Daybook in December

For today, December 14th...

Outside my window...It is still very dark and very early in the morning. But today is supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees! Woohoo!

I am thinking...about those coffee mate flavored creamers available this time of year,,,gingerbread and eggnog and caramel apple flavored. I'm avoiding sugar in the interest of having a less-huge baby, but I've been missing them every morning!

I am thankful for...a generous Christmas gift from my in-laws that will allow us to finally finish our privacy fence. It was only 2/3 done when we bought the house and we've paid "handymen" twice to work on it and twice got ripped off. We've never been able to afford an actual fence company until now. This means that we can get a dog in the spring!

From the learning rooms...Kain is not with us for school right now. He will be going to therapeutic day treatment for a few months. He's doing ok, just more of the same, and lots of attitude problems regarding schoolwork that I just can't deal with anymore. So, his schoolwork is out of my hands. I am working on a unit on "Safety Friends" with Jack...firefighters and police officers and such. Lots of fun! Maria is learning about classification of living things, factoring, and the Greek-Persian wars.

From the kitchen...tonight we will have a cornbread-chili casserole for dinner. I've been using e-mealz lately. I'm not sure how I feel about their menus. They are pretty good and definitely handy, but my grocery bill has gone up a bit using them and I do miss planning my seasonal menus. I just don't have the gumption right now. Maybe after Christmas.

I am wearing...I'm not dressed yet! I'm wearing the grey sweatpants and white tshirt I slept in. Sexy, no? I'm also freezing. My bathrobe is in the laundry. It mysteriously got baby bath spilled all over it.

I am creating...some ornaments to put on our Jesse Tree for using *after* Christmas. We bought a little tabletop tree this year to use for our Jesse Tree. It won't count for our *real* Christmas tree of course. I wish it would! It takes up a lot less room! But I would have a mutiny on my hands if I tried that.

I am going...to have a busy Monday. I have to take Kain to TDT. Then I have to pick him up at 10 and take him to the pulmonologist, and then take him back to TDT. Then I have to pick him up at 2:30 and take him to therapy. Then Maria has dance class tonight at 7. Thankfully John is off today and can help with some of the running around.

I am reading...old back issues of Mothering. Someone gave me a stack a while back that I'm slowly working through. They date all the way back to when I was pregnant with Maria, and it's funny to see how dated the photos look!

I am hoping...that everyone stays well. Tessie has been congested with yucky stuff for a couple of days. Kain's asthma is acting up. Maria said last night that she felt queasy. I prayed that everyone would stay well through our trip to Dallas two weeks ago, and everyone did. Now I'm waiting for the other shoe to fall. We've had almost no illness so far this year. It's coming. I can feel it.

I am hearing...nothing at all. Everyone is still asleep! Oh...wait,,,I hear a couple of birds starting to cheep at the bird feeder outside the living room window. Poor cold birdies!

Around the house...we have done very little for Advent this year. Honestly, my planning for such things has been atrocious since I became pregnant. I'm hoping to pick up the ball again for the Christmas season. By Christmas season, I mean the real one that starts after Advent, not the one that walmart says starts on Black Friday. :)

One of my favorite things...my fuzzy warm bathrobe. And gingerbread flavored coffee creamer. I'm feeling whiny this morning, huh? Here's something good---feeling the baby kick. I finally feel him kick on regular basis. That seemed late in coming this time and I was getting worried about it, so it's sweet to feel him moving around.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Oh, it's a busy one. Tomorrow, John and I are going Christmas shopping together. I don't really like to shop, but this will be fun I think. Thursday- library day and occupational therapy for Kain. Friday- midwife appointment.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...from our recent trip to Dallas. Our trip was for the Southern Region Oireachtas, an Irish dance competition that qualifies dancers to compete at the national level. She didn't place, which truly wasn't expected at all...she is still a beginner and it was her first oireachtas. It was a fun experience though. It was a girls' road trip...Maria and I, my mom, and Tessie, living it up in the big city. Here's some pics of Tessie in Dallas.


Tessie's feet in little Irish dance socks...aren't they cute!

Eating New York style pizza at this *amazing* place near the hotel. It was so good we went twice!

Both of the girls were fascinated by the pigeons that let you get so close. Our birds at home aren't that friendly!