tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-992304804566659142024-03-13T13:37:29.899-04:00From Mommy to MomA mother's journey to grow with her children.aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-27842712158760695762011-01-13T11:52:00.004-05:002011-01-13T14:36:59.759-05:00To Be or Not to Be...<div>A Stay-at-home mom, that is.</div><div> </div><div>When people ask me what I "do" for a living, I usually answer that I am MOSTLY a stay-at-home mom. I have not worked full-time since September 2002, and the majority of my day is spent caring for my home and children. But I have worked part-time for a good part of the past decade. In all, there was only a 2.5-year period where I was home full-time.</div><div> </div><div>I have had so many part-time jobs, and quite frankly I am tired of keeping that kind of a schedule. I am convinced working part-time is the hardest thing a mom can do. I am home all day and do all of the "mom" things a stay-at-home mom does. But then I have to go to work - and work means crazy hours and giving up time that most other people consider "off" time. Evenings and weekends. Ugh. And, I make very little money at my part-time job, so I still have all the money concerns of other single-income families. It's not fun.</div><div> </div><div>Last January, I was hired as a teacher's aide in our local high school. I loved my job, but the high school has very different hours from the elementary schools so I needed to find childcare for my two oldest children. I was lucky to find a friend who was willing to watch them and not charge me and arm and a leg, and it worked beautifully. But alas, she went back to school and could not do it any longer, so I quit my job and went back to school myself.</div><div> </div><div>I am attempting to earn my teacher's certification. I have a degree in English, so I am going for secondary education AND special eduation. My state has some big changes in place, so I am trying very hard to finish my classes by the end of 2012. It may or may not happen, for a variety of reasons (the two major ones being money and time). </div><div> </div><div>So, I have been taking classes, which I enjoy, but it creates a lot of stress in our house. I didn't know how lucky I was to be an undergraduate when I was 18! School is so much harder when you have to fit a house, a job, 3 kids and a husband into the mix! But I have also been applying for full-time jobs as well. </div><div> </div><div>But I get conflicted when I try to decide what is best for us. I like being home, and now that the kids are all a little older, I have a nice amount of time TO MYSELF each week. It's heavenly, and I have waited almost a decade to get this time. I have not had classes for the past month, and it is so wonderful to be home and have nothing else to do besides clean, cook, care for the kids and (gasp) maybe read some books that I want to read.</div><div> </div><div>But then the bills arrive, and I feel myself having heart palpitations because we just don't have enough money to do everything we want to do. I look at the worn carpet and long for hardwood. I see my boys in bunkbeds and wish for a bigger house so that they could finally have their own space. I cringe when we take a car to be serviced, just waiting to hear how much it will cost. And then there are vacations - I grew up taking lovely trips with my family and they created lasting memories for me. I want so badly to do that with my children, and we just can't keep up every year. I know it sounds petty, and that I should be happy with what I have. Believe me - I am. But after pinching pennies and living paycheck-to-paycheck for 10 years, I am tired of it.</div><div> </div><div>But am I ready to go back to work? When I spend time with the kids I don't want to leave them. This is the only reality we have all ever known. It's scary to think of changing that.</div><div> </div><div>And that's why I am back in school. It's easing me into that change. First, I am relearning major time management skills with juggling home, jobs and school. Second, my program will take me at least until Decemeber 2012 to complete - if not longer - so I can not look for a teaching job for nearly 2 years. </div><div> </div><div>It's such a struggle to decide what it right for me and right for my family. I am trying to be patient and have faith - and right now that is leading me down the path to continue with school. I guess I will only know in time if that is the right thing to do.</div>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-57423859322711263062011-01-09T17:31:00.005-05:002011-01-09T17:50:35.596-05:00Extreme Couponing - Week 2<div><div>I forgot to take pics of my finds today, as I was in a hurry to get everything put away before my family returned home from their outing (yes, I had a day to myself today!).</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>First stop, Walgreens. I bought:</div><div> </div><div>2 Lysol all-purpose cleaner (BOGO + Coupon)</div><div>2 Lysol toilet bowl cleaners (BOGO + Coupon)</div><div>1 All laundry detergent </div><div>2 Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner</div><div>2 Fiber One granola bars</div><div>1 Ocean Spray cranberry juice</div><div>2 Airborn packs (But One - Get one 50%)</div><div>1 pkg BIC disposable razors (6 in pack)</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>TOTAL SPENT: $32.16</div><div>TOTAL SAVED: $24.06</div><div>$2 Register Rewards earned</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Not the best shopping trip, but I am now fully stocked with cleaning products and Airborn (I recently discovered this stuff, and now swear by it! I am the only one in my house who has not been sick yet this year, and I credit it to Airborn!). And I forgot that the Ocean Spray had an in-store coupon, so I paid $1 more than I should have. I will chalk that up to a novie couponer mistake - this time!</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Next I hit my grocery store, where I saved $20 off my bill with coupons and in-store deals, bringing the total down to $55. Not bad for our typical weekly shopping. I do have to go back, because my Grands biscuits rang up at full-price ($1.67) instead of $1/each. I wasn't sure of the deal, but checked the flyer when I got home and found that it should have been on sale. I will stop back tomorrow and get a price adjustment, and maybe pick up some more (my family loves Grands!).</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>I had forgotten my Extra Care Bucks ($6) from last week, so I brought my groceries home and then went back out to CVS. This trip back a hassle. The cashier was so slow, and then something wrang up incorrectly and I had to get a price adjustment. It took me much longer than anticpated, but I did get some good deals at CVS:</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>2 15-count Ziplock gallon freezer bags</div><div>1 Cinnamon Toast Cruch milk & cereal bars</div><div>2 Nature Valley granola bars</div><div>1 Airwick warmer unit (this was free with a coupon)</div><div>1 Lysol disinfectant spray</div><div>1 Airwick freshmate starter kit</div><div>1 Lysol Neutra-air air freshener spray</div><div>1 Herbal Essance Shampoo</div><div>1 Herbal Essance Mousse (free with coupon)</div><div>2 Airwick scented oil refill twin packs</div><div>1 airwick i-motion starter kit.