Weaving a Tapestry

A Legacy of Spelling

2012-01-07T21:35:00.003-06:00

Well, I have tried to give my children many things as their mother, but one of the most important is an appreciation of the English language. We use curricula, but mostly we just read... and read... and read. Turns out, that reading pays off. Wesley entered the One Day Academy Spelling Bee... on a whim, honestly. But then today he just kept spelling... and spelling... and spelling! He spelled his way right to second place. We are so proud of him. He went round and round at the end, a real nailbiter. But he walked away smiling and proud.

He comes by it honestly. I was a trophy-winning UIL speller. It doesn't get much nerdier than that. I traveled all over the state, competing in spelling contests for 2 years in high school. I loved every minute of it... well, except for the time that I came home sleep deprived and high on success and my parents called the trip sponsors to find out if I had been doing drugs! True story!

Then, his sister! When Bethany was in 3rd grade, she entered the homeschooler's spelling bee. And she won! First place! As the youngest participant. We went to the Regional Bee and she did well, but fell out on the word "tonsillitis". I had to do spell check on that just to make sure! We were so proud of her. But it made her incredibly nervous and she chose not to participate again. Wesley doesn't have the same nerves she did and he wants to do it again. So this time next year, watch out. He'll be spelling everything ALL the time. In the meantime, just look for me at church tomorrow - I'll be the one with the big proud grin on her face.

Meet Pogo

2012-01-05T13:02:00.003-06:00

This is Pogo, he is a Pogona Vitticep, better known as a Bearded Dragon. He is a lizard native to Australian deserts, but now makes his home upstairs in our playroom, with Pluto the dwarf hamster. I like low maintenance pets.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T18:16:00.002-06:00

What a nice weekend. I am not one to really get into the party scene, so a quiet night at home is my favorite choice for celebration. If we had a small party to attend, that's sometimes fun - but no huge crowds! Yuck! We went for a nice lunch at a Greek restaurant, then cupcakes and coffee for dessert. Then we came home for a LONG nap! Lovely. Bethany was the only one with us but she had gotten new DVD's and was so absorbed in them she was happy, too! We woke up in time for a little History Channel and sparkling cider.

This morning we went to church, then finally got Wesley's bearded dragon - Pogo. He is happily adjusting to his new home. We had black-eyed pea soup and cornbread for dinner, and are now enjoying TV and the fire. All the other kids came home today so it is good to have them all under the same roof tonight. The best way to start a New Year.

I did get much of my closet decluttered, with 2 huge boxes of clothes in the back of the car ready to drop off tomorrow. I still have one more week before teaching so I will try to get the rest of the closet and my room cleared.

Traditions

2011-12-30T13:34:00.006-06:00

I have a story I wanted to tell when it happened, but it was a quasi secret, so I had to wait. There is a jeweler here in Central Texas, James Avery, that makes a unique line of Christian-themed, mostly sterling silver jewelry. A staple for them is charms. We moved to Texas in 1976 and my father found them soon after. Before long, every gift for every female for every occasion, became a trip to James Avery for Daddy. He bought me rings, earrings, charms, bracelets, and necklaces. My mother and sister had a similarly overflowing jewelry box. It became a most special tradition to open the little boxes with a candelabra on them. When my mother died in 2003, my sister and I had a memorable time of looking through and dividing her special pieces. Many of them one of us already had. He gave the girls charm bracelets when they were born and added to their charm collection every birthday and Christmas.

My father was killed in September of 2009. My birthday had been in August and I had not seen him since then. My sister's birthday was September 1, just two weeks before he died. When we went to his home that day, there were two little James Avery bags, sitting on his piano, waiting until he saw us again. Sydney, our lifelong special friend who was very close to marrying Dad, knew which was which and gave us our presents. Mine were dragonfly earrings which still make me cry when I wear them.

Fast forward to this Christmas. When I asked my two younger girls what they wanted for Christmas, they both wanted a James Avery purity ring more than anything. It was a little beyond my budget for individual gifts, but when your teen daughter wants to proclaim purity to the world... you have to support that. And the fact that it was a James Avery product made it even more special. I went into the store one afternoon a couple of weeks before Christmas and teared up walking in the door. We picked the rings and the lady helped us get them. As she showed and polished, I told her about my father and his tradition. It was my first James Avery purchase, despite having literally dozens of pieces. She cried, too... and thanked me for telling her my story. I walked out of the store that afternoon, feeling warm and fuzzy, missing my parents, but knowing full well that they would be proud to know what I had done, and even more proud of my girls for making that significant commitment.

I love you and miss you Daddy, but you done good! All your girls love you, and even more important, we love the Lord!

Preparing for a New Family Member

2011-11-06T22:09:00.003-06:00

Yes, we are adding to the family. NO! I am not pregnant. Our new family member will have 4 legs, not 2. He/she will also be coldblooded and only about 6 inches long. Wesley has been saving for a bearded dragon lizard since the summer. On Friday, we cleaned up the playroom and made a large space for his 40 gallon reptile cage. I know 40 gallons is a bit large for a 6 inch animal. But, this critter cage is on sale now for $60 off. We had to act on this now since the kind salesman told us in advance of the sale and said he has never seen it go on sale this cheap! So, while the habitat isn't nearly as much fun as the critter himself, we bought that and the lamps we'll need. Now Wesley has to start saving again. It may be Christmas until he has the money saved. This is a big commitment. The paperwork says they have a lifespan of 3-10 yrs, but some people have told us they are known to live as long as 15-20 yrs. He will have to care for his new buddy for a very long time. I want him to work hard to appreciate the responsibility this will be.

In the process of rearranging the playroom, I made a decision. To me, it's kind of a sad one. For many years, I was into every craft imaginable. THIS is a post from 2005 about my little secret obsession. I have tried it all! I have organized and reorganized my supplies through the years, as you can see HERE . I have even tried to indoctrinate my own children into the habit. I have not had the time in several years to sew and craft like I used to. But I naively thought that as the children got older and left home, life would be simpler. I would have time for that which brings me such joy. Alas, it is not to be... yet. My new direction in life means that for the next 5-10 years, life will not be getting any easier. It may in fact get more crazy, with even less free time for such activities. In addition, I am fixing this house up because in a few years, I'll be ready to sell and downsize. That means I am not going to want to move all this STUFF~! So, over the next months I will be purging some amazing craft supplies. I will never part with my 2 special sewing machines, but the closet stuffed with fabric may need to be culled to a few useful pieces. Tie dye, soap making, beading... all of it will go. I'm not up for it now. It may be Christmas before I work up the gumption to deal with it all. But I am finally ready to accept that I can part with these materials and not have a whole in my heart. Sounds melodramatic, doesn't it? Well, I feel very strongly about my sewing and crafting. There was a time in my daily life of making PB and J sandwiches, tying shoes, reading Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel and Little House on the Prairie, cleaning boo boos, washing clothes, and cleaning the kitchen, that a sewing project might be the only thing I accomplished in my day that didn't have to be done ALL over again the next day. I had something to show for my day. It was my creative outlet. Now... I have to find smaller projects. So, it's okay that I am saying goodbye to some friends. I hope in the end, they'll go to good homes where they will live up to their creative potential.

Six Years Ago

2011-10-31T11:04:00.003-05:00

I was feeling like blogging, just because it's a beautiful day and my heart is filled with joy. This blog is 6 years old, and such a chronicle of my life in these years. Life is very different but some things never change. Fall still makes me feel like baking. I found this post from this time in 2005 and thought I'd reshare it. I may be making some pies next weekend... I love pumpkin.. If you're reading, what's your favorite pie?

http://weavingatapestry.blogspot.com/2005/10/its-baking-time-again.html

Why I am Okay Being Alone this Time Around

2011-10-30T23:01:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been divorced almost 4 years. I was married for 17 years. At 20, I was very eager to get married. Get on with life. Have babies, you know the drill. Now, I'm much more reticent about big changes. I am in a serious relationship and I love him very much. We plan to marry someday, but honestly, it scares the daylights out of me. I was serious when I got married for the first time. I had no intention of divorce. But there came a time when I was dying inside and it was either divorce or my own spiritual death. I am a different person than I was fresh out of divorce. I was excited to be free. I altered who I was for all the years I was married out of fear that he wouldn't approve of the real me. When I was finally free, I relished in the freedom. I remember eating ice cream out of the carton in the first few months... in bed!! I did lots of things I had never done before. Why? Because I could!! I went dancing for the first time on my 40th birthday. I had my first margarita after my divorce. I bought a coffee pot, a real one, and drink coffee whenever I feel like it. It's not about being selfish... it's just about being - ME. The kids and I decorated our home, I put candles everywhere, we felt relaxed and happy in our own home, no fear of criticism or anger.

In the early days, I thought I might be eager to get married again when the time came. I love the idea of being married. I love family time. And I love spending time with my guy now. But also love coming home to my kids in our relaxed home and not worrying about a little mess. I am so much neater than I was in years past, but this home is lived in. And the relationship I have with my kids is so much more important than having a spotless home. I get frustrated that I have to remind them 101 times to do a simple chore, one they should do every day. I tire of telling them to clean up after their snacks. But I am not going to belittle them and make a bigger deal out of it than needed. We're going to clean up and then play a game. We all enjoy a clean space. We all struggle with keeping up with it.

I love to relax at night after kids go to bed. Some nights he is here with me and we snuggle up on the couch. But other nights I am here alone. I listen to the radio, or watch TV, or read, or check Facebook. I never get bored... never. I can't remember the last time - many years ago when I was truly bored. Yes, I do often wish I wasn't going to bed alone. But I know that even that special time isn't always special... Someday I hope to have that intimacy. But for now, I am scared. I am scared of failure. I am scared of hurting my kids. I am scared of getting hurt. I am just scared. So is he. So I am content to be alone. For now. And the foreseeable future.

Happy but crazy

2011-10-27T23:21:00.004-05:00

I have been thinking about life recently. I made a huge decision over the summer to return to school and head in the direction of a new career in the next few years. For the first time in 20+ years, I am the student and not the teacher. I am taking Anatomy, which I love! I love to go to class, I love to study it. I struggle to find the time for everything but my homeschooling responsibilities are less this year than in many years. My kids are supportive of this change, and so is Eddie. But it will require sacrifice on all our parts. I saw that this week. We had a huge catering job over the weekend at church, so I was very busy until Sunday, then exhausted. I had a test on Wednesday, so I spent the rest of my time either working with my own kids, studying or preparing for teaching on Tuesday. Basic dishes and cleanup is about all the house saw this week. I think I did well on the exam (nervous system), but I left and immediately felt all the weight of the world, in addition to the adrenaline still pumping through my system. I wanted to crash, but I had to teach today as well, so I came home to prep and grade papers. Finally tonight I crashed. I went to Eddie's and mostly slept on his lap while he watched the baseball game. Of course now that I am home, I am awake and watching the rest of this very exciting World Series game. I have never watched a baseball game on my own - meaning alone because I wanted to. But this is Texas - and it is exciting. SO I am weary to the bone, but once again can't really sleep. I'll start studying the next section tomorrow as we do our homeschool work, but this is going to have to be a weekend of rest.

I look back over the last few years and I have often been exhausted and overwhelmed as a single, working, homeschooling mom. But I am HAPPY! And I would take happy and overwhelmed over the alternative any day. I am blessed!

Living off the Coupon Bounty

2011-05-24T18:24:00.003-05:00

Now that I have been hardcore couponing (as I have learned that serious couponers prefer to be called, NOT Extreme) for a full month, I am evaluating my progress. I know May isn't completely over yet, but my food and household budget is spent so I am calling it done unless there is a freebie deal next week. I have entered each and every trip into my Excel Savings Tracker and I did pretty darn good. I spent about the same dollar amount I usually do but in a manner that I got WAY more stuff and built a pretty healthy stockpile to take us through the summer. And I saved 56%. Next month, I intend to cut the budget in half, only buying the Super Deals and milk and produce. I should have enough toiletries and cleaning products until fall. This week's CVS deal on Purex (50 oz. for $.98) took care of that!

Being creative with the deals I find is part of the fun. I'll share a few things we did with this week's bounty already. Monday morning early is a great time to hit the clearance bins in meat and dairy so I make that my first stop after our workout at the Y. This week was a lucky one. The meat bin was full of turkey products: turkey breakfast links and turkey cutlets. I picked up some salmon filets and a pound of stew meat that I vacuum packed and stashed in the freezer immediately. All of that was 50% off. When I got over to the dairy bin, there was lots of yogurt and some lowfat buttermilk, also 50% off. I immediately sent Bethany to pick up some Ritz crackers for our favorite homemade chicken nuggets (with the turkey cutlets - guess they were turkey nuggets). I'll share that recipe below. We also picked up 5 cans of Grands refrigerated biscuits half off and Becca turned two of those into homemade donuts as soon as we got home, too. We had been to workout, remember? :) Edited to add: I forgot all about the BUTTER I found for $1.50/lb. I got about 8-10 of those in the freezer as well! That was a super surprise.

Dinner last night was grilled sliders and turkey burgers, both from the meat bin. Today for lunch we ate the leftover sliders on biscuits. That was good! Then tonight's dinner was Red Beans and rice, a B1G1 deal from HEB last week, and since I had two boxes, I prepared one with chicken/chipotle sausage from the meat bin, and the other without since I have two vegetarian girls. I sauteed some red cabbage and sweet onions to have with that and it made a colorful and flavorful dinner. The thing about the meat bin is that I don't always find quantities to feed all of us, but if I mix and match I can usually stretch it. The stew meat in the freezer will wait until more is found in the bin and then I'll make some kind of meat dish with it.

We are eating well and still able to put lots of stash away for later. I am anxious to see if I can cut it in half next month. Then in July, I plan to see just how low I can go living totally off the stockpile. I'll keep my statistics going and share.

As promised, here is the chicken/turkey recipe:

Boneless skinless chicken cut into strips, or turkey cutlets
buttermilk
crushed Ritz crackers

Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for several hours to overnight. The acid in the buttermilk will tenderize the meat. Drain. Coat with crushed crackers and lay on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once to crisp both sides. We had very thin cutlets so they only took 12-15 minutes.

That's it. The crackers are buttery and salty so it makes a delicious coating.

Why I Have the Best Job in the World

2011-05-18T10:09:00.002-05:00

Please know that this is not a brag alert; but rather a time to reflect on how blessed I am. Someone asked a group of people this week, "what do you love most about your job?" This is a good time to ask me this, as I finished a last day of school yesterday. I had the most wonderful cards, comments from both students and parents. Many of them tell me about how I have inspired their son or daughter to love science. I may not be the most knowledgeable science teacher ever but I love my subject and I love my students. I heard from parents of college students who told me how successful their kids had been in their college Bio and Chem classes. I had hugs from graduating seniors whom I have had 4 or 5 years. I have whole families that become friends through the years. I am probably one of the only teachers who regularly stands at the door at the end of class and says, "You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome" ! How many high schoolers thank their teachers for class every week???

All that and I only teach 2 days a week, still making more money than I ever did in the public school system! I am not only merely blessed, must really most sincerely blessed.

A Good Day for Couponing

2011-05-16T22:44:00.003-05:00

Well, I think every day is a good one for couponing, but this one held some great deals. And also opportunities to USE those deals. Our whole day we ate well off the bounty of coupons.

