Saturday, December 31, 2005

The Duet that wasn't...

almost. After we went to Lowe's last night to make our Duet purchase (on sale for 2 more days if you want one), we came home and measured the laundry closet. Yes, we should have done that first! We called Lowe's back and told them to cancel delivery for today because that way cool Duet was not going to fit in our laundry closet. Major bummer. I asked Olaf if you can stack the Duet? We did an online search and YES you can stack a Duet if you purchase a Duet stacking kit. We remeasured and still...not enough room. We needed a few more inches. Olaf went to Lowe's and bought this. Now we can stack the Duet and it will fit in my laundry closet. Woo Hoo! It is scheduled for delivery on Monday.

Friday, December 30, 2005

2005 in review

January - Celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary. Went out on a date with my husband. Our women's Bible Study was doing "Calm My Anxious Heart". Saw Dennis Swanberg in concert. Went to a Homeschool Winter Tea. Had a rare ice storm in Georgia. Olaf took a 10% pay cut.

February - Everyone except Caleb was sick with the flu. He got the shot!:)

March - Started doing the FIRM. Camille turned nine. Caleb's spring baseball season started. Caleb's spring horse riding therapy started. Olaf's back completely locked up for a few days. I got my hair layered a bit.

April - Caleb competed in the Special Olympics. He also had spring break that month.

May - I had a root canal. Went to the GA Homeschool Conference. Olaf went to the cardiologist for testing. Everything was fine, praise God! Camille had her homeschool choir performance. Grace turned four. My friend, Karen, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Last day of school for Caleb.

June - I went on antibiotics for some ailment. Registered for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk in honor of Karen. Had my yearly GYN appointment. Went to the dentist for my crown that didn't fit. Took Josiah to the doctor for tachycardia.

July - Camille started 4th grade! Shasta, our cat, went to the Emergency Vet for what turned out to be an abscess. Olaf interviewed for a foreman position. Stopped doing the FIRM! LOL!

August - Olaf found out he made foreman. Caleb started school. Fall baseball started for Caleb and Camille. I am training for my 3 Day Walk. Got a crown that fit.

September - Olaf went to Germany for five days. Caleb turned 10. Another pay cut announced. We went to the county fair. Olaf turned 37.

October - The 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk! I met Cheri and Holly from Women at Home! That was SO awesome.

November - I turned 38. Chantell got married. Took another 9% pay cut. (That's 19% total in less than a year!)

December - Josiah turned three. My friend, Jeannie, had a baby boy! My girls got their ears pierced. My friend Tammy from high school sent my children Christmas presents. I got a new digital camera and a new washer and dryer is being delivered today thanks to 12 months no interest, 10% off, and free delivery! My washer can only wash on the heavy duty cycle and it is tearing up our clothes.

It's almost the New Year

2006 is just a few days away. Amazing. It really is true that once you have children, the days seem to fly by. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be.

Olaf and I were really excited when my period was three days late. We thought maybe, just maybe, the Lord had blessed us again with a baby. But alas, she reared her ugly head and we were disappointed. The infertility roller coaster is never fun. Even if you already have children, the longing and yearning for another baby is still real. Time is no longer on my side. So, would you put us on your personal prayer list and pray that the Lord opens my womb again?

My friend had her baby last night. (Ironic that I start my period yesterday and she has her baby.) He was much bigger than her other two weighing in at 9 lbs 2 oz. He came 12 days early according to her due date. She tried to have him at home but got too tired and went to the hospital for the epidural so she could push more effectively. I guess she had a cervical lip and couldn't push through it at home. She had her other children at home with no problem. Maybe it was because they were smaller??? I dunno.

