A new addition to the family

1. My brother
   
   
2. My sister (his incredible wife)
   
   
3. Their new baby boy
   

Chatting

1. Chatting with my middlest during my office hours at Belmont. It had been a long time since we'd had a chance to chat.
   
   
2. Then I chatted with her again through Facebook while we were both in my office. I was having fun, but I was driving her crazy.
   
   
3. Discussing Herodotus with my baby girl after watching part of 300 together. History has a lot of interesting lessons for us today.
   

Prepared, great deal, just like riding a bike almost

1. Feeling much more prepared for Belmont this week than I did the past two weeks.
   
   
2. Finding a great deal on a new battery for the old laptop.
   
   
3. Finally getting to drive the new Nissan, and not doing too badly for not driving a stick-shift in over three years.
   

Great Sunday music

1. The girls did a great job this morning with their bell choir.
   
   
2. The girls did a great job singing this morning, too.
   
   
3. I learned that Sir Arthur Sullivan wrote the tune for "Lloyd-George Knew My Father."
   

Get Smart marathon

• "Would you believe . . . ?"
  
  
• "Sorry about that, Chief."
  
  
• "Missed it by that much."

Probability, warm toes, great parking space

1. Probability Day at Belmont, and that means M&M's for everyone!
   
   
2. Warmer weather, so my toes weren't cold today during class and walking to class.
   
   
3. A great parking space.
   

Baby Reed, Baby Christopher, cute couple

1. Baby Reed got a new heart yesterday, and the surgery went well, and he is doing well. We have been praying for him for many months, and we praise God for His faithfulness. We will continue to pray for the family who lost their baby and were generous enough to donate their baby's organs.
   
   
2. Baby Christopher and his mom (my sister Leigh Anne) are still doing well. She's not due until February, so every appointment where they don't induce is good.
   
   
3. Everything went smoothly for the inauguration. I enjoyed watching Barak and Michelle dance at the balls. They are very cute together.
   

Cardinal in the snow, the princess trio, another homeschool mom

1. Through a light snow, I saw a male cardinal sitting in a snowy cedar tree. It was like looking at a Christmas card, just outside my living room window!
   
   
2. I finished the arrangement, and we had our first real practice, for a "princess" trio the girls are singing for the Valentines Banquet at church.
   
   
3. I had a great time today chatting with a college friend about homeschooling. It's good to find some support.
   

Great hymns, a big solo

1. "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" with the tune Diadem. I love that tune.
   
   
2. "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". I love that hymn.
   
   
3. A big bell solo during practice this evening.
   

Trying to stay warm

1. Our wood stove
   
   
2. My jean quilt
   
   
3. Russian tea
   

Birthday Party Part II

1. The second part of my baby's birthday present came today in the mail, with perfect timing. She wanted Season 1 of "Hogan's Heroes," and we had time today to watch several episodes.
   
   
2. Birthday day lunch part 2: My baby had requested pork, ham, and bacon for lunch. We had a ham roast with potatoes and carrots, and she settled for no bacon.
   
   
3. Root beer floats, purple cows and orange cows for desert
   

RC truck, ring tones, movie night

1. My youngest wanted a remote control car for her birthday. She said she never had one when she was little, and she's right. So we bought her a RC Chevy pickup truck, and she spent a good bit of the day walking around and around the house following it. I had no idea it would be such a good exercise tool. She's happy that she can tell her friends that she got a truck for her birthday.
   
   
2. My oldest is testing the ring tones on her new phone. It reminds me of the time when Daddy was in the ICU, and there was this obnoxious family in the waiting room that was breaking all the rules, and my brother decided that we could be obnoxious without breaking any rules by testing the rings on his cell phone. Once we found the perfect obnoxious cell phone ring, he played the cell phone version of "Night on Bald Mountain" over and over. It was a stressful time for the family, but I remember that I laughed so hard with my brother that day that my sides hurt.
   
