Questions, Questions

I tend to be a questioner. When asked a question - What are we doing in the morning? - I return with - Well, what day is tomorrow? And what do we normally do on that day? Today Lou and I sat down to read a couple of Bob Books and she sounded out the letter P to sound like the letter T. I corrected her and on the next page she made the same mistake. So out came the questions. Pointing the the letter P - What letter is this? What sound does P make? She looked up at me and said, Why do you always ask me these questions you already know the answers to? I was a bit surprised because she uses this same tactic with her younger brother. Sitting on the couch with the wooden number puzzle on her lap, she'll coax him into telling her all the numbers. What number is oval? What number is your age? What number is blue? What number is yellow? Of course she knows the answers, but questioning him is a good way to help him discover the answers for himself. Then she smiles and praises him. After my moment of surprise I answered her question with a question - Don't you like it when I ask you a question and you get it right? Isn't it fun when I smile and say Good Job?

So Perfectly Me, So Perfectly You

Tonight as Warren read the paper he chuckled to himself and then related to me that my horoscope is "so perfectly you". So I chuckled and wondered, what does he think is so perfectly me. So he started reading it to me:

Gemini, You're creative, ambitious and ready to explore where those qualities
will take you. It seems you can do any work as long as it's not the work
you're supposed to be doing.

That is so perfectly me. I can stay busy working for hours on projects that are not at the top of the priority list. And I often have many projects going, some of which have been going for 5 or more years. Just in the past month I've almost finished a quilt I started when Nick was a baby back in 1999. That was an entirely different century. I can honestly say I'm never bored. Then he read his horoscope and I laughed so hard because his was even more perfectly him than mine was perfectly me.

Pisces, Everyone is trying to contribute to a project that you would rather
do-or perhaps must do-alone. Too many opinions will stifle your
creativity. Smile and say thanks, and then follow your own inner muse.

So many days when Warren comes in the house during work he's bombarded with dad can you, dad watch this, dad can I help with, dad when are we gonna. Dad Dad Dad - all dad wants is to work Alone Alone Alone. Yet he allows us into his world and usually even smiles through it all. And that's so perfectly you.

Movie Night

Tonight, Spellbound was the movie pick for Family Movie Night. Homemade pepperoni pizza, carrot sticks and water donned the red and black floor blanket. Either the movie was boring or the kids were tired because by the end three had fallen asleep. It was just us adults and Grace watching and waiting to see who won the spelling bee. Well I stayed awake and watched with my dictionary on my lap; I take spelling very seriously. I thanked DH and Grace for sticking it out and not complaining about my movie pick. Next week we'll start watching Christmas type movies, some funny - some touching. I'll definitely have recommendations soon.

Post Thanksgiving Shopping

When in the right mood, I love shopping. This mood doesn't come very often - usually starts the end of November and ends right around Christmas. Today was a perfectly sunny and crisp day to embark on a shopping trip. Since we had to take my mom home, Grace, Lou, Grandma and I made a few stops along the way. First up was Walgreen's. I love Walgreen's! Just the right size. Just the right amount of choices. Just the right sale prices and I love their coupons and rebates. In the past I've received $40 worth of rebate gift cards, enough money to purchase my entire Walgreen's list for the next month. Then I rebate again and the cycle continues. The most prized item purchased at Walgreen's was by Lou. She finally got the Fart Putty she'd been wanting for her entire life of November.

Then we headed off to McDonald's where, once again, Lou was in her glory. I encouraged her to drink all her milk, play and then take her food in the van to eat on our way to Kohl's. She looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said "Are you sure you want me to play before I eat all my food?"

At Kohl's I found exactly the items I was looking for and they were all 50 and 60% off and mom had a $10 coupon. Jackpot! Just two more stops and Nice As New and Target and then to take mom home. It's amazing how fun shopping can be when the boys stay home. Not that they're naughty, they'd just rather not be there, and it shows.

The Salvation Army red kettles are out. The stores are jammed with customers. Christmas songs play 24 hours a day on certain radio stations. Christmas is upon us, but let's not forget Advent. The very message of Advent is preparation. There's gift ideas, wrapping, baking, cleaning, writing cards, decorating and so much more. But let's not forget to prepare a place for baby Jesus in our hearts, homes and lives. Confession, weekly Advent devotions, well chosen Christmas stories - these can help us to prepare everything with love for Jesus' sake.

Preparations

Cranberry harvest, vacation week 1, Thanksgiving and deer hunting are over. This year the calendar is being very good to me. There is a full week between Thanksgiving and Advent, which will allow for some extra special plans. Of course, I have to clean the storage room in the basement in order to find all the Christmas decorations, first. I bought Christmas Mosaic from Hillside Press and am impressed with the number of books highlighted. I put together a Christmas Mosaic Advent Fun Packet. The plan is to work through a number of the books during the month of December and early January, using the packet as a learning guide. I prepared packets for each of the kids, according to their level, which will serve as a place to keep all their Advent reflections, devotions and coloring/art work. I am extremely pleased with how the packets turned out and will post more about them as we start the month of Christmas Mosaic.