Miscellany Monday: Advent, Ice Show and Other Stuff

I don't know if it is that I learned my lesson last year...or if having a 10-month old in the house is helping me keep my expectations in check, but we are in the midst of having a more laid-back - and great - advent here at our house.  In the mornings, before he heads off to work, Jas is reading The Jesus Storybook Bible to us .  We love this bible and have read it through numerous times the past few years...and right now we're specifically following this plan for the advent season.  And at night, we are reading the third book in an advent series that we started two Christmases ago - Tabitha's Travels.

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I'm going to keep this part short and simple:  I love The Care and Keeping of You.  Have a preteen girl?  You need this book.  Very helpful.  'Nuff said.

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I am working on quitting my coffee habit...but having learned my lesson last time, I am not quitting cold-turkey.  I have been slowly-but-surely cutting down over the past couple of weeks, and I've cut my daily consumption down by 1/3...or 1/2 if you count the mug I used to sometimes have in the afternoon, but now never have.

Does that last sentence even make sense?  I can't tell...I've been a little foggy lately...

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We went to see a Disney On Ice show with our homeschool group.  And my precious friend Vicki and her three chitlins rode with us.  And Lao Lao came also.  MUCH fun was had this day!

The picture is kind of dark because, well...it was actually kind of still dark out.  We left early that morning because we had to drive about two hours to get to The Big City.

And after a short escapade in a not-tall-enough parking garage...we arrived only slightly late to our seats. And I'm so glad we didn't miss much...because this show was great!

We've never been to one of these shows before, because I'd never seen one that would be good for all of us. But this one?  This show had Little Mermaid, Cars, and Toy Story!  And Gabriel actually stood in my lap and watched it also.  And all us adults were impressed also...it was a very good show.

And, of course, whilst we were in a bigger city (meaning: one that has a Chili's) we partook of that Chili's.  And then, we hit a McDonalds for an ice cream (well, ice-cream-like) treat a little further down the road.  And 11 short hours after we pulled out of the driveway...we pulled back in.  Fun was had by all!