The Hubs and I had a date tonight. And we invited our good friend Ronnie along. The three of us ate (at Red Lobster), shopped (at Payless, Ross, and Marshall's) and saw a movie (Nightmare On Elm Street). Here are some other things we did:
* Made great friends with our waitress. Rina- you're the bomb! The most fabulous waitress I've ever had. I even invited her to go to the movies with us! But, she couldn't come along, as she was working. :(
* Made fun of an elderly lady in the restaurant because she resembled the old lady from the movie "Legion". (I actually did NOT partake in this particular activity, as I have never seen this movie before)
* Became known as the "fun table".
* Discussed that ridiculous oil spill in the ocean.
* Made merciless fun of each other.
* Bought two much-needed new pairs of shoes. (Me)
* Bought an outfit. (Ronnie)
* Burped and passed gas. (The boys. Not me. Really!)
* Got all over each others nerves.
* Witnessed a whole group of middle-schoolers get busted by the usher for sneaking into an R-rated movie.
* Laughed. And laughed some more!
* Ran into some good friends in the movie theater.
* Locked the other two outside of the car in the pouring rain. (Chris)
* Listened to the soundtracts for "Twilight" and "New Moon".
* Visited with my parents and attempted to repair the DVD player in their camper.
All in all, a very good night.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
And we made it!
So, school's out for the summer. Or, at least public school is out for the summer. We Smith's, however, will be having class pretty much all summer...with a few breaks thrown in. This is due to us being behind, since we took several weeks off during the year that weren't exactly on the County's calendar. When we began our homeschooling "journey" last August, we planned on making our own schedule and schooling year round. Some of the perks of the perks of homeschooling! I broke the news to Shaun a few weeks ago, and he handled it pretty well.
Even though we haven't technically finished out our school year, I still have a sense of accomplishment. Our first year of homeschooling is behind us. We made! And everyone is still relatively in one piece! When Chris and I first decided to homeschool, I sought the advice of several "seasoned" homeschooling mothers I know. More than one of them told me to not panic when things didn't go as planned, and that the first year is just practice. I can totally see that now! I have learned a LOT this year. About what works for us. And about what doesn't. I can look back now with no reservations and say that homeschooling is definitely the best option- for Shaun.
Jordan, on the other hand- I'm not so sure about. I'm not sure if I can "tame his will" and teach him everything a pre-k student needs to know while teaching Shaun everything a fourth grader needs to know at the same time. I've tried some different things this year. Different ways of attempting to educate two children who are 6 years apart, and therefore on two totally different levels. I feel as if I've made tremendous progress with Shaun, but that Jordan kind of "fell through the cracks", for lack of a better expression.
I realize that this is not that big of a deal...so far. After all, he'll only be in pre-k next year, so its not like he's missed a lot. But, pre-k (as well and kindergarten) is a pretty big deal. There's a lot of foundational learning going on. And I'm just not sure I can do it. Jordan's will is part of the problem. I'm grateful that he's strong-willed...he'll need it to survive in this world! But, I'm afraid that the will, along with everything else will be too much. He needs some structure right now. I suspect that after he's in "real school" for a year it will be much easier to teach him at home. I've agonized over this. I felt so guilty for even considering sending him to preschool next year. As if I would be letting him down or favoring one child over the other. So, I called my "go-to" girl. My friend Wendy. Who I always go to whenever I need homeschooling advice. Told her my concerns, sure that she would reassure me that I could do it and that homeschooling was the best choice for every child. What she DID tell me was...exactly what I had figured out myself! That it might be best to put Jordan in a pre-k...just to give him some structure. What a relief!
So that's where we are. Chris and I both think this is the best thing for our family. The only issue now is deciding where to send him. Georgia Pre-K isn't really an option for us. For one thing, since we've waited so long to enroll, all of the classrooms are full. For another, I just don't feel comfortable sending my child to the schools near our house. I've got a "gut-feeling" about one, and a not too good feeling about another.... Money is an issue. Things are tight right now. I would love to send Jordan to Shaun's old preschool. I spoke with the director today, and they have some openings. We can afford it on paper, but I'm afraid to cut things so closely. So I've called around to a few other churches in the area, trying to find a cheaper deal.
I'm strangely calm about all this. I'm just waiting for now. Waiting on God to tell us what's right for our family. Its frustrating. I've never been described as a patient person!
With all of that said...We made it! We made it through our first year, and I've learned a lot! I've learned that my children are pretty amazing. I've loved getting to know them again. I've learned that my children are individuals, and that what works for one doesn't necessarily have to work for the other. I've learned to ask for help. I've learned that I can do more things on my own than I thought. I've learned to come out of my shell. And I've made so many friends. I've learned that you don't have to know someone for a long time to become "kindred spirits" and "sister's in Christ". I've learned that mid-day conversations with my sister are sanity-savers!
