Resolutions

I have been so encouraged by the women I have met (well, cybermet) through women at home, that I have decided to put some thought into New Year Resolutions. I have never made resolutions before. This is kind of fun.

Physical:I will be 30 pounds lighter by the end of the year. I would like to be able to run in a one mile fun run by Labor Day. I want to eat healthier.

Spiritual:I'd like to spend more time in personal prayer. I want to pray with my husband on a daily basis. I want to read through the Bible. I want to pray with my children more.

Marital:I want to get to know Olaf more intimately. (Not in *that* way) He's not an easy guy to know. We've been married almost 17 years and there are still deep secrets in him...I just know it!:)

Mama:Less force, more love. Less perfection, more hugs.

Homeschool:Relax! I want to not care what day I should be on. I want to focus on the eternal, not the academics. I want my focus to be on the reason we chose to homeschool in the first place, not worrying if my third grader can do long division. I can't even do long division without a calculator.

Well, there ya have it. I will probably add some as they come to me. I need to refer back to this post from time to time to see how I'm doing.

Josiah woke up this morning and said his belly hurt. I gave him his chocolate milk which he promptly vomited all over me, the carpet, and my Longaberger throw. He proceeded to empty his stomach twice more in the next hour. Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared. He has been fine since 8:30 am. PRAISE GOD! That was one quick virus. He really didn't eat anything yesterday or I might have said it was something he ate. Since it started right upon waking, that tends to make me think it was a virus of some sort. He must have picked it up at the doctor yesterday or Publix. Good to know it's relatively short just in case it makes the rounds.

I haven't exercised because I think it will make me start coughing. I'm on the verge of sickness and once I start coughing, I don't stop. I really need to get out and do something though. Olaf may pick up a treadmill tomorrow that my friend is giving to me. She is going to call me back and let me know if tomorrow will work for her. She offered it to me because she never uses it. It was her Grandmother's, but Grandma had an accident on it and they won't give it back to her. Grandma used to walk on the treadmill in her bra and walking shorts. She said she got too hot to wear a shirt. Mind you, this is one spunky 83 year old woman! Well, somehow she slipped, the treadmill threw her off, she hit her head and blacked out. She called 911 when she came to and the paramedics arrived to find a half dressed old woman. She broke a rib or two I think as well. Since then she has told my friend that her worse fear is dying in the shower. She says, "It was bad enough being half dressed when the ambulance came. I feel sorry for them if they find me naked." This woman is just the sweetest thing. She is very classy and dresses to a T. Always has her make-up on. Likes to shop at Talbots and William Sonoma. But, she is very humble and giving. Very gentle and gracious. I really enjoy talking to her when I get the chance.

Happy New Year if I don't post before January 1st!

Homeschool Digest

I cannot communicate through written word well. You can tell that by reading my blog. My thought process is analytical. I am a math and science kind of girl. Not creative at all. I have lost a good friend due to my inability to write effectively. That is how poorly I communicate via the written word. So, I am really in awe of those people that can emote in words on a page. If you click the links in the sidebar to some of those blogs that I read....WOW! Go ahead! Try Dana or Stacy or Cheri. I'm amazed. Back to my point (you see how good I am?) Homeschool Digest is a magazine that I take time to read. The editor, Skeet Savage, wrote a great article called "The Truth Will Set You Free." It is about the Biblical standard of truth and not being deceived into believeing that the Word of God can be twisted to mean anything at all-or merely ignored altogether. But what hit me was this paragraph, "Hard hearts and hard heads seem to reside within the same bodies. The surest protection against being carried away and enslaved by the merciless bondage of deception--including self-deception--is to maintain a humble and contrite spirit whereby the Holy Spirit is able to deliver you from the isolating chains that are formed by the deceitfulness of satan's lies, and from the cold, dark prison of false belief and wrong assumptions." It was convicting to me because I'm the one with the hard head and the prideful heart. I have deceived MYSELF into wrong thinking. No one else deceived me. Just plain ole me. Humility is what I desire. I just suck at it!:) Saying I'm sorry to a friend is so easy. Saying I'm sorry to my husband is SO hard. Humbling myself before a stranger, piece of cake. Humbling myself before my children, much harder. Gulp! Pray for me. Pax Christi.

WARNING, WARNING PMS!

Oh boy! I am either crazy or having a major PMS day. It might be a little of both. The littlest things are really making me angry today.

Josiah woke up and said his ear hurts. Olaf is going to come home early and take him to the ENT to see if it's an infection. Everyone here is congested, but no fever. Josiah sounds like a sleestack from Land of the Lost. Remember that show? That was my favorite show on Saturday mornings. The Kroft Supershow had Shazam and Isis, Electro-Woman and Dyna Girl, and Dr. Shrinker as well as Land of the Lost. And while I'm reminiscing (it take my mind off PMS) how about Electric Company? Heyy you Guyyys! Who could forget H.R. Pufnstuf? Or the Bugaloos? Ok, I'm done!:)

No one did my meme. I'm a loser!:)

It's a meme

I just found out what a meme was thanks to Cheri. A meme is like that thing I did a couple of days ago where you answer questions about yourself, or you ponder things you normally wouldn't. I stole this one from Cheri's site, who stole it from another site. You get the idea! So, here's the Meme... It requires YOUR help so please take the time to do it for me. You can leave your post in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

A) First, recommend to me:

1. a movie.
2. a book.
3. a musical artist, song, or album.

B) Ask me three questions. Ask me anything you want.

C) Now go to your blog (if you have one), copy and paste this, and allow everyone to ask you the same.


Charity's questions to me are:

1. If you had a motto, what would it be?

Realistically: Get outta my way! What I want it to be: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.

2. What are your best qualities, and what would Olaf say are your best qualities?

Thoughtful, giving, and intelligent. Olaf would say, giving (although he'd hate to do it) and my administration skills.

3. How has God blessed only you that you are singularly thankful for?

My salvation. My husband. Bearing children.

School

I need to get busy with school today. We are "behind" according to the State of Georgia, so I need to do school this week to try and catch up a bit. I have to test her this year and Tammy Pitts told me about a standardized test that I can administer at home. I am going to do that instead of making her go through the other tests that our homeschool group gives. The website is http://hewitthomeschooling.com/test/tmain.asp

Caleb is home until next week. He has a loose tooth and it is driving him nuts. It's not quite loose enough to pull, but I'm about ready to pull it anyway!

The house is still strewn with Christmas toys. I need to clean it up. I look at it and I get overwhelmed though. Olaf went back to work today, but he has Friday off. I'm glad it's a short week for him.

I am thinking about taking Camille to The American Girl Place in Chicago for her birthday. It would be expensive though, so I am not real sure it will happen. Camille and I are trying to save every penny that we can pilfer from other funds (ie any grocery cash leftover from the week, riding lessons that got canceled etc). So far we have about $60 saved. It's a start:) www.americangirl.com

Aravis is sitting in my lap wanting me to love on her. She is nudging my hands as I type this and making me misspell a lot of words. The backspace key is my friend.

Have a blessed day. I am not going to Weight Watchers this evening. I know I gained and don't want to face the music:) I'll go next week.

Happy Birthday Josiah!

Our big boy is two today. We just had birthday cake, but alas, I forgot to take a digital picture before we cut it! It was adorable though. I took a picture after it was half eaten... you'll see it below. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY! Mama loves you so much!

Half eaten Thomas cake. You can still tell what a wonderful job my friend Stacy does. If you live locally, she does this for a living. Her cakes are very reasonable and taste wonderful.

Yummy! Thomas the Tank Engine cake! And it's chocolate too...

Josiah is TWO! He is eating his cake.

Spoiled

Oh everyone was spoiled this year. I got the cutest cherry apron from Gooseberry Patch. It's a half apron that ties around your waist and has cherries all over it. So 50's! I also got a pair of slippers from Lands End, some all weather mocs from Lands End, a cap for when I walk/run in the cold weather, a bundt pan (my very first one!) and a pocket calendar. The children got a ton of things. We got them 5 presents each, which is two more than we normally get them. Then Uncle Scott and Aunt Frances sent them three presents each. Then Opa and Grandma each gave them one gift. They were reeling with excitement. Tomorrow we will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and open stocking stuffers. It will be our nice meal and our time of devotion to the Lord. We used to do a birthday cake for Jesus, but since JoJo's birthday is the 26th, we just sing. I have eaten WAY too much rugalach but it is SO yummy. Olaf enjoyed his steak tartar and he isn't complaining of a stomach ache yet. I don't know how long it takes for e coli or salmonella to set in though;) I bought Olaf this cool kit called "Dirty Old Coins" from Vision Forum. They are ancient coins from about 1500 years ago that you clean up. There is a disc that lists all the coins from that period with their value so you can see what you have found after cleaning. I also got him a pocket watch. He has wanted one for years. He also got pj bottoms from Old Navy and a travel mug. Well, I have a lot to do. The house is a mess. Wrapping paper and toys are everywhere. I'll write tomorrow sometime. God Bless.

Josiah loves his BIG Barney!

