Footprints on the Fridge

Simple Woman's Daybook

 

Outside my window...The sun is shining and I'm sure we're in for another steaming hot Louisiana summer day, punctuated by quick thunderstorms.  That seems to be the norm lately. The flowers are starting to feel the effects.  My petunias are withering sadly in their window boxes.

I am thinking...about lots of quotes from Mother Teresa, especially this one:

"Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your eyes, kindness in your face, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greetings.

We are all but His instruments who do our little bit and pass by.

I believe that the way in which an act of kindness is done is as important as the action itself.

I am thankful for...Eucharistic adoration, spiritual direction and spiritual sisters who love me and laugh with me.  My faith and prayer life is finally starting to recover from my bout with May.  I have these things to thank.

From the learning rooms...I'm hoping to add some summer science fun to the routine this week.  I found this list earlier in the summer and was excited about it, but have failed miserably on the follow through. Perhaps this week will be the week.

From the kitchen...sliced cucumbers and fresh fruit.  Friends and neighbors are handing off cucumbers from their gardens faster than we can slice them.  And fruit, oh how I'm loving summer fruit. Today, though, I think there'll be red beans and rice. It's a kid favorite around here, a Monday tradition, and it's been a while.

I am wearing...jammies still.  We had a visitor who stayed late last night and we are all going slowly this morning.

I am creating...a new look for this blog, with a little help.  Can't wait to show it off.

I am going...very few places right now.  Life has ground to a noticeable halt around here for a couple of weeks.  We are learning to live with the quiet and the slow.  I am relishing it.  The boys, not so much. But July kicks back into high busy gear, so I am going to savor this week and not try to fill its slow-paced days with activity.

I am reading...The Joy of Living, a collection of thoughts from Mother Teresa organized by days.  I think you're meant to sip this one slowly over time, but I am so soul thirsty for Mother Teresa's brand of simple faith and strong love, that I'm gulping it up, reading whole month's worth of quotes in a sitting, dog-earing pages and going back to reread.  Oh, sweet little lady, mother to the poor, light to the world, thank you.

I am hoping...that God's direction for our lives will be made abundantly clear and that we will find grace and peace in walking it, whatever it is.

I am hearing...a four year old waking up and asking the first question of the day, "Mom, do we have marshmallows?"

Around the house...how the heck do we still have so much stuff? I feel like I declutter and purge constantly and yet there's still stuff everywhere.  Blech.  I want to start over.

One of my favorite things...my mom and my sisters.  They were together this weekend and I wasn't able to join them.  That made me a little sad. But vacation is just a few weeks away and there will be a whole week to soak them up.  I can't wait.

A few plans for the rest of the week: maybe a library trip, a science experiment or two, walks to the Adoration chapel with Daddy, a visit from Granny and Pops, and hopefully some weekend fun with friends. And lots of quiet.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Vacation views that await.

Simply Footprints Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...it's late and dark and quiet and the ground is still wet from a good soaking we had late this afternoon.
I am thinking...Actually, I'm trying not to think too much these days.  Such big questions loom for us in the days ahead and trust and perseverance seem to be only roles in finding the answer. So I am trying to turn my thinker often and my prayer on. 

I am thankful for...my husband.  After eight days away and Father's Day Eve return, I realize just how I better off I am in his company. He makes me better in so many ways.

From the learning rooms...I had planned to go full force until the end of June, but we are summarily stalled.  So I spent last week considering the balance between simplicity and richness I want in my homeschool while I cleared and decluttered our learning spaces.  And I realized that book lists and a few good art supplies are really all I need for the richness I desire.  I pulled the core subject books for everyone and they all fit one basket.  I made a basket full of main lesson and notebooks.  We have plenty enough. Of everything we need to have.  A weekly library trip and fresh watercolors will round out my shopping for next year.

From the kitchen...there is a summer menu rotation underway.  Last week, I committed myself to shopping smart and healthy.  I shopped the perimeter of the store and grabbed the very few items I needed in the aisles at the very end.  There were fresh blackberries and blueberries and nuts for snacking this week, and even with Daddy away, I fed the kids cooked, healthy food every day.  I think we all feel so much better.  I am obsessed with having summer fruit on the table at each meal.  Can't seem to get enough of watermelon and berries and nectarines.  This weekend on a quick run, I spotted fresh pineapples, and now I can't wait until it's time to restock the fruit.

I am wearing...navy and white sleeveless top, wide legged khaki chinos, and a haircut I gave myself the other day.  I don't mean to brag, but it's cute. Really cute.

I am creating...a purposeful environment in my home.  I have been compelled to conquer one room at a time, rearranging furniture, reconfiguring wall hangings, and moving things around with a point to clearly understand the place and the purpose of each item in the room.  I love my bedroom after its makeover and seek its cheerful quiet often throughout the day.  I'm hoping that soon each room will feel this way and that it will bring the same peace and cheerfulness to my family as it does to me.

