WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK . . .
Well, last week we ate a slow cooker meal every night. I'm not even kidding. Sometimes that's the only way I can provide a home-cooked meal for my family during the busy schooling and dance season. This week I've had to depend on more easy meals so Monday night was a sheet pan night. I took some chicken out of the freezer that I had already prepped a couple of weeks ago thanks to WildTree and put it on a foil lined sheet pan with some baby potatoes, Brussels sprouts and sliced root vegetables (carrots, beets and parsnips already prepped, too, thanks to Trader Joe's freezer section) and roasted it for 30 minutes or so. Last night we had Hannah Kate's favorite spaghetti. This morning I cooked some chicken in the crockpot and then assembled a poppyseed chicken casserole this afternoon, along with some green beans. Tomorrow night we will eat left overs.
WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT . . .
And, just like that, October has nearly ended, and November is here. I always consider that the beginning of the holiday season. As I've been thinking about our plans this year, I can't help but think about the holidays when I was a little girl. I'm so very fond of Thanksgiving. But when I think of Thanksgiving, it's not really the turkey or the Macy's parade or football that comes to mind. It's Grandmother's kitchen table. I'm quite certain my family had the best Thanksgivings! I can still see it right now, down to Aunt Lynne's pretzel strawberry congealed salad, the dressing, Grandmother's handwriting on the place cards. I can still hear the laughter and the conversation amongst the eight of us grandchildren seated at that kitchen table. As I was folding laundry yesterday, I found myself thinking about her again, and I couldn't quite figure out why she's been on my heart so much lately. And then I realized. Last Thanksgiving was the very last time I saw her and talked to her and told her I loved her. The following week we gathered at a different table to celebrate and honor her life. Hard to believe it's almost been a year.
WHAT I'M LOVING . . .
I took this picture this morning because these are two of my favorite things right now . . . it finally felt like fall today, which meant tunics and leggings, and Bible Study Fellowship. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are some of my most favorite parts of the week! We are studying the book of Romans, and it is . . . well, right now I don't even know how to put it into words!
WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO . . .
Schooling. This has been a very different homeschool year for a lot of reasons. Seventh grade is tough. I'm currently trying to learn logic and Latin so I can help Mason. This year the homeschool day is taking about six hours of schooling at home. We used to finish everything by early afternoon, but that's not the case this year. Managing three different children in three very different grades is challenging. If we aren't schooling, we're probably sitting in traffic trying to get somewhere. Or at BSF. Or at the dance studio or gymnastics.
WHAT I'M DREADING . . .
You know, I could probably put a pretty long list right here. But I don't like dreading things. Hannah Kate and I are currently reading Anne of Avonlea (the second book in the Anne series). Tonight we read of Anne's visit with her neighbor. She'd had an unfortunate run-in with him earlier, and she was not looking forward to the visit because she was convinced he would respond rather obstinately to her news. But, he did not, and now she has an unexpected new friends. Upon her return to Green Gables, this is what she surmises to Marilla about her visit:
"It's a pretty good world, after all, isn't it, Marilla?" concluded Anne happily. "Mrs. Lynde was complaining the other day that it wasn't much of a world. She said whenever you looked forward to anything pleasant you were sure to be more or less disappointed . . . that nothing ever came up to your expectations. Well, perhaps that is true. But there is a good side to it too. The bad things don't always come up to your expectations either . . . they nearly always turn out ever so much better than you think. I looked forward to a dreadfully unpleasant experience when I went over to Mr. Harrison's tonight; and instead he was quite kind and I had almost a nice time. I think we're going to be real good friends if we make plenty of allowances for each other, and everything has turned out for the best."
WHAT I'M WORKING ON . . .
I mentioned last time that it had become necessary for me to give up my personal projects right now. I'm mostly working on Latin, logic and teaching kindergarten! I'm also working on my Christmas shopping. Usually I'm mostly finished by the end of October, but I'm a bit behind this year so my goal is to finish instead by Thanksgiving.
WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT . . .
Football. And the holidays. And *hopefully* more leggings and tunic weather! And a little unexpected "fall break" in a couple of weeks.
WHAT I'M WATCHING / READING . . .
Last month I showed you this stack.
Hannah Kate and I just finished Anne of Green Gables, and now we're reading Anne of Avonlea. Mason and I finished The Iliad last week! We'll soon be reading The Odyssey. I also finished Nothing to Prove last week. I really wanted to love this book. I really did. But I didn't. It wasn't that I didn't like it. I just didn't love it.
Right now I'm currently reading this for the second time:
I read this book as soon as it released, and it was one of the few books I've saved over the years. I keep only the BEST books, and this one was so profound to me at the time. It stuck with me for awhile, and I've never forgotten it. I want so badly to see the movie, but I'm reading the book again first. It's just as good as I remember it. Maybe even better!
WHAT I'M LISTENING TO . . .
Currently the World Series game is playing in the background. I'm trying to cheer the Astros on to a win tonight.
WHAT I'M WEARING . . .
Usually I totally skip this question. Because I'm not setting any trends over here. And nobody cares! But I was so excited about my tunic and leggings this morning that I snapped this pic before Ellie and I went to Bible study.
I've mentioned this before, but my kids refuse to wear jeans. I mean flat. out. REFUSE. Especially Hannah Kate. So tunics and leggings for the win! I'm way too excited about this. And if it would only get a little cooler, I'll throw on a scarf, too!
WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND . . .
My guys are going fishing. My girls are going to stay with MawMaw. I am going to spend my time reading, watching football and eating Chinese takeout (or pizza). I am so serious. I just need to dust and mop and clean the bathrooms tomorrow so I won't think about that while I sit on the couch curled up under a blanket for the next couple of days!
WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH . . .
I'm mostly looking forward to fall break and Thanksgiving break. And hopefully more cooler weather.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW . . .
Nothing.