Grace got a bumblebee costume and she loves it. It has a stinger on the rear and she runs around stinging all of us.

Still fat, but getting there. Have a blessed ChrisTmas.

Caleb won't sit still long enough for a photo.

My dear husband.

Josiah riding his horsie! Well, it's actually Grace's horsie, but he loves it!

Camille got a Barbie!

Gracie got a Barbie!

LOOK AT MY BLINKIES!


Becky, from Joyful Mother Designs, made them for me. Check out her blinkies and signature tags! Very cute.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We open our presents on Christmas Eve night and then do stockings Christmas morning. The children are excited. Uncle Scott and Aunt Frances sent the children three presents each this year. They also sent a most delicious gift basket from www.chelseamarketbaskets.com Oh my goodness! The rugelach is to DIE for. Here is a description of our basket:

Hamper holds a 1-lb gift box of Grandma’s Rugelach; a 13-oz presentation box of Leonidas chocolates; 6-oz shortbread and a 2-pack of Oaties both from Shortbread House of Edinburgh; 8-oz pistachios; 8-oz dried fruit; and 8-oz cranberry nut mix.

So, if you read this Scott and Frances...thank you so much! Your generosity is much appreciated. Of course, weight watchers went out the window this week!:) I mean, how often do you get a gourmet gift basket?

Another Christmas Eve tradition in our house is the Christmas Eve dinner. We buy cold cuts (which includes steak tartar for Olaf) and eat them with rolls and crusty bread. I guess it's a German thing. Olaf loves it though. It's the one time a year that he gets to eat raw meat mixed with raw egg. Oh yummy! I will take some digital pics tomorrow night of the children and post them here. Christmas dinner will be turkey and stuffing. Just like Thanksgiving. Olaf will be the chef again. It turns out better that way!:)

My friend, Stacy, is making Josiah's birthday cake. She is doing Thomas the Tank Engine. Josiah loves Thomas. I ask him how old he is going to be on his birthday and he says "Thomas two." You see, we went to Party City to buy Thomas plates for his cake and he associated Thomas with being two. He is really cute. Grace has started to call Josiah like a southerner would. I can't spell it phonetically, but she says Jo-sah instead of saying the "iah" part of his name. It cracks me up! "C'mon Jo-sah! Let's go play."

Tonight at Publix I found our favorite German wine. I didn't know they had it there. It's called spatlese and it's a sweet white wine. Very tasty. I don't know what wine goes with what food, but the older I get the more I enjoy having wine with my meal every now and again. Especially if it's a nice meal like Thanksgiving or a tender steak. I should learn more about it.

It has gotten cold again today. It started out warm this morning and has gotten progressively colder throughout the day. I wish it would snow for Christmas. What are the chances of that? Snow on Christmas in Atlanta? Hmmm... Not very good.

Please comment or tag me so I know you've been here. Mary, you are so good about it! Thank you! Christmas Blessings to all of you!

Something I got from another blog...

The basics:

Born and raised in Oregon. Met and married 1-23-88 in California. Babies in 95, 96, 01 and 02. Currently live in Georgia.

A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.

creek or stream

What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.

A cart

A metal container to carry a meal in.

Lunchbox

The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.

frying pan

The piece of furniture that seats three people.

couch

The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.

gutter

The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.

A Porch.

Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.

Growing up in Oregon it was pop. Then it became soda when I joined the Air Force. Now, in GA, everything is Coke.

A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.

Pancakes.

A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.

sub.

The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.

swimming trunks

Shoes worn for sports.

sneakers or tennis shoes

Putting a room in order.

cleaning up

A flying insect that glows in the dark.

Lightning Bug

The little insect that curls up into a ball.

Potato Bug

The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.

Teeter Totter

How do you eat your pizza?

In New York you have to fold it in half. Otherwise, just pick it up and eat.

What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?

yard sale

What's the evening meal?

Dinner

The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?

basement

What word(s) do you use to address a group of two or more people?

Now it's y'all. It used to be "you guys."

Would you say "Are you coming with?" as a full sentence, to mean "Are you coming with us?"

I used to say that. But not now.

Would you say "where are youat?" to mean "where are you?"

No. That's pathetic grammar:)

Modals are words like "can," "could," "might," "ought to," and so on. Can you use more than one modal at a time?

No

What do you call the area of grass between the sidewalk and the road?

An island

What do you call the area of grass that occurs in the middle of some streets?

median

What do you call the long narrow place in the middle of a divided highway?

Median

What do you call the drink made with milk and ice cream?

Milkshake

What do you call the miniature lobster that one finds in lakes and streams for example (a crustacean of the family Astacidae)?

As a kid crawdads, now crawfish

What do you call the kind of spider (or spider-like creature) that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

Daddy Longlegs.

What nicknames do/did you use for your maternal grandmother?

None

What about your paternal grandmother (is there a distinction?)

None

What do/did you call your maternal grandfather?

Grandpa

paternal grandfather?

Grandpa

What do you call the big clumps of dust that gather under furniture and in corners?

Dust bunnies.

What term do you use to refer to something that is across both streets from you at an intersection (or diagonally across from you in general)?

Katty corner.

What do you call the activity of driving around in circles in a car?

Doughnuts.

What do you call paper that has already been used for something or is otherwise imperfect?

Scratch paper.

What is your *general* term for a big road that you drive relatively fast on?

Highway

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

Sun shower.

When you are cold, and little points of skin begin to come on your arms and legs, you have-

Goosebumps

What do you call the gooey or dry matter that collects in the corners of your eyes, especially while you are sleeping?

Sleep or eye boogers

What do you call an easy course?

No brainer

What do you call a traffic situation in which several roads meet in a circle and you have to get off at a certain point?

Spaghetti Junction

What is the thing that women use to tie their hair?

scrunchy

Do you use the word cruller?

Only when I buy them.

Do you use the term "bear claw" for a kind of pastry?

yep

What do you call someone who is the opposite of pigeon-toed (i.e. when they walk their feet point outwards)?

Bow legged

Can you call coleslaw "slaw"?

Yes

What do you call the box you bury a dead person in?

A coffin

Do you say "vinegar and oil" or "oil and vinegar" for the type of salad dressing?

Oil and vinegar.


What do you call it when a driver changes over one or more lanes way too quickly?

Me!

When you stand outside with a long line of people waiting to get in somewhere, are you standing "in line" or "on line" (as in, "I stood ___ in the cold for two hours before they opened the doors")?

In line.

Do you say "frosting" or "icing" for the sweet spread one puts on a cake?

Both.

What is "the City"?

I only used this term when I lived on Long Island. The city was always New York City.

What is the distinction between dinner and supper?

There is none to me. They are both evening meals.

Do you cut or mow the lawn or grass?

Mow

Do you pass in homework or hand in homework?

Hand it in.

What do you call the insect that looks like a large thin spider and skitters along the top of water?

water mosquito

What do you call the thing from which you might drink water in a school?

a water fountain

What do you call a public railway system (normally underground)?

Subway

What do you call the act of covering a house or area in front of a house with toilet paper?

t.p.'d

What do you call a traffic jam caused by drivers slowing down to look at an accident or other diversion on the
side of the road?

rubbernecking.

What do you call the paper container in which you might bring home items you bought at the store?

a bag

What do you call the night before Halloween?

October 30th

What do you call the end of a loaf of bread?

the heels

What do you call a point that is purely academic, or that cannot be settled and isn't worth discussing further?

Moot.

How do you pronounce the -sp- sequence in "thespian" (the word meaning "actor")?

Thes-pee-in

What do you call a drive-through liquor store?

Handy:)

What do you call food that you buy at a restaurant but then eat at home?

''to go box''

What do you say when you want to lay claim to the front seat of a car?

Dibs on the front seat!

Do you say "expecially", or "especially"?

Especially.

I found some neat blinkies today. I was looking for New Year blinkies so I could start re-doing my blog. I found some great blinkies at http://oserrato.com/blinkies1.html if you're interested.

Nothing extraordinary happened today. It was busy as usual. I wish I could say that I had my quiet time with the Lord and prayed today, but I can't. I am going on a walk in a few minutes and plan on praying then. I hate it when I feel like the children are more of a pain than a blessing. I know I need to get my spiritual life straight when that happens. There are days when I would rather be anything than a mother. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? To quote Mother Theresa, "I know God won't give me more than I can handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much."

It has been so cold here lately. I like it!

Check out my friend Dana's Blog. She has posted the cutest pictures of her little girls. Dana is a survivor of breast cancer. She was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 23. She is an inspiration to me and I don't even know her. I also have blog envy when I visit her site. She writes really well.

Time to walk... Blessings!

I'm here!

