Scrapingirl

Simple Tuesday

2012-01-24T17:38:00.000-05:00

Outside my window...is gloomy and muddy. All our snow melted after two days. Downright depressing.

I am thinking...that we need snow. I need to get outside and play.

I am thankful for...a quick recovery by Shooter. 24 hours is a long time to be puking. Sorry, TMI, I know.

From the kitchen...is the smell of Hubs stir fry sauce. Yummm...

I am wearing...jammies. In fact, I haven't even put regular clothes on in four days. I just shower and put another pair on. Why bother when you don't leave the house.

I am creating...Sassy's birthday party list.

I am going...nowhere. I hate winter germs.

I am reading...Happily Ever After (Deep Haven Series #1) Very cute christian romance

I am hoping...to get out of the funk I'm in. I hate this winter.

I am hearing...Kari Jobe's new album, and it's awesome!!!

Around the house...are dog toys. Can't she clean them up?!

One of my favorite things...is listening to my kids play without arguing.

Here is a picture I am sharing... Remember last year, when we actually had snow??

Changes

2012-01-23T15:52:00.000-05:00

This school year hasn't turned out like it was supposed to. I hate our curriculum. And I mean H.A.T.E. I can't read from the books, cuz I can't pronounce the names and they are so boring. I was trying to keep going but I felt guilty. Then I met with a few of my homeschooling friends and they encouraged me to stop and try something else, if it isn't working. And they told me not to feel guilty. So I've given up this year. We're sticking with the basics, that's it. Then the kids have told me that they hate their language arts books. I talked to a few moms about their LA and I found 3 of them talking about the same curriculum. I thought it was a sign. :) So I had to ordered new LA books. I really didn't wanna have to do that in the middle of the year, but we must me flexible. I ordered Rod and Staff English, grades 4 and 5. I plan on starting those this week. Then in March, when I go to my curriculum fair, I'll order next years curriculum and start as soon as it comes in. Again, I hate to have to do this, but at least we're doing US history for next year. We love US history!!

I'm hoping next year is nothing like this year.

Sleepness night

2012-01-22T11:51:00.000-05:00

Wanna know a sure fire way to wake yourself up, in the middle of the night?? Well, have your son wake up and stand in his doorway saying "Mom, I just threw up." And you sit there thinking, "Surely he didn't just come out of his room. He was in the bathroom, right?" WRONG!!

Wordless Wednesday- my little brace face

2012-01-18T08:10:00.000-05:00

The Talk

2012-01-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

My children are 11.5 and almost 10 and they've never heard the word Sex. Seriously. We don't talk about it and they don't watch movies or shows with it in there. So they have no idea what it is. That is, until yesterday. *gulp*

Hubs and I have dragged our feet all school year. We knew it needed to be addressed, but we didn't wanna do it. Sassy's only in 4th grade, so we knew she didn't have to know yet. But Shooter is in 6th grade and is going to the youth group, for the first time, this week. So he needed to be told. What if the youth pastor talked about it in his message and my poor son has no idea what it was. I'd hate for him to be embarrassed. But he really isn't mature for the conversation, but it has to be done.

I took Sassy out yesterday so the boys could talk. So in between buying sewing baskets and dance tights, I managed to tell her everything, well almost everything. She didn't wanna know the full thing. But I gave her what she wanted. She was mortified!! :) I told her about what's going on with her body and what to expect as she gets older. We read "The Care and Keeping of you" together. She has come to the realization and she hates being a girl. Girls have if rough. :)

I was trying to be serious but not make her nervous. She was doing ok, til I told her that when a husband and wife have sex, that it feels good. I had to pop her eyes back in her head and pick her jaw up before I stepped on it. She thought that it was something we had to do, not something we wanted to do. But once she got past that, she was fine. That is until she got home and wanted to read "The Wonderful Way God made Babies." I got to one part, the part she didn't wanna know about, and asked her if she really wanted to hear this. She did and she was ever more grossed out. :) Again, I tried to remain calm and not laugh. But it was so hard. I kinda wish I had a video going. But she was sweet, she said that she thought sex had to do with our hearts connecting. Sweet, huh?

But all in all she was ok with everything. Shooter did well, with Hubs, but was upset about body hair. Arm pit hair in particular. :) That kid is funny. He was also grossed out at some parts, but he said he knew he needed to know, so that was OK by him. Some other things were said, but if I blog them, they may never forgive me. But hubs and I laughed all night long recounting what they said. They are so innocent, their questions and fears were funny. But we all survived.

Now the rest of the year should be a cake walk....

Things I learned after getting a dog

2012-01-07T18:27:00.000-05:00

1. The first month SUCKS!!!! It will cause much fighting with your spouse, even if you don't fight normally.

2. You MUST sleep when the puppy sleeps. Seriously.

3. I can survive on getting up 4:30, but only barely.

4. One can spend an obscene amount of money at Petsmart.

5. Dog slobber will end up on everything you own, so live with it.

6. Dogs snore, bark, whine and have dreams while they sleep.

7. Your Christmas tree will be broke, since she liked to sleep in it, not next to it.

8. Be prepared to be knocked of your feet when she wakes up and is surprised to see that you didn't leave in the middle of the night.

9. Having a dog will make your hubby feel better about being gone for 24 hours for work.

10. It really is nice to have some love you and follow you everywhere you go, even if you step on their tail in the process.

11. Seeing her jump up in the kitchen window, when you pull in the driveway, makes me smile.

12. Dog fur will cover the basement stairs and floor, even if she doesn't go down there.

13. When taking her for a walk, try to find a stick, bigger than her, to carry around so she doesn't pick up every piece of garbage instead.

14. Petting a dog will make everything better.

15. 57 pounds is really not that heavy, when it's sitting on your lap. :)

We love you, Casey!!

Did you know...

2012-01-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

....this is what happens when the sewer drains back up, in the basement, and you're forced to go to grandparents house at 10pm and have to sleep with a talkative brother who wakes up at the crack of dawn??

You fall asleep listening to Hank the Cowdog!!

Wordless Wednesday(sorta)

2011-12-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

My 56 pound lapdog.

Simple Tuesday

2011-12-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Outside my window...it is fake snowing. You know what I mean, the kind that falls but doesn't stick to the ground? A complete waste of precipitation.

I am thinking...that I need to make my lesson plans for next week, but I don't wanna.

I am thankful for...Coinstar. I just cashed in my change and got over $57 in an amazon card.

From the kitchen...is the sound of Transformers being transformed.

I am wearing...my jeans that make me look thin and a bright pink shirt.

I am creating...my reading list for next year.

I am going...to a lazer tag party tonight. Should be fun.

I am reading...The Hunger Games again. Since I convinced Hubs to read it, before we see the movie, I wanna read it with him.

I am hoping...to get my co-op class lesson plan done before we start school next week.

I am hearing...giggly girls is Sassy's room.

Around the house...are toys, toys and more toys....

One of my favorite things...is being able to sit and read without the dog bothering me. :)

Here is a picture I am sharing...is Shooter enjoying his 1/2 pound Reese's peanut butter cup.

O happy day!!

2011-12-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

It will indeed be a Merry Christmas for our house. After the week from hell, last week, we couldn't take it anymore. I think it was the 1.5 hours of Sassy's screaming that broke the camel's back. She was basically starving herself so the food wouldn't get stuck in her mouth. But I took her in yesterday and had them remove her appliance. After the holidays we will go to plan B and she will get brackets and a retainer and possibly a few teeth removed. But she will be able to eat!! Hallelujah!! And I think she has eaten more in the past 24 hours than she has over the past week. And I'm not even exaggerating. You should've seen me at the office talking to the techs. I started crying. I was so emotionally drained that I was falling apart. It was not my finest moment.

I can't believe we went through that. I am so happy to be done with it. The 180 in her attitude is so worth it also. I actually like my daughter again.

Simple Wednesday

2011-12-21T07:24:00.000-05:00

Outside my window...there is NO SNOW!!! This is the weirdest winter I can remember. I'm sick of all the rain.

I am thinking...we need to find bones that Casey won't eat in a day. She's a strong chewer.

I am thankful for...the many great toy deals we got this year.

From the kitchen...is the sound of Christmas music.

I am wearing...jammies and I'm wrapped in a blankie. Quite cold this morning.

I am creating...a skirt for Sassy to wear to church this Sunday.

I am going...to Costco to buy mac-n-cheese for Sassy, since this is something she can/will eat.

I am reading...Shattered by Sopia Sharp

I am hoping...Sassy starts to figure out how to eat foods without it getting stuck in her appliance. I hate to see/hear her gag. :(

I am hearing...Casey run up and down the hallway with Sassy.

Around the house...are piles of clothes that need to be folded.

One of my favorite things...is coming home to find Casey pumping in the back gate, with a stick, that's longer than her, in her mouth. Makes me giggle. :)

Here is a picture I am sharing...Hubs was sick last week and Casey kept standing in front of the bedroom door and whining for him. Pitiful. Don't mind the speckled door. Those are stickers on Sassy's door.

Weekly Review- The nosedive week

2011-12-16T15:52:00.002-05:00

This week started out so good, but took a nosedive right in the middle. Seriously. I had lesson plans all though out and written down, but then Wednesday came and it all went in the crapper. I don't even remember what we did Monday through Wednesday morning since Wednesday afternoon knocked us for a loop.

Sassy had an ortho appointment to get her appliance put in Wednesday at noon. All was going well, til 5 minutes before we left. We received a phone call from his dad about another of our homeschooling families. I'm not gonna say what it was about, but it was one of those things you NEVER see coming. I was stunned speechless, which you know, is not common. It's one of those things that have you walking around your house going "I still can't believe this." But I had to still take Sassy. The world must go on.

All I can say is that I'm glad she ate a good lunch. She has only eaten 4 apple sauces, two yogurts and a bowl of jello, since then. With the occasional milk and juice. Her mouth hurts and when she tries to eat, the food gets stuck in between her top appliance and the roof of her mouth. She gags to free it. So she won't eat. If you've seen the pictures, you know she is one person that can't afford not to eat.

She feels horrible and she blames me for it. Her and I were yelling(not my finest moment) at each other. She keeps saying that if I'd like her the way God made her, that I wouldn't put her through all this. :( She also blames God for making her with goofy teeth. No matter what I say, this is what she believes. She hates her life. :( I am heartbroken over this. No matter what I say to her, she doesn't believe me. I try and tell her that if we don't do this, she will have pain when her other teeth com in, but she doesn't listen. She is so hungry that she can't listen to reason. I'm giving it til Monday, then I'm taking her back in. I am NOT having a horrible Christmas over this. They'll have to come up with something else. We can't have her on a liquid diet for the next 4 months. That will not happen. I'd rather have her molars pulled out, to make space, than go through this. If not, she's living with someone else. I can't live watching her and listening to her blame me.

This is what she made me. :(

So if you're reading this, we'd really appreciate your prayers. This week really sucks and we need a better one next week.

Kid's CHRISTmas program 2011

2011-12-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

Sassy's part is at 6:00 and Shooter was at 11:40. He was a stud and made us crack up!!

Thank you, Twilight!

2011-12-10T18:33:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that I like reading as much as I do. I've said it before, but I was never a reader until I read the Twilight saga last winter. I know many people don't like that series, and I used to be one of them, but they reintroduced me to reading. I used to think that the people who read stories about vampires were strange. But when I read them, something clicked in my head. It's like when Harry Potter came out, many people, including myself, thought that reading about wizards was a bad thing. But it reintroduced reading to a lot of children. I'm a believer in whatever they wanna read, let them. As long as they are reading, to a degree, what's the problem. Now I haven't let my kids read Harry Potter yet. I want to first, so I can judge if they are ready for it. I have sensitive kids, so I don't wanna have them read something they aren't ready for.

When Mother's day rolled around, I asked for the last two books of the Twilight series, I had the first two already. Hubs decided to get me a Kindle instead. He never thought, in his wildest dreams, that I would start reading as much as I do. He just rolls his eyes at how I can just sit a read for hours. I mean, the kids can eat cereal for lunch and dinner also, right? ;) I don't even watch TV anymore, unless it's an occasional movie that we wanna watch. I can't explain the happiness my Kindle brings to me. It goes with me everywhere.

I have read so many great and not so great books. My mind is definitely being expanded. I'm swaying toward the YA/Dystopian type of books. Hunger Games, Divergent, Birthmarked and Matched are a few of my favorites. Luckily they are all series, so they give me plenty to read.

I like the simpleness of the YA writings. I usually have to use the Kindle dictionary when I read the adult themed books. :) I love the love stories!! I'm a sucker for the butterflies in the tummy feeling of the YA love stories. :)

The trouble I'm having, is I get so emotionally involved that I can't function or sleep sometimes. Seriously, I'm a freak. Hubs even laughs at me when I cry, which happens quite often. I was reading this book that someone recommended me and my heart was breaking and my emotions were all over the place, I could barely sleep. I almost needed a pill. :) I love the drama some of these books bring to the table. But sometimes I am emotionally drained, I can't event think of reading another book for a few days. It takes me a bit to relax. Crazy!!

Poor Hubs has to hear all about my silly books. I'm thinking I need to join a book club, so I can chat with other people about this obsession. Kinda like AA. :) "Hi, my name is Jen and I'm addicted to reading, my children are going hungry and my hubs is ready to break my Kindle." :)

The best thing about all this, is that my kids wanna read more. They want a Kindle, which they are getting for Christmas. Shh..don't tell them. They are always stealing my Kindle, which is why I "needed" to get the Fire. I needed a back up. :) Shooter read the Kane Chronicles and he wouldn't have read it in DTB(dead tree book) form. But he read it on my Kindle and couldn't put it down. I anticipate on finding them reading in bed, with the lighted cases, instead of sleeping. That's fine by me. :)

Do you like to read?

Weely review

2011-12-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

We've been taking it easy these past three weeks. We're only doing the basics. I'm not really feeling the Rome to Reformation unit. I keep forgetting to grab library books for extra reading. I'm not liking the Caesar book, so I really have no idea what to do now. Our history is all choppy and all over the place. No one is learning anything this year. Atleast they are doing their workbooks, right?

Shooter is trudging through his multiplication facts still. He hates them, but he is getting better. I think after Christmas he'll be ready to move up to double digits. Very far behind the regular school kids, but he's not a regular school kid. :)

Sassy is flying through her work. She is starting to find her groove. She's been trying to read more lately, even if it's the Wimpy kid books. :) Atleast she's reading. She even picked out a few DTB(dead tree book) at the library used book sale, last night. I love that she wants to read, even if it's to earn a dollar. As long as she is reading, I don't mind going broke. :)

I am keeping my eyes open for Kindle books for them. I wish I could give them their Kindles now. I am constantly downloading books for them. I have to wait 15 more days. I can't wait!! They are gonna be so excited!!

Casey is bouncing off the walls now. She is sick and tired to sitting around all day. She wants to play and jump, but we're trying to keep her calm. Ever try and keep a 5 month old pup calm?? No? Try it sometime. Not only do I wanna take some happy pills, but I wanna give her a few. :) Seriously!!

How was your week?

Catch-up

2011-12-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's almost Christmas?? I am super excited. My kids are happy to wake up and turn the tree on, rip a chain off and assemble the Lego Advent pieces. The funny thing is, they reminded me to get Hershey kisses for each day. I always say "A kiss from me to you." But now they make me chase them around the house. They think they're too old to be kissed by their momma. I beg to differ.

