Friday Quick Takes #10

1.  I LOVE our Christmas tree this year.  For some reason it is not dropping hardly any needles, unlike last year when I was vaccuuming every day!  We have had to devise a contraption to keep the cat from drinking all the tree's water.  Our cat is obsessed with water.  He prefers to drink out of a running faucet, rather than his water bowl.  If he hears water, he comes running....so refilling the Christmas tree makes for an adventure.  Luckily our anti-cat contraption is working and you barely notice it.  It's a piece of dark foam rubber that we cut to fit around the base of the tree and over the top of the water tray.And most importantly, it works!  Our poor cat is just furious over it.

2.  We are battling a long-lasting viral cold in this house.  It started with Isabel, spread to me and I gave it to Ian.  Isabel was doing better, and I was just starting to get it on Saturday when we went to a potluck dinner....I think that was a bad move.  I dosed up on dayquil before we went and felt well enough to make it through the party, but I think we just ended up spreading our germs instead of joy and Christmas cheer. :(  That was last Saturday, and the running noses are continuing....I hate when colds hang on.  Hopefully we will get through it and be well for Christmas week!

3.  Ian is cruising along furniture and starting to let go with one hand, turn around and then just sort of freefall- IF someone is there to catch him.  He doesn't really do it if he knows he's by himself.  I don't know if he expects that he can stand on his own or thinks he's going to take off walking or what!?  (He's definitely not got the balance yet to just stand on his own yet).  He's growing up faster than Isabel did....I swear!  In our house, Ian is a big ham...always smiling, giggling, getting into mischief, but as soon as someone else enters the house he becomes very serious. 

4.  We made salt-dough ornaments this week and they turned out AWESOME!  I used this lady's recipe and I think this will be an annual tradition.  Very frugal, but they turned out much nicer than I expected.  I need to take a picture :)

5.  We watched Nicholas:  The Boy Who Became Santa this week for the Feast of St. Nicholas and the Christians in the show are being persecuted.  Well Isabel asked me, "Why don't they just tell the bad guys that they (the Christians) don't really believe in Jesus so they don't kill them and throw them in jail?"  Ohhhh boy!  Big discussions at 5 years old....how to explain martyrdom as a good thing.  Any ideas?  I was so caught off guard.  I told her that it's always important to show your love for Jesus, even when people are teasing you or want to throw you in jail, etc. and that maybe that you standing up for Jesus will lead to the bad guy changing his heart to love Jesus too!

6.  I don't have a 7th quick take this week, so for my 6th, could you please send up some prayers for Rob's dad?  My FIL had a stroke and is currently in the hospital.  He does not seem to understand what people are saying and is having trouble forming sentences.  :(  His prognosis is very uncertain at this point and we are kind of taking it moment by moment until the doctors give us some more info.  Please pray for our whole family that God will show His will and bring good out of this situation.  Thank you!