I'm here. It was a busy weekend. We went to Callaway Gardens on Saturday. Olaf came in from cleaning up the yard at about 2:00 pm and said, "Let's go to Callaway!" Now, if you know me at all, you know I'm a very structured and scheduled kind of gal. Going to Callaway at 2:00 pm is NOT me. I like to leave no later than 11:00 am so we can be back by 3:00. So I take Olaf completely by surprise and say OK. We had a blast. We walked on a walking trail and when we got back to the van it was about 5:00 pm. They already had turned on all the lights and music for Fantasy in Lights, so we decided to drive through them...twice! It wasn't dark yet, but it was fun anyway. Then we went to the beach area that they have set up for Christmas and watched the lighted nativity story. We got back on the road and ended up stopping to eat a little restaurant that we heard was good. It was 7:30 pm when we got there! That is just plain crazy for me. My children go to bed at 8:00 pm every night of the week, so I was living life on the edge at this point!:) We got home at nearly 9:00 pm and my children went right to bed. They were pooped.

Sunday I went grocery shopping and spent a lot of money. We were out of almost everything. Dog food, cat litter, diapers, paper towels. You name it, I needed it... Then we all went to Kohl's so I could get some new running shoes. Yes, you read right...running shoes. If I'm going to jog, I need the right shoe. My keds weren't working. I jogged again today in the crisp cold air. It was nice.

I weighed in this evening and actually had a slight gain. I don't think it's a real gain though. I think the jogging has messed up my weight loss a little. It will all work out eventually. I gave 2 pair of jeans to Esther tonight. They are pants that are now too big for me. Yay!

I am listening to the best instrumental Christmas CD ever! You can get it at www.christianbook.com for $1.99 right now. It's called "Christmas Angels" by Mary Beth Carlson. It is lovely. I highly recommend buying it. It is what Olaf decided to get his coworkers for Christmas.

We have most of the presents wrapped. Actually, Olaf has them wrapped. He wrapped some last night. I didn't!:) Josiah's are still in need of being done. Since Josiah is our kid that stays up until 10, it's hard to do it.

Today Tammy Pitts came by and gave me a plate of her chocolate chip cookies. Her cookies are my all time favorite. I am not sure if it's her oven or what, but her cookies are always puffy and good. She bought me this beautiful pottery plate in PA that the cookies were on. She also gave me the Southern Living Cookie Cookbook! She went to a tearoom in Alabama and bought a recipe book for me there as well. AND, she gave me the new book by Teri and Steve Maxwell about keeping your children's hearts. It was fun just sharing a cup of coffee and gabbing awhile.

OK, I'm all caught up. Hopefully I will be back on tomorrow. Blessings!

Another late night. We wrapped a few Christmas presents this evening. We still have many more to go. When you have four children, and are wrapping presents from the grandparents, and wrapping every little stocking stuffer...whew! We'll be wrapping until December 23rd! On Christmas night I am sure we will be furiously wrapping Josiah's birthday presents as well.

Olaf went to DHL and sent our out-of-town packages today. $5.25 for overnight! He gets a Delta discount. That is way cheaper than the PO. He sent a package to Germany for $15.75. It should get there Monday or Tuesday. It's so fun to get a deal. Speaking of that...

I need to go grocery shopping really bad. Maybe this weekend.

Grace has been waking up with bad dreams again. She thinks there is bugs in her bed. She wakes up screaming a few times every night. Olaf doesn't know which way is up when that happens. He stumbles around looking at his alarm and batting the air. What a dork!

Caleb is home from school. He didn't ask to eat too much today. BUT, everytime I went into the kitchen he followed me in there. I'd just point toward the living room and he'd turn around and leave. The kids all get so wound up when he's home. He is so hyper and that revs up everyone else. You'd think Camille would be old enough not to get so hyper with him. Not so my friends. She can be the loudest in the bunch.

I took supper to Charity this evening and saw her baby. I love newborns. They make the funniest faces and are so....well...scrunchy! I held her for about 20 minutes. It was nice. I wanted to smell her, but I thought that may be a little weird.

I started my jogging routine this evening. I really want to be able to run in a road race (even if it's just a mile fun run) by Labor Day Weekend. So, I took Olaf's watch, and walked then jogged, then walked then jogged, for 20 minutes. I hope to be able to eventually jog the entire time. Sharalyn just happened to give me a book all about running today. It was perfect timing. I grew up in the running capital of the United States. Eugene, Oregon, home of the University of Oregon. Well known for it's track program...and hippies!:) And marijuana...

OK, I need to get to bed. Olaf is standing behind me rubbing my shoulders. He actually fell asleep standing here. He was STANDING and he fell asleep! Do your husband's do that????? This man can fall asleep anywhere at any time. Amazing.

Blessings!

How many song writers can use the word exhumed in their lyrics? Ever since I wrote about Dan Fogelberg (in my 100 things about me), this song has been stuck in my head. See, I told you I remember every lyric to every song!:) The only way to get it unstuck, is to write out the lyrics and sing it as I go! So get ready...

Now that we love
Now that the lonely nights are over
How do we make love stay
Now that we know
The fire can burn bright or merely smolder
How do we keep it from dying away

Elusive as dreams barely remembered in the morning
Love like a phantom flies
But held in the heart it pales like the empty smile adorning
A statue with sightless eyes
Moments fleet taste sweet within the rapture
When precious flesh is greedily consumed
But mystery's a thing not easily captured
And once deceased not easily exhumed

Now that we love
Now that the lonely nights are over
How do we make love stay

Moments fleet taste so sweet within the rapture
When precious flesh is greedily consumed
But mystery is a thing not easily captured
And once deceased not easily exhumed

Now that we love
Look at the moonless night and tell me
How do we make love stay

OK, I feel much better! Thank you.

Grace's ears looked fine today. Josiah started crying as soon as we walked in the doctor's office. Camille ended up sitting in the van with him. They weren't out there too long though. Maybe 10 minutes by themselves. It is COLD here in Georgia. I had to run to the grocery store this evening and BRRR!

Lots of stuff to do tomorrow. I have to run to the PO, Caleb's school, and make cookies for the cookie swap at Bible Study. Whew! I'm tired thinking about it. I know I won't sleep well tonight because of all the things I need to do tomorrow. I'm like that. My brain doesn't turn all the way off. Praise God the work week will be almost through tomorrow...Caleb starts his vacation on Friday. Pray for me. I really want to enjoy this time with him home, but sometimes it's hard. He asks to eat every 5 minutes (and I'm not exagerating!) It can really grate on my last nerve.

Need to get to bed. Once again, I am blogging late. Maybe I can catch up on Friday. Tomorrow I will be too busy to get online at all. Blessings!

This will be short and sweet...OK just short...because it's late and I need to get to bed. I posted my 100 things about me. The link is right under my profile in the sidebar. I'm still begging for people to put a pin in my guestmap. How about it Mary? Tammy? Tony? Penny? I know you're reading this!:)

We watched "The Amazing Race" this evening. That is a fun show but there is a real jerk on it. This guy os SO mean to his wife. I would personally like to strangle him and then hit her for being so stupid for hanging around!:) See, I told you this wouldn't be sweet.

My friend, Charity, had her baby this morning. She had a baby girl and named her Grace Natalie. She had her unassisted at home. Her husband caught the baby. How precious is that? Next time we get pregnant, I think we will go unassisted as well. I have her blog linked to mine, so keep checking it for the birth story.

Nighty night!

Camille did great in her performance. She looked a little nervous, but she sounded fine. There were many "mistakes" in the play which just made it more endearing. A little boy in one of the lamb costumes about fell off the stage but his shepherd saved him by pulling him up by the tail. It was hilarious. I guess when you have about 100 homeschoolers that practice once a week you can't expect perfection:) Their choir director, Karen Moore, does a great job with the children though.

Today is the coldest day of the year so far and it's also riding lesson day. I am not looking forward to it. It's already 7:30 am and we leave at 8:50 am. No one is up yet either. I need to stop and get gasoline too.

Tomorrow Grace has to go back to the pediatrician for a recheck on her ears. I am hoping we don't get sick while we are there. I haven't told her that she has to go back to the doctor. Oh please let the infection be gone! I don't want to put her through a third set of tubes.

~Break~

Kids got up and I'm in a rush to leave! Check out my Weight Loss Blog!

Blessings!

Where did the weekend go?

It has flown by! Yesterday I cleaned the master bath and then went out Christmas shopping for about three hours. We went through the children's presents and Josiah still needed two more presents to open on Christmas Eve. (We open all our presents on Christmas Eve and stockings on Christmas morning) It was fun shopping by myself. I went to Old Navy and TJ Maxx. At Old Navy I bought the little two some pj's and slippers from Grandma. I bought Caleb and Camille slippers there as well. I also bought Cami a pair of gloves for her stocking. I bought Josiah and Grace socks because they needed them. I had the most fun at TJ Maxx. What a fun store to be in without children. There are so many breakables in there I get nervous with the kids. I bought Olaf some German chocolate as well as toys for Josiah. Today we went and exchanged our new TV for another. The red was bleeding. It was really odd. HH Gregg exchanged it for us with no problem. That was a blessing. We stopped by Target and bought Scotch Tape (finally) and some gift bags. We found tube socks there for Tante Babel too! WooHoo! We have looked and looked for tube socks. Do you know how hard they are to find? They were so popular in the late 70's and early 80's. She actually wants the ones with the colored stripes around the top. Remember those? Speaking of the 70's, I watched this great thing on PBS a couple of weeks ago. It was ALL disco. Original artists coming back and singing their hit songs to raise money for PBS. Old fat people (like me) trying to dance all groovy. They were doing the bump and the hustle and the snake. Hey, I can snake with the best of them:) It was hilarious watching them, but I loved the music. KC and the Sunshine Band, songs from Saturday Night Fever, Taste of Honey, Peaches and Herb, Irene Kara... you name it, they were there singing their disco hits. "And for a gift of $500 to your local PBS station...blah blah blah...you can have this CD." No thanks. PBS is such a liberal media outlet, I could never give money to them.

