Wow! It's Been a Crazy December

Hello everyone!!! Hope all is well with you. I sit here wishing you warm holiday wishes from TORONTO, Ontario, CANADA. Yes, you read that right. It is now 2008 in Toronto!! and I spent it browsing the internet and listening to my now 4 year old SNORE~~

We are in Toronto for a hockey tournament, but it's over now! We stayed a couple of extra days to do some site-seeing, and boy do I have some great pics to show.....but not now. We leave tomorrow afternoon to go home -- to WARM DFW! so I need to get some stuff packed and get to sleep....the hotel guests are beginning to wind down from the sounds of it, so maybe I can sleep now....

I'll write more in the next few days and get some pictures on here, too. I just wanted to say HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! and I've missed you during the month of December. See you back in the States!

Car Maintenance

I'm going to take this moment in time to grumble about CARS!! I HATE CARS.....I wish we still lived in the horse and buggy era, and before you say anything negative about that era of time, please read on for my reasons.

When I was a teenager and first learning to drive, back in the dark ages according to That Kid, my dad taught me many valuable lessons -- not just learning how to drive, but some of the basic maintenance things like checking your oil, adding oil, changing out wiper blades, raising the car up on the jack, changing the tire, etc. I found it all boring and tedious, but as the dutiful daughter who wanted to drive her own car someday I listened. My first car was a '66 Chevy Impala (Maroon) and it was the BEST car. It was well built and had been taken care of by previous owners. I paid $500 of MY OWN HARD EARNED MONEY on that car and I thought it was the BEST....till the day I decided to skip school and WRECKED it...try explaining why you're not in school nowhere near your high school to your parents and you need them to help you call a wrecker cuz you just wrecked your car! Trust me it's not EASY!
Anyway, I digress. My parents bailed me out, grounded me, and made me pay for the repairs on my car. Fortunately, my cousin was a mechanic and did bodywork on cars for fun! He repaired it for $100!

From that point on, my car LEAKED OIL something awful! The day I got rid of it, about a year later, I had added 2 1/2 quarts of oil when I left home and 3 hours later it was EMPTY! I'm lucky I didn't blow the engine before I sold it off to the used car dealer!

My dad was adament about me caring for my own car....so I got used to it. About 2 weeks before dh and I got married he blew his engineby running it out of oil and driving on the highway, so when dh and I got married MY car was our only car for the first 2 or so years. Since I was used to caring for MY car I just kept doing it. I made sure the tires had air, oil was changed, inspections were done, registrations were done on time, etc, etc, etc,. Well some 20 + years of marriage the trend has continued. I am the one to take the cars for routine maintenance and I am the one who deals with mechanics when something needs repaired. I am the reason we have windshield wiper blades, tires, batteries, state inspections, annual registrations, etc.

And when something goes AWRY I am blamed! Even on the CAR that I NEVER DRIVE and don't like driving!

This happened this past week and I am grumpy about it still! Why am I responsible for maintenance on a car I NEVER DRIVE??? About 2 weeks ago dh got in the "hot rod" and realized the rear tires were low, so he aired them up. A few days later he drove it again and they were low again. He called me saying the tires need checked out, take care of it asap. Ok....I say...I forget about it since I never drive it. Then this week he drives it again and the tires still need air. Fix it he says...so I go to fix it, and the Firestone people can't do anything with the tires cuz they have wheel locks on it and we can't find the key! 2 days later That Kid gets in the car to go somewhere and the tire is FLAT, and I mean FLATTER than a pancake, but he doesn't realize it till he is a mile from home. He calls me and says my tire is flat! HELP!! He gets a ride...and I get to deal with a flat tire....over $400 later we have a new tire and no more wheel locks on our hub caps. Gee, what a bargain, huh?
Now, I will be teaching my son how to care for his car the way my dad did with me...and hopefully we won't have to have another experience like this again!

Now I ask, who cares for your cars?? I'm a little disgusted that I was the one that had to deal with all this mess. Soooo I ask, who handles your car maintenance??? Just curious.....

My Baby's Growing Up

When That Other Kid was still within the womb I had wonderful friends who offered to host baby showers (yes, you read it right-- I had 4 of them!). So I went to Target and BabiesRUs and registered for all the cool stuff available for babies! I had a BLAST with it. I didn't have this luxery with That Kid, baby registeries were new at that time and I didn't know that you could "ask" for the stuff you wanted! I decided long before That Other Kid was born that I wanted Winnie The Pooh stuff....I am a BIG Pooh Fan and I knew this would be my last chance to have cute Pooh stuff...soooooo I asked for and received TONS of POOH stuff, including a WONDERFUL home-made Quilt by my mother-in-love and a nice big fleece blanket by her best friend, whom I still have never met. I was in POOH HEAVEN. DH told me to enjoy it while it lasted cuz one day That Other Kid would decide that he didn't like Pooh anymore.
I've been moving along in Pooh Heaven for the past almost 4 years, until recently. I started looking for stuff for his room to make it more like a little boy room instead of a baby room. He LOVES the Car's movie characters and one day at Target he saw some Car's stuff...a pop out laundry hamper, and trash can. I bought them for him, thinking ok we can start moving toward the Car's theme for his room - slowly, of course, since I didn't want to lose the Pooh theme. He was ok with this till this weekend when I decided to look for sheets and blankets that fit his bed, (he's still in a toddler bed) and don't look like they are for babies. That is VERY hard to do, btw. But.....Wally-world had lots of new character sheet sets for KIDS....in Toddler-Bed size!! I was soooooo impressed. I never find anything I like at Wally-World and rarely even walk in the doors, but needed to pick up a couple of things there this weekend. Wow!!! Anyway, I found Car's, Diego, Dora, Princess Barbie, and SPIDERMAN.....Guess which character he chose!!! Yes ma'm SPIDERMAN!!! I told him we should get the Car's stuff, cuz he already has some Car's stuff, but doesn't have any Spiderman stuff -- he told me, "I will, when you buy this for me"!! He had a point! So, now he has Spiderman sheets, blankets, and pillowcase on his bed.
Tonight I washed and folded and put away his Pooh stuff, except for Grandma's quilt which we will use for a snuggle blanket. I was SAD....my baby is growing up. But....I guess I should have known it was coming. He will be 4 in less than 2 weeks and he is having his first birthday party with friends -- Lunar Mini Golf!
At least he still gives me hugs and tells me he loves me and wants to snuggle in the mornings and again at night before bed.

I Had High Hopes

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the exciting possibilities of actually being ready for Christmas well before the big day. Let me tell you IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN! It's 22 days till Christmas and 16 days till That Other Kids birthday and I have barely touched the edge of Christmas/birthday purchases. The house is not decorated, Christmas cards are not addressed, the Christmas letter I had hoped to write this year still isn't even in the draft form. I also want to get the boys' picture taken again this year...the list goes on and on.
The days just seem to fly by....you know. I get up about 8 every day and I lay around till 10, cuz I can't function that early, then I have breakfast to fix, shower to take, laundry to start, and whatever else is on the agenda for the day and the stuff for Christmas just slips on past me.

So... how are you doing on your Christmas preparations???

30 Days of Thankfulness Over

Today is my last Thankful 30 Days post. I have to admit that I am glad this is November 30 and this meme is over. It's not that I'm not thankful, cuz I do have so much to be thankful for as is witnessed over the past 30 days. No, it's because every night I've felt "pressured", by myself, to post something -- and sometimes it has been a struggle to sit down and think about something worthwhile to post about. I have managed, though and it has given me a lot to think about over this month. I'm glad I did it...sometimes I get so caught up in my "day to day stuff" that I don't take the time to really be thankful.

So for my last post for this month -- I am thankful for my wonderful boys, although they cause me frustration and make me want to run away from home sometimes they are the best things to come into my life over the past 17 years. I love That Kid for his dedication to be a better person, working his tail off with his schoolwork, working his tail off to play a tough sport -- ice hockey, and working all his hockey games that he officiates. He is a GREAT KID!! and I love him!!!
I love That Other Kid for his enthusiasm for life. He is active and busy ALL THE TIME. He is SMART and FUNNY and ACTIVE and ALL BOY! He keeps me on my toes to try to keep him busy, entertained and happy!
Both boys play together, argue with each other, play fight, and act like siblings that are only a couple of years apart; they don't act like there is 13 1/2 years separating them....They are different, but they are MINE!!!
For this I AM THANKFUL!!!! I AM BLESSED!!!!