Olaf has asked me to go to Paris with him for an Avionics conference in April. Unfortunately, we have no one that would come stay with our children for a week. My mom will not fly (she hasn't even seen Grace or Josiah) and I don't know who else to ask. It's not an easy task. Caleb requires more attention than normal since he could have a seizure etc. He is also up at 5 am, so I need someone kind and compassionate. Someone like Ms. Martha. She is the pastor's wife of the church we used to attend. We love her. Anyway, Olaf will probably go alone although he says he doesn't want to go without me. Yeah, right! I'd be out the door before you could say escargot! With or without him!:0) Just background in case you don't know me in real life, we have never left our children. EVER! I mean at the same time. If I go somewhere he stays home and vice versa. So, in the ten years that we have had children we have never had a night apart from them ... alone ... together. We have had just a few "dates" away from them. We may go out once a year. Usually on or near our anniversary which is January 23rd. (Eighteen years I might add!) The last time we went out on a date was in June. We saw the new Star Wars for Father's Day. So you can imagine that a whole week away from the children is hard for me to think of. And since it's not going to happen....I'll stop rambling.

I just did a spell check and it suggested I change escargot to Eucharist. Snails to the Lord's Supper. And besides "Olaf" and "dunno" which I spelled wrong on purpose, I am OK. Oh, and it doesn't recognize the word "blog" which is hilarious since this is a blog afterall.

Here I go to start this beautiful Friday!

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Josiah turned THREE yesterday

Happy happy birthday Big Boy!




Just what he wanted! A diesel 10 cake! (If you are not familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine you will not know who Diesel 10 is.)




Then we went to Build A Bear.




And off to Chuck E. Cheese.




It was a fun, fun, fun day! He loves his trains and they have taken over my living room.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Tammy Settlemier

Hey you! I need your address. I have the old one and cannot find your newest one. Can you e-mail me and let me know so I can send you a thank you card?

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Merry Christmas

My Gracie Girl
Grace

Caleb
Caleb

Camille Rose
Cami Rose

Josiah
Jo-Shi-Sha

You can see more at Flickr but you have to sign up and then be added by me as "Friends and Family." The photos are not public like some of my other photos you will see at Flickr.

Christmas Eve

Edited to add: Turn on the volume for a Christmas song from the Jorek's!

We open presents tonight! Oh yes we do! Everyone is giddy with excitement and it's only 9:00 am. I will post pictures this evening, so check back! We will also have our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Cold cuts and crusty rolls. Olaf will eat steak tar tar as well but I'm not one for salmonella so I will refrain. We always get liverwurst, ham, salami, (Oh Jamie I hope you are not reading this) and a lot of different types of cheeses. Then we put a slab of REAL butter on the rolls and pile high the cold cuts. YUM! After dinner we will try to dress up a little (Olaf's tradition) and then listen to the Christmas story read from the Bible by Papa. Then...CHAOS! Let the present opening begin! See you tonight.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

I am having way too much fun...

Olaf and I are addicted to ebay! We have sold a few sets of Disney Store Narnia action figures in the last two days and thus far have made a profit of $150 with more sales pending. Gotta love that! Disney Stores are just now starting to get these action figures in and they are hard to find. We went to a mall about 40 minutes away and bought six sets. Two to keep and four to sell. We sold two complete sets (6 figures each) and listed the other two sets as individual pieces. One set of six sold with Buy It Now for $155! We paid $60. The other full set currently has a bid of about $112 and the auction doesn't end for three more days. We sold a few individual pieces for a Buy It Now price of $30. This gravy train won't last long though. As more people see the easy money to be made (maybe someone reading this right now) the market will be flooded and we'll be screwed. So, now I kindly ask if you are going to sell these items will you please wait until ours end? :0)

Camille said the cutest thing yesterday. We were in the van going to the mall (for action figures) and she said, "Mom. I caught Papa right handed!" She meant red handed. I laughed at her cuteness. She is nine years old and she still says things like that.

To expound on the ear piercing stories... We went to Callaway Gardens Sunday night for Fantasy in Lights. Well, the only time slot available was 8 pm and we got there at 4 pm to purchase tickets. We decided to drive into LaGrange to eat and kill some time. We went to this little mall in LaGrange and there was a Claire's. I asked Grace if she wanted to get her ears pierced because she had told me in the past that she wanted to. Get this. She wanted to get her ears pierced just to see how bad it hurt. She already wants to take her cute little earrings out of her ears because she felt the pain and that's all she wanted. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER! Anyway, I asked Camille while we were there if she wanted to get her ears pierced. She, being just the opposite of Grace, said no way. She was afraid of the pain. Monday I had to go to WalMart for some Christmas stuff and Camille said she wanted to get her ears pierced there. She hesitated a bit, almost cried, then decided that she would. She finally did and she is in heaven with her pretty earrings.

