The Last of the Tomatoes

Here are the last of the tomatoes that my husband picked last month(not that there were very many this year). He wanted to get them before the first frost and perhaps do something with them. Right now they are on a table in our basement and our cat knocks them off and plays with them. We may just end up throwing them out but I thought that they would at least make a rather striking photo.

Nap Time

It has been two days in a row and baby has taken his nap along with his two year old sister. It is so great to have the time freeed up. I will enjoy it while it lasts. I think this is due to the fact that I have been waking baby up in the morning. He has been sleeping from his feeding at 7 AM until about ten o'clock. But today and yesterday I woke him up before 9:00. This also makes for a better morning nap for baby. So what did I do with the time? Well... I am able to spend a little time online, I dusted, and made bread among other things. Not bad huh?

Seven Quick Takes Vol. 2

1. I am going to make it a blogging goal to do the seven quick takes every Friday if I do nothing else that week. So here I am. Will I do it next Friday? Wait and see.

2. It was rainy, windy and cold yesterday here in East Central Iowa. It is rainy and cold today minus the wind. Husband has been home three days in a row. He stayed home Wednesday because he had to take oldest son to a doctor appointment so he figured he would take the whole day off. He stayed home yesterday and today because he wasn't feeling well. He really didn't get much sleeping and laying down kind of rest but he sure was helpful to me to have around. He helped son with math. We all read about Mecca together from The Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton for homeschool geography and he helped out with the little ones. So really it was more of a break for me than for him.

3. Husband is presently taking our 14 year old son to his classes at the local Jr. High. He will be back soon and I will... He cam back so I moved down to the basment for a little privacy. I feel self conscious writing on my computer when he is around. It's hard to concentrate too.

4. If I want to be a better writer I just need to do more writing. Right? And do it on a regular basis. Do I really like writing, or am I like most aspring writers and just like the idea of writing. I sure do love reading blogs. I like all of the buttons and gadgets that people have on their blog sites. Sometimes I like that part better than the actual writing part of the blog. Is part of the fun of blogging supposed to be setting up the layout and all that. I suppose for me it is.

5. Halloween--Many Catholic homeschool types don't "celebrate"Hallween in any form. I, however, ususally love handing out candy and even going out trick-or-treating with the kids. In a time when people rarely know their neighbors it is a great opportunity to get out and meet neighbors. Unfortunately you probably won't see them again until next year.

6. Where do bloggers get such great photos/graphics for their blogs that actually fit in with what they are writing. I have noticed these at Conversion Diary and at Wesley J. Smith's Blog Second Hand Smoke.

7. My first symphony rehearsal is a week from this Sunday. It is a double rehearsal so it will last from 1:30 until 8:00 with a two hour break for supper. The baby will not take a bottle yet though husband actually got two ounces into him last night when I was out for about four hours. He was hungry when I got home though. I may have to skip one of the reahearsals on Sunday.

This and that

I have renewed my membership with Flylady again. It helps me to focus my house cleaning efforts. I otherwise feel so scattered and don't know where to begin. I'm the kind of person who needs someone to point me in the right direction. This week we are in the master bedroom. There is also the Holiday Control Journal. I always have ideas about Christmas but never get around to them because I don't know how to begin. I like her step by step approach telling you what you should do each day. Like I said I like very specific directions. I wish all of life would provide me very specific directions.

On another note, the first symphony rehearsal since the baby has been born is in less than two weeks and he won't take a bottle. This is the first time this has happened with any of my children. Its always nerve racking enough to have to leave a little one behind for a rehearsal an hour away, but when you don't know if he will cry unconsolably because his mother isn't there to feed him this makes things even worse. Will he take a bottle if he gets hungry enough. We are hoping so.

Seven Quick Takes (Vol. 1)

1

I am sitting in the basement which is where my sons bedroom is. He is sleeping but has his radio set to public radio classical music. I am down here because I really needed to get away alone to concentrate. My husband is doing dishes up stairs. It's been so long since I could get away by myself. I don't think he understands how I need this alone time right now.

2

No one knows I blog. I wouldn't be surprised if no one has even seen this blog. To tell you the truth I am a little shy about anyone seeing my blog, even people I don't know. I am shy in real life and I am shy on line. For a while when I would come across some really well written blogs I thought maybe I would just give up as my writing was definately not as good as these. I then started reading some of my own posts and I kind of liked what I wrote. There is nothing wrong with doing something that you enjoy despite the fact that there may be others better at it than you. I've been thinking that I would like to get out and mingle in the blogosphere. Blogs are way cooler than Facebook.