In the morning, W and B got up early to go to the YMCA with me, so we all had a Fiber Plus granola bar before we went. I took all my stuff and my coupon binder for a trip to Randall's after we were done. Early Monday morning is my favorite time to shop. The clearance bins are full from the weekend and I can get meat, yogurt, and other things at 30-50% off BEFORE coupons. This morning I got a dozen yogurts all almost free. There were hot dogs (uncured healthy ones) in the clearance bin ($3.99 - 50% off, and with a $2 coupon) that were free. Buying them also scored me another coupon for the same product next time. We bought the seasonal sale cucumbers and tomatoes and mushrooms.

So here were the lunch and dinner I made from today and the past coupon trips. Lunch - veal tenderized steaks from the clearance meat with sauteed mushrooms, rolls and stuffing from the freezer and pantry. Then dinner was a Stouffer's Lasagna (dirt cheap AND a coupon!) with asparagus and a homemade cucumber and tomato salad. We had yogurts for desserts through the day. I think that was pretty balanced and took minimal effort to be able to put a semi-homemade dinner on the table.

All Things in Moderation Couponing

2011-05-02T09:45:00.009-05:00

I have been inspired by the TLC show to really do this couponing thing the right way. It is good timing, too. I am very blessed to be able to do something for a living that I love - teaching. And God has blessed my business over the last 7 yrs, growing it to support me and the kids while allowing us to stay together most of the time. As an aside, I consider this a testimony to tithing - a commitment I made the day I opened the business checking account. The only down side is that I do not get paid in the summer months. In past years, I have been really good about setting aside money through the year to get us through the summer. This school year has been filled with unexpected expenses and there is less set aside. But now that I have rejuvenated my coupon efforts, I am building a stockpile and also able to eat off of the weekly deals, adding fresh veges, affordable meats, and milk... and milk... and milk. These kids drink a LOT of milk. Through the last few weeks of the school year, I will be adding to this and much of it will last us well through the summer months until tuition payments start coming in again. Let me be clear, we NEVER lack for anything and God has provided richly so I do not worry. But I do believe I need to be as frugal with the blessings as possible.

So here are some pictures of my meager stockpile. I have disbursed most of the toiletries to the kids' bathrooms and I'm too lazy to gather them again just for a picture, but there were plenty!

Well, I added pictures, but it has been so long since I've used blogger, I can't make it move them down below the text. So, you get to see the pictures first :)

One thing I want to point out is that I do not need 53 bottles of mustard. We will use all 4 of those bottles of Ranch dressing (bought at $.50 each) and even all 30 boxes of cereal in the next few months. With all the kids home for the summer, we will eat lots of snack foods. I would not buy them without a coupon and a deal so they are treats, but we will eat them nonetheless. There is also lots of yogurt and dried fruit, so we have balance. I do have a problem with the people I have seen on the show that stockpile vast quantities of things they will not need (who really needs 113 boxes of pain medicine?). In their greed, they have cleared the shelf for the next person who comes along. And if you but large quantities of Maalox for $.49 each, that's still money tied up in a product of little use.

The summer will allow me time for the organization and deal-hunting that is needed to save the most money. And I will also have more time for scratch cooking to take advantage of some of the ingredients I get on sale. Homemade banana bread is still a better breakfast than cold cereal .

A Dad's Legacy

2011-04-27T18:42:00.001-05:00

I did not sleep at all last night. I couldn't go to sleep as it got later and later, so I decided to check Facebook once again. in that visit I learned that a precious family that is both my friend and my student has received a crushing diagnosis. Their infant son has a degenerative, terminal genetic disease that is already reeking havoc on his little body and will take him in a matter of years. I laid here all night worrying and praying and just hurting for all of them. Baby K, his sisters and brother, his parents and grandparents, and the list goes on. We all have moments when we are reminded of the preciousness of life and this was one of them for me.

Not only that, but we are just a few days away from my father's birthday. I have been thinking of him all week. It has been less than 2 yrs since that horrible morning when we got the call about the accident. Some days, it seems like yesterday the pain is so intense. Others, I worry I may forget his voice, or his laugh... okay well, NOT his laugh! As I lay here last night, my mind got carried away with anxiety. And I remembered the words I wrote but could not read at his memorial service. They were shared by the pastor and now I want to share them again... mostly for me, but also for anyone who needs to be reminded of all his life meant to so many. He is missed sorely, as is my mother. My brother, sister and I felt the pain of being "orphans" - parentless in the world, even as 2 of us were parents ourselves. It is a very lonely feeling.

We love you and miss you, Daddy!

Here are the words I wrote In Sept of 2009:

Eulogy for Dad September 16, 2009

First of all, on behalf of Cal, Heather, and myself, thank you for being here today and making time in your day to help us remember our father. Many of you were here 6 years ago when we gathered to mourn the similarly sudden death of our mother. This is only compounding the pain of Daddy’s death but does offer the opportunity to rejoice that they are reunited, this time in the presence of our Lord and Savior. May he also be our Comforter in the weeks, months, and years to come.

As you can imagine, we haven’t slept much this week. As I write this in the wee hours of the morning, the most quiet and painful time of my day, I am reminded of one of my most precious childhood memories of my father. During my formative years, Daddy worked in the restaurant business, which meant long hours, often late into the night. I remember as a teenager, I would go through periods of stress, as all teens do, and that stress kept me awake at night. I would lay there, awake, and begin to worry not only about the primary issue, but then also about the fact that I would not be rested and that would make the next day more difficult. This would spiral until I would be very anxious and it was impossible to sleep. But I could go out into the livingroom, and there Dad would be in his Wendy’s uniform, watching Johnny Carson and snacking to try to unwind from his day. He would take me into his lap and we would talk about the day, or issues at hand. It was enough for me to relax and go back to bed to try again.

One time in particular stands out in my mind. I was in high school Biology and we were studying the organelles within a cell. I was overwhelmed at the amount of information to memorize with that topic. I went to him and he said, “Go get your Biology book”. When I brought it back to him he took out a sheet of paper and began to draw a cell using the analogy of a prison cell. He gave each organelle a job that corresponded to a job that might be in a prison. There was the “powerhouse” of the cell. There were parts that made food, parts that created things to go out of the cell/prison, there was a waste management system. He made a very elaborate drawing to help teach me those parts. My dad was a smart man and a good teacher. Dad had actually taught school in his young adult years. This was enough to not only help me reinforce the school concepts, but also to calm me enough to go back to bed. And now many years later, I am a high school science teacher who teaches cytology ( the study of the cell) to a new group of Biology students each year and I tell them that story.

In closing I want to share Daddy’s rules for life. These were Jerry’s Rules:

Rule #1 – Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Rule #2 – It’s ALL small stuff!

Those of you who knew our father’s contagious smile knew he lived by those rules. He knew our Lord and Savior and that reflected to all who came in contact with him. I hope you too can know that comfort and joy that only comes through Jesus Christ.

Grocery Savings

2011-04-19T19:51:00.005-05:00

Today I want to talk about saving on groceries. In particular, couponing. I think the new TLC show Extreme Couponing will cause an upsurge in this once people realize the savings that are to be had if you play the game right. This is just one tool in the arsenal of savings techniques but it is a good one and fairly easy once you get started and learn the ropes.

The basics of being successful at couponing involve combining a store sale with a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon whenever possible. This works best at the higher end stores (like Randall's in our area) because their overall prices are higher but they have good sales to lure you into the store to spend on their higher priced items. These terrific sales are called "loss leaders" because the store takes a loss on that product to lead you into the store and spend MORE. These deals are usually on the front and back of the weekly grocery flier (in our Wednesday paper with the Food/Life section and also in Sunday's paper). In order to get the best coupons and deals, I always save both of those sections. The store coupons are printed in there as well. Manufacturer's coupons are in the Sunday paper in inserts. Our other store, the lower priced overall, offers in store coupons, but as I learned last night, does NOT allow them to be combined with a manufacturer's coupon (a practice called stacking) for the double savings. Nor do they double or triple coupons. At Randall's, they routinely triple any coupon up to $.35 and double those up to $.50. So the first thing you need to do is find out the policies at the store(s) where you'll likely be shopping.

So let's talk about the practical steps. To get the most savings, you'll need a backstock of coupons. Frequently a store will have a sale 2-3 weeks AFTER the coupon has been published. So having at least 2-3 months worth of the Sunday inserts will get the most bang for your buck. Different weeks have different paper inserts. The first Sunday of the month in our area has a Procter and Gamble insert. All of their most popular products will be represented but those coupons will only be good for that month. The other two main inserts are called Red Plum and Smart Source. Most weeks there will be one of each in the paper. Sometimes we get lucky and there are 2 of each. Most holiday weekends there are none. This past Sunday was a double day. On those days especially, it pays to buy extra papers just for the coupons. I bought 4 extra papers at a cost of $8 this time and had a savings of $119 in just coupons from that and past weeks.

When you save all these coupons, you'll need a way to organize them. I do not take the inserts apart. I write the date on the front in big marker (it's printed in tiny print in the outside edge, but that's very hard to read). Then I keep them sorted by month in an accordion file. About once a quarter, I sort through and toss the expired ones and ones I know I'll never use. If there's only one or two that I want to keep, then I cut those out and put them in one of the traditional coupon sorters I picked up at the Target dollar spot years ago. It's easy to look for a category when I know I have one but don't know when it was in the paper.

Now, once you have all your stash of organized coupons, you'll need to make a plan. There are several ways to do this. You can use the flier to see what's already on sale. But there are services, both free and subscription, that do all that legwork for you. I use The Grocery Game and it is well worth the small fee. I log in and check to see the new list on Sundays. These prices are good through Tuesdays here, so I have to shop Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday for most deals. They tell me the product, the price, the sale price, where to find the coupons (2/13 RP would mean Feb 13th's Red Plum insert), and the percent saved. I check the deals I am interested in and then there is a list of the coupons to collect. Last, I print the list sorted in any order I want. I rely on this for most of the deals but I also check the fliers for any not already listed.

Other sources are free. For instance Coupon Mom has two features that are wonderful. One is a listing of the deals just like above but for drug stores and discount stores rather than grocery stores. I use this for Walgreen's and CVS. I do not routinely shop at Wal Mart but if you do, they're represented as well. The other feature is a searchable database for the coupons. If I need something that week, but it's not already a special deal, I can find out if a coupon has been issued recently without sorting through every single insert I have in the collection.

Many people protest that coupons are for highly processed foods. Or that they are for brand names that will still be more expensive than the store brand equivalent. Both of these can be true. but you just have to look at the options for a while to see if they are products you will use. The nice thing about the Grocery Game is that it also lists the good deals on produce and meat. These are things we all can afford to save on. I always compare the store brand in the store and if it's not a savings, I pass on it and often leave the name brand coupon on the shelf for the next shopper to use.

Now that you have a list and your coupons, you need a plan. I highlight the deals I have a coupon for ( as opposed to the ones that are sale only). And I put all the coupons in the general order of the store in an envelope labeled with that store's name. Then as I use them, I separate the ones I do use from the ones I decide to pass on. A coupon trip will take longer since you need to make sure you have the exact product, size, and quantity listed on the coupon. A good tip is that if there is not a size requirement, go with the smallest possible package you can find. If you have multiple coupons, that can be a significant savings. Even trial sizes can sometimes qualify. If for instance the store offers 4 of something for $10 as a sale price, then you have 4 coupons for that product, you are in luck!

Cereal coupons are often $1.00 off 3 or some such. Just this week, many of our Kellogg's cereals were $1.99 for the large box if you bought 4 or more. So, I bought 6 of several brands, and used 2 - $1 off 3 coupons. That brings the cost for one box of cereal to $1.65. I got Rice Krispies, Special K, Fiber Plus, Oatmeal Squares, and Cheerios. The only junk cereal I got was Cap'n Crunch and my kids only eat that for dessert or snack, never as breakfast. The regular price for these was well over $3-4 a piece. That will last us several months until the cereal is on that great sale again.

Just a few other deals I got yesterday:

Duracell AAA 10 ct. - reg. price $6.99, sale price $5.49, store coupon $.75, manufacturer's coupon - $1.50............... final price $3.24

Brawny paper towels(6rolls) reg price $8.99, sale price $4.88, manufacturer's coupon $.50 - doubled.................. final price $3.88

Sister Schubert's frozen rolls - reg. price 3.69, sale price 2/$5 ($2.50). I had 6 coupons so I bought 6. They were MF coupons $.50 - doubled..................... final price $1.50/each

Propel Zero - reg. price $1.29, sale price $.79, $.75/2 coupon............. final price $ .42 each.

This is just a sampling of the many deals I found by using a little research and coordination. In total I saved just over $119 in actual coupons, and almost $400 overall on enough food and household to last us quite a while. I will give away some of the things that I had to buy in very large quantities to get that price. It allows me to give to charity some special things that aren't routinely found at the food bank.

Yummy Snack or Lunch

2009-08-14T11:44:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had a plan for lunch. I was making a meat bread loaf. It was just a way to use up some browned ground beef, but it was hearty and delicious. Problem was, after I filled the bread machine with ingredients, I went up to school Wesley, and FORGOT to turn it on. SO, we ended up having it for snack. They thought it was a great snack and I may plan it that way in the winter. It was warm and yummy.

Here's what I did. Made a regular white bread dough in the machine. Rolled it out into a rectangle. Covered with about 1 pound of meat. Sprinkled all over with taco seasoning, then cheddar cheese/ I rolled it up like a jelly roll and put on a baking sheet to rise. When risen, I baked for about 40? minutes until golden brown, We could barely wait for it to cool before we ate the pretty spiral slices. It didn't last long and we'll need two for a real meal, but it was a good way to use up the meat.

School year 09-10

2009-08-13T10:29:00.006-05:00

This may well be our easiest year yet. For the past 5 years I have been teaching 2 or 3 days a week, including Monday morning. It has been tough to get much done without a good start day to the week. Things like spelling and handwriting fell through the cracks without due diligence. But this year I will be home at least for Monday mornings. I moved the Monday classes to afternoons, but at this point it doesn't look like they will fill. That location is struggling. But I still have two days that I trust will support us.

There are other factors that will be different this year. First, Rebecca is going to public school. That is a post in and of itself, but suffice it to say this is a one year adventure for both of us and we expect her to come back home next year. Also, Bethany is graduating so we will be doing all the Senior year/college stuff for the first time this year. I am full of trepidation and excitement for her.

Well, for the nuts and bolts. I will start with the youngest since he is schooling at my feet this very minute, writing his letters in the correct spaces. Wesley is in 3rd grade. He is an eager learner and loves to read. Writing, not so much. But we need to work on writing this year, so there are several items to help us do that. His curriculum includes Singapore Math 3, ACSI Spelling, A Reason for Writing handwriting, First Language Lessons -Level 3, Building Thinking Skills -Book 1 (logic), Apologia Elementary Zoology-Flying Creatures, Egermeier Story Bible, and Sonlight's Core 4 for American History and Literature. We stopped last year just after the Civil War so we are only covering the 20th Century portion. Sonlight is very intense, so if we spread the 12 or so weeks that covers into our 36 weeks, it works for us. I have used Sonlight with all of them at various times and we love it.

In addition to these things at home, Wesley is taking Spanish and Art where I teach.

Honour is my next student. She is 8th grade now and quite the learner. She will be doing a balanced mix of home and out classes. She'll be in my Physical Science class where I teach. Also, her second year of Latin, English, and a theatre class. At home, we'll be doing PreAlgebra with Teaching Textbooks, our first time to use this program. Also a first for us will be Texas history with Switched on Schoolhouse. Both of these will allow her to use the computer to help learn things when I am not immediately available. We will continue reading through the Fallacy Detective for her logic.

