Christmas 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009

Okay, I will try to do a wrap up of the year 2009 in my New Years post since I havent blogged since AUGUST, but I am going to start today with Christmas at the Thompson household. We had a wonderful Christmas! It was truly enjoyable, and not all Christmas years are! Some years you are just to busy, or just to stressed, or you just didnt ever get in the spirit!

Well this year was good! I had budgeted really well so money was not a huge problem, I mean I was very careful but because I was careful I wasnt stressed for the most part! That is always a good feeling! We paid for Christmas as well as everything else in our life with CASH!!! Every once in a while we need a little help but we try out absolute best! This is our, lets see 2002 is when Dear Hubbie was laid off and my parents graciously helped us out that year so 2003 was our first cash Christmas and its been that way ever since! It is such an amazing feeling!

We did fun family outing together, not all worked out the best! I still have not seen the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens! Maybe next year! Dave had a day off here and there which made it nice! The kids didnt ask for any specific big gift so we had a year of little things. I did buy more than 3 presents a piece but it was a weird year and we still spent less than we have on other years!

Kaitling wanted DS games, a robe and slippers and a Yada Yada video maker! She also of course wanted BOOKS! She ended up with a gift card for 1/2 Price books and the day after Christmas everything in the store was 20% off so she got her moneys worth!

Matt wanted Wii games, DS games and of course the ever loving Lego's! He is very happy with his lego set and had it put together very quickly! His Wii game is the new Super Mario's game and it is a huge family hit!

Emily wanted a Pillow Pet.. this was her greatest wish! I tried very hard to find her the unicorn she wanted and could not so we bought a zebra, then mom found a horse so we bought that too and lo and behold we did find the mystical and magical creature just a few days before Christmas! I paid out the wazoo for it plus of course the other two I had already bought but well she got her treasured Pillow Pet!
She also wanted... drumroll... Barbies! I have rarely set foot in this realm! We have stuck with Pollys for a while and Kaitlin wasnt ever really interested. Emily got a set of Dancing Princess Barbies one year but it felt differnt. This year she wanted Barbies and Barbie clothes! Do you know how hard it is to find NON skanky Barbie clothes! Difficult! But Aunt Deanna managed to find two very NON skanky outfits and Emily is happy as a lark!


So all were happy with their gifts and me and Dear Hubbie are happy so all is good!

I need to take a minute to say that I love this house for decorating! I mean it is wonderful! If I would have had some extra money I would have done it up a lot, but we decided to spend that money on more practical things! However the house still looked great. We actually had snow here in NOVEMBER of all things, so here is a pic of the kids in front of the house!

Anyway, over all it was a wonderful season... I am ready to get back on track with my schedule and school, I could without all the once a week commitments forever but I know they are important too! So I will press on!

I promise to recap the year on New Years Eve and one of my goals this year is to start blogging again! I enjoy it and it gives me my own scrapbook... pictures OR not!

School update

yes I understand that a school update should not come at the beginning of a week but at the end! Oh well we do what we have to do right! We had an incredibly busy week last week! I am glad it is over!!!!

Monday- Actually a day at home, but Kaitlin gone to her MawMaw's so we didnt get a vast amount of school done but I worked with Emily and Matt!
Oh and Monday Dave and I had a date night! It was wonderful! We have missed two and I really felt it plus him working so much so this was a great time! We ate at Kim Son, went to Half Price books and Barnes and Noble in search of a book for Matt's school list- didnt find it so I had to order it off Amazon! Oh well we had a great time!

Tuesday- first day back to American Heritage Girls. I still didnt have a co leader so I was nervous but Becky stepped up so I am good! It was the mandatory parents meeting so we had new girls. There were 11 + probably 4 more so that is a full house! It will hopefully be a really good year!

Wednesday- I did errands for my stuff on Thursday and Saturday, we did school and finished up our science reading. We also went to the library. Kate made brownies which we took to the Garden Oaks church for their homeless ministry! A good day over all!

Thursday- Big day... I had our first science day with Margaret and the kids so I had to get over there by 11:00 but I had stops to make first so we left at 8:50! We went to the bank, Sams, the grocery store, CVS, Hobby lobby and Clairs! After all the errands we went to margarets house for Science. We are getting together to do the experiments as a group which my kids will love! This week was camouflage. We had different colored M&Ms in a basket and the basket was full of balled up papers the same color as the M&Ms. The kids (the predators) had to hunt their prey ( the M&Ms) The kids really enjoyed this!

After science we had the BSCH Back to school BAsh! I could not believe how many people showed up!!! It was a mad house! We had crafts, snacks, balloon animals, curriculum for sale, a few sign up tables, our Leadership Team (Board) had a table to answer questions and get the Statement of Faith signed... It was a FULL DAY! I was exhausted afterward but Amy took Matt and Emily so I just had Kate and we went home. Dave got off at 5:00 and the three of us went and ate so that was a nice time!

Friday- we did a little school but mostly I got ready for Allison's 80's party! Whoo hoo!

Saturday- Allison's 80's party! It was definitely some blasts from the past!

Sunday- We vegged most of the early afternoon and then went to Hal and Vickie's for dinner. Dave Hal and Matt (yes I said Matt) went to the shooting range. Still not sure how I feel about this but trying to go with the flow! Yall know how good I am at that now dont you!

Anyway, a full, full week! Now hopefully on Friday of this week I will tell you how this week went!

On a side note, Matt just called me outside because he found an owl in our tree in the back yard. Sure enough it is a small owl about 8 inches tall. It is CUTE! He even cocked his head like you see them do in movies! It was neat!

School days or School daze...

I cant make up my mind, which one it is!

So today it started... I had a plan.

The kids were all dressed, fed and at the table at 9:00 a.m. sharp! Yeah for them.

We did our devotion and then I went blank. I freaked out. I was like Okay, dont know what we are gonna do now! I really dont know what happened. But I worked through it and we got all of our school work done that I had planned! Whoo HOO!

So Dave took these shots of our DECIMAL STREET for Math U See.

We studied the Seminole Indians for the beginning of our 7 weeks of Native Americans...

I am going to have to balance doing to much "kid" stuff with Kaitlin... I dont want to always send her off while we do fun stuff, but yet she has work that the other kids dont have and there are only so many hours in the school day... whats a girl to do.

A prayer...

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we pray,that we might be grounded and settled in your truth by the coming of your Holy Spirit into our hearts. What we do not know, reveal to us; what is lacking within us, make complete; that which we do know, confirm in us; and keep us blameless in your service, through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ Amen

Pope Clemont of Rome

Updated and Revised curriculum...

Okay some changes and my book list is not done yet, still working on! Wow that looks like quite a year. The kids will be doing more on their own because of Math U See so that will be helpful. They will also have computer time for typing, math games and spelling games.


