Well, the weekend was fairly uneventful. That is good. We all went to Caleb's baseball game on Saturday and then I went grocery shopping on Sunday. Ah, I live quite the glamorous life, eh?

Today Camille had to write her spelling list (which is 30 words including vocabulary) ten times! Yes, it took her ten times to actually spell every word correctly. All she had to do was copy the spelling list onto a piece of paper. That's it. And it wasn't until the 10th time that they were all spelled correctly. Our favorite saying (stolen from Cheri) is "The lazy man and the hasty man does things twice." (Or ten times...) Granted, I can't spell half of those words correctly either...but I wasn't staring at the list copying it. Her words are all plurals this week:

attorneys at law
scissors
church goers
policemen
cupfuls
algae
cacti
data
oases
analyses
diagnoses
vertebrae
parentheses
theses
agenda
emphases
memorabilia
debris
1 and 2 Samuel
1 and 2 Kings

Vocabulary: (she has to define these and use in a sentence)
criteria
bacteria
media
phenomena
larvae
fungi
alumni
crises

Synonyms: (she also defines these)
hypotheses
guesses

On another note, Grace is doing superb in Kindergarten. I wish I had a scanner for the work she did today. She is the opposite of Camille and is meticulous about her work. I have to be very careful not to compare the two.

On a totally different note, I want one of these. We cannot afford it, but it sure would be nice. We have outgrown the minivan once this baby comes along. Grace and Josiah will still be in booster seats and the baby will have his carseat. They cannot all fit in the back row. Caleb and Camille are too big to go in the back row as well. Caleb now weighs 190 pounds! (Yes, I know...) and Camille is 5'1" and 130 pounds. They are adult sized children. I guess we will have to take 2 cars if we need to go anywhere as a family. Oh well...I should be grateful that we have two vehicles instead of complaining that I want a bigger one.

Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity;in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Phil 4:11-13

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Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things about my week:

1. I had the worst weekend of my life thus far. In almost 19 years of marriage, I would have to say that this weekend takes the cake for being the worst. Ever.

2. I realized that I can forgive through the power of the Holy Spirit and a lot of wonderful women praying for me. Thank you my precious friends.

3. I have eaten 9 lemons. Yes, eaten them. These are not the lemons that I put in my water. (Yes Jeff, I know about the enamel. Sometimes a pregnant woman has to do what a pregnant woman has to do:0)

4. I had my first OB appointment. I have fibroids in my uterus. Lovely.

5. Josiah likes to say the word "poop." I'm not sure why, but he says it often. He also likes to make fart sounds and poke his little rear out.

6. Olaf had a CT scan on his chest. We are waiting for the results.

7. We need a larger vehicle. When this baby comes we have outgrown our minivan.

8. We have also outgrown our kitchen table. It only seats six.

9. I bought a brand new infant car seat at Publix (that's a grocery store) in the clearance section for $29.99. Can you say Woo Hoo??

10. I rented the first season of Lost because I had never watched it before. It's OK, but I still don't get all the hype. Seems kind of hokey with bad acting if you ask me.

11. However, Survivor started tonight. And I totally rocked on Fantasy Survivor. I even picked the guy voted out.

12. Now that I'm pregnant I am so happy they didn't choose me for the upcoming show.

13. Grace loves me more than any of my other children. She really does. It is so precious.

Baby Update

Well, I went, I was stirruped, I gave blood, I went home. She did mention that she felt some fibroid tumors in my uterus. Noone has ever told me that before, so I'm not sure what to think about that. Maybe they will be able to see them at my 20 week ultrasound. I am spotting because of the pap smear...that is always scary during pregnancy. I guess all I can do is wait now. And pray.

Olaf had his CT scan. I'm not sure when he will get the results of that. Probably next week sometime.

We went out for lunch at Cracker Barrel today. I had never been there for anything other than breakfast. It was good. I am still full. I had Country Fried Steak, fried okra, and hashbrown casserole. Yum. The only thing I want to drink right now is water with a lot of lemons squeezed in it. It must be the shaved ice from the refrigerator too. No big cubes. I eat at least one lemon a day. Sometimes two. I have craved them with every pregnancy in the first trimester.

And that, my friends, is how the day went.

What a weekend!

I never want to go through another weekend like the last. Whew! I'm drained. Emotionally and physically. But, I have forgiven and it's time to move on...

I'm still pregnant. Praise God! I have my first appointment tomorrow with the midwife. I had it scheduled six weeks ago. It was my routine yearly exam. It has now turned into a "new OB" appointment. I guess it will just be my pap smear and blood work.

Olaf has a CT scheduled of his chest tomorrow afternoon. It's really bothering him. His ribs are extremely sensitive to the touch. I feel so horrible for him and I hope they are able to find something this time.

Caleb's birthday was yesterday. He had fun. He woke up this morning with a stuffy nose, so I'm sure the rest of us will be sick by this weekend. It took a whole month of school before he got sick. He will have a cold for all of the winter and get the stomach virus in the spring. He'll probably get strep throat too. Ah, the joys of mentally challenged children sharing germs.

I'll check back in tomorrow and let y'all know how that OB appointment goes. Keep me in your prayers.

What a weekend!

I never want to go through another weekend like the last. Whew! I'm drained. Emotionally and physically. But, I have forgiven and it's time to move on...

I'm still pregnant. Praise God! I have my first appointment tomorrow with the midwife. I had it scheduled six weeks ago. It was my routine yearly exam. It has now turned into a "new OB" appointment. I guess it will just be my pap smear and blood work.

Olaf has a CT scheduled of his chest tomorrow afternoon. It's really bothering him. His ribs are extremely sensitive to the touch. I feel so horrible for him and I hope they are able to find something this time.

Caleb's birthday was yesterday. He had fun. He woke up this morning with a stuffy nose, so I'm sure the rest of us will be sick by this weekend. It took a whole month of school before he got sick. He will have a cold for all of the winter and get the stomach virus in the spring. He'll probably get strep throat too. Ah, the joys of mentally challenged children sharing germs.

I'll check back in tomorrow and let y'all know how that OB appointment goes. Keep me in your prayers.

Remembering September 11th

Hweidar "Dar" Jian from East Brunswick, NJ
42 years old
Senior Programmer Analyst, Cantor Fitzgerald
Confirmed dead at/in building

I found this article written in January 2002 by Newsday, a Long Island Newspaper:

Hweidar Jian moved to the United States from Taiwan to continue his education. It was an importance he emphasized to his American-born sons. "He wanted to stay in the U.S. to give us a chance at a better education," said his oldest son, Haomin Jian, 19, an economics and finance student at the University of Maryland. Born and raised in Taiwan, Hweidar "Dar" Jian, 42, was a brilliant software designer who was fluent in three languages; English, Chinese and Taiwanese.
While serving in the island's mandatory military service, he learned to design computer programs. When he came to the U.S., he enrolled in graduate computer studies at SUNY in Buffalo, his son said. There, he met his wife, Juhsiu, also a Taiwan native, who is a computer-firm executive. The couple has three sons; Haomin, William, 12, and Kevin, 8.

Last year, Jian started a new job as a senior programmer analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center. At Cantor, he designed software programs to traders' specifications. It could be frustrating: He complained sometimes that the traders didn't know what they wanted.
Jian won over colleagues with his easy-going style, lively sense of humor and a ready willingness to help others. "He was kind of difficult to upset," his son said. "He was pretty laid back."
Jian didn't like to bring work home. He worked hard during the week, leaving home in East Brunswick, N.J., at 6:30 a.m. to catch the bus to Manhattan. He'd return home at 7:30 or 8 p.m., as his younger boys were getting ready for bed. "He spent as much time with us as he possibly could," Haomin said. "A lot of the time, he was pushing himself very hard." On weekends, he'd catch up on his sleep and take his sons to tae kwon do classes or piano lessons. Coming from the densely populated Taiwan, Jian enjoyed living in the suburbs and having a house with a backyard. Gardening was relaxing for him, as well as his knack for tinkering with stereo systems, DVDs and all kinds of electronics equipment. Soon after Sept. 11, Jian's sons returned to school, their homework routines unchanged. "My mother kept the family on routine," Haomin said. "She was back at work two days after it happened. She was really strong through the whole thing."

To honor the other 2,995 people killed that day, please go here.

Thank you!

Thank you for rejoicing with us and leaving all those wonderful comments. It makes me happy to know that so many of you were praying for this very thing. Of course I wonder if I will carry to term, but I know Who is in control and I am trusting in Him. Please continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy.

My pregnancy still hasn't quite sunk in. I'm still a bit in shock and walking around like I am the only one in the entire world who has ever conceived. I am on cloud 9 and floating everywhere. Olaf is the same way. He cried like a girl when I showed him the test. He wants a baby more than I do if that is even possible. We both LOVE that newborn stage and fight over who gets to hold the baby. I'm sure I'll have to fight my children too. They are so so excited. What a blessing. I know this sounds absolutely crazy to most people, but we are hoping that we conceive number six right away after this one is born. My other children are all in pairs. Caleb and Camille are six months apart. Grace and Josiah are 19 months apart. And we want another one to be close in age to this one.

