Today is Marvelous Monday! I still have not started studying for my test like I need to. Last week was a busy week. My aunt moved into assisted living Thursday, which is a big adjustment for her and us. My cousin who lives out of town is her POA so I have to have permission from him before buying anything for her, which is fine, just another thing added to my plate, but she is well worth it.

I also went in for my eye appt on Monday and had my cataract surgery on Wednesday. I had been praying God would work it out for me to have the surgery. Don't ask Him if you are not ready for quick answers  :)

This was my second surgery so now I can not read anything without reading glasses, that is the only negative. Can see everything else fine; eye is healing fine. This week consists of dr and dentist appts for my son and I. Daniel (my 7 yr old son) goes to the dr Wednesday to start the process of being tested for ADD. I have already somewhat lowered his sugar intake which is helping. I am curious to see what his dr says. His half brother and sister have both been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, so I won't be surprised. Glad he has a dr that won't throw him on meds if not necessary.

Of course we have been dealing with the tragedy in Newtown, CT. Daniel is 7, which really brought it home to me. I can not imagine what those parents and relatives are going through. I can easily sit here and say that I could not make it through anything like that, but I know from my past experience with losing Rick, that I can survive a horrible tragedy, but only by the Grace of God. God gives comfort in ways no human ever can, and that is what I am praying for those parents and relatives of all that were lost. As a future elementary school teacher, I hope that I would have the courage to do what the teacher did, sacrificed herself to save her students. She will always be an example to me, in times of tragedy such as that. I never know what the future holds, and if I am ever in a situation similar I will always remember about putting the students in the cabinets and closets. I hope that I will be able to think so quickly, and save my students.

It also helps me appreciate my sons teacher, and the teachers he has had in the past. We always  need to work with our children's teachers, best we can. It only helps our children when we do so. Our children are with them more than they are with us; we need to do everything we can to help them. Sometimes a simple e-mail just saying thank you, can make their day. They do so much throughout the day that we never know about, and then go home to their own families. It is hard to balance job and family, especially when your job goes home with you as it does with any teacher that wants to do her/his best. They put in hours upon hours of work to help our children be their best. We just need to remember to say thank you, and show them that we appreciate them from time to time.

Hope everybody is ready for Christmas. I bought Daniel's last present today. We do the present thing, but out main focus is on Jesus. I never understood why we make our children wait until Christmas day to open all their presents, so I changed that. However many presents Daniel has, he is allowed to open one every night and then open his last one Christmas morning. He has 5 this year, so he will begin opening them Friday night. He is excited, and is begging to open the big one now (that is the one I bought today, and I knew he would want to open that one, lol). I just put the presents under the tree today while he was at school. I wait to do this because as soon as I do the begging to open one present begins  :)  I think it is just as hard for me to wait as it is him, lol

Christmas morning is a very special morning. We get up and the big thing on Christmas morning is baking Jesus His birthday cake. Daniel and I make it together, and then while it is baking, we read the Christmas story out of Luke. This is a tradition that started with Rick and I; I wanted to continue it. We read this every night before Daniel opens a present. On Christmas morning, after we read, then he opens his last present. About the time we get done with this, the cake is done. We always find someone to share half of the cake with.

I do all this because I remember growing up, Christmas was all about what I got on Christmas morning. If I had not gotten something I wanted, Christmas would have been ruined. This way Christmas is about Jesus and baking His birthday cake, and if times ever get where I can't afford presents, Christmas will still be as wonderful as ever! Jesus is amazing and deserves everything we can give Him  :)

Well hope all is well with everybody that reads this. I will write again later  :)