmed all the edges around our house and fences.  It's also fairly quiet.  I'm glad I charged both batteries, since the first one went dead with a quarter of my yard left to do.  I was really satisfied with how the yard looked; my arms, however, were not as happy.  The vibration of the weed eater is something I'm not used to, so by the time I was finished I felt like my arms were going to fall off.  It was a weird sensation that lasted several hours.  Yesterday I mowed the grass in the backyard again (that's the problem with summer, the grass kicks into high gear) but the sun was blaring on me by the time I finished so I didn't do any trim work.  Instead I pulled out the blower, and found that it too does a good job at cleaning up.  My favorite part is that they are both very light to carry around, even with the battery put in.  Assembly was easy too: for the blower I just had to attach the tube portion to the motor.  There was a small hole that I figured needed to be screwed in, but I couldn't find one in the box.  I thought, "Hmm, looks like I'm missing a screw," - then I chuckled at myself.  I figured out that the holes were just for lining up the two parts and no additional hardware was needed.  For under $120 I got a good buy, which makes me happy.

I've come to the sad realization that one of my makeup products is making me break out.  I'd purchased the Mac Face and Body foundation a couple of months ago, and was really liking it - the color match is spot on, it gives good coverage without feeling heavy, and I could use it on its own or over my Complexion Rescue.  I had noticed, however, that a couple of times after I'd used it I was broken out.  I have occasional breakouts from acne, thanks to hormones and such.  Pre-menopause = Puberty, The Sequel.  But this wasn't pimples; I was breaking out in a rash.  I tried to attribute it to other things: food allergy, hormonal acne, weather changes.  But yesterday, after cutting the grass, washing and drying my hair, and making lunch, I was running late, so I decided on using the Mac product for a quick makeup look.  Sure enough, when I got home and took off my makeup, my cheeks and chin were red and blotchy.  This morning it was no better.  Even my oldest son, who typically doesn't notice things like that, asked me what was going on with my face this morning.  The only thing different was the Mac Face and Body.  My daughter won't mind getting my almost full bottle - it works wonderfully for her.  I'm going back to my trusty mineral powder foundation.  Just not today.  Today I'm gonna run over to CVS and see if I can't find something for my blemishes.

What else is on the agenda for today?  For one thing, laundry.  Lots of laundry.  I also have to put gas in my car.  It's so great to work just three minutes from my house.  I literally put gas in my car once a month.  That saves me a ton of money.  I've also got to vacuum, and I'm hoping to take a trip to Target today.  They have shorts on sale, buy one get one 50% off.  Shorts this year are much shorter than anything I care to wear - let's face it, mini shorts don't look attractive on me anymore.  They have Bermuda shorts on sale, though, and I want to stock up for our upcoming trip to Disney World - yay!   So that's it for now.  Hope everyone has a beautiful and blessed day.

Another Month In Review

I'm kind of embarrassed at the fact that another month has gone by and I haven't put up a blog post.  I've thought about it several times, but always had something that needed to get done first.  Isn't life funny like that?

Let me see, what has happened in June?  For starters, my son E finished ninth grade with straight A's.  There are no words to describe how happy I am with how well he did.  I quickly signed him up for tenth grade and all the classes he'd need to take in August.  About a week after he'd finished, I got a call from the Florida Virtual School office saying that they aren't doing full-time online school anymore.  I felt my heart hit the floor.  No, don't do this!  Then the woman explained that I had to sign up for part-time homeschooling, which in essence is the same as full-time virtual school, except that I set the schedule instead of the online school.  I had to re-register him, which took a while but I was able to finish it.  We won't be using the same program as we did for ninth grade, which is kind of sad since my son enjoyed it.  But I'm relieved that we will still be doing homeschool.  My son did so much better and learned so much this year; I don't want him to have to go back to a school system he hated.

A week after E finished school, I had a week off from work.  Well, almost a week off.  My boss MM had explained that, while the tutors would have the week off, we would still have to come in and set up for summer tutoring.  I didn't mind, but she did.  She wanted a week off as much as the teachers.  So, we got to work early the previous week and did all the paperwork for the new session.  The only thing that couldn't be done was reminders - calls to the parents to remind them when their kids would start the summer session.  My bosses went out of town for the week, so I was "nominated" to make the calls.  I figured it would take me a couple of hours at most.  It took almost four hours, but it was one day and I rested that week, so I can't complain.