Olaf is taking Caleb to the Atlanta Motor Speedway this Friday night to watch a race for his birthday. If he doesn't flip out at the noise, he will be getting a ride in a race car. I hope he likes it. You never know with Caleb. He has sensory issues and it's hit or miss with him. We did buy him a skateboard and gave it to him already. He loves it. I think he'll get the hang of it after awhile. He was happy to be going back to school today. He loves Denise, his bus driver. He asks for her BY NAME everyday.

OK, I need to get Camille to piano lessons. We go every other week which works out well for us. I don't have to go, go, go. I am a home body by nature. I don't like leaving if I don't have to.

$$$$$ We are SO rich! $$$$$

I remember a great man coming into my house, at Waltham, and seeing all my children standing in the order of their age and stature, said, "These are they that make rich men poor." But he straight received this answer, "Nay, my lord, these are they that make a poor man rich; for there is not one of these whom we would part with for all your wealth." - Joseph Hall 1574-1656

We are happy to say that God has increased our wealth! The newest Jorek is due May 10, 2007. To say that we are thrilled would be an understatement.

I can never think of a title...

Don't you love to catch up with an old friend? Today I just had an urge to call my friend Lisa. We were stationed with her husband when we were in the military eons ago. Her husband is still in the Air Force and I give her a call about once a year. I read her updates on the website as she posts, but it was still nice to hear her voice.

Today has been a rather lazy day for me. I did school with the girls and showered...but that's about it:) Camille is playing with the littles and they are having a blast. Well, at least the littles are having a blast. Cami...not so much.

Today is my friend Charity's birthday. She is 29 today. No really. She IS 29. I know that is the age that noone ever passes, but for her it really is her 29th birthday. Happy Birthday my friend. We are going out tomorrow night for dinner to celebrate.

My husband is starting the process to get a dental implant for one of his front teeth. The extraction will be in October. Hee hee. My husband will be toothless for 9 months. Yes, they will give him a "flipper" so he doesn't look toothless, but still... It makes me giggle. I am hoping this stops ALL flirting by other women. Just take that fake tooth out, smile REAL big, and pass gas. There ya go. Only I could love the man after all that! Especially if he says "Git er done" afterward.

Caleb wants a skateboard for his birthday. He has wanted one for years but I have always been afraid that he was going to hurt himself. I guess this year I am going to suck it up and be prepared for the ER visit. He will be thrilled. Absolutely overjoyed. Speaking of being overjoyed, we bought him some race car T-Shirts at Kohls on clearance and those four shirts are the only ones he will wear now. He loves them.

I am absolutely in love with my perfume that Olaf brought me home from France. (You can get it anywhere...he just happened to buy it there) It is call Angel by Thierry Mugler and it is fabulous. Notes:Bergamot, Hedione, Helional, Honey, Dewberry, Red Berries, Vanilla, Caramel, Patchouli, Chocolate, Coumarin.Style:Pure. Soft. Innocent.

That's it from the homefront. Hope you have a great day! Leave a comment and let me know you stopped by.

I just had to post this

Strongest Dad in the World
[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay
for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in
marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a
wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and
pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back
mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes
taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was
strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged
and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life." Dick says doctors told him
and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an
institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes
followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the
engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was
anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told.
"There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a
lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by
touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to
communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate
was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for
him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more
than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he
tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I was sore for
two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, it
felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving
Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly
shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a
single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few
years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway. Then
they found a way to get into the race officially - in 1983 they ran
another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the
following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he
was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick
tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour
Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud
getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you
think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own?
"No way," he says.
Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a
cantaloupe-sized smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston
Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best
time - Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world
record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to
be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the
time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the
Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a
mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries
was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," one doctor
told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston,
and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always
find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and
compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's
Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants
to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair
and I push him once."

Here's the video....

Nineteen Years

Usually we dont celebrate the anniversary of our first date, but this year is significant. We have officially been together half of our lives. Did you hear that people? HALF OF OUR LIVES. I woke up this morning to find a CD of Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" along with the lyrics. (Can you believe I have never heard this song before?) Olaf wrote this next to the lyrics:

Hi Beautiful,
I hear this song on the radio sometimes. It always makes me think of you/us. Remember what "they" said when we got married? Only problem with this is the title-it shouldn't be "still" it should be "always have been and always will be."
I love you!
Olaf

Yes, I cried. I am crying right now. He loves me. What can I say??

Thank you my sweet, sweet husband for making me the happiest woman on the face of the earth.

My Gracie and me!

Animal Control

My dog, Ella, is old and decrepit. That is why I was very surprised when Animal Control knocked on my door. She usually stays on my porch or in my yard because she has arthritis and who knows what else. The nice gentleman that delivered her said she was in the middle of the road about 10 houses away. The Animal Control man was very nice and issued me a warning. He said that the last time I got a warning was in the year 2000, so he treated it like a first offense. I guess I need to watch her better. I cannot afford to pay a fine.

Caleb got hit in the face in PE yesterday (with another kid's head) and has a big huge bruise on his cheek. He doesn't act like it is bothering him, but whenever he gets hit in the head I start to worry about a seizure. His first seizure happened just days after hitting his head very hard while running down the hall. The doctors don't think there is any connection, but I still think it had something to do with it. Needless to say, I am a bit worried.

This is my PMS week and I am happy to report that I am doing much better. Thank you modern medicine. I don't feel out of control or overwhelmed with life. Phew.

Caleb's birthday is September 11th and I have no idea what to buy the kid for his birthday. He is so hard to buy for. Olaf is going to try to get him a ride in a Bush race car. He'll love that.

My children are all down playing in the bedroom. The girls are playing dolls and Josiah is playing dolls too, but he uses his Thomas the Tank Engine instead of a doll. The littles LOVE Camille. She is their playmate. She isn't too happy with that situation all the time, but that's a part of being the oldest sibling.

Have a great day everyone.

Flirting or not?

You know, sometimes having a hot man for a husband stinketh. My husband's work environment is mostly male. I would say the percentage of females that he deals with on a daily basis is about 10%. However, there is one single female that may be flirting with my husband. He told me about it this weekend. When they were alone together in his office (door wide open, window in the office) she yawned, strecthced her arms over her head, and stuck her chest out at him. She keeps calling him "hon" and wondering "why you haven't called me" about thus and such. She send him e-mails that say things like "you rock!" Your opinion please. Does that constitute flirting? He isn't 100% sure that it is flirting. He says it just may be her personality. He has asked another man who deals with her if she acts the same way around him. He said no. But the bottom line is my husband told me about it. He didn't want to because he didn't want to upset me. (I tend to be very insecure anyway because I'm fat) But he did. And I am so grateful for that. I love you Olaf.

Can you believe it?

They have a confession from John Mark Karr on the killing of JonBenet Ramsey. This guy has such loose lips it's almost impossible to believe him. He has publicly said that he killed her but it was an accident along with a whole host of other things. It's almost bizarre. I'm keeping my eye on it though. I love Court TV and that is all they are talking about right now.

Tonight is Bible Study. It may be the last one ever. We will be discussing that possibility tonight. I will miss it though. I love the ladies there. Although being home on Thursday nights will be great when Survivor starts. Yes, I still love the show even though they didn't pick me. Losers.

I got another shipment of Sheer Cover this week. It will last me a year I think. I don't wear make up everyday. I mean, I should wear it because I am getting old...but I don't. Heck, I don't even get dressed everyday!:) I still love it. I think it is the best make up ever. I also got the bronzer this time and it is fabulous as well.

The 29th of this month will be the anniversary of my first date with Olaf. Nineteen years. Almost half my life has been spent with him. Can you believe that? We have literally grown up together. Not to mention grown out together. Our girth is not the same as it used to be.

I hope y'all have a great day.

Lightning

of course the correct spelling is lightning. I hate it when I make mistakes.

Boxers or briefs?

My husband is at the doctor today. It's kind of a follow-up to the neurologist and also to ask why he is having such bad chest pain. My husband is an enigma to the doctors. No one knows why he's in pain or what's going on. Very frustrating to say the least.

Our days are becoming routine now that Caleb is back in school. I am a fairly relaxed homeschooling mom, so I don't worry too much about starting at a specific time etc. I wasn't always this way, but it works for us now. We rarely start school before 9:00 am and are always done with seat work by lunch time. In those few hours Camille does Math, Language, Spelling, and one other subject depending on the day. Today we did Georgia History and Science.

Gracie is smart as a whip. She is catching onto phonics with lightening speed. She writes well too. Her penmanship is much better than Camille's was at this age. Both of my girls are doing fabulously at school.