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>TOTAL SPENT: $28.69</div><div>TOTAL SAVED: $43.88</div><div>$15 ECB earned (!)</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>I am still debating the Pepsi ECB deal this week. We don't need any more soda, and shouldn't be drinking it anyway, but that $1.67/12-pk (after ECB) is so tempting!</div><div> </div><div> </div></div>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-74325076002213070112011-01-03T18:54:00.003-05:002011-01-03T19:12:42.919-05:00Extreme Couponing?Last week I watched Extreme Couponing on TLC with my extended family (it was actually what we did on my birthday!). I have always been more frugal than my sister, but we were both blown away with the savings that the Extreme Couponers could find. We decided to see how much we could save this month too!<br /><br />Of course, I happen to live in an area that just doesn't double coupons. Every once and a while, Giant may run a promotion and double 6 coupons, but otherwise we just aren't lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the type of sales/discounts shown on that show.<br /><br />But I was willing to try anyway...<br /><br />On Sunday, I clipped a ton of coupons from the newspaper. Normally, I would clip a few for items we normally buy. This time, I clipped just about everything except pet food. Next, I sat down with a pen and all the sale inserts for my local stores. I circled everything that interested me - either because it was something we needed or something that was potentially a good deal. Next, I matched up coupons to sales.<br /><br />Today, I headed to CVS. I had $1 in ECB (Extra Care Bucks) in my possession already, so I knew I would be able to use that. My list was short here, so it was a good way to test out my Extreme Couponing skills.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/TSJjr9ZLweI/AAAAAAAAAPk/M33utoJ0z0Q/s1600/DSCN3476.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/TSJjr9ZLweI/AAAAAAAAAPk/M33utoJ0z0Q/s320/DSCN3476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558114496994329058" border="0" /></a>The Special K was on sale 3 for $10. I had a $1/3 mfg coupon, and received $4 in ECB!<br /><br />The Colgate was on sale for $2.69 each. I had a $1 coupon, and got another coupon for $1.50/2 from the ECB kiosk (hooray!). I also got a surprise $2 ECB at check-out!<br /><br />The coloring books (for my niece and nephews next year) were marked down to $.25 (from $1).<br /><br />TOTAL SPENT: $11.67<br />TOTAL SAVED: $10.29<br />$6 in ECB earned!<br /><br />From CVS, I went to Walgreens:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/TSJjrsHPowI/AAAAAAAAAPc/cIR9C_u9ybo/s1600/DSCN3475.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/TSJjrsHPowI/AAAAAAAAAPc/cIR9C_u9ybo/s320/DSCN3475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558114492355683074" border="0" /></a>General Mills cereals were on sale for $1.99. I had a $1/3 coupon, getting me 3 boxes of cereal for $5. I also got a $1.50/4 coupon at the checkout for next time.<br /><br />The Quaker Oatmeal was on sale for $1.99 and I had a $1 mfg coupon.<br /><br />The SoftSoap was $1.99 plus a $1 in-store coupon plus a $.35 mfg coupon - $.65!<br /><br />The Progresso soups were on sale 4/$5 with an in-store coupon, plus I had $1/4 mfg coupon. <br /><br />The cough drops were on sale for $1 and I had a $.35 mfg coupon.<br /><br />The Papermate pencils were $1.99 normally, but an in-store coupon brought them down to $.19 each pack!<br /><br />The razor blades were a pricey $11.99, but I had a $2 mfg coupon, plus I got the shaving gel for free with the purchase.<br /><br />TOTAL SPENT: $22.63<br />TOTAL SAVINGS ; $32.56<br /><br />I may not be an Extreme Couponer yet, but I think I did fairly well for my first time out!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-90462330281505104512011-01-03T18:47:00.002-05:002011-01-03T18:54:17.343-05:00Happy 2011!It's been a long time since I last wrote on my blog, and a lot had happened in our home.<br /><br />The biggest change is that I left my fantastic part-time job as a teacher's aid (that I only started a year ago) in favor of returning to school and FINALLY getting my own teaching certification. What a big change for all of us! I finished my first semester a few weeks ago, and I couldn't be happier about how it turned out. I got a nice solid A in my Educational Planning class, and an A- in my Creative Non-Fiction class (I still haven't seen my final portfolio, and I am anxious to see the comments on my writing).<br /><br />The Creative Non-Fiction class is really what spurred me to bring this little old blog back to life. The class's focus was memoir writing, and what better way to create my memoir (someday...) than by actually writing about my daily life?<br /><br />I am not sure if this blog will have a focus at this point. We have a busy house here with 2 kids in elementary school, one in preschool, a husband who works full-time AND teaches a class, and my crazy full-time mom/part-time employee/part-time student schedule...<br /><br />My classes will resume in 2 weeks. It will be a busy semester with 2 classes and 2 Field Experiences. I am happy to be returning to my high school for my field experiences, but they will take up quite a bit of my "free time." I return to my part-time Saturday job the same week that classes resume. In the meantime, I am enjoying being a full-time mom again (and really enjoying that we are finally back into a routine after the craziness - and fun - of the holidays!).aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-89029216043485612432009-10-27T12:34:00.003-04:002009-10-27T12:42:24.303-04:00I'm still alive!!!!!!My goodness - It's been over a month since I posted here. I guess I don't even need to go into detail about just how busy I have been, right?<br /><br />This year was supposed to be my "year off." I am only working on Saturday mornings, but I am so busy with other activities that I am never home. While I really enjoy being able to help with the kids' schools and activities, I will admit I am TIRED!!!!!<br /><br />So, I have made some big decisions. First and foremost - I will never (I repeat - NEVER) help plan another high school reunion. This has me nearly tearing my hair out these days! Next year, I am also taking a step back from Girl Scouts. I have run into some less-than-thankful parents this year, and it's really made my experience as a leader less fun. So next year, I am going to pass the reins to someone else and act as just an Assistant Leader. <br /><br />Our little Drama Club is also causing some stress to me. It's our first try with an elementaryage club, so there have been a few bumps on the road. I was thinking that I would not continue to help with that next year too; however, our school district's redistricting took care of that first. My kids will be moving to a new (yes, BRAND new) school next year, so all of our school activities will have to change.