Outside my window…it’s sunny but cold.  A perfect combination.

I am thinking…there are some things that just make life sweeter.  Toddler kisses and “I love you Mommy” are two of those things.

I am thankful for…ginger ale and applesauce.  When nothing else agrees, those two things seem to do the trick.

From the learning rooms…lots of Christmas preparation…baking, wrapping, decorating, painting ornaments (such a great opportunity for practical life exercises…measuring, cutting, taping); Christmas stories galore (especially Tomie dePaola’s); Christmas fingerplays and songs…we’re finding that Advent season is really a curriculum in and of itself.

From the kitchen…Peanut Blossoms. 

I am wearing…black yoga pants, a black t-shirt, and a pink and gray striped hoodie.  Warm and cozy.

I am creating…an Advent season full of delightful memories.

I am going…to take Joseph and William driving one evening to see Christmas lights again…they are so amused by such simple pleasures.

I am reading…Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison.  A perfect Advent retreat.  A reminder of why simple is good and why less is more….such a beautiful and much needed message in the midst of the season of materialism. 

I am hoping…that Advent and Christmas always remain such a magical season in the hearts of my children.

I am hearing…Joseph, as he reads Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? (while he’s dressing his little Jesse Bear).

Around the house…laundry, cleaning, cooking…all the usual.

One of my favorite things…listening to William.  He repeats everything.  My favorite thing he says lately?  When given a cup, he’ll exclaim, “Lemonade!” but then he takes a sip only to realize it’s not lemonade and he says, “Actually, it’s water.”  Nothing like hearing the word “actually” from the mouth of a 20 month old!

I am praying…for a healthy baby, a healthy pregnancy, and the energy to get through one day at a time.

Here is a picture I thought worth sharing…