Amy Caroline's Daybook ~ Februrary 5, 2013

Hellow?

Outside my window…

Dark.  Is it summer yet?

I am thankful for…

Our family membership to the YMCA.  Ok I hope I don’t sound like a total dork, here, but I love our YMCA!  The people are super friendly (they are starting to know me, lol) and I can go there almost anytime and get a really good workout without feeling like I am on display or competing with the skinny folks.  I have done other gyms before and there is never the diversity of people that you can find at the Y.  Some are old, some are young, some are pleasingly plump, some are skinny.  There are classes galore and great programs for the kids.  AND best of all?  Tony, me, my mother in law, and the three older girls all have a family membership for less than one of us to have a membership at some fancy gym.

I am thinking about…

How am I ever going to fit it all in?  Seriously!  Last fall my life was a little insane and as I am looking onward to February…. Well, let’s just say February is going to make last fall look like a stroll in the park.

From the kitchen…

With Lent fast approaching (can you believe it???) I have been trying to figure out what I am going to “give up.”  Since I have a lot of “do not eats” on my list, I was worried about taking on anything food related.  But after thinking about it and wanting to break up off this plateau and back to weight loss I am on, I decided to do the The 17 Day Diet for Lent.  So I need to get to the store and buy some lemons and green tea.

I am creating…

I am working on the sweater North Shore for Bear.  I have the lower body done and am working on sleeve number one.  On payday I am going to order the rest of the yarn I need to make the fair isle top.  It is so cool!  Mountains and trees… I hope, no... think, no... It will be so cute.

Then I am going to work on this sweater for Buttercup.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  Wouldn’t mind having one for myself!

I am praying for…

My beautiful niece and her husband.  She told me not to long ago that they have been trying to have a baby now for two years.  I always wondered why they were waiting, since I thought they would be amazing parents, but didn’t want to be the nosy aunt.  So I am praying for this wonderful couple and hoping that they will soon be able to embrace their own sweet baby.

Isn't this a hoot?  Lily took this of them last summer when they came up and we visited Crater Lake.  I can't say I would have been as nice about the snowball to the face as my niece was, lol.

I am hearing…

Nothing.  That is rare.  Hmmm….

Around the house…

My mother in law, who we refer to as Vava (Portuguese for grandma), has been home from the knee replacement surgery since Friday.  So we are all trying to help her get along.  There will be lots (and lots) of physical therapy appointments and exercises for her to do. She is doing really well, better than I imagined, but it is a long road.  We are all hoping she will be back and doing her T’ai Chi again soon!

One of my favorite things…

Ok, you are going to laugh at me.  I am a woman and I have the right to be fickle and change my mind.  Right now one of my favorite things is our weekly schedules.  They have a little color on them (tee hee) but mostly it is just a check list.  It has really helped keep me focused on what we need to do.  I have to admit that we have not been able to do everything on the lists every week in the last two weeks, mostly due to Vava being in the hospital, coming home, and an evil illness that will not leave us alone, but it isn’t bothering as much as it has in the past.  I am hoping to write more on it soon, especially what I am doing with the big girls and their high school stuff.

Overall, I think more than helping me keep on top of things, it made me realize just how much we DO get done.  I think without the lists I was constantly thinking we weren’t doing enough.  Now I can see we are doing GREAT!  And that makes me a happy homeschool momma.

Plans this week...

Oh boy… here it goes…

• Grocery store (to buy lemons, green tea, Dijon mustard, and toilet paper – did I mention I went to the store on Sunday?  Ugh, I live at the store, I swear.  But Super Bowl Sunday is an awesome time to go grocery shopping, btw.)
• 2 more physical therapy appointments (we had one yesterday too)
• 2 more trips to the gym (at least, I would like three more –wishful thinking)
• Cub Scouts (Oh!  Got to get that report and family tree done!!)
• Flute lesson
• Teacher visit
• College visit for Rose

A few picture thoughts…

From my Instagram this week...

I can't believe he is one year old.  Sniffle.