Bethany and Bill are my two oldest and have very different paths. Most of their school career, they have been schooled together, being only 14 months apart. But now only about 50% of their curriculum is common. We will do Economics (Uncle Eric books and guides) and History (Sonlight's 20th century core for high school) together. Bethany will also do Speech with an Alpha Omega LifePac. I like those for electives or stand alone courses. Both will also be taking my Advanced Biology course, which is Anatomy and Physiology.

Bill will be taking Physics where I teach and Calculus and Spanish at the local junior college. Bethany will be taking Spanish and Creative Writing at the same junior college and a second year of Computer where I teach. In our district, students can take up to 6 hours per semester free during their last two years of high school. I hope to let them have a good amount of college under their belt by the time they graduate high school....... ALL free! Well, books are not free, but all the other stuff will save college dollars in the long run.

So this is a summary of our year. It will also include baseball for Wesley, Tai Chi for Bethany (her PE credit), Scouts for both boys, lots of church youth activities all year, and driving progress for both older kids. Bill drove us home from church today and we all survived quite nicely.

I'll be checking in periodically to see how the school year is going. I expect there will be some additions and revisions along the way; there always are. But this is the game plan as of August.

Oh, Wow!

2009-08-12T18:25:00.002-05:00

Man, I am astonished at how quickly this summer has gone by and is essentially OVER. I am sad and frustrated at the list of things I wanted to accomplish which did NOT get done. Looking back we did get a few things done in the house. New floors in the bathrooms upstairs. I painted the trim, but I had wanted to strip the wallpaper and paint the walls. No time----

I did sort through all the papers from my classes last year and get them filed, did get all grades final and reported. Have been able to keep up with new registrations as they come in. But I have not compiled all the notes for all classes and gotten them all typed up like I wanted to. Just today I began reading the new course I'll be teaching this year, Anatomy and Physiology. That will be an ongoing project I'm sure.

I did get all the planning done for my own kids' school. I'll do a separate post about all those plans since I like to have it all in one place. I thought I already had but,... I'll search that, too.

This week Wesley started school because he has to go to camp next week while the others are starting. Bill had his ACC (local jr college) orientation yesterday and Rebecca had hers at the public school for 6th graders this morning.

I have spent 3 weeks in a row fixing something on the van - 2 new tired, then a new battery, and today, new calipers for the brake system that has given me fits for two years.

I am not strictly following my Spent routine, although I am continuing to work out when I can 2 or 3 times a week, and drinking smoothies on some days for breakfast.

Now I am off to drive kids to yet another youth function. It is the final Poolside Parables summer Bible study meeting. Then, I'm coming home to relax in my massage chair with a foot massage and maybe a glass of wine. What a week!

Panic

2009-07-13T17:44:00.002-05:00

Well, shortly after the last post, I realized I only have 6 more weeks of summer until we start classes. I have so much planning to do for both my science classes and our classes at home. I had also wanted to paint both upstairs bathrooms, but it's not looking like that is going to happen before school starts. I spent lots of time last week decluttering my bedroom/office and updating files so I can sit down and plan. I also input many of the new students in the gradebook/roster system. Still a few classes to do that with and Bethany has helped mostly with that.

This morning I worked out (halfway through my 30-day Wii Active challenge!) and took Wesley to swim lessons. That is dominating our mornings until Thursday. In the afternoon I went running errands with my girls. I have new office supplies, a swimsuit at 50% off for aqua fitness, and birthday presents for Eddie on Wednesday. Honour and Rebecca also needed new swimsuits and we were pleased to find them all on sale now.

This evening we have baseball practice and I must come home and make some progress with the work...Maybe I can update the calendar and rewrite the syllabi. That is the first step.

Signing off

2009-07-06T21:49:00.002-05:00

Since I have 10 minutes before I have to shut down, I thought I'd update on the day. It was a busy one. I spent the morning with my work out, then took Bethany to ACC to find out which textbooks she and Bill need for their summer classes, which begin on Wednesday. I should have done that a couple of weeks ago, to be able to order them online in time. I still did it just because it save SOOOOO much money. But they may have a class session or two before they get their books. It would have been $130 in the campus bookstore, for used... found the same used books online for only $57 total! I was pleased. And we'll find out about the fall books soon so I can order them in time.

Wesley had swim lessons, at the Y. He's in the oldest group. I just want him to learn some strokes and be proficient. He's already a good swimmer, but with limited variety. I had intended to work out while he swam but they asked all parents to stay, lucky I had a magazine. But we stayed a little longer after he was done so I could get in some time on the treadmill. TOmorrow we'll go early, and I'll take my suit so I can sit in the cool water.

Bill came home today, with lots of stories and a few blisters and bruises. I'm looking forward to hearing more about his trip when I take him to breakfast tomorrow. I finally finished up my grade reporting for the past year. If you remember, my gradebook crashed on May 1, so I have been having to put in all the grades class by class and it has been a slow process of data entry. The next step is to build a master database of the classes I teach and the assignments in each. This way I can just copy that each year and not have to build it from scratch. I have 2 of the 5 classes for next year completed in that and hope to finish the last ones tomorrow. Then I can start putting in all the new students for next year and see where that stands. I always worry about enrollment all summer and then get a flood of new students in August... but still with the recession and all.......

The evening found us scattered all over the place. Bill was at Scouts, Honour went to a movie with a friend, Rebecca was swimming, I took Wesley to baseball, and Bethany held down the fort and kept Spot company. Now, for the first time in a long time... we are all home. We enjoyed laughing and greeting Bill, then they all went off to bed. I am so blessed. And now my computer says it is 10:00 pm so I am hitting publish and shutting down for the night. Off to do devotions, relax, and breathe in my massage chair.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Summer?????

Spent-- Day 3 and 4

2009-07-06T08:42:00.003-05:00

So, I decided to just tread water most of the weekend, continuing the changes I made last week. Our 4th of July tradition includes Red-White-and-Blue waffles for breakfast. I had some healthy blueberry-buckwheat waffles while the kids had regular ones covered with fruit and whipped cream :) Still had my smoothie for lunch and we had a healthy meal for dinner. I had been avoiding all refined sugar but I did make some homemade limeade with white sugar and it was very refreshing. Wesley and I made Rice Krispie Treats with patriotic sprinkles and I ate a small square of that. I was feeling great and didn't want to sabotage the progress I had made.

Day 3, the new step was releasing tension. He speaks of fascia, a system of connective tissue throughout your body that is often tight and tense and the reason for many aches and soreness. He recommends a form of massage where you lay on some tennis balls. But thanks to my wonderful guy, I have a massage chair! I often sit in it to relax at night before going to bed or when I wake up achy. So, last night I made myself a little footbath at the base of my chair, and enjoyed some relaxing time there while watching a movie I had rented (Revolutionary Road). Then lights out early was easy.

So, Day 4 I haven't read yet, but it is about breathing.... will report more on that later. Today I feel so good, it just makes me want to breathe deeply. Haven't had caffeine in 4 days so that is out of my system... and minimal sugar. I do like that I can have fruit. I haven't done well in the past trying to cut 100% sugars, even fruits.

Spent- Day 2

2009-07-03T08:56:00.003-05:00

So here I am on Day 2 of my rejuvenation effort. To be clear, this is more about feeling better than actually a diet to lose weight, but if that happens in the process, so be it (she says with a big grin). I just want to have more energy again, not be achy and sore when I wake up each morning. Yesterday was not too bad. I had an almond butter on Marathon bread sandwich and fresh figs for lunch. I LOVE fresh figs! and these were especially delicious plump ones. Then for dinner we had grilled burgers and zuchinni. I know that probably wasn't purist, but I had ground beef that needed using. I had lite Swiss cheese on mine and only the squash with it, NO chips :). I felt good all day but in the late afternoon I did start to get a dull headache, probably from lack of caffeine. That lasted until bedtime, but appears to be gone this morning.

Day 2: Lipman's assignment for Day 2 is about sleep. Now that sugar is out, and breakfasts are healthy smoothies (more on that in a minute), He wants to focus on better sleep. This is one area that has definitely been a tough one for me throughout the divorce and even now. For months I had such anxiety I could not sleep more than 2-3 choppy hours a night. When it was at its worst, I took 2 Benadryl at bedtime each night just to knock me out. It was desperate measures for desperate times. Now I am sleeping somewhat better, but I often stay up too late at night, just because I'm lonely and don't want to go to bed... silly I know. And I often wake about 3 or 4 and have trouble getting back to sleep. But even so, my body wakes up by about 6:30 each day,however rough the night was. And napping is hard to do in a house with 5 active children.

So, Lipman's advice is two-fold. First, don't use the bed for anything other than sleep. That is hard for me. I have my laptop... read, watch TV in bed. It's my private oasis in the household. I'll work on that. but hie second suggestion is to turn off all electronics at 10pm, to tell your body it's time to wind down. That I can do. Last month I bought a new Emilie Barnes devotional book, so at 10 pm each night at least when home... I will turn off the "noise" and have my devotional at 10, and then turnout lights and try to go to sleep. That's my plan for tonight.

Lipman has not started exercise yet, but I began a 30-day challenge with my Wii Active Personal Trainer game on Monday. I have completed 4 workouts with that, plus an aqua fitness class at the Y. I am a little sore and tired so I will enjoy the rest day that is scheduled for tomorrow!

Today I have worked out and made my smoothie, recipe as follows:

Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

1 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 avocado
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. water
juice of half a lime
1 serving scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 serving of greens powder
4 ice cubes

Blend thoroughly. I really enjoyed this one, although the "greens" taste comes through just a little bit. The texture was terrific and it makes a generous portion.

Spent

2009-07-03T08:50:00.002-05:00

(This is actually a post from Facebook yesterday-Thursday. I have decided to move the progress here to my real blog, since it may be lengthy, too long for Facebook) I found this book at the library when I was taking the kids yesterday. The subtitle is End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again. The last two years have been monumentally stressful and I'm left feeling Spent, as he says. I have been exercising again and eating at least some vegetables :) But I still wake feeling less than energetic, and often drag through the days. So I thought I'd try his 6 week program. It is one of those Extreme programs with NO sugar or processed foods. I will not even attempt to be 100% sugar-free. But I can significantly reduce the amount of bad stuff I put in and try to balance it with lots moe good stuff. He gives daily assignments that all focus around food, exercise, habits, stress-relief. It is a total life system. I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of girl and I give up if I'm not perfect, BUT.... I am going into this with the knowledge that I don't even want to try to be perfect at this... it's way too severe for me to do while still feeding my kids. I'm going to journal the progress here for 6 weeks. May not be daily, but I hope to check in often.

Day one: The biggest change today is that he is asking us to remove sugars in all forms from our diet. I admit to being a sugar-junkie. I will give it my best effort, but not to the point of being ill. He does offer the option of taking glutamineto reduce sugar cravings. I have not heard of this so I will see if it works. For me, the biggest change from day one will be breakfast. Instead of coffee with fancy sweetened creamers and English muffins..... I'll make smoothies. I pulled out the blender and had a strawberry/pina colada one today with coconut juice, one banana, frozen strawberries, and pina colada flavored whey protein sweetened with Stevia. Stevia is the only artificial sweetener allowed, and I have used it for a while and do like it. That's a relief. It makes terrific lemonade. Wesley and I are off today to buy a few supplements he recommends from the natural foods area at HEB,... hope they have it all.

Catch Up Week

2009-06-29T11:25:00.002-05:00

We have been out of school for 4 weeks and this is the first one that I do not have major commitments during. I have so very much to do and have high hopes for the week. Already this morning I have worked out with my new Wii EA Active game. I started the 30-day challenge and plan to finish that out before the end of July! It's a fun mix of cardio, strength exercises, and some fun like boxing. I was surprised how much I liked the boxing.

After that, I took my coupons to the fancy grocery and got a bundle. I also took advantage of their rock bottom meat sales and got four mega packs of round steaks, 8 lbs of ground beef, two whole chickens, and some beef chuck cross rib steaks? which are now in my crock pot with BBQ sauce. I put each of the packs of round steaks in a different marinade in the freezer, holding one for tomorrow night. I am going to make the ground beef into a meatloaf and some patties and put them in the freezer too. I'm hoping I can get Eddie to smoke the chickens for me tomorrow night when he cooks. That makes the best chicken salad!

Now I need to go paint the floor trim in the bathrooms we had floored earlier in the month. THey look pretty bad next to the pretty new floor. And I have to work on some grades to get the last few classes reported. If I get all that done, it will be a successful day :) Happy Monday!

And another Museum

2009-06-24T12:57:00.003-05:00

For those who don't know, Dr. Pepper was first invented and bottled right here in Central Texas. About a mile from the zoo is the Dr. Pepper museum and Wesley is a HUGE Dr. Pepper fan. So we went there after lunch.

And we finished off the museum tour with a trip to the old fashioned soda fountain for ice cream.

Here is my little guy, very happy!

Day at the Zoo

2009-06-24T12:43:00.004-05:00

This week my whole family is in town from all over the place. My brother lives in Portland OR and my sister lives in SE Texas. But for this week, we all came central and are having a great time. We started the celebration with a Father's Day dinner after church here at my place. I made Italian Beef for sandwiches and bought deli sides to keep it simple. On Monday we went early and the kids went out on the lake in my Dad's boat with my brother and his lovely girlfriend.

Then yesterday we went to a nearby zoo. Despite the temps over 100, we all had a blast! Here are the highlights:

Red!!

2009-06-22T22:28:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to play with my hair color for quite some time, but just couldn't quite get up the nerve. until today.....

Building a Fort

2009-06-11T14:32:00.003-05:00

This morning the kids built a giant fort wonderland in the living room... Then played Scrabble Slam in it... read in it...and just enjoyed having a private space.

And it continues...

2009-06-09T10:14:00.004-05:00

Red tape is so frustrating. I have two situations right now that are causing way more stress than they should. First, I am trying to get my two oldest in the local junior college for some dual credit courses. It is supposed to be free for us since we live in the district. All along the way, there has been one hitch after another. I thought we finally got it all straightened out. Then this morning when I went to use the phone registration system to enroll them both in fall classes. Bethany's went fine but at the end of Bill's I heard the recording say the payment balance is.........$474/ Ugggh! Now I have to go stand in that line yet again to find out why. sigh.......

The other is much more frustrating. It is a divorce issue which has now been resolved so I am editing out the anger I felt a couple of weeks ago... some things are better not left to read over and over :) But it all goes to show just how inextricably intertwined you become when you are married. Breaking that union is not easy, not God's plan, not ideal. But it happens, and sometimes interactions like this are just further reinforcement. sigh....................again.

Summer

2009-06-08T10:55:00.006-05:00

Wow, it's been a month! May is such a whirlwind for me, I rarely have time to breathe. We finished out another school year. That was my 5th in this business teaching science and it was a great one! But I am so relieved that it is summer. I just get so behind during the school year and things pile up. So what have I done since we got out of school?

1- I now have 2 kids in the local junior college, so the first thing we did was spend several days working our way through the red tape of applying, testing, advising, and now registering. They will be taking one course each for summer school and two classes each in the fall. Spanish, writing, math, and creative writing. I'll leave it to those who know them to figure out who is taking which classes :)

2-I also took on a part time temporary job delivering flyers for a local paint company. For about two weeks, the younger kids and I walked thousands of steps, many including hills and stairs, putting them on doors. Still trying to decide it it was worth the pennies per flyer?