<br /><br />I know I will continue to help in the classrooms - I truly enjoy that - and I think once I trim the fat with our other activities I'll be a bit happier.<br /><br />Also - I am giving some thought into going back to school next year. I have been thinking about this for years, but never really had the opportunity to do it. I am still not sure it's the right thing to do, but we are going to explore it more carefully.<br /><br />Lastly, we are having some budget issues. We really need to find a system that works for us so we can stay on track - right now we have found ourselves in the uncomfortable situation of having a little more debt each month than we can pay off. :( This had become top priority for me right now - we need to get things under control!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-23424104653186279842009-09-23T10:16:00.002-04:002009-09-23T10:26:34.053-04:00It's beginning to look a lot like....Well, maybe I am not quite ready for Christmas yet, but I feel like it's been on my mind a lot. I was lucky to get an extra 30% off at Kohl's this week - AND they were giving out Kohl's Cash too! So guess who did a huge part of her holiday shopping???? Our family has lots of celebrations in the fall and winter - birthdays galore! So I managed to buy birthday gifts for all my fall birthdays and was also able to cross a number of gifts off my holiday list too! Plus, I earned Kohl's Cash, so I can shop for "free" next week!<br /><br />When I am not busy shopping at Kohl's I've been<br /><br /><ul><li>Working on Drama Club curriculum - it's our first attempt at a club for grades 1-5, and I wrote all the curriculum. I am crossing my fingers that the club runs smoothly when we start in October!</li><li>Planning our Brownie meetings through the end of December - some fun outdoor events, lots of crafts and a party or two!</li><li>Signed Ryan up for Boy Scouts.</li><li>Enjoyed my first morning ALONE - Jacob attended his first solo preschool session yesterday!</li><li>steam cleaning my carpets (it was on the to-do list for this fall, but I had to start due to a nasty, leaky trash bag!).</li><li>Homework, homework homework! It takes so much more organization to get TWO kids to sit down and complete their assignments after school!</li><li>Got to have a nice visit with an old friend - and meet her 3-month-old little man!</li><li>I am helping my mom plan a "sprinkle" for my sister (who is due with her 2nd baby in December). She's been blessed with a boy, and is now expecting a little girl!<br /></li></ul>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-52472330876326460852009-09-15T15:14:00.002-04:002009-09-15T15:19:42.409-04:00So SadI heard some very sad news today. A friend from high school lost his 2-year-old daughter after a long battle with serious complications from illness. Emma just turned 2 on September 9th. She contracted meningitis as a very young infant and suffered massive brain injuries because of her illness.<br /><br />Less than one month ago, I learned that another high school classmate lost his 3-year-old daughter as well. She suffered from some medical conditions as well, but both of these precious girls were not expected to leave this world so soon.<br /><br />I have another (closer) friend whose daughter was diagnosed with a terminal illness last year. Follow-up genetic testing confirmed their younger son has the same disease. Neither child will live to see their 18th birthday.<br /><br />I know that these children are indeed angels and have gone on to be in peace,but it's still so heartbreaking.<br /><br />I am on the reunion committee for our 15th High School Reunion this fall - the event truly has a dark cloud hanging over it.<br /><br />Please go hug your babies tightly - they are miracles.aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-86983340994649047582009-09-14T18:14:00.003-04:002009-09-14T18:20:22.162-04:00School Days(sorry no pics - I am bloggin' from work tonight, where I am covering for someone's vacation)<br /><br />School started last week for my older two kids. What a change for us all! 3rd-grade is a lot more intense than 2nd grade - Maddie seems a little overwhelmed with the homework so far! Ryan is having a tough time with fullday school in 1st grade. So we are very slowly adjusting to our new fall schedule.<br /><br />Jacob starts preschool tomorrow - he can't wait!!!!! I am so happy that he will finally be able to go to his own school. It's all he's been talking about for weeks!<br /><br />I am trying to adjust to the schedule changes as well. This summer, we were very blessed to be laid-back and LAZY for nearly the whole 3 months. September has found me once again scheduled for PTO and Brownie events, as well as trying to find time to volunteer in the kids' schools. <br /><br />I will admit that I love being home with just Jacob during the day. He loves being my little helper and we get so much done during our mornings. On Wednesday, we will be taking a Mommy & Me Music class together - I can't wait! <br /><br />AND - since Jacob still takes a nice, long nap in the afternoon I have found myself with some Mommy-time! I have been using that time to sneak in some exercise - and I plan on sticking with that new routine! I also made plans to start walking with my neighbor on the mornings that Jacob is in school.<br /><br />Blogging may be infrequent for now - I am just so busy with the school year STUFF. Hopefully we'll be back on track soon.aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-1033744717237691012009-09-07T21:13:00.002-04:002009-09-07T21:15:41.649-04:00Bargain Alert - CVSI have no idea if this is at all CVS stores, or just mine, but I need to mention it. I went in for toothpaste, but found 90% summer items today! <br /><br />Water Wings/Floaties for the pool - $.29!<br /><br />Boogie Board - $.79!<br /><br />Womens/Mens Flip Flops - $.99<br /><br />"Crocs" (not real ones) - $.79!<br /><br />I bought several pairs of the Crocs, since the boys love to wear those. How can you go wrong for $.79?????????aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-2453142441849976252009-09-07T20:54:00.004-04:002009-09-07T21:07:45.057-04:00America on Wheels<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWthudXeRI/AAAAAAAAAOM/Xr41hYBGIKg/s1600-h/DSCN2216.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWthudXeRI/AAAAAAAAAOM/Xr41hYBGIKg/s320/DSCN2216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896124882417938" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday, we visited the America on Wheels museum. I am not a "car buff" by any means, but I enjoyed seeing the exhibits. The kids are so into cars right now (even Maddie!), so they enjoyed their visit a lot!<br /><br />There was a Photo Op Spot to be driving a race car!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWtiDDqoUI/AAAAAAAAAOU/DjhGMjs1iAE/s1600-h/DSCN2212.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWtiDDqoUI/AAAAAAAAAOU/DjhGMjs1iAE/s320/DSCN2212.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896130411766082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And a huge display about Mack Trucks - including a cab where you could "drive."