I cannot believe that Christmas is just a few days away. Josiah will be three years old in four more days. He is my only child that hasn't been fully potty trained by this age. He likes his Pull-Ups to pee in. He is real good about going poo in the potty though. In a few more weeks I'll take away the Pull-Ups and have a few days of peeing in his big boy undies. It shouldn't take long. (I just realized I am blogging about poo and pee. I hope you are a mom if you are reading this!)

I need to get my children some breakfast. Have a great day.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Too busy to blog

because I am too busy ebaying! LOL!

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

More pictures

Look how cute! This is my sister in law pregnant with her first baby. She is due March 7th. Aren't pregnant women just precious? Frances is a lawyer (real estate) in New York City. Fancy Schmancy, eh? She is married to Olaf's brother, Scott. They live in Queens. Better them than me. I really had a hard time adjusting to New York when I lived there. It is a whole different lifestyle. Anyway, I cannot wait to be an Auntie! How fun! And I have no idea who gave them this shower. They didn't tell me! LOL! It looks like they got spoiled though. I hope they let me kiss the baby on the lips. That is my favorite thing to do. Kiss those little baby lips and smell that newborn breath. It's almost heaven I tell ya.

Monday, December 19, 2005

And not to be outdone....

by her little sister! Tah Dah!

And not to be outdone

Grace gets her ears pierced!

Grace before. She was very brave!

Gracie before getting her ears pierced.

Getting marked!

Getting marked!


One, Two, Three...

One, Two, Three...



Look at my pretty earrings!

Look at my pretty earrings!

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Narnia AGAIN

Olaf and Camille went to Narnia again today. Olaf said he enjoyed it today more than the first time. McDonalds has Narnia Happy Meal Toys so I'm sure we'll eat there a bazillion times the next few weeks. He bought the entire set on Friday from one of the local McDonalds and I bought a set off ebay. One is for the children to play with and one is to keep in original packages. He wants the Narnia action figures that you can only purchase through Disney Stores, but not a lot of stores carry them. I tried to order them through the Walt Disney World Resorts personal shopper, but they wouldn't let me. Of course they are on ebay and a set of six sold for $80! They only cost $8 each retail. These figures are not made by Hasbro like the figures you can buy at Toys R Us. They are produced exclusively for Disney. So, if you are reading this and see Narnia figures in the Disney Store, I'll buy 2 sets from you!

I went Christmas shopping for Olaf last night and came home empty handed. I don't think he is going to have any presents to open this year besides a Napoleon Dynamite DVD! And he knows about that one already. So much for the element of surprise!

We are going to Callaway Gardens tomorrow night for the Fantasy in Lights show. My children (minus Caleb) enjoy it. Caleb just tolerates it. Who am I kidding! Caleb just tolerates anything we do as a family. As soon as we get to a destination (any destination) he says, "Mama home!"

I MUST go grocery shopping tomorrow before Callaway. Our cupboards are bare! No bread, no milk, no nada! Off to print my grocery list and cut coupons.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Morning Blogging

I like blogging in the morning. Before the rest of the children get up. Well, Caleb is up and waiting for the bus right now, but once he's on the bus I have at least a half hour before another child is out of bed. A cup of coffee and the click, click, click of the keypad.

In case you haven't noticed I changed my comments to haloscan. Why? I'm not sure. I just went to the website and it looked cool. There ya go. So when you see "yada yada yada" that is where you leave your comment.

I have not wrapped a single gift, nor have I sent any out-of-towners their presents. Olaf will go to DHL on Monday and send them all second day air. He gets a discount there. We are going to be burning the midnight oil the next week trying to wrap, pack, and sort. I still haven't bought Olaf a Christmas present. How is that for last minute?