Bible-
24 Ways Family Devotion
History for Little Pilgrims
Reading the actual Bible ( I know, right!)
Animal devotions and scripture memorization

Math-Math U See (all three kids have different levels)

Spelling-All about Spelling

Language Arts (I never know what all to put in the category!)
240 Vocabulary Words to know (Kate and Matt)
Writing Storybook (Writeshop)- Kate and Matt
Write Shop Workbook A- Emily
Write Shop Workbook B- Kate and Matt
First Language Lessons- Matt Emily and I am sure Kate will listen again.

Reading-
Read Alouds as a family---going along with animals and history time period
Wind in the Willow
Where the Red Fern Grows
Johnny Trumain
Across Five Aprils
Beatrix Potter
Sing down the Moon ?
Rifles for Watie ?
Stuart Little


Assigned reading for both topic
Katie- The Call of the Wild

Book club will take up some time
The Secret Garden
Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs
Little Pilgrims Progress
Where the Wild Things Are
possibly- My Side of the Mountain


Explode the Code- Matt and Emily

Learning thru Literature- Emily

Home Economics- All three kiddoes

Science-
Apologia Zoology 3- VERY excited about this!
The Complete Book of Animals- Emily in addition to listening to Apologia
Notebooking

History-
Still working on that...
Us History, starting with native American unit, going from Leif Erickson (explorers) to sometime around the mid 1800's
Own unit study coupled with unit study I found online, interspersed with From Sea to Shining Sea. I feel good about this and already have totally planned, printed out, in a folder with books requested from the library... 7 weeks! YEAH!

Presidents- lapbook of each president Weekly.

States- study of each state, weekly but can drag out some if needed.

Art
visiting the HMFA at least once a month hopefully more.
Will have some study on Early American painters and Native Indian Art
Draw Write NOW

Extra-
Both girls are doing American Heritage Girls again
All three kids are participating in Book Club
All three kids have classes at the HMNS for Wildness Labs (science)
possible zoo class for Kate and Matt ( we will see- probably wont happen)
Kate- art we are considering holding off on art until the Spring... money and time wise.
Emily- Gymnastics
Matt- Matt is particpating in a golf class... he is definitely wanting to play golf! YEAH.

Today was a good day...

Do you generally feel you have more good days or bad days? I think I am just a pretty pessimistic person because I think I have more bad days. But I think they are bad based on my on standard... they might be great days compared to someone else, right!

So my new favorite thought:

Being thankful is an emotion.
Giving thanks is an act of will.

All too often during the day I find myself thankful that such and such happened OR DIDNT HAPPEN! But rarely do I start the day Giving Thanks!

I read the biography of Amy Grant called Mosaics, and she said almost every morning she would wake up and say to the world,

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

I want that. I want the kids to have that kind of mom. A mom who gives thanks, not just a mom who is thankful. I have good days ALL the time. My kids are healthy. My kids are smart. My kids are fairly obedient- they have their moments. My family has a home, electricity, food, cable! My husband has a job. My car is working.

So many things to Give thanks for, not just to be thankful that I got through another BAD day. Give thanks FOR THE DAY. I will rejoice and be glad in it...

I am planning the school year. I am Giving thanks that I am able to home school. I am Giving thanks that our finances allow me to stay home with our children. I am Giving thanks that as parents we both agree that home schooling is an absolute for our family, without equivocation! I am Giving thanks that on Monday morning I get to wake up and sit across the table from my children and educate them, to teach them our world view and to teach them truth. I am Giving thanks for my immediate family... sisters, brothers, moms, dads, grandparents- all of whom support my family in this journey!

My day could really be bad, but it isnt.

My days are all good... I just have to look at it a different way,

by giving thanks, every day.

Hmmmm.

So it is that time of year... the planning of curriculum. The searching out of new home school techniques, books and classes! I generally love this time of year. I love the research. USUALLY. In fact I usually love the actual planning more then the implementing! But I am a planner.

So I usually have a freak out of some kind around this time of year and I think it is starting. My problem was that I kind of felt I had most of my stuff "planned", and I wasnt really freaking out at all and then... I went surfing. Yes, people I opened up my browser and typed in home school curriculum. BIG MISTAKE. If that in itself wasnt bad enough I also started reading blogs... blogs that belong to other awesome home schooling moms who have awesome years planned out. (I wonder what the percentage of these same moms actually finishing the curriculum?) I digress. So I started reading website after website and blog after blog. After shooting out about 60 dollars on three separate books (pretty much spur of the moment after reading someones awesome blog!) I put a stop to it. ---Something I am sure Dave is glad of!

Now in my defense I did want a very basic writing curriculum and I found it! Yeah. I am actually very happy with it. I also already thought I was going to buy something vocabularyish (not a word I know) so that wasnt bad either! BUT the whole problem is that if I keep reading I will RUN OUT OF HOME SCHOOL FUNDS! And I will become unhappy with what I have and know is good! That is not a good feeling.

As a matter of fact it is a bad feeling!

So here it is:

Bible-
Reading the actual Bible ( I know, right!)
Animal devotions and scripture memorization

Math-Math U See (all three kids have different levels)

Spelling-All about Spelling

Language Arts (I never know what all to put in the category!)
240 Vocabulary Words to know (Kate and Matt)
Writing Storybook (Writeshop)- Kate and Matt
Write Shop Workbook A- Emily
Write Shop Workbook B- Kate and Matt
First Language Lessons- Matt Emily and I am sure Kate will listen again.

Reading-
Read Alouds as a family---going along with animals and history time period
Assigned reading for both topic
Book club will take up some time

Explode the Code- Matt and Emily

Learning thru Literature- Emily

Home Economics- All three kiddoes

Science-
Apologia Zoology 3- VERY excited about this!
Notebooking

History-
Still working on that...
Us History,
Presidents
and States
but unsure of curriculum. It is between My Fathers World, Beautiful Feet, My own mix- which I am not happy about, and a few others.

Art
visiting the HMFA at least once a month hopefully more.
Will have some study on Early American painters and Native Indian Art

Extra-
Both girls are doing American Heritage Girls again
All three kids are participating in Book Club
All three kids have classes at the HMNS for Wildness Labs (science)
possible zoo class for Kate and Matt ( we will see- probably wont happen)
Kate- art
Emily- Gymnastics
Matt- REALLY GOTTA FIND THE KID AN INTEREST!



As far as themes go. I will do my best to plug through the curriculum making it as theme orientated as possible. I will do what I can!

And the walls came crumbling down...

well not the walls but the beer light up sign! So we are eating at Taco Cabana, having a nice breakfast with my mom when the neon beer sign falls off the wall onto Matt! I freaked out! There was glass everywhere and this sign is laying half on Matt and half on! Once we got the sign off him and checked him out, he appears to have No injuries whatsoever. I mean his shoulder is red and we are going to watch it for a few days for soreness or swelling. His ear is red and there is a scratch on his arm from glass but really...he could have been seriously injured!

Mom and Vickie said his angels were working overtime! Guess they all enjoy a good tortilla too!

why I cant seem to post...

