Outside my window … Bright, sunny, and COLD. The menfolk have been busy, though, and there are tall, neat stacks of wood out there too.

I am thinking … that it matters what we allow ourselves to think. If we let ourselves mope, complain, judge or criticize — even if only in our own heads — that attitude translates into our words and actions. Even if we don’t mean for it to.

I am thankful for … a date night with Dan on Saturday. We’re not so old after all. We went to a bar with live music where I had the Bison Burger and it was more fun than I thought it would be.

I am reading … Chosen by Donna Steichen. Inspiring stuff!

I am hoping … to be done with Christmas shopping by this time next week. I am an eternal optimist.

On my mind … potty training. I see it on the other side of Christmas. And it will only take 3 days. Yes, yes, that’s what I see.

Noticing that … as I make out lists for Christmas shopping, there is nothing on my own. I don’t want anything. I am a spoiled and happy person.

A few plans for the week … Basketball practices, H1N1 shots for Dan and me (I found some!), and organizing the Christmas decorations. We don’t do that much decorating and we won’t put them up until we get a tree later in December, but if we need new white lights, I want to figure that out now. Not when we’re putting up the tree and there’s a raging snowstorm outside. Not that that‘s ever happened.

From the kitchen … meatball subs — my new favorite easy meal that everyone loves. Frozen meatballs heated in jarred tomato sauce and served on rolls with mozzarella cheese.

Around the house … I was just assigned the task of organizing our medical bills. So pressing has this task become, I was even offered a day off from homeschooling in which to accomplish it. I cringe every time I think of it.

One of my favorite things … watching my three oldest boys serve at Mass. Don’t tell Stephen, but when I see him in that little cassock with the tassels, I want to smooch him up. They’re still pretty new at it, but Ambrose did the incense this past weekend — incense! I wonder if I’ll ever get so used to seeing them up there at the altar I will actually not cry through the Mass?

A picture I am sharing …

Ambrose contemplates the last bite of pie …



And then dives right in.



(Lots more Simple Woman’s Daybooks here!)

9 months of gestation, 15 months of nursing, 4,380 diaper changes, and 506 loads of laundry later …

The boy is told to eat his dinner and dares to respond with:

“I hate you, Mama.”

I sent him to the corner. And consoled myself with his mashed potatoes.

Very cool performance by some creative high school students.



HT: Mark Shea via Suzanne

Over at Faith & Family Live we’ve got lots of good stuff going on for the upcoming holiday …

• In today’s feature column, Sherry Antonetti shares her humorous take on five traditional Thanksgiving conflicts along with her proposed solutions.
• Rebecca has announced an up and coming Fall Pie Contest where you will have a chance to win a $40 Pampered Chef gift certificate.
• As our resident Pie Aficionado, Rebecca has also shared a mouth-watering recipe for a “tart tart.” Looks beautiful and delicious!
• For those of you hosting a feast, today I am sharing my scheduling strategy for a “Stress-Free Thanksgiving” as well as some of my favorite traditional recipes for this time of year. Come on over and share yours too!

Here’s hoping all your Thanksgiving preparations this week are peaceful and joy-filled!

You can read about my first “married” Thanksgiving in my Husband & Wife column at Fathers for Good this week:

Grace at Thanksgiving

Outside my window … are gray skies and plenty of puddles. November always brings a damp, dark, waiting for winter kind of feeling.

I am thinking … about my birthday girl. Sweet Juliette is turning 10 today. 10! If I can kick her out of the kitchen long enough, I’ll make her favorite caramel cheesecake this morning.

I am thankful for … an abbreviated school week. We’ve been working hard and a break is in order. Just two “official” days of school this week.

I am reading … Lisa Hendey’s new book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms. I find myself going back and leafing through again and again. Lisa is so good at sharing her wisdom in a natural, helpful, encouraging way. She’s also great at bringing lots of good ideas together in one place — what a wonderful resource!

I am hoping … for a light snowfall on Thanksgiving. I’m a romantic that way.

On my mind … my book project with Elizabeth. We’re nearly through and I can’t wait to share the results with you (coming in Spring 2010!).

We’re learning … about Squanto and the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving, of course. It’s review for many of us, but stories like these just don’t get old. I’m thinking of using some “vintage” recipes in our Thanksgiving this year too. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Noticing that … although I’m not a natural “planner” I do feel a lot better about my life when I make a plan and do my best to stick to it. Meal plans can be sketchy, but they should be plans. Work plans can be just lists jotted down at the end of each day for looking at the next morning, but they should be in writing. School schedules … well, those are already typed, laminated, and posted to my fridge. We’re pretty good on those. I guess that tells you what area of my life requires the most externally imposed discipline, doesn’t it?

Pondering these words … “God knows I am here. This is his will for me.” — Saint Jose Isabel Flores Varela This is a simple reminder that I need often. God knows I am here. This is not a mistake — it’s where I am meant to be.

From the kitchen … Pies, breads, turkey, potatoes, squash, and stuffing. I’ll share recipes at Faith & Family this week and hope others will be sharing too. I love this time of year!

Around the house … I am de-cluttering kids’ rooms and toy areas in anticipation of December. We need to make room for the “stuff” that comes with Christmas and having cleaner spaces during Advent is very appropriate, I think.

One of my favorite things … Daniel, fresh from a bath and in his blue fuzzy pajamas. He is my snuggly little bear.

A picture I am sharing …

Frosty Morning

(Lots more Simple Woman’s Daybooks here!)

I have had “We Are the World” running through my head all day. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I heard it somewhere or maybe I caught a glimpse of a man wearing a bandana on his head all Bruce Springstein-like and my brain got the subliminal message to sing about “saving our own lives.”

I don’t know.

Finally, this afternoon I got annoyed with this particular ear worm and got the great idea to just let the song out — you know, sing it. Really sing it.

So I did.

I got only part-way through my rendition, though, before I felt the burning sensation of many eyes. I stopped mid-performance to see three of my children, lined up before me. All of them looked just a little bit … horrified.

“What is that you are singing?” one of them demanded.

“We Are the World,” I answered. “You know … um, that song? The one that all the stars sang for charity … uh … never mind.”

I departed to clean the bathroom. And finish my song.

Maybe I’m getting old. But I prefer to think that my kids are still just too young to recognize how AWESOME I am.