I've learned that I really, really, really need to get on a schedule and stick to it. I've learned that I need to "Facebook" less. I've learned that I need to spend "break time" with the boys and do fun, non-school things instead of using their breaks for my "alone time" all of the time. I've learned that I need to get organized and clean up as I go. I've learned that getting up and starting my day without praying is setting myself up for disaster.
I've learned that one of the most rewarding experiences in the world comes from watching my son "get" something that I taught him!
We've learned a lot! No regrets.
Even though we haven't technically finished out our school year, I still have a sense of accomplishment. Our first year of homeschooling is behind us. We made! And everyone is still relatively in one piece! When Chris and I first decided to homeschool, I sought the advice of several "seasoned" homeschooling mothers I know. More than one of them told me to not panic when things didn't go as planned, and that the first year is just practice. I can totally see that now! I have learned a LOT this year. About what works for us. And about what doesn't. I can look back now with no reservations and say that homeschooling is definitely the best option- for Shaun.
Jordan, on the other hand- I'm not so sure about. I'm not sure if I can "tame his will" and teach him everything a pre-k student needs to know while teaching Shaun everything a fourth grader needs to know at the same time. I've tried some different things this year. Different ways of attempting to educate two children who are 6 years apart, and therefore on two totally different levels. I feel as if I've made tremendous progress with Shaun, but that Jordan kind of "fell through the cracks", for lack of a better expression.
I realize that this is not that big of a deal...so far. After all, he'll only be in pre-k next year, so its not like he's missed a lot. But, pre-k (as well and kindergarten) is a pretty big deal. There's a lot of foundational learning going on. And I'm just not sure I can do it. Jordan's will is part of the problem. I'm grateful that he's strong-willed...he'll need it to survive in this world! But, I'm afraid that the will, along with everything else will be too much. He needs some structure right now. I suspect that after he's in "real school" for a year it will be much easier to teach him at home. I've agonized over this. I felt so guilty for even considering sending him to preschool next year. As if I would be letting him down or favoring one child over the other. So, I called my "go-to" girl. My friend Wendy. Who I always go to whenever I need homeschooling advice. Told her my concerns, sure that she would reassure me that I could do it and that homeschooling was the best choice for every child. What she DID tell me was...exactly what I had figured out myself! That it might be best to put Jordan in a pre-k...just to give him some structure. What a relief!
So that's where we are. Chris and I both think this is the best thing for our family. The only issue now is deciding where to send him. Georgia Pre-K isn't really an option for us. For one thing, since we've waited so long to enroll, all of the classrooms are full. For another, I just don't feel comfortable sending my child to the schools near our house. I've got a "gut-feeling" about one, and a not too good feeling about another.... Money is an issue. Things are tight right now. I would love to send Jordan to Shaun's old preschool. I spoke with the director today, and they have some openings. We can afford it on paper, but I'm afraid to cut things so closely. So I've called around to a few other churches in the area, trying to find a cheaper deal.
I'm strangely calm about all this. I'm just waiting for now. Waiting on God to tell us what's right for our family. Its frustrating. I've never been described as a patient person!
With all of that said...We made it! We made it through our first year, and I've learned a lot! I've learned that my children are pretty amazing. I've loved getting to know them again. I've learned that my children are individuals, and that what works for one doesn't necessarily have to work for the other. I've learned to ask for help. I've learned that I can do more things on my own than I thought. I've learned to come out of my shell. And I've made so many friends. I've learned that you don't have to know someone for a long time to become "kindred spirits" and "sister's in Christ". I've learned that mid-day conversations with my sister are sanity-savers!
I've learned that I really, really, really need to get on a schedule and stick to it. I've learned that I need to "Facebook" less. I've learned that I need to spend "break time" with the boys and do fun, non-school things instead of using their breaks for my "alone time" all of the time. I've learned that I need to get organized and clean up as I go. I've learned that getting up and starting my day without praying is setting myself up for disaster.
I've learned that one of the most rewarding experiences in the world comes from watching my son "get" something that I taught him!
We've learned a lot! No regrets.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Not Me! Monday
Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to < target="_blank" href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
While shopping in Target with my sister and all of our children, I did NOT let my kids bounce around and make lots of noise while I talked to a friend we ran into. The conversation with our old friend did NOT lead to her showing us a picture of her pierced....private parts. That's right. I did NOT stand around in the aisle at Target giggling at extremely inappropriate pictures around lots of strangers. Not Me!