3

Popcorn. This has been my snack of choice lately. I make it in a four quart sauce pan. Heat two tablespoons of oil at a nunber 7. Add one half cup of popcorn. You should hear a sizzle. Put the lid on and shake the pan every once in a while so the popcorn doesn't burn. DO NOT remove the lid until the popcorn is done. This may result in the oil catching on fire as it has with me. (Fortunately it was contained in the pan until the flames went out.) Shortly you will hear a few pops and then many pops that will eventually subside. Take the lid off now and pour the popcorn in a big metal bowl. Add salt to taste. Yummy!

4

Tomorrow we will try and do house cleaning stuff that doesn't get done during the week.

Hubby's jobs are:

Mopping kitchen floor

Finish washing the windows

Get tool box out of our bedroom and put it back where it belongs

My jobs are:

Vacuming

Laundry

Cleaning the basement

Cleaning oven and/or washing bathtub

GA's jobs are:

Cleaning his room

We'll have to think of more for him.

5

I'm planning on saying a prayer to St. Joseph every day until we sell our condo. Good Lord willing, once we sell our condo we should be well on our way to getting out of debt. It is such a financial drain to have to pay two mortgages. Things are very tight. However, I am thankful that we have been able to keep up with our bills and be able to buy most things we need with a few extras here and there. We also haven't had to put any more on our credit card until recently and that was to have a few things in the condo repaired.

Be that as it may I would really love to be able to go on a trip. I am debating whether or not we should take a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, WI for my 40th birthday. This would require us to put a few hundred more on our credit card for a hotel and a little bit to eat but it may prove to be worth it. I always think about what I hear others say about the many graces that people receive when they go on a pilgrimage. Would it be presumptuous to spend more money we don't have and then trust the Lord and Our Lady to make it work out?

6

Hubby and I went out for coffee this morning. It was so good to get out even if just for a small excursion down for coffee and bagels. Mmmm it was good coffee too. French Roast.

7

Hooray! My first edition of seven quick takes. That was fun.

See Conversion Diary

Get yourself recollected

If I thought homeschooling my oldest was hectic with a toddler and a new baby, then I wasn't thinking how much more difficult it would be with ds1 taking classes in the afternoons at the Jr. High on top of that. This also happens to be my two year old daughter's nap time; the time I used to be able to look forward to going over together what we could not get done when she was awake and needing attention.

I am trying to have a plan ahead of time. I was reading in Kimberly Hahn's book Homeward Bound that the little ones should be made part of the homeschool. I guess I'm trying to do this by figuring them into the plan for our day. For example, I have my two year old daughter watch the "Elmo's World" portion of Sesame Street so ds and I can use this time to go over things together. Or perhaps we work some school time in before dd gets up in the morning. I try to think of the things that I would like to do with ds1 and the things that he can do on his own. My goal then is to do the things we want to do together when the opportunity presents itself or by creating opportunities by planning activities for dd such as drawing with her crayons so I don't get so frustrated trying to school when little kids want my attention.

That's not to say I still don't get frustrated. I'm trying to practice the virtue of recollection by focusing on one thing at a time and doing that one thing well. Ds1 and I have read about this in The Virtues of Jesus by Quentin Hakenewerth, SM. This book is part of the Catholic Heritage religion curriculum for 7th grade. Recollection is about the" sacrament of the present moment." By being attentive to what is required in the present moment we are able to know the Will of God. This idea as it is known to me is from the great spiritual classic by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. Here is a quote:

You are trying to discover the secret of how to belong to God, beloved sisters. But there is none, unless it be to take advantage of every opportunity. Everything leads to union with him; everythings brings about perfection excepting sin and what is not our duty. Only take things as they come without interfereing. Everything guides, purifies and sustains you, carrying you along, so to speak, under God's banner by whose hand earth, air and water are made divine.

Taking a Baby Break

Our first official day of homeschooling was on Monday (Hard to believe that was only yesterday.) This week will be our trial run. It was exhausting trying to occupy the toddler and keep the baby happy while at the same time focusing on our studies. Today it didn't feel as crazy though I'm not sure why not. Was I better rested? Perhaps.

DS is really excited about starting schooling. We are making a galliant effort to be more organized this year. I am trying the basic version of Homeschool Tracker to record what we will be working on and to keep track of what we have done. You can pay a one time 50 dollars and get the plus version which I think I will do when I'm feeling less like I need the dough for other things. I hope we can keep it up.