Thankfulness!

Well, Thanksgiving is here and it would be terribly un-American of me to not post something about being thankful. But it strikes me that as a larger group we are really an ungrateful bunch. We are rarely satisfied with what we have and are always wanting bigger or better. And we want it now. I am no better than anyone else and I would venture to say that I am not as good at thankfulness as many people I know. But in this week where we celebrate Thanksgiving, I can be thankful with the best of 'em.

So what am I thankful for...well, this month someone on facebook challenged people to do 30 days thanksgiving and to put as your status something you are thankful for every day. And I took up the challenge. It was surprising to me that early in the morning, I often couldn't think of anything to be thankful for....seriously, nothing. Before I had time to get the day going, my mind was blank...here sitting in my warm home, with my 3 healthy children playing around me, with breakfast baking or already filling my belly, and my husband safe at a job that provides well for my family, I was drawing blanks. It is ridiculous. Of course, as the fog of early morning cleared from my brain, these things became more evident and I always had something to put as my status.

But thankfulness isn't a mood...it shouldn't be effected by time of day, amount of sleep, or other mundane petty things. Thankfulness is knowing that God has provided all that you NEED (even if not all that you want) and will continue to do so for as long as you live. It is being thankful that although sometimes things aren't exactly as you wish them to be, that you are never alone.

So what AM I thankful for...

1. my God, my Savior who loves me no matter what...loves me better than anyone else ever could
2. my husband - although neither of us are perfect, we are perfect for each other and make a good "team"
3. my children - even on days when I think I would sell them to the circus (or pay the circus to take them), I am thankful for the laughs they provide and the lessons they teach. I am thankful that *I* get to raise them
4. freedom to raise our family as we see fit - Not everyone has the freedom to worship as they choose, to stay home and not send the kids to daycare, home school or many of the other choices we take for granted.
5. I am thankful to live where I live - although there were times in my life that living in this little town was enough to make me want to run for cover, and there are times now that everyone is just a little to "close", I love knowing that my kids are safe from many influences of the "big city." It makes me feel safe.


And there are so many other things to be thankful for...but those are a few that come to mind this morning.

Oh, and I am thankful for coffee...that clears the haze of morning that makes me wonder what to be thankful for!! :)

A (Great) Day in the Life!

The weather has changed. It is finally acting like November. Cold nights and cool days. It has been cloudy and although there is a chance for rain it is still dry. It's time for sweatshirts, hoods, and hot cocoa.

And as the weather changed, life inside my house has changed as well. I don't know why but since it is a change for the better, I'll take it. Since we got back from vacation, we have struggled with getting school work done (without weeping and gnashing of teeth), getting along, keeping the house liveable, really everything has been a battle. I was ready to pull my hair out, throw in the towel, throw them all on the big yellow bus that goes by our house-even the ones that aren't big enough for the ride yet. We were sick and tired and sick and tired of each other it seemed.

Then I woke up with this idea on a Saturday morning. I was on steroids for a cough and I think that may have induced the idea AND the fact that it was completed before 7 that morning. We rearranged their rooms. (yes, before 7 am). We moved their dressers into one room and all their beds into the other. It must be noted that their rooms are small. There is no room for anything else in the "sleeping room" but they like it. They are all sleeping better. Plus now they have a "play room" that is not part of the public area of the house. Sure, there are still PLENTY of toys in the "library" but the ones that really annoy me (like Legos, and the hot wheels track) are in the play room where I can close the door. It also give the bigger boys a place to play during Griffin's nap that they are out of my hair. Very good thing!

At the time change, I decided to change one of my habits. Not really change, exactly, but start a new, good one. I started reading my Bible every week day morning as I woke up. I have been trying to read the whole thing for almost 2 years now - I've finally made it to Psalms - I had time to check facebook and email and putter around really doing nothing. I could fit this in. So I did and I still am. Another very good thing!

Then school changed, last week we had three good days in a row. On Thursday, they spent the day with friends at a Veteran's Day program and I was told it went well. Friday was not a good day but four out of five were great. And yesterday went well! It was actually a great day! School was done well and without whining. They were a joy to be around. The worst thing that happened all day is that as I was finishing brushing my teeth I realized I was not using my toothbrush. That is gross but if it is the worst a Monday can throw at me then I am doing alright!! Another good thing!

So I am hoping that we are on the upswing and that we are going to have a few good weeks (dare I say months?) With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, I can see potential for it to go either way!! I have faith that even with the disruptions, we can continue on this run of great days! And that is all I ask for for Christmas! Another good thing!

:)

Try NOT to laugh!

This is a short story....really just a one liner. But it is just too good not to share.

On the way to Awana, Maverick said,

"Aiden, did you know you can stick boogers back in your nose?"


........Well, did anyone know that?

Back in the GROOVE!

I am risking a jinx today but it is just too exciting not to go ahead and share....

We seem to be getting back in our groove. After our vacation at the beginning of October and then a few weeks of illness, we have STRUGGLED to get any school work done. Sure, we've done it but it came with much weeping and gnashing of teeth. From the kids and from me. We have really just had a hard time of it.

Now, we have 2 weeks left in our first term (we do three 12 week terms instead of 2 longer semesters) and we've had two, count them TWO, good school days in a row. No crying, no weeping, no whining, no gnashing of teeth. Aiden even did extra phonics today to catch up from some of the sick days, with NO CRYING!!! And Aiden and Maverick took turns reading from the beginner section of their Science text. It was harder reading than they are used to and although I had to help, it went really well. Aiden got all his math problems right. Maverick is doing great with his math. And their handwriting has improved so much (especially Aiden!).

Last week, if asked, I think I would have said that I was failing. I wasn't sure they were really learning anything. And I felt like I we did was fight about getting school (or anything else) done. And I wasn't sure I was winning those battles often enough. I expect those days to come and go and I don't expect great days all the time...but, man, having two in a row is like coming up for fresh air. On days like today (and yesterday), I am glad to homeschool three busy boys. I am glad to be home. I am glad to get to see the light come on when they do something they haven't done before.

Now I had planned to take December to do some extra Christmas related studies instead of our normal school load but after finally finding a groove that seems to be working...I am not willing to risk losing it again. Grooves can be hard to find and also seem easy to lose. We will just add projects and baking to our existing school load. It is different enough that I expect they will enjoy it anyway...and we keep our groove! (I hope!)

Now since, we have extra time that wasn't wasted crying or by other means of driving me crazy...and the weather is beautiful, we are going outside. Gotta take advantage of that Vitamin D while we've got it. Of course, thanks to good ole Daylight "savings" time, it will be dark at 5:30.

It is a happy happy day!!!

Griffin turns THREE!

It is hard to believe that my baby boy is three. Yesterday was his birthday and although we didn't do a lot to mark the day, we did have cake (which was all he asked for) and ice cream. And he got a few more presents, of course.

When we decided to have one more, I was not too secretly hoping for a girl. I considered this my last chance at leveling out some of the testosterone in this house. It was my last chance...but all it did was add more testosterone into our little home. But, although I cried a little cry over not getting to buy pink and those cute little elastic headbands with the bows on them, I can't imagine life without Griffin. He is a wonderful little boy...although he is every bit a BOY!

