Holidays

I'm excited for the upcoming holidays. We are going to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving at my house with family coming here. This would be the first time ever this has happened. I have spent a couple of Thanksgivings home before and I have also done the whole spread before, which I love cooking for Thanksgiving, but family has never come to my house for the holidays. One of my in-laws last visits, we had a mini-Thanksgiving meal, because I love cooking it so much--it was no where close to autumn.

I'm excited about Thanksgiving!

Funny Bobo

My children have recently all been kind of bad about not using soap when they bathe lately. It's like if they get wet--they have magically been clean. So as Bobo got into his bath tonight, I holler back at him, "Make sure to rub soap all over your body!" Then seconds later I hear him singing--I'm rubbing my peanut, I'm rubbing my peanut. (You probably can guess what he calls his peanut.) It was hard not to burst out laughing.

Beginning to Read

Bobo started reading this past week. He read his first book, containing 8 pages with few words. We are so proud of him. He read his second little 8 page book the next day. This was just enough to spark my love for home schooling all over again.

I started recently trying to decide what was best for my kids in the upcoming year. I'm guessing I'm in nursing school and I know I'll be extremely busy. I never wanted to be the parent that was so blind sided by one opinion, that I wouldn't be open to other options. I know many parents that would never even debate the idea of public school or home schooling for their kids.

I know soon after I started home schooling I got a big head about it and about how I was doing so much better than the public school system. I almost jumped on that "I'd Never Send My Kid to Public School" band wagon. I have also seen the opposite spectrum, which is, I hope I'm not ruining them. I realized I needed to figure out what was best for my kids and at one point it might be public school or private school, but right now we'll continue to home school.

Not organized

I know I'm not organized. Everyone who has gotten to know me, knows this is a huge challenge for me. I'm trying to get the house in better working order before I start school. (I'm still waiting to find out if I'm in, but I'm thinking as if I am in.) Trying to get the garage together. Get the kids rooms more situated along with the school room and all my scrap book stuff. I wish I could just hire someone to come put it all together for me. I'm pretty good once everything has a place. I just stink at finding a place for things to belong.

The kids helped me make a bookshelf today for the room we are changing into the school room. Bobo had such a natural hand at the cordless drill and the hammer. I think he might work the hammer better than I do.

The missionaries helped by bringing my ginormous desk downstairs. Now I need to get it all rearranged again.

Good Day

Today has been quite productive.

I had been having some challenges getting into the swing of things with school. A friend of mine showed me the 1st Language Lessons she was using. I tried it with my kids and they have fallen in love with it. They are always asking to do more, they want to start school with it everyday, they want to do extra school on Saturday, just to do this curriculum. They asked if we had any other subjects in this and I happened to have the history by the same person hanging out on my bookshelf. So we started it also, they are loving that too.

They are studying ancient history now. They made cave paintings to go along with what they learned about archeology this week. They made game bags. They were supposed to be made out of animal print, since they used to be made out of animal skin, but we used the material we had hanging around the house. The girls sewed their own bags, a great projects for beginning seamstresses. The kids have had a blast talking about the things people used to eat and only one of my three kids thought they might try lizard stew.

We also learned about Halloween and decorated some things Halloween. We didn't get as many chores in today, but we got our whole spectrum of school and more. It was a fun day.

Pretty Sad

It is sad when you go to log into your blog and you aren't quite sure what the password is, let alone your own blog's address.

Maybe this is a hint that I should be hanging around here a little more and actually blogging.

Hopefully I'll get the hint and be back here---I found the blog and my password---so all is not lost here------yet!

Recent Events

This past Friday I was at my friend's house. It was the first Beauty Control party that I've ever attended. My friend had got Sushi and some Thai food, some of the best food! I had set aside this "me" time and was looking forward to spending time with some friends all week.

While I plated up my food. I heard my text notification noise go off a few times. My first thoughts were just to ignore them and check them later. Then a couple more went off. I decided to go ahead and check them. One of the messages was from Cullen. He said my sister, Randi had called earlier and that he thought she might need a phone call. Normally I would have waited until my drive home to call her back, but I just felt like I should call. I went ahead and gave her a call. She wondered why I was calling while I was having my "girl" time, I told her that Cullen thought she didn't sound great. She said that she had been trying hard to hide it from Cullen.

Then I could really hear the hurt in her voice. She said she would go ahead and talk one last time, to say goodbye and for me not to be mad at her. I stood there in shock for a second, Randi is bipolar and has been in and out of suicide watch over the last four months. She has been working with a doctor, but none of the meds have been working that she has tried.