I did NOT change my mind about homeschooling Jordan last week. Then, I did NOT change my mind again. And again. And again. I would never be so indecisive and doubtful about my ability to teach my youngest child. And I did NOT make several calls to local preschools this morning to see if they had any openings for next year. Not Me!
I did NOT unintentionally anger my husband by not inviting him along to a "girls only" movie date to see...you guessed it: Eclipse. When he asked if he could come along anyway, I did NOT tell him no, reasoning that this is a tradition, of sorts. After hearing this, my Hubs did NOT tell me that he would just go purchase IMAX tickets for the same movie and not take me. We did NOT have a mini-argument over this whole issue. I did NOT accuse him of being a "mean, girly, Twilight fan". He did NOT accuse me of being "an obsessed loser". We eventually made up, and at the end of the day, I am NOT getting an opportunity to see the same movie twice, in theaters. I'm NOT extremely excited about this.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Vision
A few days ago, out of nowhere, I had a "vision". I can't think of another way to describe it. I was washing dishes after lunch and it was like a scene from a movie popped into my head. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
Something really bad had happened. I don't know what, but I was broken. Heartbroken. Sobbing on my bed. I could see myself crying gut-wrenching sobs, so hard I wasn't able to speak. Then, the "view-point" changed and I was seeing things through "my eyes"...through the eyes of the "me" in this vision, or whatever it was. Like I said before, I don't know what had happened to make me cry this way, but I could feel the desperate panic in my chest, and absolute sadness. So there I was, crying, sobbing, calling out to God. Then, I raised my eyes to look up beside my bed. I was so exhausted that this was a major effort. A man was just sitting there. Beside me, but not in the bed with me. Almost like he was in a chair beside my bed. There is no chair beside my bed, but I guess that's beside the point. Anyway, this is hard to explain, but I couldn't really make out His face. He was just there with me, and somehow I knew that He was God. I wasn't scared. It was actually a comfort to know that he was there. We made eye-contact...and we were able to communicate. Without spoken words. I looked at Him through puffy, gritty, tired eyes...the eyes that come from a major crying fit...and told Him that I was hurting. Desperate. Sad. Didn't know how I was going to get through this. Whatever it was. And done. I told Him I was done with this whole situation, and I couldn't do it anymore. I don't remember being angry at Him. Just matter-of-fact. And, as He looked back, He told me that He understood. But that I still had to go through this. But that He would be right there. And that I'd be okay. He told me that things happened that I wouldn't understand, and that it wasn't my place to understand right now, but that He understood everything I was feeling. He said He would get me through this, if I'd let Him.
I'm not trying to claim bad things to happen in my life. And I know how utterly weird this whole thing sounds. I also know that I'm not any kind of prophet or anything like that. But this experience scared me. For the rest of the day I was terrified that something was going to happen to one of my children. Or my husband. Or my nieces and nephews, or my sister or parents or...you get the picture. I've told a few people about this. Just so they will join me in prayer for the protection of my family, and also for me. That this fear will not consume me. I'm asking the same of you. Please. Pray for my family's protection.
As I said before, I don't know why I had this vision. I don't know what it means. But I can't shake it. I know that God's will is God's will. But I also know that Satan is out to kill and destroy. The prayers of God's people are powerful and can foil these attacks. I urge each of you to not let your families go unprotected. Let's pray for each other! Let's not give the enemy a step to stand on.
I pray for God's blessings and protection to surround the families of everyone who reads this. And even those who don't. Guard them, Lord. I pray that no weapon formed against them should prosper. Protect them from any influences that would lead them away from Your will. You are an awesome God, and I thank you for all that you've done and will continue to do for me. Amen!
Something really bad had happened. I don't know what, but I was broken. Heartbroken. Sobbing on my bed. I could see myself crying gut-wrenching sobs, so hard I wasn't able to speak. Then, the "view-point" changed and I was seeing things through "my eyes"...through the eyes of the "me" in this vision, or whatever it was. Like I said before, I don't know what had happened to make me cry this way, but I could feel the desperate panic in my chest, and absolute sadness. So there I was, crying, sobbing, calling out to God. Then, I raised my eyes to look up beside my bed. I was so exhausted that this was a major effort. A man was just sitting there. Beside me, but not in the bed with me. Almost like he was in a chair beside my bed. There is no chair beside my bed, but I guess that's beside the point. Anyway, this is hard to explain, but I couldn't really make out His face. He was just there with me, and somehow I knew that He was God. I wasn't scared. It was actually a comfort to know that he was there. We made eye-contact...and we were able to communicate. Without spoken words. I looked at Him through puffy, gritty, tired eyes...the eyes that come from a major crying fit...and told Him that I was hurting. Desperate. Sad. Didn't know how I was going to get through this. Whatever it was. And done. I told Him I was done with this whole situation, and I couldn't do it anymore. I don't remember being angry at Him. Just matter-of-fact. And, as He looked back, He told me that He understood. But that I still had to go through this. But that He would be right there. And that I'd be okay. He told me that things happened that I wouldn't understand, and that it wasn't my place to understand right now, but that He understood everything I was feeling. He said He would get me through this, if I'd let Him.
