Daybook - November 29

Outside my window...is darkness and chill, crisp air. Finally feels like November. I am always amazed at how dark this campus is despite being "in" a town. So much country around--I love it.

I am thinking...of what all I have to get done the next few days as we're back on tomorrow and also how crazy this month is going to be!

I am thankful for...unexpected breaks.

From the learning rooms...[or in our case--the learning brain]...comes words. and words. and more words. Until this last week Blueberry had some words: "Mama, Doggy, Nana, Up, Down." All very useful and greatly utilized words. Then this past week she's had language explosion. "Ba (bear)" - Babe (baby) - a very garbled attempt at "I love you", "No (no, no, no, no, accompanied by emphatic head shaking when she's getting into something she knows is a "no no!"). And then so many other "words" that are her imitating sounds, but occasionally throwing them back out at us. I guess it's not really 'words" per say but sound imitation. But it's still fun to hear.

From the kitchen...I'm still eating up leftover Thanksgiving Apple Spice cake (gluten free of course). Can I say, "Yum" if I made it myself?

I am wearing...jeans and a black shirt. and socks. because it's chilly.

I am creating...a Jesse tree for the girls' devotions throughout this month. Rather excited about it. Here's a pin if you're interested in more info:

Source: eriercd.org via Hanna on Pinterest

I am going...to a Christmas party on Thursday--the first of many it sounds like. Except this one is actually for us adults and the majority of them are for the kids here.

In my mailbox this week...was many Amazon packages including a stylus for my Kindle Fire (did I mention my Kindle Fire--yeah, in love with that!), a case, several books, gluten free foods of various sorts (pasta, crackers), much funness.

I am reading.. . Sunshine by Robin McKinley, The 4th Bear by Jasper Fforde, and several books on my Kindle. It's a book for each room?

I am hoping...to get our Christmas card ready soon...very soon...sooner than I probably can manage...

I am hearing...a video game that Chris is playing, children chattering on the other side of the hall from me, and an occasional "wuff" of air from Calista as she lays curled up in her cage.

Around the house...we have progress! Our living room actually feels like "ours". We have pictures up. Christmas is also sneaking in; although, admittedly, it will be rather thin decorations this year for the simple reason that as I'm trying to set up our house for "normal", I didn't feel like taking it all back down again right away. So we have a nativity set up (a must) and our Christmas tree will go up with some lights. That's about it. In the main cottage, however, we spent all day Saturday decorating and it is ready to go (inside any ways--outside still needs some lights).

One of my favorite things...watching Blueberry read books in her Jarble Language.

A few plans for the rest of the week: spend time with five lovely girls, go to several meetings, hang up more pictures on the wall, do laundry.

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