Thankful for the United States

I've been thinking a lot today....I know don't do that you can get in trouble! But....anyway, I've been thinking today about all we have to be thankful for in this country. We have the Freedoms that the rest of the world just dreams of. We have the prosperity that the rest of the world dreams of. And it's all because of the people that have gone before us...the soldiers in the military, the forefathers of our country and the men and women who came to this country hundreds of years ago to make a "new life" for themselves and their family.

So....for today I am thankful for the United States of America and all the people who make this country what it is today! I am also thankful for the President of the United States. He has the most difficult job and he gets to hear all the complaints of people that don't believe he is doing his job correctly. I thank God that he is doing what he believes is best for our country and seeks God in his decisions. I am also thankful for the military of this country and all their hard work to help protect our freedoms and keep us safe from our enemies. I pray they are kept safe and that their families are blessed because of what they are doing for our country.

God Bless America!!

Random Thankfulness

Well I have been strangely absent from the blogging world for the past couple of days. I'm not even sure what I did the past couple of days....I know I did about a dozen loads of laundry, but they didn't get folded and put away till today. I also did a dishwasher full of dishes, cooked some meals, did a bunch of errands, paid some bills, went to a skating class for That Other Kid, a hockey practice for That Kid, met for a friend for coffee, and slept.

Oh, I guess that's why I didn't have time for the computer, huh?
So, I need to come up with some things I am thankful for for the past couple of days....so here goes!

I am thankful for a friend that will meet me for coffee at 9:15p.m. on a Tuesday night and not whine that I have to bring That Other Kid with me!

I am thankful for the wonderful weather we have had over the past
2 days so that That Other Kid could burn a little energy by going for a bike ride!

I am also thankful that I was able to deposit a bunch of money in the bank yesterday and today, so I could pay bills that have been piling up the whole month. We are almost caught up after having a REALLY financially dry month, with very little work for dh. Not only do we have the bills paid, now but he got a BUNCH of work that is supposed to be done by January 1 -- and we will get paid for it by January 2!!! I am thankful that God has provided a client that will pay PROMPTLY!!!

Another Hockey Weekend

Holiday weekends are usually spent at the Ice Rink for Hockey Tournaments and this weekend was no different. We played 4 games this weekend and only won 1 game. I was very disappointed. We have a lot of good talent on our team, as well as what I believe is a talented coaching staff....but we just don't seem to have what it takes to win games when we are "under the gun". The players on the team seem to be more interested in pounding someone into the ground than playing hockey....what is it with these 17 and 18 year old boys??? Oh well, I guess I should look at it from the bright side -- That Kid loves playing in a sport that he is good at and he is learning from it.

That Other Kid did well this weekend....he loves to watch his big brother play hockey and he knows the game pretty well considering he's not quiet 4 years old. Today during the game he played with a couple of siblings of a team mate. And I am THANKFUL for these boys. I didn't see That Other Kid for nearly 2 hours and I KNEW HE WAS SAFE IN THE RINK WITH kids that would not allow him to get hurt, or run off with people that he didn't know!! Believe me it is a blessing to watch a hockey game without answering a MILLION questions!!! Thank you GOD for the blessing of siblings that LOVE playing with That Other Kid!

Thankful for Sleep

Tonight I am TIRED.....It is 10:30 and I am going to BED....I never go to bed this early unless I am sick, and I don't really feel sick tonight. I just feel TIRED. It rained ALL DAY here in the DFW metroplex and it was COLD....AND I was at an ICERINK for 4 hours with a almost 4 year old that wanted to play arcade games the whole time.
BUT.....I am thankful for the opportunity to go to bed early if the need is there!!!

UPDATED.... I went to bed at 10:50 p.m. slept for 2 hours, woke up for about 30 minutes then slept till 4:30 a.m. when That Other Kid woke up "soakeded". It took me an hour to get him back to sleep. Then I slept from 5:30 to 7:55 a.m. Not bad, not great but it coulda been worse!

Thanksgiving and Beyond

The past couple of days I have been busy and haven't taken the time to blog or read blogs....that shows how busy I was!! Yesterday I cooked a big Thanksgiving meal for our family. All our extended family lives too far away so it was just the 4 of us....but it was nice and fun. That Kid and dh went to a early movie, while That Other Kid played with toys, and watched tv. I cooked!!! It was a fun day. I love to cook, but rarely take the time to the time to do it.
Today we spent the day at the Ice Rink. Game 1 -- we won; 4-2. Game 2, not so good....we lost 8-4 against a Colorado team. I guess they really know how to play hockey there!! Tomorrow we don't play till early evening so we get to sleep, oh wait...I get to sleep till That Other Kid wakes me up -- probably around 8. That Kid has to get up and work....he says he needs money!! But his bank account has more money than mine right now....hey, what's wrong with this picture???

So what am I thankful for?? Nice Thanksgving meal, a busy weekend of hockey and a teenager that loves his job! How's that for Thankfulness!!!!

Talking Too Much!

Today I am thankful that I have a bit of a voice back. Enough that I could yell at That Other Kid, grocery shop for Thanksgiving and talk to my mother in love and 3 different friends on the phone.
What a blessing to be able to speak in a somewhat normal voice! Of course by the end of the day, I'm back to squeaking!! Oh well, I guess I need to lay off the talking at least till I'm not so squeaky!

I bought a ton of food for Thanksgiving Dinner. Of course, it's just the 4 of us for dinner so most of it will be leftovers for the weekend....and lots of desserts that none of us really need!!

You Are Reading At a High School Level!!

Get a Cash Advance

Wow look at me! I can blog worthless babble and still get a HighSchool Reading Level rating. Maybe it's because I write so much about my high school son or maybe its because I really have nothing worthwhile that any one other than high schoolers would want to waste their time with. No matter the reason I am shocked and perplexed, that for sure!




Now on to what I am thankful for today!! I am thankful that it is not EVEN Thanksgiving and I already have a NUMBER of my presents for CHRISTMAS purchased! Ain't ya proud??? I am so excited. You see I normally the person that doesn't start till the week before Christmas then I am looking all over town for that 1 special present for that 1 special person. With any luck I'll be done by next weekend!!

Thanks for Enough

As I started buying clothes for That Kid this fall I asked him to go through his closet and pull out anything he no longer wanted, no longer could wear, or was worn out. He filled a large trash bag with clothes, some of which I went through and put into the trash, some of which I saved for momentos (a hockey shirt, a referee association shirt, a PE shirt), the rest I left in the trash bag to take to GoodWill. This morning was the day to take the bag to GoodWill. We have one near where we were going for a referee game so I just dropped it off on our way.

That Other Kid asked why we were giving this bag of clothes away. My response was that clothes cost money when we buy them at the store, and some people don't have much money for new clothes so they go to this store to buy these clothes that we don't want anymore. He still seemed a little confused about this so I elaborated and told him that these clothes just cost a little money or sometimes they don't cost any money. This seemed to clear it up for him.

His response "Well they need to get more money." I told him that some people just don't get much money for the work they do. His response, "well they should, cuz they need to buy good clothes".

Today I am thankful that I have enough and can bless others that "don't have enough".

Quiet At the End of the Day

Tonight all the big people are in the living room doing our own thing, but without a lot of noise. For this I am thankful! We rarely are all in the same room together without some kind of noise going on....whether it be the tv, the music off ITUNES or someone talking. Tonight it is quiet!!! and it is NICE. We don't have nearly enough quiet in our lifes these days and I really appreciate it when I have it.....

Hope you have some quiet time soon.

Rest, Sweet Rest!!

I think I've mentioned a few million times that I am sick AGAIN...well when I am sick I don't sleep well. I guess it's the medicine, cuz rarely do I have problems sleeping --- unless you count going to bed at a reasonable time so that I actually get enough sleep before That Other Kid decides the "sun is up; it's time to get up". Well today I was just exhausted, so I thought I would lay down for a "minute" -- that turned into 2 hours of blissful sleep!!!! How did I manage to sleep 2 hours in the middle of the day, you ask -- with a 3 year old, 17 year old and dh in the house making all manner of noise???
--- beats me!!! I just know that I did and I am thankful for that SLEEP!!! I truly am THANKFUL!!!

