Thorn in my flesh!!

So, I may have my school planned out for the next year, but here is a story that is a true reflection of me. It is the same song, 20 millionth verse in my life. For those of you who are ultra organized you might not want to read this....really you won't get it. But for others of you who suffer from the same disease I do, you might appreciate it!!

Yesterday morning I ran (well I didn't actually run, I drove my car) to Office Depot to purchase some binders that were on sale. My neighbor told me about the deal and said I probably wanted to buy them before the weekend. So, I headed out to the Depot at the crack of dawn to score a deal on binders.

Boy was it a deal. Binders were $2 and were buy 2, get 1 free. And, there were some nice ones that I needed for school. Our family was headed out of town so I had planned my trip to the minute and had just enough time to purchase binders and get home to leave town.

Of course Murphy's Law hit. I was in line to pay for the binders when I realized that I didn't have my teller card. Why? Because I had put it in my backpack when I served on jury duty earlier in the week. So, I'm standing there trying to figure out what to do. David was at the school with Clara getting her picture taken. I really didn't have time to drive home (and I hated to lose my binders)

Inspiration hit like a bolt of lightning. So, I called my neighbor who hooked me up on the deal because I knew she was driving to work. When I asked her where she was, she was right by the Depot and she sweetly agreed to come and pay for my purchase. It really was perfect timing....take that Murphy.

Now, please know I try not to live like this regularly. I try to behave responsibly. I try to be a grown-up. But there are days when it just doesn't come together. So, when my daughter brings home progress reports that say she needs to remember her papers, that she needs to be more responsible....I just smile.

She is so like me!!!

Discovery

Yesterday we drove as a family in the car to Jackson, MS to visit my grandmother in Hospice. It was a long day in the car. So, we packed some markers. I had recently bought some binders that have been recycled and basically look like grocery bags. The project was for the kids to decorate their binders which will be used as school binders next year. (Boy am I ahead of the game!! However, don't be too impressed. I'll explain why in another post)

To say that our oldest son likes to draw would be a gross understatement. The girls drew on their binders for about 15 minutes and then promptly fell asleep (that's my girls). Noah, meanwhile kept drawing and drawing and drawing.

After about two hours of drawing, He loudly proclaimed..."It's smells like markers....I LIKE THE SMELL OF MARKERS (said like I would say I like the smell of chocolate.) I suppose inhaling Sharpies for two hours might not have been the best choice, but amazingly he was quiet for a while.

Staycation

This year we have committed as a family to carefully watch our pennies. Fortunately thanks to www.moneysavingmom.com and friends who are on the same quest for deals, I have been able to score some excellent purchases at minimal cost. Most recently I found a deal on shampoo and let's just say I purchased over 30 bottles of shampoo and conditioner for around $7.00. And, I actually have a $6 register reward in my pocket that will spend like cash. So, I suppose I technically only spent $1.

That's all fine and good. But, I'm realizing that toiletries are pocket change compared to some of our other expenditures. So, here comes the hard reality. Our annual family vacation is up for discussion. Sigh!! Serious Sigh!!

For those of you who know me I am a vacation girl. I love vacation. I live for vacation. Researching for a vacation is one of my favorite activities. Really!! I cannot convey the joy I feel when I plan a vacation and when the plan comes together for relaxating family fun. We have so many incredible vacation memories.

So, when my hubby suggested that we should cut our vacation from our budget this year I confess I wanted to scratch his eyes out. Keeping it real people!!! David tried to keep it positive and say we can take a vacation at home. To me that ranks right up there with going to the dentist.

After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I'm finally on board....well mostly. Little did I know when we made these decisions that there is actually a term for this. It's called a "Staycation". So I'm planning a family "staycation". Actually we are planning two staycations one in May and one in July. Both weeks we have close family friends coming to vacation with us.

Yippee!!

