Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, March 30, 2015

Outside my window...  everything is still wet and drippy from rain in the night, but the clouds are higher and lighter today.  So many trees are blossoming, leaves are unfolding, and it feels like spring, but the dogwood right outside my window is a later bloomer - still just a winter skeleton.

Hearing...  Wyatt working away at his spring break chore list (woo-hoo!), and the dryer tumbling as he's doing his laundry (double woo-hoo!).  Gunnar is working quietly, and we're about to go for our walk. 

Pondering...  life gets more complicated as the boys get older.  On a small scale, Wyatt's spring break is this week, while the other boys' is next week, lining up with the public school.  Obviously, I could put Gunnar's wherever I want, but Wyatt and Tate are both bound by their schools' schedules, and it made more sense to align Gunnar with Tate than Wyatt.  On a larger scale... well, college, jobs, LIFE.  Whew.

Praying...  work for Kerry.  Actually, we're so thankful that several projects have come in.  Enough that he's able to take a figurative step back and evaluate if he may even turn away a project for some potentially very difficult clients.  Yikes.  I kind of hate the thought of turning away ANY work, but I totally get this.  (Sorry, no details.)  Also praying for a friend at church with cancer - praying it's just what's visible and not a secondary spot - revealing something hidden elsewhere.  Praying for the boys' good work habits - heh heh heh :D

Thankful...  for work, yes :D  For a relatively relaxing weekend.  We had our two choir concerts (Friday evening and Saturday afternoon), and I knew that would be a lot of work so I didn't plan anything else.  Of course we went to church Sunday, but that was it.  Had dinner already going in the crock-pot Saturday so I wouldn't get home tired and have to cook, and then Kerry treated us to lunch out (McD's) on Sunday, so it was a real break for me :D

Creating...  chore lists for the boys (!), planning a spring break project for me to work on - can't share that yet.

Going...  to ask Kerry about our taxes.  We gave all the stuff to the accountant a couple weeks ago - why haven't we heard anything???

Reading...  Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn, with the boys.  Realistic fiction about the persecuted church in China.

Looking forward to...  spring break!  And after that, just eight more weeks of school.  And - I just realized - after Easter I only have six more weeks of Sunday school.  Our church takes a break from Sunday school from Memorial Day until Labor Day weekend.  I've always thought that was a great thing, to give all the Sunday school teachers a break, and now that I am one I like it even better!  Well, I enjoy teaching my little class and I'll commit to one more year, and then I'll probably rotate out.  But as much as it is fun, I'm looking forward to the break!

In the kitchen...  I have a big elk steak marinating in the fridge, for dinner tonight.  Maybe I'll even get ambitious and make some more homemade bread.  The boys would sure love that!

In the learning rooms...  while Tate and Gunnar both have school, they have a lighter week - of homeschool, anyway.  With the science curriculum we use there are 16 chapters that each take about two weeks, giving us about four weeks of leeway if we need extra time.  I decided not to start a chapter, then have a week of break, and then try to go back to that chapter, so they both have a week off from science, which is fairly time-consuming because of all the labs we do.

Around the house...  the spring cleaning is starting!  Wyatt is currently scrubbing some walls and a ceiling, preparatory to some much-needed painting.

The Mother Load...  in flux.  I need to spend some time today making my lists for the boys and for me.

Noticing that...  the sun just came out!

Something to remember for later...  Tate tried a new dessert at the social after our choir concert, and he liked it so much he emailed the woman - a friend's mom.  His note was charming. 

Mrs. S, 

I didn't used to like desserts with nuts in them, but now I do.  You could call it a conversion of sorts.  My mom and I are just dying to learn the deep, dark, Dutch secrets of your almondy dessert.  If it's not a closely guarded family secret (and then again, even if it is) would you consider our humble plea and share your recipe with us? 

Sincerely (with hopes set high),

Tate G

And, YES, he got the recipe.  I mean, who could resist?   ;D

Something fun to share...  or funny... I finally "noticed" the orange umbrella that's been in our mudroom since our neighborhood Christmas party, and tracked down the owner.  Genius, I'm not!

A favorite quote for today...    To think of God for who He is, is to lapse into worship. - Dallas Willard

One of my favorite things...  when my hair finally gets long enough to pull up in a pony tail... but not there yet.  *sigh*

A Bible verse...  Psalm 24:7-8

Lift up your heads, you gates;

be lifted up, you ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

the Lord mighty in battle.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  lots going on for Holy Week!
We'll have a Maundy Thursday soup and bread potluck on Thursday, then a Tenebrae service on Friday, Sunrise service and regular church and Easter brunch all Sunday morning, and then get with my family for Easter celebration.  All good... but "all" is a lot!

A peek into my world...  Gunnar spotted this after breakfast...