3- A while back we had a toilet overflow upstairs. In the cleanup process, we discovered that the floor upstairs was rotten from years of toilet problems. Eddie had to rebuild the whole area, and I got new flooring just last week. We had Lowe's install new vinyl, and since there was a minimum installation fee for that tiny bathroom, I went ahead and got new flooring for the boys' bathroom too. Both were in pretty bad shape after 14 yrs of this family! Still need to caulk and paint the woodwork. I also have to strip the nasty old wallpaper and paint both bathrooms. this will a be a project for July. June is full already!

4- Bethany and I helped Eddie cater a wedding reception for 100 on Memorial Day weekend. That is always a full week of shopping, prepping, cooking, and then a marathon day for the event but I think it went very well and all the food was enjoyed.

5- The next day, we had a goodbye breakfast at Denny's with Eddie and then I went to my sister's over in Southeast Tx. I took Bethany to stay for a while and she is still there! But I'm getting her back on Friday. I miss my girl. We enjoyed playing with Emmalyn who is about 2 and a half now. And I got lots of holding time with Jude, my brand new nephew. He was about 6 weeks when I was there, and just adorable. We played at the Bouncy place, went to a MOPS meeting, went to church, and went shopping. Hard to do much with 2 tiny ones in tow but we had a great time. That Emmalyn LOVES to "go see friends". Cute :)

6- This past week I was home and tried to get some things accomplished. I did get much of my room decluttered from end of the school year clutter. I took the kids to some museums on the University of Texas campus all day on Thursday. I went to school there, so I love to visit now and then, and there are some real treasures there.

7- Over the weekend, I helped Eddie cook and deliver briskets. When he cooks, it is a 2 day process, including 16-18 straight hours with meat on the pit, which has to be checked every 40 minutes. So I often just go hang out with him. We watch lots of Food Network, take mini naps.

When that was finally done on Saturday, we delivered some meat and then went to dinner. The UT baseball game was on and we wanted to find a place to see it since it was on a weird channel neither of us got. We discovered a very nice restaurant, sports bar that is owned by the son of a friend. So that was a lovely evening.

8- Sunday morning church... Bill was leaving for a mission trip all this week, and the others were with their father at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Eddie and I had eaten so much Saturday night, we just had a small lunch at Sonic. Then a nap... always a Sunday nap if I can sneak it in.

9- One of the things I had really been wanting to do was power wash my entry way and sidewalk. It was just so very dirty! Eddie did most of the hard, messy work, but I finished out the sidewalk and even Wesley took a chance. He had a "blast"!

10- All along the way, we've been doing the normal grocery shopping, haircuts, library visits, etc. And I feel like I am constantly driving kids one place or another. This morning, Wesley and I went to the store and saved a BUNDLE. I love using the Grocery Game and the kids like to help me, choosing some of the fun things on the list.

11- Then we came home and the 4 of us (Bethany and Bill are gone all week) cleaned up the playroom and vacuumed it. It gets a mess and I rarely get that far in my cleaning. So that felt good. Now, I am taking a break while I watch Clean Sweep on TLC. It motivates me to toss, declutter, and organize.

This afternoon I need to finish up grades and get them out. We may go to the pool. I promised Wesley a trip to Target. And tonight he starts baseball through the Y. We are trying a summer session since he may not love it and it is a small commitment. I'll keep you posted, with pictures, I'm sure...

Happy Summer!

My Two Minutes on a Soapbox

2009-05-03T13:57:00.004-05:00

Okay, I have a pet peeve and I know it is shared by many, but I feel like I am allowed to feel this way, since I have understanding of both sides. I went to a very nice restaurant last night. This restaurant had wine bottles all over, a very romantic decor, quiet music playing. The owners of this establishment obviously want it to be a nice restaurant, and the prices reflected that. Eddie and I had spent all day cooking for 100 for a catering job, and decided to celebrate after we dropped off the food.

All was well, until about halfway through our appetizer, two separate parties with small children came in. The first had 2 preschool age girls. They colored, ate, and looked at their picture books. They were fine! and didn't disturb anyone. But the other party had 4 small children, one of which was a toddler and another a baby about 8-10 months old. They were seated right next to us. And that ruined the rest of our relaxing dinner. The parents (two couples) were obviously enjoying themselves, laughing and talking loudly. They had wine... salads... all the while the kids whined and squirmed. They tried to shush them, but no one ever got up and carried them out so as not to bother others dining in the same dark quiet room. We finally finished up and left, but the whole evening had been tainted by that experience.

This is something I feel strongly about. Now, remember I have 5! children, all in a 9 year age span. So for many, many years, I lived that life. But I tried to do it in a way that didn't bother everyone else, or ask others to suffer because of my life stage. I took my kids out to eat occasionally. Sometimes it was fast food, but we also went to Luby's, Chili's and other family style restaurants, and maybe even to other nicer places. And I took babies out to eat when they were tiny and portable. But older infants and toddlers are not a good match for the nicest of restaurants. And if I found myself in a restaurant and my kids were misbehaving, either their father or I carried them outside to explore so as not to bother others. I see these parents over and over making no attempt to quiet or control their unruly kids, often even allowing them to run around in the restaurant when they are finished eating, but the parents are not. They act like they are oh, so cute.

There are other options for a quiet romantic evening with your spouse or friends. If you cannot afford a babysitter, trade nights out with a friend. Or order in and set up your own cozy dinner in your home after kids go to bed early. I used to be shocked at the people in our country who were blantantly and vocally anti-child. But now, I am beginning to see how some inconsiderate families can ruin it for all the rest of us. And it saddens me. I hate to be cynical, but I am beginning to dread it when small children come into a restaurant where I am eating. I used to see the looks on people's faces when we walked in with our brood. But on more than one occasion, those same people would come to us at the end of a meal and tell us how well-behaved our children had been. Now I know why!

Near disaster

2009-05-01T08:46:00.002-05:00

This has been a tough week. Late last week I spilled over half a gallon of vinegar in the back of my van. I carry vinegar often for the science experiments, and the tops are just pop tabs, not screw tops. If it tips, it spills. Usually they are wedged in and might spill a tiny bit. This time, it gushed. It took days just to dry, but now it still smells like vinegar. Plus, it's 9 years old and hauls dirty kids often :) It is quite stinky. So today, I am going to get it detailed, including the upholstery cleaned.

But the real disaster happened about 10:30 Wednesday night. I was grading papers and putting the grades in my computer gradebook. I have 9 classes, over 100 students, with 30-40 assignments per student each year. I have wonderful software that helps with that, and I love it. But it has a learning curve and i still don't know everything about it. I got to thinking about Bill going to ACC this summer, and needing to finish his transcript. So I thought I'd just go over to last year's file and pull up his Chemistry grade. When that was done, I couldn't figure out how to get back to the current year. I searched and searched. I found so many duplicate files all over the place, and yet none were the current school year. I began to panic. I tried to delete old files. Somehow, and I really do not even know HOW, I must have deleted the most current version. Yes, the whole year. Database of classes, students, ALL of it. That represents HOURS upon HOURS of work. I wason the verge of tears. I tried to recreate it and couldn't even get that to work. Finally, at 2 am, I gave up, defeated. I was dreading having to start from scratch.

I went into classes Thursday morning, gathering information as i could. Now I do keep a paper gradebook, so it was really a matter of data entry. But that's a heck of a lot of data. By the time Chemistry came around, Bill was there to help me. He interns in that class with me. He searched for about 10-15 minutes and found an old saved version from about October somewhere in my documents. So, if I can't find anything else, it will at least avoid the initial set up that takes so long in the fall.

It's a good thing my kids are strong and healthy. I'm managing to make a mess of my life all by myself.

Camping

2009-04-27T22:55:00.003-05:00

Had a great time camping with the Cub Scouts this weekend. We were with about 10 other families in the primitive group area. We were well prepared with tarps, stakes, etc. This was my first solo campout without someone else there to do the set-up and take down... I did it all and we had a great time! This was one of the many sites we saw, There were cacti, wild onions, ferns, lichen, moss... everywhere. The ground was filled with granite and rose quartz. It was overcast, windy, but pleasant most of the time, with a little bit of drizzle. The kids ran and played and wore themselves out! And I got to know the boys Wesley is in scouts with. Win-win I would say.

Herbs

2009-04-20T15:27:00.005-05:00

I love to cook with fresh herbs. It's been a while since I grew my own, in the busy-ness of life. But a few weeks ago, when Spring began to make its presence known, I noticed that some herbs were growing around a tree out front. These were leftover chives and oregano from an OLD herb garden. I mean probably 6 or 8 years ago. I had 5 or 6 herbs growing around the base of this tree. They grew well for a season and a couple of them came back for two or three years. Oregano took over everywhere, so I just let it all go.

Last summer I decided to try some basil in a pot inside. I've always had trouble growing basil well. I see that large beautiful basil in the grocery and I want to be able to grow it that pretty. The inside potted plant did well and lasted over a year. I recently used the last of it to make a tomato and mozzarella salad. The stems were getting very woody and too tall. I guess I didn't cut it back often enough.

But this year, as I walked past the garden area of the Super HEB, the herbs looked so fresh and pretty. They were healthy plants and very affordable. Between my renegade herbs around the trees, and this, I was hooked! I bought lemon thyme (above middle), cinnamon basil (in the square pots), chocolate mint, more oregano, parsley, and several peppermint plants. I put the parsley and oregano out under that tree to resurrect the "herb garden". The mints will grow and take over so I will keep them separate. I put the chocolate mint in a pot, and I think I will put the peppermint plants in a strawberry pot. I know it will grow and spread... I don't have a safe place to put it in the ground.

To the left you can see the chives that have grown back on their own... and the parsley which I put beside it. The oregano is on the other side of the tree. I hope it will take hold and grow in all around the tree.

Meet Jude Michael

2009-04-19T21:55:00.001-05:00

This is my brand new little nephew, born Friday morning. Isn't he just precious. I can't wait to get my arms around him!

Please Send Help!

2009-04-15T16:53:00.003-05:00

So, last night as I was resting on the couch after all the kids went to bed, I heard something. I looked around and thought maybe the dog stirred...

A few minutes later, I heard it again. A slight rustling noise. Nope, the dog is right beside me.

Hmmmmm... I didn't see anything amiss and no kids in sight, so I laid my head down.

Few minutes later and there it was again. So this time I got up and walked around to the back of the couch, where I found lying on the floor, one of Wesley's little plastic parachute men. Attached to it was a scroll of paper. Still no kid, but I opened the paper to find this:

I don't know if you can read it but it says: " If you get this message, READ it!!! It's hard to breath and I'm hearing Indian drum sounds."

Turns out he was congested from the high pollen counts and Bill was playing the bass on his stereo in the room under Wesley way toooooooo loud. I just thought this was priceless. When I told him he didn't have to drop that so many times, he could have just come and told me, his reply? "But it's a lot more fun this way, Mom!"

Turbo Tax

2009-04-15T07:54:00.002-05:00

I did it! Today is April 15th, and I do not have to worry about my taxes. I have never done my own taxes before... and last year I had a CPA do them, since a divorce complicates everything. but this year, I thought I would at least try to do it myself with the assistance of Turbo Tax. I sat down and started plugging things in back in February. It became apparent I was going to have to pay, so I did not finish the whole thing and file... why hurry to give my money away? But when I sat down yesterday, I still had to itemize all the business expenses I have, the most tedious part. Fortunately, that reduced the bill to a manageable amount. Plus, TT estimates my quarterly payment amounts and prints coupons so I can make those payments more easily. It was far easier than I had expected. I can't wait for tax time next year!

Happy 16th Birthday, Bill!!!

2009-04-13T17:45:00.005-05:00

Today, my second child turns 16. As my sister prepares to have her second child, also a boy, I am reminded of how he was as a little one. He was so very sweet, but I won't embarrass him by going on and on. This is Bill on his 2nd birthday. Oh, how time has flown. Happy Birthday, Son!

A Rose in Bloom

2009-04-12T16:50:00.003-05:00

We have a renegade rose bush out front that I don't do anything to care for and yet each year I get a few blossoms from it. How timely that this one is here for Easter. New life... resurrection....

Good Friday

2009-04-11T08:08:00.004-05:00

It was truly a Good Friday here. We had a productive morning in school, despite the fact that the neighborhood kids were knocking on the door. Then Wesley went off to play with them while Bill, Honour, and Rebecca went with our neighbor to the strawberry farm to pick the last of the crop. I didn't make it there this year, but the kids brought back a box of the tiniest berries. I guess today we should do something with those :) Since Bethany and I were alone, we ran a few errands and had some nice time together. Then I came home and went to the Egg Hunt below. That was fun but since the house was practically empty, I decided to clean it. I swept, mopped, dusted, vacuumed. It was all clean at the same time, downstairs at least. And smelled so fresh!

By then, the berry-pickers were back and it was time for supper. We had breakfast for supper, one of their favorites. And since it was a rare night that all of us were home, we played Life. Bill was beating us all..... until..... At the Day of Reckoning I took a chance.... and became...... a Millionaire Tycoon and it was all over. I won! I never win when we play those kinds of games. Then we finished off the evening with ice cream or cake...Perfect!

I had intended to go to the Tenebrae service at church, but it is so nice to have a calm quiet evening with my kids at home. So we remember Jesus' loving act of sacrifice, but we spent our time invested in each other. It was a Good Friday.

Wesley's Eggs

2009-04-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

Wesley went over to the neighbor's for an egg hunt today and I caught a cute pic of him next to the fountain with green dye in it:

The Post that Will Not Die

2009-04-08T20:42:00.002-05:00

Three years ago, I had an ironing marathon that lasted most of the day. In that time, I was also very actively blogging, so naturally I wrote a post about "how to iron a man's shirt". I took pictures, wrote step by step, and detailed how I do the job. I moved on and have had many posts since then, 434 all told. But for some reason, at least 3 or 4 times a week, I get hits from people doing a search on that very topic. I am amazed that it continues to get that much traffic, even three years down the road. I no longer have to iron massive quantities of men's shirts... a welcome side effect of the sad thing called divorce. But, I can make a mean crease in a sleeve when needed.

You can read that tutorial yourself HERE .

Garlic Herb Monkey Bread

2009-04-08T17:20:00.004-05:00

Got a wild hair to try my traditionally sweet Monkey Bread recipe with melted butter and Garlic Italian bread dipping herbs. I bathed the dough balls in it, let rise all day and baked.... Yummy! Wish you could smell it :)

School Days

2009-04-08T15:54:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I talked about the daily routine of our school. These days, it can be hit or miss on the days I teach, sometimes doing math at 5 in the afternoon, or playing catchup on the weekend. But on my days at home, we get LOTS done. We always start with Bible, reading round-robin style as we move through our chosen selection. Thanks to Susan for that idea, which allows me to keep tabs on the reading skills of my youngest ones while not doing a formal "reading" curriculum. All of my kids are good readers, so I just want a small way for them to practice reading aloud skills, and for me to hear them. Our current book is Luke.

Then I dismiss the older two to go do their own thing. They have most of their work as independent work. Bethany is taking Government, Computer Applications, and British Literature out, as well as Spanish and Writing Comp at the local junior college. Bill is taking Pre-Calculus and English IV. I give them health, history, and literature assignments as needed.

Then the younger ones and I settle in for some read aloud time. Most recently we have been reading about mid 1800's historical fiction. We started January with The Great Wheel, a book about the building of the first giant ferris wheel built for the Chicago World Fair in late 1800 something..... Then, we read the first book in the Orphan Train series, which they loved, Since we had to get the second one through interlibrary loan, we read Sarah, Plain and Tall while we waited for it. We now have the second book and are reading it slowly, but surely. About once a week we read history and Fallacy Detective, pre-logic book.