Sassy broke her appliance on Thursday. Can you believe it?! She only had it three days. She took it off and put it on the floor, so she could pick a piece of food out of her tooth. Then she proceeded to slam her hand down, as she was getting up. CRACK!! I'm hoping the replacement will be here tomorrow, when she goes for spacers. But that's wishful thinking. I can't imagine it'll be done yet. So looks like we'll be going back yet another day. *sigh*

Casey had surgery today. No puppies for her!! We were going nuts without her in the house. We were actually bored without her. :) The kids were rushing to get out of the door and go pick her up. So now she's laying on the floor looking pitiful. I hope she sleeps good tonight.

I guess it's offical, she's part of our family. Dangnabbit!!! :)

Regrouping

2011-12-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

I can't seem to get back to blogging, these days. I wish I could, but I find myself reading more and on the computer less. I know it's not a problem, but when I look back and see nothing written, I'm gonna kick myself.

Yesterday we started our official Christmas countdown. Since Hubs works on Christmas day, again, we're doing our Christmas day on the eve instead. So the kids were excited to do the Lego Advent calendar. We've never done one before. Very cool.

We put our tree up on Thanksgiving. Look at that small room and the BIG mess.

This is how Casey spent her morning, while we did that. :)

This is our official "take a picture in front of the tree after it's put up" picture. Of course Casey needed to be in it.

And this is what she did while Hubs cooked the meal. She was on smell overload. She didn't know what to make of it.

Casey likes the tree a little too much. If you don't catch her, she snags ornaments off and plays with them. *sigh*

Casey also sleeps under it. She about knocks half the ornaments off when she rolls over.

Sassy went to get her appliance put in her mouth, Monday. I personally don't think we need her to have a bigger mouth, but her teeth don't agree with me. She was a trooper at the appointment. They put it in and took it out five times. They even cemented it and took it out. It wasn't fitting right. So she has to do this again in two weeks. :( At least she got the bottom one to get used to and it comes out when she eats. So one more week of Skittles. :)

Shooter is so excited for Christmas he can barely sleep. He is up almost the same time as the dog. He's not even excited about the gifts, it's the thought of the day that gets him excited. I know he wants presents, but he's so happy over the whole idea of it. :) Ha even made the countdown chain for the tree.

Casey has turned into a goofy dog. I guess she was destined to, living in this house. She likes to jump up and look out the kitchen window and bark at anything out there. But if I forget to push in my chair, she just stands there staring at me like "Ummm...move this chair, Lady." And of course I do. We bought her a bed, but she chews on it the second we put it on the floor. And yet she'll go and lay on our nice clean blankets. Well, they were clean til the dingy laid on them. Now they all have fur on them and smell like dog.

Casey also will come running, and I mean RUNNING, to the kitchen, when she hears me making my chocolate oatmeal each day. She could be in a deep sleep, but jumps up the second she hears the oats hit the bowl. But I can't really blame her. :) You should've seen her FREAK out when I was making no bake cookies.

I'm hoping to make a bunch of frozen meals, on Monday, when the pooch goes to get snippy snippy. This way I don't have to worry about her jumping up to see what I'm doing, nor do I have to strategically place chairs around the table while I cool them off. I need to take advantage of the doglessness. Yes, I made that up.

I made the mistake of not cutting my coupons since July. So I spent over 4 hours doing just that, on Sunday. Luckily I had my Fire to watch movies on. It didn't take up a ton of room, like the computer would. I love this thing!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-24T06:43:00.000-05:00

Too busy to remember

2011-11-21T18:25:00.000-05:00

As I sit here dreaming about Black Friday, I am reminded that this season is going to go by fast. But we are done shopping for everyone, so now we can sit back and relax, that is until we put up our tree. That's right, we STILL haven't put up our tree. I don't want to til Thanksgiving. I don't wanna take any chance that Casey will rip every ornament off. I'm waiting til the last possible moment, even though everyone seems to have theirs up before. It feels very weird to be the last ones. I'm really hoping that I'm over reacting and Casey won't even go near it, but since she can't seem to leave socks, underwear, bras, toilet paper rolls and just about everything else, out of her mouth, that is wishful thinking on my part. Even if she doesn't grab them with her mouth, her deadly, knock you over tail will do enough damage. That thing can surely pack a punch.

Sassy got her spacers, again, today. So today marks the day one, of many, of no chewy foods. She isn't happy about it, but at least I remember to make her steak yesterday. And I usually don't cook on Sundays. So she better appreciate what I did for her. :)

I am loving the Christmas music blasting through the house. It is so relaxing, don't you think? I am loving Kari Jobe "Adore Him". If I was brave enough, I'd ask to sing this at church. But alas, I am not comfortable in front of crowds. Remember my baptism? :)

We're doing a light three day week this week. We have an ortho appointment and a vet visit today and we need to pick up our turkey breast from the Farmers market tomorrow. So we will be a bit busy to try and learn something. :)

The kids are loving my Fire. I barely use it anymore. And when I do, I get the overwhelming urge to play Angry Birds. But I....must...resist......I am getting us of my Kindle though. I am almost up to 100 books read, since Mother's day!! I trying to figure out a goal for next year. I'm thinking 150.

I called Hubs today, and told him that Casey was sleeping on the pile of folded blankets, we keep in the living room. I thought it was cute. He says "Oh great! Now they're gonna smell the dog." Hubs, this whole house smells like dog. :) He doesn't find me funny.

I went to my church's ladies Christmas party. The theme was My favorite things. So every lady was to bring one of their favorite things and we had a gift exchange. They drew names and you could pick out something. My last church did this also, but they held up the gifts and then drew the winner. But we picked our own. Pretty cool, huh? Well I had a top 5, in my head. but by the time I was drawn, they were gone, so I did the only logical thing I could think of. I picked my own!! The ladies were laughing at me. Only I did something like that. But, after all, it was one of my favorite things. Goat Milk soap, lotion stick and lip balm. :) I was very happy. :)

I guess that's it for now. Hope y'all have a great Thanksgiving.

Busy week

2011-11-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

A lot has happened this week, but not really. My hubby bought me this:

So I;ve been busy playing with it. :)

And guess what I'm seeing tonight!!!!!

Happy Birthday to me

2011-11-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

That's right, today is my birthday. I am 35 now. I can no longer check that little 18-34 box, in surveys and things. I am in the 35-55 box. *shudder*

Even Sassy made me feel good about aging. She asked me if I had Snoopy when I was young. Then she asked if it was in color. COLOR!!!! Seriously. I about kicked her out. :)

And in case you didn't know, 5 MORE DAYS TIL BREAKING DAWN!!!! :)

Ramblings

2011-11-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

I am already sick of this Michigan weather. It has been going back and forth from 30/40 to 60 degrees. I swear, everyone we know is getting colds. Shooter is sick, for the third time. But I don't think he's really sick. I'm beginning to think his is allergies, since he gets like this every Fall. I'm thinking allergy intervention is needed. Poor kid. Croupy cough and runny nose.

Casey is doing well. She hasn't had an accident in almost a month. I think the bell has worked. :) She is whining less, since we've let her in the living room. She likes to sleep on the living room floor while we do school there also. It's quite cute to watch. I hope she's learning too. She is now 40 lbs!! The vet thinks she's gonna be between 70 and 80lbs. I think we're gonna need a bigger house. :)

Sassy is getting better with her reading and I am thankful. She has the normal struggles, but I think once they get their own Kindles, she will get even better. She's been liking to read the Diary of a Wimpy kid series. so I keep buying those. Shooter keeps stealing mine so he REALLY needs one of his own. It seems that every time I am at a good spot in my books, he always asks to use it. I rarely tell him no. If he's showing interest in something, I gotta run with it.

Speaking of running with it, did I mention that he has a solo in the Christmas program? He asked for it! Him!! My Shooter!! It still can't believe it. And he has no understudy, so he can't be sick, or there's no song. So he is taking his vitamins and Vit D drops, to boost him. Everyone keeps telling me how wonderful he is doing. Of course I know, since he sings it all the time, in the car. :) Sassy is now doing a duet, not solo. I am happy about that. She was nervous singing before and now she can relax a bit.

I have been reading so much lately that I don't even know what's going on in the world. The TV is never on, except to watch Christmas movies. I've read 90 books since Mother's day. 90!! Can you believe it?? I am shocked. I never knew reading could be so much fun. Thank you, Hubs, for getting me my Kindle.

8 more days till Breaking Dawn!! I am super excited for this. I am going to the midnight showing with one of my dear friends, whom I haven't seen in over a year! Then I have to wake up and go to co-op by 8:30. It's gonna be a long day. I may bring my pillow to sleep during my free hour. :)

I am gonna be 35 on Sunday. I don't feel 35. Do I look 35? Don't answer that. :) It's kind wild turning 35. I used to think that was so old, but now it doesn't feel old. My kids are still young, so I guess that helps.

Simple Tuesday

2011-11-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

Outside my window...is pitch black. Stupid time change makes it dark at 5pm. CRAZY!!

I am thinking...it's pretty cool when I get a tweet back from authors I tweet about. I feel so special. :)

I am thankful for...Amazon gift cards. :)

From the kitchen...is the smell of chicken, corn and rice. Mmmmm....

I am wearing...my favorite pink firefighter sweatshirt and jeans.

I am creating...nothing.

I am going...to be 35 on Sunday. 35!!! I'll no longer be able to check the 19-34 box anymore. :(

I am reading...Prized. It just came out yesterday and I'm so excited!!

I am hoping...to read tonight while Hubs watches Christmas Vacation.

I am hearing...Christmas Music!!!

Around the house...is laundry, toys and dog toys. What a mess!!

One of my favorite things...is going on field trips.

Here is a picture I am sharing...Sassy, my dad and I went to a parade company field trip today. Shooter was sick and stayed home with Hubs. It was so cool to see the floats that are in the Michigan Thanksgiving Day parade.

Weekly review

2011-11-05T07:27:00.000-04:00

I am really getting sick and tired of three day school weeks. Monday was Hubs b-day, so we took the day off. And the rest of the week was light, but not too light.

The workbooks are getting harder for both of them. Prepositions are still troublesome for Shooter and myself. I end up looking at the answer key and trying to figure it out. I don't remember them, so I'm beginning to wonder how important are they really.

Math seems to be coming along slow, but steady. Math u see has the online drills and worksheet generator, to make it easier for me to review. Since Shooter has done up to lesson 18 in his book, we have to print out worksheets, until he is all caught up. He needs to remember his facts before we can move on to double digits.

We had co-op on Friday, which means I had two hours to read my Kindle. :) Shooter completed his tool box, in his woodshop class and Sassy tasted veggie soup for the first time in her cooking class. I told her that she can make it next week for us. She's quite happy about that. I'm not a fan of cooked veggies, but Hubs and Sassy will eat the soup, and I'll just eat the bread. :)

Our crazy dog, Casey is getting better with her sleeping. She is sleeping til 6, the past few days. So I'm hoping this sticks around for a while, that is, until we turn the clocks back tonight. :( I hate time changes, they mess everyone up. She is growing very fast. She was 16lbs when we bought her on 9-11. Now she is 40lbs. I'm beginning to think she's gonna be a ginormous dog. Too bad we don't have a ginormous house.

Christmas music is flowing through the house and we are lovin' it! Listening to it is really making Hubs want to put up the tree, but we don't wanna do it too early this year.

Hope your week was full of learning.

Today I am thankful for my friends. You know the ones who you don't see all the time, but when you do, it's like you pick up right where you left off.

Thankfulness-3

2011-11-03T07:38:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for my crazy kids. They bring such joy and happiness to my life. Although they often bring me grey hairs and not so good sleep, I still love them. They are the best things that have happened in my life.

Thankfulness

2011-11-02T17:37:00.000-04:00

I am gonna attempt to blog everyday this month and say what I'm thankful for. I hope I can make it worth my while. :)

Today, I am thankful for my hard working hubby. He busts his butt to provide for his family. And he earns brownie points with me since he buys me all my electronic devices, even though they all hate me.

He is also a great father to his crazy kids. He spends as much time as he can with them. He's the fun parent, I'm the boring one. :) He also gives them everything they ask for.

Love you, Hubs!!

Happy Birthday!

2011-10-31T12:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Hubs!!!

Sorry we beat the snot outta you this morning. But when you get to a certain age, the beatings seem to go on forever. :)

Weekly review- I now like my dog edition

2011-10-29T19:16:00.001-04:00

Yes, you read that right, I now like Casey. After a rocky beginning, we have decided to keep her.

Monday, I was sick and we didn't do school. But the kids and I had a heart to heart. Daddy and I are so very tired of taking care of her without their help and we wanted to get rid of her. We are even arguing more since we got her and we NEVER fight. She is making our house very stressful. The kids sobbed and sobbed. They vowed to step it up and help more. I gave them a month to shape up, or she was gone. We decided to open the gate and let her in the living room during the day. Normally she only goes in there after dinner and stays out there til the adults go to bed. But I wanted to see how she'd do. Well, let me tell you, the stress level has dropped greatly since we did that. She doesn't whine, unless she's tired. :) Before, she used to ring the bell for attention, and sometimes for potty. But now it's only for potty. YAY!! And she hasn't had a accident in almost two weeks!!! I am so happy for this.

The kids have helped out so much this week. Casey gets up around 5:30 and goes potty and eats, then is back in her cage around 6. I try to go back asleep and when Shooter gets up around 7, he gets her if she whines, so I can rest a bit more. That has helped more than I can say. They both watch her during the day so I'm not the only one. And they take turns running her outside. Life is good now.

My wrist started acting up again this week. I am not happy about it. Today is the first day I've been able to blog all week. I hate that!! But wearing a brace and typing isn't easy. :) But I need to record our life's happenings, so I don't forget.

This week was a 3 day week. So I tried to do the "fun stuff" that we miss from the past weeks. We worked on our tasting experiments. They loved tasting different things and they want to do it again. Luckily, they are learning about the human body in co-op, so they already knew some of the stuff. They were proud that they knew a few tidbits before I read it to them.

They both are starting to get back into their math books. Shooter is remembering some of the facts and Sassy is forgetting subtraction. So two steps forward, one step back. :) Hopefully next week we can get to normal.

Thursday was, by far, the best day of the week. We had a very impromptu reading time. Shooter asked for my Kindle around 7:30am and laid on the couch and Sassy grabbed a book and sat next to me on the love seat. None of us moved til 10:00, when my phone rang. 10:00!!!!! Over two hours of reading and no one was forced into it. Casey laid on the floor, in the living room and we read in silence. I wish I had my camera near me, to grab a picture. It was wonderful.

Friday was co-op and Sassy has to give a 2-5 minute speech on how to do something. She did hers on how to make a pop up card. She was nervous, but she said she did good. I wanted to go in and watch, but I knew it would make her nervous.

I'm hoping for a complete week next week. These three day weeks are killing me!! Now, I am off to read The Help and rest my wrist. OH!!! Did I tell you that I started listening to Christmas music now?? Yep, I did. Thursday I made the switch. I think that also helped relaz the house. You can't be stressed with Christmas music playing.

Hope your week was a good one!!

Life is ruff

2011-10-22T13:20:00.000-04:00

Seriously, what is happening to my life? I used to be able to sit here and blog, with no problem. But ever since we got this dog, I just haven't had the time. I hate that. I like my dog, but her being a puppy is taking its toll on me. But, no Hubs, I don't wanna get rid of her. I'm just complaining. :)

But, this week, we did get things done. Well, some things. School was hard, cuz we're all taking turns with the sniffles. So breathing was a priority and had to be accomplished, before school. :) Therefore another winner of a week.

Tuesday, I had to take Sassy to the doc, to get her warts taken care of, again. She got three more. She is very upset that she is the only one, in our family, to get them. But hopefully, this is the last time for a while. While we were driving there, I kept smelling something nasty in the car. And lo and behold, Shooter stepped in Casey poop. So I bagged his shoes in the car and made him to into the office without shoes. He was less than thrilled. But too bad.

