Dec. 27, 2006 - I'm Still Alive!
Hello everyone!
Yes, I know. Shame on me! I've been away too long. I have been checking in on you all and reading, but just haven't taken the time to write. I know this is a busy time for us all. I wish you all a safe and happy new year and hope we can all reconnect after the hectic holiday time.
Love and prayers~
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Nov. 21, 2006 - It's Beautiful!
I just want to say thank you to Christi for making this beautiful layout for me. So what do you all think? Awesome huh? 
Check her out, the link is under my blinkies. AND! She even knew exactly the song I was thinking of and put it on for me. What can I say? She rocks!
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Nov. 14, 2006 - 9 Weird Things About Me
Thanks a lot, Christi!
Let's see if I am doing this right. Caylin told me this is how I respond to a tag. Sheesh! I will TRY to think of that many weird things about me. 
1. I like the smell of gasoline.
2. My towels have to be arranged in the linen cupboard department store perfect.
3. There has to be icicles hanging off the fireplace mantle in January, or I am too warm.
4. I don't like the comforter on the bed to touch my face when I am sleeping.
5. I don't like my bread to get squished.
6. Whatever it is, you can put cheese on it. And it's never too much!
7. I only like fine point pens.
8. I can go barefoot outside with no problem, but I can't on my kitchen floor.
9. My sheets have to be smoothed out with no ripples, or I can't sleep.
Since my darling daughter, Caylin thought it was so funny that I needed help with this, guess who I am going to tag!
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Nov. 7, 2006 - General Chit Chat
Well, since I've been grounded to the house for these past couple of weeks, I am afraid I don't have a whole lot to talk about. Although, Roy and I did get to go on a date over the weekend. We haven't been out for a night together in months and I think couples really need that alone time to stay connected. 
We saw a movie. *snick* How well can you talk and connect at a movie?! We saw One Night With the King. I love the story of Esther. I don't think it followed the Bible exactly, but I still thought it was pretty good. Probably one of the most tasteful movies I've seen in a long time anyhow. To think they can make a movie with no potty humor these days! Amazing!
After the movie we had a late lunch, or early dinner, however you look at it. We went to Newport Bay. You know you are a parent when you want to go to the quiet restaurants. And you know you are a homeschooling parent when after the restaurant you walk over to the Learning Palace and buy two yards of butcher paper and the Teach a Coin money set. 
I suppose I should get my day started. As much as I'd love to sit here a little longer and entertain you all some more with my fascinating life. Heh heh! Have a great week Ya'll!
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Nov. 3, 2006 - Diligence
I am one of those moms that has a hard time delegating jobs to other members of our family. I tend to want to TRY to do it all. I make breakfast and lunch for everybody right through their teen years, do their laundry and keep up most of the house chores, aside from someone occasionally taking the trash out for me. On the weekends my husband does it all so I can have a break, and he does not do well delegating jobs either. 
I always mean to have the kids help me more or teach them to do more for themselves, but I get lazy and I do it myself because it is just faster and usually less mess if I do it myself. My mom always told me, "If you want it done right, do it yourself." And of course my way is the only way to do it correctly. 
I've been working more with letting the kids do what I have showed them alone instead of still wanting to do it with them to head off any potential disasters. Maybe the need to rest as much as possible with this baby will help me do that. The most strenuous thing I've been doing is coming downstairs in the morning.
I am happy to report that I am learning to let go and have others help me. My two teenage daughters have always been helpful, but I am mostly talking about our younger children. They are at an age where they actually want to do chores. They think they are fun, 
so why not use it to my advantage?
They have been sweeping, setting the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, cleaning their own bathroom, bringing their own laundry to the laundry room, and getting their own snacks. My two oldest have been making meals, changing diapers, playing with the younger kids, doing laundry and a ton of other things. I can't believe for the first time in years all three hampers are EMPTY! Thank you, Caylin! My kitchen floor is spotless. Thank you, Crystal! I'm starting to wonder what I am really needed for.
So, here's what I am thinking ... when this baby is born I am going to hide it! I am going to hibernate in my room upstairs and let everyone think I still have about six months to go. 
I LIKE this delegating thing! I like seeing my kids be diligent! Why didn't anyone ever tell me it was SO cool not to have to do it all?! 