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWtin2oaQI/AAAAAAAAAOc/SSHsdtoPC-o/s1600-h/DSCN2227.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWtin2oaQI/AAAAAAAAAOc/SSHsdtoPC-o/s320/DSCN2227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896140289206530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Throughout the museum there were plenty of "hands on" activities for the kids to learn and explore.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWti851L9I/AAAAAAAAAOk/pWjSDY_K_a4/s1600-h/DSCN2230.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWti851L9I/AAAAAAAAAOk/pWjSDY_K_a4/s320/DSCN2230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896145939771346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And I enjoyed the nostalgic presentation that went along with many of the displays.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWuAYTZqTI/AAAAAAAAAOs/Zxfa9KJzAZo/s1600-h/DSCN2232.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWuAYTZqTI/AAAAAAAAAOs/Zxfa9KJzAZo/s320/DSCN2232.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896651510982962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On the second floor, we found a room just for kids - complete with license plate rubbings to make! We also found a neat education room too (which is perfect because we are considering a Girl Scout field trip there this fall!).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWuA31NwBI/AAAAAAAAAO0/ozLAbWVSu8k/s1600-h/DSCN2236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWuA31NwBI/AAAAAAAAAO0/ozLAbWVSu8k/s320/DSCN2236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896659974307858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was even a working jukebox - 5 songs for a quarter! We enjoyed The Lion Sleeps Tonight the most!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWuBWvb6FI/AAAAAAAAAO8/LPEJDZrGNBQ/s1600-h/DSCN2241.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SqWuBWvb6FI/AAAAAAAAAO8/LPEJDZrGNBQ/s320/DSCN2241.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378896668271568978" border="0" /></a>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-47877091708603616222009-09-04T22:30:00.003-04:002009-09-04T22:55:42.100-04:0010 PercentI have had something weighing on my heart lately, and I think I found a way to feel good about myself and help others in need. It's all about 10%<br /><br />I have been concerned about how much my family consumes - in all areas of our lives. We eat out too much, we buy too many things and we have been taking less time to enjoy the important things in life. I don't like that I do it, and I don't like the lessons it's teaching my impressionable children. I care about financial future, our planet and people in need - I really, truly do. But my actions have been speaking louder than my words lately. <br /><br />Today I heard some stories about homeless families in our area. My sister teaches in an inner-city district less than 10 miles from my home. Last year, that school district (just minutes away from my suburban neighborhood) had over 600 homeless children enrolled in its schools. <br /><br />600 children.<br /><br />And I sit in my home complaining that I need more storage space because our clothes do not fit into our closets and multiple dressers in the 3 spacious bedrooms (not to mention basement and garage) that we have.<br /><br />Yet, it's really difficult for me to simply get rid of our things - things that we can (and do) use. So that's where the 10% comes in. I used this technique with Madeline once, while she was cleaning her room. She has too many stuffed animals, yet never wants to part with them. The last time we cleaned her room, I asked her to choose 9 animals to put back in her toy box - and then asked her to select ONE animal to give to charity. We did this until we went through all her animals. She still had tons of toys left, but pulled 10% of her toys to donate to charity. 10% doesn't seem like a lot, yet it's something.<br /><br />I have decided to put 10% to work in other areas of our home too. Tonight, I tackled Jacob's closet. I pulled 10% of his clothes to give to charity - and he still could go weeks without wearing the same shirt twice! But his closet is less crammed, and I was able to fill almost an entire laundry basket with donations. I will be going through everyone's clothes - as well as our books, toys, media and household items - and giving 10% to someone who truly needs it. I won't miss that 10%, but I am sure it will make a HUGE difference to someone else. <br /><br />Can you find 10% to give?aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-77137958933527463202009-08-30T22:02:00.003-04:002009-08-30T22:08:41.377-04:00Meet my new Best Friend...... Pam<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bonappetit.com/images/tips_tools_ingredients/ingredients/2008/10/ttar_vegetable_oil_spray_PAM_v.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 344px;" src="http://www.bonappetit.com/images/tips_tools_ingredients/ingredients/2008/10/ttar_vegetable_oil_spray_PAM_v.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />(Okay, I'll be honest and say it's not even PAM that I love, but her less costly store brand sister).<br /><br />We have kitchen table troubles. Our table has a wood top and we get water marks all the time. After doing some internet reading, I learned that rubbing some sort of oil into the wood will remove those nasty white water rings. I was using olive oil to do this, but one day I got the idea to use Pam instead. It was so much easier - and less messy! I simply spray it one, let it sit, and then buff it off with a rag.<br /><br />I have been doing it once a week to remove any water marks.<br /><br />But this morning, I noticed a new problem on the table. As some of you know, I work saturday mornings, so my husband is in charge while I am working. This means that the kitchen table usually does not get wiped clean after meals. LOL We also did not eat dinner at home saturday night, so I never looked at the table at all. Well, something sticky was on the table, and then the Sunday paper was sitting on top of it. YIKES! I had black ink words all over the table!<br /><br />They did not budge with a good scrubbing, and I started to panic. But then I turned to Pam. I gave the table a liberal spray and let it sit for a few minutes. I gave it another good scrubbing AND THE INK CAME OFF!!<br /><br />So Pam is truly my best friend these days! She's saved us from a life of table cloths more than once!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-92069940614844871342009-08-28T15:37:00.002-04:002009-08-28T15:52:48.948-04:00End-Of-Summer PartyWe had our End-Of-Summer party on Wednesday. There was a small group of kids - my three plus 4 others - and I was lucky enough to have 2 other moms helping me!<br /><br />I don't have the best photos, since I was the MC, the head chef and general Leader of the Fun, so I had little time to snap photos. But you can get a general idea of the beautiful day we had!