Hope you get an unexpected blessing this week......

Today I'm Thankful......

for the math class that That Kid is attending. You see, he's always struggled with math, even when he was a little kid learning how to add and subtract. He's always said it's too hard, I can't do it. I've always pushed, prodded and attempted to find just the right "program", "curriculum", or "teaching aids" to help him. It slowly started clicking. He can now do the basics -- of course, at 17 he needs to do more than the basics.....the SAT's, ACT's, etc. expect you to know algebra and geometry and even beyond!!! What's a mom to do???? For the past couple of years I have talked to him about getting professional help -- ya know, someone that knows how to actually DO Algebra....not just read the book of answers. This summer as he was trying to work through Algebra for the 2nd time, he said it was TIME for HELP.....so I checked around and decided to sign him up for an Algebra 1 class taught by a "math geek" -- engineer homeschooling dad!!! He knows math and he knows how to get it "through" That Kid's thick skull!!! He has been attending this class now since the 2nd week in Sepember, and has been doing pretty well from what I could tell. We also got a little extra help from a homeschooling mom that LOVES MATH, don't get that one.....but whatever, lol!! Between the tutor that he sees about once a week and the class that he attends for 2 1/2 hours a week....HE IS GETTING MATH!!!! Today we got his first progress report --- and his overall score is 91.24%.

I'm pleased as punch!!! as the saying goes.....finally some math success!!!

Now, why didn't I do this years ago????? Well hind site is always better, huh??? Another bonus!!! He wants to LEARN, now.....he sees a reason for learning this stuff....SAT's, ACT's, and college applications!!!

Homeschooling Friends

Last week I received this beautiful beaded bookmark in the mail from my homeschool swap buddy. She is a wonderful lady who has something encouraging to say in nearly every post. You can check out her blog at http://homeschoolblogger.com/socalval. In case you have no idea what I am talking about you can check it out over at http://homeschoolblogawards.com . You can also nominate people in 20 some odd categories for this year homeschool blog awards.



I think that the mom/homeschool blog community is something special that us women need in our busy, crazy lifes. I know that I value the "friendships" of the women I have "met" through blogs and I don't even personally know these women but I "feel" THEIR FRUSTRATIONS and I "feel" THEIR JOYS.

So today I am thankful for blogs of the women that I have "met" through blogging. Some of these women homeschool, like myself; and some send their kids to traditional schools, but we have a common bond....we are all moms in the 21st century and find comfort in sharing our life with others over the internet!

Happy Blogging Ladies!!!!

I Missed Yesterday

So.....I will tell you 2 things I am thankful for today.

1) I am thankful that That Kid has a sensitive spirit. He is sensitive to his friends and their needs and he hurts when they do. He is wonderful at doing what he can do HELP his friends. Sometimes those friends need wayyyyyy more help than a 17 year old can give, though. He is learning to turn these needs over to God!!! Yeah!!!!

2) I am thankful that That Other Kid is feeling MUCH better today than he was on Friday. His nose is no longer running away from him and he's playing pretty much normally today. He actually ate almost all his breakfast too which he hasn't done since last Monday. Let's see how he eats and drinks today. That's how I can truly monitor how he feels.

On the down side --- I feel like garbage. I have no voice, which I'm sure the boys are happy about;) and I'm stuffy and sore all over. Off to the doctor to see what is wrong this time.....

Teen Job

Today I am thankful that That Kid has such a wonderful job. He is a USA Hockey Official. He has had this job now for 3 years and he is moving up in the ranks already. These photos were taken at some youth level games at the American Airlines Center, where the Dallas Stars Hockey Team plays. He was chosen to be an official for these games because of his respected position within the local association. He works numerous games every weekend and has quiet a hefty bank account to show for his efforts. Very few teens have jobs they actually LOVE to do/go to, but he is one of them.

My job's as a teenager were certainly not this exciting!!! I was a babysitter, a fast food employee, numerous times over, and I worked at Woolco (I'm dating myself here, huh??) and Kmart. Boy, those are exciting jobs, huh???? Ya know we always want better for our kids than we had it and in this case he certainly has achieved!!! Thank you God for this opportunity for my son.



Did you have a cool job when you were a teenager?????

Thankful Friday

Today I am thankful that I saved all those thousands of dollars of Star Wars and Batman/Superman toys I bought for That Kid over a decade ago.
Right now as I type both my boys (remember they are 17 and almost 4) are in the middle of the living room floor going through the StarWars/Batman/Superman toys. This is definately a kodak moment if I could sneak the picture without them noticing!! If I manage I will post it.

The reason these toys are in our living room and not in the garage as they were 15 minutes ago is because I opened my BIG mouth and suggested that maybe "one of those action figures that we saved" could be on the "free" motorcycle that the girls over at Sonic gave That Other Kid --- cuz they just think he is the cutest thing ever!!
So THANK YOU to the Sonic girl for bringing my boys to the middle of the living room together in a special time!

Time to Give Thanks

Ummmmm...what do I have to be thankful for today. Let's see.....It was one of those kind of days. You know what I'm talking about....we all have them occasionally. Some of us, more than others.

That Other Kid woke up to use the bathroom at 6 a.m. Now normally this isn't a problem, he just goes right back to sleep. Not today though. He needed to discuss the life decisions of a 3 (almost 4) year old. Now in case you are a morning person, you won't understand this, but I AM SO NOT A MORNING PERSON.....and 6 a.m. is NOT a time to discuss anything with momma! Try 10 a.m and I'm more likely to respond.

By the time he was done discussing the life decisions "the sun is up, the moon is down" it's time to get up.....THANKS TO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, OH YEAH! It's 6:20 a.m. and NOT time for momma to make an appearance. So.....I was wasted all day. I had a pile of laundry and various other such pleasant tasks to take care of today. Not to mention going to the dentist. Oh yeah!

I did go to the gym today and did a 30 minutes CORE class and I was only 5 minutes late!! (It started at 11 a.m.) Yes, I know what did I do for 5 hours -- I laid around on the couch trying to catch a few more zzzzzz's. I also did 30 minutes on the treadmill.....thank you very much!! That's the most I have done in a while at the gym. I expect I'll be paying for it tomorrow, but onward and downward.....with the weight, ya know.

So.....what am I thankful for today??? That Other Kid went to bed and sleep at 8:10 p.m.!!! That's a full 50 minutes before he normally goes to sleep. So I have had a few hours to vegg out and do some blogging and some laundry and some school grading!! Ah, a sleeping preschooler!!!!

Giving Thanks for....

the Ft. Worth Zoo and beautiful fall weather!!! Today was a picture perfect day and we had a great opportunity to enjoy the day at the zoo. There are so few days that I would call picture perfect, but today was. The temperature was in the low 60's when we left for the zoo so we had on sweatshirts, but by lunch time it was in the upper 60's so we took off the sweatshirts and enjoyed the day!

The monkeys were entertaining as always and the white bengal tiger was pacing the glass while the kids tried to follow. The kids area of the zoo had a couple of goats that were looking for some food, and the boys were afraid they were about to be a goat's lunch. They enjoyed him from a distance!!The longhorn cow in the Texas section of the zoo was busy walking around having a late afternoon snack as we rode the train back to the entrance of the zoo.

So....to recap I am thankful for the beautiful fall day, the Ft. Worth Zoo, and the wonderful friends that joined us.

Oh...and by the way I have lost 2 pounds in the past couple of weeks. Not great, but certainly every little bit helps.

Homeschooled Teens

What am I thankful for today???? Well it's kind of funny, really....so bare with me. I let That Kid go to a play at a near by church that a lot of his homeschooled friends attend last night. Many of the characters in the play are his friends, so I thought it would be a great thing for him to see.

Afterwards a group of these friends invited him to go grab a bite to eat, and since I am his driver for now I met them all at this fast food place. They were all sitting at a table together (5 of them -- 2 girls, 3 boys) and I was sitting at a table near them listening to their conversation. Now mind you, these are teens ranging from 15 -17 years old.