The following week, however, was pure insanity.  I signed up to serve at our church's vacation bible school (or VBS) in the mornings.  I had to be at the church before 8:30 in the morning to help with registration and sign ins, then I was off to the snack room, where I helped prepare snacks and clean up for the four age groups.  I was on my feet from 9am till noon.  Then I ran home, changed my clothes, ate quickly, prepared my dinner, and went to work from 1:30 till 7:30.  I'd get home, prepare the crockpot for the next day, go to bed and start the whole thing all over again the next day.  Add to that the fact that my monthly friend paid a visit on Thursday morning, and you can well imagine what my week was like.  I was thankful that I don't work Fridays, but we had our women's bible group prayer night that night.  It was close to home, which is great, but I was exhausted.  I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep during prayer time!  Actually, it was beautiful, such a lovely time with these wonderful women, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  In fact, if I had to do it again, I would do it all in a heartbeat.  Serving the kids was the highlight of my day, and I'm thankful I have the health and energy to still get it all done.

I went to NY & Co for some shopping because I had some City Cash that was about to expire.  It allowed me to get a couple of pretty necklaces that were on sale.  The original price was $25 for each; they had a buy one get one for $5 deal going on, and with my $20 in City Cash I spent $10 for the two.  I also picked up some pants for work.  I'd wanted to get some jeans but all they had was bootcut and I prefer straight leg jeans.  I also got some purses at Target.  One purse, in a pretty mint color, was $29.99; more than I usually pay for a purse but it's a lovely color and the perfect size for my wallet, umbrella, and bible.  I used it today for church and it's so springtime, I just love it.  Then my daughter and I went to Target today to return some makeup she'd bought that she didn't like, and I found a couple of purses on clearance.  One is black, the other is light green, and they were $7.48 each, reduced from $24.99.  Yeah, more my style!  I got a couple of tank tops too, at $6 each.  I like wearing a tank top with a cardigan for work because it's professional but still light.  One tank top is red and the other is purple.  I think I'll save the red one for July 4th, which is just a few days away.  Wow, the year is halfway gone!  Can you believe it?!

I also purchased some stuff from Bare Escentuals during their Friends and Family sale.  I had a $20 off coupon and they were offering 20% off and free shipping.  Works for me!  I got a cream concealer which I'd been wanting to get, a neutral eye kit with a 5 in 1 cream eye shadow primer, an eye shadow duo in brown and champagne (love!!) and a brown eye liner pencil (double love!!), and a sample Mineralixers kit.  Mineralixers is Bare Escentuals oil skincare line.  This kit brings the oil based cleanser, an eye balm and the 5 in 1 oil/moisturizer.  The 5 in 1 is my favorite; my dry skin appreciates it greatly.  It's not a greasy oil by any means.  I can use it in place of my moisturizer and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and silky.  The cleanser is good as a makeup remover - it melts the makeup off my face - but I don't feel like my skin is completely cleaned after I use it.  The eye balm is very nourishing to the delicate skin under my eyes, but so is their eye cream.  I'm not sure I like the balm more than the cream.  I'm glad I got the kit, though.  I've used it and my skin has responded well to it, which is good considering I'm struggling with adult acne.  It comes and goes; I can have days when my skin is perfectly clear, then all of a sudden I start breaking out.  It might be hormonal.  It might be my age.  Or... It might be that I've been having chocolate, which has always made me break out.  Which is terribly unfair.

I've been watching Poirot on Netflix.  A few seasons that hadn't been on Netflix before are on now, and I have been enjoying my favorite Agatha Christie sleuth.  I try to watch one episode a day.  It's about all I have time for.  It's a struggle not to fall asleep because it's late at night when I finally can sit down to watch.

Oh!  One more thing!  I've booked our hotel for our mini vacation in September!  We will be going to Night of Joy again this year, my son E, my daughter A and myself.  My oldest son R has to work, so he stays behind and takes care of Molly.  We will be staying at the Pop Century resort at Disney World, which is so cool because we've never stayed there before!  We got a great deal, $108 a night, which for Disney is a steal.  Just 2 days after I'd booked the room the prices had gone up to $114, so I'm glad I got it when I did.  We are soooo looking forward to Night of Joy - Skillet will be performing again, along with several bands we're eager to see.  I'm so excited!!

I think that's all the updates for this month.  I could say that I'm going to post more often, but...I'll say that I will try.  I really do enjoy recording our days and weeks.  I have to make an effort to keep my blog up to date.  Here's to hoping!  God bless.

