-1-
I was able to attend a "mini-retreat" on Wednesday morning at my church. It was themed "Keeping the Holidays Holy". It was a great "time-out" for me to focus myself on one of the two holiest celebrations in our liturgical year. I was able quiet my thoughts and focus on the "reason for the season"...the birth of Jesus Christ. I am trying to pass onto my children that coating the Christmas season with cheap plastic toys and decorations, stress over cooking just the right meal or just the right cookies does nothing to prepare us for advent. It is ok to have a less is more attitude about our holiday. A full Christmas tree doesn't bring us closer to God. Christmas placemats don't bring us closer together as a family. Perfectly frosted Christmas cookies probably really are inferior to poorly shaped cookies that were baked as a family.
-2-
Still no Christmas photo...which means...still no Christmas card...which means...I still don't know if I will get cards out this year!
-3-
Brendan is a monkey!!! I cannot keep him off of the kitchen counter, kitchen table, chairs, dining room table, etc... Really, every time I turn around he is pushing something (like a chair) over to the counter or to the table to get one top. He then stands, dances and laughs. It is driving me crazy! He has even walked across the top of the counter and into the kitchen sink. It is driving me crazy!...(Let's not even talk about him and the Christmas tree!)
-4-
From the "When I'm a Mom, I will never..." Chronicles:I always said that my kids will eat the crust on their sandwiches. I was not ever going to cut the crust off my kids' sandwiches before putting them in their lunch boxes. It's wasteful. It's silly. The crust doesn't taste any different from the bread. And, it's one more extra thing to do in the morning that I wanted to avoid.
So, every morning I cut the crust off of Matthew and Catherine's sandwiches. Why? Because, they refuses to eat the crust and they'll only eat two bites out of the middle of their sandwiches and throw the rest away. They dislike the crust so much that they won't even eat within an inch of it, lest they be contaminated.
That's why I now am a crust-cutter mommy. Because throwing away the crust is much less wasteful than throwing away an entire sandwich with only two bites taken out of it.
-5-
Mike's grandfather passed away yesterday. His name was Francis Coles and he was 91 years old. I didn't know him very well but still it makes me sad. Not only for Mike's loss and the rest of his family, but because it is the end of a generation. All of my children's great-grandparents are now all deceased. It just makes me think..about life, aging, and family. May he rest in peace.-6-
Keeping it real:Is anyone else already thinking about New Year's Resolutions? I think one of mine is going to have to do with getting out the door to go somewhere without anger, tears, mom's raised voice or hurrying. All of the above are my fault, and I know what I need to do to eliminate them. I just stink at the follow-through.
-7-
I have way too much to do today to spend another second on my Quick Takes. I have got to get my house in some order. It has been one of those weeks that I ignored the laundry and the general picking up around the house. Tonight we are going over to our friends house for our annual "paella" dinner. I need to make a couple appetizers. We haven't had a chance to spend much times with these freinds, so I am looking forward to it! I have a lot to do still before the big kids get home from school. I want to make it to the gym today as well. I hate that I can't do everything... there aren't enough hours in the day... but I really need to relax, and stop overscheduling myself. It isn't fun for anyone when we are frantically running from here to there. BREATHE JEN, BREATHE!On that note...I've got to run!! Have a great day!