Then they have math and grammar to do close by where I can supervise. Honour is taking my General Science class, Latin, and Writing out so she has homework for that. Rebecca is taking Writing as well, so she has a paper to write each week. Wesley and I are following Honour's science class, which is now covering the Human Body. Today's topic was the digestive system.

This often takes us past lunch time and into the afternoon. Then we might run errands, or go to the library, or have appointments. Today is Wednesday so we had a library run, dropped Bethany off at her college classes, and then came home to make some chocolate tarts (thanks to Singapore Math, in which many of Rebecca's word problems were about tarts. I am about to take her to cheer class, then off to church for choir and Bible Study. THe afternoons and evenings are all filled but I do try to protect those mornings when we can stay close and get school done. Today I also did much grading and record keeping that had been piling up.

All in all, it's not the ideal I had when they are younger and I was home full time. But we are making it work, and it is so much better for our family than the alternative of public school and mom working full time.

Then and Now Scout

2009-04-06T21:28:00.005-05:00

Tonight was a momentous occasion. Bill received his Life Rank in Boy Scouts. Thought I'd share a few pictures of his 10 years in scouting. It all began as a Tiger Cub. In those days, the moms did all the work. I remember hosting a meeting during which we made paper mache masks... and coffee can ice cream. Those were iron-on patches for "paws" they earned. What a pain! Now that Wesley is in Cub Scouts, they get a real uniform and different achievements. Bill continued with the local Cub Scout Pack 158 until he crossed over into the church Boy Scout troop, which my brother had also been active in. He wore Uncle Cal's class B (t-shirt) under his uniform and his grandfather's keppie envelope hat tonight for the ceremony.

This is Bill a few years ago, one of his first in Boy Scouts. Once he got to Boy Scouts, they began to do lots more activities. He camps almost monthly, lots of first aid, hiking, swimming, summer camps. This summer, he is gearing up to go to the Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico.

And this is tonight... Life!

Saving Money on Groceries

2009-04-06T18:04:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I shared any good ideas... but I'm full of them today. I go in fits in spurts about all out saving on groceries, but when I do, I am amazed at the amount I CAN save. Take the last week, for example. I have three key "secrets", which I am more than happy to share with anyone who'll listen.

First, get to know your store's patterns and secret "goody" hiding spot. Most of them have them. Whether it's very ripe bananas by the bag, day old bakery racks, or the clearance meat bin, they are usually somewhere. My local high-end store has a clearance meat bin that almost always has treasures in it. Just after Christmas, I hit the jackpot with holiday roasts, steaks, fancy burgers, and pre-marinated meat. I stocked my freezer well. This afternoon I found some great pork chops for less than $2/lb. As long as you can freeze them, or cook them that night, as I did, it's a wonderful way to save on meat.

Second, look for outlets in your area. I have a Mrs. Baird's bakery outlet close to where I teach one day a week, so about once a month, I stop there afterwards and stock up on loaves of bread, bagels and English muffins, tortillas, buns, and a few treats like coffee cake. The healthy whole grain breads we eat are less than half the price of the grocery and still plenty fresh. Again, into the freezer they go.

Lastly, I know I've mentioned it before but The Grocery Game saves me loads of money when I use it correctly. Just today, at that same high-end store, I saved $67.99, which was 58% of the total bill. This post of mine from a while back tells all about it. It's well worth the investment. Actually, I save more at the high-end store with it, than at my regular lowest prices store, HEB. The more expensive stores run better sales and I can often combine a sale with a store coupon AND a manufacturers coupon, doubled... to really save. Just be sure it's something you'll use :)

One last note, in case you aren't aware. The higher stores also have more of what is called "loss leaders". They are usually on the front and back of their weekly flyers. Mine are in the Wednesday paper, but sometimes also in the Sunday paper and you can pick them up right inside the door of the stores. They offer something at a loss, knowing it will "lead" you into their store, where you'll spend MORE money. The key is to ONLY buy those items. My store like this is the closest, right on my way home from almost anywhere, and milk is one thing they run on sale often---and I run out of often! So it works for me.

Other ideas - Angel Food Ministries, farmer's markets, pick-your-own, wholesale stores (for select items), gardening of course, bulk cooking. So many ways to save. You have to decide where and how you want to cut the food budget. For me, I no longer bake all our bread. Just no time. There was a time..... it is past !

I'd love to hear of any new ideas or success stories, too. Every penny helps.

Woodpecker in the morning...

2009-03-31T15:05:00.002-05:00

As I was loading the car this morning, I heard a funny banging noise. We had a monster hailstorm last week and many homes are getting new roofs, so I thought maybe that was it. It was about 8 in the morning, a good time for them to start. But I noticed the pattern was very fast! I began to suspect..... a woodpecker. So I ventured that way down the street, and finally found him, high in a tree but very small. I watched him for a minute and then went inside to get my camera. You guessed it, by the time I got back-------he was gone :( But it was a fun way to start my day. Sorry I can't share pictures with you.

College

2009-03-30T16:37:00.003-05:00

So, I haven't shared with the blogosphere that my parenting has moved to a whole new arena. I am now the parent of a college student. We are talking transitional college, here, but real enough for the both of us. B is taking dual credit classes at the local community college. For their last two years, students in our district can take up to 6 hours free each semester and earn both high school and college credit for those hours. She is taking Spanish I and an English Composition class. This has been a great experience for her to have some other outlet besides mom and be in a college atmosphere before heading off to a big university. She has classes on Monday and Wednesday afternoon so it fits in with the rest of the schedule and she is only 5 minutes away, still in the neighborhood. It doesn't get more convenient than that. We'll be sending dsB on for some summer classes as well. They can both get a few basics under their belt now, saving both time and money when the real time comes.

Saturdays

2009-03-29T06:05:00.007-05:00

One of the things I like about Saturdays is that no two are alike. Each week brings new adventures and trials to deal with. Yesterday was no exception. I got up early to go shopping with B... we had coffee, hit Michael's and Target, then refilled her constantly thirsty printer cartridge. Along the way, I noticed the brake light was staying on more... it had been flickering, but I was planning to go on Monday. I changed my mind and thought I'd just take care of it. But first, I had promised W to get new shoes and jeans at Sears. That kid just keeps shooting up. We found three pairs of jeans to fit his tall, lean body and a pair of light-up shoes (whoever invented those is a genius and a millionaire). Then I dropped him off and grabbed a book to head to Brake Check.

6 weeks ago, I got a new master cylinder, and it was under warranty so I knew they would check it out for me. I've been a regular there for about a year. See this post for my sordid brake history. After almost an hour, they finally found that the new (rebuilt) master cylinder was leaking so they had to get a new one in to install. So, 3 hrs later I headed home.

My Dad was coming for dinner and I had promised the kids cupcakes. So I set them up with a mix, a tub of frosting, and a HUGE stockpile of gel icing and sprinkles. My Dad brought a friend with him, an old childhood friendship that is rekindled, and she had a good time decorating the cupcakes with the kids. We had taco salad for dinner, including homemade pico de gallo.

Throughout the afternoon, my beau was once again taking care of me, this time in a major construction project. Last week the toilet upstairs overflowed and led us to discover that major water damage over a long period of time has led to a rotten floor in the second floor bathroom. The floor is now cut out, linoleum ripped up all over the place, and a gaping hole where the toilet should be. He is helping to replace the floor and then we'll get to decide what kind of new tile to get. I'm leaning towards inexpensive peel-and-stick flooring we can do ourselves. We will probably extend it out into the girls' room. Their carpet is YUCKY!!

So finally, when the dust settled and the cupcakes were mostly a memory, I kissed my kids off to bed and snuggled up on the couch with my beau. That was a perfect ending to a crazy Saturday.

Teaching math

2009-03-25T12:04:00.003-05:00

Here I am teaching math most days again... it seems that is the focus of our time at home. They all take writing where I teach, so that is covered. We do history via literature and read alouds so that is easy. Science is only formal in jr high and above and that is all with me in my classes. That leaves math. I have sent one on to the teacher where I teach since he is doing preCalculus. Next year he'll be taking Physics and Calculus. Way more time than I have to prepare and review to teach :) B has completed her high school math requirements, much to her JOY! That leaves 3 for me to teach. H is doing PreAlgebra, and we are using Saxon for the first time. She finished the Singapore Math elementary series, which was excellent preparation, but a very different format. Singapore Math focuses on one topic at a time, requiring mastery before moving on (at least that's how I use it). But Saxon is a hodge podge of everything in one lesson, using the spiral approach of constant review. I'm not crazy about it honestly. It doesn't feel like she is doing enough to really master the new concepts. And since we haven't used Saxon before, there are few things that Singapore didn't teach ( like prime numbers, least common multiple, etc.) I feel like there is lots of teach time and not much practice. We are having to back up and teach some things we had not covered. It's not enough to make me leave Singapore Math, which I love. And we will use Jacob's Algebra after this, which I also love... BUT we have got to get through this book. It will take a long time but we're not in a hurry, and it will be good to cover all the bases thoroughly before moving on.

At least the younger two are doing math I don't have to work as hard to teach. W loves his 2nd grade book, and did fractions and geometry today. Poor little R is doing 5th grade fractions, too and it's no fun!! But we shall persevere ...

Cooking for a crowd

2009-03-24T15:34:00.002-05:00

So, last weekend we went on our annual Church Retreat at a beautiful campsite on the Frio River. We have been going for 13 yrs now and it is the highlight of the kids' year. A few years ago, I began working in the kitchen and that has now grown into being in charge of the food. I am seeing a wonderful man from church whose ministry is food. He has a BBQ business on the side of his day job and has been key in the food ministry at church for several years now. This was his 3rd yr to be totally in charge of the retreat kitchen and my first year to do it by his side. Wow! It is a lot of work to plan, shop, and prepare meals for 300 people for a whole weekend. I am so exhausted, but in a good way. All last week we planned and shopped. Almost $2000 in food and supplies over 4 trips and an order to Sysco.

Then from early Friday morning until late Sunday evening, we transported all the food in a Uhaul and chopped, sliced, baked, and stirred up food. Here are some highlights:

20 dozen cookies
400 cinnamon rolls
50 pounds of roasted potato wedges
75 pounds of brisket
260 strawberry shortcakes from 35 # of strawberries
3 gallons of whipped cream
160 hot dogs
120 taco salads from 40 # of graound beef
400 biscuits
9 HUGE pans of breakfast casserole
gallons and gallons and gallons of coffee!!!

But there were smiling faces so happy to be fed good food. And I got to work in the kitchen with some pretty terrific people.

Can't wait until next year :)

Facebook

2009-03-19T10:13:00.004-05:00

Okay, I have succombed. I resisted getting a Facebook for lots of reasons. First, I could barely manage my computer time already, not doing anything on this blog, which I thought was close enough. Didn't really care about the "teeny bopper" image I had in my head of what Facebook was all about. I admit it I was wrong, but I couldn't imagine how I could need that.

Being as how this is Spring Break and I was puttering, I wanted to look at other people's pictures there. Alas, you can only do that if you have your own! So I thought I'll just get a little one so I can lurk. Well, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have reconnected with several people I haven't seen in ages, and wondered where they were. Put old pictures there to share with family. All kinds of action!

I will have to slow this down come tomorrow as I go off to our annual Church Retreat, where we have a great time... This year I am helping with the food for 290+ people. So far we have shopped Sam's twice and HEB once. Today we have to go back to HEB, get dry ice, get a Uhaul, and who knows what else! Be glad to just get there :)

Later.........

Spring Break

2009-03-16T12:50:00.002-05:00

Here it is Spring Break 2009. I'm not packing up to go to the beach... or skiing... or even the zoo. Been there, done that one year, never again. NOpe, this year, we are truly taking it easy. This morning I had coffee with a good friend to catch up and my kids slept in very late. THey took a walk and are playing outside. I went to the store to get a few things, mostly coupon items. And now... I'm going to take a nap! Glorious naps!!! I so seldom have the freedom and when I do, I often can't get to sleep. But I'll give it a valiant try. Also, this morning a guy came to repair my garage door opener. It's so inconvenient when it doesn't work, and yet we take it for granted when it does. I'm up and running with that, though.

So.... boring? yes :) and proud of it!!!!

Changes and Acceptance

2009-03-16T08:44:00.003-05:00

So, this blog has been lying here for months, with nothing added... after a very long and successful run (for me at least, don't know what others think). But I feel the need to add a post here and maybe change the direction of this blog. When I began it, I was a married mother of 5, homeschooling and working. Now, I am a single mom, still homeschooling and working. There's not much time for blogging, and lots of emotional blocks about it. You see, I'm not proud to be a single mom. For me personally, this is where I need to be and I know I'm in the right place. But it's not easy being single as a homeschool mom. My world is all about family, the family I thought I had, but didn't really. All the years I spent WISHING my family was like others, my marriage was like those I saw around me. I put on a good show. I tried to pretend like it was all okay. But I was dying inside. Once I finally got on the other side of...........divorce......... I am able to begin the healing. And to see that I was going to be okay. No regrets, no looking back.

So if I continue this blog, it will be about the joys and struggles of my life as a single mom, trying to balance all that goes along with that. And I'll start with Spring Break...

The Big Reveal

2008-08-20T15:58:00.002-05:00

I can't leave you without showing that I did indeed clean up that MESS. I worked most of July and that last couple of weeks...here are the after pictures. I still want to do a few things, mostly decorative (pictures, window treatments), but it is functional this way and we have enjoyed doing things up there this week.

My favorite part is the nice shelving for the sewing and craft supplies. That whole area has my sewing machines and everything I'll need if I ever find time to sew again.

One of the things I want to do is coordinate all the storage containers. I know it will take time and lots of 40% off Michael's coupons, but these shoeboxes I painted are a start. I glued phrases on them and there are 5 all the same in a row.

I am very proud of all the work this represents, but mostly we are just so happy to have this space. We moved the Wii up there and they can spend time reading on the new futon, games, art...Just a great space.

Mission Organization

2008-08-20T13:26:00.002-05:00

I have been working all summer to revamp our former playroom into a teen entertainment/school room. I am ashamed to say it had fallen into disuse simply because it was a total disaster. The show Mission Organization on HGTV is my favorite so I decided to model my effort and this post after that. Here are a couple of before pics...

The first step was to sort and purge. We began this process last Spring Break and got it all sorted off the floor into these many labeled tubs:

And of course the most important tubs of all, which were emptied many times in the job.

We originally had a 6 ft banquet table with two computers, a TV, and a printer. Too much space!!!!!!!!! So I moved a much smaller desk there for the kids' computer and put mine downstairs. dsB proudly set it all up for them.

That's as far as we got during Spring Break, then I had to wait until summer....and you'll have to wait to see the after pictures because W is calling me to do math with him. :)

Computer Woes

2008-04-16T11:28:00.002-05:00

I am temporarily on my laptop which is very sick...I have been having trouble for a long time, and last week it came to a head when I couldn't even get online for days. Apparently this computer has "known issues" with the motherboard and the wireless drive...that's all Greek to me, but what it means is that I have to send it in to HP and let them fix it while it is still under warranty. I'll be sending it away today and may not have it for 10 days or more....sadness for me!

So if you're wondering where I am, I'm here, but without my little computer. Maybe I can make progress on the playroom in that time. We got all the sorting done but now I need to purge each category and put it all away.