What do you think they were discussing??? The lastest teen movie??? The lastest fashions at the mall??? Troubles with their parents??? NOOOOOO, they were talking about the upcoming PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION!!! AND THEIR CHOICES FOR PRESIDENT!!!! Don't ya just love HOMESCHOOLED KIDS????? 3 of these teens are in a government class together at a local co-op and they were discussing the pros and cons of the politicans. This just cracked me up!!! I sat there laughing, because I was thinking to myself I never even thought about future presidents when I was their age......I DIDN'T CARE!!! and neither did my friends.....all we cared about was our next trip to the mall, movies, clothes, etc. This is the difference between homeschool and public schooled students!!! not to mention another generation!!!

So.....what am I thankful for today??? HOMESCHOOLED TEENAGERS!!!! especially those that call my son their friend......1 of the boys even lives in our neighborhood!!! yeah!!!!

Time For Myself

Today I am thankful for my Lifetime Fitness gym membership! I have had this membership for over 2 years and have gone on and off. For a while I will be super consistent, then I will get busy, sick or just slack off. I won't go and I end up wasting a lot of money;((( I need to lose A LOT of weight -- 75 pounds to be where my doctor says I need to be so going to the gym and exercising is key to this. TODAY I decided that I need to be thankful for this membership and utilize it to its highest capacity. That Other Kid loves to go --- he gets to play with other kids his own age, and I love it too since I have 2 hours of time to do what I want. I went and exercised on the treadmill for 35 minutes, did a few inner and outer thigh exercises and did some crunches. I ended up spending more than 45 minutes in ACTUAL exercises. Then I went and took a nice LONG, HOT SHOWER ALL BY MYSELF!!!! What a luxury!!! I know some of you may not have a problem taking a shower without company, or in a rush but in my house this is not the case.....I barely get in the shower and the phone rings, my teenager needs me, my dh needs me or my little guy needs me! Rarely do I get to shave my legs, wash my hair and bathe at home without someone interrupting. If I do get to do these things then as soon as the water goes off then someone needs something!!!

So today I am thankful for Lifetime Fitness and the 2 hours of blissful time to myself!!!

What are you thankful for??????

Time To Be Thankful

Heather over at Desperately Seeking Sanity is doing this little thing where for the month of November she writes about something she is thankful for everyday. After reading about it I decided this was something I REALLY NEED to do....my life has been so off kilter lately that I need to remind MYSELF that I do have MUCH to thankful for. So......since it is already the 4th of November I'm going to write about the 4 things I am MOST thankful for......

Here goes:

1. Jesus Christ --- without HIM I really would be nothing and have nothing. Thank you Jesus for your never ending grace!

2. "That Kid" --- even though he makes me crazy sometimes I still am very thankful that he is my "big" kid!! I love him and am thankful that I have been blessed to raise him.

3. "That Other Kid" --- he drives me even crazier, but I am doubly thankful for him. I waited nearly 10 years for him to be born and he brings me both joy and frustration. He keeps me on my toes!

4. My "DH" --- although sometimes I am frustrated beyond belief with him I am thankful that we have struggled through all the trials and we can still say we are married after 23 years, when everyone told us we could never make it past our first couple of years!


What do you have to be thankful for this month???? If you want to participate you can sign in over at www.desperatelyseekingsanity.com and let me know so I can see what you are thankful for.

A "Little" Housework

What is so special about a vacumn? Both my kids have been terrified of the vacumn. It's not like I run over them and hurt them with the vacumn. Or even try to do anything that would cause fear. That Kid eventually outgrew the terror. I'm not sure when, but one day it wasn't there and he was willing to stay in the same room while I vacumned.


That Other Kid displayed such fear of the vacumn that he would run crying to dad or big brother to protect him from the "big bad vacumn". That is till today.....when he decided that it really wasn't so scary! He chased the vacumn with his bike, teased the vacumn while sitting in the rocking chair,


then the break-through came......HE wanted to vacumn. Who am I to argue with someone else doing the housework????!!

Now if I can get him to dust, fold the laundry instead of climbing on it, and clean the bathrooms I'll be a happy momma!!!

Been Busy Drivin'

I'm still here....I've just been busy driving all over the DFW metroplex for the past few days. In case you are not familiar with this metropolitan area, driving all over it is no small feat. The DFW area encompasses more than 75 square miles and I traveled a good bit of it this past weekend.

That Kid plays ice hockey and works as an official also. He practiced 1 time, played 2 games, and refed 9 games in the past 4 days. In addition to that he went to see a good friend that lives about 20 miles from us. Normally, very little of this would effect me, but.....since I took his car keys and drivers license away I get the privilege of driving again. By the time it was all said and done last night, I was EXHAUSTED....I fell into bed and was instantly asleep!
That Other Kid was a real trooper....I bought him a new movie to watch as we drove around. The Incredibles-- very cute if you have little kids, was his choice of movie when we went to Target to look around for something to help entertain him. Today, though he was a real whiner --- he wanted to stay home and PLAY with his stuff. I guess sitting in a car seat and driving around for hours and hours lost its appeal after doing it 3 days in a row!

School is going good, but I've got some grading to do so I better get to it. That Kid got a 87 on his math test last Wednesday, and a 87 on his Chemistry test, and a 90 on his writing assignment. I have to record it all and a bunch of other stuff. I only have about 1 hour of peace and quiet till That Kid and DH come home from yet another night of hockey/driving. I get Tuesday nights off to do my own thing and catch up....I just need to do it instead of sitting here on the computer.
Well I better get to it or the guys will be home before I even do the first thing on my LONG, LONG list!
I'll check back in tomorrow with my weigh in....don't expect much...I haven't been to the gym forever and I haven't been very careful about eating right either.....but I've got to start documenting it anyway. Maybe if it's documented I will start being more faithful.
nighty-night!!!!!

The Bible Says....

in Psalm 127:3 Don't you see that children are God's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Basically that means our children are blessings from God, right? Well then, why do I continually feel like my children are a curse?
I know I'm not the only one out there that feels this way, either....I read blogs....I'm somwhat educated. (I have 2 years of college education)....why can't I get through a day dealing with my 2 boys that I don't want to bury my head in the sand and just say....."Do whatever you want! I'm on vacation!"
I know many of you out there have A LOT more than 2 children and they are much closer in age than mine (13 years apart). How DO YOU manage to get through the day without some major breakdowns?
This month has been an exceptionally trying month in our household. I've been sick forever, money has been tight, the teenager has tested us beyond normal bounds and the little guy has needed extra attention. The house needs a major cleaning and school work needs to be graded and all I wanna do is "blow a gasket" and say "you people are on your own".
There are a couple of blessings in this turmoil -- my mother-in-law is back safe and sound from her 3 week vacation so I can VENT to her as well as all my blogging pals and regardless of how I FEEL GOD is in control!!! In addition to these blessings my dh has realized that he has to step up to the plate and be a dad sometimes -- instead of working 24/7. He spent Friday night with That Kid, as well as all day Saturday and Tuesday night. Wow-- now that was a BLESSING.

All my whining to God this past week has taught me at least 1 thing -- regardless of how I feel Children really are a blessing from God and to be treasured. I know this deep down, but sometimes I have to remind myself of it. Do you?????

Catchin' Up

I've been so overwhelmed with the details of life the past few days that I haven't had time to sit down and catch up with my blog friends. I've tried to read a little here and there when I get a second, but I haven't had time to sit down and compose a thought or a blog post. Life has been hectic!

Friday night we had more drama from That Kid, which wrecked havic with not only my emotions, but my sanity, as well. I talked to one of his teenage friends and started crying my eyes out.....a few minutes later her mom shows up on my doorstep and just listens, prays and sits with me! What a blessing good friends are. I wouldn't trade them for anything! My other friend called numerous times to check on me. She was going to come over but she lives more than 30 minutes away....and has a toddler, teenager and husband to care for....I told her all would be ok....just pray!!

After the initial drama was over we had a decent weekend. Lots of hockey, meaning lots of driving across the dfw metroplex. But....we had lots of time to talk and THAT was GOOD! Communication is the key to living with a teenager, I believe.

