Nicole's Daybook ~ A Day Late

I put aside my usual day of Daybooking to honor my husband on Valentine's Day. So, here I am today.

Outside my window... the snow is completely melted and the temps are rising again, but it rained overnight and this morning so it is yucky.

I am thinking... about how I have figured out why I don't have the February homeschooling slumps that so many moms experience: It's because I love winter! I love being home bound. I don't go stir crazy and long for the sun and summer activities. I do love to garden, but I love winter so much that I am willing to patiently wait. I don't have a Vitamin D deficiency, apparently. But it sounds like lots of people do.

I am thankful ... for Rick's giving and loving relationship with Dawson, for sweet words of encouragement from Dawson, and for an opportunity for Rick.

I am wearing... black sweatpants and a Hawaii zip up hoodie. I have a bad case of the "yucks" today.

I am planning...  to clean the upstairs today, despite how I feel.
 

I am creating... nothing, nothing, NOTHING! Really, NOW I have nothing to plan. With Valentine's Day over, life is pretty smooth in the creativity department for a while.

I am going... to try to finish The Descendants and My Name is Mary Sutter this weekend at my parents'. It will be a relaxing, reading kind of weekend.

I am reading...  The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings, My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira (Put aside while I read The Descendants), My Antonia by Willa Cather (Dawson's daily read-a-loud), Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (not-so keeping up with Dawson so we can discuss it, one chapter a week), Stepping Heavenward by E. Prentiss (my daily devotional), Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George (book study I am doing with a friend, doing one chapter every two weeks), For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn.

I am hoping... that *this* is the one he's been hoping for.

From the learning rooms... We took a snow day on Monday, Tomorrow we have a field trip, and Friday we are off school because the public schools are out. So, that just left yesterday and today for school at home. We have taken advantage of this time to watch some videos: "Pioneer House" (a PBS reality mini-series about three families that live in 1883 for four months) and the "Westminster Kennel Dog Show". Brynne watches it and takes notes about the winners in each of the classes. Dawson also did some fun Valentine writing activities (rejected candy hearts).

Noticing that ... several homeschool moms in our co-op group are moving into the Classical Conversations arena (required curriculums, rote memorization, structured atmosphere) and how I just can't imagine us in that type of environment. I am so much more laid back and interest-led than I EVER thought I would be.

From the kitchen... Monday night, for our homeschooling mom's night out, we had a crock pot party. I made chocolate molten cake. Here's the recipe:

Crock Pot Chocolate Molten Cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake mix of our choice

Large box instant chocolate pudding

3 cups milk

All ingredients needed according to chocolate cake mix

Instructions:

Mix chocolate pudding with 3 cups milk. Pour in bottom of crock pot. In separate bowl, prepare cake mix according to instructions. Pour over pudding in crock pot. Cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Weep with joy at every bite.

Around the house... is birdseed everywhere. I filled all our feeders and houses on Sunday in anticipation of the snow. The birds have scattered it everywhere and the dogs have tracked it in.

One of my favorite things... is the stark contrast of the red Cardinals and fat Robins when it snows. They are so beautiful! I could sit with a cup of coffee and watch them all day.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Tomorrow we are going on a field trip to the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory. We went to an open house this summer, but they rushed us through. My kids wanted to see more of the factory, so they are very excited. On Friday, Eli, Brynne and I are heading to Missouri to visit my parents for the weekend. We will be doing lots of vegging, and Brynne and I will get our hair cut and colored by my sister. We will also get to see Kyndal! Rick and Dawson are staying home for some man time.

From my picture journal.

Something I found this week that Dawson had done. It was a good reminder to me of all that is important in my life, so I made it into a bookmark.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.