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Oct. 28, 2006 - 7 to 12 in less than 60 Seconds Flat!
Well, DUH ...... Ever do something so totally stupid you just hate to even admit it but, you decide to share it with all your friends that you know will laugh with you rather than at you?
The ultrasound had my due date way off! They kept telling me I must have MY date wrong. Frankly, I was starting to get irritated about it. 
I mean, they actually have on my file that this is my 21st pregnancy! Seriously! Give me credit, doctor. I KNOW what the date was. I circled it on the calendar the very day it happened. There's no mistake. I even put it in my blog. See? Right there in my last post? It says "I know I have my date right."
I got to thinking about it last night. Hummmmm .... that ultrasound has to be right. I mean, we expected to see a baby with little stubs for arms and legs and a bumpy head. This baby had a round head and actually had arms and legs that could bend. Something isn't right. Okay, I really must have messed up on my date.
I went upstairs and checked my little pocket calendar. I keep personal dates to things like that in there rather than on the kitchen calendar, you know? 
Yes, I KNEW I was right! Right there! I circled September 4th. Well, that's interesting ... we didn't have that park play day with the homeschool group on September 11th, it was August 11th.
I realized that when I flipped the page over in my calendar the pages were stuck together. I didn't have enough sense to check the name of the month on the next page. I just started recording August's information on September's page. I suppose that is an honest enough mistake, but I have to tell you ... Do you have any idea how stupid I felt when I realized I had been so preoccupied with other stuff in my tiny, unorganized little mind that I didn't even realize I had been pregnant a whole month?! Goodness! 
And you know, this time I tried one of the tests that can predict pregnancy up to five days before you miss. I was skeptical, but I took it three days early and was SO impressed! Look how PINK that line is! Well, DUH!! I wasn't taking my test three days early! I was taking it three weeks late! Last night the ticker on my blog said "7 weeks, 3 days pregnant." Today it says "12 weeks pregnant." That my friends, is how you go from 7 to 12 in less than 60 seconds flat.
I seriously need a vacation! 
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Oct. 26, 2006 - Brag Session
I just had to put this on tonight. Caylin is spending a couple of nights with her friend, Savannah, who has an African Grey. Caylin drew this picture for Savannah today, just using colored pencils. I think it turned out so beautiful. I just wanted to share. I have my whole house decorated with other great drawings and paintings done by her.
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Oct. 19, 2006 - I'm Somebody!
Tonight as I was making dinner and the kids were playing in the family room, Matthew had a wooden block that he was beating against the window. I glanced over my shoulder at him saying, "Mattheeeew ......" To which he looked over his shoulder at me with that "who, me?" smile. The other kids seemed to be totally oblivious to the constant banging noise. 
*Sigh* "Will somebody please take the block away from Matthew before he breaks the window with it?" I couldn't do it. I was being careful to stir constantly, as the directions said, you see.
In a second my oldest son, Roy and middle son, Jered were in a heated argument over who was supposed to get the block. I turned in time to see Roy get to Matthew first and take the block, while Jered was saying "Roybee, Mom told ME to get it." I said, "Jered, thank you for trying to get the block, but I just asked for SOMEBODY to get it." He looked at me with big teary eyes and said, "But I'm somebody!"
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Oct. 12, 2006 - The Great Pumpkin ..... Lie
Last fall our next door neighbor threw all of her pumpkins on her compost pile. So, naturally this spring she had volunteer pumpkins popping up all over the place. She transplanted one into a one gallon pot and gave it to Ashley.
Ashley took such good care of that pumpkin plant. She watered it faithfully at least 15 times a day. She moved it around all over the yard in search of the sunniest places. She carried it with her everywhere she went and she even played with it on the swings.
It got lots of blooms on it, but by September it was clear nothing more was going to come of it. It broke my heart to see her work so diligently for nothing in return. So, with a little help from some super glue and a small pumpkin from the grocery store I was able to make one very happy little girl. She was SO excited when she looked out the window the next morning and there it was!
Like every lie, this one grew. Ashley now expected to see another one soon. After producing three small pumpkins, she was just sure it was going to make a really BIG pumpkin any day now. I had to drag a very dear friend into my tangled web of deceit (who laughed all the way through it). She gave me a basketball size pumpkin from her garden with about three feet of vine still attached. No super glue needed this time!