It's My Birthday!!

The day is here!  I awoke this morning feeling...a day older.  And another day thankful.  I have so much to be thankful for!  God has been good to me.  I'm thankful for each day, for each year, and for each moment.  Today, I praise Him for one more year of life and health.

I got up early today (as I usually do) and began to get ready for church.  My daughter was awake and packing up her car - she plays guitar with the youth ministry band and had to be at church early for practice.  She was the first to wish me a happy birthday and give me my present:  she knows how much I'd been wanting to see the Disney movie Saving Mr. Banks, and she got me the DVD.  I love Tom Hanks, he is such an amazing actor, and I saw previews of him playing Mr. Walt Disney in this movie.  He is a genius!  I can't wait to watch the movie later on.  Underneath the movie I could see a gift card, but she said it was from her little brother who was still asleep, so I decided to wait till he got up to take a look at it.  I made breakfast and got myself a cup of coffee, then woke up my youngest son.  I didn't want to wake up my oldest son R; he had pulled a double shift at work the day before and I wanted to let him sleep in.  He got up early anyway, and gave me a big birthday hug.  That made my day right there!  His younger brother finally got up and they gave me my gifts.  My son E gave me a $25 gift card from my favorite cosmetic store, Ulta.  Woohoo!! My oldest son got me a great recipe book:  Taste Of Home Christmas Recipes.  I love recipe books, and this one has lots of desserts which means lots of goodies for our tummies!  It made me so happy to see how well my babies know me :-).

I got to Sunday school before anyone else, so I started up the coffee and set everything up.  People started streaming in, and one of the ladies whom I've known for years (her daughter was my daughter's college roommate) wished me a happy birthday.  I thought that was so sweet.  Then as our teacher was taking prayer requests, she mentioned to the whole class that it was my birthday - it caught me off guard, but everyone was wishing me a happy birthday, and at the end of the class they prayed for a special blessing for me on my day.  That really made my heart sing!

The sermon on the prodigal son was on point - I left feeling so loved by my God, who loves me and calls me His own even when I try to go off on my own, thinking I know better than anyone.  Pastor Ray once again preached the word with truth and accuracy.  I'm so thankful for our pastor!

After church we came home and waited for my daughter so we could decide where to go out to eat.  We always go out either for lunch, dinner, or "linner" on my birthday, and I was trying to decide where to go.  I felt like having Mexican food, so I chose a Mexican restaurant that's in an outdoor mall just north of us.  My daughter came home and we all hopped in the car and headed over, only to find the place packed inside and out, and no parking anywhere.  That was going to be a long wait, and it was already 3:00.  We drove over to the main street and looked at different places to eat.  My son R spotted Buffalo Wild Wings, and we all perked up.  We are chicken wing lovers, no doubt about it.  I still felt like Mexican but I would happily have wings, so we turned in there.  Again, the place looked like it was packed, but they got us seated right away.  Once we were sitting, I was quickly reminded how much I hate football.  There were television screens everywhere, with multiple games going on, and everyone focused on the Dolphin game.  The noise was over-the-top, but with it being a Sunday, and a football Sunday at that, I knew if we left we'd run into the same thing no matter where we went, so we stayed.  I anticipated slow service but it was the absolute contrary.  We were seated right away, our order was taken, and the food came quickly.  I ordered - get this - fish tacos!  Yes, I wanted Mexican and I got it!  My younger kids got a big platter of wings which they shared, and R had chicken tenders with enormous onion rings.  Once it was clear that the Dolphins were gonna lose, the place quieted down and we had a really nice time.  My oldest son graciously paid for the entire meal.  I was so thankful to be able to have my babies with me to celebrate my birthday.