Then I had a wonderful visit with another homeschooling mom, who I haven't seen is AGES. Our boys went to preschool together, so they are close. Shooter was so happy to be over there. I went to drop off boxtops and ended up visiting for almost an hour. It was nice. I missed my friend. We ended back at their house for their boy's impromptu b-day party. It was nice.

Then Sassy had an orthodontist appointment Thursday. She has officially started Phase 1 of perfecting her smile. Spacers were put in til Tuesday. Then she's getting fitted for an appliance. So she can't eat chewy or hard foods until then. She is having a hard time finding foods to eat now. She cries at almost every meal. This is gonna be a loooong weekend. When she gets the spacers out, she'll have two weeks to eat the bad foods, then months and months of crying. Oh boy, I can't wait. Pray for me. Between her and the dog, I am gonna go nuts.

Simple Tuesday

2011-10-18T13:22:00.000-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is trying to shine through the haze of the clouds.

I am thinking...about all the things I need to get done after Sassy's doc appointment

I am thankful for...the solos that BOTH of my kids have in the kid's Christmas program. They are super excited about this!!

From the kitchen...is the smell of meatloaf and pumpkin muffins. Odd combo, I know.

I am wearing...long sleeve shirt and jeans.

I am creating...the kid's Christmas lists.

I am going...to buy the new Pirate's movie and bring it to Hubs at work.

I am reading...Breaking Dawn, AGAIN!! In honor of it coming out in a month. YAY!!

I am hoping...to figure out why Sassy keeps getting warts. She is embarrassed and upset about it. I don't blame her one bit.

I am hearing...the ringing of the doggie bell. Casey is learning to ring it when she wants to go out, which is all the time. (sigh)

Around the house...are school books. Everywhere I look and step, I see them.

One of my favorite things...is listening to my kids sing.

Here is a picture I am sharing...This was the picture I saw when I turned on my Kindle. Brought a smile to my face. :)

Weekly Review

2011-10-14T19:09:00.000-04:00

We had a good, but light, week. On Sunday, we found out that Sassy got a solo in the kid's Christmas program. She is happy but nervous. She is singing Away in a Manger, but she doesn't seem to gasp it. I love my daughter, but she doesn't get her musical talent from me, she gets it from her father. So needless to say, we got a LOT of work to do. :) On the other hand Shooter is up for a solo also. And we praying real hard that he gets it. He NEVER tries anything, so for him to even show an interest, he HAS to get it. Also, this is his last year doing it, since he's moving up to youth group in January. So please pray that he gets it. It would be a boost in his self confidence BIG TIME!

Monday started out great. We did everything on the list. Although I'm not feeling the Caesar book yet. We skipped it last week and I was NOT about to make up for it. It's hard to read when you can't pronounce the names. I hate that about these books. I wish they would include a pronunciation guide in them. :)

My hand started to get all numb and tingly on Monday night. It went off and on all night and throughout the next day. I called the doc and they had me wear a brace and told me to stay off the computer for the rest of the week. HA!! That's funny. How am I supposed to stay off the computer for that long? Well, I didn't listen completely. I went on it once in the morning and once at night. I did the best I could.

Tuesday, I was supposed to go to Bible study, so I only planned on them doing individual work. I skipped Bible study and sat on the couch complaining about my hand. So it all worked out. :)

Wednesday, we worked on papers. Shooter is writing a paragraph at a time, so he doesn't freak out. Although he still isn't happy doing it, at least he is writing a fantasy story. That's right up his alley. Sassy tried to write a paragraph, but was getting frustrated. I'll help her next week.

Thursday I left the kids home with daddy and went to Costco, with my parents, instead of teach them. I don't think anyone was complaining. :)

Today we had co-op. The kids loved it, of course. Then the kids were heading to their grandparent's house so Hubs and I could go out and celebrate his b-day a bit early. PF Changs and an impromptu visit to Victoria's Secret completed out the evening. Now we need to go and play with the dingy dog. :)

Hope you had a great week also!!

Simple Tuesday

2011-10-11T10:08:00.001-04:00

Outside my window...the sky is kinda grey, but the changing leaves look beautiful.

I am thinking...that if more people learned to be content with what they have, they would be much happier. It's less stressful, believe me.

I am thankful for...my hubby's good work ethic.

From the kitchen...is the smell of dog.(sigh)

I am wearing...jammies, since I skipped Bible study today.

I am creating...a Christmas folder on iTunes. I am TOTALLY in the spirit now!!

I am going...to be done with my Christmas shopping my the end of this month.

I am reading...The last book in the Fallen series. I just picked it up, from the library, yesterday.

I am hoping...that this dog will start sleeping in later than 4:50. Seriously!

I am hearing...the sound of pencil writing and a dog snoring

Around the house...are doggie toys. Can't she learn to clean them up!!

One of my favorite things...is sitting down with a good book and no one talking to me.

Here is a picture I am sharing...This is my new Kindle skin. Isn't it cool? It looks great in my hot pink case.

Weekend ramblings

2011-10-02T19:52:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it's already October?? That means next month, Breaking Dawn comes out!! Also Christmas is in two months!! We already bought the kids almost all their gifts. Next month we're ordering their Kindles, then we're done. I can't believe it. I love being done so soon.

Friday, Shooter went to his first Jr high life group. He said he liked it, so I'm very happy about that. He also said that the youth pastor told him that he has to read the Bible more. He doesn't know what to read, but he'll figure it out. Before he goes to new places I always have to tell him to relax and listen before he speaks. So when I picked him up, I asked how he did and his response was "I'll do better next time." *sigh* Even today, in children's church, he got his name on the board and a check by it, which means he was really talkative. But since every one of my report cards, in school, said "Talks too much", I find it hard to get mad. It's a hard thing to learn when you're homeschooled and you don't have to wait for anyone and you just talk when you want. But it's a lesson that he will learn, eventually.

Today we got the kid's Christmas program CDs and listened to it in the car and now We're totally in the Christmas mood. Even Sassy asked if I could put on Christmas music during dinner. A girl after my own heart. :) I know that's gonna make a few of you question your friendship with me. But we are a Christmas family. Hubs keeps asking when we can put up the tree. I think the freezing temps have triggered the holiday spirit.

My goofy children have made me crack up this weekend also. I told Sassy that the towels were calling her name. And she quickly responded with "Well that message went straight to voicemail." I about fell off the couch. Then Shooter was petting Casey and said "Those buttons are where her milk comes out." HA!! Buttons!! I couldn't laugh at him cuz he's get embarrassed, but I REALLY wanted to.

Hubs and I went and seen Courageous on Saturday morning. Wonderful movie. We highly recommend it. Bring tissues if you go. It really makes you laugh and cry. All the dads in there were tearing up, even Hubs got teary. I know it was geared toward dads, but it made me think about how we treat our kids and how we need to spend quality time with them. I need to do more fun things, even if I'm so tired from this dumb dog. :)

Speaking of dog, we left her for three hours, to see the movie, and her cage was dry when we came back!! It wasn't that way when we went to church, on Wednesday. So I was quite happy. She even lasted over 3 hours for us today, when we went to church. Now when we go to co-op, on Friday, I have to find someone to take her out. We'll be gone for almost 5 hours and that's too long for a 3 month old puppy.

I do find, lately, that I'm writing more about my dog and less about my kids. I feel bad about that, but you know how trouble makers in school always get the most attention? Well, that's how it is over here. :)

Weekly Review-the dictionary skills edition

2011-09-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

This week was basically a week of dictionary skills. It seemed that every day, in different subjects, we were grabbing the dictionary and trying to find various words and meanings. Sassy was happy about it, Shooter, not so much. But we are getting better. He seems to forget ABC order, but we will keep working on it.

We didn't work on math at all this week. We were focused on Bible searches and reading. Hopefully next week we can get back into Math. But they are getting better at the Bible searches. They like to have Bible drills against each other.

We are enjoying the Ceasar book still. It is still hard to read all of it in one sitting. Still having to break it up.

Shooter is reading the first book in the Kane Chronicles on my Kindle. I hate to share, but if he's reading, that's all that matters. Sassy read Katie Kazoo and is starting Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, also on my Kindle. I really can't wait til Christmas, so they have their own. But it is cute to see them laying around reading. Sassy even checked out a few Katie Kazoo's from the library today. I am happy she found an easy series. She's discouraged that it's a reader 3, but I keep telling her that it's ok to read easier books for entertainment. When we read for school, she can grab a harder book, but it won't be as much fun. She doesn't understand the concept of reading below your level, so you don't get frustrated every day. But, again, as long as she is reading, I'm happy.

Our co-op was cancelled today, due to a gas leak. So we watched TV and went to the library, since we never do school on Fridays. Reading will be the only thing accomplished today. Hopefully I'll get to read also. :)

How was your week?

Simple Tuesday

2011-09-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is shining and the wind is blowing.

I am thinking...that my dog will NEVER sleep past 5am. :(

I am thankful for...my girls at church. They are just wonderful.

From the kitchen...is the lingering smell of brownies that I made last night.

I am wearing...jeans and my new fire fighter t-shirt.

I am creating...a stockpile of squeaky toys for this dumb dog. :)

I am going...to petsmart, yet again, for more chew toys.

I am reading...Torment by Lauren Kate. It's the second in the Fallen series. Quite interesting.

I am hoping...to get through this new Bible study. It's quite difficult for me.

I am hearing...Hubs cut the grass.

Around the house...are piles of laundry and school books. I feel this house will never be the same, because of the dog.

One of my favorite things...is cuddling with my children, in my bed, when they wake up early.

Here is a picture I am sharing... This is my bean brain dog after she ran through all the mud puddles in our backyard, after it poured all day. All those speckles are mud splatters.

Weekly Review- New dog edition

2011-09-23T18:54:00.002-04:00

Yes, you read that right. We got a dog!! And yes, I am regretting it, every.single.day. She's lucky she's cute. That's all I'm saying about that.

This is my first Weekly review of the year. I didn't have the time or energy to do one last week. But I need to remember everything we did, or didn't do.(sigh)

Our school day gets started WAY earlier than last year. Our dog, Casey, naps around 7:30/8 and we start then. I put her in her cage and I do all my reading and teaching, then when she is awake, they can do their individual work while I follow her and make sure she doesn't have an accident in the house. Doesn't that sound like fun? But, amazingly she sleeps long, so I can get everything I need to say, said. Then I can still help them, but I'm not trying to rush. They are amazingly flexible this year. Shooter knows that we need to start early, even if he's playing.

We are enjoying our study of the Romans. Sassy is lovin' all the books we have. They have the coolest pictures of the Roman cities back then. The only book I am having trouble with is Augustus Caesar's World. It's a lot of reading. I am having a hard time keeping up. But they play quietly while I do it and they actually pay attention and answer my questions about it. I'll just have to break it up with some day and night time reading. Too much all at once.

We haven't started our formal math yet. They seemed to have forgotten single digit multiplication over the summer. So we're doing flash cards and saying the facts out loud. It's tedious, but it gets the job done. I'm hoping to start it next month.

They are actually working with dictionaries and thesaurus' this week. Shooter HATES them, but Sassy is catching on quickly. You'd think ABC order wouldn't be so stressful, but apparently it is. :) He has also discovered the Kane Chronicles. Unfortunately it's on my Kindle. So I have to share with him. :( But as long as he is reading I don't mind.

We're doing McGuffey readers, again, this year, in addition to their big workbooks. But they do one story a week. Shooter has vocab words that he looks up and writes the definitions. I am determined to have him laughing at the though of himself struggling with ABC order, at the end of the year.

Shooter started a 6th grade program at church, on Wednesday nights. He really likes it. And I am so glad. Next week, he'll be going to his first Jr. high small group. He missed the last one, cuz he was spending the night at his grandparents, while we have Casey quarantined. Turns out we didn't need to, but that's ok.

Also, due to the quarantine, we only did three days of school this week. SO we are behind a bit, but we will catch up. Today we had our first day of co-op. This is a new co-op and it was a blast!! Sassy is taking Cooking, Human body and Public speaking and Shooter is doing Gym, Human body and Woodshop. Sassy was super nervous about public speaking, but afterwards she told me that it's her favorite class. :) Shooter LOVED woodshop. He even has a friend in two of his classes. That makes it better. And Sassy made a new friend also, but I knew she would. I help in 1st hour Duct tape art, with the high schoolers, then I have my free hour in 2nd hour and I am hall monitor for last hour. So I get to meet and chat with many of the moms. I just love seeing all these little kids walk around.

Well, I better sign off cuz goofy dog just woke up with hiccups and I have to follow her around. (sigh)

Hope your week was a good one!!

Wordless Wednesday-Sassy and her daddy

2011-09-21T13:56:00.000-04:00

Not me Monday rabies and dogs

2011-09-19T19:52:00.001-04:00

I haven't done one of these posts in FOREVER!! I hope I remember how to do it.

I did not get a dog this week. Nope, not me. I never wanted a dog. Remember, that's why I have friends with babies and dogs, so I don't have to. :)

I did not post a ton of facebook posts about the dog.

I most certainly did not cry at the thought of putting her down, over a rabies scare. It was negative, thank God.

I did not ask for prayers for my dog, on Facebook. Of course I wouldn't do that. It's just a dog.

And my posts certainly did not get a ton responses. :) Who would pray for a dog? Apparently everyone loves dogs. :)

I did not post about my dog for my last three blog posts. I wouldn't do that.

Guess what!!!!

2011-09-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

THE TEST WAS NEGATIVE!!!!!!! They just called and the results was negative. So looks like we get to keep our dog. I never knew I wanted a dog this much. But the thought of her leaving us made me sad. But we are all on cloud 9. Now we are off to Petsmart to buy a TON of toys and things. :)

Thank you for your prayers.

Bats and Rabies

2011-09-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

This first week of having a dog didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. Casey found a bat on Wednesday. It was dead, so no worries. Well, so I thought. It was stuck under the fence, with its head on our side. I saw her go for it, but I wasn't sure if she bit it or was poked with its teeth. We didn't think anything of it. That is, until Hubs woke up in a panic on Friday. Apparently, you can get rabies from the saliva as well as if it bit you. We didn't know that. He called the health department and we had to turn in the bat for Rabies testing. Fine, right? WRONG!! That meant Casey has to be quarantined until Monday, when the results come in. So she has to stay in her cage and only one person can deal with her. So Hubs had to take two days off of work and we had to send away the kids. Shooter would die if he had to hear her bark and whine all day long.

The trouble with Rabies testing is that if the bat is positive, Casey has to be put down and all of us have to get the rabies shots, since we've been scratched or bitten which drew blood. Well, the other three have, but misery loves company, so I'd get it also. GREAT!! :( If it's positive, we can go about our lives as normal. BUT if the bat is untestable, we have to decide if we want a 6 month quarantine or put her down. Who wants to make that decision?? We are so upset about this. Sassy was crying all morning before I sent her away. She devastated that she couldn't pet or play with Casey. The thought of shots or sending her away makes her sob. I couldn't tell them that she'd be put down. That would put them over the edge.

So Hubs and I have been here with Casey, trying to be positive. But this is messing up her training. All she does is sleep during the day and is up at night.

We're trying to think positive, but it's really hard. I didn't even want the dog, but I find myself tearing up over the thought of her getting put down. It breaks my heart to be going through this.

I know some people may think this is silly, but we could use some prayers. Please pray for negative rabies results. We really love our dog. Thank you.

Simple Tuesday

2011-09-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is shining bright and the leaves have started falling.

I am thinking...about the new Bible study I started today.

I am thankful for...my hubby's sick time, which he used yesterday.

From the kitchen...is the smell of dog food. Not the smell I ever would've thought would be coming from here.

I am wearing...capri pants and my Mickey shirt.

I am creating...lesson plans for school. Are ya jealous?

