- having Monday off (sorry; that never gets old!)
- getting October photos printed, and then slipping them into a photo album for viewing. Since I had neglected to print photos for so long (3.5 years), I still have to pat myself on the back every time I do this! And I really like being able to flip through a real album to see photos.
- listening to an enthusiastic rendition of O Canada on Monday on the way to dance class. Sophia, Madeline, and my niece have it down pat (mostly in French) from singing it at school every day.
- telling my coworkers about how Sophia wasn't prepared for Brownie badge testing on Tuesday but she desperately wanted to get one, and they told me to find something she already knows how to do. Brilliant! So, Sophia performed Irish dance for a "Share Your Talent for Dance" badge.
- learning more of the Slip Jig in my class on Tuesday. It's a lovely dance and I can't wait to know it all, but it's very challenging for me!
- sending letters to Santa by email on Wednesday. We all had a good time entering the information and receiving a response from Santa right away.
- seeing how well the big girls have been keeping their room tidy. They get something out to play with and then put it back before getting something else out. It's amazing! With some supervision (of course), the checkout system is actually working!!!
- receiving Sophia's school photos (best ever!), but, but... where are Madeline's? I ordered them, I paid for them, but they didn't show up. Madeline says she's the only one who didn't get any. Hmmm. Whatever the problem, I hope it's a quick fix.
- receiving my Blurb books in the mail. These two books spanning September 2005 to April 2006 are particularly special to me because they cover the last trimester of my last pregnancy, the time when we learned about Georgia's heart condition, and those sweet -- but difficult in some ways (e.g., infant home monitor) -- first months of her life.
- reading a Dr. Seuss book, Oh the Places You'll Go, to the girls one night. I love the messages in that book, and I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy reading Dr. Seuss out loud. There's nothing quite like it.
- getting a few more shelves for our pantry closet. When we removed our water cooler several months ago, it left a space about 14" wide which was wasted until now. It was so great to move some stuff from the kitchen counter top and other places to these shelves.
- having Mom visit for a few hours on Saturday. The girls really loved having her undivided attention for books and board games.
- waking up at 8:00 a.m. this morning to find that everyone else was still asleep. I don't think it's ever happened before that we all slept that late.
- having a couple little girls over for a playdate this afternoon (sisters, one Sophia's age, and one Madeline's age). The five of them sure had a lot of fun together, and they all loved the snack I made for them (breakfast/granola bars with no name; just a recipe in my handwriting; no idea where I got it!):
2 c. oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. wheat germ
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. honey
1 large egg
1/4 - 1/2 c. oil [yes, this is a useless measurement to give! I used a 1/4 c. + 2 tsp. today and I think I'll use more next time]
2 tsp. vanilla
[I added 1/2 c. mini M&Ms, and I think this was a big part of why the kids loved 'em]
Mix dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients. Press into flat baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.
[I baked them for 25 minutes on convection and they were very hard around the edges; I'll check them at 20 minutes next time.]