<br /><br />As our guests arrived, we handed out eyepatches and earrings (4 set for $1 at Walmart!). We started with a treasure hunt. I hid clues all over the yard, and the end result was a treasure chest (borrowed from Ryan's bedroom) filled with treasure (organza bags from the wedding section of the craft store filled with those colorful glass "gems"). There was one bag for each child - so no fighting over their booty! This was my favorite activity of the day - the kids worked together so nicely! The older kids who could read took turns reading clues and they all worked together to find the treasure (which was hiding under our tomatoes!).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1OkTIvSI/AAAAAAAAANs/eEqIHObTqtc/s1600-h/DSCN2196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1OkTIvSI/AAAAAAAAANs/eEqIHObTqtc/s320/DSCN2196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375104679645068578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We then spent some time doing pirate crafts. I had pirate suncatchers, little foam pirate ships and blank notebooks they were able to decorate with markers. I purchased all of these things for about $5 from the clearance aisle at Michael's.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1O7OHglI/AAAAAAAAAN0/PsPUTC64U8o/s1600-h/DSCN2198.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1O7OHglI/AAAAAAAAAN0/PsPUTC64U8o/s320/DSCN2198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375104685798031954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1PXMiD9I/AAAAAAAAAN8/c9lQ_7Yt1d8/s1600-h/DSCN2199.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1PXMiD9I/AAAAAAAAAN8/c9lQ_7Yt1d8/s320/DSCN2199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375104693307576274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our last game was Pin The Patch on the Pirate. I simply drew a pirate on a piece of posterboard and made eyepatches from black construction paper. We used a bandana to cover their eyes. All of the kids got to choose a prize, so everyone was very happy!<br /><br />We had a nice lunch consisting of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, yogurt, cheese & crackers, fruit, carrots & dip, Sun Chips and drinks. The grown ups had yummy chicken salad in whole wheat pitas.<br /><br />Our afternoon ended with some water-fun. The kids did a Cannon Ball Toss (with water ballons) and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing in a tiny pool, the water table or in the sandbox.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1P1x3NeI/AAAAAAAAAOE/34ASMvCl11w/s1600-h/DSCN2200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1P1x3NeI/AAAAAAAAAOE/34ASMvCl11w/s320/DSCN2200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375104701517215202" border="0" /></a><br />Out guests all went home with pirate goody bags that held more pirate treasures (a Ring Pop, candy necklaces, pirate pencils and a few pirate gold coins).<br /><br />Oh - Maddie and her best friend Madison asked if they could do a short play for us while we ate. So we were all treated to their short pirate drama - complete with a sword fight!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1OF5GWKI/AAAAAAAAANk/4-l3G4yhdIE/s1600-h/DSCN2195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Spg1OF5GWKI/AAAAAAAAANk/4-l3G4yhdIE/s320/DSCN2195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375104671482796194" border="0" /></a>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-26612157421068154672009-08-21T12:35:00.002-04:002009-08-21T12:43:39.253-04:00What a harvest!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/So7NI9Fg7sI/AAAAAAAAANc/RJm6gu7t2Vc/s1600-h/DSCN2194.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/So7NI9Fg7sI/AAAAAAAAANc/RJm6gu7t2Vc/s320/DSCN2194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372456959219920578" border="0" /></a>The kids' school has a nice-size garden as part of their "outdoor classroom." The PTO asked for volunteer families to tend to the garden over the summer. All the volunteers were assigned a 5-day stretch in which we have to water, weed and harvest in the garden. In return, we are able to keep anything we harvest!<br /><br />We spent 2 hours at the school this mornings. There weren't many weeds, but there was a lot to be harvested (in fact, there were many, many tomatoes past their prime). The kids had a blast picking the tomatoes and beans (which were pole beans, so quite different than the dwarf variety we have in our own garden) and peppers. They did a nice job of helping me take some of the rotten stuff to the compost bin - and of course they were GREAT with watering!<br /><br />And checkout the goodies we took home with us today. The bowl of string beans is overflowing and taste so good raw! There were many different types of tomatoes (although most of the bigger varieties were rotting - they should have been picked weeks ago!) and we got several green peppers (there were a few red peppers, but they were also rotting).<br /><br />The kids take little interest in our garden in our own yard - except to eat the yummy cantaloupe which is ripe now - so this was a good exercise for them.aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-35504803008594185622009-08-18T22:20:00.004-04:002009-08-18T22:35:23.220-04:00Party TimeIt's nearly time for our annual end-of-summer party!<br /><br />Next week we will host our 3rd annual End-of-Summer party. It started as a way to get the kids int he neighborhood back together before school started, but now it's just good old fun! This year, we are doing a pirate theme, which I am so excited about doing!<br /><br />Today, I made the invitations. Our guest list is small (only 7 kids - plus my 3 - but we only needed 4 invitations due to groups of siblings).<br /><br />First, I tore the edges off of some old linen resume paper I had. Then I made some tea (4 c. boiling water plus 8 tea bags) and let it cool. I gently crumpled the paper and dipped it in the tea (I think I dipped it about 3 times). Very carefully, I opened the paper and let it dry on our patio table (this took less than an hour to dry!).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkohrzdWI/AAAAAAAAAM8/xuvPLpzDcgY/s1600-h/DSCN2186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkohrzdWI/AAAAAAAAAM8/xuvPLpzDcgY/s320/DSCN2186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371497627969090914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I then used a super-fine Sharpie to write the party information on each piece of paper.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkowR1tJI/AAAAAAAAANE/QzXQx08_hXc/s1600-h/DSCN2188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkowR1tJI/AAAAAAAAANE/QzXQx08_hXc/s320/DSCN2188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371497631886718098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I rolled each invitation up scroll-style and tied it with a small piece of raffia.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkphEK-KI/AAAAAAAAANM/QNhPpUK9lKo/s1600-h/DSCN2190.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkphEK-KI/AAAAAAAAANM/QNhPpUK9lKo/s320/DSCN2190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371497644982728866" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We then cleaned and dried some empty water bottles and slid the invitations into the bottle. I used scraps of the tea-dyed paper to make labels and then tied a raffia bow on the front of the bottle.