It is clear that the third child intends to "keep up." He does not want to be left behind in anything nor does he want to be the baby anymore. He wants to do everything his big brothers get to do. He even wants to do school, just like they do (I wonder how long that will last). He is fun and funny and sweet. I so enjoy having him in the house. Now, just like all of us, he has his moments. There are days I want to pull my hair out because of the shenanigans he and his brothers create but when I look at them with a fresh mind (or a glass of wine) I enjoy all the craziness in our house.

He has promised that when he "drowed up and turned three" he would stop pooping in his pants. He already does very well peeing in the potty. He loves "resting it right on the rim" and peeing standing up just like his brothers. But I'm not sure three was the magic number he had thought it would be as far as pooping goes. But I know he'll get it before he goes off to college. I thought the same thing with Aiden and Maverick.

It is clear God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us Griffin. A little girl may not have survived in this household....she certainly would have had to "tom-boy up" pretty quickly. Griffin is good for a smile, a hug or a "too tight" and a "kiss on da nose." He is and always will be my sweet little baby, except when he smells like poop.

And, as it turns out, I like to wear pink...although I'm not sure they make those headbands with the bows big enough to fit my head.

Happy Birthday to my Big (baby) boy!!!

Blah!!

We have been fighting illness forever it seems. Shane was on medicine last week for his cough. And now it is Aiden and I. I am so OVER this being sick. We haven't gone anywhere but the dr since the weekend and I am tired. Shane slept on the cough last week and I'm out here now...sitting up to sleep isn't great unless you can't breathe when you lay down. I hate being on lock down...even though we may not have plans to go anywhere, I hate knowing we can't.

And getting the medicine we've needed has been a nightmore. Shane waited 2 hours at the pharmacy last week. And yesterday they told me it would be a half hour. I had 3 kids, one sleeping already and another sick in the van. I asked if dad could bring it home and they said sure. So I hunted dad down and gave him money. He went to the pharmacy 1 1/2 hours later and it was not done. All in all, it took 2 1/2 hours to get those meds. And they are to help my 7 year old be able to BREATH- pretty important if you ask me. From the time the meds were ordered by my doctor till we got them, it was 5 1/2 hours. I'm glad his breathing wasn't any worse than it is.

So today I whine. I feel like crap. I don't want to do anything. But I have no choice...the kids need fed, laundry needs done, we need to have school, and I am determined to get the house cleaned up for the weekend. But even if I know what needs to be done...doesn't mean I am happy about it. :(

Halloween Weekend!

It was eventful weekend and fun! Trick or Treat was Friday night and after meeting some friends for pizza to kick the night off right, we stopped at a few houses. The boys got to pick out what they wanted to be this year. Aiden was Iron Man , Maverick wanted to be a wizard., and Griffin picked a "dhost). I think he regretted this as the night went on and he couldn't see where he was going...but he was, by far, the cutest (in my opinion). :)

The boys with their friends Bella and James (Spiderman and "bad" spiderman-who I'm sure has a name that I don't know)

Here they are at their last stop of the night...Nanny and Pappy's house

Then on Saturday night, Shane and I participated in a Murder Mystery Dinner hosted by our great friends. It involved costumes and unscripted but directed interaction. We were at the will-reading of a millionaire who had recently died suspiciously. The maid was killed during the night and we had to figure it all out. I played the eldest daughter of the deceased. And Shane was the Detective put on the case. We had SUCH a fabulous time! Although neither of us figured out who the real killer was...good thing the whole thing came with the answer. :) It was like clue only WAY MORE FUN!!!

Everyone who was part of the murder mystery. Such a great group of people who really made it FUN!

Me as Allison Rochester (red carpet style), eldest of the deceased and hoping "Daddy" left me a bundle.

Shane posed as Officer Welsh. He got a few votes for best dressed but didn't win it thanks to the BEST geeky lawyer you have EVER seen. And a seriously obnoxious "best friend" of the deceased.

Can't wait to have another....maybe for Valentine's Day!

Terrible Two's??

Not so much. Griffin has been a pleasant little boy. I mean he has his moments...but don't we all. For the most part he has been enjoyable, pleasant, a charmer. He turns three on Saturday...and he seems to be hitting those terrible two's a bit late. He is full of attitude, and is showing a mean streak. He tests everything and everyone. But he still has everyone at church snowballed (Maverick does too). I am, honestly, hoping he is feeling a little sick and that is the cause of this sudden and unexpected "personality" change. Then, I should have a good pleasant boy back soon.

We are still struggling with the routine for the day and his attitude certainly isn't helping. But it is Monday again and we are back at the races. I wonder who will finish last today...I just hope I'm not the loser. :)

Happy Monday! Blah!

From the mouth of....Maverick!

They got in big trouble for not picking up today. Then a few hours later they made another big mess with these little glass beads we use for sorting (or throwing all over the school room as the case may be). I told Maverick and Griffin (who did the scattering) to pick them up. This is conversation that followed...

Me: Pick up those rocks again.
Maverick: I didn't DOOOO anything.
Me: Of course not Maverick. You never Doooo anything (with just a touch of sarcasm)
Maverick: Yes I do. I ask questions.


And that, folks, is the truth. He asks a lot of questions. So many that my answer is often "To make you ask questions."

And for the record- He also picks up beads with the right motivation.

PS- I'm not sure that this new schedule is really going to work either. Anyone who has experience and an idea (or no experience and an idea). How do I get the one to nap and not just yell at the others to be quiet all afternoon? Our house isn't big enough to spread everyone out. Griffin discovered what was going on and wouldn't nap cause he wants to do school too. And now they are ALL fighting and Griffin is exhausted and the afternoon is maybe even more stressful than before. :( I just don't know WHAT TO DO!

School Experiment!

We've been struggling with our schedule since we've been back from vacation. Griffin still gets up so early (5:50 this morning- although he went back to sleep in my bed). And the big boys have just grown out of their naps. So all afternoon while Griffin is sleeping I tell the big boys "Be Quiet" or something similar. They don't want to be quiet and I don't want to yell at them all afternoon. No matter how great the day has been stress levels raise in the afternoon and by the evening when we are all together as I family, I am ready to run far far away for a while. Not exactly the way we want our evenings to go.

So today we are doing something TOTALLY new. We always do school in the morning but today I have lots of bread bowls to make for a dinner party this weekend and I am doing that before lunch while the kids play. They've played play-do and are building hot wheels tracks now and playing indoor croquet. So far (although we are only a few hours into this experiment) there hasn't been much fighting. I don't pretend to think that won't change. I am getting to do somethings I need/want to do and they are getting to play without being told to be quiet. Also Griffin isn't getting into mischief while we try to get our school work completed.