Caleb is bothering me daily about his baseball game. He starts this Saturday and asks all of us several times a day if we are going. Josiah always says, "Sure I'll come. I like baseball." Cute. He doesn't mind answering Caleb for the 100th time in an hour.

And the title has nothing to do with my post today. I just put it there to throw you off...

Mothering

We have all heard it. Being a mother is the hardest job on the face of the planet. I totally agree. We have been given real life human souls to mold, shape, educate, and train. Being a mother should make us grow up. Become less selfish. Before children I didn't like to share my food. Yes, it's true. Now I don't get to eat anything without little people taking a bite of whatever I have. I used to enjoy some adult conversation during the day, run to the grocery store whenever I needed to, and use the bathroom without someone pounding on the door. But you know what? I would never go back to "before children." I find some of my fulfillment in them. I enjoy watching them grow. Both spiritually and physically. I cannot wait to see them as adults and hold my grandchildren. I believe my time being a homemaker is the BEST thing I can do for my children. That is why this article makes me so sad. Written by a narcissistic woman who doesn't want to be bothered by her children. Why in the heck did she have them anyway??

I did post...I really did.

Then blogger ate it and spat it out. I told you all about my week. About how we got a new computer that is so FAST. About how I love to play Toontown on it. About how we set up the old computer in my bedroom so we could get yet ANOTHER Toontown account so we can play as a family. Heavy sigh... It was a really good post.

School is going well with the girls. Caleb loves riding the bus. (He started school on Monday) Josiah misses Caleb during the day though. Caleb was his playmate this past month while the girls were working on school.

It has been super hot here and I cannot wait for some cooler weather. C'mon November. I'm a waitin' for ya.

Craziness abounds with my family in Oregon. What's new? I haven't been to Oregon in SIX years. My mother has never seen Grace or Josiah. Last time she saw Caleb and Camille they were five years old. Anyway, my sil is in jail on drug charges and my 6 year old niece needs some serious prayer for protection. She has been exposed to so so much from my brother and his wife. Children's services will not take her away from them and I don't understand why. They are drug addicts who are in and out of jail constantly. I feel so sorry for this little girl.

OK, husband just walked in the door. Need to run.

Did my Tackle it Tuesday projects get accomplished? Why no they didn't. Thanks for asking. After I did school with the girls and took Camille to piano lessons, I just didn't get around to it. Heavy sigh. Today I must clean the bathrooms. And make dinner.

I absolutely love reading Molly's blog. I am so glad she is blogging by herself again. I used to read her all the time before they started Choosing Home. It's not that I dislike Choosing Home, I just really like reading Molly's thoughts w/out the constraints of "fitting the mold" of the readers at Choosing Home. I appreciate her honesty and the clarity of her writing style. I wish I could communicate that effectively.

Olaf has had a very busy week at work. He is part of a planning committee for the Delta Employee Appreciation Day this Saturday. There will be fun stuff for the entire family. I don't think I am going to go. I cannot stand the heat. Olaf has to go and he will probably take all four children with him. What a man!! I can only imagine how hot it is going to be on the tarmac at 2:00 in the afternoon. YUCK!

I go to the midwife on Friday to discuss PDD. I know I have it. As I age (and start this peri menopausal crap) my PMS symptoms are EXTREME! Let's just leave it at that:) For your own safety.

randomness

Olaf took Camille to Six Flags today. They went with Cami's best friend, Molly, and her father. They are on their way home right now. And it was HOT today. (I say that a lot, eh?) Grace has missed Camille terribly today, but has also prayed several times that Camille would have a nice time with Molly. Isn't that sweet? I cannot wait for her to come home either. I have missed my girl today.

Olaf ordered a new computer yesterday. This one is at capacity and runs very slowly. I can't wait to get the faster processor for Toontown. Woo Hoo! I am not sure how old this computer is, but we bought it when "Pentium" was brand new if that gives you an idea.

Caleb starts school next Monday. He is excited about the bus as usual. His fall baseball starts August 17th. He loves playing baseball. I am grateful that there is a Challenger League for him to play on. Olaf is a coach and Caleb loves that. He always says, "Me baseball. Papa coach." He is an Auburn Tiger this year. He looks handsome in his uniform.

Olaf got some bad news from his aunt in Germany. She has had some extensive surgery recently and was in the hospital for months. (I don't understand socialized medicine.) They also found some spots on her lungs and she will find out soon if that is cancer. She has been a smoker for a long time which always raises the red flag. Olaf's mother died at age 50 from breast cancer. This is her younger sister. I'm not sure of her age, but she is near 60 I think.

Tomorrow is Tackle it Tuesday in the blogging world. It's where you have a project/job that you want to accomplish and then you do it. Last week I cleaned out the linen closet. Tomorrow I am reorganizing the Tupperware closet and cleaning out the fridge. That should take me all day. LOL! Cheri you don't want to look in MY refrigerator right now:)

Maybe I'll post again tomorrow...if you're lucky;) Thanks for stopping by to check in on me and my family.

This, that, and the other

Our raccoon friend comes everyday. She loves the peanuts that are in the birdseed. She will grab one, roll it around in her "hands," then eat it. All the while we are literally 10 feet away staring out the window. If I open the back door and go out on the deck, she climbs down the tree slowly but once she hits the ground she runs like crazy into the woods in my backyard. She shows up so much that she is no longer the spectacle to my children that she was.

I cannot wait for autumn and winter.

I want to hike this with my family in the fall. That would be super fun. Tonight on GPTV (Georgia Public Television) there is a show on GA state parks. I can't wait to watch it. I am a state park kind of gal. I much prefer the mountains to the beach. Cooler weather over hot. Sweaters over tank tops. Jeans over shorts. You get the idea.

Off to do school with the girls. I don't even like saying "do" but I guess there isn't another word that describes seat work.

More on the raccoon

Our little friend has visited every afternoon for the past three days. I did a little research on the web and discovered that it is probably a female getting a break from her "kits." It seems nursing mothers need a break in the afternoon as well as some extra nourishment. And bird feeders with peanuts in them are a very strong attraction to get her out of her little nest. So, chances are, our little friend is healthy...just a tired mom who needs an afternoon snack. Anyone want to leave the children at home and go out for lunch?

Our little friend

It may be squirrel proof, but it isn't raccoon proof. That's for sure!

Sentences

Man, it's HOT here!

Where can I live that will never get above 70 degrees?

Cami had piano today.

She doesn't like it.

I'm making her stick with it for awhile longer.

I love the new reality TV show called Treasure Hunters.

Not as much as Survivor.

Who never called me for round two of interviews.

Dummies.

I need to vote today before the poles close today.

I have a headache.

I need to do my Bible Study before Thursday.

I'm not sure if I would recommend the study though.

I love the Lord, but I despise religion.

The church doesn't save anyone.

Jesus does.

He died for my sin, not Christianity.

Loaded statement.

Not going there right now.

I need to join Weight Watchers again.

And start exercising too.

Old news, eh?

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Tammy

Dear Screaming Eagle,

Remember when we used to roll out the red carpet for each other at our locker? And steal people's combs from their back pockets? And get thrown out of Mr. Aldrige's class? And you used to steal my synonym list with Vicki? Remember saying, "George!" whenever you picked up a stuffed animal? Or making that high pitched noise with your teeth while I was in class that only I could hear? Or when I used to walk you half way home and we would lay on the grass and look at the clouds? My poor Dad...we stole everything from his store. Candy, quarters for video games, beer...no wonder he filed bankruptcy! Have a great day my friend! I hope it's the best birthday so far!

BFF,
Eemo

Sorry..

not that anyone is waiting desperately for me to post, but I really suck at being consistent.

It's Saturday. I did some grocery shopping at WalMart. I had to take Josiah because he didn't want to go swimming with Olaf and the other children. Weird child. It is super hot outside. I mean, yucky, nasty, awful hot! So hot that the air conditioner in our van doesn't seem to be working very well. It just cannot keep up with the heat outside.

I have been wearing my new make up everyday. I love it. It makes me feel pretty again. Even though I'm fat. I actually saw a friend at WalMart that I have not seen in five years. I am a good 30 pounds heavier than the last time she saw me and the only thing she said to me was, "you look so pretty." Made my day!:)

Public school starts in less than a month here. August 6th. Camille and Grace are enjoying their new school year. I am making more of an effort this year to incorporate some science this year as well as some Georgia history. I will probably try to do science once or twice a week and the same with history. I really like the Georgia history curriculum that I bought from The Notgrass Company.

Charity reminded me this morning how much I love the movie The Princess Bride. If you like it too, leave a comment with one of the lines out of the movie. You know...like, "Hallo. My name is Indigo Montoya. You kill my father. Prepare to die."