Hmmm. let me ponder that questin for awhile?

I really do not know. I mean I am busy but I was busy before and still posted?

yMy mil really misses me posting and I dont her I think the real reason I am not posting as much is sadly enough because of my camera. I dont think most of my readers can understand the depths of my sadness at being with out a camera! My memories are pictures! It really makes me sad, everytime I post that I dont have a camera! But enough whining!

So what has happened since last I posted???

America has celebrated the day of Independance... it was spent with family and friends! We had a wonderful weekend, but boy were we tired when we got back home!

DH and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. Yes 12 years! In this day and age it is like equal to our 50th! I really wonder what the percentage of people our age actually last till their 12 anniversary! I am sure it is small.

My baby boy turned 9 years old. That surprises me even more than the anniversary! I still dont think I comprehend it very well. Yesterday he commenced to ask me all the things a boy gets to do when he turns 10- because well he's already turned 9 and his thoughts are all about the double digits! So he asked about four wheeling and he asked about his drivers liscense! akkkk

We had the "s*x" talk with Matt. That was enlighting! He had the weirdest questions: one of which was the question... about where can you have s*x! It was loads of fun I assure you!

We are planning next years AHG! Busy

I am planning next years BSCH... which btw the moms planning meeting went very, very well. People were very open to the website and changing things some! I am very excited about this coming year! I have plans!

I am working on next years school plans and feeling good becasue I feel like I have a plan and I have a way to be accountable! I need accountability!

I guess that's all for now..

Oh yesterday Emily got sand art sand all down her ear and we had to go to urgent care for them to irrigate the ear! The doctor and nurse said it was the weirdest foreign object they had retrieved from the ear becasue it wasnt simply beach sand but craft art sand! It was 45.00 extra from our budget plus dinner out but life is life! We will make up for it somewhere! We are trying to be so careful and doing a pretty darn good job of it! At one point I told Emily that this was her only foreign object withdrawel that we would pay for the next one was on her! She looked so solemn and serious that I couldnt help laughing! She was very brave until the doctor brought out a syringe of warm solution and she got kindof worried... she was so worried she couldnt even talk and little tears just ran down her face. It was very traumatic and I could hardly stand her being so worried and scared!


Anyway! There is our past couple of days! How has your life been!

Today...

Today was such a great day! We accomplished so much! We had a good day! I have a post that I havent posted yet titled frustration and aggravation... that was definitely not today! We didnt wake up early but we did get started with our day as soon as we got up. Matthew began his Bible reading this morning... I didnt even have to remind him! We accomplished our morning chores and out for a full day of errands! We went to the library, the dry cleaners, the bank, Staples, Half Price Books, the post office, to get a hair cut, the Apple store, Target, Payless and HEB for grocery shopping!


WHEWWW!!!!!!!!!!!! I was never more than like 15 miles from my house! YEAH!!!


I got my haircut and it feels so good! I needed it so very, very badly! I always say I wont let it go that long but I DO!

We bought Dave a phone case for his new IPhone which is coming on Friday! He is so excited! We bought the case kind of as a surprise but I actually ended up calling him because there were so many different kinds! So it was a surprise to him but he wont BE surprised!

We didnt get home from our errands until after 6:45 and then I cooked dinner! Yikes. I am exhausted!


I also bought my newest organizational tool at Target. This is sooo exciting for me. I love buying organizational tool. Just the mere act gives me confidence and makes me feel like I am taking such a big action! So it is just a binder..but it is a very special binder! I tried to find a picture but I cant sorry! It is a big beautiful red binder! It has a place for files, it has a notebook for taking notes and it has a calculator and zippered pouch! I LOVE IT.

I will have an area for Household, Bills, Homeschooling, AHG, BSCH.

I have spent an hour just putting it all together! Did I say I love it!

I need organizational tools. I thrive with organizational tools. The only problem is that after a while I forget to use them! LOL!

WEll while it lasts it will be good...

Shouldnt there be...

Shouldnt there be a time in our lives when we are NOT struggling with an important decsion? I mean we muster through one problem and work so hard to get it resolved or to decide our course of action and it is hard work! But it seems as soon as we are through with that and see the light of day, here comes another struggle! I want to just live for a while, I want to just do and just be! I am tired of struggling so much to make a decision! Especially when I probably know the right decision and the struggle is actually following through!

So Dave and I are working on a few of our conviction lately... some of which came about about after the imfamous Sethsa conference.

Some of those convictions are:

what activities the kids will be involved in

What area's do I need to be involved in

and What areas does the family as a whole need to be involved in.


Now these are really tough choices. for one thing they are fluid (that is not the best choice of words but what I mean is the circumstances change and therefore the answers to the question changes.)

What is right in one stage or season of our lives is different from other stages and seasons! So we try to figure our what each person needs and what we want for each person and plan accordingly. My problem is that I try way to hard to FIT all of us into one mold. For instance Kate is our artist, not really Matt and Emily... so Kate needs to be in an art class not Matt and Emily. So even though it is an activity that Kate should be involved with, it automatically involves the rest of us because of time and money commitments. I have to count the cost!

AHG as a program seems beneficial. I believe that the girls can learn a lot and I am using my skills as a leader and Matt is socializing. But given the ENORMOUS time involved and cost... is it right for our life right now? There are other problems with AHG but I dont feel like discussing them yet.

BSCH... this is a hard one. Before I have done this basically as a service and because I got what I needed out of it. Also there was the tiny issue of no one else stepping up! I dont mean to be selfish about it and I really did pray to meet others needs but it did not feel like a ministry, it felt more like a service. I am more at the point of it feeling like a ministry. Now of course I already talked about our Planning meeting and wondering what course people want to take for the new school year but for me at this point I am looking at it as a service situation--- but as a service TO others. Meaning want to serve them not just fill a particular need. I dont feel as though I made that point very clear but lets move on anyway!

Church... I had a long discussion the other day with someone about churches and why we are or are not currently going. This is a big, huge gray area for me! Number one I really want hubbie to take the lead and he isnt. He will follow my lead anywhere but I want him to take the lead on this topic. So we have tried a number of different churches and none have fit what we believe we need right now and we are still looking, but for instance we were supposed to visit a church on Sunday and hubbie just didnt do it. I do not want to take the kids by myself but I suppose it will come to that. Now dont get me wrong if I got up and had everyone dressed and ready he would get up and be dressed and ready but I do enough parenting...! (btw... Hubbie reads this and knows all this already) So the situation puts us in a situation where there is zero forward movement. Yes we are stagnant! So I guess we need to work on that or I will end up toting kids to church myself! Very frustrating.