Then this afternoon after Griffin is down for his nap, we will have school time. Griffin isn't really old enough to participate in the sit down work and often creates distraction anyway. It is quiet work so they shouldn't get in trouble for making too much noise. When we have a field trip or other appointment in the afternoon, we can do the sit down work in the morning before we go. Or they can take it with them and keep them busy while we wait for our appointment. And if there is a fun science or social studies activity Griffin can participate in, then we will do that in the morning while he is awake.

I am hoping that it is a better use of all of our time. Now if I can just figure out where a shower for me fits in, the plan would be perfect. :) We'll get it all figured out just in time for thanksgiving break. LOL!

Adventure with Quinoa!

So I am always ready to try new food. So when Shane and I stopped at Whole Foods on the way home from our trip and I saw quinoa in the bulk bins I decided to get a little. There was also a "How to buy and cook bulk food" booklet that told me what to do with the stuff so that helped too.

So, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) in the book is described as a grain with "light, nutty flavor" It is higher in protein than other grains and expands to 4 times its volume when cooked. The expansion thing is SO nice to know when cooking from bulk the first time. It suggests use in "grain salads" or as a stuffing for zucchini or tomatoes. Also good for fajitas or enchiladas. After you rinse it several times, it simmers for 20 minutes.

So it has been in the cabinet for a little bit and I decided to try it today. I didn't want to stuff tomatoes or zucchini so I got online and looked at www.allrecipes.com for some ideas. I did have some tomatoes but they needed cleaned up (some icky spots) so I went with a salad. I cooked 1 cup of quinoa and then stirred in a couple of chopped tomatoes, some halved green olives, and some feta cheese. I decided to add some salad dressing to the bit I put on my plate (I wish i had not done that).

So what is my opinion on quinoa? YUMMY! The salad was very good. I will use black olives next time (I didn't have any) simply because I like them better. The quinoa itself is exactly as it was described a little nutty and very crunchy...almost like the crunch makes it "pop" a little. Kinda hard to describe. But it was great and a nice addition to my lunch ideas. I coudn't get the boys to try it cause they don't like feta or green olives. I think I'll sneak it in something they DO like sometime and see how that goes. It could easily be used in place of rice for a vegetable stir fry to bump up that protein.

This is what my first attempt at quinoa salad looks. Pretty yummy if ya ask me. :)

MIA!

I have been having trouble logging into my blogging account. Now I finally got in and have really have nothing to say. Shocking! I know! But it is what it is.

The boys have all been coughing and running low grade fevers. They, now, seem better. Shane, however, is hacking up a lung and neither of us are getting any sleep!

That is all I've got for now but I will try to do a real post soon. So much for weekly menus and all that jazz...oh well! We are still eating and I'm guessing most of you are too so no harm done.

A very very few phtotos!

Well, I was able to resize and load up a few photos. There is just NO way to share them all online. Nor do photos really do any justice whatsoever to the Canyon itself or to the experience of riding a mule into the canyon. Before moving into pictures, the mule ride is heavy with history. It is the traditional way to see the canyon. It is how the first explorers experienced the Canyon and how President Roosevelt visited before making it into a National Park. It is terrifying and exciting, exhausting and empowering and altogether amazing. It is also very hard to do...there are 5 million visitors to the Canyon yearly...only 10 people per day get to ride to the bottom on mules (and stay over night)...that is less than 1% who actually get to ride the mules into the canyon. Those 10 have to weigh in (and be a certain height). If you are too short (less than 4'7") or too heavy (over 200 lbs with clothes and gear), you do not get to go...period...no arguing no exceptions. It was an experience I will never forget and one I hope I get to repeat (despite the difficulty in getting "tickets" and the expense)...it was well worth it.

We got to the canyon in the middle of the thunderstorm...in a moment of sunlight we went out to check it out and got this picture...we were soon back in the shelter of a restaurant. :)

The morning of the mule ride down was rainy again. They supplied us with raincoats and I was VERY thankful we had rain pants (even if they were camo)...it was nice to stay dry. See how I am leaning way back in the saddle. The ride is steep...you lean back to stay on...but it makes your back ache.

This is a section of the trail after we broke for a stretch and some snacks...this particular corner is called "Jesus Corner"...cause if you aren't praying you are likely swearing...it was a TIGHT corner with a steep drop ...the trail we switchback onto here is to the right of the big rocks that mark the edge of the trail...see how you can't see it...you couldn't see it from the mule either. It was so scary!! You can also see the trail cut into the edge to the right of the mule rider. Those switchbacks are called "The Devil's Corkscrew." They were a little scary too!

One of the first sites of the Colorado River (did you know Colorado means "reddish brown"- creative weren't they?). We rode alongside the Colorado for a while...unfortunately, it was a LONG way down the whole time. :) You may be able to see the bridge. That is the "hikers bridge" cause the mules won't walk across the metal mesh floor...we took another bridge down the trail a bit...it had a solid wood floor in it.

The mule behind me (named Mercy) was kinda slow (picky with her footing) so they got behind. Shane took this picture of K-Bar (our wrangler) and me out ahead. We are rounding a corner- the cliff to our left drops down to the river!

Here is a view from Phantom Ranch at the bottom. The sites were amazing. And you couldn't even tell you were in the "inner canyon." The inner canyon is big enough you can't see the ridges of the "Grand Canyon" in most places.

On the way up we had to rest the mules every now and again...this is at one of those stops looking back across what we had just climbed...amazing.

Here we are back at the top...we'd made it both ways in the rain and cold. Who would guess that I couldn't really feel my fingers and my hat was dripping rain in my face? It was an amazing trip!! My mule. Ted Bundy (who I called Teddy) kept me on my toes but I loved him. Shane's mule, Lucy, was a calm, easy going thing...until she got close to Teddy and then she would bite him... on the way up she bit him nearly every time we stopped to rest...and we would both say (in sinc with K Bar, the wrangler) "Knock it off Lucy." And she would lay her ears back, a little miffed to be in trouble. Teddy's ears flopped the entire time showing that he was pretty relaxed about the whole thing....except when we got to a puddle...then he would concentrate to not get his feet wet and consequently tight rope along the outer edge or try to brush me off his back by banging my knees along the inside cliff. I spent a lot of time going "Teddy, it's only water" K Bar laughed every time. :) But I never convinced Teddy that the water wouldn't hurt...and I think he enjoyed when I clenched from the tight-roping or hollered from the knee banging...he was really rotten I tell ya! :)

The section of rock that appears "lit up" in this photo is the battleship...it looks like a battleship with its canons sticking out the side...one of the many things hard to see in a photo. This is taken from within the canyon but it is easily visible from the south rim...it is the most photographed rock in the canyon.

From the rim you can see a chunk of the Colorado River. See the reddish brown slightly to the right of center. If you have amazing eyes, you may be able to see the TINY black line there that was the bridge we crossed. To the left of the river is a green patch of trees (you have to "cross" the little ridge and it is partly in shadow)...that is Phantom Ranch where we stayed overnight.

Here we are on our last day at the canyon. We had already ridden the mules and were still standing upright. :) The sun had FINALLY come out and we did some walking along the rim trails and trading picture taking with other couples.

This is a favorite "rim shot" photo. I like how the trees frame the photo and the light emphasizes all the layers and the beauty of the canyon.

