On my bedside table: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante; 25 Days ‘til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

On my TV: We started and finished Daybreak S1. Very quirky and interesting. We’re also keeping up with The Mandalorian and His Dark Materials.

Listening to: Mostly podcasts. I finally started Dungeons and Daddies at J’s insistence and it is absolutely hilarious! Hoping to listen to some on my drive in Indiana in a few weeks.

On the menu:

• Monday - Chili and Cornbread

• Tuesday - Honey Lime Tilapia

• Wednesday - Turkey Brie Grilled Cheese

• Thursday - Artichoke Pasta

• Friday - Leftovers

• Saturday - Italian Beef Sandwiches

• Sunday - Honey and Lime Jalapeno Chicken

On my to do list: Lots of prep for Christmas and travel. Plus I need to finish my Christmas cards (working on the last 50), get my books together, mail a few items, finish meal planning for this year, and do laundry.

Happening this week: A very light week so far… I still need to schedule our Romp n Roll classes for December.

• Monday -

• Tuesday -

• Wednesday - Santa Party at the Community Center

• Thursday -

• Friday -

• Saturday - Arthur’s classmate’s birthday party

• Sunday - Christmas at the Orchard?

What I am creating: Finally got some momentum on Arthur’s 2018 Project Life album. I organized all of the photos, printed the first three months, and started filling in the pages. I need to buy more photo paper, but lots of progress this week.

My simple pleasures: Ginger molasses cookies. Simply divine!

What I’m planning: I’ve got a list of open houses for today, but need to put them in order (geographically speaking). We’re not in a huge rush, but starting to house hunt. I’m not super excited by any we’re going to see today. Instead, we’re using these open houses as a way to really nail down our wants, assess neighborhoods, and be able to compare houses and prices.

Looking around the house: Hmmm… I’m once again feeling the urge to purge. But first, I think I need a plan of attack.

Looking forward to: Spending Christmas with all of my kids.

From the camera: Two little boys got to meet Santa on Friday night. What did they ask for? Dinosaurs, of course!