Mommy Brain

The Blizzard by Betty Ren Wright
The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George
If Only I Had a Green Nose by Max Lucado
Escape From the Island of Aquarius by Frank Peretti
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch by Donald Sobol
Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny by Bill Grossman
The Mole Family’s Christmas by Russell Hoban
Who Invited You? by Candace Fleming
Twelve Snails to One Lizard by Susan Hightower
Good Morning, River by Lisa Westberg Peters
Chester the Worldly Pig by Bill Peet
How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet
When the Fly Flew In by Lisa Westberg Peters
A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill
Countdown to Christmas by Bill Peet
Blueberries for the Queen by Katherine Paterson
Sweet Strawberries by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
We’re Making Breakfast For Mother by Shirley Neitzel
Hot Air by Marjorie Priceman
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin! by Lloyd Moss
The First Christmas by Nonny Hogrogian

Andrea tagged me for the “Seven Sevens” meme, so here goes:

1. Seven things to do before I die:

- See my kids grown and happy and serving God
- Re-connect with my best friend from high school, Fran
- Write a book
- Get down to a healthy weight
- Travel the US with my husband
- Visit Ireland, England, and Scotland
- Grow old with my husband

2. Seven things I cannot do:

- snap my fingers
- wiggle my ears
- knit
- eat peas
- eat liver
- stop singing
- stop reading

3. Seven things that attract me to my husband:

- the smiley look he gets in his eyes when I say or do something funny
- his integrity
- his love for our kids
- the fact that he loves me unconditionally
- that he knows and tells people (like his mother, when she suggested I get a job to help financially) that I work even though I don’t have a “job”
- the fact that he tolerates my book and movie addictions
- I’ll keep this one to myself. ~grin~

4. Seven things I say most often:

- You just did what?
- Hurry up, we need to leave!
- I love you.
- Hold on a minute.
- I’ll be right there.
- You can play on the computer after you finish your schoolwork.
- Story time!

5. Seven books (or series) I love: (only seven?)

- the Bible – especially my New Living Translation
- the Anne of Green Gables series
- the Mitford series by Jan Karon
- the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers
- The Church Ladies by Lisa Samson
- Trinity by Leon Uris
- the Little House series

6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would watch over and over if I had the time):

- Sleepless in Seattle
- While You Were Sleeping
- Band of Brothers – this because Kevin watches it over and over again…
- White Christmas
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Dennis the Menace – makes me laugh every time
- Follow Me Boys

7. Seven people I want to join in, too:

Forgive my poor memory, but I can’t recall who has done this already. If you have, ignore me.

Randi, Sparrow, Karen, Amy, Laney, Andrea, and Pearl.

here.

Hat tip: Amazing Grace-land.

Since we’re getting toward the end of the year, I thought I’d do a yearly wrap-up of the reading material the kids and I have enjoyed this year. I’d include books my husband has enjoyed, but I know his response would be, “Who can remember back that far?” Here are the books we’ve loved in 2005:

Read-Aloud Picture Books

Read-Aloud Chapter Books

Fiction

Non-fiction

Christian

I don’t post Amazon links in order to get rich – as evidenced by my Amazon Associates account that has so far accumulated a whopping $6.46. But it doesn’t hurt, right? Maybe in another ten or twelve months I’ll have the minimum amount for a gift certificate – $10! Thank you to any of you who have purchased using my links. It is appreciated.

Spunky has announced the first annual Homeschool Blog Awards! Tons of great categories, so click on over and nominate your favorites.

Tenniel has announced the What Makes a Homeschooler a Homeschooler Symposium, and is asking for related posts. Click over to see the guidelines.

And the question: Kevin has drawn my sister Debra’s name for Christmas. (No worries, she doesn’t read my blog.) She loves to quilt and to knit, and I was wondering if any of you knitters or quilters know of a great online specialty shop that offers gift certificates. If you can help, please leave a comment or e-mail me with the link on the sidebar.

Thanks!

…my Dad reading Psalm 103 aloud while the kids squirmed. Thank God we have kids healthy enough to squirm!

…not measuring anything I ate all day long!

…enough willpower to resist that second piece of pie (and to go back to counting points the next day)!

…a husband who took the two youngest – and crankiest – home for a nap while I watched Denver beat Dallas with my dad.

…the oldest two putting together a jigsaw puzzle with Grandmama.

And the day after…

…decorating for Christmas with our favorite Christmas CD playing.

…going back to Mom and Dad’s to spend the day with my little sis.

…watching The Shop Around the Corner and Going My Way.

…Mom and I beating my sister, Marni, and her husband, Hans, at Cranium.

…Marni beating us at UpWords.