Finances... we have come to terms with the bills for the house, meaning we are very capable of meeting and paying those bills. It took a while to make sure how all that would work but I feel confident right now that we can. My problem is not with bills it is with the misc fund! I just plain spend to much on other misc items. Mostly fast food or eating out! I make menu and shop and have food available I just dont seem to be home to cook it or for instance our air conditioning was our some of last week and it was TOO hot to cook here! Now this is a problem I can solve I just have to make that happen! I have to reign in the belt, I have to be more serious with my time and my schedule. I have to be a better planner! I know that I can, I have certainly done it in the past but I just have to jump back on the bandwagon! But all our activities and situations also wreak havoc on our finances. I need to make good decisions so that we have money for art, gymnastic, extra gas for getting to things, field trip, vacation, etc. See how it is all intertwined!

And there are of course many other activities that we have to decide if we will be involved it...

4H
Looking towards courting group
outside Bible study
classes during the school year
extra curricular church classes
sports
volunteer work
play dates


these are just a few examples. I am tired of just joining because. I want a reason, a plan! Not for every single minute or every single activity all the time! But a general route. We are getting to "x" and which of the activities will push us on our way and which ones are just complete detours. Are some of the detours worth it? How often do we change the route? Each persons Map looks a little different but I do not always plan our activities accordingly.

What do you do to decide about being involved in an activity???

Okay it is 5:14 in the morning

Now you might need to know why that would be the title of post, but I want to make it clear in my memory when I actually said this so that I can remind myself!

I do not think I am doing a great job raising my kids.

phrewww I said it! I know we all think it but do we say it! Do we talk about all the mistakes, all the mishaps along the way, about everything we did the wrong way or everytime we said the wrong thing! NO. We dont, why not? I mean shouldnt we LEARN from each other's mistakes? Shouldnt we try to not do whatever the other person did to mess it all up?

Truly though I dont think it would help all that much to hear everyone else's mistakes! Because we all make our own mistakes...

My current mistake is............ drumroll.



NOTHING NEW~ I JUST HAVE NOT APPARENTLY REALLY REALIZED THAT IT IS A MISTAKE SO I KEEP MAKING IT!



It is me. I am the mistake. I am too hard on them. I do not have enough grace and the times I have grace are probably the wrong times! (have you ever had that feeling?) I have a bad attitude- although the kids get in trouble for having a bad attitude and I can be downright mean.


Now I have the "in my defense" paragraph all planned out BUT I am not going to use it! I am going to delete that paragraph because I have no defense honestly! It is all my own fault and I HAVE TO CHANGE. My response to my kids behavior is my own choice. It is all up to me!

I dont want to be this way and I do catch myself doing it and sometimes I shift gears but other times I stand there with that angel on one shoulder whispering in my ear but the devil is apparently louder because even when I see myself acting that way I still dont stop! Seriously! This is ON ME! I have got to pull it together!

So I am working on how our day runs right now and we have started up quiet time again! We do it every now and then still but not every day and we NEED to do it every day! It is imperative in my opinion. We all need a quiet time each day! so that will be helpful. I have also (not very nicely) managed to let the kids know that I really, really, really do want to BE LEFT ALONE IN THE BATHROOM! I finally screamed it and now they are I am sure scared to come near the bathroom door, but I had had enough and let them have it. I did apologize and try to explain that I felt I had asked nicely A LOT of times and that I really, really did need them to just let me go pee pee by myself! So hopefully this will set it and will be one less daily (hourly) problem!

I am also of course trying to better and change myself. I know it wont be overnight but still I have to really work on it! Now dont think I havent worked on it before I have but I REALLY have to buckle down on myself! I want to be different and I want my kids to see a difference. The problem is that I could me nice mommy for weeks and then if I am mean mommy one time that is all they seem to remember! That is frustrating to me because I dont know if they know how hard it is to be nice sometimes! I mean when I am fighting them, you know the struggle for obedience- I just get worn down and I get irritated! Who doesnt? But not everyone is as mean as I am when they do! I am sure that some people are but not everyone and it doesnt matter what anyone else does anyway, I want to be different.

I want to be nice mommy- but more than that I want to be good example mommy! I want to be do what I do AND say Mommy! Right now I am not that person!


Anyway else feel that way????

Here are some scriptures that I am meditating on...

Proverbs 31:26-31 "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many woman do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive , and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. *




Proverbs 14

“People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.”


Proverbs 22
“Don’t make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. You might learn their habits and not be able to change.” (24,25)


II Cor. 10:4-5 - "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exa!teth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"


Pray. 15:1 - "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

olive oil...

I know weird post title, but I got your attention didnt I~

I went to the SETHSA Home school conference this past Thursday and Friday. Conferences are a time for information OVERLOAD, they are a time for encouragement and sharpening and they are a time for buying lots of cool stuff! Well this year I got it all, I got information overload, I got encouragement and lots of sharpening and I didnt actually buy anything but I found lots of cool stuff to buy!

I heard speakers I had heard before... who I love and respect but I also had the chance to sit in on some new speakers. My favorite OR possibly lease favorite was David Hazell. He is the found of My Fathers World and has very successfully home schooled 6 children. I went to his workshop titled, What every Christian needs to teach their children in the 21st Century. I sat down in the chair, settled in for his talk and he began speaking... HE TOOK MY IDEOLOGY AND TORE IT TO SHREDS. I just sat there stunned. I didnt really understand what I was hearing for a while but he made some VERY valid points. Dont get me wrong, I didnt agree with him 100% but he made some really, really valid points! I bought the CD of the workshop because I felt like I needed to hear it again and I wanted Dave to hear it of course. I also went to another workshop he gave which was titled, Blending unit studies, classical education and Charlotte Mason all into one. Another very good workshop but still I felt raw when leaving!

So the other workshops I went to I heard a lot of the same line of reasoning- not because I think every workshop holder has the same idea but because God was trying to get a message to me! I really felt convicted and God brought that same line of reasoning to me again and again! It even happened twice when just talking to vendors out in the expo. So like I said at the end of the two days I felt raw, I felt slightly more defeated than when I got there but in a very different way! Does that make sense?

Okay onto the olive oil... yet there is a reason for the title! I also went to a workshop give by Hank Tate (a very important person in home schooling around these parts! He and his wife were instrumental in the beginning days of home schooling and they started Sethsa (South East TExas HOme Schooling Association). Anyway, the workshop was for support group leaders. Becky and I went hoping to gain some valuable information to take back to our support group. I learned a lot! I am feeling good but I am also feeling like we might not have a support group for long. ---Brenda or Jennifer I know you are reading this prior to hearing like the rest of the group, but understand I am blogging my personal thoughts :)
What I mean by that is I dont really know if the majority of our groups wants a support group... I think they just want a play group. I have wonderful, great and big ideas for a support group but I dont wanna run a play group. I dont want to take the time away from my family, home making, home schooling etc for a play group.
I want to HELP home schoolers. I want to support the moms, I want the moms to support each other. I want to actually be a support group- I just need to finish defining what I think that is and see if anyone in the group agrees! Or at least design the type of support group that most people agree on! So between now and June 29, which is when we have a moms planning meeting for the group I am hoping to really pray and get ready for the meeting. There has already been a lot of change in the group and I dont think people are ready for more change but as the group grows, we have to change and grow with it! It really cant be helped... so sorry back to the olive oil. Hank Tate said during one really trying time in his life with some groups he lead the Lord showed him about olive oil. Olive oil has medicinal properties, it is the best product, the best part of the olive! what do you have to do to GET olive oil. You have to press and squeeze it out of the olive. The olive is crushed in order to make the oil but the final product is pure and good! So we too are put through the crushing. Now I know Hank Tate didnt come up with this I know that the Bible talks about this concept but when Hank put it in the context of leading the support group, my eyes were opened! Just as God is pressing and squeezing me HE is doing the same thing to the support group! It was a very enlightening time for me!

