Simple Woman

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Outside my window…

Christmas-tree-getting weather!

I am thinking…
Just finished my third Christmas Concert in three weeks – only this one was for my own church and it was really simple music.  Midnight mass is going to be a challenge though – new piece in the G flat major.  Rehearsal for that is Thursday.  I’m also doing a flash mob thing on Saturday – my first ever!

I am thankful…
we got to see the baby this weekend.  She is growing so big!  I do think her parents are doing a great job with her.  At nearly two months old she is alert and interested more in what is going on around her.  She did not want to lay down but much preferred sitting up on our laps or in the chair so that she could look at the lights. 

In the kitchen…
I am learning.  I made my first batch of homemade yogurt ever! It turned out very well and it can actually take the place of sour cream in some of my recipes.  It’s not too much fun to eat straight though as it is very tart and not at all sweet.  So I started adding unsweetened pineapple chunks to the yogurt and that helps the taste much better.  I do think the yogurt is very good for my health though.

I have a dinner planned from this book for dinner.

I’m making a breakfast quiche for dinner one night from this book!

Trying the black bean soup and the meat balls with homemade marinara sauce this week too.

I did discover that now that I have been on this diet more and more, that when I cheat a little bit I pay for it.  Mr. Pete took my out for breakfast yesterday and I had some potatoes which caused a little bit of  bleeding today.  If this is all about maintaining a bacterial ecosystem, I have to take that to mean that the bad bacteria feasted on the carbohydrates they like  from potatoes and started irritations again – and because I want to be healed and done with that I will have to say goodbye to my beloved mashed, baked, and home fried potatoes!

I am wearing…
Black on black- my concert outfit.

I am creating…
the rest of my Christmas cards, Christmas cookies, and preparing music for midnight mass.

I am going…
to take Noah to his last ever piano lesson with his current teacher.  She is leaving after the holidays.  So my school week is going to get easier without having to interrupt it on  Tuesdays and Wednesdays!

I am reading…

I am hoping…

• That these new recipes taste as good as they look!
• That I don’t miss eating Christmas cookies and other goodies too much!!
• To perform well at Christmas Eve mass.
• that I can endure all of the things I am called to endure – through Christ who strengthens me. 

I am looking forward to…

• Getting my Christmas shopping done – I am almost there!!!

From the Learning Rooms

We won’t be hitting it too hard this week – lots of preparation to do and I truly believe that folks in the church music ministry deserve a little extra prep time for the other things they need to do.  So Monday and Tuesday we will do the regular curriculum, but towards the end of the week I’ll be happy with reading and math!

• American Literature short stories for Noah via Bob Jones Press
  
  

• Spelling program per Dr. Holinga for all three kids. 
• Instacert for History and start American History part 2 for Noah.   American History course from For Such a Time as This.
• Noah finished up Easy Grammar and is now taking an Excellence in Writing Course. 
• Runkle Geography for Izzy.  Learning the countries in Europe. 
• Apologia Science – Physical for Noah and  Izzy. Creation science Botany for Rosie
• Noah doing Geometry with Mr. D.  Izzy and Rosie doing Saxon math with me.  Rosie just moved up to her 3rd grade math book and Izzy is finally starting Algebra I. . . I
  
• Billy Budd for literature with Izzy and Noah
• 

• Latin for Homeschoolers for Noah
• English from the Roots Up for Izzy.



•  Diane Craft reading program for Izzy.  She is about to start the very last Merrill Reader.  I am so happy with the improvement that she has made since we started this program.
• Little House on the Prairie and Prairie Primer for Izzy.



• Pathway readers for Rosie and the Wand for Language arts. Rosie too has graduated to Busy Times!

for Rosie to study geography.

I am learning…
To cook for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

I am pondering…
How awesome Noah was in the bell choir today.  They did some very difficult pieces and he was just great in them

 
 
A photo I am sharing…

My newest statue for the creche scene – a little angle reading a book – to commemorate my granddaughter’s birth this year.

Melting snowman cookies- made by Izzy for the annual Christmas Tea!

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