Taste of Home

Tonight I am hosting a Taste of Home Entertaining party for my friend, Misty. She signed up to be a consultant and I said I'd do a party. So far today I have made pasta salad, pecan pie mini muffins, a cheesecake cheeseball to be rolled in chocolate chips and served with graham cracker sticks, and some dip for the chips. I need to get my bathroom cleaned, the floors vacuumed, and some general straightening before 6:00 pm. All with four children in the house who undo what I've done...

I bought some make up from an infomercial and I love it. It's called Sheer Cover. I usually don't wear foundation at all because it looks yucky and I hate the feel of it on my face. However, I LOVE THIS STUFF!!! It is the mineral make up that you brush on. I really didn't expect it to be all that the infomercial said it would be...but it is.

I need to get going. Lots to do... Have a great day!

Feeling Better

I'm done with my pity party. Hormones are leveling and the world is coming into focus once again.

I went to my Bible Study last night which always helps my perspective. I got to see Charity! I haven't seen her in ages. Either she has missed Bible Study, or I have missed, and it's been 6 weeks since I saw her last. She walked into Bible Study last night with her pregnant belly poking out a bit. Cuteness abounds!

As for our weekend, we have no major plans. Caleb has horse riding on Saturday. Olaf will light the fireworks tonight that he didn't get to light on the 4th because of rain. We have "The Pink Panther" with Steve Martin from Blockbuster Online. We will probably watch that.

Hey, is anyone from Women at Home reading my blog anymore? I never get comments from Becky or Cheri or Dana. I'm wondering if they are boycotting me or something?:0)

God's Smite Button

Well, He did it to me again. You know the smite button that I think God has? The one He likes to use on me just so He can look down from the heavenlies and say, "Ha Ha!" My period was five days late this month. Five days. That has never happened to me before in my life. I took a pregnancy test. There was the faintest pink line although it did show up after the allotted "do not read this test after 10 minutes." I got my hopes up. Dumb thing to do. Very dumb. Aunt Flo has come to visit and all I can think is, Why?!?! Why did my period have to be five. days. late? I wouldn't be so disappointed if it showed up on time!! You know that. I do pretty good every single month...month after month...of wanting another child so desperately I can almost feel it in my arms. I don't cry, I don't complain, I accept Your plan. But why did you have to press Your smite button and make me get my hopes up?? It stinks! Really bad. And I'm mad. So there.

Happy 4th of July

All is well here. We've just been enjoying the time spent with Olaf. He goes back to work tomorrow and we will get back into some sort of routine again. I will start school with the girls this week as well. We like to start early so we can take days (or weeks) off if we want to. It's hard to believe that Cami will be in the FIFTH grade. Yikes! Where did the time go?? Gracie starts Kindergarten. Hopefully she will be reading before too long. It should be an interesting week...that's for sure.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. We will be grilling burgers and hot dogs and spending time inside. It's too darn hot to "enjoy" the weather!

Remembering 9/11

On September 11, 2006 an effort is being headed to memorialize the 2,996 lives lost on that day. It is very simple to participate. Go HERE and leave a comment. You will be sent a name. From there you dedicate your blog on Sept. 11th of this year to all of those lost, but specifically remembering your assigned person.

2,996 is an effort to bring together 2,996 bloggers in a massive memorial to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, the 5th anniversary of the attacks, 2,996 bloggers will each post a memorial to one victim. We will remember the innocent victims of that day–we will not remember the murderers

My husband is home

He got home about two hours ago. Of course the children accosted him and then we all begged for our surprises. I was the most spoiled! He bought me Angel perfum by Thierry Muglar and this adorable espresso coffee set. It has six floral cups with matching saucers and spoons. So ME! He brought home pastries and rolls from a local bakery and a TON of chocolate. There are four bottles of French wine, one bottle of chocolate liquer, and a duty free bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label. (We really aren't alcoholics) He brought the children some little French toys from a toy store, but they are liking the chocolates much better than the toys. I have had two chocolate croissants, two cups of French coffee in my new little cups made with my old French press, and a few pieces of chocolate all the while wearing my new perfume. Yes, life is good. Olaf is tired, has jet lag, and wants to go to sleep in his own bed. Good thing it's a long weekend. He doesn't have to go back to work until July 5th. Woo Hoo!!!

Toulouse, France

My husband leaves tomorrow for France. He will be home Thursday. Pray for me. Caleb does not do well without Olaf. Bedtime is always hard. He cries and wants his Papa. It is so sad. Anyway, Olaf is going for a conference or something. He's told me hundreds of times what it's all about, but I always forget.

It's been hot here. Looking forward to October when the weather starts to cool down a bit. It doesn't get cold till January though. Oh, I'd love to live in Montana. I have never been there, but I bet it's beautiful. Maybe next year we can do a family vacation out West. Maybe go to Yellowstone and then drive to Mt. Rushmore or something. It has to be in the fall though. The only prerequisite is cool weather. That is the great thing about homeschooling. We can take vacations when other children are in school. Love that.

Off to enjoy the day with my husband since he leaves tomorrow afternoon. Have a great weekend.

Neurologist Results

Since they didn't have the results from Olaf's MRI (I could rant about that forevah) the doctor decided that all of Olaf's symptoms are stress related. He told him to take a baby aspirin everyday to help prevent a stroke, a B Complex Vitamin for stress, and then handed him a prescription. Olaf asks what the prescription is for and the doctor says...and I quote..."One to make you happy and one to relax you." Hmmm.... He prescribed Olaf Elavil, an antidepressant, and Klonopin, a seizure medication. Olaf is going to go back to our family doctor and see if he agrees with this neurologist. We really want a second opinion because we don't think it's just stress. He'd like to see a doctor that actually has his MRI results in his hands before he walks in the door. So, there ya have it.

Funny Note: Whenever I do a spell check, the suggested spelling for Olaf is olive. That is what my grandma called him. SHe'd say, "Oh Olive, you are such a good boy."

Insert witty title here...

We had a great Father's Day. We went and saw Cars. It was a cute movie. I enjoyed it. We gave Olaf all kinds of German goodies like candy and coffee and yucky stuff that no one else will eat but him. He loved it. He is at the Neurologist as I write this so I will be sure to post the results of that visit later on.

So far today I have cleaned both bathrooms (always fun scrubbing tubs...blech!) and showered. Woo Hoo!:0) My children are fed but still in their pj's and it is 1:00 pm. They have watched a movie and done a few chores. Now they are all playing pretend together behind me. I need to vacuum next and then get the dishes done.

My poor dog, Ella, isn't doing so good. Her hips are hurting her so badly she can barely move. I hate to say this, but it may not be too much longer before we have to put her down. If there comes a time when she is immobile, then Olaf will take her to the vet for the final shot. As it is now, she moves incredibly slow and has a hard time getting up once she has lied down. Poor doggy. She is only 9 years old.

I am loving my hair. I love to wear it down and not have that dang ponytail all the time. Granted, I don't curl it or anything, but I love it anyway.

Olaf and I are at our "we're fat" stage again. I love it when Olaf finally gets there because he'll actually start watching what he eats. That makes it much easier for me. I need to do the Lord's Table Bible Study again.

Have a great week everyone!

Bragging a little

I am going to brag about my wonderful husband for the next paragraph. If you don't want to read it because it will make you jealous, or worse make you want to hire a hit man for me so you can marry him, then please don't continue reading...

This is Father's Day weekend and right now my husband is sleeping in. Well, trying. Our house isn't huge and I'm sure, despite my best efforts, that the children's voices have woken him up on a few occasions. Do you know that every morning (this morning included) when Caleb wakes up at 5:00 am Olaf is the one who gets up, wipes Caleb's rear end, feeds him and plops him in front of the TV. Then he goes into the garage where our two cats spend the night and puts them in a carrier so they won't scratch on the door and wake me up. This morning he got to go back to bed because it's the weekend, but most mornings he heads off to work at 6:15. I am so blessed to have a man that is not only willing to do those wonderful things for me, but he wants to. He wants to be a good husband and father. He wants to see me happy. There are so many times when I lash out verbally and deserve a good whooping in return...but never. He never gives it to me. He is a rare gem of a man. I am so happy he's mine.

Before and After

This is me BEFORE no makeup:



This is me AFTER with a little makeup:

HAIR CUT DAY!

Today is the day. The BIG day. I get my hair cut. I will take before and after pics and post them on Flickr. Or maybe I'll post them here. Grace and Camille do not want me to get my hair cut. Josiah says he wants me to have bangs (ain't happening) and Caleb could care less. Olaf just wants me to leave some length to it. He does not like short hair and I will honor that request.

Regarding my post yesterday, Andrea commented that she needs space in the morning. That is EXACTLY how I feel. Don't talk to me, look at me, or otherwise bother me and we will be just fine.

