My Daybook: 9th August, 2016

Outside my window…

early every morning I look out my window to see a mob of kangaroos grazing on the new green shoots. Only nineteen days till the end of Winter, can’t wait for Spring to arrive! 🙂

I am thankful…

for Our Heavenly Father who can do all things, He truly can.  I witnessed a miracle this week and I am in awe!  Never again will I underestimate the power of prayer, miracles really happen!!

I am thinking…

about friendships and how aging maturing is impacting my friendship patterns.  A dear friend and I chatted about this recently, we shared how we treasure our friendships deeply, yet also treasure our solitude, our re-charge times, we’ve become more comfortable in conserving our energies

Learning all the time…

We’re four weeks into Term 3 now, due to sickness we’re only just finding our rhythm now. Through trial and error I’ve discovered to best way to ensure I spend time with all children is allocating time slots. The easiest group to give ‘short shift’ to are our teens, yet their need is just as important as the younger children’s, so 11.30am – 12.30pm+ is their time, problem solved

Celebrating the liturgical year……

oh ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’…I must, must sit down with our perpetual calendar and note down all of our children’s name days, baptismal, FHC days etc so we can actually celebrate them. Last week I missed yet another child’s name day, only remembering when he was asleep that night

From the kitchen…

kitchen renos are humming along well; internal wall came down, external walls came down, external walls went up, windows in, kitchen floor lining was ripped up and new floorboards laid. Electrician comes tomorrow, then we line the walls and ceiling with gyprock. Then kitchen cabinet makers come to measure, they assure me it will only take three weeks to make the cabinets, we’ll see…

I am creating…

a kitchen of course 🙂 Back in June during the End of Financial Year sales, we selected our stove top, ovens and range hood. This week I began researching which sink and kitchen tap mixer/sprayer to purchase, too many choices and the cost, $973 for a kitchen spray mixer!! I assure you I settled on one far cheaper

I am working on…

a booklist for our family holiday. Plenty of discussions here regards our beach holiday in two months, the children are working on a ‘to do’ list. Our teens are quite keen for us to enjoy family read alouds whilst on holidays for “the whole family, like we used to do” so I’m searching for books that will hold the interest of all, from the 23 year old down to the 2 year old, a big ask. As a book loving mama who as striven tirelessly to impart a love of books to my children, I confess my heart gave a giant leap when our 17 and 14 year olds requested family read alouds for our family holiday, obviously a tradition has been formed, yes indeed

I am going…

I recently attended a ‘Friends of the Library’ meeting, a new initiative for our local library. I’m considering joining, a way to meet other book lovers

I am hoping…

well praying really that our son stays safe on the roads. Michelangelo passed his Provisional Driving test earlier this month and now he is out on the roads on his own I worry.  He’s a sensible driver, a competent driver but still I worry, endeavouring to turn to prayer in those moments not worry

I am praying…

for a dear friend and her grandchildren, a life changing situation. Calling all prayer warriors to storm Heaven with us on this, remember miracles do occur

I am pondering….

priorities, unrest and the Holy Spirit. I’ve been invited to participate in a much needed apostolate and yet I’ve been battling with ‘should I, shouldn’t I?’. Today I sought counsel from an ‘older and wiser woman’ who listened and then said, “You are at unrest, the Holy Spirit is not unrest” and I instantly knew, I haven’t been called

I am reading…

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting on the enthusiastic recommendation of Suzanne. Well haven’t started reading yet as I’ve just collected from the library but I’m looking forward to ‘giving it a go’, it’s been awhile since I’ve read a parenting book

I am listening to……

nothing, whenever I have a spare moment of potential listening time my choice currently is always silence, blessed silence

I am hearing…

my children as they engage one another in a pre-breakfast computer game of Battle Tanks. All our computers are in the one room together, admittedly this is sometimes a challenge to focus on writing with lots of noise

I am struggling…

to find motivation to keep on top of housework, with the kitchen moved into the pool room, the pool room and the learning room moved into the library, it’s all rather topsy turvy

Clicking around…

I stumbled across this amazing story of a young Syrian refugee who swam through the freezing waters of the Aegean Sea to safety and will now be part of the “” in the Olympic Games. Ten athletes from countries such as Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo who will march under the Olympic flag.

Talking the Olympics my friend Marijke’s sister is reserve rower for Holland’s women’s rowing team

Around the house…

building, building. Once our kitchen is finished we’re planning to find a balance I promise

One of my favorite things…

Spring, oh how I love thee, not long now

A few plans for this week…

nurture children recovering from sickness, standard juggling of lessons, extra curricula and household management and the electrician’s visit tomorrow

A little peek at my day…

lessons, house cleaning, soccer practice run, final preparations for the electrician