Seven Quick Takes Friday--volume 96

One.

Dad has left us this morning after having spent only a few days here.  It was so nice, especially for the kids, who, for that time, had a grown-up drawing, sculpting and listening to them in a way I am frequently too busy to do.  We were blessed with lovely weather all week, and even though we spent all our time just hanging out around the house, it was perfect.  

Two.

I am gearing up for school to begin in earnest next week.  I am determined to make it a joyful, relaxed school year, although I know that it cannot always be so.  Still, I really hope that we will have a good time of it.  I think what can make it so is good meal planning (with lots of quick and/or pre-made frozen meals) and plenty of cooperation from the kids with cleaning.  That'll mean more time for me to spend doing things with them, and hence less time for them to bicker.  

Three.

Of course, there's that marvelous saying:  Want to make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans...

Four.

Still trying to figure out if Gemma has a food allergy.  It is driving me nuts changing diapers all day, and I have given up on cloth diapers for the time being.  She has many, many bowel movements a day, and they are all a bit thin and mucousy (more information than you want, I'm sure), but she seems to suffer absolutely no discomfort.  She is happy as a lark and doing fine in every other respect, and food allergies don't really run in the family.  Anyway, we have eliminated just about all dairy--not something we like to do, since we have Jersey milk cows--and are waiting for a change.  If nothing changes, on we move to wheat products.

Five.

This cooler weather is wonderful.  And not just because my last electric bill nearly put me into Freak-Out Mode.  Autumn is truly my favorite season.  The only thing I don't like about it is that it leads to winter, my least-favorite season.  But cooler days, chilly nights, bread in the oven, soup on the stove, colorful leaves and geese honking overhead all make me feel very cozy.  I am by nature a homebody, and home never feels more cozy to me than in autumn.  Today it is raining for the first time in what seems ages.  The day after I finally watered my basil plants, wouldn't you know...

Six.

Gee whiz, I was hoping to be done with Christmas shopping by the end of October.  I will be lucky if I am done with deciding what I'm giving everyone for Christmas by that time.  I hate it when I fall short of my own expectations...

Seven.

My kids are lately obsessed with dressing up as Narnians or various folks from The Lord of the Rings.  I have a feeling that some of our Christmas presents of the homemade variety will reflect this recent interest.  Here's hoping that the interest lasts more than two months...

If you would like to read more Quick Takes, visit Jennifer's Conversion Diary, and have a great weekend!