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!!!