So all in all the convention was good and good came from it. I am still mulling over some things I am being convicted about, I will get back to you later about them!

Hello all

So this week has been only slightly busy and not really fruitful so that is not really good! Technically I am not complaining because I got to chill out
quite a bit. We started out shopping for Kate's new swim suit on Monday. This is not an easy task... have any of you shopped for a modest suit lately??? On top of actaully wanting a modest suit was trying to find a suit that FIT. We wanted a nice fit, a young look but still modest and that equals hours of shopping and a head ache! But we found one and she loves it and feels good in it and Daddy approves (he approves all the girls clothing) so we are good. I didnt know we needed a new bathing suit in time to put it in our budget so it came out of misc. which was short this month for a variety of reasons SOOOOOOOOOO that equals being really short because a bathing suit that fits, is nice and is modest ISNT CHEAP! Okay onto other topics.

We had more disasters in math this week SO we are taking a break. I am going to let her play computer games and do some or our neuro work for a few weeks, in the mean time I will research and decide if I will go with Math U See or stick with what we have and just slow it down. I am stressing and she is definitely stressing so we are STOPPING. Just a little break! I was very discouraged and in talking it over with hubbie I kindof got over the disappointment and just felt better to have a new plan! So that is good.

Emily is balking at reading again...... I know how much she can adn cant do but every few weeks she "forgets" how to read... like the word it or at, or maybe she "forgets" what the letter e says. I KNOW she doesnt and she is just pushing my buttons so of course I get frustrated but the new plan is BRIBERY! We printed out the Chuck E cheese reward charts for reading so it is working for now, she actually brought me something to read today!

We finished a really good book on the Alamo- it was slightly told from both sides which I thought was neat. It was very graphic for a kids book but it really told the story.. for instance it will say something like - the smell of death lingered in the air as much as the smoke from still smodering fires, bodies lay in piles around the courtyard, etc. It was graphic but you felt like you were there in a good way. I know that sounds weird but it works for us. My kids do not really like gore by any means and the book WAS NOT full of gore but it was just graphic enough to truly get the picture. We also learned what happened later in the lives of the -people who survived the Alamo, Susanna Dickerson and her daughter Angelina in my opinion did not live very good lives when all was said and done, I wonder if they just never got over it? Also Enriquez Esparaz (sp) he seemed to live a normal life but he never had a conversation about it with a reporter until like he was 80 years old! We are going to work on a diaroma of the Alamo next week.

We read some more of Old Yeller- the kids really like it but I am DREADING when they find out what happend!!! They are SSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not going to be happy with me!

So here is a thought... I am all about rules. I will follow rules 99.9 % of the time, I read coupons, if a sign says do not bring food in ( I will not sneak it into my purse) you get the picture... I like to follow the rules. So my thought is how do you feel about double dipping- no not in cheese dip! Summer Reading Programs! Do you simultaneously work on each program reading different books or do you use the same books for each program? If the rules do not state to not use in connection with another reading program then you are not breaking rules but seriously isnt that just assumed? I am on the fence about this subject!

I am going to a home school convention tommorow. Usually I would have planne, replanned and replanned again all the seminars I would be listening to. I would have option a, b and c lined out and relined out! I would have maps to all locations and fire exits highlighted on my sheet!!! But I've got nothin! I mean I did go over some of the classes tonight but I have NO IDEA what I will actually be doing at 9:00 in the morning! That is totally UNLIKE me! I am BLAH! I think I really want to go and I am very, very sure that I will learn things and get encouraged by the speakers. Also there is just something special about being surrounded by like minded people ( of course it is just home schooling we are like minded about- and even in that we differ GREATLY) but still there is a comradarie!

I guess that's all folks, I must sleep so I can leave my house at 7:45 for the conference I have no plans for yet!

So todays lessons...

Lesson number 1- not sleeping does not equal waking up with a "good" attitude. I just did not sleep well last night and had trouble waking up this morning which of course doesnt start off the morning well! This being said we did not get school done before we had to leave at 10:30, but that's just OKAY!

Lesson 2- always get to Hickory Hollow at 11:00 right when they are opening so you are ASSURED a seat, without "sharing" the table with a friendly stranger... which the restaurant's many signs encourage. SO NOT ME!

Lesson 3- When your kids hear about the splash park that they were "supposed" to get to go to but didnt have a plan in mind to make it up to them! I thought well we cant drive an hour to the other side of Baytown, we wont make it in time and we will waste A LOT of gas! Gas = money right which we are short of! So I thought lets get our bathing suits on (the kids not ME) and go to the splash area at Hermann park. MISTAKE- there was no parking and just not a good situation. So we left and I drove aimlessly around trying desperately to think of something to appease my children who were bless their hearts being really, really good about it all! So we keep driving and finally end up back at home after almost an hour- you might think GAS but literally that was like 15 miles! I kept stopping to THINK of something. Anyway, we got home and I told the kids we could go swim at Maw Maws on Saturday and then ***light bulb*** moment. I let them play in the backyard with the hose. Now mind you, we dont have a "cool" sprinkler, this was JUST a hose. But they had a blast for almost an hour! So yeah ME.

Lesson 4- when you fail to plan, your plan fails... this would be in the area of meal planning! We are very tight this paycheck because of the camping trip, a car repair and various "stuff" so my grocery budget got cut down some. I didnt plan very well so we are scraping stuff together. You know those interesting meals! Which is fine and I dont mind doing, but I just wish I had planned better and I wouldnt be in this position. I have been meal planning since we moved in and have done great except for this two weeks literally! So I already have my meal plan for the next two weeks done when I grocery shop on Monday!

Lesson 5- when you plan to clean up the floor of the school room and end up moving the entire seating arrangement you have gone too far! I just meant to straighten up, but then I was like, I wonder how it would work better this way. I also want something to hold our books by where I sit and I dont want to buy anything, so I need enough room to accommodate the shelf I already have! But I think I like it better so far... we will see tomorrow when I do SCHOOL! Which is what I didnt ever get to today! We did however start Old Yeller though. The kids are really enjoying it so far- I will let you know how that goes when we are through with the book.