I am going...to the kid's well visits today.

I am reading...nothing right now. I have a few I want to start, but house breaking a dog is taking my all my time.

I am hoping...Casey get house broken soon. I'm tired.

I am hearing...the dishwasher, Phineas and Ferb and doggie snoring.

Around the house...are school books.

One of my favorite things...is nap time. When puppy sleeps, momma sleeps.

Here is a picture I am sharing... This is Casey chillin' on Shooter's shoe last night. She just looked so cute, I had to snap a picture.

First day

2011-09-12T10:52:00.000-04:00

Our first day has been quite interesting. Between the dog and my tummy, it's one for the books.

Who knew I'd be getting up at 5:30 on the first day of school. Actually I didn't really get any sleep last night. But it wasn't the dog's fault. My tummy was acting up, like usual, so I was up all night. But when Hubs had to go into work 2 hours earlier, Casey had to get up earlier. And since she didn't wanna go back to sleep, I had to get up so she would stop whining, even though she already woke the kids up. :) Luckily they went back to sleep, well Sassy did, at least.

But of course, having tummy troubles and no sleep, made me sick. So Hubs had to come home and take care of me and the kids, and of course, the dog. I wish I had the video camera rolling for all his help. Casey took her water bowl to her crate. And of course she didn't care that there was water in it. So Hubs is trying to wipe it up with a few of the kitchen towels, to which she runs off with one of them. :) I couldn't help but laugh at all of that.

Casey found her energy today. She was so nervous and tired yesterday, all she did was sleep. But today all she wants to do is play. I am thankful for that. It keeps her busy and the kids busy. They've taken five breaks since we started school, just to run around the back yard with her.

I am glad we got her yesterday. I decided that I was gonna let them get a dog in the Spring, but that was until yesterday. We ran to Woods&Water, like we do every year. It's a big hunting/fishing expo near our house. They also have the Air Dogs and a puppy tent. We usually hit the puppy tent a few times, just to let them get their puppy fix. :) But yesterday the tent the almost empty, to which I was happy, less temptation. But we saw her and Hubs and Sassy were in love. I wasn't saying a word, but I was at peace. Hubs kept asking what I thought and I didn't say yes or no. So he made the decision and ran to the nearest ATM, while we waited. And that is that. She is a 9 week old, pure yellow lab, soon to be AKC registered little pup.

So my life will never be the same, but at least the kids are happy. And that's all that matters, right?

Meet Casey

2011-09-11T18:21:00.000-04:00

Never Forget

2011-09-11T06:25:00.001-04:00

Getting ready

2011-09-08T08:07:00.000-04:00

This is our final week of summer, before we start school. I know that we are a bit late, but it couldn't be helped. Family issues and a homeschooling meeting, both which required the kids spending nights at grandparents houses, made it impossible to start. But September 12 will be our official day. I hate that it's so late. Usually we start in August. This is cutting our schedule real close. I'm hoping we'll get done in June. I envision us doubling up a few weeks, towards the end. (sigh)

So this week, I've been getting the lesson plan books together and trying to figure out when vacations and breaks should happen. I do know that come Easter, it's really hard to buckle down afterwards. So we're gonna take less time for Christmas vacation. I'm not happy about it, but it needs to be done. Last year I was doing lesson plans a month in advance, but that was stressful. I think I'm gonna stick to doing them every week. That way, when life happens, I can roll with it easier.

So before I go off to finish those, I leave you with pictures from last night's Pinewood Derby. Sassy won second place and Shooter was probably 4th or 5th. He's disappointed that he didn't win a big trophy, but we're working on changing his attitude. Out of four races, Sassy won all of hers and Shooter got 1st in two and 2nd in two. So he wasn't a slouch. But as soon as his car came in second, he was deflated. Perfectionist(sigh)

Look at his face. He knew he won. :)

She knew she won. :)

My little champion

That's almost a smile. I think the key is to give him a cookie. :)

See ya later, alligator!!!

Sometimes I wonder...

2011-09-01T06:45:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I wonder where my kids come up with things.

We bought Shooter a toy, if he went to day camp without complaint. But we all know how that worked, so it's been sitting on our fridge since July. He asked for it today. Hubs said he had to earn it or buy it. We bought it for $20, but I said he could have it for a discount. I said $15, Hubs said $10. The $10 won out. So Sassy, feeling left out, went and grabbed her money and was talking about getting a Zooble. She wanted us to share the cost. I told her "no". She said "No fair!! You cheap it down for him!!" Cheap it down?! I was cracking up. Where does she get this stuff??

Then my wonderful son....sigh.....

Since we only have one full bathroom, our shower shelves are quite full of stuff. Everyone has different soaps, shampoos, razors(multiple razors for me, I'm complicated), but I notice when something is different. Here is the following conversation:
Me: Is your shampoo empty?(speaking loudly so the kids can hear me)

Sassy: yes!

Me: What!! What have you been using?

Sassy: (Sheepish grin)

Me: Moving on, I am not mad, but who was playing with my shaving gel?

Sassy:(quickly yells) Not me!!

Note the silence of Shooter.......

Me: Son?!?!

Shooter: What does it look like??

*sigh*

Really?!? If you weren't playing with something, you would be quick to say not me, NOT ask what it looks like.

Shooter:(coming out of the bathroom, with a guilty look) Is this it?

Me: (hand slapping my forehead) boys.........

I think I need to get him some bath crayons.

Mackinaw part 4

2011-08-31T07:40:00.000-04:00

On our last night, we went to a lumberjack show. We truly saved the best for last. It was a hoot!! Even Shooter said he had a good time. And for those who know him, that's saying a lot!

I couldn't believe how fast these two guys moved. They are chopping so quickly.

They raced at many different stations. We had fun cheering for our guy.

Can you imagine climbing up there?? Me either.

These are the chairs they made. They worked it into the show. The show was quite funny.

Our guy made it all the way across, but then fell on the way back. :)

Our guy lost this one. :( But at least he fell gracefully. The other one didn't. :( Can you say ouch??

Shooter even volunteered to go up and represent our side of the bleachers. I was shocked!! His hand was first to go up. He was the best "Timbeeeeeeer!!" yeller. :)

See that "cookie" he just cut? We we grabbed it and we're gonna stain it and put our family Mackinaw picture on it. I'll post pictures when it's completed.

We also tried to fly my kite. The string wasn't long enough, so it wasn't staying up long. But Shooter had fun trying to get it up there.

But we kept trying.

Did know that trying to fly a kite and take pictures, at the same time, is very hard? Ask me how I know.

I had to throw this one in. She is gorgeous, don't ya think??

Wordless Wednesday- Another Mackinaw edition

2011-08-24T11:53:00.000-04:00

Mackinaw part 3

2011-08-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

We went to Mill Creek on our last full day there. They have a high rope bridge, zip line and a rock wall. They also have numerous trails to walk. We tried to find the beaver dams, but didn't wanna stray from the trail in shorts. Didn't wanna end vacation with poison ivy. :)

Sassy did a zip line and rock wall at camp, so she wasn't too worried.

But the bridge put her over the edge. She HATED it! I was trying to walk slow so my dad could get a picture, but Sassy was flipping out and screaming and her daddy and brother. They were stopping and she wanted to get across fast. She was screaming and crying while Shooter teased was laughing and shaking. I felt so bad for her. If I knew she was gonna be like that, I would've made her go first, so we could go slower and look around.

When we were walking to the zip line my tummy was flipping. I was super nervous. But our guide was very cool. He was explaining that the zip line does not give you the feeling like a roller coaster, which I hate. So I figured I could do it, as long as I wasn't first. But guess who went first?? You got it!!

Look at this!!! Mr. Anti-fun is smiling!!! He loved it!!

You see that line going across the top right side of this picture? Well, that's the bridge we walked across. It was much higher than the zip line.

And did you notice the WATER under the zip line?!?! Heights and water, what has come over me?? :)

After that ride we did the rock wall. Which, I must say, is a lot harder than it looks.

Shooter made it to the top, but Sassy was to nervous and shaky. So she climbed half way, twice. Our guide wanted it to be fair. :) Shooter made it all the way up to touch the red rock with the bird noise. He was so proud.

Hubs made it to the top, while I was getting ready to go up.

I didn't make it to the top, but at least I tried. My legs and arms were shaking so bad. I was so nervous. But I think I'll do it again. I'll find a local spot to do it.

After I came down, we walked up the rock wall tower to check out the view.

Amazing, isn't it??

Mackinaw part 2

2011-08-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

We went to two forts, while we were there. The first was Colonial Michilimackinac. It was right next to the bridge, in the city. We really enjoyed walking around there. We watched the ladies cook in the kitchen.

We saw where they fired the canons.

We learned that the men were MUCH smaller than our men.

Well, atleast some of our men. :)

We also learned the Shooter didn't enjoy being the dog of our family.

Can you imagine that two men slept in each bunk??? Seriously, those were so small.

The second fort was on the island. I was LOVIN' the soldiers. I'm a sucker for reenactments. These guys were showing us the calls they made, with the instruments.

The guy in the middle of the front row never stopped smiling. I found myself chuckling the whole time, cuz I don't think he was supposed to be smiling. I felt bad for him. I was wondering if someone was doing something to him, to make him smirk.

I love when they shoot the guns. Of course Hubs and the kids were no where near this. Shooter hates loud noises.

I did manage to pull myself away from the soldiers only to end up in the hospital. Don't you just love these "tools"?? Sassy was mortified when I showed them to her. I don't think she believed me when I read the descriptions.

We ate the the restaurant in Fort Mackinac. The food was awesome. The view was even better.

And yes, we are wearing jackets, in AUGUST!!!

It was so cold the day we went to the island. By the time we got to the island we were wet and frozen. We sat on the top side of the ferry and as soon as we went under the bridge, the waves came crashing over the us. Sassy was frozen to the rails, out of fear. I was frozen to me seat, out of frozenness. :) Drippy frozenness. I never dried off. I was cold all day long.

But I will give you a piece of advice. If you wake up and find this outside your hotel window:

It's not a good idea to go on a ferry. While it is pretty, it's a sign of very choppy waters.

I tried to get a good shot of the bridge. But I was trying to hold the blanket on our lap, since it was blowing everywhere. This picture I managed to snap just before the waves came pouring over us.

Mackinaw part 1

2011-08-14T14:51:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a wonderful vacation in Mackinac Island. Actually we stayed in Mackinac City and went to the island for one day. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. I took almost 400 pictures in five days. So I need to break the days up a little bit. Don't wanna overwhelm myself. :)

We left Monday morning around 10ish. We would've left earlier, but we had to bring in the van, again. We found out that it needed a new transmission, so we had to take MIL's car instead. It was like riding a go-cart, but less fun. But atleast we didn't have to cancel our plans. Gotta look on the positive side, right?

Anyway, the first day we swam and shopped. The kids barely walked in the room and they were already grabbing their suits.

They were in there forever. After being couped up in the car, they needed to get some energy out. Luckily they were the only ones in the pool, so they could jump in whenever they wanted. Which, thanks to their masks, happened the entire time. :)

Then we went shopping. Papa and Nana bought Sassy her first stuffed animal. Who know the kind where you pick it out and you push your foot down to shove the stuffing in it? Well, she was thrilled!!

Then we went to look at the bridge. The kids don't remember seeing it six years ago. And, of course, Sassy didn't listen to our warnings to take her shoes off or stand farther away so the water wouldn't get her. So you can guess what happened?? (sigh) Atleast we were done for the night.

So went back to the room so Shooter could shoot his rocket launcher from Papa and Nana's room to ours. Thank goodness no one was near our rooms. :)

Well, that's our first day. My next post will be about the Fort we went to.

Wordless Wednesday-Mackinaw Edition

2011-08-10T08:11:00.000-04:00

What a week!! UPDATE

2011-08-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

This was a horrible week. Seriously!! If I could erase what happened, I totally would.

First, the AC in my van stopped working. We knew it was going, but we had it recharged, last month, and hoped it would work til the end of summer. But it started acting goofy, a week or so ago, so we had to bring it in, on Monday, again. But first we had to bring the kids to my in laws and switch cars with them. Hubs has a 2 seat truck, so we needed something for all four of us. What a pain!! But the AC was busted and needed a new condenser. Almost $500.

Then, when it was in the shop, Hubs noticed wet grease spots on the driveway, where we park it. So he asked them, when we got there to pick it up that same day, if they could check underneath. Since we're going on vacation, we need the van to be perfect. So they found out that the rack was leaking. This is our 2nd one in less than a year!! But, thanks God, is was still under warranty. So no charge. But it had to stay for another day and we had to borrow inlaws' car again.

Then Wednesday afternoon I went to read on my Kindle and the screen was broken!! I almost cried. It was fine in the mornng, wehn I was reading it. But Amazon customer service was awesome and my new one will be here today. Perfect, since we leave for vaca Monday.

Then Thursday afternoon, I was about to pull into my sub and the check engine light came on. SERIOUSLY!!! Hubs was working OT so I brought it to my brother so he could check for the codes and see what the issue is. Transmission. :( So I asked my dad to bring the van in for me this morning, since this was Hubs' regular day to work. I'm waiting on the verdict as I type this. But, with the luck we're having this week.....

God, are you listening?? We could use a little help please. We would like to go on vacation next week. We really don't wanna cancel. We NEED to get away. Please work with us. Thank you.

UPDATE: Well, my dad came back with not good news. They found metal shavings when they took the dip stick out. So they would know if it's a simple fluid change($80) or a new transmission($1400) and no vacation next week. They want me to bring it in Monday at 8am to check the fluid, they were swamped today. But we're supposed to leave for vaca Monday at 9am. So it looks liks we won't be going. But Hub's is in training right now, so I have no idea what's going on. We have to cancel our hotel rooms today, or we get charged. So we need to make a decision.

Curriculum 2011-12

2011-08-04T10:10:00.001-04:00

Well, now that the school counter is all cleared off, I am in the mood to get started with school. This year Shooter will be in 6th grade and Sassy will be in 4th. Of course that is only for those who ask. In reality, they are all over the map. For instance, Shooter can't seem to grasp the single digit multiplication, which is something regular school kids in 2/3 grades. And Sassy still struggles with reading. But we are on our own timetable, so no comparing. :) They will get it when they get it.

This year is my 5th year homeschooling and I think I finally have a handle on things. :) Last year we didn't do any extra classes and only focused on school. I think that was the best thing we've ever done. There was very little, if any, fighting. Everyone knew what to expect each day, and did it. I really enjoyed last year. This year we've decided to do a new co-op. I'm looking forward to it. I'm praying for new friends for my kids, especially Shooter.

Since we're doing a co-op on Friday mornings, we're doing a 4-day school week. Of course they'll still be doing a spelling test each week, but they can decide if they want it after co-op or Saturday mornings. I wonder what they'll choose.....

I'm tossing around the idea of taking more breaks during the year. But I haven't looked at it yet. I'm thinking 6 weeks one one week off. But I have to see how that works on the calendar. I was very burnt out by April, so I'm hoping taking more breaks will prevent that.

For our main curriculum, we're sticking with My Father's World. This year is Rome to Reformation.

As you can see, this will be a full year. This will be our first year doing science. I have never found one that we liked or understood. But this year should be interesting. We're doing two units, Astronomy and human body. I've had the kit for astronomy for a few years, but they never liked the textbook. We all thought it was boring. But they want to try it again. Then, for the second half of the year, human body. I am NOT looking forward to this part AT ALL. :) The wonderful way God made babies should be interesting. (sigh) I also bought The Care and Keeping of you from Borders before they close. Sassy is itching to start reading this book with me. I think we'll start it in a week. It's geared toward 9-12 year olds. It teaches her all about what's happening, or not happening, in her body. We're gonna read it together, so she can ask questions and not be embarrassed.