Coincidentally (or not), Ulta was on the same street as Buffalo Wild Wings - isn't that perfect? ;-)  And my boys didn't complain - there's a Barnes and Noble in the same shopping center, so while my daughter and I went cosmetics shopping, they went to look at and purchase books.  I already knew what I wanted from Ulta:  cosmetic brushes.  Some of my brushes I've had for years, and especially my blush brush is rough against my skin from washing it so much.  I was hoping to get the Real Techniques core collection since I've heard such great things about it and my daughter has their powder brush which she loves.  When we walked into the store, the first thing that caught my eye was a Bare Minerals blush and brush set that I'd seen advertised on a youtube video, and I ran to get it.  It's a full size loose powder blush in Strawberry Cream with a mini blush brush for $10!  The regular price for just the blush is $19, so I knew I wanted that beautiful pink blush!  My daughter was looking at the BareSkin serum foundation, trying to decide what color she wanted.  I have this foundation in Bare Natural, which is a neutral color.  She has used it before, but she mistakenly thought I had Bare Nude.  As she was picking different colors to look at, I pulled the Bare Nude and asked if she wanted to try that one.  Her answer:  "You've already seen me in the Nude."  What was even funnier was that she didn't realize what she'd said till I told her, "I haven't seen you in the nude in a long time."  We laughed so much!  After trying out different tones one of the sales ladies came over and helped her pick the right color for her:  Bare Ivory.  It matched her neck nicely, and helped cover the redness in her cheeks.  After that she went to look at hair products and I went in search of my brushes.  I was so disappointed to find they didn't have any more core collection brushes :-(.  I should mention, the store was pretty busy and there was a long line at the registers the whole time we were there, so I wasn't surprised they were running out of merchandise.  'Tis the season to be shopping :P.  I did find the eye brush set - I wanted new eye brushes as well, and it was the last one.  Since they didn't have the core collection I decided to just get the blush brush.  Yes, the blush I was purchasing had a blush brush, but it's a mini.  It's nice for travel or to have in my purse, but I like a big fluffy brush for blush, and this one was $8.99 which is a great deal.  I had gotten a 20% off coupon from Ulta in the mail, and with that and the gift card, I was able to get everything I wanted for $6.35.  Now that's what I call a great deal!

The trip home was nice, chatting and listening to the Duck Dynasty Christmas CD my kids gave me last year.  We pulled into the driveway, and I remembered we still haven't fixed our Christmas lights.  It was already dark so that wasn't going to happen today.  Hopefully I can get that done tomorrow.  Our house looks so sad and dark compared to the other houses on our block.

I'm gonna relax the rest of this evening, watch a movie, and enjoy what's left of my birthday.  I am so blessed, and have so much to be thankful for.  My life isn't perfect by any means; but I am loved by my God, by my family, and by my friends.  And if you have Jesus, you already have everything you need.  All the rest is bonus.  Have a good night.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, November 29, 2011...

Outside my window...it's dark and the temperature is dropping.  We should be in the upper 50's by tomorrow morning.  That's cold by South Florida standards.

I am thinking...about my life, how even in the midst of storms I am blessed beyond measure.

I am thankful...that tomorrow is the last day of hurricane season, and Florida didn't get affected by any.  Thank You Jesus!

I am going...to watch a Christmas movie on TV or DVD.

I am wearing...my sleeping garb.  I showered, washed and dried my hair, and I'm ready to hit the sack.

I am noticing...the dryness in the air today.  It was rainy and humid yesterday.  It's like I'm in a whole other place.

I am hoping...my daughter gets done with her research paper in time.  It's one of her last assignments of the semester.

I am pondering these words..."When joy and prayer are married their first born child is gratitude." - Charles Spurgeon.

I am praying for...my family, my friends, my health, and a peaceful Christ-centered Christmas.

From the learning rooms...lots of math, fractions and decimals, and geography.

From the kitchen...since I was busy decorating the house, I kept it simple: burgers and fries.  The burgers were done on the indoor grill pan, and the fries were cooked up in the oven.

I am reading...a great devotional handed out at church this Sunday.  It's an advent devotional called Light.  I really am getting into it, as I want to immerse myself in Scripture this Christmas season.  I finished The Frontiersman's Daughter during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  It was a great read!

On my mind...changes that have happened, and the peace of the Lord.

Around the house...I've gotten lots of decorating done already.  The tree is up and it's beautiful.

One of my favorite things...decorating for Christmas.  This year I want to keep it simpler.  Every year I decorate like I'm moving to the North Pole.  This year I want to focus less on the decorating and more on the meaning of Christmas.  Yes, I know the meaning of Christmas, but I often get caught up in the whirlwind of shopping, decorating, baking, cooking, and I lose perspective of what's really important.  It's not about what I can do.  It's about what He's already done.

A few plans for the rest of the week...I want to put up the outdoor lights tomorrow.  Hopefully the weather will hold up (the weather lady said it's supposed to).  Awana tomorrow night, then we're pretty much free the rest of the week to watch more Christmas movies.

Here's a picture thought I'm sharing...Cinderella's castle in Disney World, Florida.