Lesson 6- Although reading some blogs today took some time ( I spent almost 45 minutes reading) it was worth it by how encouraged I was when I stopped! I really did feel better about some choices I have been making- I felt like they had been reinforced! I do enjoy it and I do profit from it, I just need to place a limit on it and stick to it! That is all about boundaries which I am WORKING on!

So what did you learn today?

Wow I havent posted in months and here I am twice in one day...

So earlier my post was whiny. Not tooooo whiny but just whiny enough. Do you know whiny is one of those words when said enough times doesnt sound like a real word? Well it feels the same way whenever you spell it that many times too!

I digress.

We left the house after lunch and headed to .... the library. One of our favorite places to be! This summer I plan to try lots of the libraries around me too! Maybe we will find one that we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I love our library for its closeness and old buildingness but it's kids section leaves MUCH to be desired and there is no where to sit and be cozy and their are always so many people on the internet that they filter over to the kids section of internet and that for many, MANY reasons makes me leery. So not that I will not continue to visit our library for just go get some books.. but I want to find a library that I LOVE.

I would also love to find a librarian who is actually nice. Do YOU know one of those? I really have not had the pleasure of meeting one! For instance today I had a large pile of books- like 25 hardback and I was holding them all since I hadnt brought the normal library suitcase I usually have. So I am in line holding them. I am not paying attention to what the ladies in line ahead of me are doing I am just holding my books and keeping track of three kids- who move quick and of course one eyeball is on the computer section AT ALL TIMES! So the lady in front of me leaves the line... I gladly move up and place my LARGE, HEAVY stack on the desk and proceed to sort them out- I dont know why I do that but I do. I am sorting and the librarian is oviously still typing stuff in. So I wait. The librarian has yet to say a word to me btw... so the original lady standing in line comes back and slightly huffily informs me that she wasnt finished. I am like "okay, so I push my stack of books to the side, pull the children back away from the counter to give the lady some room to "finish her transaction".


WHY DIDNT THE LIBRARIAN JUST TELL ME THE LADY WASNT DONT YET????


The librarian never said a single word to me. The whole time. I think I said something stupid like, are you getting ready for the summer crowds.... NOTHING! She is not mute or deaf.... I have heard her speak.


Why?


So anyway, this summer I vow to find the library I LOVE for special occasions!


e have signed up so far for

the Houston Public Library Reading program
Barnes and Noble Reading Program
Borders Reading Program

I plan to sign up for

HEB reading program

and any more I can find! I love reading programs! Well I say I love reading programs but what usually happens is I sign up for them and the kids read a TON of books and I never get any of the prizes- because I cannot stand the library in the summer and I just never go to the other places! So why sign up? I dont know it is just a thrill for me I guess! But this year I plan to participate and actually get all the prizes! Yeah! It is a GOAL. How about I have a prize for myself if I turn in all the kids reading programs papers? Yes! I will give myself $20.00 to spend at a bookstore! I love bookstores!


Make sure and ask me about the GOAL!

Oh MY Goodness...

I am coming to you live from a home schooling "session", can I call it a session? We are back here in the school room, Matt is copying his multiplication facts, Emily is working on addition and Kaitlin is KILLING me with math. I think I have literally blown some blood vessels. We have been in the school room for like 25 minutes, no longer actually! Time for lunch!


Emily did well on her reading of course this was after I made her sweep the kitchen and dining room after complaining about reading in the first place!

Matt looked at me after a few problems of subtraction with borrowing from the hundreds..." Mom how do you do subtraction?" I was like, "HUH?" What he had been doing was the math in his HEAD------ I am making him physically do the "math" on paper! So what he meant was how do you write all the borrowing stuff! He just does not get it on paper- he just does it in his head! While that sounds great in theory.. he still has to KNOW how to actually do the work for when the numbers are just TOOOO big to do in his head!

Kaitlin is working on fractions right now. AKKKKKKKKKKKKK. Dave has been enlisted to help on several occasions lately. Although he can explain the math.... he is not a teacher? Does that make sense? He doesnt really understand why we dont just GET what he "explains" the first time. I mean it makes sense to him! so I am at a loss! She is doing common denominators and I cant seem to convince her that you cant ummm make numbers up while you go? There is actual math involved... and the math is surrounded by the little things called RULES. Bothersome I know!


So anyway...we found this neat game online with fractions but I got so frustrated trying to help her get the answers - answers I am (YES... I am not ashamed to say) not really sure are the right answers! So we took a break... fortunately the next lesson in her book took a short hiatus from actual denominators and numerators and on to word problems...

HMMMM. So I wrote the 4 things you do to solve word problems on a paper and tacked it on the wall next to her...

1. What am I supposed to be finding out in this word problem?
2. Do I use addition, subtraction, multiplication or division to figure it out?
3. Set your problem.
4. Solve the problem and make sure it makes sense in regards to the story...


So I just checked her work and she did fine, but they were very easy and there was no trickery involved... You know when word problems twist and turn and you dont have any idea what they are really asking you to solve!

So it bugs me when the question is not answered properly...

Mother bought 8 bags of sugar for $1.76 a bag. What did Mother pay for the sugar?

Answer: 14.08 (((*******WRONG*****))))

the proper answer is $14.08 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay I am done... all the children have ran away... far away! They get a break because I NEED A BREAK... why because I am having trouble breathing and there might be spots involved! Maybe we do need a summer break???

Um no way! We have to make up the 4 weeks we have missed in the last 3 months! So I trudge on... this afternoon is easy--- reading and making the 6 flags of Texas out of whatever the kids want to ....let the creativity flow!

March 27???????????????????????

March 27?

Where have I been????

I have been here just apparently VERY, VERY busy.

Now I am in no way saying that those of you who manage to blog everyday are NOT busy!

I dont know what is wrong with me! I just dont blog.

In fact I am only blogging tonight because I happened to read Brenda's blog, The Family Revised, and saw that she had linked to my sad, sad little blog!

So here I am... blogging.


I am laying in bed with hubbie and even he showed surprise at my blogging!

So what to say after such a long, long absence?

NO Brenda, I do not have a camera... after the whole losing the camera fiasco and finding the camera fiasco a few months ago you should be amazed to find out that I lost my camera again! Actually Matt did, but I am casting no blame! So I am camera less now! Dave vows I am banned from buying a new camera and I havent had the guts to even start saving up for one yet!

We were driving home from Becky's house (my friend who will not blog) and I said to Dave can you believe we have ONLY lived in the house for almost three months? I mean it hasnt even been three months! It feels like forever! Someone asked me the other day if we are all settled in and I was like kindof... I feel bad saying that we arent but to be truthful I dont think we are. I still havent "found" a place for everything!

This is my plan... I have been SOOOOOOOOOOO busy that I feel overwhelmed so I have decided to SLOW down! I am actually bowing out of a few activities that I have already signed up for. I do not like doing that but I am at my wits end! I want to work on the house, I want to home school my kids (yeah I mean actually do school with them--- what a novel concept!), I want to work on some things with the kids, I want to work on our budge!