It was almost like Christmas morning when Ashley looked out the window and saw that big pumpkin. She ran out in the yard in her jammies yelling, "Whoa! Look at that really big pumpkin! And it has really big leaves too!" I'm thinking of Little Red Riding Hood. "The better to deceive you with, my child."
I managed to convince her that after producing a pumpkin THAT size, the plant was very tired and probably would not grow any more. Really, I think it was all the super glue that killed it.
Don't worry. My punishment for all of this is coming. Now she wants to help me make a pie with it. And trust me! She isn't going to go for "I woke up and there was a pie on the counter." She wants to HELP. I only know how to make pumpkin pie from the canned pumpkin mix, so I am in for it!
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Oct. 5, 2006 - Back So Soon?
Today is Thursday. Thursday is becoming my new favorite day. My oldest daughter, Caylin, has a sign language class on Thursday evenings and it lasts an hour and a half. Usually I take her and while she is in class I get to have some quiet time alone to window shop or browse around Barnes and Noble. Tonight, my wonderful husband took ALL of the kids with him to drop her off and then they got Happy Meals and played at a park. He left me with strict instructions to do something fun for myself while they were gone. (I know! Isn't he great? ) He told me to relax, or play on the computer, or maybe get some scrapbooking done. No problem! You don't have to tell ME twice! 
First thing I am going to do is make myself some dinner. It will be nice to have a quiet meal with no waiting on anyone else .... I need the sink and it's full of dishes. Well, it will only take a couple of minutes to load the washer and I'm sure Roy will appreciate not having to deal with them when he comes home with all the kids ... Well, it will only take a couple of extra minutes to UNLOAD it first.
Ew! The table is all sticky. Why is it every time I want to sit at the table it's always sticky? What is that? Play Doh? Does anyone else hate Play Doh as much as I do? It's dried on the seats of the chairs. Somebody didn't clean it up very good ... there's dried pieces all over the kitchen floor. The broom is in the laundry room ... I better throw a load of towels in while I am thinking about it.
While I am at it, I may as well run the vacuum real quick. Who knows what's on the floor that Matthew may end up putting in his mouth and choke on? I better turn the table lamp on so I can see what I'm doing. Yuck! There's a cobweb on the shade. I better wipe it off real fast. Goodness! Is there actually something growing in that layer of dust on the table? How long has it been since I've dusted in here?! 
There goes the washer buzzer. Better toss those towels in the dryer before I forget about them and have to wash them again in a day or so. I hate it when I do that!
*sigh* I've dusted and vacuumed and swept. I may as well wash the sliding door while I am at it because it's all that's left. Well, that and the TV screen.
Done! Okay! That's all I am doing. I'm going to get on the computer now and catch up on my blog buddies and ....
"What are you guys doing home so soon?"
"So soon? Sweetie, we've been gone for three hours!" 
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Sep. 23, 2006 - One Of Those Weeks!
This has been one of those weeks where I was very glad to see Friday come. I'm not sure exactly what my problem was, but I felt grouchy all week. 
I think part of it was just from overcommitting myself. I am having a hard time finding that balance between being home and going out doing fun things. We didn't get nearly as much done with school as I wanted to this week, but we also had a couple of field trips in there.
Yesterday we went to a Mad Science Sound workshop. You know when you plan something, but you never really make that one connection? Like, the light didn't come on? It never even occurred to me until AFTER we got there that two hours in a classroom with 30 kids experimenting with sound .... tends to give one a migraine! But, migraine aside, it was a fun class.
I am one of those people that, when I feel down, I eat and shop. I know, probably two of the worst things I could do! I was feeling discouraged that after starting the school year, I am changing my curriculum. I had wanted to make a change, but didn't know what I wanted to change to until after I spoke with some other moms in our co-op group last week. I am thinking of trying Konos. Anyone have some much appreciated input on that?
I have also been frustrated with how the less we are home, the more of a disaster the house turns into. I can't figure out how that happens. All of a sudden it seems like there is just a TON of stuff that needs to be done around here. I have been trying to get things weeded out and cleaned up ... again. I just went through and did a number on the place in August so I'd be ready for school time.
