FOR TODAY… Aug 9, 2010

Outside my window… dark, cool, clear, perfect. It's almost not Monday anymore but there is a lot of Monday left points west of here so I will keep typing. The funniest thing outside my window the past couple days was bovine. The farmer rotated pastures and up at our back fence was…

 

Never in my dreams did expect to move around the world and still gaze out my window at cattle.  I love that. 

I am hearing… nothing but the clacking of the keyboard, the fridge humming, and the soft breathing of Abbie Rose as she dozes back to sleep on my lap. 

I am thinking… that I could have called Rebecca after all if I wasn't going to be sleeping.  Insomnia more often than not lately. We got into a night owl sleep cycle when we first arrived early summer and one of us has not broken it. 

Pondering these words:

"Make new friends,

but keep the old, 

one is silver,

and the other gold."

I am thankful for… courage and peace. 

From the learning rooms… curriculum planning…by Dad.  There is a happy turn of events. Dad-turned-curriculum planner has been comparing and contrasting programs and lesson plans. I am so good with that and it's very cool to talk shop together when he really does know exactly what I am talking about.  He knows exactly what he wants for his kids and is setting out to make it happen.  Have at it. ; ) 

From the kitchen… There is a new edition of Julia Child's original cookbook waiting to be broken in.  Jen's parting gift to the girls and I.  I can't wait to try it.  We can cover a lot of ground if we just make one recipe each week. It is about that for me. Like a grand adventure in fairly uncharted waters. 

 In other food news, we need to eat more produce.  Like a LOT more produce. I am not sure if it is the fridge, the humidity or the age of the produce from the commissary but salad greens do not last long at all. 

I am wearing…brown capris, light lime green sweater, brown mules. Or I was. The shoes were kicked off a long time ago. 

I am creating… pictures, soon to be albums. New lens = lots of new pics. 

I am going… to France!  The  Metz flea market is coming up and I am making plans to get there. France.  Me. Metz-metz-metz-METZ!!!!

There.  I feel better. : ) 

I am reading… speaking of France we are reading Anni's Diary of France and now there are a whole bunch of other places there I want to go. Truly delightful picture book packed with info. Aidan is packing now I think lol. Aidan is still plowing through Hardy Boys at a pretty good clip. Kieran found his Marco Polo biography. But the best reading is happening up in his room in the evenings as he has taken to reading stories to Brendan and Tess before bed.  I sat in the hallway listening to his eight year old voice changing with the different characters the other night. 

Around the house… school room awaits some shelves. I am ambivalent about the crochet valances on the main floor.  Picked up an awesome desk and bankers chair off the German craigslist equivalent for next to nothing. 

 

One of my favorite things… foam hand soap.  I used to think it was an unnecessary expense but wow are the sinks a lot less sloppy now.  

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Our neighbors' nod to Notre Dame.  Or something. Not sure how many times we walked past this stone wall before one child gasped and said, "Look Mom!"  Now every time we pass we look up.  Yep. Still there.  As if he would go somewhere. It's a little creepy.