Proof of existence

2008-04-07T13:03:00.003-05:00

Erma Bombeck used to write about how her youngest, as many youngest children do, wondered about his existence as a baby and young child. It's always joked that there are volumes and volumes of pictures of the first child, slightly less of #2, and then almost none of subsequent children. There may be some truth in that, but I'm here to tell you that my littlest guy has his share of pictures in the digital realm. I was downloading off the camera and noticed in the last week alone, I had 3 really good picture opportunities involving W. So here are some of my favorites from the week:

Last week I set him up at a table during class to entertain himself with vinegar, ammonia solution, and cabbage water (a pH indicator which will change color as pH changes). This kept him busy for quite some time.

Later in the week, we went to Shake's for frozen custard and played in the trees of the little seating area. It was a beautiful day and the kids played for a long time even after they finished their ice cream.

Then while we waited for H's soccer game to start yesterday, we rode the little train that circles around the park. W enjoyed the Mom-time as much as the ride--he talked my ear off! But I loved every minute of it too. He's a pretty cool kid.

and

So, some day when he is trying to find pictures of his childhood to show his own children, he'll have at least a few from the spring he was 7!

So much to do...part 2

2008-04-05T06:27:00.003-05:00

Otherwise known as "No Time to Blog!"

I did finish my room, then promptly got some nasty virus that left me coughing miserably for days...then we had a church retreat last weekend, for which I was on the kitchen team. We fed 250 people for 3 days. That is no small feat and requires very careful preparation. So now I got home and took all week to recover and try to whip my house back into shape. I spent most of Thursday and Friday in the girls' room. THe car was in the shop getting new tires and a new automatic window motor, so I had nowhere to go. Today I'll be out of town all day and tomorrow is filled with the usual Sunday mele PLUS a soccer game. So, it doesn't look like I'll be getting my room photographed and posted any time soon. How's that for suspense?

Now, I'm hitting the shower and grabbing coffee. Hope you're having a restful, or at least productive weekend.

So much to do...

2008-03-13T08:15:00.003-05:00

Well, here it is Thursday of my Spring Break and I only have two more days to really be productive. I have accomplished much, but today is already full. I woke at 5:15 to the sound of my dead phone battery chirping...ugh. I decided I might as well get up. I have been to the Y, gathered financial documents, done a bit of filing, and now I'm going to hop in the shower before settling in to a morning of grading papers. I have such a pile of labs waiting for me and I promised my students I would get it all done.

In more exciting news, I'm just about ready to share my bedroom pics. I just have to find time to take pictures and compose that kind of post. I got a new bed and mattress and it looks so pretty up against the red wall. On Tuesday I was able to finish up much of one side of the playroom. Yesterday I got paint to paint one wall at a time up there. I'm not going to change the color, sticking with plain "Builder Bone" for now, but it is in very bad need of touching up and I got a washable flat this time so I will just paint the whole wall with one coat after using primer on the dirtiest areas. The first wall to be done is the one we have had our white board hung on. You can imagine the stray marker marks and eraser dust that I need to prime over. Don't know if I'll get to that today since I MUST get the grading done and I have a 10 o'clock appointment with a CPA to look at taxes. Owning my own business means I need to learn how to deal with this stuff.

If I have time later in the day, I'll be back..............

A Project from B

2008-03-11T08:49:00.002-05:00

I love to share projects I have done around here, but even more, I love to share the accomplishments of my children. B is a very accomplished knitter and crocheter. She has done some truly beautiful things. Her most recent was a blanket using the four elemental symbols (earth, fire, air, and water). These are actually related to a Disney show she loves. When she found the pattern online, she knew she had to make it. Here it is all spread out:

And here it is wrapped around her. You can see how HUGE this blanket is in this picture.

The project b completed before this one was an adorable little sweater for her cousin. Here is the cutest recipient, wearing the sweater:

And another bonus pic of my sister with her baby girl:

They are coming to visit this weekend and we are all SO excited...Come on Friday!

Mission Organization

2008-03-10T16:31:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite HGTV show. They send a professional organizer into a disaster of a room and transform it into a beautiful and useful space. I have one of those disaster rooms. We are tackling this project but it will be a longer process for us than 30 minutes :).

We have a very large playroom upstairs that is open onto the downstairs. It has always been our school room... and sewing room... and playing room... and computer room...you get the picture. It is a great space and in the early years, we spent most of our day up there. Here are some pictures of it in it's better days:

In the last few years, it has fallen into disuse, partly because the kids are older, partly because we're on the go more now. We do school in the living room and kitchen, I don't have time to sew, and the kids' computer is the main attraction in that space now. The rest of the room has become mostly storage. And it has been so long since I purged the curriculum and toys, that it is now just a cluttered mess. Well, at least it was until this morning. I made boxes and signs for all the categories and lined them up against a wall. Then I had the kids come in shifts of boys vs. girls, working 15 minutes at a time to sort, clear and pick up the room. we have totally filled our outdoor trash can. (It's a good thing our garbage truck comes tomorrow.) We took down an 8 ft table that held the computer and replaced it with a much smaller desk. The floor is mostly clear, but there are boxes of things to sort all over the place. Lots to donate.

The plan is to totally change the purpose of the space. I am moving the last of the true toys to W's room, since he is the only one who really plays with them anymore. The side that was for toys will now hold the computer, a TV, the Wii game, a couch and other things to make it a cool teen hangout. The school side will still hold our curriculum, but it will be condensed to make room for my sewing machines and the craft supplies. Books will be pared down, yes, and even fabric. I am moving the sewing machines to the windows to provide better lighting.

Don't worry, I'm documenting the whole process with my camera and will share pictures, but not until the whole project is done. I'm too embarrassed to share how bad it looked until I can share how much it is improved.....

Just stay tuned.

Family Game Night

2008-03-09T23:55:00.003-05:00

It's finally Spring Break, and that meant a break from the Sunday night driving routine. Most of the school year, I make at least 4 trips to and from the church on any given Sunday. I'm not crazy about the routine, but they are so involved in their activities and I want them to continue those. But it does get old and on a night like tonight, when we don't have to do it...I rejoice!

We declared this a Family Game Night. We had a nice dinner of Salisbury Steak, Dill Potato Salad, and Cucumber Salad, rolls and Blackberry cobbler a la mode for dessert. Then, while we cleaned the kitchen, the girls set up Monopoly by a fire in the living room. We played until almost 11 PM, when a clear winner was coming through and we were ALL disintegrating into giggles. I sent them all off to bed after prayers of thanks for such a nice and FUN night together. They'll sleep well and wake up to the smell of Monkey Bread (recipe here) fresh from the oven.

I'm tired tonight, but it is a happy tired.

A Sneak Peek

2008-03-09T15:52:00.001-05:00

Wonder what I've been doing this weekend? Well, here is a peek. Hopefully this time next weekend, I can share the end result:

Just Do It!

2008-03-05T16:22:00.004-06:00

As promised, here is a very cool project you can do to pretty your space and be more organized at the same time. I looked at fancy cardboard boxes and some of them were upwards of $20! I couldn't see that, especially since I wanted LOTS of them. In cleaning out the closet, I found a bunch of sturdy shoe boxes, many in identical shapes. They are the kind with hinged lids, and are in great shape. It was a lightbulb moment for me.

Before:

After:

And inside:

This one holds office supplies. The other one holds banking supplies. Since I have a business, I have two sets of checks, deposit slips, a deposit stamp, and othe miscellaneous supplies.

This is how I did it:

You'll need a few supplies.
Spray paint primer
Sand Paper, fine
Spray paint in a color you like
Mod Podge or other decoupage medium.
Some fancy paper or tissue. I found a red toile set of tissues made just for decoupage that coordinated at Michael's the squares are about 6".
Sponge brush
Label holders (in the scrapbooking section), picture below

1. Spray the box all over the outside with primer, I use two coats for good coverage.
2. Sand lightly to remove the "cardboard" looking fuzz. It becomes obvious when the primer is on it.
3. One more coat of primer to seal; that cardboard really will soak up the paint and you don't want the "swoosh" to show.
4. Spray with your base paint one or two coats until evenly colored.
5. Let dry thoroughly.
6. Using Mod Podge and a sponge brush, coat one surface at a time and arrange the tissue or paper in a way you like. Tissue will be delicate once wet with glue, but has more give than a thicker paper. Let dry 15-20 minutes.
7. Apply layers of Mod Podge over tissue, allowing to dry 15-20 minutes between each. I used 3-4 layers. You can use more, but you might want to sand lightly after 4 or 5 if adding many. The sponge brush will leave a "grain" and you'll want to minimize that.
8. Once thoroughly dry, make a little paper label for your contents to fit the label holder. Here is a picture of the holders:

They attach with tiny brads, which went nicely through the front of my boxes. I used a labeler to print the labels and stuck them to pretty paper.

Fill and display. I am proud of these boxes and I'm now working on two more that will coordinate with these. If you try it, let me know.

Progress in the Bedroom

2008-03-05T12:44:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited. My bedroom is coming along quite nicely. My new quilt FINALLY came yesterday, 3 weeks after I ordered it. See it here. It is a red toile with more of a floral pattern than the French country scene I wanted. That just wasn't to be found in my price range. I'll make some curtains out of that kind of toile in the summer, maybe Roman shades?

Anyway, I mentioned the desk area. Here it is, all ready for my blogging efforts and paying bills:

This was given to me by a friend who needed something bigger, but it meets my needs perfectly. I love all the cubbies and the monitor stand. Those boxes are my latest craft project and I'll share how to make them later today or tomorrow. They were very easy and practically free. That's my favorite kind of decorating.

Now that the quilt is here, I am off to Home Depot to buy paint! I'll be
painting the last wall tomorrow, then I can set up my new bed. Oh....I'm so excited....

More later...

My New Relationship...

2008-03-05T12:06:00.005-06:00

His name is Randy. He wears a uniform. His hands are usually greasy. He talks too much. But I still seem to see him about once a month these days...it's so bad he knows my name when I walk into my local Brake Check, and he even commented on how nice my new haircut is.

Seriously, Randy is old enough to be my father and happily married, but he's my brake guy...and I have had brake needs to be met.

Since last September, I have been in about every other month...new brakes...new shocks...new struts and strut mounts (I never knew what they were either until I had to pay $650 for them)....new pads-twice over again...and today...a new brake switch. WIll this never end?

I also had to get a new radiator at Aamco (felt somewhat unfaithful to Randy, but hey he can't meet my radiator needs). All told, I have about 50% brand new parts on my 8 yr old minivan. The bad news is it cost a small fortune. The good news is the vehicle has been paid for for some time. And the even better news is that all those new parts came with lifetime warranties. I'm driving this baby til it dies!

So, if you see me in my silver minivan driving around town, stop and wave. I brake for friendly waves.

Funny things kids do

2008-03-04T00:37:00.003-06:00

Two things happened today that just made me laugh out loud at my adorable children.

First, W tried to run away today. That may not sound funny but you have to realize that W is 7 years old and this isn't the first time he has threatened to run away. This time he came to me loaded down with two large stuffed animals, a tool kit, and a blanket. He came to say his goodbyes since he was indeed running far far away this time. What is it that makes his life in our household so miserable you ask? Well, this time I was asking him to sort his laundry and pick out outfits for the week. The horror of it---the abuse---can you believe any mother would ask that of her son? And before he plays with his friend, even.

Then, on a lighter note, I took H and R to Target tonight looking for a few things I needed for classes tonight. When we left it was almost 8 o'clock, well past sunset. I noticed H had her sunglasses on. When I commented on it, she said, "Mom, It's a style statement!" and left them on. Anybody reminded of a certain 80's song by Corey Hart?

That just goes to show you that unless you're paying attention, they just might run away on you, and even take YOUR sunglasses!

Whataweek

2008-03-03T16:08:00.004-06:00

I needed a Whataburger, bigtime last week! I started the week with 3 kids sick. They were all still sick by the end of the week, and W had even ruptured his ear drum. He was in such pain, poor thing. After a morning in the dr. and the pharmacy, and 3 days on medicine, he is a new kid now. They are still coughing but all else is well.

In addition to that, I worked an extra day, subbing for a teacher in another location who does the same thing I do. I enjoyed it and she had done all the prep so it was much easier than my own days. It left me exhausted, though and one day shorter in my week.

Over the weekend, I worked in my bedroom, setting up a desk area. I had formerly had stuff upstairs, but didn't really work there. Papers were everywhere...lucky to find a pencil, you get the picture. Now I have a very nice area to work. I will share that later in the week, along with a cheap shabby chic storage idea. But right now, I had better go do some of that work for tomorrow.

Camouflaging the Toys...

2008-03-03T16:00:00.003-06:00

Literally! I shared the little wooden box I made for W's cars. This box is bigger and was designed to hold his new army collection. He has trucks, soldiers, tanks...you name it. But it's bulky. This box was easy to sponge paint in camo colors and pattern. Again, spray with several coats of polyurethane to protect.

Happy Birthday, H...You're 12!

2008-02-23T20:35:00.003-06:00

Today was a crazy-busy day...We started with a trip to the library and the shoe store. Then on to church for a performance by the oldest two. Back home for a 12th birthday outing to Claire's in the mall. H wanted to have her ears pierced for her birthday so that's what we did. She chose simple amethyst studs and they are very pretty. The girls wandered in the mall just a bit then they were ready to head back home. I must admit I was too! The mall is not my favorite place to be, especially on a Saturday afternoon.

Once they were settled in entertaining themselves, I needed to take R to church to play bells in the evening service. This only happens once a year, but it is less than convenient.

Back home to serve cake and ice cream, clean up a little, then receive the grandparents for a short visit. They needed to be nearby tonight for something special ( well, something ELSE special), so they only had time for a short visit.

Then I had to make a last minute trip for ibuprofen since there are two little ones with fever tonight. W had 102 temp when I got home from the mall. I hope he is well enough for church tomorrow. I will put him down with a vaporizer and more meds so he can sleep well.

After all the running around, I am glad to be home and ready for a bath and a cup of tea myself :)

Sweet Dreams!

Bedroom Vignette

2008-02-22T16:52:00.002-06:00

This is just one little area of the bedroom which is finished.

The handkerchiefs belonged to my grandmother and my aunt had them framed for each of my three girls a long time ago. They look pretty over this quilted wall hanging I made for my mother out of her father's handkerchiefs. I love the similar colors and the symbolism. The towel stand I found in the clearance at Garden Ridge last week...perfect fit for this space.

The wall to the right is the one destined to be red, but alas, I still wait on my bedding to arrive to pick paint so the tape is on the wall.....

Soon, I keep telling myself!

Boys and their Toys

2008-02-21T10:48:00.003-06:00

Project #24 going on is W's room. dsB moved downstairs, which opened up the room considerably. But we needed storage. I got this 9 cube storage unit, which W and I put together ALL by ourselves, thankyouverymuch :

We decided what needed to go in it, and have allocated spaces. One of the things I knew we needed to keep there was his collection of Matchbox cars. However those little canvas drawers are not sturdy enough for the weight of them. So I looked around at wooden boxes. Those are not cheap. I went to Michael's and found a set of 3 unfinished ones for $14.99. I got two sets of these (with my 40% off coupons, of course) and used the small from each set for the cube. I decoupaged cutouts from CARS (the movie) paper after painting them, sprayed with polyurethane, and have these two adorable boxes. I chose to leave the interior unfinished since the cars will only beat it all up anyway. Here is a closeup of the one with the cars in it. I didn't even have to fashion a label!

I am currently painting one of the large ones with a camouflage pattern to store his army collection in. This is fun...and could be addictive. Think of the possibilities!

