Daybook for Sunday, June 27

Outside my window... still light out, although it is 8:30 and the girls have been in bed for an hour now. Two nights ago, the mockingbirds were going nuts outside out windows... they make this short, sharp noise, over and over, and it is really annoying. Caroline got up out of bed a few times complaining about them. They were actually sitting on the phone wire right outside her room. When I went out there to try to scare them away, I realized why they were there: Nice Buddy, the neighbor's cat (not to be confused with Mean Buddy) was out there, too. The mockingbirds hate cats and they scold and swoop down at them, actually pecking them on the back! Most cats run away, but not Nice Buddy. He was casually making his rounds, which is why the birds stayed so long outside Caroline's window!

I am thinking... about working on some more homeschool planning this evening.

I am wondering... if this diet is really going to result in a flatter belly. So far, I don't think so, although I have lost eight pounds and feel better due to that. But I still look like I could possibly be about 3-4 months pregnant (and wish that random people wouldn't say such stupid things! I would NEVER assume somebody was pregnant if it only looked like they were slightly "showing").

I am praying... for patience and peacefulness and that my children would stop arguing with each other over everything. Also that Caroline's swim lessons go well next week.

I am thankful... that we have a trip to the beach coming up in August!

I am hearing... the new Tonic album. Yes, still. It has just been continuously playing since I last filled out this spot in the daybook. ;) Although I did have a random urge to put in the King Crimson CD a few days ago... but I just couldn't take out the Tonic disc. I listened to The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin on Youtube a few days ago, though. And the kittens riding the Roomba. I heard that over and over last night, ha ha:

Just be glad I typically post in the evenings... at least reading that I am listening to the same CD over and over is better than reading about hearing my kids arguing, which is what I would be typing here if it was daytime, most likely. ;)

Learning at home... Chris found a turtle in the yard, so the girls had fun watching him hide and then come out of his shell and walk around a bit. Lots of blueberry-picking going on, too. Baby birds in the nest in the fig tree... well, they were there, but the nest has been very quiet and we haven't seen the mother bird since before the eggs hatched... so, not really wanting to climb up there and check it out.

From the kitchen... still diet food, although I am "cheating" a bit and making foods that are not officially on the diet for dinner some nights. I am just trying to eat a smaller portion than usual, around 400 calories, and including the mono unsaturated fatty acid. My new favorite discovery (which is on the diet): apple pie smoothie! Chris is retching as he reads this...

I'm planning to make granola bars with the girls tomorrow, and hummus too. Chick peas are soaking right now.

I am reading... not much. I need to get back into book-reading, or at least read my back issues of my LLL publications (online).

To live the liturgical year... we made Sacred and Immaculate Heart suncatchers last week. I made up our saint magnets for both July and August... lots of saints coming up in the next couple months!

One of my favorite things... this mug:

Okay, maybe that is lame... but I really, really love this mug. Not only because it has my initial on it, but because it is extra-tall. It is more fun to drink tea when I drink it from this mug. All my other mugs are going neglected because I will just rinse this one out a bit and reuse it, ha ha. Thanks to Chris's aunt and uncle for giving it to me for Christmas! Hmm, think I will have to go make some tea in a minute...

I am creating... some manipulatives/Montessori-type activities. I call them "work activities" for some reason... I think I made that up, but with a few years of educanese crammed into my brain during college, it may be a real term I picked up somewhere. I am working on some simple magnetic puzzles for Cecilia. I'll post pictures when I finish. My plan is to have a shelf for each of the girls and put out different work activities each week. There will be a specific time when they are directed to their work activities... probably while I am doing dishes, or getting breakfast ready...

Around the house... I tossed out all the nasty leftovers from the fridge. Good thing, too, since I hadn't done that since maybe the beginning of June...

A few plans for the rest of the week... swimming laps at the indoor pool for me on Tuesday and Thursday evening, dentist for Caroline and me on Thursday, possibly a picnic dinner at a park one evening, and maybe going to the fountains downtown or the lake to swim... it is so hot! I'm also considering doing a cookout for July 4th and seeing if my parents and brothers want to come...

A picture thought I am sharing... I haven't uploaded any recently... weren't the kittens on the Roomba satisfying enough???