--- 1 ---

Yesterday was almost another Mental Health Day because Meg got sick and I didn't do any schoolwork with Pippo.  I had things on my busy Thursday schedule that couldn't be changed, so I wasn't home with her for half the day, though she was fine without me.  She was just on the sofa sleeping or watching movies with a sore throat and low-grade fever.  Several other little girls from AHG (who were all at the same birthday party on Sunday!) were sick, too, and I decided that I needed to be home with her instead of going to the meeting.  The troop managed to survive without its 2 main leaders last night!

--- 2 ---

DH went to pick up our college boys last night so they could be home for Fall Break.  We still don't have everyone together because Katie is going to Athens to see her friends.   It will be an interesting weekend with that college freshmen who is feeling his independence a little too keenly, and finds being at home stifling!

--- 3 ---

Our family routine for, lo, these many years is to pray a single decade of the rosary before bed.  We pray that, and then we renew our consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We follow that up by asking for the intercession of our patron saints, but the twist is that we choose new patrons every year (though we obviously keep our namesakes as patrons!) on the first Sunday of Advent, the Church's New Year.  The other night, a couple of us simultaneously realized that it's time to choose again!  I'm pretty sure I'm going to go back to St. Monica.  Seems like I choose her every time one of my children goes off to college.....sigh.

--- 4 ---

You know what, though?  Telling you about our prayer habit and the fact that our home is enthroned to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart reminds me that I can't control everything my children do.  I've done my very best to raise them....just ask my husband!...and consecrating them to the Lord and His Mother is probably the single most important thing I've done in their whole lives.

--- 5 ---

Brendan, brilliant college-man that he is, made an astute comment last night:  People just don't realize how hard Catholics have it at Halloween/All Saints because we have to come up with TWO costumes!

I think Tom has the day off school Monday for teacher workdays, so the only schooling we'll get done is studying the origins of Halloween and All Saints Day.  Meg was begging for weeks to talk about it again, and I was hedging, but then when she asked me when All Saints Day is (!!!!), I realized we need a bit of a refresher....'Cuz if you don't know that Halloween is simply the vigil of All Saints, then you need another lesson.

--- 6 ---

Anxious to go see The Way before it leaves theaters.  Have you seen it yet?

--- 7 ---

Looks like 6 takes is about all we're going to get today.  Time to make some plans for the day---besides the plans which are already made for me.  Do some schoolwork.  :-(

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!