That Other Kid handled the busy weekend pretty well till Sunday night when he announced he just wanted to stay home and watch TV.....Daddy was staying home, so daddy and That Other Kid had 4 hours of time together. That's the longest they have spent together by themselves so it was a GOOD Night!

So far this week.....no drama with the teenager, no drama with the toddler and no drama with the adults.....It's been a slow week.....just school, work and errands. and A little hockey thrown in for good measure! We have another couple of nights ahead of us, then it's over till the weekend, yeah!

Soooo what have you been doing this week???

Weigh-In -- 1 Day Late

I didn't weigh myself yesterday...I just get to the gym and I didn't think it would boost my mood any, so I blew it off. But, today my best friend wanted me to work out with her....she said it would motivate both of us if we worked out together. So....I agreed to go work out with her. Gosh, my muscles hurt tonight. But, I digress....I decided to weigh myself, just for the heck of it -- and I was surprised! I haven't lost any weight, but I HAVEN'T GAINED ANY EITHER!!! I just knew that I had gained over the past couple of weeks, since I have been stressed and haven't really work out much.

But yeah!!! I'm feeling good physically now -- no more prominant cough, and no more sinus drainage. My toe is FINALLY feeling somewhat good -- unless I'm on it A LOT... so no more excuses. I have to get this weight off!! and we travel to Toronto for a hockey tournament in about 2 months and I really don't want to sit on that plane for 4 hours and FEEL FAT....cuz I'm squeezed into the seat.

So.....now I have to get down to business.



Onward and upward, I got an email today from my homeschool swap buddy and I can't wait to start a new friendship through blogging and homeschooling. This will be a great experience.....and if you homeschool and are interested in this, you can check it out at http://homeschoolblogawards.com/.

Well I'm gonna go and do some blog reading, cuz I haven't had time to do much lately and I'm missing some of my blog friends. Have a good night.

Meanest Mom Contest

Go over to http://momsblogging.com/2007/10/15/are-you-the-meanest-mom/ over at mom blogs to find out if you are the meanest mom out there....but keep in mind you are competing with the "All time MEANEST MOM", that , of course, is yours truly!


Now here's one that I have in the bag for sure!!! This weekend That Kid did something I never thought I would have to deal with....I'm gonna keep it to myself, I really don't want to disclose all of his rebellious activities, but suffice to say I didn't communicate with my 17 year old son for some 21 hours.....and not out of lack of effort on my part.

When he arrived home I took his cell phone, car keys, and drivers license away from him and told him he would not leave the house without a parent for the next 9 months.....till the day he turns 18!! Since then I have been granted to the silent treatment. I accept that for now....he's mad at me and his dad and when he's mad he doesn't speak unless spoken to. At least he is treating his little brother decent.

He has communicated with a couple of "friends" since he got home and he informed them that I have "gone over the edge" and have "no right" to take his punishment to this extreme. I think I could have gone much further.

At this point I accept the "meanest mom" award and will follow my son everywhere he goes for the next 9 months to keep him safe and protected.
That is, as I see it, my number 1 job as him mom!!!!

I'm Kanga....

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

I found this site through Bev's comments at Laura's Organized Junkie. It sounded fun so I decided to take it.....and wouldn't you know I'm a mom even in The 100 Acre Woods!! Once a mom always a mom, huh?
Hey, if you take the quiz let me know what you are, ok?

Oh, and That Kid's team won this afternoon, so we are 3-0 in our league so far. Not bad for the beginning of the LONG season....

Just a Veggin'

I have been strangely absent from blog world this week....no particular reason. I just haven't had anything exciting happen in my world and I have been trying to rest and recuperate from my prolonged illness so that I can hit the road to weight loss and exercise once again.

We did get to go an NHL game last night....we had nose-bleed seats, but they were cheap so that makes up for it! It was a good game, although our team lost in over-time, which kind of stinks.....but ya know, somebody has to lose, huh? I forgot my regular digital camera, but decided to take a couple of pictures with my phone.....anyone know how to transfer them so I can post them to the computer???? Help!! I am technology challenged!!!

Today That Kid worked all day, so it was just a quiet day of goofing off with That Other Kid. He wanted to go to the gym to play with friends, so I took him and read for 1 1/2 hours of blissful quiet. Ah, I love the gym!! Tomorrow That Kid plays in a hockey game, so we get to watch him in action doing what he loves most!!
At some point he needs to get some math done, but before his game he has to work, and then he works afterward too, so he may not get it done.....oh well, there's always Monday, right???

Hope you are having a good weekend. Let me know if you know how to get pictures off my phone, onto my computer, ok?

Weigh-In

I was a chicken, I didn't weigh-in today....I've had such a bad week. I haven't felt well and I haven't really paid attention to what I've eaten. I would have to assume that I didn't gain, or lose this week.....
I need a nap!!!

A Nail Biter Hockey Game

I just got home from That Kid's hockey game....start time 9:30 p.m.!!! so That Other Kid went to bed early and I went to a hockey game unacompanied. All the moms asked where my other appendage was....and I happily replied IN BED sleeping!!!
Anyhooo.....WE WON!!! in OVERTIME, with a PENALTY SHOT GOAL!!! 2-1. The other team protested the goal, but the referees prevailed....and we won!! This was our 2nd league game of the season and it was against the same team we WON a couple of weeks ago.
Although we did win the coach wasn't pleased with the performance of the team overall.....so tomorrow night's practice will probably not be a pretty one. That Kid was a +2 if that means anything to you.....basically that means he was out during the goals and he didn't do anything to cause the other team to score. He did get sent to the penalty box for "shoving" a guy who was talkin' trash. Oh well, the other guy went to the box as well, so it didn't hurt our team.

Sick News

I've mentioned a few hundred times that I have been feeling like crap the past couple of months; everything from a broken toe, to a cough that just won't go away even after repeated trips to the doctor and repeated trips to the pharmacy. Well this afternoon, while doing a rush trip to Target while That Kid was at hockey practice with That Other Kid wanting to run laps around the aisles looking for various toiletry items every 3 year NEEDs, my doctor's nurse calls me and says "we got the radiologists report back and he "thinks" you have pneumonia." "Pneumonia," I say, "oh goodie!" Now ain't that SWELL...no wonder I feel like crap....and no wonder after 8 weeks of feeling like crap I still feel like crap.....Did I mention I feel like crap?????
Nurse says keep taking those antibiotics and other stuff the doc gave you and see how you feel in a couple of weeks....We'll do more x-rays......

I asked about exercise, cuz I really am tired of being sooooooo fat. She said do what I feel like. Oh thanks......I feel like laying in bed all day, so does that mean she will tend to my house and kids and everything else that needs done?????

Hope you are having a good day!!!!

A Little Humor For Homeschoolers

A homeschooler' s Guide to Unhappiness -- This of course is not limited to homeschoolers exclusively, it could also apply to moms everywhere with a little tweaking!!

