Today's Thoughts

1) I don't think I'll ever let Joseph do math after 12 noon again. Afternoon math is nearly always disasterous.

2) Elijah will have a clutter problem. He had an emotional breakdown when I threw away a foam statue of liberty crown with a tax firm ad printed on it. He hasn't seen it or worn it in 3 months. I had to take it out of the trash for him.

3) I prefer a little more snow than we've been having. We've been having none. It's very strange and dry. It's not that I enjoy driving in it, it's just disconcerting not to have it.

4) Homeschool moms need Christmas break even more than their students need it.

5) Getting an unexpected gift in the mail is still the same thrill it was when I was 5 years old.

6) I love having family in Brazil. Technically, they are not biological family, but they are family. Our family's foreign exchange student from many years ago is married and has a son. They are all here visiting and my heart has been full with this extended family of mine.

7) Continuing my thoughts regarding Brazilian family, I found out that Nerf guns are a universal language for boys. Great battles of intense strategy have been fought.

8) I have done a lot of throwing away and can't seem to stop. It is addictive. I am pretty much running out of stuff to throw away.

9) Joseph enjoys dusting as much as I do--NOT.

10) We have theorized that an animal got inside our boiler exhaust system and made the crazy, scary clanking noises of a week ago. Still no idea quite what happened.

11) We got a day off from "car roulette". Most mornings (and many afternoons and evenings), Brian gets to play car roulette and find out if his car will start. It is a rather cranky automobile and has been a touch unreliable lately.

12) I have decided on preschool teacher gifts for this Christmas. I am actually going to buy classroom supplies for them since I'm sure they get plenty of candy and knick-knacks, but they often have to buy supplies out of their own pockets. I am excited to bless them this way.

13) This middle-age thing has been tough on me. More and more, I am grateful that I belong to a God who knows that I may be wasting away on the outside, but he is renewing me daily on the inside.