Well, Dan's back to four days a week now.  No complaints...really!  I am very thankful he is back to full time work.  I'm determined to get meals to go smoothly while he's on this schedule.  From the sound of it, he'll be on it for quite a while.  No biggie.  Hey, he'll get to go garage saleling with us on Fridays come spring!  I guess the hardest part of his schedule, besides him always being hungry, is that he needs to sleep in...even on the days he's off. weekends. I know sometimes he'll get up early to do things, but it really takes a toll on him after a day or two, and then having to go back to staying up all night through the week.  Gosh he's a great husband and provider to put up with all that.  I know I'd be a grumpy wretch if I had such a mixed up sleep schedule.

So lent is just around the corner, and I'm feeling pretty anxious...in a good way.  I'm gonna savor fat Tue. tomorrow, and fully partake in all the goodies we have left in the house.  :)  And then  40 days of...prayer, fasting, almsgiving.  I'm excited because Rose is old enough to kinda grasp some of this, and it's so cool how kids and inspire and motivate you.  Tomorrow we're going to make a construction paper link chain, one link for each day of lent.  I'll write something on each link that we can do that day.  I got a lot of cool ideas from a website about things to do with kids during lent.  I'm eager to try a lot of them, but I don't want to overwhelm poor Rose!

I guess I like lent because it's a time when you kinda put aside things in your life to really put God front and center, every day, for forty days before Easter.  I'm always hearing about how we're too materialistic, and we spend too much time on glowing boxes and to spend more time with your family, or in prayer.  All these good things that not only strengthen our family ties, but our heavenly family ties.  But like so many others, there's always an excuse. "I'll start that next week."  "Can't pray the whole rosary today."  "Maybe after I get this and that done I'll read the bible."  "But we're all so happy right now...I don't want to disrupt that and then hear the kids moan about saying prayers."  So for me, lent gives me fortitude to put aside all those lousy excuses and say "Yes! Now is the time!"

And then, of course, after lent is my favoritest of holydays, Easter!  I know it will be here sooner than I think!  And then spring...  :)