School is well underway for most of us, and we are far enough into the year to begin feeling behind. Stressed, we begin looking over the fence at the Jones', where the grass is always greener and the children never whine. Meeting with other homeschoolers brings a mixture of encouragement and feelings of inadequacy as we begin to second guess those plans which looked so good on paper. If this describes you, you are off to a great start. After all, there is nothing mankind desires more or works harder for than misery.
A brief survey of world literature reveals our fascination with sin, danger and tragedy. If we cannot experience it personally, we do so vicariously through what have become the classics. Even the quest for happiness robs our happiness in the end as Paul Watzlawick so aptly noted in his book,Anleitung zum Unglücklichsein (Guide to Unhappiness) . To help you along the way to maximizing your unhappiness, I have written the following guide. Some of these steps may come naturally to you; others may require practice.
With diligence, however, anyone can achieve the unhappiness they so earnestly desire.
1. Copy the public schools.Buy desks, set them up in neat rows facing the front of the room and investin a pointer. Even if you have only one child, make him raise his hand toanswer questions. Schedule restroom breaks. Let the clock dictate your everymove. Giving a toddler a megaphone is a good stand in for a disruptive PA system.
2. Choose your curriculum based on what everyone in your homeschool group is using. Better yet, find a stranger online and ask her. Don't consider your temperament or your child's interests. After all, these other people have way more experience than you. Remind yourself of that continually when things are not going well.
3. Contact every curriculum publisher. Make sure they have your correct address and get on as many mailing lists as possible. When you first get those glossy catalogs, you will think that this is having the opposite effect than what is intended here. The texture, the smell and all the neat stuff! But then you realize just how much stuff is out there. And how much stuff you do not have. There is always one more book and one more manipulative set to squeeze out of any budget. After all, you only have one chance to educate your children properly. Never let yourself become content with what you already have.
4. Make a clear distinction between school and life. Do not consider the educational value of trips to the zoo, visits with grandparents and vacations. The more narrowly you define education, the more likely you are to avoid spontaneous "experiences" in favor of "the book."This also helps maximize the stress of wondering if you are doing enough.
5. Take everything personally.Everyone has a bad day now and again. Even children. Use this to its fullest potential by taking these opportunities to question your parenting. When your child says, "This is boring," consider it a direct reflection on your character and personality. Think what it will be like when they talk to their bosses that way. Wonder what your homeschooling friends would say. Most importantly, try to isolate where you have gone wrong as a parent and fret over the permanent damage you must have caused. This is intended only as a cursory introduction to maintaining general unhappiness in your homeschool. There are many other proven techniques for making yourself miserable and they all progress rather naturally to making those around you unhappy as well.

For those of you who are more seasoned, or have just caught on quickly to the art of creating unhappiness, please feel free to add your own suggestions. I will add links to anyone who shares a proven technique for increasing the level of unhappiness in our homes. Even if it is not specific to homeschooling.

A Sad Heart

Tonight I am very sad and feel somewhat heart-broken. If you have or have had teenagers maybe you will understand.
Today I wanted to "hang out" with That Kid. He was working a game that was VERY convenient for me and That Other Kid to attend (he's a hockey official). I knew that That Other Kid would fall asleep on the ride over --the car does it every time when he is tired, yeah!! So, I figured it would give us an opportunity to talk...about anything in particular or nothing in particular.... I was just missing him, even though he is here most days he is ALWAYS BUSY doing school work or visiting with friends on the phone. I've been missing him!!!
Instead, he got MAD that I wanted to go in the same vehicle and watch the game...."I don't understand why you want to go, it will be boring, blah, blah, blah"...I was hurt and went into the house crying and angry. DH butted in and told him we were going in the same car TOGETHER. Get in the car....and apologize for hurting your mom's feelings.
Instead I got the silent treatment the whole drive --- to and from! Over an hour of nothing, but driving instructions from my teenage son who has only been driving a year...to his mom who has been driving ALONG TIME!!
Oh, he had time to text message friends, request dinner on the way home, and stare off into space. But he couldn't spare time to talk to mom---
I'm still hurt and angry...I have to learn to let go of it, but it hurts!!

What Is Wrong with ME???

That's the question I posed the doctor today. I have had this hacking, chain-smoking type cough for the past 2+ months and I've had ENOUGH. I'm sick and tired of feeling SICK.....Oh, and by the way -- NO, I don't smoke, nor have I EVER smoked....the smell GAGS me and makes me feel like barfing.
She took another chest x-ray to tell me if I have bronchitis or pneumonia -- I don't, according to her. I have MASSIVE drainage, so she is calling it allergies with a bit of asthma-- but do people really suffer from allergies to the point they can't go through a day without coughing up a lung??? I guess they do. It's just never been that way for me. I just get stuffy or runny nose, depending on the season.
So, I got 3 NEW medicines to take and was told to call back in a couple of weeks. Please, oh please let these medicines work.
I want to work out and lose this weight, but it's hard to work out when you start coughing so much you nearly pee your pants on the treadmill!! And I'm the kind of person who NEEDS to work out in order to be motivated to eat right and then the weight comes off.

This Week's Weigh-in

well I just got back from the gym-- that's where I weigh myself, ya know in private without anybody peeking over my shoulder and boy what a disappointment. I'm up .02, but I guess it coulda been worse after the blow it meals and little to know exercise. So I will count my blessings that it was such a small gain.
Exercise is the key for me as well as making sure I don't give in to the "blow it" meals more than 1 time a week.
Oh well, I'll do better this coming week. I think I'm gonna go get a Sonic Maltball shake to deal with my disappointment.....that should help, dontcha think???!!!!

Legos and Smoke Alarms

3 days later That Other Kid is STILL playing with big bros Legos....soo again I say Praise God for Legos.....I've gotten a number of THINGS done in the past few days that I normally don't have a chance to do, since he has been occupied, gloriously occupied! I have had to take occasional breaks from "my stuff" to play Legos but these times have not lasted long - he just LOVES these Legos.....

On a totally different note.... Do you change your batteries in your smoke alarms 2 times a year like you're supposed to? or are you like our family and wait until they start beeping constantly and driving you to insanity to change them? We abide by the latter.....and last night the blasted thing started beeping at 5 a.m. -- I ask why 5 am??? Why can't that blasted battery wait 3 or 4 more hours??? The past few times we have had to change batteries they start beeping at 5 a.m. What is magical about 5 am?? I think it is to cost me precious hours of sleep....of course no one else in the house is bothered by this irritating constant beeping, so dh got the pleasure of changing the battery first thing this morning and now there is peace so a person could sleep, BUT now the sun is up and everyone knows that you just can't sleep while the "sun is up" according to That Other Kid's policy. I on the other hand could sleep "on a gravel road with traffic going past me" according to dh! Ah....the joys of mothering!

That Kid is studying for a Chemistry exam this afternoon and no, I AM NOT the teacher for this class!!--- I wouldn't want you to get the idea that I know ANYTHING about Chemistry....except I can spell it!! Science isn't my thang....he goes to a lab class and is doing well in it. I was recording grades last night, as I had gotten a little behind -- like a week or 2..... and I did a little check on his progress and I was pleasantly surprised! He is making A's and high B's in ALL his subjects, and he has a TON of them......so yeah!!

Gotta go play Legos.....ya'll have a good day! and don't forget to check in tomorrow to see my weight loss for the week!!!

Praise God for Legos

We spent MILLIONS of dollars on Legos kits when That Kid was a little boy and we saved them ALL so that he could have something of value when he grew up and eventually had kids. (i'm not in a hurry for this, mind you)....He had them stored in a see-thru rubber maid container in his room (mistake number 1- let little brother hang out in big brother's room)...well, That Other Kid was hanging out with him in his bedroom and lo and behold, "what's in that bucket," "oh, they're all my old Legos", "can I play with them", "sure, why not".....well we tried it and we had Legos EVERYWHERE...fast forward a few weeks he finds a couple of Lego pieces while looking for another toy, "hey, I wanna play with That Kids, Legos", "no," I say....I don't want another mess to clean...Dad steps in and says,"You can't scatter the Legos and you have to quit when mommy says it's time to quit playing", "ok, I promise". He does a good job and gives me an HOUR of peace and quiet to rest, last night. Fast forward to this morning...he starts playing with Legos at 8 a.m. and is STILL playing with them at 12:30 p.m. Now if I will just utilize this time for something productive instead of sleep, all will be good!

Please keep my mother and father-in-law in your prayers over the next couple of weeks, as they leave Tuesday for a cruise to Hawaii...ah, the joys of being retired!!

Blow It Day

Today I had a BLOW IT DAY....I only got 3 hours of sleep thanks to That Other Kid waking up at 5:20 a.m. to pee and not going back to sleep try as I may....then I had to shower at 6:30 a.m. to prepare to go to That Kid's hockey game. Needless to say I walked around like a zombie until I got some good Mexican food with lots of Coke and Chips and Salsa and then a 3 hour nap..... I can't remember when that happened! I felt refreshed and ready to at least tackle playing for a couple of hours.

We won our hockey game 2-1 so we are starting our league games off to a good start....but we played SLOPPY so the coach was not a happy camper!
They will be paying the price for that at this week's practices, but at least the team will learn that there are consequences to BAD CHOICES including playing sloppy. I think I'm really going to like this coach -- he wants these boys to learn from their mistakes early on. Kinda life in life, the earlier you learn these lessons the better off you are.