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkqYBxeMI/AAAAAAAAANU/dPidUN3FVkw/s1600-h/DSCN2191.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotkqYBxeMI/AAAAAAAAANU/dPidUN3FVkw/s320/DSCN2191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371497659736619202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Since I had all of these materials at home, the cost for these invitations was $00000!<br /><br />We'll be hand-delivering these invitations tomorrow, and then I will dive into the rest of the plans. More to come....aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-63522737616919242372009-08-18T22:12:00.002-04:002009-08-18T22:18:06.292-04:00A few more camp photosHere are a few more photos from the kids' week at camps (Ryan was at Sports Camp; Maddie was at Horse Camp; Jacob was a super-trooper who put up with running the older kids to two different camps!).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotgerNe4CI/AAAAAAAAAMk/bOHOJ3HPR5M/s1600-h/DSCN2152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotgerNe4CI/AAAAAAAAAMk/bOHOJ3HPR5M/s320/DSCN2152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371493060681064482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Sotgfl6An6I/AAAAAAAAAM0/Nn3led7DDPw/s1600-h/DSCN2168.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/Sotgfl6An6I/AAAAAAAAAM0/Nn3led7DDPw/s320/DSCN2168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371493076437082018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotgfGs1WnI/AAAAAAAAAMs/5yiLXpfAgF8/s1600-h/DSCN2157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SotgfGs1WnI/AAAAAAAAAMs/5yiLXpfAgF8/s320/DSCN2157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371493068060318322" border="0" /></a>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-40481729833458570112009-08-18T09:21:00.002-04:002009-08-18T09:30:26.203-04:00New Neighbor????So, about a week ago, I was outside hanging out the laundry and talking to my neighbor (who was overseeing repairs on his central a/c unit - it died on them on the first truly hot day of the summer!) and all of the sudden we saw *something* fall out of a tree and land between us. Turns out, it was a hawk - fairly large (crow-size or a little bigger) with a not-so-lucky bird (and not a little sparrow - a decent-size black bird!) in it's talons! It looked at us, readjusted the bird in it's clutches and flew away.<br /><br />I thought our hawk-friend was a one-time deal, but then this weekend I found something right off our new patio. I think it's a hawk pellet (the fur, feather and bones that birds of prey don't digest - they cough it up about once a day). <br /><br />Our Brownie troop had a wonderful time dissecting owl pellets during an overnight trip to our local zoo, so I had alittle experience dealing with pellets. The owl pellet was dry (and sanitized!) and the pellet I found was very dark and wet. I did a little research, and I am pretty sure this pellet belongs to my hawk friend. I am even thinking he may have been a red-tail hawk, since i read that they bite off pieces of prey (rather than eating them whole) and this pellet had very few whole bones in it. <br /><br />I guess this means we have a new neighbor - one who is keeping the rodent and small bird population in check!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-31199302313944532172009-08-12T14:35:00.002-04:002009-08-12T14:43:57.487-04:00School shopping!My sister was lucky enough to get 30%-off at Kohl's this week, so we are taking advantage and doing our school shopping! <br /><br />I love school shopping. No - I ADORE school shopping. I think it just takes me back to when I was a young child and a new school year meant so many new things. New school years mean loads of opportunities! (and, of course, I always met every goal - <span style="font-style: italic;">of course</span>).<br /><br />Thankfully, the kids don't need much this year. Maddie hit a growth spurt in January and I bought her all new pants at that time and they all still fit now! In fact, I actually have the next size up ready and waiting too! She has tons of shirts in her closets already too. So she needs a new pair of sneakers and possibly a new pair of dressier shoes (if we can find some she will actually wear). Ryan grew several inches this summer and none of his pants fit. I had enough stashed away to have a decent wardrobe, but I do need to supplement with some jeans. And he needs sneakers and shoes as well. And pajamas - the poor child tried on his fall/winter jammies the other night and they looked like capris! Jacob only needs sneakers and jeans (for some reason, Ryan never really wore 3T pants, so we have very few hand-me-downs in that size).<br /><br />I did notice a great selection on the clearance racks too (I LOVE KOHL'S!) so I may have to buy some basics in the next size up for the older kids too. You can never have enough jeans and khakis!<br /><br />I can't wait to go out with the kids tonight. Jacob and I had a potty-emergency stop at Kohl's this morning (coming home from the horse barn), so we chose jeans and sneakers (High-Top Chuck Taylors!!!!!! Can you say C-U-T-E???????) for him. That means I can have some special time with the older kids tonight! <br /><br />And I am thinking that the evening may have to end with a stop at Rita's - it would only be out second time this summer!!!!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-33963757247532290612009-08-11T16:25:00.003-04:002009-08-11T16:36:26.856-04:00Horse and SportsThat's the name of the game this week - Horses and Sports.<br /><br />Ryan was lucky to be selected to attend two wonderful camps this summer - for FREE - at an excellent local park/estate which provides programing for our school district. He had a great time at a pirate-themed nature camp a few weeks ago. This week, he is sweating it out at a 3-day sports camp. They really keep those kids moving!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoHU0IAawaI/AAAAAAAAAMM/IC8RBDHTvzc/s1600-h/DSCN2144.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoHU0IAawaI/AAAAAAAAAMM/IC8RBDHTvzc/s320/DSCN2144.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368806222769865122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Maddie is spending the week at Horse Camp. This was her birthday gift (from back in May) from Craig and me. She LOVES LOVES LOVES it! We found this horse farm through a neighbor and are very pleased. Neither Craig nor I are big animal people, but Maddie just adores animals (specifically horses). She had no riding experience prior to camp, but after only one day we were told that she has vast amounts of natural ability! Today, she told me her horse broke out in a gallop and she nearly fell off (oh my!) but the instructors said she rode like a champ and hung on! I have to admit I am still a bit scared of these HUGE animals, and I am not a big fan of being around hot, stinky horse poop - but I am so happy Maddie has found something she loves.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoHU0fUx9YI/AAAAAAAAAMU/5bMhNku5EHQ/s1600-h/DSCN2135.