Technical Difficulties

This past month or so our family has been plagued with technical difficulties. Seriously!! Our home computer crashed. It is back up, but still not really usable yet. David's laptop crashed not once, but twice and of course the last time was in the middle of completing the taxes on April 14th. This has been going on for a while. It is about to drive me to the brink of insanity. Why? Because I feel so out of touch and I know my mother is about to bust a gut because I haven't been posting pictures on this blog. Thank goodness she was here a few weeks ago to see the kids.

This whole experience is teaching me to relax. Sometimes frustrating things happen. Sometimes things don't go my way and pitching a fit doesn't do any good. (If I had a dollar for every time I have used that expression with my youngest daughter...I could buy a new computer!!). Sometimes we have to wait. Oh, that is a hard one for me to accept.

Yesterday while sitting in the jury pool room ALL DAY long I was reading Hannah's history book. As an aside...her history textbooks are great...it's a series called "A History of US, by Joy Hakim" that I highly recommend.

I was reading about Franklin D. Roosevelt, a promising, wealthy, talented, athletic, father of 5, who had political ambitions. One night he went to bed and the next morning he woke up unable to walk. Polio had invaded his home. It amazes me that he did not just curl up and give up on his dreams. No, he pressed on and became president. Now that's fortitude in the face of difficulty.

My technical difficulties are merely pesky flies. But as sure as I am breathing, at some point in my life and in all our lives true difficulties will come. What will our response be?

Lesson Learned

Yesterday I was so pleased to see that my children took it upon themselves to make our bed. After all it was Saturday and I often forego making the bed because well it's Saturday. It was Heroes day on the Disney channel and my children asked if they could watch TV in our bedroom. "Sure", I said eager for a little peace and quiet.

When I checked on them, they were happily watching TV in my bedroom and coloring on my bed. I praised them and thanked them for making my bed. Really, it was one of those moments that warmed my soul. It made me feel so good to know that I had raised such thoughtful children who were willing to serve their parents.

Then, last night I went to bed!!

Let's just say my legs seemed to have suddenly grown longer as I tried to jam them into the bed. As I began to investigate I realized that my sweet, angelic children had gone and accomplished the classic camp prank. They short-sheeted our bed. They really did a good job!!! They fooled me 100%!!!

The lesson that I learned is to be suspicious of any unusual acts of kindness on the part of my children (I know it is jaded of me, but realistic). An investigation ensued. For those of you who know our family, I will give you one guess as to who the Culprit was...it's a she and her name begins with "C".

Continued Saga

When I went to publish the previous entry about technical difficulties....it came up with an error. Would not, could not publish. After muttering a few choice words under my breath (niceties of course mom), I threw my hands up and walked away from the computer. We have been using a different browser and it was not compatible with our blog. Nor was it compatible with Facebook. I was completely out of touch with my cyberworld.

Techno hubby to the rescue!!! Whew, what would I do without him. Now I can blog. Now I can feed my Facebook addiction. Although I must admit that the new layout is too busy and too much stuff for me. I miss just being able to log on and quickly view the status updates of my friends!!!

All this is revealing something about myself that I do not like!!! I am not adapting to change well. I used to live for change. I used to thrive on change. I used to eat change for breakfast. Goodness, am I becoming old and set in my ways? We must change that!!

Excuses, excuses!!

Okay so I am the most deliquent blogger out there. It seems that all has conspired against me. Really. Let me explain. The storage area for our pictures has changed, making it difficult to import edited pictures. It's probably easy to figure out how to use the updated program, but we have been a little busy around here.

And, we are currently using Clara's camera as a family camera. During the last snow day which was incredibly beautiful we pulled out her camera and realized the battery was dead. Simple problem to solve. Not for us. We could not find the charger for her battery. AAHHH. Yes, her battery charger does have a place it is supposed to be...it's not there.

No big deal we think, we'll take pictures of the amazing nine inch snow with Hannah's camera. Guess what? We couldn't find the download cord for her camera. Double AAAHH!! Yes, the download cord does have a place it is supposed to be...it's not there.

Blogging is a pleasure for me. I love to add the pictures. Because let's face it. This blog exists to provide my mother with pictures of her grandchildren!!! Without pictures I am lost...lost I tell you.