Our ladies Bible study group went out for dinner last night. I ordered prime rib. I felt SO guilty about spending that much money on food. I brought half of it home for Olaf though. It was very good. I was impressed. We exchanged gifts and Charity made the cutest wall calendars on her computer for all of us. It had photos of all of us and special dates like birthdays and anniversaries printed on there. It was very thoughtful. Suzanne gave us honey made with her own bee hive along with tea and chocolate. Krista gave us a Longaberger Christmas crock with potato soup mix inside. Mrs. Mike gave us some pretty boxes with candy inside. It was a fun night. Speaking of Longaberger, I did something really dumb. I resigned effective 11-30-05 and forgot to print off all of my order history etc for tax purposes. ARRRGGHHHH! I know if I call them they will be NO help whatsoever! That was such a dumb thing to do I could bite myself.

Today is riding lessons. And it's pretty dern cold out there too. Maybe the littles will want to stay in the van. Yeah, right. I am certainly not complaining about the cold. I like it. I like it so much better than summer in GA. If it would snow I'd be in hog heaven.
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Deep ponderings from my heart

Lately (well, the past month or so) I have been studying 1 Cor 11. The Lord has really been humbling me through a series of circumstances. Mostly it has been through my husband. It's really a long story, so go get a cup of coffee or something. You see, I have always thought of myself as rather smart. I have a very high IQ and desperately want to take the test to be a member of MENSA. I have always wanted to be a medical doctor and even joined the Air Force so I could get the GI Bill to go to college when I got out. I just knew that I destined for greatness in some sort of influential career that made a lot of money. When I became a Christian my focus totally changed. I no longer desired a career. What I desired was a family. A house full of children and me a full time mother.

My husband started with Delta Airlines as a peon junior mechanic. He became a mechanic and then applied to be a lead mechanic. He had to interview for the position and he got it. He was becoming very well liked by the "powers that be" and excelled in his job. Then the position of foreman came open. He prayed about it and felt like he should put in for the job. Guess what? He got it. He is currently the foreman of two shops, in charge of 40 men, and handles a huge budget. It really is a good job for someone who never went to college. He is super smart, excels in all he does, is very well liked, shares his faith to whomever he feels lead, just is an overall really nice guy. (Here it comes...) And you know what? I find myself jealous. Jealous that he has this great job (I wanted a great job), jealous he gets to go out to eat lunch at nice restaurants at vendors expenses (I have to make lunch before I can eat my pb&j), jealous that he has an office of his own (I don't even have a bedroom all my own). You get the idea. It was all about me, me, me. Of course, I know this thinking is completely wrong. I am not trying at all to excuse my behavior. That is where 1 Cor 11 comes in. (I really was going to get to the point eventually)

But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prays or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonors her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. For this cause a woman ought to have power on her head because of the angels.


Now, I have been taught (and thought for all this time) that this was a cultural thing limited to the Corinthian church. Something about prostitutes and shaving their heads and yada yada yada. However, when I just read the text...just read it with no preconceived ideas...it plainly states that a woman ought to cover her head when she prays. As I pondered this I realized how incredibly prideful and nonsubmissive I am toward my husband. The thought of covering my head to show submissiveness to Olaf (and the angels) is almost unbearable to me. That, my friends, is a HEART issue. As I pray and seek the Lord about it (my heart and pride) the more I feel Him say to me to cover my head. Not because it is "required" but because my heart needs to be humbled before my God and my husband. A physical covering is certainly humbling and a wonderful reminder of my place in the home and in the chain of command mentioned above in Scripture. You have to understand if you do not know me in real life...I am a T-Shirt and jeans woman. I do not wear dresses and denim jumpers. I am not "plain" and I do not think one has to look Amish to be spiritual. So, this head covering thing is really, really, really out of the ordinary for me. That is why I know it is from the Lord. I haven't done it yet. I'm still fighting Him. Maybe I'm not fighting, just negotiating. Do I have to wear it all the time Lord? The thought of wearing it really makes my stomach turn. That is how incredibly prideful I am. I am SO prideful that the thought of wearing it in public doesn't bother me a bit! Why? Because people would look at me and think I'm just one of those "conservative" or maybe "weird" Christians and that would suit me just fine. I'd look "holy" on the outside and be a tomb of rottenness on the inside. A Pharisee. The problem I have is being home with it on. Home. With the man I desperately love and the children who will wonder why Mama has gone completely nuts.