Well I need to go to bed....and try to catch up on my sleep --- hope That Other Kid doesn't need to pee tonight!!!

Mom's Overture by Anita Renfroe

Ya'll gotta see this....I'm sure you will relate to her hilarious view of mothering!

Weigh-In

I woke up feeling just as tired as when I went to bed last night and my leg muscles were very sore. My toe was feeling sore today, too so I decided to use today as my day off from exercise for the week. I decided to not beat myself up over it either which is unusual for me. I´m going to take this 1 day at a time and do the best I can. I did go to the gym tonight for my weigh-in. I lost 1 pound 2 ounces since Monday {2 days}, not bad all things considered.
I washed and dried a truck load of laundry today so now I need to get it folded, hung and put away, so no rest for the weary....that's how I feel today. I also need to do some school grading and recording, so I have a lot to do in the next couple of hours.
Until tomorrow....I pray you have rest and success in whatever you are doing.

Addictions and Weightloss

Did you know that you can be addicted to COKE, and I'm not talking about the cocaine kind of COKE? I'm talking about the Coke you buy at the local fast food place, in the 12 ounce can at the store, or the vending machine. You see I have become addicted to that little can of caffeine loaded sugar water and I'm starting to have major withdrawals since I have started the new weightloss challenge. Cokes cost me 600 or more calories a day because a coke isn't a coke unless it is at least a 32 ounces, ya know! Right now I can't afford 600 or more extra calories, cuz you know I need real food like protein, fruits and veggies. How do you deal with your weaknesses? I think I need a nap....
but on the bright side I did exercise both yesterday and today. I rode the stationary bike at the gym and did some crunches, since my broken toe that should have healed a month ago is still somewhat sore, I have to use caution with my choices for exercises.
Well I'm off to get a piece of fruit and take a nap (oh wait that's my dream)... real life says I need to clean the kitchen and prepare some food for dinner.

Weight Loss Goals

I´m starting over! Monday, September 24 is my starting point. I was doing so good for about 3 months, then I really fell off the wagon so to speak. But, I am sick of the way I look and feel ~ all the way from appearance to clothing. I don´t want to be this FAT anymore....soooo tonight I splurged and really went all out with JUNK. I had 3 large 32 oz cokes from Sonic and a big banana split, as well as a burger and fries. There will not be anymore of this kind of eating. I´m getting this weight OFF to stay!I´ll weigh myself tomorrow at the gym and try to get my body percents done too. This way I´ll know where I am starting off.My goal is to lose 10 pounds a month ~ 40 pounds by Christmas!



If you are interested in joining me in this journey there are a couple of web sites that I'm going to be using. The first is http://www.myfooddiary.com/ It is a journal type site that you pay $9 a month to record and document your weight loss, exercise, and daily food intake. Check it out, I think you'll like what you see. The 2nd site I'm using is actually a blog -- www.talesfromthescales.net It is a cool blog that helps us with our accountability. I have found that this is the most difficult aspect of losing weight consistantly....staying accountable.
If you want to join me in this journey, let me know and I'll keep in touch with you and we'll all do better because someone else is checking up on your progress.

Household Chores

Do you ever look around your house and say, "How did this place get to be such a disaster? We haven't been here long enough to make this much of a mess." I did this, this weekend. And I decided it was time to tackle at least some of it. The bathrooms were disgusting....they reminded me of some of those nasty old gas station bathrooms that we used to visit when I was a kid and we were on vacation. Mom would send your own roll of tp and tell you not to sit down on the seat. You get the idea....The bathtub needed a good scrubbing, including the purchase of a new shower liner to replace the moldy one;( and a anti-slip mat in the tub. It's nice to have a clean bathtub....Maybe I should keep it clean:) just a thought, huh?
Next on the agenda, try to clean the carpets some and then vacumn and dust the living room. After that I'm going to tackle the hardwood floors! Maybe if I'm so inclined I'll even clean the windows and get all the dead bug carcasses off the window sills.
Gosh, now I just need to get enough energy to do it all. I hope to have it all done in the next couple of day.
Of course, I still have lesson plans to finish up for That Kid for this week, and grade and record the stuff he did on Friday.
Hope you have a productive week....

Peace and Quiet

Do you ever just sit in your house and listen to the sounds of the air conditioner, computer keyboards clicking from typing and the noises the animals make? You should it is the most wonderful thing in the world after a noisy and busy day.
I'm getting one of the rare nights of peace and quiet. You see, That Other Kid is in bed sleeping, That Kid is working on a test for his job, dh is working in his office/master bedroom and I am just enjoying the peace. We usually have the tv on in the evenings; whether we are actually watching something or we have it on just for the noise, it is a rare night that is not on.
But, this week has been so busy and LOUD I decided I needed a night of peace. So the tv has been off since 8p.m. and I can't say I miss it. I will probably turn it on in a bit to catch the local evening news, but afterwards I'm going to turn it right off.
This is something God has been dealing with me on -- just sitting and enjoying the little moments of peace. They are from HIM and I WILL benefit from them.

I got an email from my friend today about supporting the National Breast Cancer Society by "clicking for mammograms". It's something I already do, but I'm going to try to put a link on my blog so you can do it if you don't already. This is to help pay for Mammograms for women who can't afford them. I am a BIG proponent of the Breast Cancer Society -- my grandma died of Breast Cancer, so it hits close to home. It is 1 of 2 annual tests I get done every year....see my other grandmother died of cervical/ovarian cancer. If you don't already get these 2 LOVELY tests done annually PLEASE start today! They could save your life.

Hockey and More

Ok, sorry to keep you guys hanging over the past few days. Life has been crazy and both my boys are sick so I've been a bit busy.

First --- the hockey tournament! The boys won their game Sunday morning so they came in 3rd place. As of now, their record for the new season 6-1-1.

It's a good way to start the season. That Kid said the referees were very one sided and they called out of town teams to the penalty box way more than the local team. That's the way it is in some places, which is SAD. Why can't the refs just call the game as USA Hockey dictates? Oh well, our team will adapt!

While That Kid was gone for the tournament, That Other Kid were invited to go to Six Flags Over Texas with some friends. Now I'm not big on roller coasters and such, but I knew I could handle Looney Tunes area of the park and I knew That Other Kid would have a blast! We went and I was right, he LOVED IT! A couple of pics for your enjoyment!

Hockey Tournament Continues....

Things are going well with the hockey tournament. They have played 3 games against 3 different teams, and will play their final game in the morning for 3rd place.
Their first game Friday night was a good game to start the tournament with - they won 7-1. But, today was a new day -- they played this morning and tied 2-2 and spent a bunch of time in the penalty box. That hurts~! Tonight's game hurt even worse, by giving us our first big lose -- That Kid didn't even give me the score, it hurt too badly. Once again, they spent WAY TOO MUCH TIME in the penalty box and racked up 16 penalties, costing the team their coach in the final game tomorrow. It also awarded them 5 laps around the building AFTER they had played 3- 18 minute periods. Bet they stay outta the box tomorrow!
So far the only injuries have been a sprained ankle on one of the goalies and some blisters on a few players feet....including That Kid's....
Hope they get some sleep tonight and play well tomorrow or it will be a LONG plane ride home

Hockey Tournament

Well, my baby (you know that 17 year olds are still babies in their mommy's eyes) is, as I type, on a plane to Ohio for the first out of town hockey tournament of the season. The trip was planned with less than 1 month notice so I didn't get to attend this one. I'm kind of bummed, as I hate missing out on part of his life. However, I believe he is in good hands and he will be ok. This trip was designed as a boost to get the season off to a good start and also a team builder. There will be some stiff competition and they will have the opportunity to tour a College Campus, so it can be counted as a "college tour weekend" for those players that plan to go to college. It will be a good weekend, just kind of lonely without 1 of my boys here.

I know that God is with him wherever he travels and HE will protect him from all danger, whether in the air, on the ice rink, or in between.

If you get a chance please pray for his team this weekend. Thanks a bunch!

Why God Made Moms.....