Let me break down some of those things a little more for you!

Work on house-

I want to get things more scheduled, and organized. I went though MOST stuff as we moved but I am already ready for another purging. I also want to organize my kitchen, update my coupons and menus and get cooking! My MIL got me a bread maker for mothers day! Yeah, I made Sourdough bread today but I wanna do much more! I wanna cook everyday! I wanna cook from scratch! I wanna use whole foods!!!!

I need to make lots of lists of all the things I need to do around the house... I think it is going to be really long!


School kids-

I actually need to school them! We need to start our Bible again, start their new spelling programs, keep working on math but catch up some too! and I need to continue working on Texas history! I have so many crafts and we are going to make a diorama of a battle scene! I am hoping to hook Matt with that!

We also need to work on organization in school and some chore charts!


Budget-


Well now that I have a better handle on what our monthly expenses will be at the house its time to work on our budget some! I need to start being much, much more careful in my spending! I have to much MISC. spending! I need to account for all that misc. and really count the cost of each purchase. I want to save for some specific things and the only way that I can do that is by being really careful! I know that I can do it, I have certainly done it many times before!



So that was a long, involved post with lots of rambling and mix matched conversations! But that's okay, it was the first of many catch up posts!

What's been up lately...

All the things that I am passing by as I am endlessly running....

Sickness (first all of us)
then me for over two weeks
then my hubbie for over a week
then me again!
( of course with sickness comes medical bills!- Ours was over 300 in way less than two weeks! No fun right!)

We were moving- my husband and mom and dad actually saw the house and dh signed the lease without me actually seeing it--- read back a few months to my control issue post :) Hmmm. I really did very well to be honest!

We begin moving. If you have moved you know how that is!

We renovated the bathroom at the house literally over the weekend- from the flooring up literally! We had to move a 500 lb Clawfoot tub in order to change the flooring. Hubby had fun!

We are still moving in, boxes everywhere, now we have mattresses! Yeah!

So for fun my laptop is sitting on my newly installed mattress and we leave during a thunderstorm because the electricity went off and the back porch get broken into, they break my bedroom window and steal the laptop!

AKKKKKKK.. I wasnt so upset about the laptop persay I was upset becasue of all my stuff- PICTURES (with no backup... lesson learned! All my favorite blogs, all my favorites period, my files, all my downloads for home school, everything! It is very unsettling but it could have been simply a crashed harddrive that did the same thing so really LESSON LEARNED ON BACK UPS!

camera lost AGAIN. We are hoping it is actually in the house somewhere but I have not come across it!

All the little things that happen in general, just lifes little hiccups seem to have happened in the last few weeks.

But... good things have happened also. The best being how I have handled most of the hiccups! I really think that I saw the fruit of my labor.... I have been working so hard to change some things I truly feel like I am making a "little" bit of progress!

Hello out there.. can anybody hear me.

Okay, you know when things dont turn out how you want them too? Or things just arent going your way. Well I have had just a little bit of that going on lately! I have been very busy and blogging has just totally taken second place...actually less than second it has been like 6 or 7th place!

I feel like I am running a race but there is no finish line.

I need to see the finish line! I need to know that things will come to an end. I was just talking to a few friends today at our home school support group... we were talking about phases our kids go through and how nice it was that we KNEW it was just a phase and would last for so long than be over! That is so true....most things our kids do is a phase! Some phases I am SOOOOOOOO glad to get rid of, others I wish would stay a little longer!

but back to my race... I am running and running and running. The good part is that I dont feel out of breath or that I am struggling. Does that make sense. I dont see a light at the end of the tunnel but it doesnt feel scary or bad. I feel like I am just in a phase that will last however long it lasts.

I know I didnt move around the world or anything but there have still been some MAJOR adjustments! Really!

So I am running... but heck at least I am not standing still!

sorry, sorry, sorry!

Okay, laptop is out of the picture so I could not get on all week! I am at my limit!!!!

Okay winner of the give away is BRENDA at the Family Revised!!!!!


Yeah. Tracy will get hold of you Brenda and get you a catalog!


More LATER... I Promise!

Blog update put on hold cuz today is my babys bday!

Okay all you people out there who have gotten to the point in your life where you have had your last child...what did you DO when the last one turned 6!

I mean 5 is still a baby right! 5 is still little! But 6, that is a whole new world! I can hardly stand it! I have attempted for the past few days to get her to decide NOT to turn 6. I have bribed, cajoled, harassed and possibly provoked...


she finally told me, "MOM, God made me grow."

So I concede and she IS going to turn 6 today. She thinks she is 6 now, we will talk about labor and birth minute later on in life!

I however will remind all of you about the labor and birth minute for a while!

If any of you think Emily is difficult now~ Yes, I know you have ALL thought that before! Well she was literally BORN this way. I had so many problems with her pregnancy! Bed rest for weeks and weeks~ with two, basically toddlers! I had doctor appointments out the wazoo! Thanks MOM, AMY and whoever else EVER had to drive me to an appointment in GALVESTON!

Finally the finale of her pre birth was hospitalization! Fun times. They put me in the hospital on Jan. 22 for about a week, then let me go on home on complete bed rest but than on Feb 13 I was back in the hospital! I stayed there for a few days and than was moved to a domicile (no not from going nuts, that was a place people stayed who needed to be close to the hospital, with nursing care but not AT the hospital every day) Anyhoo, so I got to the domicile, this SMALL little room, with a small little bathroom and a TV. AND there I stayed, minus my MANY visits back and forth to the hospital labor and delivery room and doctors appointments, until March 12! Why did I get to leave my little cubby room on March 12, because Emily finally decided she had had enough of my tummy and was whooshed from my womb into the big wide world!

So two days later I got to go home for the first time in over a month! It was very exciting for me, I felt weird and strange! Other people (MY FAMILY!!!!) had kept Matt and Kate for so long and I had so little contact with them, I was depressed and it took me a really, really long time to get back to myself!

Is it bad that I now wish for those days at the domicile back???

No really. I love my kids, and I cannot BELIEVE that my youngest is turning 6! She is getting to big! No more baby hands. No more "whining" (hey I can dream cant I). Actually the whining has gotten much better...now it is the MOUTH. I have no idea where she gets it from... (wink, wink).

So here is my baby all grown up now!!!!

Yes, she got a grown up present...her very own Nintendo DS.

PS. Dont forget to comment to get an entry into my UPPERCASE LIVING Give Away~ Go here to find out more! Tell your friends!

Hey you guys...

I am back! In honor of my grand re opening of the blog, I am going to have a give away. I am going to give away a prize from UPPERCASE LIVING!!!

You will have have 50 dollars to spend! AND Uppercase living is having a special:

Purchase any Uppercase Living item from March 4 – April 6, and you’ll get ½ Off any additional item of equal or lesser value

Yeah! I have a consultant (Tracy Haack) who is going to send the winner a catalog and you can choose what you want and The Story Of My World is going to pay for it! So tell your friends...

