FOR TODAY, December 1, 2008 . . .

Outside My Window . . . it’s cold, with occasional wispy bursts of snow – just enough to get the kids excited but not to amount to anything.

I am thinking . . . how sweet it is that my 3-year-old daughter has curled up and fallen asleep in my lap while I am typing this.

From the learning rooms . . . we are testing the concept of learning “stations.” We also introduced a couple of new products that we’re reviewing into our school time today.

I am thankful for . . . a husband who loves “dinner and a movie” dates as much as I do. I’m also thankful that Netlix’s online queue can now be viewed on Macs, too.

From the kitchen . . . mac ‘n’ cheese for lunch; leftover carrot cake with cream cheese icing for dessert.

I am wearing . . . black pants, knee-high socks, warm velour top, house shoes.

I am creating . . . a new season of holiday memories with my family.

I am going . . . to get the new Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in the mail tomorrow from Netflix. The kids will be so surprised!

I am (soon to be) reading . . . In the Shadow of the Sun King.

I am hoping . . . to make some more headway putting away the summer clothes. It seems to take forever!

I am hearing . . . 13-year-old son playing his clarinet; 5-year-old daughter doing online school work on the laptop.

Around the house . . . the Christmas tree is up and decorated! It looks like it was decorated by someone with a split personality: sturdy, child-oriented ornaments of ours, plus the delicate, fragile ones that were my mother’s that my dad gave me this year. We snagged an Elf on the Shelf for 1/2 price Friday morning, and the kids named him “Elfis” (I guess he’s the king of the elves?). They’ve had great fun playing on the website, too.

We finally replaced our dying vacuum cleaner, and my 11-year-old daughter is obsessed with vacuuming now. Worse things could happen!

One of my favorite things . . . cheese spaghetti, a family favorite that we seem to only make at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I really need to get some blog design work done; the start of a school year always messes with my work flow. I also need to prep and upload some photos to print.

Here is picture thought I am sharing . . . first time to bowl (with a little help from mom).

Stop by The Simple Woman to find more daybook entries!

Huge Holiday Sale at Calumet Photographic! 11.26.08 thru 12.01.08