At random

Last week Cutzi posted her random thoughts and I liked that idea so much I decided to post my own. This is a good catch-all for all the myriad of things going on that don't warrant a post of their own.

1. I began my 2007 Christmas (and seasonal birthday) list today. Isaac's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks and from then on, we have several birthdays between both sides of our family and group of friends, all the way up until Christmas.

2. Our hummingbird feeder is still hanging on our front porch and I really ought to take that down since it's been several months since we've seen a hummingbird. And that bright red empty feeder is just not serving any purpose right now other than to remind me that it needs to come down.

3. Last week our patio table completely shattered. I spent a good portion of one afternoon sweeping up shards of glass from our patio and picking them from the lawn nearby. I have yet to call the store and find out what they're going to do about that event. I think because I'm afraid they'll make us haul it all back to the store- glassless table, six chairs, and umbrella- and I don't welcome that trip. But I do have my receipt.

4. I'm completely floundering under mounds of laundry. The whole "do a load a day" system has not really panned out for us. What happens is that I remember to put a load IN, but then forget about it for a day or two. Sigh. But I AM newly inspired about *organizing* our clothes like Amy has just done at their house. And if she had a blog and posted about it I could link you there right now. But she doesn't have a blog.

5. But I think she *should* have one. And for the record, I asked her the other day if she missed blogging and she said yes.

6. I'm itching to get something on my knitting needles. I just checked out some Debbie Bliss books at the library (because Kendra recommended her to me) and I'm perusing them for a new project. For the past couple of years all I've been knitting are scarves, slippers and shawls, and I'm ready to move on. What I'm moving on TO I'm not yet sure.

7. My sister-in-law just found out she has breast cancer.

8. The kids have their first cold of the season. Isaac always gets it first, then Ella, and it always skims right over Isaias. And it usually lingers with Ella. She has had a pretty bad cough that has been keeping her (and us) up at night.

9. Ella and Isaac had their yearly doctor's appointments yesterday. When I made their appointments I was clearly insane because I made them for 8:30 and 9:00. In the morning. WHAT was I thinking?!?! It is hard for us to be somewhere by 10:00, let alone 8:30. I had to wake the kids up and we skipped breakfast to get there. Also, we love our doctor but we are always quizzed when it comes up that we homeschool: "So does [Ella] do okay around other children?" Or, "Is she involved with groups of children throughout the week?" (Because I guess her brothers don't count.) That aside, they're healthy and great and growing a ton.

10. Flannel pajama pants. It's the one thing I forgot to list in my Autumn post of things I love about this season.

11. Did you read this post? I loved it. [Make sure to follow the link, too. You'll laugh.]

12. Isaias has this new habit of repeating everything we say. I'm not exaggerating. Every sentence, he repeats. Just to give you a little idea of what this might be like, here's an example. If I say, "Buddy, you need to finish your chicken before you can have any more bread", he says, "I need to finish my chicken before I can have any more bread?" And then if I smartly reply, "Yep, that's what I said", he says, "That's what you said?" Multiply that by about a hundred and you can see why I'm slightly annoyed with this new habit.

13. Amy and I switched our weekly playdates from Wednesday mornings (which we've been doing for years) to Tuesday afternoons. So now we don't do lunch together anymore, but we do get to do "snacks", which is fun. This week she made a delicious pumpkin roll (think pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting rolled inside of it). So tasty. Last time we were there she made rice crispy treats, which is my all-time favorite treat. She knows this, and that's why she made them. *And* every time I come she has a latte (iced vanilla) waiting for me on the counter. This is just one small reason Amy is my best friend.

14. I have been having some serious insomnia lately. Nearly twice a week I'll wake up between 3 and 4 and NOT be able to fall back to sleep. Usually I lay there for an hour or so, trying, and then I get up to go have a quiet time and then after that I crawl back into bed and maybe right before the alarm goes off I might doze for 10 minutes. It's crazy, because I am *so* tired. But once my mind gets whirring I can't really settle it down. And our bedtime hour has been around midnight, lately. So I'm exhausted.

15. I'm reading a really good book right now. I'll post about it when I'm done.

16. Isaac says things like, "This is so delicious I can barely stand it. What does 'barely stand it' mean?" Or this, from our front porch: "I'm wearing my boots because it's a nice..." (he pauses, looking around, and then:) --"Is it Fall today?"-- (I answer in the affirmative, and he continues, triumphantly) "...Fall day!"

17. I wish Michelle lived here. I like her far too much for her to live all the way in Indiana.

18. I love my husband. He never complains. And I do mean "never". He works tirelessly during the day and comes home to serve wherever he can around here. And he puts up with me. He will be getting some extra kind words from God when he gets to heaven for that fact alone, I assure you.

19. I recently discovered Sara Groves.  I love her voice and lyrics.

20. I like having backyard chickens. I've decided they're the perfect pets. They give us four eggs a day. They require very little from us. And when we forget to let them out of their little house until 1:30 in the afternoon, as was the case yesterday, they are just fine. When I peeked in, I found them all sitting up on their roost. They must have decided it was simply still nighttime. And when I opened their little door they just clucked happily and came outside and then I collected the eggs they'd left and that was that.