Back at HOME!!!

Shane and I just got back from our 10 year anniversary trip! It was SO MUCH FUN!!! We left the boys with my parents for 10 days and road tripped down Old Route 66! Our goal was to NOT eat or stay in any chain restaurant or hotels....and we did it! We ate good ole food (I gained 4 lbs in 10 days) and stayed in little out of the way places every night.

Our destination was the Grand Canyon where we rode mules to the bottom of the canyon and stayed overnight in a cabin at Phantom Ranch. The experience was unbelievable. So many people visit the canyon each year (5 million or so) but so few SEE the canyon. It is something I will never forget. The pictures all need to be resized which I am going to work on this week sometime and post a few. They are nothing compared to being there though.

The menu for this week is a "scrap the bottom of the barrel" kinda menu. I go grocery shopping on the 15th and I'm trying to make it till then before I shop after being gone for a while. We did stop and get some produce, milk, bread, and eggs. So this is what we are eating this week.

Monday: Vegetable Tomato Soup
Tuesday: Going to a friends for supper- she is making meatloaf.
Wednesday: spaghetti or pasta of some kind
Thursday: chicken and rice in the crock pot
Friday: is the FIFTEENTH so we will be eating out while we grocery shop. :)

Pictures coming VERY soon of the trip! With a more complete story of the whole thing!

FLYlady update and Menu for the week!

Well, things are going passably well with FLYlady. My kitchen is staying cleaned up and the floors are cleared of toys and junk most of the time. The weekend was hard with SO MUCH going on but I'm just picking up again and keeping at it.

This week the Zone is the Master bedroom and I am thankful for that. Our bedroom is so often a dumping ground when we don't know what else to do with stuff....I got a lot of that picked up yesterday. It is still a challenge for me for some reason. For example, we have a lot to pick up today...but it won't take long to get it done so I don't know why I didn't get it done yesterday. :( So, it is working but it is 2 steps forward and 1 step back it seems. You can check her out here

And our menu this week is kinda thrown together....

Monday- tuna burgers, broccoli, and pears
Tuesday- porkburgers, deviled eggs, grilled potatoes
Wednesday- finger foods (our toothpick meal again). The boys have Awana and I have a haircut...no time for cooking and cleaning it up.
Thursday - Pasta
Friday - shrimp and I don't know what (it is Aiden's birthday and he wants shrimp but I am not allowed to make pasta with it)

Well, gotta go get the rest of my morning routine done (should be done already before I come to the computer but...). And I have clothes to hang out on the line and stuff. We have a busy day today!

Tomorrow I am going to try to post pictures of the fall festival parade! It was a fun time!

Words Unnecessary!!

This is what I saw when I checked on him during nap time...enough said!

My Messy House!

So rearranging and purging in our library/school room inspired me to do some cleaning in the other rooms. I, honestly, can't remember the last time I dusted. I feel like I straighten ALL the time and never ever find the bottom and therefore never dust. My school room and desk is a LITTLE TINY bit better. I don't really understand how people have a clean house (by clean I mean that you can walk through a room without tripping or stubbing your toe on stuff) ALL the time!

I feel like I am closer to "zero" than I have been in a long time. By "Zero" I mean a point where my house doesn't stress me out and we can live in it and find things and be happy.

So I decided to join FLYlady again. I signed up for the daily emails and am doing ok with them. They used to be a BOATLOAD of reminders that overwhelmed me. But that doesn't seem to be the case now....but maybe I signed up differently. Since I have used her before, I am implementing a few things at once (which she does not recommend)...but I don't really follow rules well!

So this is what I am doing.
1. Starting a SMALL morning routine
2. Starting a small evening routine. (this is hard since I typically collapse into bed at night-HA!)
3. Keeping my sink shiny (I signed up Sunday and am already failing at this). :(
4. Working in the "zone" of the week. This week is the bathroom and stash -n- dash area (your dumping ground for clutter)
5. The boys and I are doing 2 "15 minute flings" daily.

Number 4 and 5 involve a timer. I set the timer for 15 minutes and we do whatever it is. So this morning I set my timer and decluttered in my bathrooms. I got the drawers in the main bathroom all decluttered (one is completely empty and another is close) and everything picked up. I also got the big "garden tub" (that we never use) in the master bath emptied of all the junk that had been thrown in there (bath toys, etc). I feel good about it. In the 15 minute fling, I set the timer and the boys and I pick up toys and the main areas (mostly the floor) and put everything where it belongs.

I hope I can maintain some level of order with this. I don't want a magazine ready house. We live here. There are three small children here and I want them to be able to play and have fun and that involves messes. But I need to do SOMEthing....I looked ahead and next week's zone is the master bedroom...I can't wait to start pitching stuff in there. Unfortunately, it is my "stash n dash" (or dumping ground) area...It is so messy in there.

So anyway, I am going to make the effort...I am afraid I am setting myself up to fail...but the 15 minutes and timer thing really appeals to me. 15 minutes isn't that long, but it is long enough to get a lot done. Please don't laugh or make not nice comments when I fail and you witness it when you come to my house!

The Week in Photos

We had an eventful week last week...and since a picture is worth 1000 words and nobody really wants to read 1000 words...I'm gonna do this the easy way.


Maverick waiting to blow out his candles! Happy 5th Birthday!!!

All he wanted was a remote control airplane...and here we are getting it to fly.

Picking an apple at Grissom's. He ate the whole thing, even though it was green...eeew!

Aiden is going for a big kick!! (I'm not sure what is wrong with his arm)

At church on Sunday the kids were all given fishing caps for finishing the Fishin for Missions challenge. They raised 1030.86 for missions over the summer.

Monday Monday

Well, I was going to do the first "Week in pictures" post last night. Instead, Shane and I spent 3 hours (and another 2 hours this morning) trying to clean up the nasty virus that I got on my mini laptop. So, that didn't get done.

Neither did my weekly menu planning.

However, the good news is that we killed the virus and didn't lose any of our information.

I am teaching a "start your own blog" class tonight with the homeschool group so I will post those things then...as a teaching tool.

My Labor Day Project!

So the one thing I really wanted to do is sew my new table cloth on Labor Day. I have a square table that is IMPOSSIBLE to find a table cloth for and I want to make my table a little more "diner-like" without replacing it. I thought a good table cloth would be the way to go. It took a large part of the day with breaks for lunch and such...but I am thrilled with how it turned out. There was just SO much fabric to work with that it took a while.

This is the fabric pattern on the top/front of the cloth. I love that it has so many colors. I can use my black and white dishes and red accents but it has all of those "frosted" colors from the era as well. It is just FUN!

This is the finished project. The backing is a small red gingham. I will not likely sew with that again until I forget how cross-eyed it made me.

So the finished product is reversible depending on my mood or occasion. I am very pleased with it. Now I don't pretend that a household with 3 small boys is a good place for a tablecloth. So I have on order clear vinyl that is stitchable and I will be making a cover to go over it (not only to protect it but by my design it should hold it in place-if my design design works as well in real life as it does in my head. LOL). I am hoping to put to-go menus or other paper "collectibles" from our Route 66 trip under the plastic too. It should help break up the busyness of the patterns.

