Theology, Physics, Architecture, Home Ec

My day in college course titles:

Theology - Went to Mass. Relished sitting near our friends with five kids because there is safety in numbers, right? And if anyone glared at us - it wouldn't matter because we wouldn't know which kid was the culprit. Fourth Sunday of Advent. All the candles lit. Christmas is close!

Physics - Spent a good two hours in tremendous fear today. I wobbled precariously on an extension ladder that is likely older than I am. It is clinkety-clankety and I had to climb WAY up to reach the top of the wall by the ceiling to paint. Kept begging Kevin to come stand close --- as he said, to give me a false sense of security. I guess that means he didn't believe he could catch me if I fell. I think it's amazing I lived to sit here blogging, and that people use ladders like that every day. I'm glad I don't know more about physics, because I'm certain I was defying numerous laws on that ladder.

Seriously, look how high I had to climb. Freaky!!!


You'd need a close-up to see the fear in my eyes.


Architecture - Best success EVER with "gingerbread" houses! We used Rice Krispie treats instead of gingerbread and it was a phenomenal substitute. Using just one batch, Kevin cut the walls and roof supports for each kid, and it was so easy to mush together and keep the suckers standing. Unlike the structural disasters of houses from years past made of gingerbread and frosting. I did make powdered sugar/vanilla extract/milk frosting and kept it pretty gluey. But it wasn't necessary to hold the walls together, it just helped attach the windows, doors, decorations, and roofing.

Kevin cutting the walls. See? All you need is Rice Krispie treats and a pizza cutter!


Joseph begins construction:


The proud homebuilders with their finished product:


Home Ec - After a busy day including Mass, football-watching, driveway-shoveling (we're North-facing and the snow had turned to 3 inches of ice), wall-painting, gingerbread house-making, and stopping by my mom's to see her Christmas tree and help her set up some holiday lights - I have to pat myself on the back for pulling a last-minute dinner out of thin air without going to fast food even though I wanted to. Granted, it was leftovers and frozen blueberries, but we've had worse.

I'll finish with this photo of Kevin shoveling our driveway. Don't laugh - we don't have a snow shovel, OBVIOUSLY --- since a snow like this comes along once every three decades where we live. We desert rats are tremendously inconvenienced when the wondrous white stuff actually hangs around for longer than a few hours. We're not used to driving in it, shoveling it, seeing it on the sidewalks, or having it turning to ice in the shade five days after it fell!