Weigh in is tomorrow and I am hoping I lost weight through thinking positive thoughts! LOL! I know I didn't lose any by what I ate.

Need to sign off, but I'll leave you with the lyrics from a disco hit since they are now swimming in my brain.

If you're thinkin' you're too cool to boogie
Boy oh boy have I got news for you
Everybody here tonight must boogie
Let me tell ya' you are no exception to the rule

Get on up on the floor
Cuz we're gonna boogie oogie oogie
Till you just can't boogie no more (boogie)
Boogie no moreYou can't boogie no more (boogie)
Boogie no more, listen to the music

There's no time to waste, let's get this show on the road
Listen to the music and let your body flow
The sooner we begin the longer we've got to groove
Listen to the music and let your body move

Now get on up on the floor
Cuz we're gonna boogie oogie oogie
Till you just can't boogie no more (boogie)
Boogie no moreYou can't boogie no more (boogie)
Boogie no more, listen to my bass here

Get down, boogie oogie oogie
Get down, boogie oogie oogie
Get down, boogie oogie oogie
Get down

This day has really flown by. Tonight Camille does her choir performance at Christian City. Olaf is going to take her. Gracie will probably end up going as well. I will stay home with the boys.

I still haven't bought any Scotch tape. Which means, I still haven't wrapped any Christmas presents. Wow! I need to get going. I also need to send out Christmas cards to Olaf's shop. Olaf asked me to make some sort of gifts in a jar for all the guys on his team, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not. The least expensive thing to make is Cinnamon Pancake Mix, but Olaf didn't seem too hip on that idea. I thought it would be neat to attach a $5 Blockbuster Card to a package of microwave popcorn. All I know is I am going to have to do something because Olaf will never make up his mind.

Josiah is napping in his bed. That is incredible! I usually hold him when he naps. Yes, he's my baby and I'll hold him until he's 22 if he lets me. I would love to have another baby. I need to keep that thought in my mind and lose this weight. Maybe it will motivate me to get it off faster. If I could weigh what I weight right now...when I deliver...would be SO awesome!

A lot of the blogs I read have certain things in common. One of the pages is called "100 things about me" and they are bullet statements about that person. I want to do that, but will have to create another blog and link back here. Watch the sidebar for it. Also, NO ONE has signed my guest map. Will someone PLEASE put a "pin" in my virtual map??? Look for the link in the sidebar. PLEASE!

Done begging for now! Blessings!

Tonight is Bible Study and I haven't completed the questions. I did read the chapter through a couple of times. I don't have my memory verse memorized either. As a matter of fact, I don't even know what it is.

Molly is here today. The day always goes by smoothly when she is here. The children love her and keep very busy playing. That leaves me to actually get some cleaning done. Speaking of which...toilets and tubs are calling.

Aravis is back to her old self. We haven't let her outside again, but she is wanting out. She is in my lap as I type this. She loves me! She makes biscuits constantly and purrs like crazy. She is sweet.

Josiah's nose/eyes are still swollen. Please pray for him. My thoughts run wild and my anxious heart ruminates on the "what if's." It's so hard for me to believe the best about a health situation. For some reason I am always thinking that God is going to give me something to test my faith. I know that He isn't this bully in the sky waiting to beat me over the head with His faith stick. But knowing it and truly believing it is hard for me.

I need to get going on those chores. Blessings!

Today was just another day. Camille got her school done. She had a dress rehersal for choir today and then they took photos afterwards. Olaf picked her up after work. We had baked ziti for supper. It's easy and good. I have been playing with the Works Spreadsheet because I am in charge of the Pizza Kit Fundraiser for Cami's choir this year. I have never done a spreadsheet before in my life, so I need to figure it out. Olaf says he can help me. I'm grateful for that. The Fundraiser isn't until the spring, but I'm so anal about things. I wish I had more computer skills. I took woodshop instead! LOL! Dovetail joint? No problem.

Josiah woke up with a bruised nose bridge and swollen eyes. I am hoping it's just an injury that I don't know about. We are going to watch it for a few days and see how it goes. Grace has to go back for a recheck on her ears Tuesday. We are going to Dr. Osako instead of Dr. H. She doesn't like any doctor, but Dr. H is her all time worse fear. I guess it's because he wears that thing on his head with the big light. It probably scares her.

That's it for today. Fairly mundane...

I gained

I weighed in last night even though I didn't stay for the meeting. I gained a pound. My period is due, so hopefully it's not a "true" gain! LOL! I know better though. I went grocery shopping last night. Olaf hates it when I get home because we don't have enough room in our fridge or freezer to put the food away! I feel guilty even writing that sentence because so many people have nothing and we live in abundance. I spent $150 total and bought a lot of junk food that was on sale. That total includes diapers, wipes, cat litter, cat food, and a host of other things aren't edible. I must say the best thing about coupon shopping is NOT going to WalMart. I don't miss going there in the least. I do not like crowds, but will tolerate them for the sake of my family i.e. Disney World! If I can avoid them, I will. Mostly because people drive me insane. I'm a type A kind of gal. Let's go in, get it done, and do it fast. I have no desire to dawdle and meander. Yep, I'm a perfectionist. That certainly isn't news to any of you who know me.

I have SO much to do before Christmas comes. I haven't even started wrapping presents. I need to send packages to our out of town relatives. I'm out of Scotch Tape. I'm overwhelmed at the thought of it all. Christmas isn't supposed to be this way.

I need to list some more stamps on ebay. I just spent my earnings from the last batch on my WW membership. I buy the 10 weeks for $99. I'll probably need to buy another 10 weeks before I make my goal weight and become lifetime. I know if I don't have the accountability I'll let my self slowly slip into my old habits. That isn't saying much for my self control.

Josiah did not nap today. I hope he doesn't want to take one at 6 pm. We'll be in for a long night if that happens. He pooped on the potty again today. What a big boy! I have never had a child potty train this early. He asks to go on the potty if it's poo, but he could care less about pee. Although, Olaf hasn't showed him the whole "stand up" thing yet either!;)

Oh, I have a funny Gracie story... Olaf was scolding her for trying reach for something breakable and she just wouldn't let up. After a couple times of him saying, "Grace, don't touch that!" he finally sent her to her room. On her way to the bedroom she passed Caleb in the hall. We heard her tell him, "You go touch it." Olaf looks at me in complete disbelief and says to me, "Who is she? John Gotti running the mob from prison?" The way he said it made me laugh so hard. His New York accent came out when he said it and I was rolling. Gracie, needless to say, will be the one to watch as she grows up.

OK, need to get busy. I could blog all day, but alas, motherhood calls!

Blessings!

Deep Sigh...

Camille got a full day of school in today. She is learning about invertebrates, which she is NOT too thrilled about. Her chapter from JMG is all about insects, so she is getting hammered from all sides. In math today she started having 7 as a divisor and story problems that use division and multiplication. Her story problems thus far have all been addition and subtraction. She is working on contractions now in Language Arts which is all review for her. She gets her worksheet done in 5 minutes. We didn't do history because we did Science instead. I gave her a spelling test and she missed two out of 26. Overall we had a good day of school. She is outside right now with the little ones. It's kind of damp and cold out there, but they wanted to go out and play. Needless to say, she did not want Aravis going outside today. Aravis wants out though.

I am going to weigh in this evening but not stay for the meeting. I need to go grocery shopping instead. I may just try the Core plan this week instead of counting points. The only drawback I see is not being able to eat the same things as my family. I can't eat pasta or casseroles on core plan. Its basically a low carb diet except you can eat all the fruits and veggies you want. I just need to get going again. I have taken the last month off and gotten real lazy.

Jeannie stopped by today. Audrey usually wants to stay and play but she was more than ready to go home today. I'm not sure why. She had fun while she was here though. Grace likes to play with her. So does Josiah.
I didn't have many groceries to send home with her today. Just a few bags of Lenders Bagels.

Our chapter in "Calm My Anxious Heart" is about relationships. The chapter starts out with a story almost identical to my story of my internet friend that parted ways with me. I harbor absolutely no bitterness toward my friend and would gladly resume our friendship again if she wanted to. But the chapter was about unforgiveness and bearing with the "weaker brother." To go beyond forgiveness and do special things for the one that has hurt you. Not only in prayer, but in actions. It is hard sometimes to turn the other cheek when everything within you yells out, "I DON'T WANT TO FORGIVE YOU! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE FORGIVEN!" Then I think of Jesus who forgave me before I even knew I needed it. I know I take advantage of His forgiveness a lot of times. I get up and claim the Scripture "Your mercies are new every morning!"