Alrighty then...I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Screaming Motherhood

Yes, I woke up this morning literally screaming at my children. I was still in bed at 7:00 am when the other three got up (Caleb had been up since 5:00 am) and no sooner had they gotten out of bed that the littles (Grace and Josiah) started fussing about something and Josiah started screaming and throwing a fit. I bolted out of bed and opened the door and started yelling. I'm sure they were thinking "Well, Good Morning to you too Mom!" I really am mean in the mornings. I always have been. Olaf will vouch for that. (Honey, leave a comment and tell people how mean I am in the morning...) I am not sure why I'm grumpy. It takes about 1/2 hour for me to be civil and then another hour for me to actually be nice. I'll never win Mother of the Year, that's for sure.

Monday, Monday

La laaa La laaa laaa laaa...

Do you know I haven't had a hair cut in a few years? I mean, I did go about 18 months ago and had some long layers put in, but I mean a real hair cut. Where the length changes. I am scheduled to go this Thursday but it may not happen. That is Olaf's late day at work and I may have to cancel. My hair is LONG. Not like Crystal Gayle long, but long enough that it can be a bother. If I don't braid it before going to bed, Olaf rolls on it. Now, Olaf loves my long hair. He doesn't want me to cut it. I promised him that I would not cut it short. But shoulder length would be good. I need a cut that doesn't require anything more than a blow dry though because I will not take the time to curl it and all that jazz. Should I just leave it long? I mean, a ponytail is very easy. Suggestions? Pictures of cute medium length hair would be appreciated. How about color? My hair is very dark brown. Almost black. Should I lighten it? Highlights?

I need to go make Grace breakfast. She wants an english muffin with this on it. She is her father's daughter...

Tag Board is gone

Thanks to spammers. Gotta love the web!

Well, that explains things...

The doctor called yesterday about Olaf's MRI results. It's never a good thing when the doctor calls is it? Anyway, Olaf has some swelling and fluid build up on his brain that are all within "normal" limits. He also has an "insult" on his brain. It's a dead spot. It could be from a traumatic birth or some other time when there was a loss of oxygen to the brain. He is being referred to a neurologist for further investigation. He's just so excited that he can now blame all of his problems on being "brain dead."

"I'm sorry I forgot our anniversary. It's because I'm brain dead!"

Everything is ticking along here. One day at a time. We swim almost everyday. I'm sporting a tan this year which is abnormal for me. I NEVER go outside when it's hot so being just a shade darker than ghost is a major accomplishment. The children have a few movies from Blockbuster Online that they need to watch. Camille had her first piano lesson and loved it. On Wednesday we went out to a Celebration of Life for my friend Karen. That was fun. Karen was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer a year ago. They invited all their friends and family out for a celebration. They served us pizza and goodies and we just had a good time fellowshipping together. There are a few pictures on her website that I took.

Plans for today include, movies, the pool, and some Toontown. I need to clean something, so I may throw that in there for good measure!:) Have a blessed day!

Thank you for commenting on my last post with ideas on how to keep Caleb busy. I will try to implement a few of those ideas and see if they work.

Camille starts piano lessons today. Since she only goes riding every other week, we had some room in the budget for piano lessons on her off week. She will be taking them from the homeschool choir director. She already knows Camille, so that is a plus. If Camille doesn't "catch on" or doesn't like it, I will not make her continue. She charges $15 per half hour and we will go twice a month. Riding lessons are $20 per month ($10 each lesson). That is $50 per month for both lessons. I don't think that is too bad.

My shoulders are sunburned from swimming in the pool yesterday. The children are loving that pool. We go out everyday. Josiah wears the water wings now and tools around the pool by himself. Grace is getting a little more daring everyday. Yesterday she held her breath and went under. Hopefully the littles will learn how to swim. Camille is too fearful of the water to learn. She's hopeless I think. I am wishing the pool were bigger so I could swim laps and get some exercise. I forgot how fun it is to actually swim. Not just tread water and doggy paddle, but actually freestyle or breast stroke. Now I wish we had an in ground Olympic sized pool in the backyard so I could SWIM.

Speaking of swimming, my Survivor application will be in LA this morning. Olaf shipped it overnight yesterday. I should know by late July if I have made the next round of interviews. Olaf is absolutely convinced they will pick me. I KNOW they will not. That's why we are married. He's the optomist, I'm the realist. Eight hundred people will make it to the next round of interviews.

Have a great day!! I need to get busy.

Statistics

In a span of 5.5 hours (10:30 am to 5:30 pm minus 1.5 hours in the pool) Caleb asked to eat 38 times.

The number of times I had to shoo him out of the kitchen because he was trying to get himself something to eat: 9

From 10:30 am until noon (when we got in the pool) he asked to get into the pool 10 times.

And he only asked for Papa two times the entire day! (It would be more but the pool is new and took precedence.)

OK, so lets do the math. Based on the above numbers, Caleb asked to eat almost seven times an hour. That is more than once every 10 minutes. Combine that with the two times per hour that I had to shoo him out of the kitchen and you get an idea of what I deal with on a daily basis. The key is to keep him busy. The pool was great. He didn't ask to eat once. He does play outside but not for very long because of the heat. I try to get him to help me with chores like folding clothes etc. Any more ideas on how to keep a mentally challenged child (with no attention span whatsoever) busy?

Summertime

Well, Caleb is home for the summer. Chances are I will be less frequent on the blog. He drains me both physically and emotionally. Sorry if you think that is wrong or bad, but it's true. I am a "no facade" kind of Christian. I think we're a rare breed in the "church" now a days. Especially in the homeschooling movement. We want everyone to think we are doing a good job, we never lose our temper with the children, we always look wonderful for our husbands, and always have dinner ready every night. HA! If you don't fit the mold of a "typical" homeschooling mother you can always come here for support and encouragement. Be real. Otherwise you may end up in a mental ward...

On another note, Olaf bought one of those above ground pools with the inflatable ring on the top at Home Depot. The children love it. Of course, I have to be out there because it's too deep for Josiah and Caleb has seizures. If you know me at all, you know that I don't do well in hot weather. Even in a pool. Especially when it means all I do is hold Josiah and stand there. And I don't like the fact that we have to walk through grass and dirt to get to the pool because I don't like dirty wet feet. So this whole pool thing skeeves me out a bit. But, I do it because the children love it. The pool does mean that Caleb won't be asking me to eat as long as we are out there though. That's a plus.

Oh, I have been getting a lot of spam tags over in my tag board. I try to delete them everyday. Just wanted you to know I'm on top of things over there. I may have to take the Tag Board off if it doesn't slow down.

Have a great day!

My husband left me

Only for a night though. He is in Boston on business. Tomorrow he has a doctor's appointment for his shoulder pain that is now in his elbow and wrist. He also is doing a follow-up for that ER visit a few months back. He needs to go see a neurologist. He's a physical mess, but I love him.

Tomorrow is the last day of public school. Caleb goes for a half day tomorrow. Camille is finished with school, but I will give her a page of math or language arts once or twice a week to keep her on her toes. We will officially start school in July. Camille will be in the 5th grade and Grace will start Kindergarten. Did I tell you we got the results back from her PASS test? She aced math like I knew she would.

Yesterday I started paging Olaf throughout the day with reasons why I love him. I sent 13 pages yesterday and two so far this morning. He loves it. I made a list of 100 (which is easy to do...try it!) and will page him for a few days until he gets all 100. Some are silly, some are serious, all are true. The one he likes the best so far has been: "I love you because you want a baby!" He really does want another baby. More than I want one I think. He loves, loves, loves, newborns. He loves kissing their little open mouths and smelling that spit up breath. The ONLY time the man has ever told me to lose weight was last week. I was telling him that when women have a rapid weight loss that it can trigger estrogen production and make a woman more fertile. He said, "Girl, lose some weight. I want a baby!"

I applied for my passport for Survivor. Now, I just need a passport size photo to send in with my application and video. Our ink cartridges are empty so as soon as I buy some more, my package will be complete. It has to be in their hands by June 15th so I have a little time.

I was happy Taylor won American Idol last night. I have liked him from the start. I think Chris would have gotten it had he been in the final two, but I like Taylor.

Camille has started playing Toontown online. What a fun game! Of course, I want to play too so we have to share our Toontown time. You interact with the other "toons" that are playing online with you. It's just super fun.

I have nothing to make for supper tonight so I am going to take the children out for pizza. I'd rather do that then take them to the grocery store:)

OK, time to get going.... Have a blessed day.

Gracie is FIVE!

May 23, 2001 at 4:30 am you were born in Mama's bed. You were almost three weeks early and weighed 7 lbs 10 oz. I love you more each day. I am so proud to be your Mama.

WOW!

I just read my post from yesterday and it really sounds whiney! I didn't mean to sound so whiney...really. Just wanted to say that. Lo Siento, I'm sorry, jammer, me fal, het spijt me, Undskyld, anteeksi, pardon excusez-moi, Entschuldigung, maaf, gomen nasai.

Good Morning

Saturday morning. Caleb's last baseball game. It's supposed to be warm today too. We've had a beautiful week of cool weather. I mean, unseasonably cool. It has been lovely. Back to normal today. Hot and sticky and yucky.