It was basically a week where not one big thing was getting me down, but just a whole bunch of little things.
Anyway, right around the time I was feeling discouraged, it just so happened that the brand new Kohl's by our house was having a great sale. Honestly, I almost never buy anything for myself, but it was this same reasoning that justified my splurge. 2 pairs of shoes (BOGO), 2 pairs of pants (30% off) and about 5 new tops later .... also on sale (still trying to justify the spending here!) I walked out a happy, new woman!
My husband liked the new clothes, and bless his heart, was glad I actually bought something for myself. But, a couple of days later I was starting to feel like I didn't really need to buy new stuff. Think of all the other things I could have spent that money on. That depressed me even more and lead me to eat a bunch of junk. I treated myself to Quizno's twice that week, Burgerville strawberry splash smoothies (so yummy!) at least four times, pizza out with my oldest daughter and Mexican food last night with my mom. Oh yes, and I must mention the bag of Hershey's kisses that I snarfed down almost completely by myself! 10 pounds later my new clothes no longer fit! Aaaaghh!
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Sep. 14, 2006 - Gentleman Jered
We've been trying to work with our boys on manners and being gentlemen. I explained to them that it is always polite to let a lady go first (even if that lady just happens to be your obnoxious little sister), it's polite to help someone carry their things, hold the door open, or whatever the case may be. They've both done quite well with this and actually look for opportunities to put it into practice.
Well, today when I picked Jered (age 4) up from preschool, I was kind of wrestling with whether or not stressing those manners was such a hot idea. I had several minutes to think about it as I stood by waiting for him to go back and open the classroom door for all 15 moms and their children, one at a time of course ... about 30 seconds a part. *sigh* No, wait, *SIGH* There, that's better.
As the very last mom went through the door, she said "Thank you. You are such a gentleman!"
When we got in the car I looked at him and smiled, saying "Gentleman Jered."
"Gennelman Jewed?"
"Yes, you are my Gentleman Jered." A moment in thought ...
"What's a Gennelman?"
"Don't you remember when we talked about it?"
"Yeth" with head nodding up and down, but that totally blank look on his face.
"A gentleman is, well, a very nice man that likes to help people and do nice things for them."
"Oooooh. I Gennelman Jewed." Big smile.
"That's right!"
"Momma?
"Yes?"
"Can Gennelman Jewed have some ice kweem?"
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Sep. 14, 2006 - 618 Pictures!
No, I am not kidding! I finally turned in all that film that was piling up. I thought I only had about 9 or 10 rolls, but after I checked all the odd ball places I could think of that I may have stashed one ... I had 24 rolls to develop! Well, wait a minute! Before you go shaking your finger at me, 5 rolls belonged to my daughter, Caylin. The checker at Costco wanted to know if I had been on a fabulous trip. I should have played that up good, but DUH! I sheepishly admitting to just being a procrastinator.
The good part about it though, is it was actually fun to sit and go through them all with my husband, Roy one night after the kids all went to sleep. It felt sort of like Christmas. Like we were opening a bunch of great memories we had forgotten about. The other good part is that I was suffering from a serious case of scrapper's block and having all those new photos helped relieve that. It also helped that a couple of days after I got the photos back my monthly scrapper's kit came in the mail. God's timing? Who knows, but I can tell you where I am going to spend all weekend! Yep! Locked in my closet. We are blessed enough to have his and hers closets in our bedroom. Roy turned the walk-in into a real sweet craft room for me and we share the "his" closet 80/20 (in my favor of course!).
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Aug. 29, 2006 - Help! I'm a night owl trapped inside an early bird's body!
I am SO tired and it is only Tuesday. And it's all your fault! Yes, I am talking to all of you bloggers. I have stayed up way too late every night for the last week reading everyone's pages. I can't help it! I have found so much encouragement here and I have learned new things, and I have laughed and cried. I just have to find time to check on everyone earlier in the day, because unfortunately, my one year old son doesn't care that I was up until 1AM connecting with other moms. 
He still gets up at 6AM regardless.