I am going...on vacation in July.  With my siblings and their families and my mom and her husband.  And I can't wait.  I am ready to lounge and laugh.
I am reading...Little Talks With God by St. Catherine of Siena.  I need some reading inspiration.  I've been in a funk for a while now. 

I am hoping...that God will begin to clarify His will for us and that we will be able to give a wholehearted "yes" to whatever he asks.

I am hearing...quiet. Finally. My kids were up until midnight.  Hence this post. But now, silence.  Ahhhh.

Around the house...I feel like I am getting my footing again.  When we eased into summer mode I assigned the three older boys one task that remains theirs all the time (maybe I'll switch it seasonally) and one area of the house to keep straightened.  Quinn handles trash duty and the front living area.  Gabriel handles the dishwasher and the boys' bedroom.  Brendan handles laundry switching and the den.  It's so easy to keep them focused and to keep things moving with this in place.  It leaves me to train Evan to straighten the bathrooms (which will become his area when he is ready), to keep my bedroom tidy, and to handle the cooking and kitchen wipe down as well as folding and putting away laundry.  That is a fairly reasonable distribution of daily work.  If we add in one bigger weekly chore each day, like dusting or mopping or changing bed linens, things stay pretty well on course.

One of my favorite things...when a child who has struggled mightily to learn to read snuggles up beside and slowly, painstakingly sounds out every word to the first chapter of a Magic Tree House book.  And the bashful smile that tugs the corners of his mouth when he realizes that he has done it.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Spiritual direction, one dentist appointment, and a 12th birthday celebrate.  And that's enough for me.  Baseball season has ended, and while we all had a blast, free evenings are so, so lovely.

 

Visit Peggy for more June daybooks.

A Saints Superbowl Daybook

Outside My Window...it is clear and crisp and all of Louisiana is taking its time to wake up, pinch themselves, and realize it wasn't a dream.

I am thankful for...the shared joy of last night's victory.  I know it's just football, but high fives with my hubby and all my kids and phone calls from friends and family filled with utter glee are so very fun.

On Living and Learning...we have settled into a routine that keeps basic order in the house and gets us through a considerable amount of schooling without mom having to think about it too much.  Some days it feels a little vanilla to me, but my kids kind of like vanilla.  I think we'll sweeten it up a little this week by replacing a few math lessons with some Saints math and other football fun.

From the Kitchen...I'm back at the stove these days and actually can enjoy the process.  I'm thinking there will be some New Orleans favorites this week, and definitely homemade King Cake.

On the Care and Keeping of Me and Bebe...My iron levels have obviously come up if my energy level is any indication, so I will keep being vigilant about vitamins and supplements, channel my non-nausea into healthy eating, and try to avoid all sugar except one small sliver of that homemade King Cake.  And maybe, just maybe, I can get one of my former hairdresser friends to spruce me up a bit, which just might lessen the anxiety I feel as my regular clothes begin to get tight and I realize that in grief I think I tossed all the maternity clothes and the budget doesn't allow for more right now.  Thank God for yoga pants.

To pursue beauty...fleur de lis stained glass seems a nice touch, don't you agree? And open windows on the crisp but sunny days that epitomize a Southern winter.

To pursue virtue...it's all about long-suffering, patience, and trust here these days as we spend our days seeking God's will for provision for our family.

To live the liturgy...we'll celebrate St. Paul's conversion today with a twist on the game Blind Man's Bluff...the blindfolded person will be spun around as we say "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Then he'll call "Paul" and we'll respond "Ananias" as he hunts us out.  Later int he week, we'll celebrate Evan's patron saint, Thomas Aquinas with plans yet to be announced ; ).

Fun for busy boys...I have a feeling it'll be all about Saints jerseys, football at the park, and Superbowl pre-runs on Madden '10 for the next couple of weeks.  And I'm good with that.  Perhaps we'll look up recipes for homemade face paints too.

One of my favorite things...my hometown.  Even though I'm still in Louisiana and still experiencing the joy, I am more homesick for all the speaks New Orleans to me than I have ever been before.  I am assuaging the tinge of sadness with lots and lots of nostalgia.

A picture thought I am sharing:

I can't really explain to you how blessed I feel to have driven those roads over and over again throughout the course of my life and how much joy home still brings to me.

December 29: A Christmas Week Daybook

Outside My Window...we are finally enjoying the clear, crisp days that are a Louisiana winter rather than the endless rain that filled our advent days.  Each morning when I wake up to the sun's light peeking through the curtains, I am grateful.

 

I am thankful for...little boy joy.

 

On Living and Learning...my mind is clicking away and so are my planners.  There was a very understandable pause in our learning routine this fall and our restart was bumpy and lurchy and never quite got to a smooth rhythm before advent.  Trying to totally switch gears for the season proved more than we were ready for a the whole thing kind of fell apart around me.  I'm desperate for a simple, workable routine to be in place next Monday morning.  I'm working it all out on my head and then on paper.  We'll start living it next week.

