Outside my window… is melting snow and 91km winds. In the last two weeks we’ve had 14 inches of snow, frigid temperatures, and then three days of freezing rain. It’s rather treacherous out there. The sun is shining though, which is very welcome after all the snowy days.

I am thinking… of all the exciting Advent family traditions we will be doing this year. I’m working on a post with some ideas for the Advent season.

I am thankful… that Alex’s surgery to have tubes put in was successful and is now behind us. Alex did amazing. He was npo from midnight on and when he woke up at 4:30 this morning decided if he couldn’t eat then the rest of us weren’t allowed to sleep. We got to the hospital for 6:30am like we were instructed but it wasn’t until 10:30am that they finally got us back. Alex did better than either of us ever imagined, as long as he had his soother and his blankey and one of us to walk around with him he was relatively content. I was allowed to stay with him while he was being put to sleep and just 10 (really really long) minutes later the ENT came to tell me everything was fine and he would be brought to me as soon as he was awake. I think the whole floor heard him wake up, he was not a happy baby but snuggles form mom and some milk quickly fixed that. I’m grateful that it was minor and now it’s over ans very hopeful that we will start to see a happier Alex soon.

Learning all the time… now that our books are back out in our living room we have had a renewed interest in reading about the saints. I’ve been lax in our actual school lessons and giving her more free time to read. I think I’m going to stop lessons once Advent starts and focus on Advent activities. I love the flexibility of homeschooling!

From the kitchen… lots of easy food. I need to get back into the habit of using my slow cooker on our busy days.

I am working on… sorting and organizing a ridiculous number of pictures. My husband just bought me a big external storage drive that I can store all my pictures on. My computer was really slowing down having all of my pictures stored on it, it’s nice having them somewhere else but still easily accessible over the network. Now I just have to organize them.
I am creating… some hand made Christmas presents. Not as many as I had originally hoped because I have been spending too much time working on our family photo book for the year. Priorities of course. 🙂

I am going… to a Spark’s meeting tonight. I love being a Spark’s leader and Mary is having a great time with all her friends.
I am hoping… to get to the library one evening this week to do some planning. I work best when I’m out but finding a night that works can be challenging.

I am praying…  me towards, in a not so subtle way. This reflection on the past Sunday’s Gospel is what started it out and I have been hearing it everywhere ever since.

I am reading…  The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. This is a very convicting book and I’m finding I have to read it very slow. Sometimes I can only read a few pages at a time and then I need time to digest and figure out how it applies to me.

I’m also reading this Letter from Pope Benedict for the indiction of the Year of Faith. It’s another one that is best read in small pieces. It’s beautiful though, and so encouraging!

Pondering these words… “But it’s the way I respond to my children in everyday moments that gives me the best chance of winning their hearts. If I have integrity and patience in the small moments of life that are so important to my children, and if I approach them with a servant’s heart, then I have a far better chance of influencing them in the larger and more critical issues of life.” -Sally Clarkson

I am listening…  to Alex complain that he isn’t being fed. We’ve also been listening to a lot of Cat Chat and other podcasts. My dear husband set me up so I can play podcasts through the TV so I have been listening to lots of Dr. Ray, Open Line, and Catholic Answers.

Around the house…  trying to remember to spend more time playing games and reading with my littles and less time stressing about things I can’t control.

One of my favorite things… 

My boys sitting watching Mighty Machines together.

This week’s plans…

Monday- Surgery, Sparks

Tuesday- School, preschool, Parenting class.

Wednesday- Mommy group, library?

Thursday- preschool, Mom coming!?

Friday- breathe….

A little peek at my day…

Sorry about the blurry cell phone pictures. He didn’t stay still… ever.