I need to get something tangible done. I better go. Blessings!

This is Aravis. She has since grown into her ears! As you will read below, we almost lost her Friday night.

An eventful weekend

Friday evening Aravis, our cute little calico kitten, was chased by a Great Dane. She climbed 30 feet into a tree, went into shock, and plummeted to the ground. We thought she was dead. Olaf ran her to the Emergency Vet (it was 6:00 pm on Friday) that is located about half hour away. Praise God, she survived. They had to keep her overnight because she has bruising around her lungs due to the fall. It was such an awful experience. Camille was distraught because she thought her kitten was dead. It was so hard to watch her mourn like that. Aravis is home now, but a different kitty. She is very nervous and really doesn't want to be around any people. I am hoping that she will get over that. You can tell she is still in pain which is understandable when you fall 30 feet. I just am so thankful to God that she is alive.

Saturday was busy as well. Camille sang on the court square and did a great job. She stepped right up to that microphone and sang her solo with no hesitation. I was very proud of her. After they got done singing, I pulled back Gracie's hair and noticed her ear canal was full of blood and puss. I hurriedly called Newnan Pediatrics which closes at noon on Saturday. It was 11:55 am. They told me to come on in, praise God! Gracie has a ruptured ear drum due to an infection. She didn't complain that her ear hurt! She doesn't have a cold, or congestion... There was no reason to even think she may have an ear infection. Now she is on oral antibiotics as well as ear drop antibiotics. Once we got home from the doctor...

We went and got our Christmas tree! They had the bunnies again. I think the picture of Josiah is below this post. That was fun for the children. After the children went to bed last night, Olaf started decorating the house for Christmas. He's much better at that than I am. We don't have a lot of "things" but he does a good job with what we have. Christmas was always special for Olaf growing up. His mother made a big deal out of the holiday and Olaf still has that inside him. It's funny because he wants everything to be perfect and always ends up getting super stressed. That makes no sense to me.

Today is the Christmas parade. Camille has to be there at 2:00 pm and the parade starts at 3:00 pm. After the parade we need to run to WalMart for a few things. Tante Babel wants tube socks and we cannot find them anywhere. We are hoping WalMart has some. We also are out of Scotch Tape. I guess my grocery shopping will have to be put off until tomorrow. I really wanted to go back to WW since I didn't get to go last Monday.

OK, I am going to try to post a few more pictures. Blessings!

This is Gracie with a bunny at the Christmas Tree Farm.

This is Josiah holding the bunny at the Christmas Tree Farm.

Buckling Down!

I need to start counting my WW points again. I have been so lax since my birthday. That was a month ago! Today I am counting points. I am already at 12, so I have 12 more to go. Olaf wants pizza for dinner, so I can have 2 slices of veggie pizza. I think they are 6 points each. No snacking today! Well, unless its veggies.

Camille did math, language and spelling today. I think ABeka math can be a little extreme sometimes. I don't think a public school third grader is learning the crazy things she is learning. Converting pecks to bushels??? C'mon! I mean, it's good to know...but in the third grade??

I am so happy it's Friday. My dear husband will be home. Maybe we'll get our out-of-town packages wrapped so we can ship them. We want to get our Christmas tree this weekend too. We cut it down at a local tree farm. It's a family owned farm and they have fun things for the kids to do there. Last year they had baby bunnies that they let the children hold. They had a pit to roast marshmellows and a walking trail around a lake. It was fun for everyone. Camille has to sing downtown tomorrow and then has the Christmas parade on Sunday afternoon. We'll probably get the tree after Cami sings on Saturday.

Did you see my cool new graphic in the sidebar? I LOVE it. If you click it it will take you to a real neat website for women. Make sure to register and check out the bulletin boards.

Arrrggghhh! I'm hungry and I just ate lunch!

Blessings!

Chaos!

My life feels like chaos a lot of time. Does yours?

Camille is currently in her room doing math. I am in my pj's. I am in the process of washing clothes. That is one chore I enjoy. I love doing laundry. I even enjoy ironing Olaf's shirts for work. I love that clean laundry smell. I really need to be more diligent to work with Gracie on her numbers and letters. I haven't even started. I started homeschooling Camille in the first grade so she went to school for pre-k and Kindergarten. I didn't have to teach her the basics!:) I think the little ones have picked up a lot just being around Camille. They count when they play hide and seek and they sing the ABC's together. Gracie certainly doesn't sing the ABC's perfectly, but she gets most of the letters correct. She can count up to about 13 or 14 before she mixes up the rest. I think I'll seriously start homeschooling her next Fall.

Tonight is the ladies Bible study. It's been two weeks since we have met because of Thanksgiving. My memory verse this week is, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransome for many." Matthew 20:28 The chapter is about being content with our roles. And serving is certainly the biggest thing a mom does. Ms. Mike quoted someone as saying, "The true test of a servant is acting like one when you're treated like one." I know I fail that test. I fail that one BIG TIME.

Can you believe it's ?? I can't!

Blessings!

After much irritation...

I finally got that dern picture to post. I tried and tried last night, but our computer was acting goofy. So, I cleared the cache and it worked. Our computer still cannot run a scandisk without stopping. I told Olaf last night we just need to buy a new one! If we could afford one I'd be on the phone with Dell!:)

I took that picture after the children had been outside playing in the dirt. Actually, Camille had been planting Hosta and the other children were literally playing in the dirt. Caleb and Josiah were sitting in a pile of dirt with buckets and shovels! It was cute watching Josiah and Caleb together. Caleb's mental retardation places him at about Gracie's age, so it's a delight to see him interacting with the younger children. Camille is still his best friend though. He adores her.

Today is choir. Another two hour practice. Olaf will get off early to go pick her up. They will be performing in downtown Newnan this Saturday on the court square. Then Sunday is the Christmas parade. Then next Friday night they perform at Christian City. Then Monday the 13th is their actual performance at the church. Busy. I think we have JMG today too!

I put a GuestMap in the sidebar. Please put a post on the map for me!

Blessings!

This is our Christmas photo this year! Too cute!

It worked out

Caleb did fine at Fantasy in Lights. We rode the Jolley Trolley and he got a little bored toward the end. Other than that, he did great. It was fun to see Grace's face. She was in awe of the lights and had the most fun. When we got back to the starting area, Caleb and Camille shared a caramel apple topped with M&M's, and Grace and Josiah shared a Cotton Candy.

Four of my stamp sets sold on Ebay. I mailed them out yesterday and ran a few errands. We went to the pharmacy to pick up Caleb's prescription, then to Target and then to Kohl's. Target had a women's fleece jacket on sale for $10 so I got one for Camille. It's very cute. I also got Gracie some "tomato" aka Play-Doh for her stocking. This is a typical question with Gracie phonetics: "Mom, aster yurnch can I pay wif tomato?" It is SO cute. I LOVE it when they mispronounce words.

I'm sending my out of town Christmas cards out today. I ordered some prints of the children's photo at www.photoworks.com and got them yesterday. I also ordered my postage stamps online. I ended up getting the ornaments because I never like the "Madonna and Child." I would love a nativity scene on a stamp. Or just baby Jesus with a star. Kind of like the graphic in the sidebar. Maybe I should suggest it.

My calf is still hurting and I can feel a lump under the skin. I think I'll call and make an appointment. Camille is not going riding today because she is being disciplined for last weeks school meltdown. After I worte about it, she melted down again and got another priviledge take away. Now, no Molly AND no riding lesson.

I went grocery shopping last night because I didn't get to go on Sunday. I bought a lot of groceries. I got two more turkeys because they are still .69 lb. That is a lot of meat for less than $9 each. The things I got for free (or less than a dime) were; Publix 16 ct sliced cheese (that was the penny coupon), Rice a Roni, refridgerated Lender's Bagels (I got 6 packs of those and they paid me .15 each to buy them!), and Swiss Miss cocoa (qty 3).
Oh, and I got 2 Aunt Jemimah frozen breakfasts for free as well. It's so fun getting free stuff. Caleb's occupational therapist was checking out in front of me at Publix. Her cart was loaded with groceries and her total was $253.00. My cart was almost as loaded and my total was $59.00. I spent $97.00 at Kroger though. It was at Kroger where I bought 2 chuck roasts ($1.99 lb) as well as the bulk of the other stuff.

Last night Gracie got out of bed crying. She said she needed to go pee. So she cried on the toilet for awhile (she was still sleepy) and finally went potty. She calmed down and I put her back to bed. I covered her up and she looked at me and said, "Mom, I love you!" It was so sweet. I have been SO blessed that God gave me these children.

Need to get school done. Blessings!

Fantasy in Lights

We plan on going to Callaway this evening for Fantasy in Lights. Caleb says he doesn't want to go, so we'll see if he ruins the trip for everyone. We would get him a babysitter, but I don't know anyone that can babysit that doesn't go to church Sunday evenings. It's expensive to go, so I really hope he's fine with it. On the Fourth of July at Callaway he pooped in his pants. I hope we don't have a repeat of that.