So there is my sob story. These minor inconveniences + the insane busyness of our schedule have come together to create the perfect storm that has shut down communication. I haven't had much to say...since I don't have pictures that go along with it (which reminds me of a story that I'll tell in another post....MAYBE!!)

Description of Hannah's Work Day

Hannah is studying poetry and is writing several different types of poetry over the next few weeks. I liked this one. It is a description of her day at work.

Work

door, lunch away, room assignment
lunch away, room assignment, kids
room assignment, kids, play
kids, play, clean-up
play, clean-up, snack
clean-up, snack, worksheet
snack, worksheet, carpet time
worksheet, carpet time, gym
carpet time, gym, lunch
gym, lunch, nap
lunch, nap, play
nap, play, home

Ham and Wild Rice Soup

Here's a recipe that is a family favorite and a great way to use leftover ham from Christmas or Easter....

Ham and Wild Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wild rice (You can use long grain and wild, but I LOVE the wild rice)
3 cups water (I use 6 cups water with 6 chicken bouillion cubes)
3 cups chicken broth (I do not use chicken broth)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 cups chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup shredded carrots (or thinly sliced)
3 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional)
1 cup half-and-half (I used mostly skim milk w/ a splash of half & half)

DIRECTIONS
In a pot, bring the wild rice and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

In a separate pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender. Blend in the flour until smooth, and gradually stir in the chicken broth. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and mix in the cooked rice, ham, carrots, and almonds. Continue to cook and stir about 5-10 minutes, until heated through and carrots are cooked. Thoroughly blend the half and half into the soup just before serving.

I have also sauteed fresh chopped mushrooms with the onion. And, I have also added corn (which David absolutely loves).

Enjoy!!

Lessons from a Sick Home (Not mentally mind you..well maybe a little)

Sickness...it's a reality that has hit our home in full force over the last couple of weeks. In my mind I strongly despise sickness. After all who really wants to be sick? Who wants to see the people they love sick?

And yet as I ponder this sickness I realize something. It has caused us as a family to SLOW DOWN.

In our culture it is unfortunate, but true, we move through life at warp speed. I'll give you an example...this morning as I was bleary-eyed, drinking my coffee I happened to look out the window to see the high school bus go down the street at 6:09 am. You read that right 6:09 AM. If I was in high school here, you would just have to hook me up with a perpetual caffeine IV.

Anyway, I digress. This sickness has caused us to slow down. All my youngest wants to do when he is sick is snuggle with mommy. While that makes it difficult to accomplish anything, it does make my heart smile.

So, we are enjoying this imposed slow down. We are enjoying playing games as a family. Last night the kids watched a movie upstairs and I sat by myself and watched two TV shows with quiet all around. Quiet in this house is RARE!!! (David did attend the financial peace class as our representative last night!!)

This bout of sickness has caused me to be reminded again of the importance of family time...I have an incredible family and we have fun together!!! My favorite memory of the last week is us all huddled in the living room playing apples to apples. Yes, all six of us played, even the four year old who cannot read. I can still picture him sitting in his daddy's lap, smiling and quite proud when his "green card" was picked.

We're headed into our busy season, but I plan to take the lessons from Sickville and apply them to Busyville. Even though we will be busy, it is imperative that we carve out time to be together as a family!!!

Snow Day

Snow days are rare in this neck of the woods. So, we have to seize the moment. My kids have learned to get out there EARLY because it melts by noon. They had a great day playing. I on the other hand stayed inside and watched TV. (Well I did walk outside long enough to take pictures).

I am a snow snob....I will only get dressed and go outside to play in the snow if there are at least 2-3 inches. However, I must admit that there is NOTHING in me that misses having to shovel snow.

Although I confess that I only shoveled snow once and my friend from Minnesota happened to drop by and see me shoveling snow. After laughing hysterically at my ineptitude, she promptly took the snow shovel and shoveled my driveway in a small fraction of the time it would have taken me.

Happy Birthday!!

We're excited that our little man turned a year older. He was excited to get "dollars" from his Nana. Unfortunately he was laying on the couch sick all day long.