I begged her not to do anything, I tried to talk to her, but she was determined on her actions and didn't want to talk about it. I could tell she was serious. The tears were just flowing and I was shaking. On the other line I could hear Randi hyperventilating and barely able to breathe. Then I remembered my friend that was hosting the show was a social worker. I went and pulled her aside of her party. She came back and helped me so much. She coached me on what to say. She asked me to ask Randi, if she could promise on not taking any actions tonight, to just wait at least until tomorrow. Randi refused this, she was done. One of the questions was did she have a plan already. Randi's response was, no, I'm not going to let you know my plan. Finally I was coached to ask if she could promise to wait just one hour. She agreed.

I really think she thought there wasn't much I could do. I live at least 1500 miles away from her. She had just moved about 45 minutes away from everyone. Her husband was at work and doesn't usually check his own phone while at work and I didn't know where he worked. Only about 2 or 3 people even knew where she lived. I started calling everyone I could think of. I was still shaking and crying from the conversation with my sister. First was her husband's answering machine, then I sent a text to him. Then I called my Aunt, i didn't know she was at work where she couldn't have her phone, so another message to her, then a call to my Uncle, no answer from his machine, so another message left. I called my Mom, she couldn't do anything. While I was making all the phone calls, Randi was texting me and calling me wondering what I was doing and I could tell she was mad. I finally got in touch with my Uncle on his house phone. I told him what was going on, he didn't know where she lived, but was going to try and find out. I called my sister to try and find out and her husband answered. Randi hadn't done anything yet, thank goodness.

He had just happened to check his phone just in time to get the text I sent him. Come to find out, he works right around the corner from where they live. he got there. My Uncle followed and I'm guessing her husband called another friend of the family. Through the evening they decided to get her to a hospital and asked if I could come out to help.

Arizona has a very weird policy of how you get admitted into a mental/behavioral facility. You have to go into an ER and wait until a bed is opened in some facility. Well, she stayed in the ER for almost 3 days, under suicide watch. No smoke breaks for her (which is a big deal for a smoker), nothing for her to do and they told her it might be another 3-4 days waiting in the ER. She opted to go home and go to her Dr. He told her to get back to the hospital. So she is back in the ER waiting for a room. This time in a better hospital, letting her have smoke breaks, they even brought in a second bed for her husband to sleep up there with her.

Since I was asked to come out, and I was able to, I did. I jumped in the truck the next morning, kind of packed with the kids. I don't know how much help I am, but I'm here.

A lot of my family is out here and it's been over 6 years since I was last here. Middle child turned two last time we were here. I had been wanting to make a trip out here, but this was not how I really wanted to do it. Maybe next year, I can take a real trip out here.

I asked my sister after I got here how close she was to acting on her plan when I called her. She said she was within minutes of acting. She was extremely mad at me, when I asked her to promise to wait that hour. She said she really hated me for that. Now she doesn't, but during that time she was really mad at me.

I really thank the Lord for everything working out. It is amazing to me how I felt prompted to go ahead and call her, or that her husband felt prompted to check his phone, that I was right there with a social worker, who was able to help me. I couldn't have thought of the things she coached me with on my own. I am so thankful. I pray now that my sister can get the help she needs, so she can enjoy her life again!

Blog Candy!!

Nothing like some yummy blog candy to get me blogging. Yep, a drawing for free scrap book yumminess. Go check it out here! There is some awesome stuff that is being given away!

Breast Cancer Walk

My friend has been working up to being able to walk this and to walk she has to fund raise to pay the fees. The fees go to the Breast Cancer foundation. Please, if you can donate---even just donating a dollar. (If all friends donated $1 it would help her meet her entrance fees!)

Just go to www.the3day.org then click on donate, search by name (Brandi Fasel) and it's all there. Thank you so much for your support!

Woohoo!!!!

Middle child started gymnastics in Oct of 2008. She was just invited to join the pre-team last night! She is so excited. So after a trip to Mimi and Papa's, she'll be on pre-team. She has wanted to get onto team from the time she started going to gymnastics. This means next year she will begin competing.

A big thankyou to my Dad for helping support her (especially financially) so she was able to obtain this goal. Thanks Dad!!!

Just Because

I know I haven't been blogging like I have wanted. I have ideas of things I would like to blog, but I just don't seem to get around to it. So I decided to cheat and just post an LDS nugget, which I know some of you already get in your e-mails. I decided I would start trying to post just something until I get a chance to actually get pictures up and post what I have planned.