My calf is hurting and I am convinced I have DVT. Of course, a blood clot is going to break away and kill me. I was all set to go to the ER this morning but Olaf thinks I'm crazy. So, maybe I'll make an appointment to go to the doctor this week. Maybe not. Good thing our ladies bible study is doing "Calm My Anxious Heart." It's not helping me, is it? LOL!

I have some stamp sets on ebay that end today. Four of the 7 sets have the minimum bid. That means I'll be running to the PO tomorrow to mail them out. Or giving them to Olaf to take to work with him. He passes a PO on the way to work.

November is almost over! It has gone by fast. December is going to busy with Camille's choir schedule too. I hope to get a lot of school done in December.

I need to get in the shower. Blessings!

Shopping...

I went out shopping yesterday and that was the dumbest thing I have ever done! I went to Kohl's and the line was wrapped around the entire store to check out. Then I walked over to Parable Christian Bookstore and looked around. Then I went to Eckerd and bought some chocolate for the kids stockings. Then to Dollar General where I got Caleb a present. Caleb is so hard to buy for. He destroys everything he gets so we really don't weant to spend a lot of money on toys. I am trying to think outside the box and think of things that are not toys that he would like. He loves baseball caps, so maybe that's an idea. The other children have plenty.

I'm not sure what the plan is for today! I know I have eaten like a PIG this week. I am dreading weigh in on Monday. Blessings!

Christmas Season

It's offically the Christmas Season. Well, at least in my book. Tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year and I'd like to do my share. If only I had some money!:)

Thanksgiving dinner was great. Olaf did a good job. I took Camille to see "The Polar Express" tonight. She really enjoyed it. I thought it was OK. Just wait for the video if you can.

For some reason I am really hungry right now. I ate popcorn and whoppers at the movie theater. I ate a turkey sandwich when I got home from the movies...why am I so hungry???

Hope you like the new graphics. I am amazed at people's generosity when they give away these graphics for free. All the blinkies came from the first three blinkies that are linked to their webpages. Visit and get some blinkies of your own! For some stupid reason, they're addictive. Blessings!

Thanksgiving Eve

It's the evening before Thanksgiving and my home smells like pumpkin pie. I wonder how many other homes across the United States smell like pumpkin pie right now? I have SO much to be thankful for. Thank you my Heavenly Father for my salvation that You have provided me, my wonderful husband, the children I never thought I would have, my health and the health of my family, and on and on... You have blessed me beyond measure and I am truly grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Struggling today

I'm having a little bit of a "situation" today with Camille regarding homeschooling. I was working with her on her seven times tables with flashcards when she started crying. I asked her why she was crying and she said it was because she didn't want to do the flashcards. I told her that she needed to change her attitude and we were going to work on the flashcards until she made some progress with her seven times tables. I ended up disciplining her for her attitude (when she had several opportunities to change it) by taking away playing privledges with her best friend. You would have thought I shot the girl with a rifle! She was wailing like a professional mourner at a Hebrew funeral. Now I have ammunition!:) I am still not certain that homeschooling is the best thing for either of us at this point. She sure isn't seeing a Godly example at home from me or Olaf for that matter. The only thing she is getting here that she wouldn't be getting in public school is curriculum from a Christian perspective. She is also missing the bullying and bad influence of the other children, but she is being bullied and has the bad influence of her mother. Which is worse? Which one is the lesser of two evils? I want to preserve some relationship with Camille and I feel like I cannot do that while she is home. On the other hand, I know that sending her to school will not solve all the problems. Also, Olaf is adamant that Camille will not go to public school and I have to submit to his decision. I feel so overwhelmed and torn most of the time. It is a huge stress in my life and has been for the three years I have schooled her at home. Again, I throw up my hands in desperation and ask God to help me be the woman He has created me to be, and to accomplish the mission He has given me.

Josiah is going poo on the potty, so I need to go sit with him.

Blessings!

AAARRRGGGHHH!

This is my fourth, yes fourth, time trying to post on my blog. I have typed the same information so many times, I'm sick of doing it!:) In a nutshell:

Fernbank was worth every penny...nothing! Evolution abounds, but some stuff was fun and educational. It's hard going to a museum with little ones and a mentally challenged son. It would have cost $54 for our family to get in. I am so happy it was free.

Today Camille has a two hour choir practice. I am hoping someone else can bring her home. Caleb's bus is unpredictable and I don't want the bus to beat me home. Especially since today he had a sub driver and she was on time this morning. That is rare.

Josiah has slept part of the night in his bed the past two nights. Hallelujah! I have to admit, I do miss cuddling with him. When he cries in the middle of the night I scoop him up and put him in bed with us. I am enjoying every minute of my "baby." I don't know if the Lord will bless us again.

I gained weight this week. It caught up with me! Check my weight loss blog tomorrow to see how much.

Need to get school done before choir. I am hoping this posts...

Busy as a bee...

We went to church this morning then went out to eat at Golden Corral afterwards. Olaf got $15 in Golden Corral "bucks" for coaching Caleb's little league team. When we got home, we did the coupon thing and then I went grocery shopping. Olaf will be making our Thanksgiving meal this year. We would really like to invite someone over that doesn't have anywhere to go, but the Lord hasn't told us who that person/people are yet. If you're reading this and need a place to eat Thanksgiving dinner...let me know. Hey, Charity! What is your family doing for Thanksgiving? Want to spend it with us?

Fernbank was worth every penny; NOTHING! If I had to pay the $54 for our family to go in there, I would have been ticked. Some parts were fun and educational. You just have to look over all the evolution stuff that they teach as fact, not theory. I would like to go to their planetareum someday though.

Josiah actually slept in his own bed part of the night last night. He is in his crib sleeping right now as well. Friday afternoon I put him in his crib awake for his nap. He screamed for about two hours but finally laid down and slept for two. I think him being in the crib, in the daytime, helped ease his fears about being in there at night. Olaf said he slept so good last night not having the baby in bed with us. I actually slept better after the baby woke up and I put him in the bed with us in the middle of the night. I really pray the Lord blesses us with another child. I love babies. Especially newborns. I would like to lose some more weight before I get pregnant though.

Try the Gingerbread Coffeemate. It's even better than the Peppermint Mocha! Yummy! I got mine at Kroger.

Blessings!

Fernbank

Fernbank Museum of Natural History is giving away FREE admission to members of Callaway Gardens. We probably wouldn't go otherwise. I mean, who wants to pay $$ for being indoctrinated in evolutionary theories? It's the perfect day for Fernbank because the weather outside is kind of yucky. I'll post tomorrow and let you know how it was. In the meantime here is a link if you want to visit: http://www.fernbank.edu/museum/

Olaf has made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. They smell yummy. I'll probably eat one:) I weighed myself this morning and am up a few pounds. I am hoping it's not a "true" weight. We'll see Monday night.

Our trip to Brusters was fun. The children watched him make ice cream in the big machine. They watched him make a waffle cone. The got to taste the ice cream as it was coming out of the machine. Everyone got a cute baby cone and a coupon for a free scoop. They had fun. The whole tour was probably 30 minutes from start to finish. The manager was very nice. As he was pouring the mix into the measuring cups he told us the reason Brusters ice cream is so good is because they "moo" when pouring it. He made all of us moo real loud. Last night as Grace was telling Olaf about the field trip she said, "And when we all moo'd it made the ice cream taste good."

Off to eat. Blessings!

Brusters

We will be leaving in a few minutes for our field trip to Brusters. We are going with two other families to have a tour of the facility (it's tiny! How long can that take?) and sample some ice cream. If you don't know what Brusters is...it's only the best ice cream place on the planet! I don't really like ice cream too much, but my family loves it. Especially Olaf and Camille. It gives me a tummy ache. The children are excited about going.

Last night at Bible Study the women all laid hands on me and prayed for me. I shared with them (and now you) that I am having some major oppression from the enemy regarding depression. I feel like if I have to do one more thing, or even if one more thing is expected from me, that I am going to collapse under the weight and have a mental breakdown. I feel inches from being admitted into a mental hospital at times. Please pray for me if you feel led from the Lord. It was interesting to hear the way the different gals prayed for me. You could hear their gifts from the Lord come out in their prayers for me. Some showed compassion and empathy, some prayed with spiritual boldness rebuking the enemy, some prayed for me to recognize sin in my life and repent... I was blessed by all of them. I wish I had my internet friend to share my struggles with. It still plays in my mind the words she ended our friendship with. That is something else I have to let God take care of. I'm sure thinking of it is just adding more stress into my already anxious heart. If you are reading this Wendy, I am praying for you and your family. I miss you.

OK, I need to get shoes on Josiah and get going to Brusters. Blessings to all who take the time to read my ramblings.

Blessed Be Your Name

in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name
when Im found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing You pour out
Ill turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in
Lord Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
when the suns shining down on me
When the worlds all as it should be
Blessed be Your name

And blessed be Your name
on the road marked with suffering
Though theres pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

What a great song by Tree 63! We sing it in church and I absolutely love this song. I'll post more tomorrow. It was a great night at Bible Study! Blessings!