He brings great joy into our lives. We look foward to what the next year will bring.

Blogger Block

It seems like a while since I've posted anything worth reading and that bothers me a bit. The truth is my brain seems to be taking a break.

Maybe it is hibernating for winter...I'm not sure. There are moments of clarity where I have a thought that seems blog worthy. Then, I sit down to blog and there's nothing there and I mean nothing.

Or, maybe it's the entrance of the Wii into our home. It has consumed quite a bit of my time. Last night I laughed so hard I almost peed (how in the world do you spell that?) in my pants on several occasions. Our friends Phil and Amber Wing and Mark Murdoch played carnival games, which by the way are almost as impossible to win as the real carnival games. David, bless his heart was comatose on the couch. He did entertain us with an occasional snore or loud groan. I think he has the flu, but boy did he miss out on the fun.

Or, maybe it's the wonderful time I've been able to spend with friends. Face to face time with people has taken precedence over technology during the month of January. Okay, so that's probably not such a bad thing!!!

Anyway, I'm hopeful that my brain will wake up soon and I will be able to write something worthwhile. So, for my three or four blog readers, please be patient. I'll be back!!!

Future Photographer!!

Recently I downloaded some pictures from Clara's new camera which has been kept in her room. Along with about a hundred videos of her, there were pictures that were a little different. I remember vaguely Elijah mentioning that he took pictures in Clara's room. He's so into pretend play that I didn't pay much attention. These pictures are proof that he WASN'T pretend playing, but actually DID take pictures.

Enjoy Elijah's first photo shoot!!! I really like the first pic.

Where's Waldo? (I mean Noah)

In the two group pictures from Clara's soccer night see if you can find Noah in the pictures. As I pointed out earlier Elijah is right in the middle of the fray. The question is Where's Noah? I'll give you a hint...he has on camo pants and a yellow shirt.

Crazy Soccer Girls!!

 

Sweet Soccer Girls

 

This past Friday we had Clara's soccer team over for a hang out night. This group of girls is really incredible. When I look at them I see glimpses of the women they will become. And yet, I also see them as the little girls they were almost three years ago.

Each of them have unique talents and abilities. They are all great athletes. They all prove each week how dedicated and disciplined they are. We are so pleased that Clara has the opportunity to know each of these young women and are grateful for their friendship.

And let me just say they played the loudest game of mafia known to mankind!!! Oh, and you will notice that our son Elijah is right smack in the middle of all these girls. He is living a charmed life!!!

Free Car!!!

Yesterday we were sitting in the parking lot of Taco Bell (our big splurge for the month of Jan) getting ready to depart. Our six year old son Noah pointed out that we really NEED a new car. The handles are falling apart and there are some interesting quirks to our car. Our philosophy is to drive it until it dies.

Anyway back to the story....

Noah says, "We really need to go online and get us a new car."

Me: "We can't afford a new car."

Noah says, "No, we REALLY need a new car. Seriously mom it's FREE."

Me: "Noah, cars are not free."

Noah: "Seriously Mom...you go online and tell them abour your car. They do interviews and pick out the best car for you. And it's absolutely FREE."

Me: "You can't get a car online for free."

Noah: "Seriously mom you CAN (And people he really is quite serious here). All you have to do is go to www.vehix.com and get a car for free, for absolutely free. Seriously mom that's all you have to do go to www.vehix.com and it's absolutely free"

At this point David and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Seriously...Noah has been watching too much TV!!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

This is a snapshot of my mom. Today is her birthday. She was born on January 3, 1929 making her, yes, you got it, 80 years old today. The rest of the family in Georgia got together with her for a special lunch out. In the picture with her is one of her three great grandchildren. Here's wishing you many, many more, mom!

New Year's Eve Party

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here's a slideshow of our New Year's Eve Party this year. We had a great time and our house was still standing after 50+ people brought in the New Year. Lest you think I often have that many people in my home....this was a first. We enjoyed our time with friends and are looking forward to 2009.

Happy New Year!!!