"Daily simple, sincere, and mighty prayers lift our lives to a higher spiritual altitude. In our prayers we praise God, give thanks to Him, confess weaknesses, petition needs, and express deep devotion to our Heavenly Father. As we make this spiritual effort in the name of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, we are endowed with increased inspiration, revelation, and righteousness, which bring the brightness of heaven into our lives."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Prayer and the Blue Horizon", Liahona, Jun 2009, 2–5

Long Time, No Blog

There has been just a few people checking out the site here. I get the updates about people checking out the site and I think, even I haven't been by to check out my site.  It has been so low on my priority list that it got lost for awhile.  There is a lot I need to blog.  

Since I haven't been checking out my site, that means I haven't checked out other's blogs either and I have missed catching up what is going on.  

Hopefully I will be able to catch up a little.  I feel that way with so many things in my life, hopefully I'll be able to catch up with so many things.

I have loved the fact that summer is here and I am looking forward to an amazing summer!

Proud to be a Mom!

Hubby and I were watching the celebrity apprentice and they were supposed to make a viral video for All Small and Mighty. As the contestant are asking the executives from All who they were wanting to market. One of the contestants asked if Moms was who they were trying to reach, the female All executive said, "NO, not Moms, just women with children." She was very adamant that Moms were not her focus, only women with children.

WHAT THE *&@# !!!!

I don't usually get offended by much I see on TV, this pushed me over my limit. How is a woman with children not a Mom? I think she was trying to focus on someone who had a profession of some kind as well as had children. How has the value of motherhood dropped so greatly? Isn't it the most amazing thing in the world? Yes, it is often the most difficult too. Doesn't every child need to know that their Mom thinks of them as their Mom, not a woman who happened to have a child. Every child deserves to have a Mom that cherishes every moment with their child and treasures the wonderful gift of motherhood.

I do understand that there are Moms that work, but I do not believe that devalues their motherhood. They are just as much a Mom.

I can't imagine there being a time in my life that I don't feel that I'm a Mom, that I was a woman, that just happened to have children.

I was very tempted to go upstairs and take my brand new bottle of All Small and Mighty I happened to buy before the show and return it to the store. I still might.

Learning

I came across this a few years ago when I was first starting to officially call the learning in my house home schooling. I didn't find who wrote it back then, so I am just claiming it as unknown. Whenever the girls and I read this, it seems to jump start their desire to put a little more effort in their work. I know I have mentioned sharing this with some of you. Enjoy!

It Is My Responsibility to Learn

My parents are responsible for teaching me how to learn.
It is my responsibility to learn.
My parents can provide me with opportunities to learn.
It is my responsibility to learn.
My parent’s instruction will guide me towards learning.
It is my responsibility to learn.
Knowledge is power and learning is freedom.
It is my responsibility to learn.
Stupid is as stupid does.
It is my responsibility to learn.
An excellent education is at my grasp.
It is my responsibility to learn.
I will embrace and take hold of my future for...
It is my responsibility to learn

Sharing

Hubby took from my facebook to blog. I figured I would use his blog to blog myself. He blogged about our kitchen remodel.

Carpe diem

The other day my oldest child and I were talking and she started telling me of how sad she was that she was getting older. (She is turning 10 soon--I know, so OLD!). She was concerned, because she is over half of the way of being an adult. She said she has really loved being a kid and would rather stay young and be a kid, than get older. She was very upset that she had less years being a child left. She was so upset from it, she was actually crying. It just tore at my heartstrings. First of all, I was amazed, because most of the time, kids just want to get older and older to whatever the next stage is. The second thing is that she is growing up and I know it happens so fast. She is right, there are a lot less of these child carefree days in front of us. She reminded me to not take each for granted, enjoy this time together as much as we can. Something that seems to continuously come back as a theme, but I know it's easy to get caught up in daily life and forget the goodness and awesomeness all around, especially to remember all the greatness of our children.

I am very thankful that God has given me another day and I hope to live it to my fullest potential, enjoying my family, friends and this beautiful world. I hope to carry that through each day that I am blessed with.

Was Murphy Irish?

I don't know, but I'm thinking Murphy must be Irish, because his law was in full swing tonight. I got to my Mom's dinner overall fine. I had a little uh-oh with the yakitori on the way there (the sauce dripped on the seat some---I will have to spot shot it later---spot shot rocks, it's right up there with the magic eraser.) I had decided before I got there that I was going to make it an early night and not stay much past midnight. (The ladies stay quite late for Mom's night.)

