It warms my heart

The other day Laura said to me, "You know what my favorite kind of Christmas music is? The kind that talks about Jesus being born." (By the way, we start listening to Christmas music the first of November, a tradition we adopted from one of Shad's college roommates.)

Yesterday, Laura asked Peter and I to write down things we are thankful for at Christmas time. I wrote down delicious food, hot chocolate, and beautiful decorations. Peter said, "I don't have to write anything down. The thing I'm the most grateful for at Christmas is Jesus."

Blessings will come, right?

It is very ironic that our family is helping clean our church building tomorrow, while our house has not been cleaned for longer than I care to say. I am hoping that one of the blessings we will receive from our service is that a miracle will occur, and we will come home to a spotless house.

Halloween...

also known as Windy's least favorite holiday EVER!

Due to my dislike of Halloween (and to the fact that I'm working), my kids had to scavenge for Halloween costumes around the house. Emily went as an LA Kings hockey player (thanks to a hockey jersey my mom and I gave Shad for Christmas when we were engaged). Laura went as a ballerina (thanks to Emily's ballet recital costume from when she was in Kindergarten). Peter was a Sir Laughs-a-Lot (thanks to a craft he made at a friend's birthday party at least 2 years ago).

I was also a Halloween Scrooge this year, by saying "NO WAY" to outrageous candy prices. I refuse to buy anything but chocolate to pass out to trick-or-treaters. Usually Wal-mart has a bag of KitKats or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for $2 or less. This year all of the chocolate was $2.50, and so I only bought 4 bags, instead of the usual 8.

Now my kids have tons of candy, and it calls to me and begs me to come eat it. Which is just another reason why I hate Halloween!

Finally!

I finally did something I've wanted to do for about 24 years -

got tickets to the Nutcracker!

Talk about some delayed gratification.

This is long overdue, as evidenced by the fact that my almost 12 year-old has been to the Nutcracker at least FOUR times already.

Shad and I will go see it at Popejoy the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It's sort of my early reward for surviving my long-term substituting position, because at that point I will only have 4 days left of teaching!

Can someone please explain?

I bought my kids socks today. Yes - socks. I bought a total of 20 pairs of kids socks. And it cost me $32.80! For socks! What is this world coming to?!

Eight Weeks Later

We just finished our 8th week of school, and we're all still alive, though sometimes it doesn't feel that way.

Emily started off the year working for 4 weeks on a science powerpoint presentation about Scientific Method, Science and Society, and Science and Ethics. She partnered with her friend Rylee, and they put inordinate amounts of time putting together an amazing presentation. Ms. Heather had told them that she wanted them to "set the bar" for the rest of the class's science presentations. Well - they did! After 4 weeks of 20 hours of homeschooling a week, the science project was done, and the girls received Advanced marks.

Peter and Laura are doing well in their class, too. Laura's reading is taking off. She's in chapter books now and loving it. Peter is flying through the division unit and is already in the Personal Commenting reading group (usually a 4th grade unit).

I'm holding on by the skin of my teeth. I teach 12 hours a week, but my work week is about 48 to 52 hours a week. I am learning to appreciate our teachers even more than I already did. You pretty much have to give up your life to be a teacher at Family School. I've decided that that is NOT something I want to do. I'm halfway through with my long-term substituting assignment, and I'm really, really, really looking forward to getting back to normal life in December!

On a lighter note: Laura informed me that she does not like the desert. I agree with her, but her reasoning is rather unique. She doesn't like the desert, because if she didn't live in the desert she wouldn't have to put on lotion after her shower.