My mom and dad recently got a computer so they could send out emails and communicate with relatives. By communicate, I mean send out goofy emails to everyone they know and pass these chain spam emails along to all their children and relatives and aquaintances who also have email. At first I read every one of them. It just didn't seem right to push the delete button on something dear old mom and dad sent. But then it got to the point where they were sending me 1000's of these a day! Don't retired people have anything to do except pass along emails, I think not!

But on occasion, I will see a subjet line that will suck me in and I'll read it. Sometimes it is funny, sometimes it is serious, sometimes I open it and immediately delete it before getting to the end. Well low and behold, last week they sent me a email that appealed to me and made me laugh. Maybe it will make you laugh, too. Who knows, maybe you'll want to hit the delete button..... Let me know your thoughts!!!

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly usestring, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to becausedad's such a goofball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Quiet Time

Everybody needs some quiet time, doncha think? Well I'm actually getting some this afternoon. It's a little hard for me to fathom. It just doesn't happen often and I'm sitting here thinking "what do I do with myself?"
You see, That Other Kid went to his friend's house this morning to play and then we went to the Golden Arches to play in the play area. He started getting grumpy (which is a sure sign of being over tired) so we decided to call it a day. He fell asleep on the way home and STAYED THAT WAY when I brought him in. It's been another hour and he's still zonked! Maybe he should play with his friend EVERYDAY....
That Kid is adjusting to not having a girlfriend to talk to constantly and is doing school work right now, (which is a good thing since he has about 6 hours of it today) so it's quiet in our house.....
Except for dh's cell phone that keeps ringing from his office in the back of the house.....but that's normal fare around here.
The quiet Not So Much! I should be taking advantage of the quiet and doing something productive or good for me, but I'm just basking in the quiet. Hope you get some quiet time today!

God Is Good!!!!!!

Yes indeedy, He is. You know just this weekend I was complaining about how I have 'stinkin' thinkin' about many different aspects of my life. It's time for a change. I made some minor changes immediately, the most significant was to stop fighting/arguing with That Kid about the "crazy girlfriend" and just PRAY!!!! You know that thing God says to do when we want some change or something to happen in our life.



Well go figure, just last night That Kid came into our room at midnight and said, "I have something to tell you". Whenever, he does that it's serious! Well he sits down and says "Crazy Girlfriend and I broke up tonight. We realized it's not going to work out any more". My first reaction was to jump up and down and shout, but I contained myself, externally anyway! We talked more (for about 45 minutes) and I think the beginnings of getting my non-rebellious teenager back is here. Sooooo, THANK YOU GOD!!! and thanks to Sarah for telling me about the series at church.

Stinkin' Thinkin'

When I was a young Christian I heard of a motivational speaker named, Zig Ziglar and I thought he was wonderful. He knows how to motivate you, get you to thinkin' and help you to correct your "stinkin' thinkin' ". Well lately, I've been going through some real 'stinkin' thinkin'. I have been down in the dumps, and I haven't really been able to pull myself out.

Things around my house are stressful, but the stuff going on around here probably is no different than in anyone else's home, with a teenager going throgh a rebellious stage, a preschooler going through a "I need you stage". I need to get it together if I want to have good relationships with the people in my life.

My best friend suggested I try some St. John's Wart to tackle some of the depression. I haven't been able to bring myself to take any yet, although I did buy some. I need to do something, since I can hardly stand to be in the same room with myself! So when Sarah suggested we go to the service at Fellowship Church if we were in the area, I decided to go....the Sermon/Series title is ineed2change.com and I definately need 2 change! It was very a motivational service and got me to thinking even more. I'll be attending the whole series and by the end of it I believe that my 'stinkin' thinkin' will be gone.

I'll keep you updated and if you happen to think about me in the next few weeks prayers would be appreciated.

School Days...

are keeping me busy. You see That Kid is a junior this year so I need to make sure I keep up on grading and record keeping this year, which I have not been very consistent with in past years. I was forced into it last year, since he played hockey for the local high school team. I did pretty good until the hockey season was over, then I slacked off again. Now it's time to catch up on past years as well as keep up with this year. So far.....so good. We have completed 1 full week of short days and 4 days of full days and I have graded AND recorded on Edu-track EVERY DAY! Ain't ya proud!!!
I am!!! and I guess that's all that matters, huh??

My consistency in taking care of school stuff is cutting into MY time after That Other Kid goes to bed, though so I haven't been able to blog or read blogs as much as I want, but that's ok my kids are more important than ME TIME. I have been squeezing some in here and there, just not much.

I also get to report that I have COOKED dinner 2 times this week. Now I know this sounds trivial, but for the past 3 months we have been eating out nearly every night and by eating out I mean, Sonic, Chick-fil-a, McDonalds, you get the idea. YUCK, I am soooo burned out on eating out that I am trying REAL hard to cook dinner. We can do sandwiches or such for lunch, but dinner needs to be REAL FOOD, prepared by ME, not some short order cook.....Let's pray I don't lose my motivation. We have burned soooooo much money this summer, too and that is a big motivator for cooking.
Do you cook? or do you eat out??? I'm curious, cuz we are all so busy these days it's hard to do it all.

I'm Still Alive!

Just in case you were wondering.....Yes, I'm still alive and somewhat well, just excruciatingly busy. So much so, that I haven't had time to blog or hardly even read any which is rare, cuz ya know there's always time to read a blog or two. (grin) But not so this week. Doctor appointments, the start of school, errands, our 23rd anniversary, and our first hockey tournament of the season has kept me running almost non-stop.

Of course, we've had to deal with a crisis or two with That Kid and grumpy and whiny attitudes from That Other Kid, but that is life in our household right now. Hopefully, things will slow down a little this week. I don't think I can go on too long keeping up with all the excitement.

On 2 happy notes -- which are what I am choosing to focus on right now --

That Kid is no longer going out with his CRAZY Girlfriend, yeah!!! and I had a nice date with dh on our 23rd anniversary Friday. We had our wonderful babysitter come take care of That Other Kid (since the built in one had to work) and we got to go out to eat BY OURSELVES!!!!! We went to a nice restaurant and sat at a REAL table....and I didn't have to dismantle chicken strips -- that's a story for another day---Then we went to walk around the mall and just talk, which is what we did when we dated and first got married. It was a nice end to a stressful week!

We won all 3 of our hockey games this weekend so we are in 1st place, so we play again in the morning, so I need to fold some laundry and iron some clothes for That Kid...they have to show up in dress clothes, before changing into warmup clothes.....He looks sooooooo good!!! I love him so much, please pray he is safe. Hockey is a tough sport, but he loves it!

Have a good Labor Day and don't labor too much.

Stuff Life is Made Of

After the crazy week and weekend that I had just experienced, I was hoping for a quiet week, and so far that's what I have been given.
I'm still sick and my broken toe is still swollen and bruised and incredibly painful to put any pressure on. I'm on new medication that knocks me out-so hopefully I can finally get over it all. Of course, I have to go to the Ortho on Friday to have my toe/foot checked out.
Lite version of school started yesterday and we made it through both days without too many interruptions. Full school starts next Tuesday, after our first hockey tournament of the season -- its local, yeah!!!
Both kids seemed to be ready for some routine, so I'm going to oblige and see where that gets us.
Hope your week is going well so far.

Where Are the Brain Cells

That Kid, being a typical teenage boy, decided he wanted a girl friend. It was oh soooo important to have a "girl" to call his own. So about 6 months he started dating a girl. I had my doubts in the beginning, she called at all hours of the day and night - homeschooling allowed a lot of opportunities for phone calls and instant messaging when a typical teen might not be able to socialize.(I thought homeschoolers were supposed to be anti-social:) ). Their relationship grew, as well as my discomfort level of said relationship. Lies started, missed curfews became the norm, general discourse among the normally compliant teenage boy.
After a couple of months of dating, he discovers some BIG issues with her that had yet to be finalized and solved. He decided to stay with her, and just accept these ISSUES and work around them.
Things have continued to follow the same lines of discourse and now they have been together for 6 months. I am about to ground him AGAIN for lying and basic disobedience. I normally ground for 2 weeks...I think I'm going for 2 months or more this time.
Soooooo again I ask what happened to my generally agreeable teenage son's BRAIN CELLS????????????????
Advice appreciated....