For Language Arts, we're doing our big Complete curriculum workbooks still. They contain everything. Sassy will be in the 3rd grade book and Shooter in the 5th. But they will be doing everything at the kitchen table, this year. I want to be together, so they can help each other, if needed. I also wanna be there to make sure they get it. No one complained last year, when they worked in their rooms, but I wasn't sure if they understood everything, even though I went over their pages with them. Sometimes I think I need to be more of a real teacher and read the directions to them first, then have them work it out.

I'm also gonna throw in McGuffey readers also. I did these a few years ago and really liked them, but it wasn't enough in my eyes. So this year we'll do 1-2 lessons a week, along with the workbooks. They will be busy in the mornings. Have them on my Kindle and in book form. I have all eight books, so I am ready for every year.

For Math, we're still doing Math-u-see. They're both in Gamma this year. Sassy is a little behind Shooter, but I think she may pass him up, if he doesn't grasp multiplication. She seems to fly through math very easily. But no big deal.

They're also getting Kindles this year, for Christmas. I really want them for the school year. They like using mine. And shooter doesn't complain when I tell him to read from mine. He says he can read better on it, than with real books. I think it's cuz he doesn't realize how big a book really is. If I hand him a book as big as Harry Potter or The Lost Hero, he would freak out and never read it. Even if I read it with him, he would protest every time. But with a Kindle, they don't show page numbers, only a percent of how much you read. So I'm thinking Amazon cards for Christmas presents, for all of us, would be a wise thing. (hint hint, Dad and Mom) :)

They are still getting paid to read chapter books, even if they are silly books like Phineas and Ferb chapter books. I want them to enjoy reading, so if it's a silly book that catches their eye, I run with it. I told them that reading silly books is a good thing. But when school starts they'll be reading all kinds. As a family we will be reading many books aloud and everyone will take turns reading everyday. I want them to grow as readers. The cool thing is, that since I've gotten my Kindle, on Mother's day, I've read over 50 books. They see me read all the time, so they'll grab a book and sit next to me on the couch. I was never a reader, so I hope this is the year that all of us turn into avid readers. (fingers crossed)

Sassy and I are gonna start sewing this year, also. She took a sewing class at Jo-ann's, and she loved it. She wants to learn how, so we're gonna try it. I'm thinking 2-3 times a week we'll pull out the machine and have fun. Another Christmas idea, Jo-ann's gift card. :)

A sad, sad day

2011-08-03T18:10:00.000-04:00

School plans

2011-07-30T09:13:00.000-04:00

I was asked, by a friend, when do I plan on starting school. What??!! You mean I have to teach these lunatics AGAIN!?!? Well, my mind has been not in the teaching mood. I've been in the reading and moping mood. I haven't felt like doing anything lately. I'm not going into now, but I've been dealing with some things that I don't wanna discuss with anyone but my hubby. Prayers would be great though. It's nothing life threatening, so no worries. :)

As for school, I like to start the first week of August. But since we're going on vacation the second week, I can't start school the first. That would accomplish nothing. So I'm trying to figure out what to do. I plan on taking breaks frequently this year. I think I was burnt out by April and didn't wanna finish. And when we did finish, the neighbor kids weren't done, so mine were bored. So I'm thinking I'm not gonna rush through the year. I'm gonna take my time and teach. We're also doing a co-op on Fridays, so a 4day schedule is gonna be intense. I don't think my kids are like it, but too bad.

I started out the summer with them doing workbook pages, but then we quit. Being outside and playing was more important. And plus, I was dealing with some things and had zero motivation to teach. So I think they'll be a bit of review the first few weeks, but that's OK.

My school counter never got cleaned, since my lack of motivation. So I have to do that before we leave for vacation, just in case I decide to start when we get back.

But I'm super excited to get going this year. I can't wait to continue in our world history. I'm super excited to do science this year also. I've never really done science yet. They weren't feeling it and I wasn't ready to teach and have then forget it anyways. I think we're all better prepared this year. I'll do another post on our curriculum later this week. I have a feeling that once I start transferring this year's and taking out last year's, I'll get all excited. But right now, there is no excitement when I look at a messy school space with boxes underneath. :) Motivation, where are you????

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else is doing this year. I love reading all the beginning of the year posts. Good luck!!

Simple Wednesday

2011-07-27T07:11:00.001-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is trying to come up. It's still early.

I am thinking...about some of my friends that I am missing. :(

I am thankful for...my life group. They have truly enriched our lives.

From the kitchen...is the smell of fruit salad and chocolate oatmeal. :)

I am wearing...my cozy jammie shorts and a Mickey t-shirt.

I am creating...my Amazon wish list. Lots and lots of books. :)

I am going...to Mackinaw Island in two weeks!!!

I am reading...too many books that I can't keep track of. :)

I am hoping...that Shooter starts to make friends, at church, when he moves to Jr. High this Fall. He has plenty of girls that are friends, but they don't count. :)

I am hearing...noise makers and fans.

Around the house...are coloring pages and books and toys that all belong to a certain little girl, who shall remain nameless. But they get picked up as soon as she wakes up. :)

One of my favorite things...is going to my life group. I love having a place to let my hair down without being judged.

Here is a picture I am sharing...Sassy is all ready to climb the rock wall.

What a weekend!!!

2011-07-25T17:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend went by so fast, I didn't have time to think.

We picked up Sassy on Friday, from camp. We let Shooter skip his last day of day camp, since he hated it anyway, so him and Hubs could go with me on the 1.5 hour drive. I really didn't wanna do that drive alone. Very boring.

I was so excited to see her. When I opened the door to her room, she saw me and ran up to me and hugged me a million times. Pure happiness, I tell ya. She even ran up to Shooter to give him a hug, when he walked in later. Of course, he was too cool to let her. :)

She laid on the couch, when we got home, and never got up til bedtime. She was zonked. And who wouldn't be with all the stuff they did.

This slip n slide was really more for the boys, I think. Since they never manage to take showers while at camp, they soap 'em up and let 'em slide til they're clean.

These were the low ropes. When you're in Jr. high, you get the high ropes. I'm glad she was on the low ones. She said she cried cuz the ropes were shaking so bad once she got there. So one of the guys attempted to steady the line for her. But I think her nerves were shot by then. But atleast she did it. She loved doing the zip line also. I'm hoping to get a shot of her doing that, when we go on vacation.

She loved the water trampoline. That is, until it was full of kids. Then you get knocked off very easily. And yes, those two had similar bathing suits. Same bottoms, different tops.

They did water activities every day. So she was in Heaven.

Then Saturday, we had our small group picnic. The kids swam almost the entire time. I'm surprised Sassy still had energy to do it. :)

Hi, Sassy!!

Don't say a word!!! It's not my best feature. :)I had to um...shake, to get the ping pong balls out of my tissue box.

Another fun game. Sucking M&Ms with a straw and putting them on another plate. Poor girls about passed out afterwards. :)

And that would be Hubs on the left and my pastor on the right. They are trying to get the oreos in their mouths without touching it.

I'm still here.

2011-07-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

I can't believe my last post was two weeks ago!! But I don't apologize for it. I've been enjoying the summer. Actually I've been reading instead of going on the computer. So it's all Hubs' fault for buying me a Kindle. :) Atleast I check Facebook and my emails on my ipod. Although, I feel a bit off, since I haven't checked any blogs. I've missed all of you. I'm trying to get back into it the swing of things. So I figured I post today.

We've been enjoying our summer, so far. Hubs and I went and saw the new Transformers movie and the last Harry Potter movie. Both of which I cried. (sigh)Yes, I know the first one is about cars, but the music got to me. :)

We went to my uncle's house, where my kids spent the entire time in the pond with the dog.

I spent the majority of the time holding my nephew while he slept. :) I was in Heaven. Don't mind my bra strap. It's hard to adjust when you're hold dead weight in your arms. :) And I didn't notice til after he was awake.

Later that same week, we went to the beach. It was a cold, overcast day. And everyone got burned, except me. Why? Well, I was holding my nephew, in the shade, while he slept, again. I think I found my calling. :) The kids had a blast swimming in the lake and fishing with Daddy. Of course I never took one single picture, cuz my arms were full.

Then this week, Sassy is at sleep away camp. :( I miss her. But she is having fun. I get texts from her counselor. I guess having a friend from the church, as a counselor has its perks. The neat thing is that I went to this camp when I was her age. I even saw a few friends there, dropping off their own kids. Surreal. How wild to have all of our kids making memories, like we did.

She was super nervous and excited to go. She didn't wanna ride in the church van, she wanted to ride with me and her friend, T. So T's mom rode with us also and we got to watch Tangled and relax during the drive. Well I didn't watch it, but it was calmer and more quiet than the van, so I was told. :)

What a good looking group of kids.

Waiting patiently for her swim test.

Of course, she passed. My little fish.

And all the church girls were together. I hope she makes new friends.

And while Sassy is off having a good time, Shooter is going to day camp this week. The hottest week of the summer, so far. And let me tell you, he is NOT amused. Let's just leave it at that, shall we..... Although I will say this, why did I spend money for day camp, when I can hear his complaining for free??

Tomorrow is supposed to be atleast 100 degrees, so I think I'll be grabbing a slurpee for Shooter, when we pick him up. I think he's gonna need it.

Now I'm off to get caught up on all your blogs, I hope. That darn Kindle!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

That's me on the left. Can you believe that?!?

6 months money challenge

2011-06-30T11:16:00.000-04:00

Intrigued??

Today is the last day we will be able to eat out. That's right, the last day!! One of my friends was looking through her bills and added up how much they eat out. Well, she about passed out. So she decided to have a six month money challenge and not eat out from July 1 to Dec 31. So she brought it to our attention on our homeschool forum and a bunch of us jumped on board. At first I thought she was nuts, but then she is the same friend who came up with the idea of not drinking pop for a year. I joined her for that one and it's been over 18 months since I've had a drop of it. :) So, I figured if that idea worked, so can this.

The rules are that we can not eat out, unless we have a GC or someone else pays (ie: Christmas party) That includes coffee shops also. But I don't drink coffee, so that isn't a problem for me. :) So today I will be hitting Panera for the last time. And for my bday I'll be asking for GC for various eating establishments. Going out for family birthdays are gonna be hard to miss. But unless they're at someone's house, we're gonna have to. I'm not trying to make others do the same thing, but Hubs and I decided that we need to do this.

It's not that we eat out a lot, but we eat out more than I'd like. Somedays we're running around and it's quicker to grab a pizza or have Hubs get Chinese on his way home. But at what cost are we doing this. We may get good deals on the food, but what damage is it doing to our bodies. I love my children very much and I want their bodies to be as healthy as they can. Obviously, when we are on vacation, then we have no choice but to eat out. But when we are home everyday, we have a choice. It's not like I have to make big huge meals for every meal. They will eat pancakes or sandwiches, it just will take a bit for me to get in the groove of cooking.

So I'll be working on meal planning today and dusting off my cookbooks. :) If you have a family favorite that you'd like to share with me, please do. I want to try one new meal a week.

Luckily I do Swagbucks and earn amazon cards often, so I can order lots of snacks online.Well, that is unless I spend all the money on my Kindle addiction. :) I also do Mypoints and use my points for Panera cards. :) I'm so close to earning another one. Hopefully it won't take long to earn. Panera withdrawls aren't pretty. ;) If you wanna join My Points email me and I'll send you a referral. Or if you're a FB friend, click on the link I just posted. :)

So wish me luck!!!

Simple Tuesday

2011-06-28T15:08:00.000-04:00

Outside my window...the wind is blowing, but the sun is shining.

I am thinking...about my kids going to camp in three week. Sassy (sleep away) and Shooter(day camp) Whatever will I do that week?

I am thankful for...for books that keep my mind off reality.

From the kitchen...is the sound of my ipod blasting christian rock.

I am wearing...cozy jean shorts and a brownish top.

I am creating...summer lesson plans. I'm almost done!!

I am going...to start 6 months of no eating out from July 1 to December 31.

I am reading..."One for the Money"

I am hoping...that me and the kids make new friends this year, at the new co-op.

I am hearing...the sounds of scooters going up and down the sidewalk.

Around the house...are pieces of legos.

One of my favorite things...is able to sit home and read without interruption

Here is a picture I am sharing...this is a picture of the older 4 grandkids, on my side, chilling in the hot tub on Father's day.

Rollarcoaster week

2011-06-24T19:01:00.000-04:00

This week was a total rollarcoaster. We went to the Village on Monday, and had a great time. They were not busy at all, so we were able to go on the Model T, the train and a horse drawn shuttle.

It was the best day we've had in a loooong time. Seriously. The weather was perfect. Attitudes were perfect. Crowds were perfect. Lunch was perfect. It's been so long since we did anything like this. We totally needed a good family day. Having a day like this makes a day like Wednesday seem not as bad, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Sassy liked the sewing kit and projects, so I had to snap a picture. :)

This kitchen was cooking up some mighty tasty foods. You could smell it from the street! Sassy and I had to come and see what it was.

A new thing was Laura's little town. Not the best picture of Laura Ingalls, but it's hard to see when the sun is shining right in your eyeballs. :) She was telling us about her sister going blind and how she met her future hubby. Sassy was smiling the whole time. It was very cute.

These guys and gals were walking around singing. Sassy was quite embarrassed when I started singing the songs also. She kept elbowing me. :)

We signed up for Netflix this week, just for a trial. Oh my gosh!!! My kids are lovin' it. Shooter is hooked on Ironman, He-Man and Voltron, while Sassy like She-Ra. I showed them the Littles also. All the shows that Hubs and I used to watch as kids, my kids are now enjoying. I am super excited!! Some of the ones they watch, on cable, have innuendos that we don't agree with. So these are clean, only cartoon witches. But I watched them and look at me, I turned out just fine. :)

We ran to the local fountains with the neighbors also. The kids love running through the water. So when Hubs isn't home, or if it's gonna rain, I don't wanna put up our water slide, so we like to go there. It's about 5 minutes from my house.

Then Wednesday. Ah, Wednesday..... Wednesday was a horrible day that I wish I could erase. My nerves were shot, by the end of the day. If I were drinking lady, I would've need 5 of them!!

I haven't told anyone about this day, cuz I was hoping it was just a dream. But, alas, it wasn't.

It all started when I was leaving to go to homeschool park day. I pulled out of my street, but was still in my sub. One street over, a lady in a red Charger comes flying out of the street, like a bat outta Hell. She didn't even slow down, even though she had a stop sign and I didn't. So I swerved and honked(I'm a crazy honker)and she barely missed me. She didn't even give me the "I'm sorry I'm stupid and old and don't know how to drive" wave. I wanted to follow her and scream at her when she stopped, but I'm a good christian girl who would never do that. :)

Then we get to the park and there's not a lot of kids we know there. But the boys that were there all wanted to play baseball. But of course not Shooter. They asked him to join but he said no. But then later, out of boredom, he changed his mind. He went back to ask, and as soon as he got to the fence a boy, whom I don't know, told him that he couldn't play. So he turned around and came to me and wanted to leave. I wish he would've told me what the boy said, cuz I would've walked over there and told him what's what. How dare a kid tell my boy that he can't play. Who the heck does he think he is?? I wish Shooter would've stood up to him. He wasn't the boss. And all the boys were playing so he had nothing to do. If he wants to be bored, we can do it at home and save the gas.

Then, on the way to church, some idiot decided to come over three lanes and cut off the guy in front of me. So he slammed on his brakes, I slammed on my brakes and the guys behind me slams on his brakes, but doesn't slow down. It's POURING, so it's kinda slick. Then all of a sudden I hear a big thud and I didn't know if I was hit of not. So I pull over and jump out to check, no damage. But I was still shaken up.

