What a difference having some SUN makes! OK, so in many ways that's reassuring to know that some of the this 'down-ness' really is winter related ~ and I'm not going totally crazy. Now what to do with that 'I should be able to do more' feeling, despite the fact that the weather is dull and miserable and so unmotivating. We still have another couple of European winters to go before we head back downunder!

We've found another house to move into and we can move in on the 1st March. What a relief. So that's our news of the day.

As far as getting back to basics are concerned this is what we did today:

• 2 loads of washing
• hot spot: my mess in our bedroom   .... 15 minutes
• took Jackson to daycare in the morning (Sammy comes with me and the older children stay home ~ this time while I was out M and J, on their own initiative, were testing each other on this weeks dictation passage)
• The Arrow ~ finished this weeks dictation passage from one of our read-alouds and discussed this months literary element (similes and metaphors)
• 1 chapter from each of our read-alouds (Justin Morgan Had a Horse and A Little Princess)
• morning computer time (30 minutes)
• Lunch time ~ the girls and me met up with Caryn, Emily and Peggy at Starbucks (Michael stayed home by himself and called Marcel or me every half-hour to check in with us)

Well, I'm home and have a couple more things I want to get done before I hop on my bike to go pick up Jackson. The girls are now at Em's home for an afternoon play, dinner and a chicks flick. Michael is enjoying an usually huge amount of time on the PSP WITHOUT any competition. Tonight we have our fortnightly Bible discussion at Brian and Caryns so looking forward to that and then its into our weekend!