I also have enough fabric to make a matching valance for my kitchen window and (hopefully) for over the sliding glass door. :)

BIrthday Boy!!

Maverick is turning FIVE today! I just can't even believe it has been 5 years.

I'll tell ya, this boy has been a roller coaster ride from day one. The first few months of his life were hard on everyone. He cried so much and was impossible to console. I had nightmares of him being kidnapped and the kidnappers always brought him home. As he got older, the screaming and crying stopped but he got dangerous. He walked at 8 months and at 11 months or so he was found "hiding" on the top bunk of the bunk bed (yep, he climbed the ladder). We had to move him from his crib on his first birthday because got stuck and hung himself upside by his thighs trying to climb in it. He scaled our book shelves shortly after his first birthday...I caught him just before he jumped.

He is intense. When he is happy, there is no one happier. When he is mad, well stand back. When he is afraid or sad or any emotion, he is intensely so. For several years, we struggled with more little things, his socks on the wrong feet (seriously, I still don't know how to tell the difference), hair on his fingers, freaking out about tags in clothes, etc. It was a constant effort to keep him happy. The other emotions were so much more exhausting!

Then, after an appointment with the pediatrician where I got a referral to a specialist to figure out how to help Maverick mellow out., I reached out for help online. The referral was going to take 6-9 months and I was already exhausted! And I got help from a homeschool friend who I've never met in person. She suggested the Feingold diet. We got the kit and followed it religiously. People thought we were nuts! But Maverick started improving. And aiden get aa little less goofy and I stopped getting headaches all the time). And then I canceled the appointment with the specialist. All I wanted was him to be happy and settled, I don't need a "diagnosis" or "label." He is sensitive to additives in food. In the last 1 1/2 years, we have narrowed his trouble foods to dyes. "Colors with a number" is what I say....such as red #40. We avoid these like the plague. I would give him a Big Gulp of coke before I gave him gatorade. We still avoid a lot of other things at home but as long as I can guess something is mostly dye free when we are out and about, we don't freak out about it. It has changed our lives.

Now, what is Maverick like? He is a wonderful boy! Still a little high strung (but so is his mother) but I can bring him back to earth when he is getting close to losing control. He is doing well in his schooling. He makes friends easily and is pleasant. He still exhausts me and is full of mischief but he is likable now. (he hasn't always been likable)!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAVERICK!!! You are growing into a wonderful big boy and we love you!

Weekly Menu!

Sunday - Vegetable Tomato soup (I love "souper sundays" in the winter
Monday - spaghetti
Tuesday - corn dogs, fruit salad, chips, and baked beans
Wednesday- french toast
Thursday - summer sausage, cheese, crackers, veggies & dip, fruit- We call this a toothpick meal, because we eat everything with our fingers or a toothpick.
Friday- Chicken N Noodles

There you have it! Short, sweet and to the point!

Weekly Meals!

So, last week I didn't get this posted. Oops! (told ya no promises-lol) So this is what we ate.

Sunday- church picnic- It was good and there was a LOT of food! :)
Monday- Bacon & fresh Tomato pasta (with whole grain pasta)
Tuesday- taco bar (friends came over-as on most Tuesdays) and we potluck it. It was quite the spread although we missed quac and sour cream.
Wednesday- Grilled pork shoulder steak and sweet potatoes
Thursday- Meatloaf burger and grilled potatoes and carrots (except partway through the grill ran out of propane- so the burgers were cooked on the stovetop and the potatoes and carrots were fried)
Friday- homemade corn dogs and baked mac n cheese
Saturday- steak n shake :)

So on to this week! I've made my plan like normal although we have one kid sick with a cold and fever. He isn't eating well (but isn't sick to his stomach) so the plan may change as the week goes on. But I still have a plan. :)

Sunday- Homeschool kick off party (sick one is going to Nanny's)...dinner is another potluck! :)
Monday- homemade pizza
Tuesday- Fish- corn - hushpuppies
Wednesday- Breakfast for dinner (either pancakes or egg casserole)
Thursday- roast potatoes veg
Friday - BBQ (made with extra roast)


So that is what the week looks like. We'll see how closely I stick to it!

My husband- The Liar!

So, this December Shane and I will have been married for 10 years. Last fall, he mentioned wanting to plan a trip for us to celebrate and he wanted to surprise me. Fine, I said, just stick with the continental US. Last Christmas, he gave me guide books and the itinerary for our trip...we are driving Route 66 all the way to the Pacific and staying in this swanky resort on the beach. Although I could have swallowed my tongue at the cost, I got online, checked it all out and have been making plans since....we are redecorating the kitchen as a 40's diner in honor of the trip. I just love stuff like this.

Then last Friday, I went out with a friend. When I got home Shane had a scavenger type hunt set up all over the house. I got to the final stop (on my pillow) and discovered he had been lying the whole time...not about ALL of it. We are still driving on Route 66 (which is good since I just rented a car) but not to California...the resort reservation was a FAKE itinerary that the travel agent made up for him. So what is our final destination?.... The bottom of the Grand Canyon! We get to stay one night on the south rim of the canyon. Then we will get up early to meet the mule train and ride down the canyon. There we will stay one night at Phantom Ranch before we saddle up again and ride back out of the Canyon. Then we have one more night on the rim before we head for home.

So am I happy about the swap? Honestly, I would much rather ride a mule for 2 days on the outside edge of a trail carved in the side of a canyon a mile deep than wear the bikini he insisted I get for the beach in public. So, although my best friend was right and swapping a relaxing beach resort vacation for a 2 day mule ride had a HUGE potential to backfire, I am so much more excited about the trip now than I was before!

We have a few weeks to plan and I have some serious shopping to do. All the little sundresses and tanks, not to mention the bikini, are not going to work at the canyon. The mule ride has very specific rules as to what one can wear...I need jeans, long sleeve shirts, and boots (preferably cowboy). So a great friend of mine is teaching me the joys of resale shops. We hit 4 yesterday and are hitting 4 different ones next week. More posts about that to come.

Monthly Meal Plans!

So I posted about planning my meals out before I go grocery shopping this month on facebook...and quite a conversation followed. So I am going to TRY to include my monthly meal ideas and then my weekly plan as I narrow it all down! I make NO promises though! LOL I plan for a month worth of meals on a calendar (that I print from www.donnayoung.org or www.calendarsthatwork.com). Although I plan them for specific dates, the reason the meal plan works is that it is flexible!!! For the first time, I am also planning lunches. I am not doing lunches on a dated calendar. I am using this one because I think it is cute! :)

For our dinners this month, we will be having:

• pork chops & sweet potatoes
• BLT pasta
• tacos
• fried fish, corn and hushpuppies
• meatloaf burgers & grilled veggies
• homemade corndogs and oven fries
• breakfast for dinner
• crockpot pizza
• mexican stirfry
• tuna burgers
  
• crockpot chicken lickin & rice
• grilled hotdogs & baked beans
• swedish meatballs & mashed potatoes
• spaghetti
• Roast, potatoes, corn
  
• black beans burgers & slaw
• porkburgers & grilled veggies
• BBQ
• tuna casserole
• rotisserie chicken
• grilled shrimp with garlic butter pasta
  
• nachos
• Finger foods (sausage, cheese, crackers, vegs, fruit--everything is eaten with fingers or a toothpick)- I should add some kind of fondue to make this more fun...any ideas?
  