Wanna join in the fun?  Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook.  God bless.

Observing My Senses

For Today, November 26, 2011...

I am seeing...the sun shining through the blinds on a spectacular day.  God is blessing us with a bright sunny day!

I am feeling...excited!  We'll be leaving to Magic Kingdom in a little while.  My youngest son doesn't know it yet. Wait till he finds out!

I am hearing...my daughter the chatterbox. ;)

I am tasting...Honey Bunches of Oats, with pecan clusters.

I am smelling...sausages, biscuits, coffee, the typical morning fare.

It just takes a moment to observe your surroundings.  Won't you join me?

Thursday Thoughts (On Friday)

This is a post I usually do on Thursdays, but I was busy preparing our Thanksgiving day feast so I decided I'd leave my random thoughts for today.

*Yesterday was one of the best Thanksgivings ever!  Certainly the most relaxed one I can remember.  It was just me and my 3 children.  We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, lots of gravy, and crescent rolls.  It may seem like a lot, but it was probably about half the amount of food I usually make.

*Since my son works in a grocery store, our turkey was really cheap.  All the employees got a $5.00 off coupon, so our 12 lb. turkey only cost $2.61.  Too bad it isn't that cheap all year long!

*I brined our turkey as in other years, but for some reason it was juicier and tastier than ever.

*Thanksgiving is usually a very hectic time for me.  We have about 20 people over, and I do most of the cooking.  I also have to get the house ready, move furniture, set up additional tables and seating, clean every nook and cranny...it takes days to get ready for, and by the time I sit down to eat I'm exhausted.

*This year it was just the four of us.  The only thing I did ahead of time was brine the turkey and bake a cake.  Everything else was prepared at a leisurely pace, and we sat down to eat at about 3:00pm.  The house was clean but not perfectly neat, yet that was okay.  We got up for seconds (or in the case of my son R, thirds) and talked and laughed and watched Lemonade Mouth on TV.  Then we crashed on the sofa.  It was awesome.

*We took our dog Molly for a walk around the pond behind my kid's apartment building.  The grounds here are really beautiful and well kept.  E and I were thrilled to see big fish in the pond, then we saw a family of turtles!  Big ones too, at least a couple of them were about 2 feet long.  They came up to the edge and swam around.  It was so neat!  There were cranes too, and we enjoyed seeing God's creation up close.

*My youngest son E found his older brother's costume bin.  R gets dressed up for Halloween since he works at the store.  He's been Batman, Robin, and Dr. Wylie (from the Megaman video game).  E started dressing up in his brother's costumes and had us rolling on the floor with his antics!  He is such a funny little kid. He had a blast too, watching our reactions.

*Today's plans are simple.  We're gonna go see the new Muppet Movie at a local theater at about noon, since R has to go in to work at 3:00.  After that we're gonna hang out at the apartment.

*Tomorrow's plans are even better.  We have tickets to go to Disney's Magic Kingdom to enjoy the Christmas decorations there!  My two youngest kids and myself will be having an early birthday celebration since our birthdays are all in December.  I am so excited!  I love Disney, and I love Christmas.  The two together is like having cake and pie on the same plate!!

So much to continue being thankful for.  Thank You Jesus, for the life You've given me.  It's not perfect; there are trials and turmoil and disappointments along the way, but there is also joy in the knowledge that You are with me and have blessed me beyond measure.  God is good, all the time!

Move It Mondays

And what a Monday it's been!  I've been non-stop all day, getting caught up.  This weekend was spent with my sister, brother, and brother-in-law in Central Florida where we had a WONDERFUL time together!  I'm so thankful to God for bringing them here where we could make new memories as we remembered old ones.

Friday I took my son E to the doctor in the morning because he kept complaining of a sore throat and his nose was so stuffy he couldn't sleep.  I didn't want to get caught far from home with a sick little boy, so I decided to play it safe.  His pediatrician said it was nothing more than a bad cold, praise the Lord, and it gave us the opportunity to leave on our trip early.  I'm glad we did!  My siblings are staying at a hotel in DisneyWorld, a good 45 minutes from my kid's apartment.  We wouldn't have been able to spend as much time with them on Friday night if we'd left later in the afternoon.  Instead we got to eat dinner together in Downtown Disney, where we talked and laughed for hours!  I'd forgotten how much fun my brother and sister can be.  My kids got a big kick out of some of the stories we told too.