..the first good snowfall of the season. The kids played outside for at least an hour and came in soaking wet, but happy.

…heading to the pool in the evening to work off some of those holiday calories.

…Josiah so sleepy he drifts off while watching Christmas cartoons.

…Kevin putting the kids to bed while I catch up on some blogging.

…being so sleepy I drift off while watching Monk with Kevin.

…NOT going shopping.

…to be thankful for: White Christmas – as sung by Bing Crosby.

I’m thankful for a husband who will drive 2 1/2 hours with four kids so that I can go see a movie with my sister while he spends four hours watching the kids and fixing my grandmother’s computer. A husband who, even though he prefers to see movies at home on DVD, will send me off to the movies with my parents for that “theatre experience.” A husband who goes off to work every morning, no matter how tired, and who is grateful to have a job. I’m thankful for a husband who tells me he loves me every day.

I’m thankful for a daughter who likes to watch “girl” movies with me. A daughter who loves to read and lets her mom help her pick good books. A daughter who loves Jesus with all her heart. A daughter who sings and hums her way through the day. I’m thankful for a daughter who loves me.

I’m thankful for Noah, a son who looks at me with eyes full of love and gives me his special smile. A son who likes to help his baby brother. A son who likes to use his muscles to help Mom unload the groceries and to bring the empty garbage can up from the street. A son who wants to go to Iraq and tell all the “bad guys” that they just need to love Jesus. I’m thankful for a son who loves me.

I’m thankful for Jonathan, a son who is full of energy and life. A son who likes to give me hugs and kisses. A son who wants to do what’s right and is sorry when he doesn’t. A son who is proud to let everyone know he’s a Christian. I’m thankful for a son who loves me.

I’m thankful for Josiah, a son who loves to laugh. A son who still likes to cuddle up beside me at night. A son who will run up to me just to say, “Mommy, I love you.” A son who looks forward to things with delight and enjoys every day. I’m thankful for a son who loves me.

I’m thankful for my God, who loves me fiercely. I’m thankful for His grace, which gives me everything I need to live the way He wants me to. I’m thankful that He created joy, and that I can worship Him as I enjoy the people and things He has blessed me with. I’m thankful for a God who is faithful, no matter the circumstance. I’m thankful for a God who loves me.

….if LeapPad cartridges will still work after being run through the washing machine? Aaargh…

We’re taking this week off of school, which means I should have more time to blog, right? Not so. Today we’ve already been to the dentist to have two baby teeth extracted. Tomorrow we go in for the kids’ second flu shot and then hit the grocery store. Am I crazy to think it will be less crowded on Tuesday than the day before Thanksgiving? Wednesday is baking. And somewhere in there, I have to find time to drop off the baby afghan I (finally!) finished and clean the house. And I’m still exhausted from our busy weekend. I need a nap!

Our weekend was a lot of fun. We left around 9 a.m. for my sister’s house. It takes 2 1/2 hours to get there, and the kids were great on the way down. We played some car games and listened to “Daddy’s music” – which the kids love. This time it was Hall and Oates and the Bee Gees. Kevin dropped me and Josiah off at my sister’s and then headed to my Grammy’s to de-spyware and de-adware her computer. She thinks he’s amazing. My sister’s husband Hans watched Josiah and their two guys while Marni and I went to the movie. Walk the Line was an outstanding movie and I’d like to put in my prediction right now: Joaquin Phoenix will win an Oscar. Possibly Reese Witherspoon, too. Josiah was having so much fun playing with his cousin Peter that when we walked in the door after the movie he took one look at me and said, “Aw, Mom, I don’t wanna go yet!”

After Kevin came and picked us up we headed to Chuck E. Cheese’s for dinner and let the kids play for a couple hours. I chose the soundtrack for the drive home – Billy Joel this time. We didn’t get home until almost 9 p.m. We were all ready to crash.

Sunday we went to church, watched the Seahawks game (which they barely won), ate dinner, and then went swimming at the pool.

The kids are all looking forward to Thanksgiving – and so am I. (I am NOT counting Weight Watchers points on Thanksgiving Day.) Friday we will put up our Christmas tree and decorate the house. Kevin has both Thursday and Friday off, so it makes for a nice holiday weekend. Sunday afternoon we have a birthday party for Noah’s best friend, Daniel.

I plan to check in later to post a list of things I’m thankful for. I hope all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving! (Except for Ron and Andrea, who are Canadian and already celebrated. To you two I say, “Have a good week!”)

(On a side note, I’ve done some paring down of my blogroll. This is not for any other reason than I don’t have enough time in the day to read them all, and some of my interests have changed. The blogroll now reflects the ones I check daily. I may have another list for the ones I pop into on a less regular basis, but I don’t have time to do it right now.)