We had a great meal--Japanese food tonight. A meeting on organization (boy, oh boy, what a topic for me.) While I'm there, I misplace my phone. We look all over find it and I am very thankful. I've talked with the ladies for awhile, I'm going to make it an early night, so around 1230 am I start to get ready to go and realize I have lost my phone again!!!!! I look all over. We try and call it, but it's going straight to voice mail, because the battery had died out. I'm getting very frustrated with myself for not being able to keep up with it. I step outside to go put some things in my car, then I realize I had locked my keys in the car. I had a separate key for the ignition that I had in my hand and had locked the keys to the door of the car in the car.

Okay---no phone---now no keys to go home. I know Hubby isn't going to be pleased with all of this. I walk back inside the house, Liz had found my phone (thanks Liz and everyone else for looking for it). It had seeped way down into the couch I had looked in 3 time before. Thankfully one of the ladies husband's was a locksmith. He came out and unlocked my car and I had some friends stay and hang out until he got there. (Thank you Thank you!!!) I had myself a little moment of being overwhelmed to the max, and realized it really might be time to find a good doctor and start readdressing all my ADD issues.

I started my way home, my GPS wasn't working. I took a wrong turn or two and got lost, then looked at my gas level and realized that my gas light was on. UGH!!! Then my GPS started working and I was able to coast most of the way home and I was able to make it to my house close to 3:00am.

At the end of the day/morning I really do feel very blessed to have such great friends helping me along here in the ways they can and so glad that God watches over us all.

There were some frustrating moment

Books, Books and More Books

Books, books and more books

1) Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, I do believe. Cullen made sure I read it while we were dating and his copy moved to "our" shelves after we were married. (Cullen's favorite book.) That's about 16-17 years ago.

2) What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?
Currently reading The Call of the Wild (Oldest daughter beat me, we were race reading, I only have a couple pages left), Emma and the 2nd in the Maximum Ride series. Oldest daughter has read the series 3 times and has begged me to read them too. Last read was The Shack and first Maximum ride book. Next read besides the obvious, next book in Maximum Ride series, For One More Day, and been debating hitting Harry Potter or Twilight up for another go around.

3) What book did everyone like and you hated?
I don't have too many book discussions---I should probably change that. I haven't hated a book in awhile either, maybe I should widen what I'm reading. (I do know a book I liked and Jennifer hated though!)

4) Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?
I walked over to my bookshelf to see if there was a book sitting there that would fit this answer. I really do plan on on reading those books that I haven't yet read, I know I'm probably fooling myself.

5) Which book are you saving for “retirement?”
I might not be getting to a book as fast as I want, but not ever "saving" it.

6) Last page: read it first or wait til the end?
Wait till the end!

7) Acknowledgments: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
I'm for them.

8) Which book character would you switch places with?
I really can't seem to answer this. I think of the characters I like, then I just like my life just fine--I don't want to switch. Yeah, my imagination sucks---I needed more Sesame Street I think.

9) Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
Of course, but specifics are not popping up right now.

10) Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
This really isn't interesting, just way off my norm. I was walking in Sam's Club and a good friend of mine told me to buy The Shack. (Okay first of all, I almost never buy a book I have never heard of before and I hadn't heard of it. Then I don't buy a book I can find in a library.) So I buy this book and tell her I'm going to hit her on the head with it, if I don't like it. I did end up liking it. Found it again a week later in a second hand store for under a dollar and bought it for my friend, because I knew she gave away her only copy.

11) Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
Besides the above story, I'm not so hot at this. Paula is great at passing book to me though. Every time I see her she's passing more on to me.

12) Which book has been with you to the most places?
Probably the Outlander series. (stop cringing Jennifer).

13) Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?
I haven't reread many "required readings", but I remember feeling tortured while reading Lorna Doone in high school. I don't think I could ever bring myself to reread that.

14) What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
Drawing a blank here.

15) Used or brand new?
Both. Obviously if it's a release I'm waiting for--it's going to be new. If I come across one I've wanted to read in a second hand store or garage sale---I'm all over it. Of course they are used at the library and that is wonderful too.

16) Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
Maybe not literary genius, but he does know what sales a book and some aren't that bad.

17) Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
The above question reminded me of the Stand, but honestly I don't think I finished reading the entire book, but that was so long ago, maybe I did finish it. I know I didn't see all of the mini-series, but I did enjoy what I saw of the mini-series more.

18) Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
I feel like I'm in school and I have studied for the test and just can't come up with an answer. I know there have been some, but can't think of any.

19) Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?
I take suggestion from anyone. Jennifer's has always been good. Paula's has been awesome too.