Just as a side note...I have done a lot of study on 1 Cor 11. I know the theories, I have read the commentaries. But I went Solo Scriptura and came to my own conclusions. Did you know the second half of 1 Cor 11 is quoted at almost every evangelical church on communion Sundays?

For I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus that same night in which He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks, he brake it and said, "Take, eat: this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me." After the same manner he also took the cup when he had supped saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you show the Lord's death till He comes.

Is that just a cultural thing as well? Hmmm....
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Tuesday, December 13, 2005

And what to my wondering eyes should appear?

But a box full of presents for my children! Tammy, my friend from high school whom I haven't seen in real life since 1985, sent Christmas presents to my children! Was that incredibly nice or what?? Thank you a thousand times Tammy. It's times like these that my flesh wants to say, "You shouldn't have done that" or "Why did you do that?" but I will not do that this time. I will receive the blessing that has been undeservedly given to us and just say Thank You! I am humbled by your generosity. Big hugs to you!

Monday, December 12, 2005

Mom's Corner

From Teri Maxwell

December Mom's Corner
What About Me?
Part 3
------------------------------------------------------------

When others find out that I am a homeschooling mom, one of their first questions will be, "When do you get time for yourself?" As I have reflected on my answer, I realize how prone I am to accepting their judgments that my life is not fulfilled unless I have personal time to do what I want to do. It is easy to buy into the "what about me?" mentality because it is most certainly the bent of my flesh. Because of this, it has been necessary for me to go to Jesus with questions about my time, my focus, my energy, my expectations, and my needs. In this series of Mom's Corners on hard work, I am sharing with you what the Lord has put on my heart concerning these issues.

"Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work" (1 Timothy 5:9-10). This sounds to me like a busy woman--one who has worked hard all of her life as she obediently followed Christ. There is no mention of anything she did for herself but only what she did in service to others that qualifies her for care from the church in widowhood. We see a picture of a woman, with her heart fully focused on the Lord, who spends her time in serving others.

Use of our time such as 1 Timothy 5:9-10 describes is of eternal value. This investment of our energy is where we are to find joy and fulfillment rather than in a quest for personal time, fun, or entertainment.

"But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan" (1 Timothy 5:11-15).

In these verses, I believe we see the possible results of a self-focus in our lives as women: idleness, tattlers, and busybodies. Perhaps today we have a tendency to wander more from house to house via computers, but the idea still applies. These qualities are not held in esteem in these verses, but rather they are presenting a condemnation of this kind of selfishness and its outcome.

The direction, then, to keep from this kind of sin is to marry, bear children, and guide the house. In other words, the young widow is to be productive with her time in her own home. It sounds much like being a busy homeschool mom to me. Raising children and keeping house are encouraged as fruitful activities that cause Satan not to be able to speak reproachfully of us. My first priority is to be my family and my home. It is not to be getting time for my entertainment, hobbies, or fun.

My heart cry in these Mom's Corners is to encourage each of us that the busyness of our lives, if it is spent in service to our family, is a good thing. It is what Jesus is calling us to do. If we are feeling overwhelmed, it may mean we need to go to the Lord and to our husbands to reevaluate priorities. Titus 2:4-5 makes it clear that our service begins in our homes, "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Titus 2:4-5). Too often, moms struggle not because of their daily work and homeschooling, but because of other responsibilities they have taken upon themselves.

Rather than the feelings and disappointment that go with not having quantities of leisure time, I would like to suggest that we embrace the workload we have with diligence, determination, and joy. We are told that everything we do we are to do as unto the Lord. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Colossians 3:23). It is hard for me to justify time spent in personal pursuits as being done unto the Lord if there is still serving of my family to be done.