Busy Wednesday

I have a moment to post before I have to take Camille to JMG. I was very blessed today in the fact that Jeannie took Camille to choir for me. She happened to stop by 15 minutes before we were to leave for choir. She drives right by the church on her way home, so I asked her if she wouldn't mind dropping Camille off. You see, Josiah woke up at 5 am this morning and never went back to sleep. He really needed a nap and I knew that he would fall asleep in the car on the way to choir. Then he would have been really fussy the rest of the day because that 15 minute car ride would have been the ONLY nap he took! It worked out well. Then, come to find out, Camille didn't have to stay after for extra practice. She called me and I went and got her. We leave for JMG in about 45 minutes. Camille did math, language arts and spelling today. JMG will count for science. The seven times table was introduced today and I realized that I can't count by 7's! LOL! I have the times tables memorized, but when I try to skip count I get all messed up. Anyway, she did well. She only missed three problems on her entire math worksheet. The desk in her room is helping us a lot. Tomorrow I need to call the school system to see if I can get Cami evaluated for occupational therapy. I have a feeling that it will be a lot of red tape. If I can't get it done through the school system then I will go up to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Oh, I tried the most wonderful coffee stuff! It's CoffeMate Peppermint Mocha and it's only out for the holidays. If you like mint hot chocolate, then try this in your coffee. It's delicious. I want to try the Gingerbread next. I think I'll go have anothe half cup!

Blessings!

My girls and me! 

Camille and Mama before Thanksgiving Tea!

Running again..

Tuesday morning is riding lessons. We drive over 30 minutes each way for an hour lesson. I'm thinking of going twice a month vs. once a week. Just for MY benefit:) I hope to get some school done today. It's hard with all this running around that we do on Tuesday's and Wednesday's. Tomorrow Camille has to stay after regular choir practice for solo choir practice. I will see if Terri Terrell can bring her home. If not, then Josiah is going to be miserable with no nap.

Check out my weight loss blog to see how I fared last night.

Blessings!

Time to pay the piper

Yes, tonight is weigh in night. After two weeks of celebrating my birthday, I'll see how much damage has been done.

We went to Callaway Gardens yesterday. It was sunny and cool. We rode bikes about an hour again. This time we rode on the trail to the azalea Bowl and got off the bikes and walked around the garden. Josiah was so tired because he had not had his nap. Next time we ride bikes, we need to make sure that little guy isn't so sleepy. The weather was perfect though. I think the high was in the upper 50's which is great if you are riding a bike! Grace and Josiah were bundled up though.

Last night, I went grocery shopping. I saved 49% at Kroger. Our family is buying Thanksgiving dinner for a local family that cannot afford it, so I bought two turkeys at Kroger at .69 lb. I got DelMonte canned veggies for .22 per can, Gold Medal 100% Whole Wheat Bread for .95 loaf (not as great of a deal as last week!), Huggies diapers $7.48, milk .99 half gallon (I bought 3 gallons), 20 pound bag Purina Dog Food $7.49, and a whole lotta other stuff. My total at Kroger was $87.16. At Publix, I got 5 lbs of Dixie Crystal sugar for .90 each, so I bought three. The bulk of my shopping was at Kroger this week though.

Josiah still will not sleep in his bed. He screams like he is terrified. Last night he woke up several times saying "hurt" but I'm not sure where exactly he was hurting. He had a major poo in the toilet last night before going to bed, so maybe it was his tummy. He's cute when he sits on the potty. He has to look at the Readers Digest and he sits on the potty about 1/2 hour before he even starts to poo. He's a man! He's taking his time. He must have learned from Olaf.

OK, girls are up. I need to go! Blessings!

Homeschool Tea

Today I took the girls to Tammy's church (where I go for Bible Study) for a homeschool Thanksgiving Tea. It was very nice. I wore my hat that I got last year for Christmas. It's a black quilted hat with red flowers in the front. Needless to say, I was the only one in a hat, but it was fun for me. Ms. Mike prayed and did a devotional, Katie Frost (age 12) dressed up as a pilgrim and did a little speech on what the Pilgrims endured, there was great food and of course, tea. I would say there were about 35 to 40 people there. Everything looked feminine and lovely. Grace, Camille and Mama had a nice time.

If the weather is nice tomorrow, we plan on going to Callaway Gardens and riding bikes again. I haven't exercised all week, so bike riding will be good for me. I will be weighing in on Monday and I am not sure if I have lost or not. We may go to church first or we may just worship at home. Speaking of worshipping, I need to go over my chapter in "Calm My Anxious Heart" again. It's all about loving ME and accepting myself. God created me, including my personality, and "I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14 It's so hard to really accept myself sometimes. But, to know that God created me to accomplish His purposes through me, is humbling. No one else can do it...

Blessings!

He's guilty!

Oh, I am so happy that Scott Peterson was just found guilty. I was afraid that this jury, after all it's troubles and juror dismissals, would hang. I really believe justice has finally been served for Laci and baby Connor. The penalty phase starts on the 22nd I think. No matter what you think about the death penalty, this man will never get out of prison and I am so happy about that.

I am going to start writing our Christmas letter this weekend. For some of you my letter won't contain any new news because you are keeping up with us via this website. I would love to get a photo to send as well. I need to get that taken in the next week or two.

OK, just had to get my excitement out about the verdict!

Quick Week

It's Friday and it feels like it's been a quick week. Praise God!

Grace woke up this morning from a bad dream. The weird thing is, I had the same dream she did although it wasn't last night. Grace dreamed that she got ran over by a car while Papa was holding her hand. The car ran over her head and she said it hurt. A few weeks back I had the same dream. We were in a parking lot and a truck backed out right on top of Grace while Olaf was holding her hand. That is just a little too freaky that we had almost the same dream. If my dreams weren't so whacked ALL THE TIME, I'd probably read more into it than I should. I just need to pray over this situation and hand it over to the Lord. Be anxious for nothing but by everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I called Dr. Osako's office this morning to talk to her about Camille. She won't be in until Tuesday, so I left a message with Charles, her nurse. Camille really needs occupational therapy I believe. She still has trouble buttoning, brushing her hair, brushing her teeth properly, etc. It's almost as if she cannot manipulate her hands correctly. It's hard to describe.

OK, I need to get this morning started. The children are eating right now. I need to eat and get school started with Camille. Blessings!

Boring Day...

Not much in the way of news today. Molly came over and played with the children for a few hours. This evening the ladies from the Bible Study all went out to eat at Golden's and then back to the church to help get ready for the Homeschool Tea this Saturday. I didn't do anything except fold napkins. I love Golden's on Thursday's. I had fried squash, sweet potato casserole and cooked cabbage. It was delicious but now my intestines are twisted with gas.

I am glad tomorrow is Friday. I love the weekends.

Blessings,

We actually had a date!

Well, we actually left the children last night and went out to eat all by ourselves. Josiah didn't even cry. How's that for blessed? Some friends got us a gift certificate for Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse which fully paid for our meal and tip. When we got home, Tanya refused to be paid for the 2 hours she was here. She said she wanted me to use the money on my birthday instead. I tried to give it to her, but she was so sweet and would not accept it. I am just so thankful everything worked out well. The children really like Tanya. Even Grace played with her. Tanya, if you're reading this, THANK YOU!

After the children went to bed last night, Olaf helped me separate the Gooseberry Patch Fundraiser that Cami's choir did. That took a few hours. Josiah was screaming in his crib the entire time. We put him to bed about 8:30 and when I went to bed at 10:30 he was still screaming. I picked him up and he was shaking, well trembling is a more accurate word, and he said "mama, I 'cared." I laid him down next to me in my bed and he rolled over and went to sleep. I'm not sure what to do in this situation. He used to go to bed just fine. We'd put him in the crib awake and he'd just suck his thumb and fall asleep. This "scared" thing is new to us. We would move him out of our room, but there is no place to put him.

Today is crazy day. It's choir and Junior Master Gardener's. Camille was in the paper again with JMG. She even made the Atlanta Journal Constitution in the Coweta section. The AJC is such a liberal paper.

Need to run and get the day started. Blessings!

It's My Birthday

This morning I woke up and Caleb gave me his present. It was a small Yankee Candle, Home Sweet Home scent. He was so excited to give it to me. Then when the girls got up, they gave me their presents. Camille gave me a beautiful Willow Tree angel holding a kitty. Grace gave me a Scripture card holder. It is very lovely and feminine. Josiah presented me with a keychain that has says "God keeps His promises." It was so sweet of them. A man that Olaf works with, Dave Bergen, made me a HUGE bouquet of shaped balloons. He made flowers and bears and all kinds of neat things. That was so nice of him. Olaf's present was wrapped in white paper that had a big flammable sticker on it. When I opened it there were 100 brand new, in sequential order, one dollar bills with a lighter taped on top. It is money to burn!:) He also had a printed piece of paper from www.wheresgeorge.com You register the serial numbers of the dollar bills and you can track them to see where they go. If you know me at all, you know as soon as I opened it I was at the computer registering those bills. I am currently in the process of writing on each bill "to track this bill go to www.wheresgeorge.com" Olaf has the children at Camille's riding lesson, so I am home alone right now. Tonight Olaf and I are supposed to go out to eat. I hope I can leave Josiah even though he is going to be crying. I'm not sure if I will be able to do it. I'll let you know.