I get to church and start setting up snack for our small group, still shaken up. I look at the door to see Shooter standing there. He never goes to the room, he always stays in the kids room. He then proceeds to tell me that a few of the boys were saying cruel comments to him. WHAT!?! Not again. So I ask what happened. He tells me that he was playing the basketball game and then turned to four boys playing the xbox, and said "Hello." One of them said "You're so annoying." and the another said "I don't know why anyone would wanna be your friend." REALLY!?!? So I get mad. I already dealt with this at the park, I don't wanna deal with this at church. Church should be a safe place. No one should be teased there. It's bad enough that none of the boys sit by him and get up when he sits down. It breaks my heart to see him hurt every week we go. He hates going. But when they start talking like that, that's when Momma Bear comes out. I told my small group what happened and the children's leaders. So hopefully this will never happen again.

So the long and short of this is, that I should've never left the house.

The thing that bothered me the most was that no one stood up for him. I know he can be silly and kinda goofy, and sometimes annoying, but he didn't deserve to be shunned or teased. I hope none of the homeschoolers heard that boy at the park, or I'll be finding new friends. If boys don't stand up for each other, those aren't the kind I want to hang around. And for church there were four boys sitting there. So two of them heard the other two say those things, and did nothing. My kids would never let that happen. They stand up for those getting teased, I've seen it and heard of it. I am hurt that the boys didn't do it. What character traits are they learning?

The rest of the week was uneventful, thank God!!

I pray yours was better than mine.

Simple Tuesday

2011-06-21T17:35:00.001-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is blazing.

I am thinking...that Netflix is a gift from God. :)

I am thankful for...normal neighbors. :) It's nice to have kids to play with and adults to talk to and do things with.

From the kitchen...is the smell of strawberry bread and pizza.

I am wearing...my bathing suit and shorts. We just got back for the local water fountains with the neighbors

I am creating...absolutely nothing. Is that really a shock??

I am going...small groups tomorrow. Super excited!!

I am reading...Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games series.

I am hoping...to finish my book today.

I am hearing...Jetson's the movie and kids laughing. :)

Around the house...are messes that will be picked up before Hubs comes home in the morning. :)

One of my favorite things...is getting good deals on my grocery shopping

Here is a picture I am sharing...is my brother and his baby, on his first Father's day. :)

Slacking again

2011-06-18T19:28:00.000-04:00

I seriously don't remember slacking on my postings last summer, like I'm doing so far this summer. But I hate doing it. We are doing so many things, but I just don't have the energy to write it all down. So today, bullet points and pictures are gonna have to be enough.

OK, so I can't figure out how to do bullet points. So squiggles (~) is gonna have to do. :)

~Sunday I bought a waterslide for the kids. (Earning my Mom of the Year award)

~Shooter was diagnosed with Strep throat. Thank God for antibiotics!! He was really suffering and I didn't like to see him that way, so I brought him in. 24 hrs later he was perfect and not contagious anymore. :)

~ Hubs worked 72 hours and the children are still alive. Aren't you proud of me?

~The waterslide was a hit!!

~We attempted to go bike riding at a hilly park. The kids weren't amused. There was a lot of yelling and crying and I had to return my Mom of the year award. We almost didn't bring them home. :)

~Sassy had went to her first sleep over at a friend's house. She always goes to grandparents house and has had friends over here, but she never went to a friend's to sleep. It was the neighbor's house, so very convenient. :) That was probably why there was crying and whining today. :)

~I am so not reading for our summer schedule to start Monday. We've been so busy running around, chilling outside, or I've been to busy reading to get it started. I still have three weeks of coupons to cut!! Tomorrow is gonna be busy.

Simple Tuesday

2011-06-14T09:26:00.000-04:00

Outside my window...it is bright and sunny, 60 degrees. Seems summer has left us this week.

I am thinking...that having a Kindle is a wonderful thing. I've read atleast 15 books since I got it on Mother's Day. :)

I am thankful for...my hard working hubby. Even though he has been working since Sunday, and we won't see him til Wednesday morning. 72 hours is a long time.

From the kitchen...is the smell of pumpkin/chocolate chip bread that I heated up. Mmm....

I am wearing...jammie pants and an oversized sweatshirt

I am creating...absolutely nothing!!

I am going...to drag my kids out shopping today. Father's day gifts, lettuce plants and chalk. Odd combo, I know.

I am reading...Beyond Tuesday Morning. I just finished One Tuesday Morning last night, and cried my eyes out. Seriously, I had tears streaming down my face.

I am hoping...to start Hunger Games tomorrow. I usually read a book a day, when hubby's at work.

I am hearing...Generator Rex in the living room.

Around the house...are Avengers comic books. Shooter was given a box of them, from a friend of ours, and he's reading them everywhere.

One of my favorite things...is listening to the kids laugh at their TV shows.

Here is a picture I am sharing... This is my friend, "Loud" Jen's son.(I'm "crazy" Jen, depending on our moods. ) This was taken at our homeschool ice cream social, on Saturday. He was tired, so I held him while he slept. And no, I don't want another. That's why I have friends with babies and dogs...so I don't have to. :)

Ramblings

2011-06-10T14:07:00.000-04:00

After many days of deliberation, we've come to an agreement. Little Man will now be called Star Shooter, or Shooter for short. Shooter and Sassy, sounds perfect to me. :)

He has been cracking me up with some of the things that have come out of his mouth. Lately, if Hubs or I are busy and one of phones ring, the kids will grab it and bring it to us. Usually I keep mine close, so they don't have to. But sometimes I forget it in the kitchen and I ask them to grab it. But a few days ago I was reading, on the couch, and mine rang. I was about to ask Shooter to grab it, but before I could ask he pipes up and yells(smiling) "Woman!! Keep your phone by you!!" I about died laughing. I couldn't believe he said that!! Hubs cracked up when I called him and told him. Shooter NEVER talks like that. I don't even know where he got it from. But if he says it again, I'd probably laugh again.

We are in our 2nd week of our break before I start our summer schedule. And we are thoroughly enjoying the break. We have played outside, in the blazing heat almost everyday. I even have a burn to prove it.(sigh) But I know I need to get on the ball and get our lesson plans done. I don't wanna shoot from the hip.

I was flipping through the TV last week and stumbled upon this:

It makes me very happy. So happy, in fact, that I watched Eclipse last night. I really wanna download the whole series on my Kindle, but they're the same price as the paperback ones. I'm hoping that closer to November, the books will be cheaper.

Sassy has been doing very well on her rollerblades. She's a pro. That is until she tries to jump. (sigh) No matter how many times I tell her not to do it, she doesn't listen. So she face plants then gets bad at the sidewalk for being bumpy. :)

Hubs and I got new phones last month. He now has a keypad to text with. So he can text with greater ease now. And our last bill, $200 more than normal, is a result of that. :) Oops. So I had to adjust his plan to unlimited text. :) It's funny now, but when it happened, not much laughter was happening.

This week brought my last Bible study. I am sad I'll have nothing to do but hang out with these crazy people now. I'm hoping to convince a few of them to go out with me instead. I am so gonna need a break. :)

Speaking of Bible study, a very good friend of mine was shopping and found this and bought it for me. How well she knows me. I won't eat it, I'll just stare at it.

This is how they've been spending the near 100 degree days. Sprinkler under the trampoline. They crack me up when they do this. When I sit on the back porch, I get wet everytime they jump. The wind blows the water right in my face. So I had to ask Sassy to stop so I could grab a pic without sprinkles on my lens. :)

Isn't her suit cute?? Land's End is the only place that has modest suits that have longer tops that don't show off her belly, which she HATES! :)

Sassy wrote this, so I had to snap a picture of it. I don't think the paper with last, and the internet is forever, right? :)

"A heart is a thing inside of you. and a heart is the color red. Without a heart you will die." She is so cute. :) Now she's writing songs. If ever I get computer savy, I tape her singing and put them on here. Who am I kidding, just use your imagination, I'll never know how to do that. So you'll never see it. :)

I've been so busy reading, on my Kindle, that I am very rarely on here anymore. I am very far behind on my blog reading. I hope I haven't missed anything important. I am gonna read some right now. Have a great day!!

What can you do??

2011-06-06T07:27:00.000-04:00

I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but atleast I know how to use a fire extinguisher. That's saying something, right? I can't seem to put a video on this crazy blog, but I can, with my firefighter hubby's help, put out flames that were shooting under my grill. Sadly the potatoes, I were cooking, had to be thrown out. But atleast I cooked the chicken yesterday. :)

I was making foil wrapped potatoes on the grill this weekend, when Hubs was at work. When I was on my way to grab them, Sassy looked out the backdoor and asked me "Mom, is it normal to see a fire in the grill?" Why, no it is not. But there was NO WAY I was gonna go any closer. So, what does a firewife do? She calls her hubby and prays that he isn't out on a run, otherwise she'd have to ask one the other guys and then be teased at every function from now on. :) Praise God, he was there!! He told me to turn off the tank. "WHAT!!! You want me to go near the flames?! Are you out of your mind?! I've seen mmovies, and flames near tanks blow up!!" So, being a quick thinker that he is, and knowing his wife is a big ol' chicken, he told me to put it out with the fire extinguisher. Only problem is that I have no idea how to do that. He says pull the pin and shoot. Well, Buster, the pin came out, but shooting mechanism. After a few seconds(even though it felt like minutes) and squeezing it a million different ways, I got it. One quick shot and it was out. Whew!!

Everyone was happy, except me. I couldn't eat the potatoes and and to make them all over again in the oven.

Do you have any hidden talents??

My baptism video

2011-06-03T08:17:00.000-04:00

My sister has way more computer smarts than I do, so she put the video on youtube so I can show all of you.

Name change

2011-06-02T09:50:00.003-04:00

Little man has revolted and wants a name change. He despises "Little Man". He tells me that since he's 11, he needs a new name, cuz he's not little. But I am stumped as to what to call him. All of us are sitting around thinking of names: Lego Genius(too long and won't work when he's 18 and not playing with Legos), Bubble Butt(He was not happy about that), Bud(One of his real nicknames), Son(another real nickname), Jack Sparrow(nice), Star shooter(promising), Edward(as in Cullen), Nanny McPhee, Cortez, Captain America or Thor.

The list is going downhill quickly. :) What to do, what to do.....

Any suggestions??

Simple Tuesday

2011-05-31T07:37:00.004-04:00

Outside my window...the thermostat says 75 already!!

I am thinking... that Michigan only has two seasons...Winter and Summer.

I am thankful for...good friends.

From the kitchen...is the smell of french toast sticks. Little man requested them for his birthday, yesterday. And these are the leftovers.

I am wearing...Jammie shorts and a tank top

I am creating...my summer eating list. Produce and grilling foods only.

I am going...shorts shopping today. So not looking forward to it AT ALL!!

I am reading...all different books. The many benefits of a Kindle. :)

I am hoping...to get back in the game and post more often.

I am hearing...Transformers Prime, on the TV.

Around the house...are many new Lego sets and Hero Factory guys that Little Man got for his birthday.

One of my favorite things...is getting together with friends.

Here is a picture I am sharing... Sassy and the yellow goo we made last week. One box of cornstarch and almost 2 cups of water.

Happy Birthday, Little Man!!!

2011-05-30T07:37:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Lego lovin'

Cosby show quotin'

hates picture takin'

pre-teen Little Man!!!

Pardon me, while I go and cry. :)

We're done!!!!

2011-05-26T13:19:00.002-04:00

That's right, we're done!!!! For a few weeks, that is. It's been a long school year, but we finished everything we wanted to. So now we're gonna take a few weeks off, then start our summer schedule. Our summer schedule will be 4 pages from our workbooks and 2 pages from our math, each week. That's it. If they do it all in one day, then they're done, but I'd rather them go slower.

I'm hoping to get Sassy up one more reading level. She wants to find books to read, besides American Girl books, but nothing really interests her. Any ideas, please pass along. She wants chapter books, and she's at a late 2nd/early 3rd grade reading level. We tried the Pet Fairies series, but they were way too hard. She was very frustrated. I plan on using McGuffey readers during the summer to help her move along. They are simple and quicker to read.

I plan on working HARD with Little Man and his math. Multiplication is driving us both batty. It's not clicking in his head. But we're not in a rush. They work at their own pace. And they'll get it when they get it. :)

We've been paying them $1 for every chapter book they read. And that was the best idea I ever came up with. The even get $1 from their Grampy also. So they get $2 for every one!! I'm hoping to bribe them, again, through the summer. I'm thinking of giving them a goal to reach, then they can order books for the next school year. If they buy books, they tend to read them more, as compared to getting them from the library.

We, and by we, I mean "I" have to go through the bookshelves and get rid of a bunch of books they won't read. I'm thinking of boxing them up and donating them somewhere. I know I've read of places that take donations, like remote places with low literacy rates, or children's hospitals. Anyone know of any place like that?

Now, on another matter, have I said how much I love my church?? Well, I do. We have the best pastor and his wife is awesome!! We also have the greatest small group family, as well. They stood up and cheered the loudest, for me, during my baptism. Hubs and I are so thankful for them. We look forward to summer picnics and many parties, with these great people. We thank God all the time, that we finally found a church home.

Simple Tuesday

2011-05-24T13:00:00.001-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is out and the wind is blowing calmly.

I am thinking...a lot, but I have to keep it inside my head.

I am thankful for...four more school days!!!

From the kitchen...is the sound of nothing. The kids decided to start school very early.

I am wearing...my Mickey sweatshirt and jammie bottoms.

I am creating...a lot of ideas in my head, but nothing down on paper.

I am going...to small groups tomorrow. :)

I am reading...nothing at the moment. I just finished a Kindle book yesterday. Although I do have many real books sitting here, it's very hard to read them, since I got my Kindle.

I am hoping...that God answers my prayer. Again, nothing I can say here.

I am hearing...the birds going crazy outside.

Around the house...are piles of clothes, fresh out of the dryer, waiting to be folded.

One of my favorite things...is chocolate.

Here is a picture I am sharing... This is my 2 word story.

I took the plunge!!!

2011-05-22T19:52:00.003-04:00

After many years of wanting to, I finally did it. I was baptized today. I'm trying to figure out how to upload the video. It's only posted on Facebook, so my facebook buddies can see it. But I'm gonna try and figure out a way to get it on here.

I was VERY nervous!!

I've been terrified of going under water, all my life, but God helped me do this.

The clapping was amazing. My small group even gave me a standing ovation!! I was so touched.

The funny thing was, when we walked out to the car, afterwards, Little Man asked me if, since I was baptized, will I now swim under water. Um....no. :) I almost burst into tears, from nerves, during the praise and worship. There is no way I'm gonna willingly do that again. :)

What a great day.

I'm back!!!

2011-05-19T07:06:00.004-04:00

Let me just start out by saying that, I hate this weather!!! I have been downright crabby and moody. I have cried off and on for days now. I am so sick of the lack of sun, I am seriously considering getting one of those artificial lights that are like real sunlight. I thought it was supposed to be April showers bring May flowers?? What do May showers bring, crabby moms with insane children?? We got 'em!!!

Well, since I haven't been feeling it lately, I have a lot to say. So bare with me.

I had a great Mother's day. Hubs got me a Kindle, and I LOVE it!! I never knew I always wanted one. :) It is the best. I find myself reading all the time now. And, no, I haven't downloaded Twilight yet. So I'm actually reading other things. Are you shocked?? :)

I have decided to get baptized this Sunday. I am slightly nervous, but I have a lot of people praying for me. :) I have to do the top two things on my "Scared out of my mind" list: go under water and speak in front of a large crowd. If I knew how to download a video to YouTube, I would show it to you next week. But since I am technology challenged, you'll just have to listen to my description.