Again, I want to emphasize that I am not saying we will never be able to spend time doing what we would choose to do, that we will never be able to relax, or that we should ruin our health by continual overworking. Instead, I am encouraging an acceptance of the workload we have been given with a focus on Jesus and on serving. In the midst of this, the Lord will give opportunities for what we like to do, and He will bring physical rest. He gives rest to our souls when our hearts are turned to Him rather than to ourselves. When my focus is on me, there is never enough ease or entertainment. I think if we want contentment in the calling God has given to us, we must receive the work before us and look away from "what about me?"

The question looms before me as it is regularly repeated from well-meaning friends: "When do you get time for yourself?" My response depends on the focus of my heart. I can begrudge what Jesus has called me to do. I can resent the gobbling of time that homeschooling my children takes. I can resist the workload of my homemaking tasks. I can be disappointed if I don't get time for my own fun or pleasures. On the other hand, I can be filled with delight that I am able to homeschool. I can view each minute I have with my children as an opportunity to turn their hearts to Jesus. I can rejoice over every act of service I am able to offer my husband and my children. I can say, "Lord, my time is Your time. Use it as You will," trusting Him fully with my life.

Teri Maxwell
www.Titus2.com

Word Searches

Camille has been doing spelling for 6 hours now. Yes, SIX hours. Why? Because there is a word search involved and she despises word searches. Her little brain cannot see the words even if they are horizontal reading from left to right. Usually I wouldn't "make" her do it, but sometimes in this life we have to do things we just don't like. It's good for her. Needless to say, we will be doing school right up until her bedtime tonight. Usually we can finish school in less than 2 hours. (Math, Spelling, and Language Arts) Not today!

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Narnia Review...SPOILERS

Do not read this review if you want to see Narnia!! Close the window now.


I saw The Chronicles of Narnia yesterday.

The bad:

The score

The fake snow (why oh why cannot Hollywood make snow that looks real???)

Aslan. Both the way he looked and his voice. Liam Neeson does not do him justice.

The overall special effects were just not that great. Even the battle scenes looked rehearsed. Especially the climax of the fighting between the White Witch and Peter.

The good:

Adaptation

The children were cute.


Should you go see it? Yes. Especially if you have read the book. It is family friendly with the scariest part being when Aslan is sacrificed. I actually think it was filmed with children in mind. That is how I felt watching the film. Like I do when I am watching a film geared toward a younger audience. However, I personally would NOT take any child under the age of 8 or 9. And I would only take a child who has read the book so they will know the story line prior to seeing the movie. My nine year old daughter LOVED the movie. It is now her favorite movie of all time beating out "Two Brothers". She and her father plan on going next week to see it again. If you go over to Cami's blog, will you please leave a comment for her. You know how little girls are:0)

Off to yet another fun thing for Camille and Molly today. They are going to the fairgrounds to make 5 crafts to give away for Christmas. Junior Master Gardeners is hosting the FREE event and even buying them lunch. I couldn't pass that one up. I love the woman that leads it. She is incredibly sweet. So, off to the shower I go. Have a great weekend.
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Thursday, December 08, 2005

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way!

Just wanted to get a song stuck in your head.

Brr baby, it's cold outside. It's doing that raining/misting thing and it is about 42 degrees. Just that stinging cold I-really-don't-want-to-be-outside feeling. I take our dogs out to go potty about every three or four hours and the 5 minutes I spend out there is pure torture. Torture I tell you.

Tomorrow is the big day! The Narnia day. Wooty woot woot. Olaf and I are supposed to go out to dinner tomorrow night with all the other foreman and do whatever foreman and their wives do. I don't think we will go though. I just don't like to leave the children. Especially at bedtime. They want to meet for dinner at 7:00 pm!! My goodness! We eat supper at 4:30! Dinner at 7:00 would have to be a second dinner for me because there ain't no way this girl can wait until 7:00 to eat. They are going to Carraba's which I really don't like. I actually don't like Italian food at all.