I had a dream last night that I met my new baby niece. Scott (the Dad and my BIL) was alone (I have no idea where Frances, his wife, was) and I was telling him to bring me a bottle so I could feed the baby. Well, he brought me one ounce of refrigerated Pediasure in a bottle for a newborn! LOL! I was telling him that she needed formula and he was just laughing at me saying, "You think you know EVERYTHING Misty." Which is basically the way I feel around Scott in real life. I get the feeling that he thinks we are a bit on the dumb side. Afterall, we are not college graduates and we are born again Christians. That must make us rather stupid to some people. It is a bit sad that Olaf and I have no extended family that we see at all. His father and brother live in NY. His father says he is too old to travel and will not visit. Scott used to come about once a year but we haven't seen him since Josiah was 4 months old (Over three years ago). My mother and siblings live in Oregon. No one will come to Georgia to visit us. It has been six years since I have seen my mother and siblings. I am looking forward to making memories with my children and grandchildren. I cannot wait to have everyone over for BBQ's and big dinners and family vacations. You bet your sweet bippy that I will get my old butt on a plane and travel to wherever my children are. I don't care if it's half way around the world. It makes me feel a bit rejected and unloved to know that my family doesn't care enough to come see us, but I just have to remember that God is the Father to the orphan and the husband to the widow. I have to put my hope in that and not look longingly back at what never will be.

On another note, my poor husband has had shoulder pain for over a week now. It is constant and hurts him a lot. 1200 mg of Motrin doesn't touch the pain. I want him to go to the doctor, but I can only nag so much. I am worried about him because I just read of a person (that I personally know) with severe shoulder pain that was diagnosed with cancer all over his body. Yes, my hypochondria is taking over.

Well, hubby is up and I need to go. Have a great weekend.

I'm here...

***Edited to add that when I posted about my former friend in paragraph two, I was in total agreement with her position NOT to be on the show that contacted her. They got the impression that I was being negative toward them which was totally not my point at all. She took down the post so the link doesn't work, but I am leaving it up so that this edit will make sense to those who haven't read the original post yet.**

No excuses for not blogging. We have been a wee bit busier than normal, but not so busy that I can't plop down for a few minutes and tell everyone about my day. I know y'all are just dying to hear.

Camille went riding on Tuesday AND today. From here on out she will ride every other Tuesday though. That leaves some money in the budget for piano lessons...possibly. I am looking into that right now. The girls are at the dentist for their annual check up. It's Grace's first ever visit to the dentist. I hope she does well. We usually don't take the children until they are 5 or so. It's just too scary when they are smaller than that. Josiah would freak if I took him right now.

I read this post today (took down the link because the original link was changed to some hooplah about me being unkind to them etc. And just FYI for anyone following this post, I did NOT write this paragraph thinking that she wrote her reponse to Wife Swap because she knew I was applying to be on Survivor. I know she doesn't read my blog (but some of her friends do apparantley) and I was just trying to get the point across that I do not always feel the way she feels. She is what I would LOVE to attain to but I have not gotten there, and probably never will. I am a work in progress. She has arrived. That is all.) and felt a bit crappy for applying to be on Survivor. The woman that wrote that post used to be a real close online friend of mine. We e-mailed almost everyday and I truly valued her friendship. In a nutshell, I ticked her off and she told me I was not worth the effort to be my friend. At first I was totally devastated, but the more I read her blog, the more convinced I am that the Lord did the separating. HE truly is sovereign and I believe it was for my good.

And that last paragraph reminds me of this. It is my new favorite song. I know I have pulled (and continue to pull) planks from my eye all the time.

Oh! TTOW! The hippies won the Amazing Race. I am so, so happy. Now if Taylor wins American Idol I can get through the summer alright.

I have stat counter on my blog and it lets me see where people are coming from when they visit my blog. Like, if someone does a google search it will tell me what words they used in order to get to my blog. I get a lot of "puss pockets in throat" (when Josiah was sick) and "weight watchers blinkies" but today I had a FUNNY one. It was "dana undies knee pads"! What the??? Why in the world would they click the link to MY blog?? And who in the world would do a google search for that?

I am re-reading (is that supposed to be hyphenated ello?) Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. Regardless of what I believe about the Pearl's child raising techniques, this particular book has been good for me. Timely is a better word. God does that, doesn't He? There have been some terrific quotes that really hit me over the head. Wanna hear some? "You are, by nature, equipped in every way to be your man's helper." That really just hit me. I, me, Misty, am equipped in EVERY WAY to be Olaf's helper. Me. Not someone else. Me. God chose me to be Olaf's wife. That made me happy. Here is another quote regarding leading the family; "It is far better that the job be done poorly by your husband than to be done well by you." Ouch! That's all I have to say about that. Then there was this question that she asked; "If God created a special woman perfectly suited to be your husband's helper, would you be that woman?" That got me thinking as well...

Alrighty, I need to run. I have to make veggie pizza for Bible Study tonight. Have a blessed day.

Tagged by Dawn

I was tagged by Dawn! ( I lurve Dawn)

Accent: I can do any accent you want. New York, Boston, Minnesota, Southern, Pacific Northwest, Girlfriend...

Bible Book that I like: Ephesians

Chore I don't care for: Mopping

Dog or Cat: We have 2 of each.

Essential Electronics: computer

Favorite Cologne: Karma by Lush or Laila TOTALLY different smells...love them both.

Gold or Silver: Silver, most definitely

Handbag I Carry Most Often: A large brown Coach bag that Olaf bought me about 12 or 13 years ago.

Insomnia: Always

Job Title: Help Meet to my husband (or at least trying my best) and Homeschooling Mom.

Kids: One of my pet peeves. I do NOT have goats, I have children. Four to be exact.

Living Arrangements: With my family in my 1400 square foot house. Perfect.

Most Admirable Trait: My wit of course!

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: I was so bad...there is too much to choose from.

Overnight Hospital Stays: Only with my two hospital births.

Phobias: Plane crashing, drowning, falling from a tall building, basically death...

Quote: Those of you who think you know everything really annoy those of us who do.

Religion: I prefer the title relationship over religion, but I am a born again Christian.

Siblings: 2 half, one whole, 2 step

Time I Wake Up: 6:15 on the weekdays. Only because my husband is SO gracious and takes care of Caleb in the morning. He gets up at 5:00 am.

Unusual Talent or Skill: I can clap one handed..really.

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: I love all veggies.

Worst Habit: Staying up late.

X-rays: A whole bunch, but I have never broken anything.

Yummy Stuff I Cook: Nothing. Really. Edible, yes. Yummy, no.

Zoo Animal I Like Most: I hate zoo's. But if I had to choose it would probably be a lion or something wild and dangerous like that.

I'm back

I haven't downloaded my photos of Disney yet, but I will tomorrow. I am in the middle of watching (actually listening) to the Survivor finale. We taped my three minute application video today. Chances are slim that I will get an interview, but if it happens, you'll be the first to know.

Disney was fun. I have to say that Epcot was my favorite. We didn't even see the shows that each country had to offer, but we still had a blast. They had Soarin' there from Disney's California theme park and it was a very cool ride. Grace rode EVERYTHING including Space Mountain and Everest at The Animal Kingdom. Her exact words were, "Oh Mom, I hear screaming. That must be a good ride!" The bigger the ride, the better! The timeshare we stayed in was gorgeous. Oh my! I cannot thank Shirley enough for letting us stay there on a guest pass. It was fantabulous. I wish I could afford a time share, but I cannot. (Unless I win the million on Survivor!) Until then, I'll have to mooch off of those who have some weeks banked. Anyone?? Anyone?? We went to the Magic Kingdom three days, Epcot twice and Animal Kingdom once. Fun, fun, fun. At Epcot we went to Germany and bought some Asbach Urald brandy and it is tasty.

Tomorrow starts the work week. My poor husband is not excited about going back. He is going to be swamped, swamped, swamped. This week is busy for the children and I too. There are dental appointments and riding lessons this week. There are no groceries in the house which means I have to take the children to the store tomorrow. Caleb goes back to school tomorrow. I think the last day of school is the 23rd. Then he'll be out for three months and I'll be going a wee bit crazy.

Hopefully I will upload the pictures tomorrow and you will be able to see them on Flickr. However, you will need to sign up (it's free) and have me add you as a friend to see them. Just let me know your Flickr name and I'll add you so you can see the pics!

Buh Byeee

We are off! Disney World awaits the Jorek Clan. Pray we have a safe and peaceful trip. See ya next week with lots of pictures.

Photo Survey

Stolen from Heather.