Blessings!

Oh what a beautiful morning...

Oh what a beautiful day.
I've got a beautiful feeling,
Everything's going my way...
Oh what a beautiful day!

In case you're not a musical fan, that is from Oklahoma!

The weather is just gorgeous and Camille has the little ones outside. We all went for a walk and they stayed out to play. I need to go out there as well. The Great Dane from next door is playing with them. He is very gentle and sweet. His name is Picasso.

Caleb's bus came this morning! YAY! His driver has had vertigo all last week. She's back now and boy does that make it easier on me. Someone dissect that last sentence and put in the correct punctuation. I know there should be some commas in there:) I guess I'll learn it when Camille does.

Did anyone watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition last night? That was a tear jerker. I think that is the first time I have seen Ty cry. Paul always cries and that's why I like him the best!

OK, off to play with my children. Tomorrow is my birthday. I am pushing 40!

Blessings!

Grocery Shopping

We went to church this morning and then I did the usual grocery shopping. I only spent $80 for the week, so that is terrific. I bought the sale items at Publix and Kroger and we should be set for the week. Our menu this week includes: poppyseed chicken casserole, meatloaf, a new chicken tortilla skillet, spaghetti and meatballs, sloppy joes, and baked ziti. I got some great bargains using the coupons and buying the sale items. Kroger has Gold Medal 100% Whole Wheat Bread on sale for $1.29 and I had a .55 coupon. I paid .74 for a loaf of bread! I got a 3.5 pound bag of Friskies Cat Food for $1.99. I paid .39 for Hunt's Ketchup after coupon. For Purex Laundry Detergent I paid $1.29 for a box that does 44 loads. It was on sale for $1.99 and I had a .35 coupon which was doubled. Hmmm....what else? I got Hunt's Tomato Sauce for free. I just love this coupon shopping. It's fun to see how much I can save. Oh, and I got Aquafresh Toothpaste for .50!

I am not going to Weight Watchers tomorrow and it's NOT because I gained! LOL! When I started I bought this coupon deal. It is 10 weeks for $99. Well, one of the coupons is for a "free" week. If you miss a week, you can give them that free coupon and then a regular coupon for the next time you go. If I don't use the "free" coupon, it's like I am getting ripped off a week! So, I am skipping tomorrow night.

Heidi at church this morning said something about my weight loss. That was very nice. It's nice when people start noticing.

Need to run. The children have stamps and markers at the table and I'm certain that they are a mess.

Beautiful Day at Callaway

It was mahvelous today at Callaway! The weather was perfect. We rode bikes for about an hour. Josiah got tired of sitting in the seat behind me and he kept trying to push me off the bike. He had his little hands on my big rear and kept yelling, "OFF MAMA!" The down side is I think I may have fall allergies. When we got done riding the bikes, I got in the van and my sinuses and throat felt so gross. Just like they were full of something. It's weird. I absolutely love autumn though. It is my favorite season.

Next Tuesday Olaf and I decided to go to Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse. I am getting a filet with a baked potato and a glass of red wine. It will be expensive, but someone has bought us a gift certificate there which will help defray my extravagant taste! LOL! Tanya, from our church, is going to watch the children for us. She is a wonderful Christian woman that we just adore. I'm not sure how Josiah is going to react, but I know he'll live. We will be out about 2 hours so I'm sure he'll survive.

I have noticed since I am losing weight you can really see the wrinkles in my face. I guess my skin is looser now. Time for Botox. I'm joking!!!

Wishing you a great Sunday!

Finally Friday!

My husband is home from work and giving the littles a bath as I write. The weather is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow, so we plan on heading down to Callway Gardens. We may do some biking while we are there. The high is supposed to be 65 degrees and sunny.

Last night at the Bible Study, my friends celebrated my birthday. It was so sweet. Tammy Pitts gave me "Stepping Heavenward" from Lamplighter Publishing. I cannot wait to read it. Charity gave me some flavored coffee. I am going to make some this evening after the children go to bed. Krista and Ms. Mike gave me a lovely ceramic plaque with the Serenity Prayer on it. Krista also gave me some quick bread mix from Williams-Sonoma. Suzanne gave me a prayer journal that is just beautiful. They made some great refreshments which included Tammy Pitts' cookies. Yes, I have eaten WAY too much this week. I just can't resist Tammy's cookies. It's so nice to have such wonderful friends. The things they worte in their cards was so kind and humbling. I am very blessed to have every one of them in my life.

My throat is a bit sore and I'm not sure why. Please, oh please Lord, no more sickness. Olaf has had a sore throat for over a month now.

Notice the tag board! Tag me if you want to. Just type in a message and it'll pop up there. When I see it, I'll tag you back! FUN! Gotta love this blog thing. I changed my graphics too. These are also from Graphic Garden for free. These talented people share their graphics just for a link back to their website. Very nice indeed.

I sure hope Caleb's bus driver is on the route Monday. This has been a crazy week running him to school and back.

Blessings!

Almost the weekend...

I get excited on Thursday's. It's almost the weekend and my husband will be home. He's my best friend and I love having him here. It's also Bible Study night, so I look forward to that.

I am waiting for Caleb's bus to get here. They are doubling the routes because his bus driver is sick. I have no idea what time the bus will come this morning. I just keep looking out the front door. Everyone is up except Josiah.

We bought Camille a cheap desk yesterday at Big Lots. Olaf set it up in her room for her to do her school work in there. She seems to do better and not get as frustrated if she is alone when she is working. Then she can't ask me for every little thing and expect me to help her if she gets stuck. She can figure it out at her own pace and I don't have to watch her cry. I am hoping this cuts down on my frustration level as well.

TIME LAPSE:
I took Caleb to school. The transportation office said the bus wouldn't even get to my house until after 8 am. So, I loaded up the children and drove the 25 minutes one way to Caleb's school. It was raining pretty hard when we left. There was a wreck on the one of the roads that slowed us down. It took me an hour and twenty minutes round trip.

I am going to pick up Molly at 12:30 today so the girls can play with her. All of my children love Molly. She is Camille's best friend. She used to be our next door neighbor but they moved about 4 years ago. I miss them! It was so nice to have them there.

Off to start school with Camille....

I voted!

I voted today. I waited until about 3:30 and didn't have a line at all. I drove by my polling place at 8:10 am and the line was outside and around the corner! I drove by again at 11:00 am and the same thing. At 3:30, I walked right up with no one in front of me.

Tomorrow Caleb has a well visit at the pediatrician. I want him to get the flu shot because of his immune system being weakened. I am hoping that by immunizing him, it will protect our family as well. He goes to public school and is in contact with a lot of children. Olaf took the day off so I only have to take him in without the other children.

I am so tired. The news is on behind me doing a play by play of the election results. I think I'll be in bed before the president is announced.

We went to CiCi's tonight. Oh, I don't like going there. It's so easy to overeat. I ate three pieces of pizza and a salad. I also ate 2 of those cinnamon rolls. I didn't do so good, huh? I really need to make up for it with exercise this week.

Blessings!

Manic Monday

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my funday
My I don't have to runday
It's just another manic Monday

Well, it wasn't too manic. I am about ready to leave here and go weigh in. Then I am going to a ladies fellowship at the church where I go for my Bible Study. They are having a Jewish believer give her testimony. I probably won't post tonight if I lost or not, but look for it tomorrow afternoon sometime. I sure hope I did. My scale says a pound.

Camille did school today. The whole enchilada. Jeannie came over for a visit and ended up taking 6 bags of groceries home. She comes over to "shop." I love being able to help her. She is eating vegetarian right now, so she took a lot of canned vegtables and mac n cheese.

Tomorrow is manic Tuesday! It's riding lesson day not to mention VOTING. Please go out and vote your conscience tomorrow.

Until then....blessings!

Daylight Savings Ends....YUCK!

We really don't like it when we have to "fall behind" with the time change. Most people get an extra hour of sleep, but not us! Caleb wakes up at 5 am every morning, so now he wakes up at 4 am. We actually like the "spring ahead" time change much better.

The toilet in the hall bathroom broke tonight. The handle snapped and the valve isn't working. Olaf is fixing it as I write this. The children are going absolutely nuts behind me. The decible level in this house could compete with a rock concert right now. They are having fun though. The house just shakes as they run through it. I am so grateful that my children play so well together.

We don't participate in Halloween, so we have turned the light off and covered the oval window in our front door. I also hung a sign on the door that says "No Candy" just in case some kids come up to a completely dark house. Our doorbell is disconnected, and so far no one has knocked. Grace doesn't even know there is such a thing as Halloween. I'm grateful for that. Caleb has been doing Halloween things since the beginning of October in public school. I am so glad it's over for this year.

Well, I need to run and get my children into bed. Please sign my guestbook or e-mail me to let me know you've been here! Thanks so much!