(Jen at Conversion Diary started Quick Takes Friday for all those little tidbits that we want to share that don’t merit an entire blog post. I’m joining in today. Hope you like the change of pace!)

— 1 —

I mentioned in an earlier post this week that our son had a big doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. I won’t go into the details because some day he will be old enough to understand about the internet and might prefer to keep his medical history off of it. (And there’s that sticky little issue called pre-existing condition clauses, but that’s another post for another day.)

So all I’m going to say here is that the results from his tests were disappointing. We were hoping that he wouldn’t need another surgery until he was a teen, but it looks like we’ll have to start talking with his doctors about it in the next year. (I’ll be honest — thinking about taking him back to the O.R. makes me want to vomit. It doesn’t get easier with experience, and God knows we’ve plenty of experience with this.)

If you are the praying type, will you pray that his condition doesn’t continue to worsen as fast as it has been so that we can postpone surgery as long as possible? The longer he can wait, the more likely it is that what they do will last and not need to be redone.

— 2 —

This movie looks very thought-provoking. I really like how it gives the question of gay marriage faces and stories. These are real people. Let’s remember that. (And for the record, I support the right of anyone to marry. If you want to strengthen families and marriages, focus on preventing divorce, mmmmkay?)

— 3 —

The weather has finally turned. It’s been cold, rainy, and windy, which renders me impervious to caffeine’s rejuvenating effects. I’m having a hard time resisting cuddling up on the couch with a blanket and a good book. One good thing is that it’s time for flannel sheets and fires in the fireplace. Since I grew up in Arizona, I had no idea how deliciously warm and cozy flannel sheets are, or how comforting a fire can be on a dreary day (especially when you’ve had nothing but dreary days). I’m making up for that now.

— 4 —

World Vision has released a line of clothing! I’m so excited because I’ve wanted to be a walking World Vision billboard ever since I saw their incredible work in Bolivia. I plan to live in this hoodie all winter. Check it out, order something, or add it to your Christmas wish list. 30% of the purchase price goes to World Vision.

— 5 —

The floor of every room in my house has Legos and leaves. The only connection between those two is the first letter. And the fact that they are all over my floors. Ah fall – the kids are indoors more and the outdoors manages to find its way in anyway. (Yet another reason I should resist the urge to curl up on the couch — my vacuum cleaner really needs me to run it more often.)

— 6 —

I’ve been in denial about my grocery budget. I keep trying to keep it to a certain dollar amount, but the reality is that I really spend about 50% more than that each month because I can’t bring myself to buy the cheap non-organic, chemically-processed junk. I can’t coupon – I’ve tried it and I’ve failed multiple times. I’ve been telling myself that I must be stocking up or not shopping right, but I think I need to face reality and adjust my budget accordingly. Do you have this problem?

— 7 —

Have you seen these triangle flash cards? I’m currently torturing my 3^rd grader with them as I’ve discovered he’s been counting on his fingers to do all his math homework. My mom is getting quite a kick out of this as I was the kid who swore flashcards were evil and would never make my own children use them. Anyway, I like the triangle shape because it allows the child to memorize the entire equation, and then you can cover one number to quiz them.

You can do both addition and subtraction with one set this way. They also have a set of multiplication and division.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

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