This Week in the Science Lab

2008-02-18T21:46:00.002-06:00

So I am still trucking along, teaching my science classes this year. I teach half day on Monday and very long full day (5 classes, back to back) on Tuesday. Then Wed. I crash and teach my own...
This week's lessons are fun ones. In Biology, we are doing our first dissection, the earthworm. My favorite thing about this lesson is the storytime we have before launching into the actual dissection.

For those who may not know, Gary Larson, the artist and creator of the Far Side cartoons, is by first career, a Biologist. That explains the huge percentage of his cartoons about animals, don't you agree? Well, he has written the most hilarious book about ecology, all centered around the protagonists, a worm family. I read this every year and you can see the joy on the faces of these teens as they listen and laugh. Word to the wise, though...this is not a book for preschoolers. Not only would they not get most of the humor and biological references, but there are a few rated PG phrases (nothing the teens haven't heard before, though). Check it out for yourself at Amazon - There's a Hair in My Dirt, by Gary Larson.

And in Chemistry, as we are learning about solutions and the effect of adding solutes to them, we study freezing point depression by making homemade ice cream. HERE is a previous post from when we did this last year, along with the recipe. Everyone loves ice cream, and even preschoolers can do this. Have them wear mittens to protect their little hands!

Now I'm off to prep for the other classes tomorrow. Procrastination at the blog is something I was once very good at- nice to see I haven't lost my touch :)

Happy Monday!

Very Stressful...

2008-02-15T10:10:00.002-06:00

W is working on his Miquon math and he is doing multiplication by repeated addition. He counted by two for a while and then said, "I can count to 200.............but that is very stressful."

Gotta love that!

Details

2008-02-14T15:34:00.002-06:00

So here is the wall behind that smaller couch:

I love this paint color by Glidden, called Family Legacy. In here it's paired with a deep green. In my bedroom, I'm using red toile as my main inspiration so I'll paint one wall a deep red, as soon as I get bedding to match it to. One step at a time...

The bookcases fit perfectly under the stairs. Here is a closeup of the accessories I have gotten, all bargains that look like elegant pieces :)

Notice the Galileo thermometer on the right...Walgreen's if you can believe it! And this piece will double as a lab supply when I teach density of liquids lessons in Chemistry.

Today I have been spray painting some wooden boxes to store W's little cars in. His room has been transformed too and is almost finished. I needed sturdy containers, hate plastic, and can't afford the finished wooden pieces in the quantity we need, so I checked at Michael's and they have lots of unfinished wood containers for much less than you can get them elsewhere...plus they run a 40% off coupon almost weekly. Tomorrow I hope to finish the boxes and I'll share.

2008

2008-02-13T08:36:00.003-06:00

Well, after lying dormant for many moons, I am encouraged to try to blog a little bit again. I am in the midst of some redesign and redecorating of my home, after many years of neglect. I love a good project, and this one is a doozy :) I began in my living room with cleaning the carpets, painting, and some new furniture. Here is a before:

And here is a middle, after the painting (taken at Christmas):

And this is a picture of it this week:

I still have to work in some accessories and get hardware to hang the curtains I already bought...but I love the new look and the new furniture. It is pleasant place to relax. The other walls in the room are a coffee ice cream color which I am extending into my bedroom. That's the room I've been working on this week.

More on that later...

And speaking of changes, I did one more thing. After 20+ yrs of long hair, I thought I'd try something else for a little while. I love it but I'll probably let it grow at least enough to make a ponytail :)

Chess

2007-07-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

One of the things I like about summer is just the change of routine. We still keep a loose routine that includes sleeping late, hanging out at the pool, and oh yeah, chores every now and then. One of the favorites in our summer routine is the homeschool chess club on Wednesdays. We don't have time for this during the school year and it is farther away. But for the summer, it moves to our church, very close, and we have plenty of time. Chess is a valuable brain builder and we can see friends and be inside for a cool summer afternoon. Everyone except B plays and their skill improves each time. This is the 3rd summer we hae participated and I enjoy watching them grow and develop as the learn new moves. So that's where we'll be this afternoon, right before we head to the pool! All that serious thinking requires a break, don't you agree?

And check out that print to the side. It is an optical illusion. You can look at that for a very long time and it still won't make sense. Maybe your brain needs to play some more chess, too!

The Most Wonderful Night of the Year

2007-07-22T21:59:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not speaking of Christmas, but to a kid, it often feels like that. Tonight we took our annual expedition to the aisles of Target which are so beautifully decorated by Crayola, Mead, and Elmers. Yep, school supply shopping. I have to admit I love it as much as the children do. We loaded up on glue sticks (did you know that if you buy too many they will either dry up or MOLD?) and paper, notebooks, markers, pencils, and lunchboxes. Since we are out two days a week, and often picnic on other days, I make sure at least my little ones have lunch boxes. It just makes life easier. This year we seem to have a camo theme going, complete with water bottles and thermoses. Even I wouldn't mind packing a lunch in those.

When I say loaded up, that's exactly what I mean. At $1-$2 each for paper and notebooks, $2-3 for compasses and scissors, 10 cents for glue sticks, I still managed to spend about $150 for the school supplies...but this will last all year long. Last year the only thing we ran out of was notebook paper, so I bought MORE. We'll see how long this lasts. I may find myself at Target next week addign just another few packs :) You can't have too much paper for kids who write. Writing is good, right??? Paper is cheap.

Now, I'm off to organize and stack all my...I mean our...new treasures.

Rainy Saturdays

2007-07-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

We have had SO much rain this summer in Central Texas, it isn't even funny. Most of the lakes are closed, many homes have flooded, businesses are suffering, and we haven't been able to get to the pool as often as necessary. Okay, so some things are higher priorities than others :) This morning started out much the same way, with rain at 3 a.m. and pretty much off and on all morning. The bad part about to day was that we had a lake party reunion scheduled. We were in a wonderful Sunday School class for 15 years. These families were our family! One of the ladies was my birth coach attending dsB's birth 14 years ago. Many of them brought meals and helping hands at the birth of each child. We did the same for many of their births. When it was time for me to go to work, one of these ladies was my strongest supporter, helping me with the resume, interview process, and even loaning me a suit to wear. 12 years as a stay-at-home mom didn't leave me with much in my closet in the way of business attire. It was these families we spent our social time with bowling, camping and eating lots of pizza; They are also the ones we prayed through crises with, and spent each Sunday morning learning with.

But as all things often do eventually, this group became smaller and smaller until we had to disband the class. Many moved away; others changed their Sunday morning schedule due to changing family needs. But we all remained close in spirit. One of our annual traditions had been a party at one family's lake house. We all gathered for a day of boating, swimming, eating, talking, and lots of laughing. This did not happen last year and we all missed it. So, that family decided to have a reunion party, inviting anyone we could think of who had been a part of the class over the years. That was today. Some I see each week still; others I hadn't seen in 3-4 years. We had such a good time catching up; seeing where everyone's kids were headed to college, or just how they had grown and changed. It reaffirmed my belief that the bonds we had in that class were very unusual and very special. We visited other classes and have found one that we like, but that group will keep a place in our hearts always.

And the rain..it cleared up just for us to have a cool, clear day with a light shoewr int he middle of the afternoon. Otherwise---perfect!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2007-07-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, so time away leaves me at a loss for NON-punny, NON-weak titles. But hey, it's an update. On Wednesday night, after a fun night at the church where we ate dinner and watched CARS, we came home for a later than usual bedtime. About 20 minutes after I said goodnight and went downstairs, R came to me in tears. She had a crisis with a comb that required no less than cutting off about 6 inches to get the comb out! I have repaired her self-inflicted haircuts on several occassions but this one was going to require professional intervention. We went to Costcutters this morning, where in fixing the problem, we discovered that they are a newly established Locks of Love outlet AND R had just enough to donate. So, we helped a worthy cause, solved our hair dilemma, and it didn't cost a thing! Can't beat that...and she is oh so anxious to show off her cute new style. It's very short for a female member of this family.

Which reminds me, about a month ago, I donated my own locks and went from below my waist length to just below my shoulders. I love it and am becoming a pro at french braiding my own hair now that it is short enough to be manageable.

Summer 2007

2007-07-14T16:41:00.000-05:00

Here I am again, after much prompting by friends and family to pick this back up. I will try to be more diligent but I can't promise anything :)

Today we are almost halfway through July and I cannot believe how quickly the summer has flown by. I had a long list of things to get done and I'm not really making the progress I would have liked. Here are a few of the things I have accomplished along with some more on the list in the next week or two:

Kerrville Folk Festival-went for 2 of the 3 weekends, rained torrents the first one and it was miserable. The second weekend was MUCH better, and we had a good time. I gave blood for the first time in 15+ years and felt kind of yucky that day. Or camp took a hit in the middle of the second week while we were gone and we lost some of our equipment.

Vacation Bible School - This year was the best ever for VBS. The theme was all about science, and they asked me to man the science lab, which was a center they all rotated through the week. I had all the equipment and it was fun to do. I loved that role and the kids all enjoyed the demonstartions and activities they got to do on their own. The best part was that each activity had a God lesson as well as a Science lesson. I enjoyed seeing how those tied together.

Homeschool Conference and Bookfair - This is my one shot of the year to publicize my business and interact with potential new students/parents. It was a little slower this year and enrollment is down a bit. I am probably looking at a shortened day on Monday, and a full day on Tuesday. Still making decisions about all that.

Grades - This year was my largest year and the burden of grades is where I feel it most. I finally got all of one location finished and reported. I still have one class at the other location that I need to grade exams for and do the final data entry and reporting. I'll need to print paper reports for some students and mail those this week! That's a goal...

Household - Well, by the time I came home in May, the entire house was suffering from serious neglect. For months, I had gotten by with the bare minimum. Dishes, laundry, etc. were all we could get to after schooling and running around. I really don't like to live this way, so that took priority over everything else. I worked on the girls' room (don't ask!) and then went downstairs. I am happy to report that I can now have company without embarrassment once again. I just try to keep up with it and keep the floors clean.

One added factor that I wouldn't have predicted was a help in the kitchen. My kitchen is so far from the hot water heater in the garage that it takes FOREVER to get hot water to the kitchen sink, at least it DID...my guys put in a heater under the kitchen sink that gives me instant HOT water whenever I need it. This makes it so much easier to stay on top of the hand washing of dishes. Before, I would let them pile up until I ran the dishwasher and then wash it all when the hot water was circulating there anyway. But this left more than I would have liked at the side of the sink. Now, I can wash a few small things without waiting the 5 minutes for hot water to get there. A plus, in my book.

I need to get upstairs now and help with the boys' room and get the playroom back under control. The science stuff all exploded at the end of the year and the school mess and playing mess is out of control. I need to PURGE! That's what I need to do.

Okay, so this is what's going on this weekend. dsB is returning from a week at Scout camp where he was tapped out for Order of the Arrow, a high honor in scouting. He is now mowing the lawn but I expect to hear all about it this evening. H is away at the grandparents' where she is spending a whole day with a vet in her work. H is my animal lover and thinks this is the job for her. R is writing a story on the computer which is very good, really. J is fixing the washing machine which is just having all sorts of problems. B is in her room, reading. And I am done for the day, planning to head down now and make something for all these hungry people to eat for dinner.

See you soon!

Time Does Fly...

2007-05-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

and it has been soaring around here. It has been brought to my attention that some people actually read this little diary of mine and want to know what is going on. Well the short list is --Scouts, soccer, piano recitals, orthodontist visits, school, Geometry (yes, that's school but it's taking on a whole life of its own these days!) camping -the boys, not all of us, yet... I'm buried under lab reports to grade and plans for finishing the year.

Aside from the normal, we had a fun visit with J's mom last week. She was here to provide moral and household support, which she so lovingly does for all her kids, even those of us by marriage. The highlight of that visit was a day spent picking strawberries and another making jam...Nothing better than fresh strawberry jam! I was able to make 27 jars this year, a bumper crop. THe berries were beautiful and oh so sweet!

Then yesterday I had a day to remember just for me. What a great day! I got in a soccer game for my daughter, and a long deep visit with a great friend. We seem to always pick up just where we left off, even when it's ages (or seems like it) between visits. I also had a long workout that left me sore all over today, but a good sore. Muscles that hadn't been used in a very long time are letting me know about it today. I needed that, too.

This Sunday will be a quieter one than usual since some of the evening activities have halted for summer. Just in time, I guess for my sanity. I'll work on that mountian of grading, plan meals for the week and shop, and try to get to bed early. I'm a bit tired :)

Sunday Showers

2007-04-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

It's gray and dreary this Sunday and my mood is so affected by the weather. I could never live in the Northwest! This weekend was a special time in the life of our family. dsB was confirmed last night into the church, which is a personal confirmation of his faith and his decision to follow Christ. Then this morning, he became a full member of the congregation. Before this time, all children are considered preparatory members. This is a very meaningful time for me as his mother because I see that he really is growing in wisdom and stature and soon he will be a man. Sometimes I can get frustrated at all the normal teen issues: his room is usually messy, he spends too much time on the computer, he isn't very diligent about his schoolwork. BUT-- and this is huge-- he is a wonderful, talented young man with a heart for God and learning more about His word. I wish I had had the knowledge and maturity in Christ that he has at 14.

In other news, I am swamped trying to keep up with the house, the business, and the schedule at this time. We are already looking toward summer and the plans we will have. I am doing well to stay focused on one day at a time. I am going through some overwhelmed feelings and just getting through the basics each day can be a struggle. So if you feel so inclined, I would appreciate your prayers and patience as I'm sure the blogging will be sparse for a while as I regroup and reevaluate my priorities.

Lonely

2007-04-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

This is a bit of a lonely weekend. I drove H all the way to camp yesterday, which was about 2 hours each way. dsB wanted to go to his friend's house since it was his birthday (dsB's 14th) and since we were gone so long anyway, I let him go. B had to babysit, so she was gone. That meant I still had 2 children at home in the evening but it felt very lonely. Today dsB came home late in the day and H is still gone so I just feel a bit discombobulated. Isn't that a cool word? I leave home at 7 am tomorrow to pick her up from camp and drive her directly to a soccer game. She will be one tired little girl by tomorrow night. I can't wait to hear all about her camp.

I mostly did laundry today. The boys' room needed a bulldozer, or at least a Bobcat, to dig out the mess under the bed, dressers, on the floor...you name it. Laundry everywhere. Just cleaning up the clothes made it look so much better. Now dsB just has to deal with his mess. And they are folding all those mounds of laundry now. Believe me, I will watch like a hawk while they put it away NEATLY.

Quick Check on a Wednesday

2007-04-11T08:15:00.000-05:00

Good morning. It's a crazy time of year and I'm finding it harder and harder to get blog time :)After the dreary weather of the weekend, the sun finally came out yesterday. That really does affect my mood. Today I am wearing bright yellow and green to help keep that mood "springy". I ordered some new clothes from Chadwick's about a month ago for spring and now I can finally wear them. I really like Chadwick's and the prices are affordable. I also went jeans shopping again last weekend and bought 3 pairs. I've decided this is a "trial and error" process. One of the 3 I really like and they are comfortable.

The rest of this week promises to be very full as well. Tomorrow I have 2 appointments for kids. R has a rough patch on her nose that has been there for months and needs to be checked. B has the orthodontist to visit. And tomorrow night the girls and I are going to the opera...again. This time it is "The Barber of Seville". Should be funny and more interesting for the girls than Madame Butterfly. On Friday, I'll be taking H to camp which is a few hours away and near the Blue Bell ice cream factory. We'll do that as a field trip and take the tour. It will be evening before we get home. H is so very excited about her camp. Thre is another camp coming up at the end of April, this one is a Cub Scout camp for W. He is anxious about joining the Cub Scouts next year and they invited him to their last family campout of this year. Dad and dsB will go with them. We'll have to have a girl's time while they are gone. Looks like Grandma will be here then, too! Fun, fun, fun...