This week has been horrible for me. I have had to turn in my "Mom of the Year" crown. And I doubt I'll be getting any nominations for next year. These people have challenged me on everything, and I just snapped. It wasn't pretty. I'm sure the neighbors heard me through the closed windows and the pouring rain.

Speaking of neighbors, mine came to church last week. The mom of the girls came Sunday morning and liked it!! She was gonna try one closer to our house, next week, but she wants to see me get baptized. Amazing isn't it?? Our mission field is right in our backyard.

Then on Sunday, Sassy went with the neighbors to S's ice show. We've never sent one of our children with anyone, but family. And she was going to be gone for hours. I was slightly nervous. I didn't know whether to give her my phone, in case of an emergency, or just give her our cell #s. Well, overwhelming responses, on Facebook, said numbers. So that's what we did. We took Little Man to see Thor, as a distraction. Everyone had a good day, that day.

OK, I think I've said all I need to, for now. I'm of to enjoy, yet another gloomy rainy day. (sigh)

Technical difficulties

2011-05-17T08:32:00.003-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around for a while. My computer has decided that it wants to go back to its home. So I left it with the Geek squad for a few days. Maybe they can help it feel better. (sigh)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T09:59:00.003-04:00

Uncle J's portrait of Sassy

Things that happen at a girl's sleepover

2011-05-09T20:49:00.005-04:00

Killing cats. Oh, I mean Karaoke. Hard to tell the difference.

Painting nails

Hair wraps

Very little sleep

And of course, getting caught as you run out of the men's room. Since no men, we used both of them.

"Miss Jen, did you know that when you flush those silly toilets, it looks like a waterfall?"

"I do now. Thank you, girls."

Happy Momma's Day!!!

2011-05-08T15:36:00.004-04:00

Hope all of you moms enjoy your day with those crazy people which make this day possible. :)

Please tell me I'm not the only one who kicks those crazy people outside so I can get a moment of peace. Anybody??

Weekly Review

2011-05-06T10:13:00.004-04:00

I just realized that it's been a whole week since my last post! I didn't realize I was that busy. In fact, I don't even remember even being busy. Maybe I was just lazy. :) Oh well, I'm back now.

This week, Hubs was off for the first half of the week, so I know we did a lot of running around. We take advantage of him being off during the week, so we hung out and dragged them places. They were so thrilled. We made them go with us to get new phones, on Tuesday. And we made them go with us, on Wednesday, to exchange my new phone. I HATED it!! I must be getting old or something, but the touch screen was making me think of drinking. I can handle my ipod touch, with no problem. But every time I used that phone, I yelled at it. My poor hubby had to hear "I hate this phone!" too many times. So he made me return it and get a new one. I like this one much better. This new one even has a video camera, not that I would know what to do with it after I was done taping.

Then, my wonderful husband bought me a Kindle. I never knew I always wanted one. I was super excited!! It arrived on Wednesday. So needless to say, I was on my butt all day Thursday reading. That's not a bad thing, right? I downloaded a ton of free books. Next on my list is the last two books of the Twilight series. No shocker there, I know. :)

But enough about me, let's talk about Little Man and Sassy. Well, Little Man was having a hard time this week, doing his writing assignments. He has to write a story or journal entry, everyday. With the whining that he does, you'd think I was asking him to rewrite the entire Bible.

Sassy has been wanting to read this week. Do you hear that? Do you hear angels singing the Hallelujah chorus? Well, I found cute chapter books, that the neighbors told me about, Ivy and Bean. She totally loves them. They are simple to read, which is perfect for getting her to be comfortable. She read one whole book in two days. She was so excited!! And since I got a Kindle, she wants to read on it. So I found a few free kids books, to put on there. But I'm gonna add a Boxcar Children book. If this is how I can get her excited about reading, I'm gonna do it. I know having a Kindle, is making me wanna read more.

We took Thursday off. They were playing so well in the morning and I didn't wanna stop them. Then Little Man had a friend over after lunch, so it was the perfect day for chillin'.

Today we finished our assigned work and had a nice visit with my mom. Then we're gonna relax while Hubs goes out with my dad and brother, and possibly his dad, to see Thor. I can't remember the last time Hubs went out without me. It's been quite a while.

Weekly review

2011-04-29T12:37:00.003-04:00

It was getting back into the swing of things, this week. This week was a week I wish they were in school. :) If I had a dollar for every time I heard "I'm bored." I'd be rich. Seriously!! I told Sassy that the next time I hear it, she will write it 100 times. Then she won't be bored anymore. So, I haven't heard it since Wednesday.

This weather has just been horrible. Not a quarter as bad as those down south, but we've had enough rain to last us the next two months. They are sick of being couped up in the house. But with gas prices over $4, I'm not driving all over, just to make them happy. I think I need to adjust our schedule and add more school, so they have less time to whine. I think book reports and essays should do the trick. ;)

We, I mean I, started reading stories from Aesop's Fables for Children. They are really enjoying them. I love how they get the hidden messages in some of them.

I decided to have them start their new workbooks this week, instead of finishing the others. They were almost done and starting to get bored with them. So Little Man is doing the 5th grade and Sassy is doing 2nd again. She can't read the 3rd grade one. It's killing her to do 2nd again. But I'm gonna mover her quickly through it, during the summer. So she'll be in 3rd level before Christmas. I don't want her to get overwhelmed. Little Man was happy to start his new one.

After our wild Wednesday, the rest of the week was rather boring. But we have 4 weeks left!!! Well, four weeks of hard learning. I've already warned them that they will still be doing school during the summer. They were less than amused.

How was your week??

Straight forward

2011-04-28T08:06:00.004-04:00

Last night, we took the neighbor girls to church with us. Sassy mentioned to them, months ago, about how she'd love to take them to church. They never forgot. They've been asking their mom "When can we go to church with Sassy?" During my winter hibernation, I didn't even remember to ask them. Bad momma!!! But since the EACH training and our prayer walk, they've been on our hearts. So I talked to mom about taking them. Since we are only neighbors, I didn't know if she'd be comfortable with us taking them. I know I wouldn't be comfortable with neighbors taking my kids anywhere. But she said that didn't bother her. Then she said that she'd like to come also. Holy crow!! But last night, she had a meeting, so we took them. The funny thing about our conversation was she asked what time Mass was. Yikes!! I told her we were on the opposite side of the spectrum. No offence to any catholics, I just didn't want her being freaked out when she came to our church. Luckily, she said she's been to church camp and knows what to expect. :)

When they got in our van, they saw our kid's Bibles and asked what they were. WHAT!? These kids never knew what a Bible was!! I've never met someone who didn't know what a bible was. I told them it was a book about God. I didn't wanna overwhelm them, right from the beginning. :) I'd leave that for Little Man.(sigh) Don't worry, I'll tell you later. But I will say, the first words out of his mouth were "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" Poor girl, had no idea what she was in for. :)

When I picked them up, they were all a flutter. They had a great time. They were asking questions all the way home. They wanted to know where they could get a Bible, cuz you earn Bible bucks if you bring it. :) M wanted me to write down the name of the store where you buy the Bibles. They wanted to make sure they could come back. S wanted to come, with Sassy and me, to the girls sleepover on Friday. They never stopped talking.

Sassy was in the back seat, reciting the books of the Bible, for S, and Little Man was asking M if she was a christian, is she has Jesus in her heart, if she died would she go to Heaven. He also was telling her about how God sent his son down to earth, basically he told the ENTIRE story. The poor girl, who just turned 5, was slightly overwhelmed. :) But Hubs and I were proud of our son. He has the boldness I wish I had. He kept saying Hell, as he was telling her the story, and she was telling him that they weren't allowed to say that. :) So he's like, "Oh, well we can call in Satan's place then." I was just cracking up.

Then they bombarded poor mom, when we came home. I could hear Bible Bucks, sleepover, Christian bookstore and other things, but they were so excited they couldn't stop. I'll be talking to mom today, I'm sure. I think they may come to the sleepover with us. We'll see.

My kids are amazing. I needed to post this, so I wouldn't forget.

Rainy Day Ramblings

2011-04-25T14:23:00.006-04:00

I literally had this "new post" page open for 20 minutes before I typed anything. I have nothing to write about. But I figured it would come to me. :)

We had a nice Easter yesterday. Sassy got to hold her new little cousin, for the first time. She was super excited!!!

Don't pay any attention to her hair. It was in very cute braids, when we left for church. But when we got there, I had to take them out, cuz one side didn't hold very well. Luckily I had a barrette, to hold the craziness back, or else she really would've looked like a rag-a-muffin.

Saturday we had our first really nice Spring day. FINALLY!! We decided to get the kids a basketball net. So after a few hours(yes, I said a few hours!) we finally got it set up. They absolutely loved it. Sassy has been pestering us for one, for about two years. So we finally gave in. She was in Heaven.

Sassy and the neighbor girls are gonna have a fun summer. They're funny. They saw us pull into the driveway, after being gone all day, doing the Easter thing, and they came running out. We didn't even get out of the car, and they're waiting for us. So hubs pulled the car into the street, so they could play. We don't mind. We'd rather them come over here, than her be gone over there all the time.

Did you know that leaving a bowl of M&Ms sitting on the kitchen table next to you while you blog, isn't a good idea?? Darn those Easter baskets!!

It has been raining all day long!! We dragged the kids out shopping with us. Don't worry, they didn't melt. :) With gas prices going up and up, we like to get all the running done in one day, then I don't have to go anywhere later. We go out as a family and have fun. The bonus is that I get doorside pick up. :) We bring a video in the car, so while I'm shopping, they're chilling out and waiting for me to call them to pick me up. It's a win-win for me. I hate to shop alone and walk far to my car. :)

I love Pandora!! I am diggin' the channels I picked. Kari Jobe and TobyMac are perfect for cranking throughout the house. Les Miserables and Twilight are when I want them to leave me alone. ;)

If you get a moment, pray for Sassy please. I have to bring her to the doc tomorrow, for one of the many things that make her self conscience. I don't wanna say it, cuz she would truly be devastated, if I did. But we need the doc to fix it quickly, or send us to someone who can. And she needs bravery. She's scared and embarrassed. :(

I brought her to the orthodontist last week, and he told us that when he starts to fix her mouth, it's gonna be a long and hard road for her. Her teeth are all over the place. She hates her mouth. She actually says she hates her life, cuz she has all kinds of problems. I feel bad for her. Nothing I say, makes her feel better. Her legs aren't formed the same as ours, either. So she can't do simple dance or exercise steps. And she walks differently, too. She hates that God made her this way. I just keep loving on her and telling her that God made her this way and that he loves her no matter what. But I tell her that the things we can fix, we will do them now, so she doesn't have to worry about them as a teenager. Luckily she's never been teased for any of these things.

Well, I guess I did have a lot to say today. :)

Simple Thursday

2011-04-21T08:54:00.003-04:00

Outside my window...the sun is trying to come out, but it's still a bit grey.

I am thinking...this weather better change, cuz we're all starting to go crazy. Major blahs over here.

I am thankful for...a handy hubby who fixed our shower drain yesterday. Now we can take showers, without a bath at the the same time. :)

From the kitchen...I have nothing happening. I am so not motivated.

I am wearing...Hubs' sweatshirt and some comfy lounge pants.

I am creating...lesson plans for the rest of the year. They're starting their new workbooks next week.

I am going...nowhere til Easter Sunday. Germs, you know. :)

I am reading... Decision Points by George W. Bush. Aren't you proud it's not a Twilight book?? :)

I am hoping...to invite our neighbors to our church's Easter service. Even though it's far from our house, I wonder if they'll come.

I am hearing...The Cosby show, from the basement, Transformers from my bedroom and Les Miz from the living room. :)

Around the house...there are toys everywhere. This is what happens on vacation. :)

One of my favorite things...is my church. We joined a small group, and have met a great group of people.

Here is a picture I am sharing... Little Man's newest Lego creation.

Easter Break!!

2011-04-18T09:21:00.006-04:00

We woke up to this today. I think Mother Nature has PMS or she's bipolar. This is crazy!!

So, needless to say, we weren't happy about it. It hasn't stopped or even slowed down. Now you can barely see the grass sticking out. :(

I planned on taking Good Friday off, so we HAD to do school for the other four days. But, since I have Bible study tomorrow, they'd have to school at my in-laws, or not at all. So that would make us behind, which is not good. So, we voted and decided to take this week as our Easter Vacation, instead of next week. So we can have fun doing Easter crafts and playing. Maybe I'll even go read a book. ;)

UPDATE Now look at it!!! It's still not slowing down.

EACH prayer walk

2011-04-16T15:12:00.006-04:00

Today, in the city of Detroit, there was a prayer walk.

There was spirit

There was rain...

And more rain...

Yes, even Mickey was there!!

Then God parted the sky...

And all the saints rejoiced...

and started walking...

and we praised him...

while we walked some more....

It was an awesome day!!

While we had crabby kids, who woke up WAY to early, we had an amazing day. It was great to be surrounded by over 500 churches, of all different denominations, praising God and praying for Detroit and the surrounding communities.

Weekly review-5 weeks left!!

2011-04-15T14:21:00.004-04:00

We have five weeks of school left!!!

We've been trucking through, these past few weeks. Nothing exciting to report, so I didn't feel the need to do a weekly review. This week wasn't exciting either, but somethings are changing. Sassy and I spent Wednesday morning working on Phonics activities and silly sentences. We actually had fun! There were these little cards with a different word on each card, and we spent a good half hour making silly sentences like "My queen went in a silly nose. My orange went up. A zebra is on my house." The longer we did it, the sillier I became, and the more eye rolling she did. "Mooo-ooom!!" She was not amused. :) But she was learning sentence structure, so that's all that matters.

Then we were playing with these old style phonics cards. It took her a while to get through some of them, but she was trying. They are for 1-3 grade, so she didn't feel stupid, since she's in 3rd grade.

I have no idea where I found these, but I'm glad I did. And I just located them on Amazon, for those interested. :)

I also made multiplication flash cards. Little Man has been struggling with single digit still. We've been stuck and can't move forward til he memorizes the facts. So Sassy and him have been racing to answer each card. It's quite funny. They can skip count to get the answer, but that's not what they need to do. They need to look at 3x9 and know it's 27, not 3,6,9,12,15,18.... So I'm guessing, when we start back from our break, he'll be ready to move on in the book. Hopefully.(fingers crossed)

We went to the library yesterday, and I talked to the very nice librarian and asked her for suggestions on easy reading chapter books for Sassy. We pay them $1 for each chapter book they read. :) So she told us about American girl books. Well she grabbed a bunch and is now working on Julie. She only asked me for help, on a few words. So I'm praying this will help her build confidence and knowledge.

I have been slacking in the picture taking department lately. So I'm hoping to grab a bunch tomorrow during our EACH walk in Detroit. We are leaving at 6:30 am and it's gonna be cold and rainy, so I'm hoping I can get a few dry shots. :) We'll see. :)

Have a great weekend!!

That's it!!!

2011-04-12T15:15:00.002-04:00

That's it!!! There is no more room in my freezer. I am stocked up with cinnamon bread, non-HFCS bread and bags of organic flour, meats and cheeses. There is nothing else I can do, but cook it all up. So it looks like I'm done shopping for the month. All that is needed is my door to door box, next week, then we're done.

You may think that I planned all this or that I wanted to shop only once, but sadly, no. We were out of organic beef, so I had to make a meat run. Have you ever looked at the cost of organic meats? Well, let me tell you that they are easily 3 times the price of your regular store prices. Three times!! So when your average person goes meat shopping, they can get deals on ground beef for about .$99/lbs. Well, organic beef is about $5.35/lbs, if you can find local places that have it. I tried to find some online and about had a heart attack. The chicken prices aren't any better. $1.49-1.99/lbs(on sale) in the store and $5.99(on sale) for organic in the stores.