From the kitchen...whatever does not make me gag.  Yesterday, my darling hubby had a pot of turkey and sausage gumbo bubbling on the stove all day.  I'm sure it was delicious.  But I spent the better part of the afternoon whimpering in my bed or lying on the bathroom floor.  And when the nausea subsided, all my mind could think about was popcorn and warm french bread with Brummel and Brown Strawberry fruit spread.  That'll pretty much be the ktichen story for the next few weeks.

On the care and keeping of me and bebe...I'm trying to stay focused on a diet recommendations based on the glycemic index.  I think it will be a bit easier when my appetite is not driven solely by hormones.  My husband moved all the exercise equipment in from the workshop and into the den.  It doesn't do so much for the cozy factor but it does encourage me to use it.  I have a date to group with my spiritual sister over breakfast tomorrow morning and spiritual direction appointment next week.  That should do wonders for ordering my prayer life. 

To pursue beauty...I think order takes precedence this week.  I've got to reorganize toy shelves and learning spaces in the coming days and conquer some appliance issues that are making the housekeeping routine seem impossible.  My mantle makes me happy though.  My dead Christmas tree, not so much.

I am reading...I am open to suggestions here.  I'm thinking I may go with Jo's Boys; we could all use a little dose of Plumfield around here.

 

I am hoping...for a healthy pregnancy and a comforting talk with my doctor in January.

To pursue virtue...I am thinking through what approach I want to take for this as the New Year approaches, both for myself and for the boys.  With some changes in my hubby's routine and a real need to find a reliable rhythm, I'm thinking a focus on a Family Rule of Life may be the way to go.  I'm hoping to find some quiet time with Greg to discuss these thoughts more.

To live the liturgy...I'm remembering my own words from a Christmas past and trying to live them again this year.  My husband celebrates a birthday on New Year's Eve and our favorite musical family is hosting their annual New Year's Day dance again this year. That should keep us in a festive mood for a few more days.

 

Fun for busy boys...with the sun shining again, their new bows and arrows are getting a lot of use in the backyard, which is good, because quite honestly, my four year old walking around singing the Rock Band sound track all day was starting to lose its charm and make me feel like a really bad mother.

One of my favorite Christmas moments...my grown brother and nephews stealthing through my sisters house with marshmallow shooters on Christmas day, giggling like little boys.

I am praying for...so many mothers who know my sorrow all too well.  And the wives, mothers, and families from our small town who are preparing to send their soldiers off to war next week.  My dear friend Catherine, who scooped me up from a heap in the emergency room the day Bryce died and brought me to a place of comfort and warmth to see a glimpse of light in my darkest hours, will send her husband off to war for the third time in their marriage on the day of her twentieth wedding anniversary.  This time, she sends her only son along with him.  I can't stop thinking of her, of her courage and her grace, and praying.  Will you pray with me?

Why this picture makes me giggle: I put my little cutie to bed in blue footie jammies on Christmas Eve.  When he woke on Christmas morning, he was wearing his brother's yellow polo shirt backwards.  I have no explanation to offer, only a chuckle.

A Footprints Daybook ~ Lenten Preparations

Outside My Window...the day is sunny and bright, with chilly mornings and warmer afternoons.

 

I am thankful for...time spent with my family this weekend.  It was truly joyous.

 

On Living and Learning...a slowing of expectations to accomodate the parade that lines up in our front yard tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, and a weekend trip to Houston to help Granny and Pops move.  Lots of reading...pioneers and westward expansion, the Iliad, and more about the moon and lunar phases, plus Lenten meditation.

 

From the kitchen...pancakes for breakfast, mac n cheese for lunch, pork roast with potatoes and carrots for dinner. 

 

On the care and keeping of me...scheduled a date with a friend for Mass, breakfast and a pedicure this coming Saturday. 

 

To pursue beauty...I'm hoping to make a CD od meditative Lenten music today.  I picked up three lovely vintage mantel cloths at my favorite vintage market this week.  One is embroidered with only purple and will be the showcase of our Lenten mantel.

 

I am reading...Domestic Church: Room by Room and The Virtue-Driven Life (still).

 

I am hoping...to get the Saturday cleaning list done today since we spent the weekend in New Orleans.

 

To pursue virtue...Generosity was on our minds this month, using the story of the Visitation as our meditation, on Wednesday, we will change our focus to PERSEVERENCE and  use the Stations of the Cross as our meditation.

 

To live the liturgy...tonight, a special King's Cake dessert and Lenten preparation talk, Wednesday...mass, ashes, and fasting...Lenten mantle preparations.

 

Fun for busy boys...yard work today, family and friends for tomorrow's parade, ice skating, and a trip to see Granny and Pops' new house.

 

One of my favorite things...spiritual conversations with a husband newly inspired by a weekend retreat.