Monday Musings--16 January 2012

Right now...it is noon, and I need to get the kids some lunch.  Most of this post was composed at around 6:30 this morning, but we had to get on with things and so I am finishing now.  It's been a rough morning, with a lot of bickering and bad attitudes, and a lack of cooperation.  I actually did something I have never done before:  I told Una to hold down the fort for a few minutes and I put on jacket and muck boots and took a stroll in the brisk, wintery air around the pond.  Didn't take the camera, as I was in a hurry to get out. I was gone all of 10 minutes, but it really cleared my head.

This weekend...wasn't too bad.  On Friday we had a pretty busy morning baking bread, making butter, making a batch of ice cream and making chocolate sauce for said ice cream.  We had gotten most of our week's checklist for school done, so it was a light day, scholastically speaking.  Bret replaced the innards of both our toilet tanks, as they were already not working right, but were totally done in by a sediment problem after a heavy rain.  Well cap and filter are on the shopping list!  And he went into the shop to fill a bulk order from the Etsy shop.

Saturday we did some housecleaning and I worked a bit on Adrian's birthday gift and knit a bit on his sweater.  And we watched one of our Horatio Hornblower movies in the evening.  I really love those movies...I am an absolute sucker for the old sailing ships...my pulse quickens at the sight of them...

We went to an early Mass in Gallatin yesterday in order to be home early.  Now with Bret back at work and also trying to work on the new house, Sundays are extra precious to us.  After I made lunch for the kids, I lay down for half an hour, then rose to work on Adrian's gift and chat with my mom on the phone.  It sounds like I am putting hours in on the secret gift, but really it is distracted and interrupted work, so very little gets done in a session.  I even managed to squeeze in a bit more knitting before going to bed.

Some plans for this week:  today I need to make butter and bake something for the kids snacks, maybe some pumpkin bread, as it is fairly quick and easy and freezes well.  Generally I have graham crackers and animal crackers on hand for snacks, but as I have pretty much managed to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from the rest of the pantry, I need to stop buying these last items as well.

We have school, naturally, and I really want to push ahead with our history...by the end of this month I want to be done with our study of colonial life and move on to the American Revolution, since I plan to spend several months on it--there are so many historical figures and events to read and learn about, and so many resources.

If I manage to find some time for myself, I would like to...brainstorm for some spring and summer craft ideas for the Etsy shop.  Looking at Pinterest boards can sometimes inspire me.  I also need to email a friend I haven't heard from lately (hey Cindy...how was your family visit...?)

I am grateful for...so much!  I think I need to eliminate this category from the Musings, as my list is always too long and generally the same from week to week.  But I am grateful for functional toilets, to say the least...

Some prayer intentions for this week:  for peace and joy in this house, and for a spirit of unity here, as I am beyond exasperation with the bickering.  I keep telling these boys, You are brothers!  You're on the same team, guys!  Quit it with the bickering and fighting and tattling!

Something that makes me smile: Rosy cheeks and giggles.

You are welcome to join in with your own Monday Musings!  Just grab the header image for your Musings post, kindly link back here, and if you wish you can leave a link to your own post in the comments.  Have a great, peaceful week!