Hope you have a great Wednesday, too. I'm off to wake up the last of the sleepyheads. Blessings on your week.

Happy Easter

2007-04-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

It's Easter again and it feels odd this year, for two reasons. First of all, it is very cold, so cold we have sleet on the trampoline and it snowed at my family's house only an hour away. That is very unusual in Texas in April. I guess I can't wear the cute little sleeveless dress I bought for Easter. The other different thing is that we had our family gathering today instead of tomorrow so that my sister could have more time to spend before going back to her home, 5 hours away. We had such a wonderful visit all day and it just makes us all sad that she lives so far away. The baby has grown and is smiling and happy now. We all enjoyed passing her around. We had lots of good food, played some games, and laughed all day long. I have the funniest family. Here are some of the highlights:

The Three Stoo,,,um, I mean chefs:

A Man and a baby:

Cousins again:

It was a wonderful day and I will able to rest completely after attending two church services tomorrow. It will be so cold at sunrise. Enjoy your family and remember the joy of the Lord on this most Holy Day.

I Have the Best Friends

2007-03-30T20:05:00.000-05:00

We made it through the day with no weather episode. Quite a bit of rain, but nothing else. I do think the news stations like to sensationalize those events, maybe to keep people tuned in and increase ratings. I don't know...

Since it was raining all day, that meant our mom's park group wasn't going to be able to meet there. This would have been the third week in a row and I am a grumpy mom if I don't see my friends. Oh, yeah, and the kids wanted to play with their friends, too. When this happens, we often meet and one family's house. That's what we did today. 5 moms and 23 children were all happily occupied for 2 hours in the A household and we all left feeling refreshed. Well, W left with mud and leaves all over him, but he had fun!

One of these friends had read here about the sinus infection from Mars (I think if the Martians could give us all infections like this one, we would be so distracted and miserable they could actually take over the planet) and brought me some tea. Hibiscus mint tea...yummy. I am enjoying a hot cup right now, L, so thank you. The hot liquid feels so good if I just hold it in my mouth since the greatest pressure is above my soft palate. This just has to ease up soon. Today is the third full day of antibiotic so I fully expect to wake up in the morning with some relief. Please.

So even though I was not feeling my best, I left feeling great after an afternoon with my bestest friends. Every girl needs a few bestest friends, doesn't she?

Weather Watching

2007-03-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

We're watching the weather on TV all morning since there is a large storm cell moving through and it has already spawned two tornadoes. We have a plan so I'm not worried about. As a matter of fact, 10 years ago this May we experienced a tornado that ripped right down our street. Luckily, J was home and he is my weather and news junkie. He's the one who called me this morning and said to turn on the TV.

On that day, he was home because he was unemployed. Some time in the late afternoon, around 3 PM he told me to wake up the sleeping children and bring them down to the stairs under the closet. At that point, I knew we had trouble. The oldest 3 were 5, 4, and 1. Waking up sleeping children is serious business around here :)I was pregnant with R, which makes it easy to remember what year it happened. So, we hid out under the stairs under some blankets and heard the tornado pass. It sounded just like a freight train passing through the house, as I've heard others describe it in the past. We heard many objects hitting the house. We waited it out, holding the children and reassuring them. I think we felt safe enough but it was scary.

I'll never forget the aftermath of that storm. When we emerged from the closet and looked out the windows, what we saw looked like a war zone. There was debris everywhere. In our front yard, we had someone's ceiling fan, a gas grill, and one of those Little Tyke cars...not our own. The damage to our home was minimal, broken windows, roof damage, truck all beat up. The houses 3-4 down from us had much more severe damage and one across the street was leveled. In that house, there was a family of 6, hiding in their bathtub and the only room left of that house was that bathroom. God was putting a bubble of protection around that family. It took months to rebuild all the homes on the street and for several years we had street parties on the anniversary of that event. It did wonders to build community on our street of mostly families who only knew each other in passing. We'd retell the stories of that day like they were old war stories. I guess in our protected little sphere of the world, they were.

I don't expect to repeat that experience today but I know that if we did, we would be under God's protection. I'm not worried.

I've Been Hit

2007-03-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

What began as a relatively minor allergy reaction to oak last week has turned into one of the worst sinus infections I have had in my life. Today was day 6 of major pressure and pain in my whole face. I can usually tough it out and within 2-3 days, it clears up on its own. Not thie time. I ended up at the dr. this morning and walked out with antibiotics and Flonase. I am taking so many things to try to manage this. Mucinex to thin the secretions, ibuprofen to manage the pain in my head, and acidophilus to counteract the effect of the Amoxicillin. I am a walking pharmacy. And I feel like it. I am hoping this will all take effect SOONer rather than later. I have been worthless all week long.

Back in the Swing

2007-03-24T18:54:00.000-05:00

Soccer has begun in earnest now. Since Spring Break fell right after the beginning of the season, it felt like we barely got started and then took a break. This morning they had pictures. at 7:45. Don't these soccer people ever sleep? So we had pictures, then a game at 9:30...which they WON! That was really an exciting game with our team keeping it at the other goal 95% of the time. The final score was 1-0, so you can see they were both pretty equally matched. There were at least 10 other near-goals. H was very pleased.

Tomorrow is one of those action-packed Sundays again. dsB will return from camping with Scouts. In the morning, B and I will be selling breakfast tacos as part of the youth fundraising effort. I have to cook all the bacon tonight and crumble it so we can cook the eggs and assemble them in the morning. I agreed to make 50 bacon, egg, and cheese along with 20 bean and cheese. The other family is bringing 50 sausage, egg, and cheese. HOpefully they will all sell.

Then in the evening, the older two have youth, the girls have bells, and H has a makeup soccer game at 6 PM. Which reminds me I had better email the coach and let him know she'll be late since she has to come from bells...and I had better figure out how dinner can cook itself-looks like a crockpot night!

I'm settling in to get a little work done now and then I'll be ready for bed. I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight.

Update on W

2007-03-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

I am getting very frustrated. If you'll remember, on Monday, Wesley had a very severe ear infection. We had been up all night Sun night with him in pain and I took him to the minor emergency where they referred us to the pediatric ENT.

I called and they squeezed him in at 1:40. He has not had a history of chronic infections, just that once when he was a baby, but it went on for over 2 months so we had been to see this ENT guy. While we were there, he did calculations and figured that the dose the minor emergency doc had prescribed probably wasn't enough. They gave him a Rocephin shot (VERY strong antibiotic) that afternoon and told me to call back when I got home about upping the dose for the Augmentin. I did call about 4 when we got home. THat was Monday.

I waited all day Tues and called again on Wed. No return call. We're going on 3 days of too little medicine now and so I called back this morning about 8:40. She told me she had 29 phone messages. I understand being swamped but this is important. I know our regular pedi doesn't go home at the end of the day until all phone calls have been answered and issues dealt with. Not to mention that we are self pay and I had forked over $260 for that visit. I am paying him for his services and I am not pleased.

I just needed to vent! Thanks for listening. My baby has been sick all week and I just want to have the doctor help us make him well. In addition to the ear, he has bronchitis. He is feeling much better but is still not back to normal. Last night we went to a concert of the African Children's Choir at church which was fabulous, by the way, and he slept in my lap through much of it. And they were beating drums and singing very loudly so I know it was because he wasn't feeling well.

The Church Retreat

2007-03-20T20:15:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like Blogger will let me do this so I'll try again. We went last weekend on a retreat with 230 of our closest church friends :) This is a highlight of the whole year for the children since we have been going since H was only 4 months old, making this our 10th or 11th one, I forget. In the early years, it was fairly small and I knew almost all of the other families. The environment is a beautiful ranch on a river isolated from the outside world. When we are there, everyone takes care of each other and cooperates to get everything done. They have a large industrial kitchen and common dining area but there is no staff. We work as teams to do all the work involved. We sleep in dorm style cabins and enjoy plenty of free time to enjoy nature walks, the river, or just hanging out with games or needlework. At least that's what I usually do. Not everyone is interested in the needlework :)

When the kids were little, their favorite thing to do was to get as dirty as they could in the sand pit. We take toys, trucks, and buckets. I would sit for hours on the bleachers with other moms watching all the kids and visiting. My friend Elizabeth and I joked that it was our once a year chance to catch up. There were many older folks who would come and play dominoes. My B loved to join them. Her special friends, Al and Lu have been our surrogate grandparents in the church since they were all born. Their 4 granchildren who live in CO are the same ages as my 4 older ones so they just have a natural bond with us. We were sad that they couldn't join us this year since they are getting older and it is a difficult trip for Lu who has MS now. But we are planning a domino outing to their house and Mr. Al promised banana splits. Anyway, the point is the multigenerational mix at this retreat has been unique.

This year was the first year I felt comfortable with W wandering on his own. They are perfectly safe there, but there is a river and I needed to feel like he would be safe about that. He was allowed to go anywhere as long as he had an adult at the river. Dad takes them fishing and canoeing so that works out well. This all left Mom with a bit of extra time and not exactly sure how to spend it. I tried stitching a while but my eyes were tiring easily so I didn't accomplish as much on the Secret Project as I would have liked. (I guess I could share now since I have already showed my sister- I'll save that for another post) I ended up helping in the kitchen more than usual. They were feeding 230 people for almost 3 days. That is a pretty big job. And I feel most at home in the kitchen anyway... I found it lots more fun to be working with friends than alone in my own kitchen. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they had separate clean up crews :) That's not anyone's favorite part of cooking, is it?

The kids all had a blast going about independently with their friends. dsB stayed up late playing games, B had her best friend along for the first time, and the little girls were all over the place, mixing and mingling. The worst part is coming home and knowing we have to wait another year for the next retreat. Well, vacuuming out the sand isn't all that great either, but it's worth it.

until next year...

A Daily "Done" List

2007-03-19T16:47:00.000-05:00

Well, reading this list will give you a clue how my day went, even though I didn't see this in the AM,

1. 5:30am - give W 3rd dose of tylenol for ear infection that erupted only last night but kept us both up all night in the recliner while he wailed, moaned and writhed in pain.

2. Use dh's printer to print quiz for Chem that I couldn't last night since I was out of black ink.

3. Pack up and load science lab in van after long weekend camping so it had to be removed.

4. Drive to classes and set up for sub to cover while I took W to dr.

5. Take W to dr.

6. Get Rx filled at Walgreen's.

7. Also get snack to take with meds, and pudding and Ramen for dsB who got braces on Friday and still can't eat real food. And pullups since we are out. And a Frappucino for Mom-she deserves it by now!

8. Make appt for pedi ENT today!!! since the ear drum is on the verge of rupturing. And he has bronchitis...

9. Go back and teach Biology-starfish dissection while W sleeps on a sleeping bag in the corner of my room.

10. Cover one class and cancel another for the afternoon.

11. Visit pedi ENT for Rocephin shots in both legs simultaneously.

12. Fork over total of $465 for the day in dr's bills...

13. Come home and crash after administering last dose of Tylenol and helping W crash on the couch.

Still to do: prep for tomorrow, dinner, and early bedtime

Irony of Ironies...

2007-03-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

You know how most people don't really put out their very best effort in the first year or two of college? Most of us never really learned how to study in high school. If academics come easy to you, then it's that much harder to really learn how to buckle down and learn the much deeper, more intensive content of college.

Well, that tendency I had 20 years ago is coming back to bite me. I can't remember if I've told this story before but in brief: From the time I was 10, I wanted nothing more than to be a doctor. Having been born and spent my first years in Memphis, my plan was to become a pediatric oncologist and work at St. Jude's saving children who were very sick. I spent the next years of my life preparing for that. I took the maximum math and science in high school, Latin... Somewhere during my sophomore year of college, I started to have a change of heart. God was impressing on me that maybe I wasn't created to save other people's children. Maybe He wanted me to have a family of my own to care for. That WAS NOT in my plans and I fought Him mightily. Pride can be very destructive, and it's even worse when you're young and foolish. While I had already been seriously considering changing my major, the final straw came when I failed...Organic Chemistry! Now, I realize I am not alone in my inability to master this subject (at least not the first time around-and I wasn't interested in sticking around to see how attempt #2 might turn out). It is the killer subject for most pre-med students. But if you combine that failure with another in college Calculus (well, actually a C but you might as well call it a failure since I didn't have a clue what I was doing) and my change of heart..and well, you can probably figure out the rest of the story. The young fiery feminist wannabe who went into college with no intent of ever changing her name other than to add M.D. to the end of it came out of college with a different name and the Mrs. in front of it. I didn't know it when I walked across that stage to accept my degree in Home Economics Education, but I was already expecting our first baby.

Okay, so what's ironic about this? Well, last night, some 20 years after failing Organic Chemistry, I sat down to prepare for class next week since we will be gone all weekend. And I started to read the Advanced Chemistry book first. Guess what our topic is for the rest of the year??? You guessed it. Organic Chemistry. But, to my amazement, this stuff is so much easier than it was 20 years ago. Who knew Chemistry would advance to the point where even I can name the 2-fluoro, 4,6-diethylcyclooctane? I never in a million years thought I'd have to teach this stuff when I was sitting in that class visiting with Renee about her weekend plans. Oh, God has such a sense of humor, don't you think?

finally...

2007-03-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

well, this is finally in two senses. First, that I can get a post to work and second, that I have found some motivation. The first part of this week I just so needed a vacation that I haven't accomplished very much. But already this morning I have cleaned my bathroom, straightened the dining room, and cut W's hair. I think it turned out well. Next I'm heading upstairs to finish the playroom we began over the weekend (edited to say DONE!). I would like to get some ironing done this afternoon as well.
The website is being built by a woman who wanted to barter for her child's tuition in Biology next year. I think that is a great solution since I have been needing this for some time. Now if I can just get a barter to clean my house (just kidding, kind of-she grins sheepishly)

Check out my cute avatar on the left; doesn't it look just like me?

2007-03-15T08:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday Morning...still typing through titles, kids still coughing but fevers subsiding, going to build a website for business today :),later-

2007-03-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

My posts are showing up w/o text so I posted WFMW through the back door You Tube - will try again later...

2007-03-14T09:34:00.001-05:00

WFMW -Aromatherapy Video blog

2007-03-14T09:30:00.001-05:00

Find more of these at www.essentialoilsvideotips.blogspot.com

A Cacophony of Coughing

2007-03-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

That's what my house sounds like these days. The boys started today; and B had a fever tonight. Fortunately, the little girls' fever is gone and R felt much better today. I doled out the meds when our Bible reading this morning began to sound like the Tuberculosis ward. Between sneezes and coughs, nose blowing and moaning, this was anything but a quiet day. It's a good thing we didn't have to have school. We just read together. I'm hoping they are all well by the weekend for the retreat. dsB is also scheduled to get his braces on Friday afternoon.

Tonight we planned to use some gift cards the girls had to a local entertainment place with bowling, putt-putt, and laser tag. We arrived about 6 to a line stretching out the door. Apparently, all the kids out for Spring Break convinced their parents to let them go out for the night of games. We decided to try again later when it is NOT Spring Break. Instead, we walked the mall for a bit, bought pretty barrettes at Claire's and had smoothies. It satisfied the girls' need for a night with Mom and we can still go to the really fun place later. H is still pretty tired and was fading by the time we left. Probably not the best night for arcade noise for her tonight.