Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, November 28, 2011

Outside my window...  bare branches, green cedars, firs, and hemlocks, and some blue sky peeking through the clouds.

I am thinking...  still in (happy) shock over my brother's good news (post below), and working through the details of this very busy week.

I am thankful for...  good weather this morning for Gunnar, who is at a birthday party involving horseback riding, for a new niece of nephew coming next June, a wonderful Thanksgiving and family to celebrate with, and that tonight is our last Messiah rehearsal.

I am praying for...  my aunt recovering from pneumonia, friends coming home from Africa this week, and boys shifting back into school mode (ugh).

I am wearing...  jeans, purple sweater, warm blue socks, and slippers.

I am going...  to fold Mt. Laundry and clear off the pile on my desk before it breeds and multiplies ;D

I am reading...  with the boys, The Magic Tunnel, a story about the British takeover of New Amsterdam.

I am hoping...  Gunnar has a fun time at the party, Wyatt gets his work done cheerfully (I can dream, can't I?), and Kerry keeps busy with work.

I am hearing...  silence, the boys are doing school work.

I am remembering...  the "kids' table".  When I was growing up and my grandparents lived in this house, we nearly always came here for Thanksgiving.  There were ten of us and we would've been a tight squeeze around the dining room table, so instead, my Nana always set up a card table in the living room for us four kids.  And you never, ever graduated from the kids' table.  Ever. 

It became a running joke that my Nana never "got".  By the time I was married and having my own kids we had started celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents' house.  Though by then we needed two tables, they were "integrated" :D

Now, when I set up two long tables together for this Thanksgiving, I had the boys put name cards at each place, and gave them free reign as to where to put people, and guess what they did?  Put all the kids down at one end, "So we can talk to each other, Mama."

All righty then!

From the learning rooms...  working through Sequential Spelling with Tate and Gunnar (very, very helpful); Tate begins Geology this week (having finished Fossils), Gunnar is learning about "dinosaur fish", Wyatt is reviewing the layers of the atmosphere; Tate and Gunnar reading about the early colonies - contrasting Jamestown with Plymouth, Wyatt reading about the Lewis and Clark Expedition; and math - multiplying by two numbers  ie 128 x 36 (Gunnar), order of operations (Tate), and exponential numbers (Wyatt); and the usual round of grammar, writing, hand-writing, etc.

From the kitchen...  my last Messiah rehearsal tonight so I won't be here for dinner.  I'm thinking turkey taquitos for lunch :D

Around the house...  I've put out some Christmas things but won't have time/energy to get a tree until early next week.  Still, I've got candles, and lights, and Christmas music on the CD player :D

Something I want to remember for later...  Tate will get up at 6am, read his Bible, do his CAP exercises (push ups, sit ups, etc.), and then start on his school work before his brothers are even awake.  That boy is going to go far!

On my mind...  how to manage Christmas gifts this year... hmmm.

Noticing that...  Tate shaved for the first time this Thanksgiving!

Pondering these words...  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed...

One of my favorite things...  boys getting along with each other :D

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Monday rehearsal, Tuesday CAP, Wednesday youthgroup (aptly named None the Wiser), Thursday deep breaths, Friday Messiah performance, Saturday Tuba Christmas and second Messiah performance, and Sunday...  a much-needed rest!

Here is a picture I am sharing...

They look so little!

We'll take a new one this year :D