Now I tag all those that are willing to be tagged.

Getting Worked Up!

I love old books! I love finding great old books in second hand stores, garage sales, just any where. I have a bit a problem buying the books too. I usually can't say no and I go home with a ton. One of my favorite places to shop is a second hand store on the MS gulf coast. Every time I go to visit my father I come home with at least 5 bags of books, lately it's mostly been children's books. But sometimes other good finds too.

I just ran across this website today and am currently furious. I have wondered recently at all the different things they have recalled due to lead poison and thought it was a little extreme, (you know, seeing I have lived in home with lead paint) but hadn't been too concerned about all the recalls. I don't have small babies at home any more, so I didn't have a lot of the items being recalled and kind of just thought is was another activist gone crazy. Now they passed a law that chidlren's things made before 1985 aren't supposed to be sold. Second hand book stores, Goodwills, and such are taking children's books off their shelves that were published before 1985 to follow new laws about "lead poisoning". Now I'm furious!

If I understand things correctly anything being sold at a second hand store marketed for a child, made before 1985 has to be discarded. I think all my neon clothes and leg warmers are gone from that era. I know this might be saving some poor child of some of the "bad" corduroy pants I had to suffer through, or some other fashion no-nos. But this means no more vintage clothes sales for the older chidlren. No great more great old finds. I am annoyed, this is all the stuff I used as a kid anyway. But I'm most annoyed about the old books.

That website gives ways to contact people about this, if this bothers you too!

Slacker!

Yes, I've been a slacker and haven't blogged anything in awhile. Had a few ideas, but no time. Then when I've had time, no ideas. So a contest actually gets my blog updated. A friend of mine is having a contest for a sound Bingo game. Here is a link to her! Go check it out!

Hopefully this will end my dry spell of blogging too!

Refreshing Weekend

I am so thankful that Hubby was willing to do without me this weekend. I got to do a lot this weekend, thanks to him, I definitely feel more energized and ready to face the day to day challenges with a better perspective now.

Last night I got to go to the annual Fray-Mill Home School Dinner/Sleepover. It was great to meet up with these women, I always feel invigorated after hanging out with them. We had fun playing games, eating good food, inspirational message, and chatting with women who all have a different experience home schooling, but we always seem to find unity together. I didn't end up staying all night, I left around 3am.

Today I got to go get my hair cut, just a trim. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it was great to get out alone today. After getting my hair cut, I went to lunch with myself and a book. I enjoyed my meal and a good amount of time reading. Then I got to swing by a friend's house, a thrift store and found some great priced books. Then I got to go out to see Bedtime Stories with some friends and out to eat some awesome Thai food. Simple, but wonderful day.

While I was gone, Child #1 found a recipe to make vanilla cupcakes from scratch. She made them unassisted, except for Hubby getting the cupcake liners down for her and telling her she would need to use them. She didn't realize you used them in the pan before you cooked them. She placed the cupcakes in the liners after she got them out of the oven. I just thought that was cute. I also have to find out what frosting recipe she used, because it was the best tasting frosting I think I've ever had! She even cleaned up her mess afterward.

The Innocence of Youth

This week I just started doing preschool with Bobo and two other kids. We were learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday, reading a book and there was a picture of water fountains with the word, WHITE, written on one of them. One of my older daughters read the word white out loud and one of the preschool kids said, "Was that the fountain for people who were wearing white T-shirts?". I hated having to tell her no. I just love their innocence, that they really can't even imagine the evil that has been and is in the world.

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round, Like a Record...

UGH!!! I have been dealing with vertigo for way too long. The room spinning, feeling motion sickness. I had it once at the beginning of last December, right after dealing with the flu. I just thought it was a bout with nausea, because all the spinning around made me nauseous and I just had the flu. Luckily it left me for the holidays. Then came back with a vengeance last Friday.

The first few days all I could do was lay down on the side of the couch, even my bed made me spin too much.

I went to the doctor, he has no clue, gave me antibiotics, because I had slightly elevated blood count. Now I'm done taking the antibiotics and I'm still dizzy. (It's hard to write when the monitor keeps moving around!) He gave me some major motion sickness medicine, but that only helps a little and knocks me out a lot! I'll most likely have to make another appointment!

I have it worst at night. Everything just spins when I'm laying down. Last night Bobo was trying to get in our room (we keep a pallet on the floor for him) and our door is hard to open. I tried to walk to the door and open it. I went slowly, but the room kept spinning so much, that I just fell right over.

So my time blogging has been down quite a bit! Hopefully I'll be back to normal soon!