Not Quite Ordinary Observations

For Today...Tuesday, February 25, 2014

In the great outdoors...scattered thunderstorms as a cold front works its way in.

Within our four walls...sleeping children; winding down from the day.

A heart of thanksgiving...for an early tax refund, a smooth visit to get our eyes checked, and an easy pick of glasses. And thankful that we can trust that God will get those glasses prepared and to us in perfect timing as well because He’s taken care of everything else!

Allow me to back up a bit and tell the story. We were waiting for tax refund, and then we were going to schedule eye appointments for Doug, Olivia, and me. Then on Saturday afternoon, Olivia called from her youth weekend event to say she’d broken her glasses. We had no idea how badly they were broken. We just knew we were going to have to find a way to get her in glasses again…and quickly!

Wouldn’t you know, the tax refund showed up in our account Saturday afternoon. Yes, on a Saturday. And two weeks early. Really? When does that happen?

So, Monday morning I made appointments. They were scheduled for next Tuesday (March 4). Then I got a call Monday afternoon. They needed to move our appointment – UP a week to today! Again, when does that happen?

The lady who usually files the insurance and sends off the glasses was out sick today. Very sick. As in, they have no idea when she’ll be back in the office. So, we have no idea how much we’ll have to pay or when our glasses will be sent off. They usually take about three weeks to get back.

But, I’m not worried. We were able to wire Olivia’s glasses together temporarily (thank you, homeschool science kit!), and we trust that the makeshift fix will work until the new ones come in.

A heart of prayer...for a friend who will have his leg amputated tomorrow due to complications from injuries sustained in a car wreck last week. I just cannot imagine. He seems to be in good spirits, based on the reports we’re hearing. But, I cannot imagine the road before him. Makes our issues seem rather petty.

My silly middle child…came up with a joke today while watching the construction work across the street.

What do you call a sleeping cow?

A bull dozer.

Thoughts from the kitchen...not much exciting this week.

On my bookshelf...trying to finish up Where Courage Calls so Angie can read it…and so I can start A Draw of Kings. That’s the one I REALLY want to read!

Projects...I have some ideas ready for Olivia’s birthday. Time to get started on them! Meanwhile, there are LOTS of writing projects to fill my time.

Sounds of the moment...pretty quiet. Just the whirs of computers.

From Hibbard Academy...an odd week so far. But, we’re back in the saddle. I seem to hone in on read-alouds because that’s what we love the most. Steven & Angie’s newest is White Stallion of Lipizza. Love that book! They are learning about habitats in science and are closing out the Elizabethan Age in history.

Olivia and I are about to start a book entitled The Great and Terrible Quest, fitting in with her continued focus on the Middle Ages. She’s heading into an overview of light in science this week.

A favorite thing from last week...welcoming Olivia home from her weekend away. She was soooo tired, but it was fun to listen as she told about her weekend. She really stood out, and the other girls weren’t sure what to think of her. But, she didn’t care. She stood her ground and had a great time no matter what anyone else thought!

The planner...a meeting in Little Rock on Thursday and Steven has a Cub Scout fun day on Saturday. There’s no such thing as a normal week.

Because visuals are fun...Olivia, Thea, and Caroline. Yes, Liv has her hands on yet another baby. She loves every minute of it! Meanwhile, that little Thea just gets more beautiful every day!!

See the wire around the glasses? That’s what’s keeping the frame around the glasses tight around the lens AND the bottom half fastened to the earpiece. I couldn’t get it very tight, so I keep expecting Olivia to walk in without a lens.