I check the mail with expectancy everyday now hoping I'll find a Christmas card or two. I have gotten three so far. I love Christmas cards. I keep them every year. I just went through the cards I got last Christmas to make sure I didn't leave anyone out who sent me a card. It's fun to reread the Christmas letters and look at the photos that were sent. I just sent my cards out yesterday to all the out of town family. I will mail the local cards later. Olaf has to send cards out to all the guys in his shops. I think there are about 40 total. I addressed the envelopes, he just needs to sign them.

Camille is SO into Yahtzee right now. She is so competitive though. It's a good opportunity to teach her how to be a good sport and not to wish evil onto others. We let Grace play with us today and she kicked our keesters. Grace got a score of 309! A perfect score in Yahtzee is 375, so she rolled the dice like a Las Vegas pro. Humbling for Camille to say the least.

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Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Humble Pie

EDITED: I was wrong. Thumper said blossoms and not clover. Humble pie AGAIN! Pointed out to me by me dear daughter.

That is what I am eating. It doesn't taste good but it sure is good for me. Kind of like spinach. Or when Thumper says to Bambi, "Don't eat the green stuff, just eat the blossoms." And his Mama says, "Thumper, what did your father tell you?"
"'Bout what?"
"About eating the blossoms and leaving the greens?"
"Oh, that one. (clears throat) Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears and great big feet. (whispers) But it sure is awful stuff to eat. I made that last part up myself."

That's me. Eating the awful green stuff but knowing it's good for me. It's making me grow and that is a good thing. Excuse me while I throw up!

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Noon on Friday

That is the first showing of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and I will be there with my daughter, her friend, and her friend's mom. I am so excited. I haven't been this excited about a film since...well...never!

I went to WalMart today to pick up the prints of the children for the Christmas card. Here is the one we are using:


Sorry to ruin it for you if you get a Christmas card from us. I try to send out pictures and letters to family and friends who do not read my blog. Especially old people. Like my Aunt Dorothy. She is in her mid-nineties and lives with her only daughter who is in her mid-seventies. Her daughter, my Aunt Bubbie, has never been married and has always lived at home with her mother. She was a librarian and is smart as a whip. Aunt Dorothy is my Grandmother's sister. My Grandmother passed away almost 2 years ago. I think she was 78 years old when she died. She had dementia real bad the last few years of her life.

That was a rabbit....

We also went to Blockbuster today and I rented Madagascar, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Spy Kids. Camille has never watched a Spy Kids movie. I am hoping she is old enough for it. I think she will enjoy it. She loves to play spy with her friend, Molly. I bought her some Nancy Drew books for Christmas, but I am not sure if I want her to read them. Nancy Drew has a BOYFRIEND for Pete's sake! It's nothing major, but I don't think I need to expose Camille to that this early in her life. I will have to finish the book before I decide. Anyone know of any good spy books with a Christian theme?

Pizza for supper tonight. We have a buy one get one free card from Papa John's. When Mama doesn't cook, it's pizza night!

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Monday, December 05, 2005

Being Pure--Be Sure to Shelter

Do people ever accuse you of sheltering your children? Instead of being defensive, be thankful for the wonderful opportunity to shelter. Do you sometimes make the mistake of allowing your children to see, hear, or read something impure? Don't you feel terrible after it happens? Did you learn the Sunday School song "Be Careful Little Eyes What You See?" It's true. Our Father up above is looking down in love, so we must be careful what we allow our children to experience. It isn't true that it doesn't matter what a child reads as long as he is reading something. Purity matters. Today make sure that your children experience only what is pure. It's worth it, even if your child does miss out on something popular. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

Taken from Daily Encouragement for Homeschooling Mothers by Charlene Notgrass
We never went to the Christmas parade. Do you know why? It was too flippin' HOT! 76 degrees!! We decorated the tree instead.

I am still playing with my new camera. I love it. It is our Christmas present to each other. I must. must, must take the children's picture tonight for the Christmas cards.