I only have one month left to get my routine back in shape. Friday school at First Class starts the end of September and chapel is at 8:30 in the morning. That means I have to have myself and 7 kids ready to walk out the door at 8AM. EW!! But, I really am excited about it and so are my kids. Last night there was a homeschool resource fair at a local church and my husband and I went to check out things being offered for homeschooling families. I was glad to see someone trying to start up a volleyball team, as my 8th grade daughter loves to play. First Class had a booth there and the best part of the evening was meeting Heidi St. John. She is just as sweet and beautiful in person as she is on her blog, and she was very patient with all of my questions.
I hope you all have a great week and you know someone out there really appreciates you. Whether you know me or not, chances are I have visited your blog and was very touched in some way. You are all such a blessing to me. Thank you! 
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Aug. 24, 2006 - Behind The Times
Okay, I really hate to admit this, but I still don't have a digital camera. I am thinking it's time to get one since I must be the only person left on earth that does not have one. Not only am I wasting a lot of money developing rolls and rolls of bad pictures, but the film is starting to pile up. I get lazy and instead of taking in a roll each time it's finished, I wait until I have about 12 rolls waiting and take them all at once. And as if that isn't reason enough, I can't tell you how many kids ask to see the picture after I snap one of neighbor kids or friends of my kids. I turn the camera around to show them and they get this blank look on their face. It's really kind of amusing. "Um .... there's 'posed to be a picture. My mom's camera shows you the picture." I have a hard time bringing myself to spend money on something that I already have that works, but let's face it ... when I ask where 35 mm film is, most store employees don't know what I am talking about. I really want a camera with an awesome zoom lens! Anyone have suggestions as to what is a good camera to buy???
AND! Wait, it gets worse! Our video camera? Oh my! Do they even call them that anymore? Our kids grounded us from taking it anywhere in public. The last time we took it to my oldest daughter's softball game, my husband heaved this giant 25 pound camera up on his shoulder and starts taping. My daughter was so embarrassed when some little kid asked my husband, "What is that?!" My husband tried to convince him he was with the channel 3 news and it was a news camera, but I don't think the boy was quite convinced. I think we might tape more of the kids doing things at home too, if we had some handy little camera (would that be called a camcorder?) we could keep out on the counter for those "catch it now" moments. Ya, those moments that are always gone by the time we lug out the camera bag, pop in a tape, slide on the battery .... Also taking suggestions for a good one of those to buy.
And for those of you that think there is no hope for us, living in the dark ages and all, we DO have a VCR! What's that you say? ...... What's a DVD Player?!
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Aug. 20, 2006 - Update for August
Well! I finally managed to boot the kids off the computer for a few minutes. Now maybe I can get a note off to everyone. It's been fun reading everyone's latest news and seeing pictures of all your beautiful kids.
The air conditioning went out in our van so we didn't go very many places this month. It's nice that it is fixed now, but I actually enjoyed the time we hung out at home. I was able to get a lot done in the yard.
My husband and oldest daughter, Caylin, spent the weekend building a new habitat for her spoiled rotten chinchillas, Shadow and Kokomo. It was a project to help keep her mind off losing two kits on Saturday. They were stillborn. She raises them for some extra spending money, and takes them to the exotic animal fairs. Now she is considering selling some custom cages there as well. Not a bad deal for her as Dad puts all the labor into them and makes no profit for himself. Well, none other than hugs and lots of thank yous, which he just eats up.
We have been keeping an eye out for bee nests since it is that time of year for them, but we missed one in the end of the swing set. A couple of weeks ago Jered, my 4 year old, was playing on it and got stung three times on the shoulder by a wasp. Thankfully he did not have an allergic reaction. It was the first time he has been stung. He is very cautious now when he goes outside and is terrified of any kind of flying insect. Can't say I blame him.
All our other kids are doing well. They're getting bored with summer as it is too hot to go out in the afternoons. We started back into the school routine the first of August. I like to go August through April, keeping our nicest weather months of May, June and July free for fun stuff.
Caylin will start working part time at a Christian preschool, that my friend owns, in September. Jered will be going there four days a week giving me some good uninterrupted time to do school work with Roy, my second grade son and Ashley, my first grade daughter.
I hope everyone is well and enjoying these last few days of summer! It goes so fast, doesn't it?
XX's & OO's