• "Ponderosa night" = I take all the leftovers out of the fridge and put them on the bar...everybody eats what they want...and I clean out the fridge. It's a win-win...and when I don't call it "leftovers" there is much less complaining! :)
  

Some of these meals will repeat within the 1 month (or more) time. We have pizza frequently. Tunas burgers and tuna casserole are both quick and easy and the kids eat them well. And throwing stuff on the grill is always an easy go-to meal for us. :) I also keep frozen and canned veggies to round out a meal.

Also, the boys want to EAT lunch. What I consider a good lunch and what they consider a good lunch are vastly different. They are growing boys and I need to make them more to eat at noon. I don't want to make two full meals each day but it is time that I bulked up lunch a bit. So these are my ideas...we'll see how they go. There will be fruit (either canned, fresh, or frozen), and either chips or veggies and dip. I would love to get another blender so we could have smoothies...but after breaking 2 of them I'm not sure if blenders and I really get along well enough to live in the same house. Of course, we use leftovers often as lunch. They work best when I can make them as unlike the previous nights supper as possible. (Roast turned into BBQ or Tacos turned into nachos or spaghetti sauce on a little pizzas, etc)

• pb & j sandwiches, chips, fruit
• finger foods (same as dinner finger foods)
• turkey pinwheels, yogurt, fruit, vegs n dip
• scrambled eggs, toast, fruit, yogurt
• tuna turnovers
  
• mini pizzas
• grilled cheese
• nachos, black bean dip
• egg mcmuffins, yogurt
• quesadillas
• chicken turnovers
• banana dog
• pb & apple Quesadilla
• sandwich of their choice
• pizza pockets
• bagel sandwich
• PB & J sushi rolls
  
• tortilla pizza
• nachos
• hot dogs

PS- If anyone knows how to spell Quesadilla I would love to learn. I know it is spelled wrong but I can't figure out how to spell it. Anybody???

PSS- I'm still looking for more ideas...as always!! (especially for lunches) :)

If this lunch plan thing goes well...I think I will do the same thing for breakfast

Mom's Birthday Trip

I had a wonderful weekend last weekend. I traveled to the Big House in the Little Woods near Shipshewana, IN with my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. It is Indiana Amish Country and just beautiful! We drove up Friday and ate family style at the Blue Gate Restaurant. At the Blue Gate, Family Style means they bring you big bowls of food to be shared by the whole table (but you don't sit with strangers). If you run out of something, they bring you more. Basically, it is a buffet without the exercise of walking to the bar. :) It was SO YUMMY!!!

Gail at the Big House in the Little Woods made a breakfast of champions Saturday morning...we ate baked french toast, eggs, bacon, etc. The neighbor, Ben, came over and ate breakfast with us before he took some of the guests on buggy rides. We arranged to go on a ride in the evening so we could hit the shops earlier. :)

My photo of the Big House in the Little Woods. It is such a lovely home!

We spent the day walking the little town of Shipshewana. It is full of little shops. There were tourist-y shops, artist's shops, bakeries, restaurants, fabric stores, etc. Everything our little hearts could desire and more. The weather was perfect! It was warm but not like here. There was a nice breeze and it was overcast...a few times it sprinkled.

These were along the street of shops in Shipshewana. The flowers everywhere were unbelievable. It made my little flower bed look even more pathetic.

We all piled into Ben's family buggy and Deana (the horse) took us on an hour ride around the country-side. It was a fun time. Heather got to drive (which I suggested may not be the best idea). Ben answered some questions but was often guarded. He was incredibly funny and told a bunch of jokes. I think he thought Heather may be certifiable. :) We saw the schools, Ben honked his buggy horn and we got Deana moving along at a speedy 10 miles per hour. It was a great end to the day. Very relaxing...although I don't think I'd like to actually travel that way.

Here we all are just after our ride. The lighting wasn't good and I'm not sure how experienced our Amish buggy driver was with a digital camera...

This is Ben's buggy and horse named Deanna. She is actually named for a girl who stayed at the Big House in the Little Woods.

On Sunday, after another serious breakfast, we drove around area looking for the quilt gardens and murals. We had a map but it still wasn't easy. We found several...some looking better than others. Then we headed home!Here we all are getting ready to head home.

It was such a wonderful time but I am so glad to be home! Now to start school for the week! :) That is back to real life if anything is. :)

Transparency and Whiplash

I feel like so many times when I read a homeschooler's blog it is all sunshine and roses with 6 kids in matching jumpers playing violin and dancing over their math problems. Now if your kids all wear matching jumpers and are playing classical violin and beg to do extra math drills then bully for you and I don't want to hear about it...and quite frankly, neither does anyone else. So in the interest of transparency, this is what my week has been like. I think you will understand why I am suffering from whiplash as you read.

Sunday- We reminded the kids we were started school on Monday and gave them back to school gifts. This was well received (obviously). I posted about that with pictures a few posts back...if you are interested check it out.

Monday- School started with much wasted time over copywork (which is basically how we do handwriting practice here). I expected a little belly aching about copywork. I was not surprised by this. But I knew I would persevere and the boys would come to get it done. But besides that all was "sunshine and roses." I discovered how much we are going to like our Science curriculum. Day one-good! Glad we started school!

Tuesday- Copywork was another problem area. But when it gets done their handwriting is great. Lots of whining. I discovered how crappy the social studies book and my plans for it are. I think I am going to have to start over and come up with something else. It is a exciting as watching paint dry. This was not good! Went to a Homeschool Mom's Night Out at a friend's house. There were something like 14 homeschool mom's there (and a couple CUTE babies). Got some great ideas and encouragement. It was the best part of my day! Love you ladies!!

Wednesday- Part of our problem is distraction...so I asked Shane to pick up those tri-fold poster board things that kids use for science fairs to create "cubicles" for the boys. They like them. And after looking at another mom's handwriting curriculum (which was one I almost bought) I decided to change what we do for handwriting. I took those ideas and made the same plan for the boys today. It wasn't hard to duplicate. They did SO much better. It seems like something we can all live with. Science was great and SO MUCH FUN...the mess on the dining room table required us to eat 2 meals in the living room. Decided to get out of the house and go to Effingham and visit the library (LOVE Helen Matthes). It was great. We looked like the perfect homeschool family minus our matching jumpers. :) The boys played nicely. I checked out a BOATLOAD of books to make our study of Native Americans work. And, in the apparent intellectual setting of a library (even in the children's section), I brainstormed new ideas for how to make social studies work this term. We only had to go the bathroom once...Maverick seems to have a "thing" for pubic restrooms and we visit them more often than anyone should ever visit a public restroom. The big boys went to CCC Sport's Camp VBS. I spent the evening cleaning up the house which wasn't really so bad. Griffin and I laughed and played and had a dance!

