Simple Woman Monday

7:20 a.m. on a Monday Morning

Outside my window...  The light is pearl grey, sifting through low clouds.  A coverlet of snow lies on the ground.  The Mesa has muscled its way out of the clouds  and is showing off a mantle of snow over its dark blue shoulders.

I am hearing...  Theresa playing "Two Horn Pipe" on the piano, William and Gabe chattering and playing with an airplane Gabe made out of a kleenex box, Anna asking me to check her spelling on a paper she's bringing to her teacher about the first Thanksgiving.

I am thinking...  I'd better get a move on and get the kids to school.  It only takes five minutes to go down the driveway and around the bend to school so it's easy to take time for granted.  It's pitiful.  Here we are so close to school, and we've come perilously close to being late on more than one occasion.  How would we explain that to the Sisters?

I am wearing...   a rust-colored, wrap-bodice tee and a long black hoody sweater over my hippy-gypsy skirt.  I love this skirt; it's made of  patchwork quilt in several patterns based in black: houndstooth and buffalo checks, a couple different florals, and squares of velvet.  It's warm and cozy and goes down to my ankles.  A perfect skirt for a cold, snowy morning.  A pair of cozy moccasin boots and I'm on my way to take the kids to school.

I am wondering...  when I'll see the rest of my kiddos.  Jon drove back with Dominic and Michelle from Omaha to Denver yesterday and the story is that they are meeting up with Kevvy, who lives there now (as does Jon).  They're spending a couple of days visiting friends and relatives in town, they say, before they head over the mountains and home with my sis, Nina.  Tomorrow, I think. Weather permitting.  I'd love to have them here sooner (selfish as I am), but it's actually a good thing they're pausing on the eastern slope today because the western mountains are getting socked with a big snow storm right now.

 Praying... that it lets up before they head over tomorrow!

I'm laughing at...  William, who thought yesterday's dinner was "Slobber Joes."  And who, after belching at the dinner table said:

 Excuse me.  [pause]
That was rude. [pausepause]
And unkindly. [pausepausepause]
 And I shouldn't drink my drink up so fast. [pausepausepause]
 I'll try not to let it slip out again. [giggles from his crowd]

(And proving that this four-year-old's got the patter down cold and we don't really need to bother with correcting him, because he can do it himself.  Which is progress, I guess)

I'm planning..  Thanksgiving dinner, of course!  But I  also have to figure out how I can have Christmas 100% taken care of before I leave for Virginia on the 12th.  The plan is for me to drive back cross-country with Paul to bring their car west (as they'll be stationed in San Diego after Christmas -- and Nicole is taking my return ticket to fly back to Denver with the baby), so I won't get home until the 21st or so.  Yikes!  The challenge will be to make Christmas at home as cozy, warm, and normal as I can -- without me being here.  I'll keep you posted on what I figure out...

I'm sharing these photos... of a day in the life at our house.  Here's the rest of the family hard at work after Theresa, Anna, and Gabe headed off to school this morning. (Not pictured: me, obviously hard at work blogging and taking pictures... ;)



Cathy working on penmanship

 

Dan doing whatever it is he does (I think checking investments here)



And then there's William.  Ain't it the life? I wish I were four years old!