   
3. My middlest and I had time to watch several movies today including The Dark Night.
   

Wordless Wednesday #59

Road test, new cell phone

1. The look on the face of my oldest when she passed her road test.
   
   
2. The look on her face when she realized we finally let her have a cell phone.
   
   
3. The look on my middlest daughter's face when *she* realized that we finally let our oldest have a cell phone.
   

Sweet 15, good grades filed away correctly, shiny sinks with clear counter tops and hallways

1. My oldest and I went up to Lebanon today to visit the library and to drive in the streets around the driver testing center for Wilson County. I was watching her drive, and thinking about how it was the last day before she would have her driver's license, and I wasn't sad. She has always been such a blessing in my life, and I realize that though this marks a huge milestone for her, she will continue to be a blessing. So I thought I would fall apart when she turned 16, but now I know that I'll be OK.
   
   
2. I needed to find the grade reports for our oldest daughter so that we get the good student discount on our car insurance. My husband doubted my ability to keep track of things, but it was not a problem.
   
   
3. The living room is a disaster and we still have all the Christmas decorations up (at the request of the birthday twins), but the rest of the house is looking really good. I'm really making an effort to keep it clean, and my husband is really making an effort to help me out. I'm not sure exactly how this happened because we didn't talk about it, but somehow I guess we both decided that we would take more time to keep the house clean.
   

Organ prelude, choir, almost full moon

1. "How Firm a Foundation" for the organ prelude
   
   
2. Choir practice
   
   
3. Driving home tonight, the moon was behind the clouds, as we rounded the hill, the moon came out, too. Really breathtaking.
   

Hancock, epic saga, clean clothes

1. I rented the Will Smith's movie Hancock. My youngest came downstairs thinking I was going to make her watch one of mom's boring history movies. She was excited when she realized it was something that she actually wanted to see.
   
   
2. My middlest child asked me to stop renting movies that are labeled as "an epic saga" or as "a visionary masterpiece." She has informed me that both phrases are just code words for "boring." (She was *not* referring to Hancock, by the way.)
   
   
3. Two loads of laundry done today!
   

Close call, no more Toby Mac, French pirates

1. I made an appointment on-line for my oldest to take her driver's test, and we got the last appointment they had that day.
   
   
2. We finally figured out how to delete songs from the new iPod.
   
   
3. "Je suis peu enclin a acquiescer a votre requete. C'est «non»."

Macaroni and cheese, work, happy kitchen

1. My baby cooked supper tonight to get back in practice for when I'm teaching again in another week.
   
   
2. I got lots of work done today for clients, and worksheets for Belmont.
   
   
3. It's been over a week since my husband thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, and thanks to both of us, the kitchen is still really, really clean. It makes me smile every time I walk into the kitchen.
   

Wordless Wednesday #58

Three Kings Day, Aeschylus, FlyLady

1. My husband made us a pound cake for Three Kings Day, and my oldest donated her prize from Three Kings Day in Luxembourg for the cake. My middlest daughter found the piece with the prize this year, and everyone was happy because my middlest daughter really needs a good year this year.
   
   
2. My baby girl is having a great day in school. She finished Aeschylus and is starting Plutarch without complaining.
   
   
3. Rediscovering FlyLady.com, and finding out that now she has a group on Yahoo, which works out well for me. It's been a week since my huband completely cleaned the kitchen, and it's still clean! Hooray for us!
   

Baked pasta, shopping, Christmas/New Years letter

1. A new baked pasta dish with Italian sausage and pepperoni at Fazolli's
   
   
2. Shopping with the girls
   
   
3. Finished the Christmas letters this evening (even though the post office was already closed when I finished stuffing envelopes)
   

Epiphany Ring

I joined the "rookie" bell choir at church, and tonight was our Epiphany Ring, a mass bell choir of 12 different choirs from 10 different church. We played four pieces together and a "solo" piece. I had a blast. It was so much fun!

1. "Carillon Christmas"
2. "Sing We Now of Christmas"
3. "On This Day the Earth Shall Ring"
   

Christmas letters, sidewalk chalk, French toast

1. I finished my Christmas letter writing today. I should be able to get them to the post office on Monday.
   
   
2. The girls had a blast with their sidewalk chalk---all over the bridge. They are so insane, just like their mother!
   
   
3. Breakfast for lunch, including pain perdu
   

Movie Day

1. It's a Wonderful Life
   
   
2. Flushed Away
   
   
3. Speed
   

College Bowl Day (Happy New Year!)

1. Nebraska 26, Clemson 21 in the Gator Bowl
   
   
2. Iowa 31, South Carolina 10 in the Outback Bowl
   
   
3. Steve Spurrier is not as good a coach as he thinks he is