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoHU0fUx9YI/AAAAAAAAAMU/5bMhNku5EHQ/s320/DSCN2135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368806229029287298" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, her love of horses means we now have a HUGE need to find some more money in our already tight budget - she would love riding lessons this fall! I have been looking for "the right job" for nearly a year (with no luck) and almost sent a resume in for a position this week. On the surface, the job seemed like a good match, but we decided it would still be best for our family for me NOT to take this job. Instead, Craig is going to look into options for some side-jobs (which can hopefully pay for lessons). I am going to continue to stay home and only apply for any jobs which truly are the "right" thing.<br /><br />Oh - here's a cutey-pie picture of Jacob - who gets an award for being a good sport this week. he has spent a lot of time in the car either dropping-off or picking-up either of the kids. He's too young for these camps, so he doesn't get to do any of the fun parts. However, he adores the horses at the barn almost as much as Maddie, so we may be looking at lessons for TWO kids in the near future!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoHU0kkODTI/AAAAAAAAAMc/7PkFF8YywOs/s1600-h/DSCN2134.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoHU0kkODTI/AAAAAAAAAMc/7PkFF8YywOs/s320/DSCN2134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368806230436220210" border="0" /></a>aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-5416922255324758152009-08-11T12:42:00.004-04:002009-08-11T13:01:41.100-04:00FINALLY - some photos!I have more to post (about our busy, busy week this week), but first some photos of our new projects!<br /><br />First, we had some outdoor work done. Out front, we had a rickety "wall" installed by the Builder. Basically it was a pile of rocks which, while it looked nice, was slowly letting all of our flower bed fall into the neighbor's yard. We finally had it replaced with a real retaining wall. I wasn't crazy about this project - it seemed like a lot of money for something I essentially never look at. BUT - once it was done I was thrilled! The wall looks great now, and it offer a wonderful flat surface that I can use for flower pots and jack-o-lanterns in the fall! Yay!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGhNsKkNgI/AAAAAAAAAL0/5wuG9_yje1o/s1600-h/DSCN2089.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGhNsKkNgI/AAAAAAAAAL0/5wuG9_yje1o/s320/DSCN2089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368749487368189442" border="0" /></a><br />The same contractor put in our patio off our deck. We have been wanting to do this for quite some time, but always ended up pushing off the job. The guys were in and out in two days and I love the results! Prior to the nasty 95-degree, 100% humidity weather this week, we found ourselves outside quite a bit! now we just need to finish restaining the deck and add the river rocks around the base - and we'll be living in style (at least outdoors!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGhNfHbrPI/AAAAAAAAALs/UA_Bga0jhb8/s1600-h/DSCN2103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGhNfHbrPI/AAAAAAAAALs/UA_Bga0jhb8/s320/DSCN2103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368749483865386226" border="0" /></a><br />We also added a new deck box to our deck - in an effort to control the kids' toys (how do we always wind up with so many balls?). The older two kids spent the weekend with my inlaws, so Craig only had Jacob as a helper when he assembled the deck box. He was a good helper, but was a little confused when he figured out that he was stuck IN the box. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGiEsAFFAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/VUf-WjGCTCg/s1600-h/DSCN2101.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGiEsAFFAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/VUf-WjGCTCg/s320/DSCN2101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368750432217011202" border="0" /></a>The big on-going project is our bedroom. Our new bed & mattress arrived a MONTH early! Our plan was to paint both the room and the bathroom before the bed arrived, but that didn't quite work out. We are prepping to paint (the bedroom is nearly ready - perhaps paint this weekend?), but the bathroom is turning out to be a much bigger project! We (hah - let's be honest - this is ALL ME!) opted to change the lighting fixture, the faucet, the towel bars, the medicine cabinet etc. So it's going to take us a bit longer to get the bathroom done. We love the new bed, and it's inspired me to declutter a bit more and work towards having a truly peaceful master suite. We're not quite there yet, but I am working on it!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGiEyjQJRI/AAAAAAAAAME/f0kNcXBlTf4/s1600-h/DSCN2086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UEQ3vUBdsQ/SoGiEyjQJRI/AAAAAAAAAME/f0kNcXBlTf4/s320/DSCN2086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368750433975149842" border="0" /></a>I certainly have enough to keep me busy for now! The end of the summer is coming quickly (actually, I go back to work next weekend - so summer is officially over for some colleges!) and I finally feel like we got something done! Lots more to do though!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-61356065345398049932009-08-05T23:24:00.002-04:002009-08-05T23:34:28.897-04:00Another crazy week...I know, I know - I have not posted the photos of our new additions. It's just been such a busy week - again!<br /><br />My meeting with old friends was WONDERFUL! We had a great time - margaritas, nachos and great conversation. I only wish they came to town a little more often!<br /><br />Work was fine. The kids had a good time at my mom's house, and both Craig and I survived all the managing that had to happen with me working a full day. It was a nice refresher for my job too - I start working Saturdays in just a few weeks!<br /><br />The older two kids are attending Vacation Bible School at our church this week. They are having a great time! Jacob is so sad that he's not old enough to go (next year) but that hasn't stopped him from learning all the songs.<br /><br />Now that we have a new bed and bedding, we're working on getting the bedroom up-to-snuff. I am still working on choosing the perfect paint color (I think I have it narrowed down to 4 choices). The bathroom is turning out to be a bigger project than anticipated. I had planned on simply painting the room, but decided the hideous lighting fixture (put in by the builder) should go. THREE lighting fixtures later I am still not sure what I am installing....<br /><br />And of course I needed new hardware, shower curtain rods, towel bars and faucets - right? So I have become a regular fixture at Lowe's this week, and I am not really any closer to making a decision about my bathroom.<br /><br />All of this thought for a tiny TINY bathroom! <br /><br />I am also knee-deep in planning for the Drama Club at the kids' school. It's the first time the PTO is trying this, so we have to invent the wheel. I seem to be the only volunteer who has done any real theater, so a lot dropped into my lap. Busy busy! and now that we are into August, it's nearly time to sit down and plan out my year for Brownies! Busy busy busy!