Seven Quickies

Thanks to Jen for hosting, as always!

1. I've decided to write this ahead of time because my schedule has been a bit crazy, but it could have been worse.  I was dreading my week because Travel Man has donned his super suit again and started his busy travel schedule.  This week, he's in West Virginia.  In addition to 20 hours of work this week, I had two dance rehearsals, basketball practice, Bible study (he'll phone in for that), co-op, and some editing of videos of two basketball games for the homeschool rec league.  Oh, and some school somewhere in there, hopefully.  
   
   Sunday, though, we got snow, which meant public school was cancelled on Monday morning.  Which meant no dance Monday evening.  So I had a break there, which actually wound up extending to Tuesday.  
   
   Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, there were freezes bad enough to cancel school for fear of black ice, which is especially treacherous for the busses to navigate on the mountain roads.  This meant that instead of working until 3:20, throwing together the basketball gear, running to practice until 5:30 (where I'd do Little Girl's makeup for her dress rehearsal at dance class), then sprinting back across town for dance rehearsal, I got to come home after basketball (where I still applied makeup to try it out) and make dinner.  We watched "The King and I" together while we ate, snuggling up on the couch as we finished the Mac and Cheese concoction I made.  
   
   Today, I was to work 7 to 8, then co-op across town from 10 to 12, then back home to work 2:30 to 4, then Bible study tonight at 7 (here!).  But the co-op is taking a week off because several families are going on a ski trip today.  So I've got this morning to finish off that movie project, which I should be able to polish up well before my 2:00 shift.  
   
   So the week I thought I wouldn't make it through turns out to be all bark and no bite.  I chalk that up to God, you know.  Because when I looked at the schedule on Sunday afternoon, I prayed, "Lord, help me make it through this week!  There's just so much happening!!!"  He took care of the rest. 
2. It's so funny...we had really mild weather a week or two ago.  So mild that the kids went out without heavy coats for a couple of days!  And, of course, winter clothes are on clearance in the stores, making way for shorts, capris, and other spring fare.  And then we get to March, and it snows!  We got a good four inches by my measurements.  So out came the snow pants we bought for our trip to South Dakota, out came the mittens and hats again, and out went the girls to play in the snow.  It's been really beautiful, and the first layer was wet snow that stuck to all the trees, making it look quite sugar-frosted.  It was just the thing, and just enough snow to build a snowman and sled down the back hill a few times.  Thank You, God!
3. For Lent, I gave up noise this year.  It's been interesting.  Though I'm still online, I watch a lot less TV, and I won't turn on anything until I've said my morning offering.  That means that I have to plan on mornings I work early to get up early enough to say an offering before I turn on the TV, radio, or even computer.  It's been nice.  I've also given up radio and iPod in the car.  This is really nice, too, since I have had some very interesting conversations with the girls since I gave that up.  I didn't realize how often I retreated into that noise in the car instead of talking to them!  Shame on me.
4. I know I don't usually get all political here, but has anyone else noticed that every time the president tells us about another New Grand Plan to Save Us All, the stock market takes another dive?  Did you think we'd be below 7000 on the Dow - down more than 15% since the Inauguration?  I'm just stunned - and also very glad that we have been on the Total Money Makeover plan for the last year.
5. It's almost time to shop for Little Girl's First Communion dress.  She's going to try on her sister's first, but we aren't very hopeful that it'll fit her, since she's taller than Big Girl was three years ago.  She is getting to be such a big girl!  When I did her stage makeup yesterday, I had a glimpse of what we're in for.  Wow.
6. Travel Man has decided to take the girls out on Daddy Dates.  Daddy Dates involves Daddy taking one of the girls out to dinner all alone.  He said, "This will be the kind of thing that happens when a young man has been courting you, and we meet him and his parents.  Then, later, he can take you out to eat so you can sit and talk and get to know each other even better."  Go, Daddy!  Our girls, should they be called to such a life (as opposed to a religious life), will have very high standards.  Just the way we like it.  Little Girl is first, and she's picked her restaurant out.  
7.  Bible Study is really going well, too.  I have some work to do before tonight's meeting.  Travel Man will be calling in to lead the discussion, which also includes our girls.  Sometimes the girls have the most interesting answers of anyone, which makes me feel kinda good.  What makes me feel best about it is that I don't help the girls with their answers; they do them alone, then share answers with the group when we meet.  It's been interesting to look at the Bible as a family history, which is how The Great Adventure Bible Study works.  The more we do, the happier I am that our parish is participating and coordinating this whole effort.  The DVDs are phenominal, too - Dr. Cavins really gets into the Catechism along with the Bible, so we are getting a very good education all around of how the Church views the Bible and how it relates to the rest of our Faith.