1. Somewhere you want to travel someday


2. Where you want to live someday


3. Where you live now


4. An item/celebrity/trend/TV Show/Movie from the year you were born (like toys, books, musicians, hair styles etc.):


5. One of your favorite TV Shows


6. One of your favorite childhood books/stories

7. Favorite fast food place:

8. Favorite Band/Singer


9. A picture of the number 9:

10. Something that can be found in a forest:

11. Your favorite season:

12. Your favorite ANIMATED Disney movie:

13. Your favoite non-animated Disney movie:

14. A picture of something that’s your favorite color (like sun=yellow,red=blood, blueberries=blue etc…):

15. A celebrity that has the first name as you;

16. A celebrity you look like: (well, people have told me that I look like her)

17. Favorite Film

I'm going to do it

I have filled out an application to be on Survivor and I am going to make my three minute video and send it in. Any suggestions as to how to make mine stand out from the thousands upon thousands that they get? I'm certainly not going naked (America is so not ready for that). I was thinking of just capturing the chaos of my home life and then turning to the camera and say I need a vacation. Not that Survivor would be a vacation, but it would be kind of funny none-the-less. A friend suggested contacting Paschal English, a former Survivor contestant, who is a judge fairly local to me. I may try to call him, but I'm not sure if I will ever get to talk to the man.

Me: Ummm, can I please speak to the Honorable Paschal English please?
Secretary: May I ask who is calling?
Me: Well, I really want to get on Survivor and (click)...

I am hoping they want a born again, homeschooling, fairly conservative Christian because they have to have a token "religious" person on with the token homosexual. I'm not looking forward to being hungry, but losing 30 pounds would be tight! I'll keep you posted.

Camille had a riding lesson today with her new instructor. The horse is beautiful. Camille did OK. We will be going every other week because that is the only slot she has available right now. It's better than a swift kick in the pants.

I am keeping Caleb out of school the next two days. If he has been exposed to any sicknesses, symptoms should be manifesting by Saturday. I need to know what I'm dealing with before I go to Orlando. Three more days and we will be on the road. Woo Hoo! I still need to do some shopping.

I am going to the homeschool conference this Friday to shop. I am meeting Tammy Pitts there to visit awhile before things get crazy. I don't plan on staying too long. There is so much to do Friday to get ready for the trip. I have already bought the bulk of their curriculum from ABeka, but there are a few supplemental things I'd like to get.

Have a great day. Thanks for checking in on me. Leave a comment or something.

Is this blog about homeschooling?

Because I rarely post about it anymore. I guess I should rename it, My Life Journey. However, I read a great list in Homeschool Digest by Laura Bankston entitled "A Few Reasons to Homeschool" Here they are:

1 Be with your family...2 Set your own schedule...3 Vacation when you want...4 Choose curriculum that best suits the need of your child...5 Be totally aware of the state and progress of your child's education...6 Keep your child away from unnecessary peer pressure...7 Keep your child away from the bad influence of other children...8 Love, nurture, and teach your children the character and morals you value most...9 Make learning fun...10 Make learning as "experimental" as you want...11 You don't have to get up early...12 Break up the day however you want to fit your child's learning style and attention span...13 Teach your child without any "assumed limitations"...14 What you teach to the older children naturally filters down to the younger children...15 Teach at the pace and developmental stage appropriate for your child...16 avoid "educational labeling"...17 Keep your child as far away from drugs as possible...18 Never have to worry about bomb scares or mass shootings...19 Allow your child to think, discuss, and explore in ways not possible in a classroom setting...20 Constant positive reinforcements and gentle correction...21 Don't use the school as a babysitter. You only need a few hours of learning, the rest of the day is filled with unnecessary busy work...22 Develop life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing that are easily learned with the additional time spent at home...23 Spend as much time outdoors as you want to enjoy nature and the world around us...24 Teach the value of responsibility by providing daily jobs...25 Teach money management by everyday living...26 Never have your child beat up by a bully...27 No set expectations on younger siblings following older ones through school...28 Be around when your child needs to talk...29 Take a break when your child needs a break...30 Bond as a family...31 Pass on your religious beliefs and don't worry about "indoctrination" of the school system's philosophy...32 Teach sex education when and how you want to...33 Develop your child's imagination...34 Unlimited possibilities for extra curricular activities...35 Develop the individualism of your child...36 Never have your child feel like a failure...37 No chance for you child to "just get by" with academics...

There are at least 25 more, but I don't have the time to type them right now. I will finish later...

The van is fixed

Let's just pray that it stays fixed. We have changed two of the four oxygen sensors now. I hope the other two don't go bad. It cost over $300 today. (I'd insert a crying face here, but dont have one.)

Karen got some good news today! Her Pet/CT scan revelealed that there is only cancer activity in her breast, NOT in her liver. Praise God!

On a very sad note, Lisa, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in December 2004, passed away today. Will you please pray for her family? She just turned 34 years old and has two very young children. Cancer sucks. It just does.

Special Olympics

It was a gorgeous day for Special Olympics yesterday. It was cool but sunny. I actually got a little bit of a burn on my face. I put pictures on Flickr. You can click the link in my sidebar and see the few pics I took. My camera batteries died. I had just recharged them. I hate rechargable batteries. Anyway, Caleb decided to moonwalk the 50 yard dash instead of run it. He just wanted the attention. He moonwalked it backwards by the way. Go take a look. He competed in the 50 yard dash, the softball throw, and the standing long jump. All he wanted to do was to go to the "Olympic Village" and get popcorn and Sprite.

My weigh in sucked last night. I gained a lot of weight. Weight I didn't "deserve" to gain either. I have to believe that the FIRM is building muscle faster than my fat is dissipating. It's still frustrating though. I will keep pressing on. I will update my Weight Loss blog later today. But I refuse to change my ticker!!

Eight more days until Disney! Eight. More. Days.

We are dropping the van off this evening to get the oxygen sensor replaced. Praying that this will fix all our problems and we will have a nice safe ride to Orlando.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday

and still not much to report.

Special Olympics was supposed to be tomorrow but they have moved it to Thursday because of the likelihood of rain.

I think I have found a new riding instructor for Camille. Yes again. The girl that we just started with, quit. I'm not holding my breath. I just pray this one works out.

Please pray for Karen. Things are not progressing as we hoped.

I have a dear friend who is pregnant but I can't say who. They want to wait awhile before announcing it.

Take a look at these pictures. They are my online friends! Twelve of them got together in Dallas for a weekend of fun. I'm totally jealous.

I did a 55 minute FIRM video today and burned over 500 calories. Check out my weight loss blog.

Do you know I have an online friend in New Zealand? (Hi Wilm!) And you know what else? Their water spins clockwise when it goes down the drain. Ours (being the top half of the world) spins counter clockwise.

I also get hits on my blog from places like the UK, Poland, and Iceland. How cool is that?

I love my Mother's Day present

I got my Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor and I love it. I have worked out twice with it. It's a pretty cool little toy. Today I did a 45 minute DVD and burned 450 calories. The hard part for me is writing down everything I eat.

Next weekend we will be getting our van fixed. We have had a check engine light on for FOREVER. We knew it was an Oxygen Sensor and Olaf assured me that it was not necessary to change. He said it only had to do with emissions and would not affect the way the engine actually ran. Well....today we had an alignement and tire rotation done and Olaf asked the guy to hook it up to the computer to see if there were any other faults showing up in the engine. Needless to say, there were several. Olaf called the Mazda dealer service department and talked to a mechanic there. He explained the situation and the mechanic said that the Oxygen Sensor could be causing all those other faults. Hmmm.... So, next weekend we will have the Oxygen Sensor replaced and pray nothing else goes bad on the way to Orlando. Our tax refund that is paying for this trip keeps dwindling with stuff like this. Sucketh. Some of it is my fault becuase I used $109 to join Weight Watchers for ten weeks and then Olaf bought me a Mother's Day gift that cost $80. I guess I should shut up!:)


It's been raining here for the past couple of days. I hate rain. I grew up in Springfield, Oregon where all it does is rain. So when it rains here I fear it will never stop. The only way you can tell it's summer in Oregon is when the rain gets warmer. A true Oregonian has webbed feet. And FYI, it is not pronounced Ore-gone. Like Gone With the Wind. It is pronounced Orygun.

Josiah caught a caterpillar a few days ago and was keeping it for a pet. He would go outside and touch it and carry it all around. Well, he left the box outside and the rain killed it last night. He is now on a search for a new caterpillar and nothing else is appeasing him. Poor child.

Olaf is cleaning the inside of the van right now. I admit it. I am a slob. I let the children eat in the car. The paper wrappings of straws and candy mints are strewn all over my floorboard. A small animal could live for a month on the french fries that are sure to be found on the floor near my children. And everytime (everytime) my husband cleans out the car for me, I get "the" lecture. Good thing he only does it once a year!:)


Two weeks from today and we leave for Disney World. Yee Haw!

Not much to blog about

But I'll blog for Tammy.

I washed the curtains in my room as well as the matching thingamabobs that hang off the railings around my bed. I have an open canopy bed and there are these little curtain lace things that hang around the bed. Am I making any sense? Anyway, they were filthy. Olaf has asthma really bad and these things had an inch of dust on them. Not condusive to an asthmatic.