Today- Apparently, ANY writing is going to be a problem. Woke up this morning with a headache that I have yet to kill. Aiden wasted over and hour complaining about his handwriting. Then he moved to complaining about phonics. Then he complained about math. He huffs and puffs and cries. I can stay calm for about the first 30 minutes and then I get angry...I realized me getting angry doesn't help anything...it just makes the nastiness spread. It is now 3 and he is finally finishing his math...he should finish school by 11 or 11:30 each day. I think maybe someone learned something...but I don't know who and I'm not sure what. And when I spend the whole morning trying to get them to focus I feel like Griffin gets ignored. Oh, and when I went outside to take care of the animals I discovered no one penned up the chickens last night. I thought Shane did when he came home from Sports Camp, he thought I did because I was home all evening. We now have dead chickens in the coop...it is pushing 95 degrees F today...that is NOT a good combination. So, it has been a horrible day and I would like the chance to start over.......

It is good to know I get that chance...tomorrow. I can go to bed at a decent hour tonight and get enough rest so hopefully I don't have a headache. I can start my day with Bible and prayer in the morning (instead of doing it after lunch) and not with email and facebook. I can know that every single homeschool parent has days like these even if they only share the sunshine and roses part.

OK, that was me being transparent (and a little tongue in cheek). I have nothing personal against jumpers, violin, or math problems. :) But I still don't really want to hear about your perfect day today...tell me tomorrow. If we stick with our pattern it should be a better day! :)

Maverick Dressed Himself!

So when any of the kids take care of dressing themselves without any help, I do not complain. I also let them wear pretty much whatever as long as it is appropriate (no swim trunks to church or ties to the pond). That means sometimes I am going about my day with some pretty funny lookin' dudes.

Yesterday this is what Maverick wore to town. The picture just doesn't really do it justice. The tie dye shirt and orange and blue shorts aren't really so bad (although the orange of the cross and the shorts don't match as well as it appears in the photo). The red socks kinda put the outfit over the edge though and they are Griffins and entirely too small for his feet.

I was a little bummed with his shoes. He was wanting to wear brown dress loafers but one was missing so he went with his tennis shoes. Everyone knows that the shoes make the outfit and I think loafers would have made a doozy!

Organizationally Challenged!!

I love to plan! I like to have nice, neat organized spaces. I, unfortunately, am not good at keeping them that way. I try, I really do...but it seems like someone is always messing it up. Take my desk for instance. I clean it off and make myself a bunch of great workspace and within the day it is cluttered with papers, writing utensils, paper airplanes, books, legos, etc. It drives me crazy! How do people keep a space neat ALL the time!? Anyway, I try all the time to find ways to make my space neater. It is a work in progress! And if you see a picture that is all neat and tidy...don't feel guilty if your space isn't neat and tidy...know that I most likely cleaned it up just for that picture and it is messy by the time you see the photo. :)

Now for our "school closet." and the new and improved way I've got it organized. (Did I mention I am FOREVER trying to find ways to keep things neat and tidy?!?!)

So this is the school closet. It is actually a pantry that I don't use for food. I keep arts & craft supplies and supplies for our tot trays in there. I also keep tot trays ready to use in there. The hanging buckets store crayons, markers, colored pencils, and glue. I got them at the dollar tree. They are hanging from the wire shelves with "S" hooks from the hardware store (or maybe I got those at IKEA).


Our art supplies were getting out of control and were hard to find in the big bins I was storing them in. So I got an over the door shoe holder thing at Walmart for $10. It is PERFECT! It stores random craft supplies and containers for sorting. I love it!

The bottom shelves are for tot trays and puzzles. We use these only during school time. These are 4 tot trays the boys have for this week of school Those will change each week to practice different skills.

OK, so now you've seen it all organized....I wonder how long it will last!

Start of School!

Well, it is time to start school in the Cessna house. Summer break is over-rated. We lose so much educationally and I feel like I may just lose my mind. We take the break so we can do fun things but it is so hot and miserable outside I feel like we may as well be studying and getting a few weeks "ahead" to take extra breaks in the fall when the weather is nice (or whenever else a week off sounds nice).

This year Aiden will be "in" 1st grade, Maverick "in" Kindergarten and Griffin will be tagging along and doing some pre-school level work. I put "in" in quotation because we really do very little by the grade level. Our history book (The Complete Book of United States History) is a 3-5th grade book and we are just covering the parts that are appropriate and adding fun activities that address the time or subject we learned. We will also be covering some holidays and things like that. Both are already reading aloud and just need to work on flow and speed and comfort. They will still be doing Explode the Code to work out any kinks in our reading. Our Science curriculum (God's Design for Life by AIG) is also a multi-grade book. We are doing the "beginner" sections and will repeat the book when they get older and do the other sections. For math we are using Math U See. Aiden is partially through the Alpha level and Maverick will start the Primer this year. I don't really know how they coincide with public school math grade levels. We will also do doing copywork (for handwriting), Bible devotions and memory, be looking at and doing art, be ready poetry, and lots of read alouds. This is a huge paragragh and looks like we are way overbooked. But we won't do everything everyday and school will take about 2 hours if we don't whine and waste time. :)Here are our primary curriculum books (I only wish I had the bookends I've been looking for)

Griffin gets to do "tot trays" which can be found at www.1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com practicing skills like stringing beads, fill and spill (pouring), cutting, sorting, coloring, etc. They are a lot like "learning centers" in a daycare setting except he stays in one place and the learning comes to him on trays. He will also have "calendar time" each day to learn the days of the week and practice counting. He will be doing his tot trays at the table while the other boys are doing their other things and will hopefully soak a bit of what they are learning up. I will take some pictures and upload our tot trays soon. They really are pretty cool!

I also color coordinated all of their school supplies (which they will get as a back to school gift on Sunday night). Aiden is red, Maverick is blue, and Griffin is green. Their pencils, erasers, binders, scissors, etc are all "their color." They even have paper clips and highlighters in their colors. Makes everything easier to keep straight. And if I find something somewhere I know "whose" it is and who left it out and where it should be. Each child has his own drawer to keep his own supplies in.Each boy gets a binder, a notebook, and a little pencil box full of goodies in his color.

Each boy also gets a drawer with his name on it to keep his things in. And it will give me a place to put the things I find that are not in their correct place.

This is their little pencil box. It is packed full!!

Here are all their school goodies. I am obviously just showing the blue one. All of them have the same things. Pencils, scissors, heart paper clips, other clips, highlighter, pencil sharpener, soccer ball erasers, and a regular eraser.

YES! I love buying school supplies!! :D And I can't wait to get back to school!!!

My foolish children

Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

Today has not been a great day. I had a lot to get done and feel like I am running behind. I should have realized that it would not be a great day. The boys had a busy weekend with not enough sleep, too much junk food, and it was a full moon last night.

