Currently= 37, High= 70. Just a modest 43 degree spread….:) Seems a little crazy, but bring on 70!
I love my calendar quote from today. The gratitude thing is always easy when everything goes your way, so I especially like the reminders that point out that the ultimate goal is to be grateful always– highs and lows. Practice, practice, practice…..
We had a family hot tub session last night before bed. It was the first time going in together in a while. (Actually, it was just three of us. Ethan didn’t feel like it.) I lit the fun torches that I bought last summer for the first time since the fall, I think. Added some fun atmosphere!
Then the boys and I read a chapter from this new book series we started. My parents gave it to the boys for Christmas- I’m not sure, but I think they picked it up at a gift shop somewhere while traveling once. It has underlying Christian themes/references in it and is otherwise along the lines of Little House on the Prairie style. It takes place in 1907 Pennsylvania and is the story of 4 kids (the oldest is named Ethan!) who become orphans and end up at a Christian Children’s Home in search of a home.
So far, it’s been very enjoyable and nice to read! The kids actually LOVED Little House on the Prairie (books/movies), too. I think there’s something fun about seeing how people and kids lived years ago. The book is geared toward kids 8-12, it says.
A highlight so far is that the gruff streetcar driver who finds the orphans keeps exclaiming the word “tarnation!” The boys burst into laughter when I read that and Ethan said, “What the heck does THAT mean?!?!” Hahaha! I honestly had never heard it before either. Apparently it is a world that was popular in 18th/19th century Appalachia and basically means, “Oh, hell!” or “Damn!”. They got a real kick out of that, and giggled every time it came up (the guy says it a few times in one chapter).
All in all, it was a good weekend. Pretty balanced with fun and productivity. Last night the boys helped clean the basement. I had been slowly piling up stuff on our bar that needed to be put away and it was driving me nuts. I had been looking at these boxes of ornaments from Memphis (which will be Christmas presents for the boys), for a month now. (They picked them out.) Took all of 30 seconds to walk in the storage room and stick them in the “gift” box….
How was your weekend?? Are your kids reading anything good right now?
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for calculators. Need them sometimes and glad they exist!
GRATEFUL KAE 
I love that your kids read so much! Right now I am reading The Ickabog to my younger two (age 9 and 11). My 12yr old would probably like it too, but I feel like the more kids I include in the read aloud, the less likely it is to actually get read because of conflicting schedules. My 11yr old just finished Holes and my 12yr old is reading the Henry Huggins books for probably the 15th time.
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Have you read the adult book, The Orphan Train? I bet you would like it! I read it years ago and loved it!
We were supposed to have a warm day on Monday and then it ended up only getting to 50. Bleh. I am so glad it’s warming up today. I’m sick of this cold, wet weather! I am going for a run with a neighbor today after work. Hopefully she is ok with running with a super slow person. I told her I have to stick to run/walk intervals for now so I think she’ll be fine with that and probably just wanted the company. I’m hoping to run with her once a week during the day as morning runs are just out of the question until Will is sleeping better! I haven’t ran with someone in so long so it will be nice to have some company!
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