Leave a comment and you get an entry.
Comment on it on your blog, link to me and tell me about it, you get another entry.

So bring on the comments!

Tommorow... I will have a blog update about where I have been the last few weeks and what the family has been up to all this time! I cant wait to read all your blogs again and get caught up on my favorite bloggers lives!

Today is the first day of the Give away. It will go through next Monday @ 11:59 p.m. So every comment you make between now and Monday night counts as an entry!

I will announce the winner on Tuesday morning!!!

Update on life in general...

Kaitlin is back. She is safe and home and had a great time!
I am so relieved. I feel as though I accomplished something although she actually went? Does that make sense? I dont know if would do it again any item soon...it was really, really hard.

I am impatiently patiently waiting for word on a house from our realtor. I will let you know when I hear!

I am at Amy's house, I got up at 5:30 so hubbie could drop us off here at 6:00 on his way to work. That is how bad I didnt want to drive. That is insane! I am keeping Kirsten and a friend of Amy's daughter. Amy is attending the area Republican party women thing....I like hearing about it but would rather keep the kids!

I am not doing the greatest on the budget this month, it was a little too tight. I also am having the "I wanna buys.." more! Not a good combo! I am also waiting to hear about the house which of course affects our budget amount. We have to have money down (it is only a rental) and we need to make a lot of purchases. At this particular house we will need a fridge and washer and dryer. A lot of houses have these included but a few dont, so we will have to get at least a fridge right away- I can wait longer on the washer and dryer. I also need a dining table and chairs. I know the style I want, but I might have to make do with a card board table for awhile! Which is okay with me... as long as I know which one I am getting I am okay with waiting. We are going to paint the girls bunkbed, but I cant decide what color! Matt we are just keeping his bed for now. We are hoping to get the kids both a set of new furniture...it is high on my list! There are of course a number of things that outrank kid furniture but it is on my list and I am going to start saving for it!

We have done almost no school work in over a week...we did math and we have kept up with our reading. The kids also had book club on Friday so that was something. So I have made our a list of MUST DO for school and plan to finish by Feb 28! We will have our medieval feast next week!

Our next unit is going to be ocean. I might actually use a curriculum but tailor it a little, it will still be a "unit" study. We will again do all school off this curriculum except for math and language. I am looking at Learning language Arts Through Literature and really liking what I see so far! We might start this for our language. I am going to make Ocean last through mid April and go on to Texas History from mid April -mid June. After that we will do a camping theme, which will tie into our support group camping trip! FUN!!!

In addition to buckling down on school I will of course be PACKING! Oh and hopefully MOVING! I am so excited! I went into the YMCA that will be in the area of our house, it is nice. Maybe I will actually USE it!

I am going to make a huge list of things I have to do and get to it.

I am also going to make a huge list of things I need to FIND in the area.
You know neighborhood dry cleaners, alteration shop, oil change place, nearest CVS and Walgreens, just all the basic needs! I know where the library is and a Dollar Tree!

I am also going to make a huge list of house needs and prioritize them with a number and make sure I buy things in order of need instead just getting stuff I see I need!

Okay enough of what I am going to do this week....

What do you have on your plate??

The Great Backyard Bird Count comes to an end...

Okay so participated this year and we saw ONE bird.

ONE BIRD!

Oh well, he was fed well!

Happy Valentines Day...late but still relevant

Okay, for this Valentines Day post Dave, my valentine, has agreed to be interviewed...



Carrie: Why do you love me?
Dave: Because you are you.



Carrie: When is our anniversary?
Dave: June 28


Carrie: What is "OUR" song?
Dave: Here and Now by Luther Vandross



Carrie: While dating what was my favorite thing to do with you?
Dave: (laughing) kiss me.



Carrie: What did I wear on our first date?
Dave: I do not know.



Carrie: What is the best gift you haven ever given me? (from your perspective)
Dave: your necklace (this was a necklace attached to a pig that said From your one and only...)


Carrie: If you could give me the perfect gift what would it be?
Dave: I would have to think about that...are you talking money, no object?
Carrie: Yes.
Dave: Still dont know.



Carrie: What is my favorite thing to do on a "date night"?
Dave: movies because we dont get to see them often but dinner too so we can sit and talk.







Carrie: If I could go buy one thing today, what would it be?
Dave: something you wouldnt normally buy? I mean not like a diet coke?
Carrie: Yes.
Dave: you would probably end up buying something for the kids.



Carrie: What is my favorite movie?
Dave: personally I would say it is a toss up between You've Got Mail and White Christmas but I am leaning towards White Christmas. Um what is your favorite movie?
Carrie: um that is hard, I like lots of different parts of movies. Is your favorite the one you will always watch if it is on or that you will specifically put it on!
Dave: so is your favorite movie TombRaider?
Carrie: um maybe yes... (dont judge me...lol)



Carrie: What do you love most about me?
Dave: I am not completely answering your question... one thing I am completely fascinated with are your eyes. physical attributes...
Carrie: whatever
Dave: I love how you try to learn about things people like and incorporate that into something you do for them or get them.

(He said a few other things which he said I couldnt share...)



Carrie: What do you think we will be doing on our 25th anniversary?
Dave: Well I guess we would probably have a party or go out to dinner.
Carrie: is that all you want to say Mr. Romantic?
Dave: um yeah.

She is packed. She is excited. She is finally going to bed. My husband is still not home and I feel ill.

Dont usually post like this but I just have to get it out.

I hate anxiety. I hate fear.

I know people are praying for her trip and for me specifically and you dont know how much those prayers mean to me.

I cant breath.

I try to get a deep breath and I just cant.

Job 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me
dwell in safety.

Acts 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 18:10
"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

Fitness Friday

Fitness Friday again...

Brenda at the Family Revised has given us a "Do what ya want" assignment. So I am just going to do a simple update. I will however be participating in her Time Capsule so go check out what she is doing!!!

I am doing a food journal this week in preparation for upcoming doctor appointments. I am getting a full blood workup when I go to the doctor. I also have all my "girly" stuff scheduled too.

It is amazing how much food I CAN eat. I am not dieting. I am just totally aware of what I am eating! I have not been as hungry lately which is weird because stress for me usually equals EATING. For instance, last night we were at a Valentine skating party and we ordered a pizza. I ate two pieces and two cookies! That's all. I would have normally eaten more pizza and the desserts would have been hard to pass up!

My goals are weird this week:

keep up with my food journal
track my body stuff (girly stuff) for doctor's visit
water
no eating after 9 oclock (I think this is where the stress eating is taking over!)
keep more fruits and veggies on hand



I found the YMCA near where we will be moving and it will most likely be about as close as the one is here! So I will transfer our membership and hopefully GO!!!!!


I have some news that I will share soon... No I am not pregnant!
It is in relation to my weight loss (no I am not getting lap band surgery-although I looked at my options.)

So that's all folks...

Carrie in Texas