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-25436715021279251822009-07-30T22:27:00.002-04:002009-07-30T22:41:44.956-04:00Crazy Week!This week has been crazy! <br /><br />Late last week our contractor called us and told us he'd be here Monday morning to start our patio. He wasn't supposed to come until mid-August! So we spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at home while the guys worked on our patio and retaining wall (pics to come - I promise!).<br /><br />Then, as the last bricks were being laid for the wall, the phone rang. Guess what's here a month early? Our bed and mattress! Yay! But we didn't have any sheets yet, so I had to sneak a late-night Walmart run into our schedule. <br /><br />Craig and Ryan are at a baseball game tonight, and Maddie had a playdate with a friend, so Jacob and I spent the evening at my mom's house. It is my sister's anniversary today, so we got to play with my nephew (my mom was babysitting him). <br /><br />Tomorrow is a big day for all of us. I received a call from work (a local college, where I usually work just Saturday mornings during the school year) and was asked to cover for someone's vacation. I'll be working all day tomorrow (a first for me since having kids!) - from 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM! My mom agreed to keep my children and they are excited for a day with Grandma. Craig is actually going to do the drop-off and pick-up for me (since his work schedule is a little more flexible than mine), but boy am I going to miss those kiddos tomorrow! <br /><br />Also, my best friend from high school is coming into town tomorrow. I haven't seen her for over a year, and I am excited that we are trying to arrange for a time/place to meet tomorrow night. I rarely get to go out with "the girls" so this will be a treat! To be honest though, I actually did go out with the girls this week - another good friend (who lives in Japan) is home visiting family and I was able to get together twice with her this week. While out the first time, we randomly ran into another friend from high school (who lives in SPAIN) and included her in our second outing. All of these trips were especially fun because they included all of our children too!<br /><br />I will post some photos of our new patio and wall soon, as well as the bed (once it's delivered on Saturday!). I am working hard on picking paint colors for the bedroom now - I thought I had a month left to paint, but looks like I will have to work around the new bed now!aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-41444569862823925792009-07-18T17:44:00.002-04:002009-07-18T17:48:38.765-04:00AloneI spent the day all by myself today. Craig took the kids to his parents' house and I stayed back to clean, declutter and organize.<br /><br />I love days like this, but I always feel so guilty too. Guilty for not spending the day with my kids and husband (even though I spend nearly every day with them!). Guilty for not visiting my inlaws (even though we seen them frequently). Guilty for taking a little time for ME in between the cleaning I am doing.<br /><br />I know some moms have no problem spending time away from their children. I could never figure out how to do that. I used to think it was a sign of being a "bad mom" - who could possibly want to spend time apart from their children????? But I know now that it's a very healthy thing to do (I wish I was better at it).<br /><br />I guess these alone-times will start coming more frequently now that the kids are getting older. I am still not used to it, but I am trying very hard to enjoy it!<br /><br />I think I am going to make a run to Goodwill to drop off the 3 garbage bags of junk (!) I pulled out today. Then maybe I'll use my coupon for a free Chicken Salad sandwich from Chik-Fil-A - and perhaps a Redbox video for Craig and I to enjoy later tonight.aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-21161853873503080682009-07-18T11:22:00.002-04:002009-07-18T11:30:10.286-04:00Bedding - again.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/04/18/08/52/0004180852026_500X500.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/04/18/08/52/0004180852026_500X500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Okay - I think we have this figured out. :) I am keeping the quilt from Walmart, because I really do like it AND the colors work very well with what is in our Master Bathroom already (so I won't have to change that!). I found this pretty bedskirt at Kohl's<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.kohls.com.edgesuite.net/is/image/kohls/c13472?wid=230&hei=230&op_sharpen=1"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 230px;" src="http://media.kohls.com.edgesuite.net/is/image/kohls/c13472?wid=230&hei=230&op_sharpen=1" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I also bought the matching KING eyelet pillow shams. We have decided to use 3 standard pillows to sleep on, so I will have to buy open-stock sheets, but that's not too big of an issue. <br /><br />Now I have a question - the king shams are ivory with eyelet trim - very pretty but very plain. I know I want a throw pillow to go in front of them too. I did buy 2 standard shams that match the quilt, which I was planning on returning. But now I am thinking that I could perhaps keep one and use it as a "throw pillow?" Do you think that would look okay, or like I forgot to put another pillow with it?aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99230480456665914.post-90415433572481386572009-07-17T12:38:00.001-04:002009-07-17T12:43:32.829-04:00I am having bedding issuesargggghhhhhh! I thought the hard part of all of this was picking the mattress and bed, but it turns out bedding is even harder!<br /><br />The new mattress and bed are king. There is no problem finding beautiful king-size quilts. But the pillows are driving me crazy!<br /><br />First, Craig insists he needs to keep his memory foam pillow (which is, of course, standard size). No problem - I just bought a rather expensive (okay - not so expensive, but not the el cheapo $5 Walmart-special either) memory foam pillow for me last year too. We'll just use 3 standard pillows and return the king-size ones.<br /><br />Oh - but then I can't buy sets of sheets - everything will have to be open-stock so I can buy king flat & fitted, and THREE standard pillow cases.<br /><br />Okay - I can do that (even though it means returning the sheet sets I already bought, but no big deal).<br /><br />BUT - why on earth do people make king-sized quilts and only make standard shams to match???????????? I really don't want 3 standard shams on my bed - I want two king shams.<br /><br />I am having the hardest time finding something I like that has king shams!!!!! I want a pretty quilt and two king shams - I don't think that's too much to ask.<br /><br />I am off to look at more bedding....aprilfoolwedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17839147892170947115noreply@blogger.com2