I know it's all worth it, but still, every couple of months the high prices get to me. And if you're watching the news, the food prices are only going in one direction. Up :(

So all of that to say, I had no intention of spending half my grocery money on meat, but it happened. Looks like I'll be learning how to make meals with organic beans. So pass on all your bean recipes.....and coupons for Beano. :)

OK, back to your regularly scheduled craziness.

It's Monday already?!

2011-04-11T08:06:00.005-04:00

This weekend went by way too fast. I am so not ready to teach this morning. Maybe that's why I'm blogging instead. :)

Friday I went to a homeschool co-op meeting. This past year we didn't take any extra classes. We learned at home, and had a blast. I think it worked well for us. We've been going and going, from the moment we decided to homeschool, four years ago. So we really needed the break. Who am I kidding?? I needed the break!! But anyways, this meeting was for a new co-op in the area. The classes are on Friday mornings from 8:30-12. So, I'd be forced to do a four day week, without flexibility. Not happy about that. But they need friends. And since many of our park day and field trips buddies are signing up, we decided we'd give it a whirl.

I'm usually not a fan of co-ops, cuz I don't like to teach, but they have a lot of volunteer teachers this year. I'll help in the take down or I'll be a helper. But I don't want the responsibility of teaching other kids, just yet. I'm so focused on getting my kids to the level I feel they need to be, and I can't focus on anything else.

Then Saturday, I went to a 12 hour crop at my church. Yes, you heard that correctly, me at a crop, for 12 hours. I made cards for the first 2, then talked the rest of the time. :) I did leave at 7 though. I was super tired without my nap, so I couldn't make it til 9pm. :)

Then yesterday was the first day, since August, that we had lower 80 degree temps. Of course, Hubs was working. :( But the kids had fun playing outside. But then I realized that bathing suit shopping is in my future. I'm so excited!! No, it's not for me, it's for Sassy. If I had to shop, there would be much weeping and gnashing of teeth. :) Come to think of it, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have I mentioned how I HATE to clothes shop for Sassy?? She's a teenager in a 9 yr olds body. Today should be interesting. (sigh) Wish me luck!!!

Then the most horrible thing happened around 2 pm!! I was in the kitchen and opened the cupboard and realized that THERE WAS NO CHOCOLATE!!!! None!! Not even chocolate chips!! I almost grabbed unsweetened coco and added sugar to it, and shoved it in my mouth. I am SOOOO hitting the store today. I don't think that's ever happened before. But, I do know, it will never happen again. :) Thank God there's a Godiva at the mall. :)

Happy Monday everyone!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T07:48:00.001-04:00

I found this picture in my scrapbook area yesterday. Sassy's first Christmas and Little Man's second. I giggle everytime I look at both their faces. Completely different, but equally hilarious.

And you wonder why I am the way I am

2011-04-05T07:00:00.004-04:00

I am surrounded by crazy people. Seriously crazy. :) I had the goofiest conversations the other day. But these happen all the time. So I thought I'd share a few.

Anyways, when I get texts from my bestie, I usually end up cracking up. She is crazy like me. I love her to death. T, don't be mad at me for posting this. But I'm sure there are people who need a good giggle. :) Mind you, I forgot to turn my phone on after church, so I didn't get a chance to respond til after 4 or 5 of them, came in. But the first two cracked me up and I couldn't text fast enough to catch up to her. The texts were flying in so fast. Hubs thought I was loosing my mind. :)

Bestie: 1. Remember when we made the rule that I wasn't going to get a pet without talking to you first?

2. Well we should have made the rule that I shouldn't give myself bangs without talking to you first.

I about died laughing. :) I can almost hear her voice.

This next conversation happened while I was trying to do my Bible study while Little Man was supposed to be doing school. Instead he was chatting about Legos.

Mom: "Son, for the love of all that is holy, will you please be quiet so I can focus!"

Son: "You have locusts??"

Mom: sigh

Lego lovers watch this!!

2011-04-04T18:38:00.001-04:00

Tobymac posted this on his facebook page. Sassy couldn't sit still long enough to watch(dancing fool) and Little Man was head bopping, but watching. I may have to download the song now. :)

Wasn't that cool?!?!

Ramblings

2011-04-04T07:12:00.006-04:00

I swear, from my bed, it was like a concert outside this morning. The wind and rain sounded like applause and the lightening was like camera flashes. Which is why it woke me up at 5:30. I thought it was my turn to perform. (sigh) So here I sit, on the couch, trying to type quietly, as to not wake anyone up. Even though I wish they would, cuz I'm starving!! WOW!! Holy crow!! If you could hear the rain now!! I don't mean to yell, but it's really loud in here!!! :) And I'm really kicking myself for not going grocery shopping yesterday, before the rain came in. Looks like I'll be doing it after my Bible study, on Tuesday.

I really have nothing to write about. It feels like this weekend was a blur. Thursday was a long day. I went to a funeral of a man I'd known since I was a young teen. He died unexpectedly on Saturday morning. He was a great man of God. He was only 45! It was sad, but happy at the same time. He gets to be in Heaven, while we're still stuck down here. :) But the day was super long. Seriously. I left my house at 9:30 and didn't come home til 4:30. 4:30!!!! The viewing started at 10 and the service at 11. The service lasted 2 hours. It was at my parents church, not a funeral home. then we waited in our cars, for the processional about 1/2 hour. Then the drive to the cemetery and watched him get lowered into the ground. I've never seen that before. Then we went out to lunch/dinner at 3.

While we were eating, my sister called my dad to tell him that she was just attacked by a pit bull mix, in her own backyard, while her kids watched helplessly!! The lady, watching her kids so she could go to the funeral also, brought the dog. I still don't understand why she couldn't leave it at home. It's a DOG, for crying out loud!! It's not a baby that has to go with you everywhere. Anyways...I left the restaurant at 4, cuz she was bringing her kids over my house(luckily Hubs was home) so her hubby could take her to the docs office. So, needless to say, that was a long day.

Friday I walked around with the feeling that I was talking under water. My ears were plugged, or something. It was so frustrating. I couldn't focus on anything. I don't even remember what happened that day.

Saturday, Hubs and I had EACH training at our church, all day. EACH=Everyone A Chance to Hear. Over 300 churches, in our area, are doing the same training. We're even doing a prayer walk through Detroit, with all the other churches. It's wild!! All different denominations and races standing together to pray for the city and its surrounding areas. Exciting!!

We learned how to tell our story, of salvation, to others. Mine was hard, since I've been a christian all my life. I didn't feel like I had much of a story. But my pastor is like me(became christian as a young child), so I felt better after he told us a bit of his story. I'm still working on mine, but atleast I know I have one now. :)

Sunday, my parents came over for raclette, which I seemed to forget to grab the camera and snap some photos of. (sigh) Maybe next time. :) So we talked and played games, with the kids of course. It was a nice time. Luckily my stupid ears were better for that. I was gonna start going crazy, if they weren't better.

So today is a day of chilling inside the dry house and do a weeks worth of Bible study. YIKES!! Life happened and I totally forgot to do my work. I even had three weeks to do it!! Well, I better get going. I'm also sighed up to bring snacks. Baking and studying is the theme of the day.

I'm tired just thinking about it. :) I better get going.

But before I go, I need help!! i can't post my blog posts. My computer won't let me. I can save it, but not publish. If I click the button, nothing happens. I have to use Hub's computer to click Publish. I just upgraded to the newest Internet Explorer. Would that have to do with it?? AUGH!!!

UPDATE If you can read this, I figured out how to post.

Have a great day!!

Party time!!!

2011-04-01T09:20:00.001-04:00

Well, it's that time of year again. It's time for the Ultimate Blog Party. I am super excited to be able to party with everyone, for the second time. I had a blast last year.

My name is Jen and I'm a bit crazy. I don't know how my family puts up with me. :) I have been married to my firefighter for almost 14 years and we have two crazy kids, Little Man and Sassy. We are on our 4th year of homeschooling them. I am semi obsessed with all things Twilight. Who am I kidding? I am totally obsessed to Twilight. :) I was recently introduced to Les Miserables, and even saw them perform on Tuesday, but Twilight still gets me every single time I watch or read it. :) Quite the eye rolling. ;)

I used to scrapbook, before I started homeschooling. But I'd rather spend the money on homeschooling tools, then on scrapbooking materials, so scrapping took a backseat for now. Thank goodness for blogging, right? I use this blog as an online journal/scrapbook. My friends used to laugh at all my crazy family adventures, so they told me to start a blog. So I did. So now I can share, with all the world, all the dumb things I do. It also helps keep a record of all the homeschooling activities we do. That darn socialization. :)

Hubs is a full-time firefighter and a wonderful hubby and father. He busts his but*t to provide for our needs. I thank God everyday that he gave him to me. I never knew I could be so happy. :) He even went and sat through 3 hours of Les Miz with me!! Which means I now have to sit through The Christmas Story, the musical, in November. All for love, right?

Little Man will be 11 next month, and I'm trying not to think of that. What happened to my baby?? He loves all things Lego. Seriously, anything made my the Lego company, he loves. We should seriously consider buying stock in it. He is a very sweet boy, who always apologizes, even if he didn't do anything wrong. He loves to cuddle in our bed every morning. He's also very laid back. He is the perfect first child. If I had Sassy first, I would seriously have to reconsider having any more children. :)

Sassy is the complete opposite of her brother, except that she likes Legos also. She likes to cause trouble and get dirty and generally live up to her nickname. But I love her to death. She is a girlie girl covered in dirt. :) She loves to play hard, like the boys, even if she's running around in a foo-foo dress. She just turned 9, but she wishes she was 12. (sigh) I'm in for a long and bumpy ride with her. She's just lucky she's cute. :)

Well, that's my life in a nutshell. Now I'm off to mingle. :)

Les Miserables recap

2011-03-30T09:05:00.003-04:00

Since I use this blog as an online journal of sorts, I figured I'd better write down all the comings and goings, so I don't forget.

Last night, Hubs and I went and saw Les Miserables. No cameras allowed, so you'll just have to listen to me. :)

Well, it started at 8. You hear the music and it's dark. You hear men singing, but you can't see them. The first solo is too quiet to hear. The second solo starts, then all the lights come one. A lady comes on and say "Sorry, for the interruption, but we are having technical difficulties." Then the place erupted with laughter and VERY loud conversations. I mean, the people were louder than before the lights went down. It was insane, how loud they were. Then she came back one "The show will start after your applause." YAY!! So, I watched with excitement and tears, while Hubs could barely stay awake. :)

Act one was wonderful. I like the second one better, but I have to be patient. :) So we grab snacks(which we didn't eat) and return to our seats. The orchestra starts playing, but it is still dark. Sensing a theme here? So the house lights come back on, and you see guys running around the stage with flashlights. Not a good sign. Then the actor who plays the inn keeper, comes out to talk to us, after about 5 minutes. Again, not a good sign. He apologizes for the delay and tells us that no one backstage has ever had this happen to them before. Great!! Then he tells us that they have to replace a cable, and then chats for a bit, before going backstage. 10 minutes later, the lady comes back on and asks for our applause again. YAY!! Had I known intermission was gonna be 30 minutes, I would've used the bathroom. :)

Act two was wonderful. I got teary eyed, while Hubs just rolled his eyes. He was totally bored. I was a bit disappointed in their selection of Eponine. Her voice didn't match the rest. She had a great voice, but it just was different. It didn't work for me. Valjean was awesome!! He did a great job.

I'm so glad Hubs took me, but I owe him now. And he saw the A Christmas Story, the musical, is coming in November. So guess where I'm going. (sigh)

Simple Tuesday

2011-03-29T09:34:00.003-04:00

Outside my window... the sun is shining nice and bright.

I am thinking...that I wish these kids had volume control.

I am thankful for...my wonderful hubby.

From the kitchen...is the smell of cinnamon toast that Little Man is making.

I am wearing...my slightly bigger jeans(too many donuts) and Mickey Mouse sweatshirt.

I am creating...a huge mess on my school counter

I am going...to Les Miserables tonight!!!!!

I am reading...Breaking Dawn, again

I am hoping...to grab Tangled before I drop the kids off at my parents tonight.

I am hearing...the Les Miserables soundtrack.

Around the house...are boxes from all the curriculum that's been delivered this week.

One of my favorite things...is listening to my kids laugh.

Here is a picture I am sharing..I finally got to see my nephew again. :)

Drama central

2011-03-26T21:01:00.005-04:00

Last night I decided to go through my curriculum books. I came across "The Wonderful Way Babies are made" and decided to read it. Well, I about had a coronary!! I started to have a panic attack. You mean I have to teach that this year!!! I showed Sassy the cover, and she was less than thrilled. She doesn't wanna know any of that. :) She already hates being a girl cuz we have to shave, give birth and have our monthly visitor, which she calls it "can't swim every month"(Now I know you can, but I couldn't tell her how that works. That would put her right over the edge). And let's not bring up nursing to her, or I'll have to bring out the smelling salts. :) This poor girl.....

Then today we spent the whole day at a Special Ed Fair, at the AHG table. We were up before 7am getting ready for it. She earned service hours for being there. There were four girls there, need I say more?? One word could sum it up...drama. I've never seen her act the way she did. She was crying cuz she couldn't be on the team of the only girl she knew. She cried. Drama queen.

Then tonight I told her she could stay up late and watch the Cosby show. I couldn't handle anymore Cosby, so I was watching TV in my room, then the next thing I hear is Sassy laying in bed and telling me to give her a kiss goodnight. All that crying and running around today, made her wiped out and almost fall asleep on the couch. So she decided she needed to go to bed. I was shocked!!! That has never happened by either one of my children.

Simple Tuesday

2011-03-22T16:47:00.004-04:00

Outside my window... it is hailing. Can you believe it?!?

I am thinking...about the homeschooling family who lost their house in a fire.

I am thankful for...my crazy family, extended and not. :)

From the kitchen...is the Les Miserables soundtrack blaring. :)

I am wearing...comfy jeans and an over sized sweatshirt. It's freezing today!!

I am creating...a coupon mess on the table. :)

I am going...to Les Miserables next Tuesday!!!! Super excited!!!

I am reading...Eclipse. Shocker, I know!! :)

I am hoping...that this cold weather is done after tonight

I am hearing...the steady hum of the dishwasher mixed with the Cosby Show and Les Miz music. :) Quite a combo.

Around the house...are lego pieces. Literally in every room, even mine. Luckily I don't step on them.

One of my favorite things...is listening to my kids laughing. I'm hearing a lot of that tonight.

Here is a picture I am sharing..These are the things I bought from my curriculum fair on Saturday, not counting My Father's World and Math u See. Those will be shipped later this week. I'm thinking this honey should last me a while, I hope. I grabbed the book on tornadoes for Little Man. I hope if he has knowledge on how they happen, he'll be less worried.

I love my group!!

2011-03-20T16:29:00.003-04:00

I truly love my homeschooling group. We shine in good times. But we downright blind you, in troubled times. Friday afternoon I received an email from my good friend, and HS group leader, stating that one of our families had a house fire that destroyed everything. This family is the sweetest family you ever known. Marcie(Mom) would do anything for you.

I don't know much about the fire, except that the 17 boy noticed that the 4yr old wasn't outside, and ran back in. He found him upstairs, but the fire had taken over the stairs, so he couldn't get back down. So he had to make a quick decision to throw the child out to safety and climb down the outside wall, like Spiderman. I get chills just thinking about it.

Well, our group pulled together so quickly that I didn't even get a chance to volunteer to bring meals. They were all snatched up, before their church took over their care, Saturday afternoon. :)

I am so proud to be a part of such a wonderful group.