I made the no flour peanut butter cookies today. I just had a craving. They are so easy. One cup of peanut butter, one cup of sugar, and one egg. Mix it up, roll them into balls, and then flatten them out with a fork. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. They are great with a cold cup of milk. That is why I am gaining weight instead of losing it.

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Sunday, December 04, 2005

My new camera

Olaf just bought this! WOOT!

Don't rain on my parade

It's Sunday morning and Olaf is frying bacon. We will have pancakes and bacon this morning and then go see the Christmas Parade this afternoon if it doesn't rain. The Budweiser Clydsdale Horses are supposed to be there. Camille is psyched about that. I want to go to the Dollar Tree by myself today too. Don't know if I'll get the chance, but I want to go. Tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day Eve. It's a German tradition where the children set their shoe outside their door before going to bed that night. When they wake up they have some sort of treat in it. That is why I want to go to The Dollar Tree!

Josiah didn't cough at all last night. Woo Hoo! I didn't give the children cough medicine either. I think they are on the mend. Praise the Lord!

Look at my cute new sig tag! I got it here.
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Saturday, December 03, 2005

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We went to the local tree farm to buy our tree. We go there every year because they have bunnies for the children to hold, a fire to roast marshmallows on, a lake to feed the ducks, hot cocoa...all for FREE! On our way down to the lake the skies opened up and it started to POUR. So, we ran back up to the van (no easy task) and all of us started coughing up a lung! If you want to see a few pictures you can go to my Flickr account and look. Reminder...my digital camera sucks. I have NO zoomability and it is only a 1.3 mega pixel. I cannot wait to get a new camera in the very near future. Until then, you have to deal with my not so great pictures. I suppose we will decorate the tree tomorrow sometime.

Olaf saw The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe today. He loved it. He cried like a girl. It's a must see. While he was watching the film, I took the children to Camille's riding lesson. She fell off the horse today and landed on her back. Knocked the wind right out of her. She couldn't breathe and it scared her to death! Not too scared that she won't ride again though. I think she'd have to be killed in order for her not to get back on the horse. They were doing a trail ride at the end of her lesson and the horse started to trot up a steep hill. Somehow Camille lost her stirrups and got scared. She leaned forward to grab the horses neck (don't ever do that) and fell off the horse sideways. This is only the second time that she has fallen off the horse. I told her it was bound to happen a few times in her life!:) That's the kind of mom I am. Suck it up girlfriend! I'm not big on empathy which sucks for my children. There is no cuddling or kissing or coddling when my children get hurt. DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 50 MISTER!!!!!

My feet are like ice cubes. They always are. Socks are on. Shoes are on. Feet are freezing. It's not fair.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Calling all experienced moms

My little guy has a problem. Whenever Josiah has a bm his tummy hurts. He cries and doubles over in pain. His stool is soft, he is not constipated. This has been going on about a month now. No new foods have been introduced and after the bm he is fine. He doesn't complain about a tummy ache at any other time except during a bm. And it is horrible to watch him in so much pain. He literally takes his hand and jabs it into his tummy trying to get the pain to go away. HELP!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

On the mend

which is a good thing. We are all still coughing and probably will be for a few weeks. That part sucks.

Olaf gets to see The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe this Saturday. It is a sneak peek an entire week early. A local radio station is giving away tickets to the same showing, so obviously it's not just for VIP's afterall. Olaf has to distribute 29 tickets to VIP's from local ministries and businesses. Then he can go in and watch the film as well. He was going to take Camille with him, but her riding lesson got moved to Saturday and she really wants to go to that. She hasn't been riding in four weeks! He is appalled that she would choose a horse over the movie, but she says she'll just wait for the movie to open here next week. He is going to make a few calls this evening to try to find someone to go with him. He has a few people in mind.

My lips hurt bad! GOSH! (I've just broken out into Napoleon Dynamite!) They really do hurt though. Chapped. I bought some of this because Cheri told me to. Love it. They had a 2-pack at Walmart for the price of one. I think it was about $6. I also bought this because of Cheri. Love it too!

Must run. Survivor is starting...Guatamala calls!