Honey and the Honeycomb: January Daybook

Outside my window... It is foggy! I love the fog. It reminds me that I am really home, the place where my roots were put down as a child. Foggy, west coast, mist.

I am wearing... My pajamas. The baby is still asleep and I am NOT about to go into the bedroom to get my clothes, put on my contacts, anything.

I am thankful for... A few moments to blog. A very kind, respectful and helpful oldest son. I've been marveling at how pleasant his personality is lately. I will admit that he has a stubborn streak the size of a 12 lane LA freeway, however.

I am thinking about... Possibly keeping a list of books I read this year. I have generally been bad at doing that. It's like keeping a diary, a great idea but something I rarely manage with any consistency. However, I've enjoyed reading people's "what I read this year" posts, so maybe I'll manage a little list.

Learning all the time... Ok people. It's time to get real with this. I don't do New Year's Resolutions (I mean, not the real kind), but I did promise myself that after the holidays were over, I'd finally spend some focused time studying and thinking about what we will be doing with Mr. Bluejay, who will be five this summer (and by default, his younger siblings). I'm leaning toward homeschooling until he is six. I had a fortuitous run in with the teacher of a tiny Orthodox school, someone I've known since I was the student, at the grocery store this week. My friend handed me her big book of homeschooling resources out of the blue when we stopped by the other day. My sister-in-law sent me a link to a lovely kindergarten curriculum a month or two ago. I feel like someone is tapping me on the shoulder saying "hey, time to pay attention".

From the kitchen... Cooking again! Slowly. Does anyone else find that all the staples are running low after Christmas? We had some stomach bugs over the holidays and didn't eat much beyond yogurt, egg and rice bowls, and frozen pizza for the healthy ones. Right now I have plans for some barbecue chicken (yes, I will light up the Webber in January, we live in Northern California) and artichokes, because Bluejay has been asking for artichokes and a fire.

I am creating... Still crocheting Sparrow's blanket. It is my first time doing basketweave stitch. I really like it.

I am working on... working. I have several clients now. It's a blessing to have work. I'm enjoying doing it. Aaron is working four ten hour days so that I can have one "full" work day each week. And my dad has been terrific at helping me out lately. I'm also going to be doing a child-care swap one day a week, a friend from church is also a work-at-home mama and will be bringing her adorable little girl over here so we can take turns shepherding the younglings and working. I'm excited to see how it works out.

I am going... to the usual places only. It's nice to have a routine again. I need to have a place to "go" on Mondays. I struggle with that first day alone with the children after having my husband home for three days.

I am hoping... to get up north to visit my brother's family sometime in the next few months.

I am reading... P.G. Wodehouse. I finished Leave it to Psmith and started on one of the Jeeves books: Joy in the Morning. I do love old Pelham Grenville, and it turns out that I'm more of an Anglophile than I realized. I lived in the UK for 2+ years during high school. I can't wait to travel there with my family when the kids are a little older.

I am praying for... The soul of my friend Alan, who died one year ago this coming Sunday. My family. All of the little children.

I am hearing... The "big" kids talking to little Sparrow, who just woke up. Sparrow giggling. I love how they can keep him happy for a bit now, so that I can finish something (like a blog post)!

One of my favorite things... New coffee cups we got for Christmas. Hand-thrown and kilned (is that the terminology?) by Bluejay's preschool teacher's husband. They are so nice to hold and look at.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Working. Preschool. Cooking. Cleaning, and most importantly, putting away all of the paraphernalia from Christmas.

A picture thought I am sharing with you...