Daybook for October 2011

Today I took a few moments to pause for an October Daybook.  Usually, I am composing my Daybook thoughts before bed, when it is quiet and peaceful.  I realized that is not the most accurate representation of our lives right now.  Today, I pieced together my thoughts throughout the day in the midst of the action.   What a difference!  It is a nice snapshot of a very normal Tuesday, precious in it's simplicity and normalcy.  As always, thanks to the Simple Woman's Daybook for hosting the inspiration.


Outside my window...it is raining, a dark morning, and it is supposed to rain all day.  But that's ok.  Today is Tuesday, the refreshing catch-up day of our week.  We don't have to run out the door this morning, because there is no preschool or Bible study today.  We have nowhere we need to be, nowhere we need to go.  What's on our list for today?  Laundry, vacuuming, meal prep and Sesame Street, and that's all we have to accomplish.   Cue a deep breath and contented sigh.  I love Tuesdays.

I am hearing...the sweet sounds of a lazy early morning.  The kids are playing as I stand in the hallway sorting laundry.  Baby Bear is napping in the room behind me.   G-Bear is singing a song as she colors at the art table.  I hear  E-Bear in the playroom playing with his trucks: "look out for the tractor, roooooowr!  Beep, beep!  Outta my waayyyyy!"  I am closing my eyes, trying to save this happy soundtrack to my brain's hard drive.  


I am thinking...about what it would be like to homeschool my kids.  The thought is both tempting and terrifying this morning. 

I am thankful...for my new bag of Coach's Oatmeal (thanks, Mom!), the perfect breakfast for a rainy morning like today.  They taste like steel cut oatmeal but cook in 5 minutes on the stove, which is perfect for my kids, who take after their momma and get cranky when their breakfast-ready tummies are rumbling.  We all love oatmeal, and I am so thankful for the cool, rainy breeze at our window that makes it sound appealing this morning.  I'll have craisins, milk and brown sugar on mine, milk and brown sugar only for G-Bear, and E-Bear will have just the sugar, please.  Yum.

From the learning rooms...Time to hit the bathroom before Sesame Street starts!  While I have had very little success motivating E-Bear to try the potty, both his preschool and Bible study teachers have him in the "potty chair" group at school.  What gives?!   Am I really that bad at motivating my kids out of diapers?  I don't know whether to jump for joy or throw my hands up in bewilderment.  I think I'll jump for joy for now, even though I'm still the one changing the diapers ;)

Around the house...we are decked out for fall.  E-Bear's finger paint pumpkin and apple tree painting adorn our window.  G-Bear did a great job on her autumn color page, which now adorns our front door.  Leaf and apple cut-outs hang from our sliding porch door.  Who needs decorations with these resident artists!  On the porch, our fairytale pumpkin sits contentedly on the table, and our mum plants perch on the railing.  We have quite the harvest around here.  

In the kitchen...our butternut squashes are roasting.  They smell amazing.  While the kids enjoy their lunch, I am peeling, chopping, roasting, and pureeing squash for our dinner tonight, dinner tomorrow , and for Baby Bear who will soon be ready to enter into the world of baby food.  The kids watched me prep the squashes as they ate lunch.  They giggled at the squash's name, waited wide-eyed for me to cut it open as they guessed what color it would be inside, ahhhhed at the seeds as I cut them out, and marveled at my knife-welding skills as I chopped it into chunks.  We all have such a good time when we cook together.  

Check out Toddler Approved for this great game idea

I am creating...a rainy day game for us to play after lunch.  It is called Lily Pad Hop from a great toddler idea blog, Toddler Approved.  We made ten paper lily pads, each labeled with a number 1-10 on it.  Then we played spread the lily pads out on the living room floor number side down.   We had a great time hopping around as the kids pretended to be frogs searching for the numbers I called out.  We made it through at least 6 rounds before we all collapsed in exhaustion, just in time for Quiet Time!  This was a hit, and we'll definitely do it again.





I am wondering...how such huge piles of toys can be amassed so quickly after Quiet Time when it took us sooooo long to put them away only an hour before :)


I am reading...my email in a quiet moment as T walks in.  It is such a treat it is to have him home some afternoons this year.  Even if he has work to finish, it is nice just to be close, working together.  


I am hoping...that dinner tastes as good as it smells.  Our soup is simmering on the stove.  Together, the cinnamon, butternut squash, apples, thyme and onion make the perfect scent of autumn.  

I am looking forward to...feeding Baby Bear his FIRST rice cereal tonight at dinner!  


I am pondering...the messiness that I am bringing upon myself as Baby Bear takes his first cereal bites.  Did I mention that our carpet is off-white?  Hmmmm.

One of my favorite things...is playing "Superman" with the kids: 

E-Bear:  

"Mommy, let's play Superman.  I'll be Superman...."

G-Bear:  

"And I'll be Wonder Woman!"

E-Bear: 

"....and Baby Bear can be the rocketship...."

G-Bear:  

"Or Baby Superman."

E-Bear:  

".....and Daddy can be the airplane, and you be the girl who likes Superman."

I am going...it's time for our one outing of the day.  Everyone ate great dinners tonight, (thanks to our butternut squash and Texas Mommy's recipe!) and it is Family Night at Chick-fil-a, which means we're headed out for IceDream cones.  The Chick-fil-a restaurant by our house makes colored IceDream cones for it's family night.  Last week the cones were light blue, this week they are light green.  The staff have the kids vote each Tuesday night on the color they want for the next week.  They have us hooked.  Tonight they let G-Bear make her own cone.  When E-Bear saw his cone he let out a delighted laugh so loud the whole restaurant looked over.  God bless Chick-fil-a.  

A few plans for the rest of the week:  We'll reunion with some close friends from Princeton later this week, something we have looked forward to for awhile now.  We'll have ten kids between four families!   Bring it on, I can't wait.