So Aiden's new glasses had gotten horribly bent out of shape. He hasn't even been able to wear them. So the first thing on my long to do list was take him to Effingham to have them bent back into shape and tightened. On the way there, he and Maverick were fighting in the van and he grabbed Maverick's arm, drawing blood with his fingernails. At that I added clip boys fingernails to my already long list.

On the way home, Maverick yelled at me non-stop. Turn up the music, turn off the music I want to sleep. Finally, I told him if he was sleeping, he needed to stop talking.

When we got home, I needed to can green beans. But of course, I have lost my instruction manual for my canner. OK, there are a lot of things I don't worry too much about the instructions but running a pressure canner is not one of them. It took me a while and a phone call to customer service, I found the instruction manual to download online. In the meantime, the children have destroyed the front room. There were toys EVERYWHERE.

I got the green beans going and made lunch. They all asked for peanut butter to dip their apple slices in. I happily obliged! Then I caught Aiden scraping the peanut butter off his plate WITH HIS HANDS and putting it on the plates of the other boys...WITH HIS HANDS! Seriously?!?!? In what world is THAT a good idea?!!?!?!

But wait...there is more!

I was working on cleaning up the kitchen and watching the canner pressure to make sure my green beans were going to be successful and the canner wasn't going to explode, when Maverick comes out of Aiden's bedroom and says "Look what Aiden did" On his face, there is writing with ball point ink pen. He has whiskers, a black nose and something that looks like ears on his forehead. Then Griffin came out...he only had whiskers. I went looking for Aiden. It took me a while to find him...he was hiding under his bed. When I asked him about it he said Maverick did it himself. I sent them all to their room. In short time, Aiden admitted he lied and he had done the drawing. They all stayed had to go to their rooms and Aiden got hot sauce on his tongue for lying. Maverick and Griffin are also in trouble because they had to sit STILL for him to do that. They can't sit still in church but they can sit still for Aiden to draw that much on their faces...the art work was actually well done if it weren't on someone's face.

Then I called Shane to tell him what had happened and as I was telling him about the "ears," and Aiden yells from his bed "They aren't ears...they are eyebrows!" Seriously??? He thought correcting me was a good idea!?!?!

Now they are asking for paper and crayons and markers for drawing! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

So, the day has not really gone as planned. The only thing I've gotten done is Aiden's glasses getting tightened and as I typed this I heard all the green beans seal. Unfortunately that is just the tip of the iceberg. I did get one other thing done that I added to my to-do list- I made cookies. Chocolate is my drug of choice for a bad day!

Progress and Milestones!!

We are making such great progress on the garage. As soon as the stairway is enclosed, we will start running electrical. I can hardly wait. Mom and I just cleaned out our deep freeze that is still hanging out in their garage. It is empty and defrosted...ready to be moved and cleaned. Once we have power out there we can get our meat and stuff and have it here where we can get it easily. Of course, there isn't much meat to put in it. Hopefully, that will be remedied during deer season this year.

And the most exciting news of all....(drum roll please)...Griffin is wearing underwear!!!!! He woke up dry yesterday morning so I had him go pee in the potty! He only had one accident all day (and it made him cry)! He even pooped in the potty yesterday. Today (at this point) we are accident free and he has even gone a few times without being told to go. Could he possibly train this easily this early?!?!?!? The other boys were terrible potty trainers and I just quit and prayed they would not need diapers when they moved out for college!!!! Griffin seems to be ready to do it! He woke up dry from nap yesterday and this morning and last night he didn't want a diaper to sleep in (but we aren't quite ready for that)! YIPPEE!!!!

That's all folks!

Rain Rain Go Away!

I know I will be wishing for rain in a month or two when my well is running dry and I'm at the laundromat...but for now JUST STOP!!! Seriously, it rains every other day on a good week. If I want to deal with this kind of humidity and continual rain fall I would move closer to a beach...then at least I would be able to enjoy the ocean when it is sunny.

We did FINALLY get the yard baled, I mean mowed...although baling it probably would have been better. The grass, I mean weeds, were knee high. Just ridiculous but so is mowing in the thunderstorm. Blech!

We did get to work on the garage this weekend. We even scored at the hard ware store and saved about $200 on enough masonite to finish the closet and the stairwell. They had some seconds that they needed to sell. WOOHOOO!!!!!! I'm hoping over the 4th of July weekend we can get it wired for electricity and maybe SOMEDAY it will dry out enough to do the dirt work so we can park in there. :(

Father's Day was a beautiful, albeit hot, day (it was the one day it hasn't rained in a long time it seems). We cooked out at the pond and swam all day long! It was a great way to spend the day! We were all waterlooged and a little pink by the end of the day but the boys were exhausted and slept so well. Makes for a happy momma!

More SuperCamp stories and photos.

Here we are in the van...I'm not sure when I took this picture but since the next stories occurred in the car I thought it was a picture worth showing.

Having Maverick in the car lent itself to some comedic relief. Following are 2 examples...

Maverick: Are we in Illinois?
Me: Yep
Maverick: Are we in Illinois?
Me: Yep
Maverick: Are we in Illinois?
Me: Nope, we are in Indiana now.
Maverick: Are we in Indiana?
Me: Yep.
Maverick: Are we in Indiana?
Me: Yep.
Maverick: Are we in Indiana?
Me: Yep.
Maverick: Are we in Indiana?
Me: Nope. We are in Kentucky.
Maverick: Are we in Kentucky?
Me: Yep.
Maverick: Are we in Kentucky?
Me: Yep.
Maverick: Are we in Kentucky?
Me: Yep.
Maverick: Are we in Sane?
Shane and I together: We are getting close.

(He spaced these questions out about 5-10 minutes...I've given you the cliff notes version and cut out many repetitions of the questions...you can post your thanks in the comments if you'd like) ;)

As you can tell, Maverick is a talker (I can't IMAGINE where that comes from). He talked incessantly about something for most of the drive (I would say all but he did sleep a few hours on the way home). When he ran out of things to talk about he would fixate on one word and repeat it over and over and over. At one point the word was gigantic, giGANtic, giGANtic, gigantic. (you get the picture). Finally, Shane calmly told him it was time for him to close his lips for a while. For once, he actually did as he was told and closed his lips. Unfortunately, he could still hum. So we heard hmmHMMhmm, hmmHMMhmm, hmmHMMhmm. It was clear he was still saying gigantic...but with his lips closed. *sigh*

We got to go on a tour of some caves. The boys thought it was cool. Here is a picture of them in front of "the Fireplace." the story is that it was used as a fireplace by deserters in the Civil War. Unfortunately, the smoke escaping from the cracks in the roof of the cave gave them away. Of course, without those cracks they probably would have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Anywho, we've been home almost a week and things are almost back to normal. It is so hard to get everything rolling again after a week away. Also, while we were gone we had to "bug bomb" our house (I HATE doing that but the ants were winning) so when we got home all the surfaces had to be cleaned. And since I emptied our kitchen before we left I had to put it all back together. Whew! Ready for a more "normal" week next week!