Outside my window...

A cool, clear September morning.  I love September.  And October.  Fall is good.

Thankful for...

A very hard-working husband who stays up late painting so that I can check things off the Baby List.  And that I have about 3 more months to get things ready.  And B12.  It's been a sanity and lifesaver.

Thinking about...

Baby lists.  Nesting.  I am a nester by nature.  When I get pregnant it kicks into hyper-steroid-overdrive from day one.  I know the baby doesn't care if the kitchen is painted or the upstairs shower is replaced but things like that sorely need to be done and it is so much easier to do things like that before the baby is born than after.  And if it's done, a crazy woman like me can so much better enjoy the newborn baby time and just feel READY.

Learning...

Our lesson schedule for John Paul has been working really well.  He completes his lessons sometimes on his own, sometimes with my help in the morning.  We have a break and lunch and then it's reading time in the afternoon (along with enjoying the beautiful weather before it's too cold!).  I do reading and math with Michael during David's nap.  Our schedule is more structured than many others would like but it works well for us and my children do much better knowing the routine. 

Four days a week John Paul does math, religion, English, reading.  Then there is one other subject that gets rotated in (history, cartography, vocabulary, Latin).  Wednesdays are the day that we still do math but switch into art, philosophy, music, science.  It's simple and it works and that is what I need. 

From the kitchen...

Canned another 6 quarts of tomatoes yesterday.  My shelf looks pretty with all the pears and tomatoes :)  I've had a hard time enjoying or thinking about dinner this pregnancy.  It's become a chore to cook, really, and I don't enjoy doing it anymore.  My family is not getting very exciting or fun meals.  I hope that changes.  At least with the fall arriving there is much more variety and I can get a little more into the whole dinner thing. 

Creating...

Working on...

Tackling the Baby List and growing a baby.  And defeating the fruit flies that I know have conspired to drive me insane.

I am going...

Very few places.  I admit I tend toward the homebody side but I (and the boys) love being home...that's what it's here for, right?  To live in, grow children in, and enjoy.  I can't be one of those people carting their kids off to activity after activity every day.  That would be so hard on me and the kids.  It is very nice to get out once in a while, but with trying to start our year off right, lately there has been very little weekday travelling.

Hoping...

For a very long, beautiful fall.  Summer was kind of rough and the heat was draining.  Winter will soon enough be here and it will be hard and outstay its welcome.  Fall is just right.

Reading...

Life of Christ by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.  Slowly.

Praying...

For David's healing and for so many people suffering in the world.  I am so blessed and there are others who are hurting so much...the hungry, those in dangerous places, refugees, and especially the babies and children who suffer in these ways.

Hearing...

The increasing cars going to work and quiet...David is not yet awake and that is not typical.  But very good.  Mama needs her time in the morning.

Around the house...

Many, many projects.  Almost done with the downstairs bathroom (repainted, caulked, new hardware).  Just a few more touchups to the porch painting.  The trim on a few windows needs to be done and two of the doors need to be painted...goodbye to the burgundy!  I love the way the porch turned out.  So much cleaner and crisper.  The kitchen is getting painted and will be much brighter and lighter.  It was all dark wood trim with brown flowered dizzying wallpaper.  I wouldn't necessarily mind the wood in the house but our property is covered with trees so the house gets almost no sun inside and it is just too dark.  Right now we've got it almost painted all white (except for the dark cabinets which may be on next years list).  I love the white in magazines, but I'm not sure if I can pull it off here so I may need to pick out a color for the upper walls.  Once those three things are done there is still a huge list of things we'd like to do before December.  Did I mention how thankful I am for my husband?

One of my favorite things...

Feeling this little one move...even if it is in the middle of the night.  This baby seems so much more responsive to voices and touch and has been so compliant with moving when the boys are feeling my belly.  Thank you, little one!

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Lessons

A trip to the park for a homeschool group planning meeting

Projects :)

Little boy haircuts

Haven't decided how we will spend our Sunday but we have committed to making sure we get everything we can out of this autumn!

A picture thought to share...