The next day we picked them up and brought them to the kid's apartment so they could see where their niece and nephew are living.  While we were there we played a couple of games of Apples to Apples (our favorite family board game), then went to dinner and a show at Medieval Times.  We had a blast!  While they are serving a dinner, which consisted of tomato bisque, garlic bread, half a roasted chicken, spare rib, herb baked potato and apple turnover, you get to watch a medieval story unfold.  The performance was amazing, and my brother really got into it!  He was cheering our knight on like it was for real!  I was so happy to see him enjoying himself so much.

Sunday we went bowling after church, something my daughter wanted to do because she's taking a bowling class in school and her uncle E.D. is a bowling aficionado, so she wanted to get a chance to show off her skills.  Their scores were tied!  It was great fun, but then E and I had to leave.  I hated saying goodbye, as did my little boy (he got all teary-eyed), but we were also very grateful for the time we spent together.

Unfortunately we got home to some unpleasant news.  Our dog Molly had an "accident" in the house.  This is something extremely out of the ordinary.  She'd only had one accident before, and it happens to be that both times she's had accidents it's been when we're in Central Florida and she's alone with someone.  I don't know if it's because she misses us, or if it's because her schedule gets disrupted.  Both times she went on the family room rug, and it was runny.  Dad had to clean up the mess, which he wasn't too happy about.  The rug is outside waiting to be super cleaned - that's my next task for today.  This is what I've accomplished so far:

* Unpacked and put away all our trip gear
* Vacuumed and mopped hallway, living room, dining room, kitchen and family room
* Washed and put away 4 loads of laundry
* Dusted in dining room and family room
* Cleaned up kitchen
* Moved a bench from the backyard to the front yard
* Made lunch/dinner
* Picked E up from school  

Now it's off to clean that rug, then help my son with his homework.  Very busy day, yes, but I have my happy memories to keep me smiling, and with Christmas music in the background (I know, I know; I start early) my chores aren't a burden at all.  Hope everyone has a pleasant Monday and rest of your week too!

Thursday Thoughts

Here's a peek into the thoughts roaming my head this Thursday afternoon.

 - I've begun packing for our trip tomorrow.  At least the clothes and shoes are packed, and the portable DVD player is being charged.  So many things have to be left for the last minute: toothbrushes, deodorant, hair care, etc.  That'll have to wait till tomorrow.

 - Another thing I have to do tomorrow: prepare Molly's food and label it.  Dad is staying with her, but since E and I are the ones that always feed her, Dad doesn't know when she eats or how much.  I'm just gonna make it as easy as possible.

 - My siblings will be staying at one of the Disney World resorts, so we get to spend some time with them there.  Disney is my favorite place in this world!  I can't wait to see my brother, sister, brother-in-law, and Mickey!

 - Of course, it means I have to drive.  I don't like driving.  I think that's why I haven't been able to sleep well the last few nights.  I wake up after a driving dream and can't get back to sleep.  I've made the trip before, I just don't enjoy driving, especially long distances.  This is about a 4 hour drive.

 - The weather has been spectacular here in South Florida ever since the rain stopped.  The temps are in the mid 70's to lower 80's, humidity is very low, and there's a cool breeze blowing.  I've been able to keep the windows open most days, enjoying the sweet smell of fall.  It's my favorite time of the year, except for the allergies.

 - Speaking of which, I had to buy my son Zyrtec for his allergies.  The poor boy was so stuffed up yesterday, and Sudafed just wasn't cutting it.  Praying this stronger medicine does the trick for him.

 - I measured my youngest child the other day, and was surprised to find he's passed the 5 foot mark.  He's 5 feet 1/2 inches tall.  He's turning 12 the end of next month, and is one of the taller boys in his class.  It's surprising because his daddy is only 5'4".  Of course the men in my family are much taller.  I wouldn't be surprised if E passed his older brother, who is 5'8".

 - Next Wednesday I have the privilege of teaching during counsel time at Awana.  I'll be teaching on obedience vs. willfulness from 1 Samuel chapter 15.  I'm so looking forward to it!

 - I was trying to do a graph for E's science project on Microsoft Works.  (I have an old computer, okay?)  I prepared the information for Samples A-G, but I couldn't get the graph to include Sample G.  Come to find out, the graph only allows for 6 entries and I have 7.  Either I have to find another graph program or this will have to be done by hand.  Ugh!

Hmm, it's passed 4:30 now.  Time to warm up dinner, then help my son with his homework.  Have a blessed rest of your week!