I just finished the FIRM Jiggle Free Arms. It's only 30 minutes, but it's better than nothing. Olaf ordered the heart rate monitor that I wanted for Mother's Day. It should be here tomorrow. Woo Hoo! Now I can see how many calories I am actually burning doing the FIRM.

On another note, Josiah doesn't eat. Anything. Except chocolate. I bought him french fries today from McDonalds. They are sitting there untouched. You can see every bone in his body. I am trying not to worry.

I got a coupon in the mail today from Yankee Candle. Buy two of the large jars, get one free. I have to do that. I love Yankee Candles. I do not like fruity scents though. Yuck.

Camille is almost done with her school year. She has 16 more days. We will start back up somewhere in the beginning of July. She will be in the fifth grade and Grace will be in Kindergarten. They are growing up way too fast.

Tonight is the Amazing Race. I hope the hippies catch up. I want them to win.

Have a great day!!

Dumb

So, I had this Metabolite that I bought on clearance YEARS ago. You know, the one WITH the ephedra? It was in the clearance bin at Publix becasue they were going to the ephedra free formula. So, I spent the $1.99 for a bottle of 180 pills. And it sat in my cupboard for two or three years. Until today. I get it out and look at the expiration date. It expired a year ago. I figure I may as well try it and see if it works anyway. I took the 2 caplets one hour prior to eating just like it said. Now I am a shaky, jittery, mess. I guess ephedra doesn't expire afterall. I also know why people got hooked on this stuff. I feel like I am on speed. My heart is racing, my hands are literally shaking, and I want to clean my house. Something is definitely wrong:0)

Camille finished her standardized test today and it is sitting in the mailbox. They grade it and send the results to me. I am certain the girl scored awesome in math. I'm not sure about reading and language. It will take three or four weeks to get the results back. Right now she and Grace are at the table playing school. I LOVE that. They are both learning so much when they do that. Right now Camille has her counting by twos.

I ordered the bulk of my curriculum for next year already. ABeka had free shipping this month. At the homeschool conference (the day before we leave for Disney) I plan on buying the GA History stuff from Notgrass. I will also do A Reason for Writing with both of the girls and maybe Explode the Code with Gracie.

Josiah wants me to sit with him in the chair, so off I go! Have a great day.

Happy Easter

I hope everyone is having a blessed day. We started it out with the children finding their baskets this morning. Then we hid about 60 plastic eggs in the front yard for the children to find. Needless to say, my children have eaten so much chocolate that I am surprised they aren't throwing up. We all sat down to watch the Donut Man's Ressurection Celebration (thinking that would be good for the little ones) when Grace decided she needed to wash her hands. I called her back to the living room because she was missing the whole point of the story when she promptly told me "I don't care." Well, if you don't care about the real reason for Easter then obviously you don't care about Easter at all. And if that is true, then you just lost your Easter Basket and everything inside of it. Olaf took her to the bedroom and explained how awful that attitude was and asked her to pray and tell the Lord she was sorry. She refused. I took her Easter Basket away. She cried and still refused to pray. I say predestination, Olaf says not! LOL! She finally did pray when I went in and told her to, which really negates the prayer altogether. Why didn't these children come with a step by step manual?

I just ate a egg salad sandwich for lunch. I have no idea how many Weight Watchers points that is and I really don't want to. It had a TON of mayo on it. I really need to be good the rest of the day. I mean...really, really good. For supper tonight we are grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. I will eat the 97% fat free Hebrew National Hot Dogs for one point each. They are actually quite good. The bun is 2 points each though. So for 6 points I can have two hot dogs.

Have a great Easter everyone. The Lord has risen!

Words.

ALIVE!

by Max Lucado

ROAD. DARK. STARS. SHADOWS. FOUR. SANDALS. Robes. Quiet. Suspense. Grove. Trees. Alone. Questions. Anguish. “Father!” Sweat. God. Man. God-Man. Prostrate. Blood. “NO!” “Yes.” Angels. Comfort.

Footsteps. Torches. Voices. Romans. Surprise. Swords. Kiss. Confusion. Betrayal. Fearful. Run! Bound. Wrists. Marching.

Courtyard. Priests. Lamps. Sanhedrin. Caiaphas. Sneer. Silk. Arrogance. Beard. Plotting. Barefoot. Rope. Calm. Shove. Kick. Annas. Indignant. Messiah? Trial. Nazarene. Confident. Question. Answer. Punch!

Peter. “Me?” Rooster. Thrice. Guilt.

Proceedings. Court. Rejection. Prosecute. Weary. Pale. Witnesses. Liars. Inconsistent. Silence. Stares. “Blasphemer!” Anger. Waiting. Bruised. Dirty. Fatigued. Guards. Spit. Blindfold. Mocking. Blows. Fire. Twilight.

Sunrise. Golden. Jerusalem. Temple. Passover. Lambs. Lamb. Worshipers. Priests. Messiah. Hearing. Fraud. Prisoner. Waiting. Standing. Shifting. Strategy. “Pilate!” Trap. Murmurs. Exit.

Stirring. Parade. Crowd. Swell. Romans. Pilate. Toga. Annoyed. Nervous. Officers. Tunics. Spears. Silence. “Charge?” “Blasphemy.” Indifference. Ignore. (Wife. Dream.) Worry. Interview. Lips. Pain. Determined. “King?”

“Heaven.” “Truth.” “Truth?” Sarcasm. (Fear.) “Innocent!” Roar. Voices. “Galilean!” “Galilee?” “Herod!”

9:00 A.M. Marchers. Palace. Herod. Fox. Schemer. Paunchy. Crown. Cape. Scepter. Hall. Elegance. Silence. Manipulate. Useless. Vexed. Revile. Taunt. “King?” Robe. Theatrical. Cynical. Hateful. “Pilate!”

Marching. Uproar. Prisoner. Hushed. Pilate. “Innocent!” Bedlam. “Barabbas!” Riot. Despair. Christ. Bare. Rings. Wall. Back. Whip. Slash. Scourge. Tear. Bone. Moan. Flesh. Rhythm. Silence. Whip! Silence. Whip! Silence. Whip! Thorns. Stinging. Blind. Laughter. Jeering. Scepter. Slap. Governor. Distraught. (Almost.) Eyes. Jesus. Decision. Power. Freedom? Threats. Looks. Yelling. Weak. Basin. Water. Swayed. Compromise. Blood. Guilt.

Soldiers. Thieves. Crosspiece. Shoulder. Heavy. Beam. Heavy. Sun. Stagger. Incline. Houses. Shops. Faces. Mourners. Murmurs. Pilgrims. Women. Tumble. Cobblestone. Exhaustion. Gasping. Simon. Pathetic. Golgotha.

Skull. Calvary. Crosses. Execution. Death. Noon. Tears. Observers. Wails. Wine. Nude. Bruised. Swollen. Crossbeam. Sign. Ground. Nails. Pound. Pound. Pound. Pierced. Contorted. Thirst. Terrible. Grace. Writhing. Raised. Mounted. Hung. Suspended. Spasms. Heaving. Sarcasm. Sponge. Tears. Taunts. Forgiveness. Dice. Gambling. Darkness.

Absurdity.

Death. Life.

Pain. Peace.

Condemn. Promise.

Nowhere. Somewhere.

Him. Us.

“Father!” Robbers. Paradise. Wailing. Weeping. Stunned. “Mother.” Compassion. Darkness. “My God!” Afraid. Scapegoat. Wilderness. Vinegar. “Father.” Silence. Sigh. Death. Relief.

Earthquake. Cemetery. Tombs. Bodies. Mystery. Curtain. Spear. Blood. Water. Spices. Linen. Tomb. Fear. Waiting. Despair. Stone. Mary. Running. Maybe? Peter. John. Belief. Enlightenment. Truth. Mankind. Alive. Alive.

Alive!

Amazing Race is on tonight

I'm so happy they moved The Amazing Race to Wednesday at 8:00 pm. That just rocks.

I had an IEP meeting with Caleb's teacher today. Of course she is taking another position and won't be his teacher next year. Goals really didn't change too much. It should be another normal year.

I actually fit into a smaller size pants today. That is always fun. I think I have only lost five pounds in two weeks, but I have been doing the FIRM everyday. The video I did today really kicks my butt. I cannot do it all. As a matter of fact, I leave out the arm part and only do the leg part and I still can't make it through the entire video. Let's see if I can find a link to it. Here it is. I cannot wait until I actually start to see a difference again.

My Pampered Chef party was a huge success. I got two half price items and $90 in free product. Thank you to everyone who came or bought something.

Do you know they make zero calorie salad dressing? It isn't bad either. I found it at Publix. Check it out. I have tried the Creamy Bacon and the Honey Mustard. I prefer the latter, but they are both good.

Time to go veg in front of the TV for an hour.