I'm not trying to claim bad things to happen in my life. And I know how utterly weird this whole thing sounds. I also know that I'm not any kind of prophet or anything like that. But this experience scared me. For the rest of the day I was terrified that something was going to happen to one of my children. Or my husband. Or my nieces and nephews, or my sister or parents or...you get the picture. I've told a few people about this. Just so they will join me in prayer for the protection of my family, and also for me. That this fear will not consume me. I'm asking the same of you. Please. Pray for my family's protection.
As I said before, I don't know why I had this vision. I don't know what it means. But I can't shake it. I know that God's will is God's will. But I also know that Satan is out to kill and destroy. The prayers of God's people are powerful and can foil these attacks. I urge each of you to not let your families go unprotected. Let's pray for each other! Let's not give the enemy a step to stand on.
I pray for God's blessings and protection to surround the families of everyone who reads this. And even those who don't. Guard them, Lord. I pray that no weapon formed against them should prosper. Protect them from any influences that would lead them away from Your will. You are an awesome God, and I thank you for all that you've done and will continue to do for me. Amen!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Met
My family and I had a need this week. A financial need. A significant financial need. You know how it is- when you really really need some extra cash and there's no extra cash to be found. And you also can't foresee any coming your way. Things have been tight for us this past year. We've had a lot of "unexpected" emergency expenses and things came to a head. We had a bill that we absolutely HAD to pay. And no money to pay it with. I would like to say that I handled this situation calmly and rationally. As any good Christian woman would do. But no. I did what I usually do in these situations. I panicked. And cried. And lost sleep. And basically made my family a nervous wreck. (Of course the boys didn't know what was going on- we don't discuss our finances with them! But they definitely knew something was up.)
This story really began about two years ago. Now, if you know my husband, you know that he's a musician. And he loves to collect things to support this habit. Over the years, he's added to his collection largely. Two years ago, he decided he wanted new stuff. He realized that no way did we have the funds to purchase this "stuff", so he improvised. Sat down and took stock of what he had versus what he really needed. He took most of his "extra" stuff and wheeled and dealed. Made trade-offs at music stores. Sold stuff on Craigslist. Long story short, he was able to obtain all of the new stuff he wanted without having to spend a dime. He was extremely proud of himself, and I was proud, too.
So, he's been working with only what he needs, which is the way it should be. In my opinion, at least. He had one piece of equipment, however, that he wasn't able to get rid of. No one would take it in a trade. He listed it on Craig's list multiple times and didn't receive a single, solitary call on it. So he kept it. Found some ways to use it, but still...he didn't really need it.
Honestly, I had forgotten all about it. Then, this weekend, after my panic-induced crying fest, I began to pray. Which is what I should have done in the first place. I sobbed my heart out to God, and asked him to help us come up with a way to meet this need. Sunday afternoon, I remembered this piece of equipment. Instead of immediately going to Chris and demanding that he try to sell it, which I have been known to do in the past, I prayed and fasted about the situation. I prayed for God to give us knowledge on what to do. I asked for God to open Chris' mind about selling this piece of equipment- because even though he didn't really need it anymore, the selling of his stuff is still a touchy subject for my husband. Instead of rushing out and acting before I really think, I took the rest of the afternoon and the next day to quietly wait on God to tell me what to do.
And He did. On the way home from class Monday night, I carefully brought up the idea of selling the piece of equipment. And Chris took it well. Not as well as he could have...I knew he wasn't happy about it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. We picked up the kids, brought them home, and put them to bed. I straightened up the house and Chris headed upstairs to make a Craglist listing. He came back down around 11:30 and told me that he'd listed the equipment but that he wasn't all that optimistic about getting good results. After all, he'd tried before and no one had seemed to be interested. We prayed quickly about. Gave the situation to God again. Chris went to bed, I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. And my cell phone rang.
At 11:45, someone was calling about the listing! Chris talked to him for a few minutes, then hung up. He looked at me in disbelief and said "I think I just sold it. The guys coming to get it tomorrow. He said if everything checks out, he'll take it". Chris then continued to warn me to not get too excited. After all, we didn't know this person and half the time people that respond to Craigslist adds don't follow through. To make a long story short, last night Chris came home minus his equipment and with enough money to meet our need.
I'm still a little shocked. Less than 24 hours after Chris placed the craiglist add, he had made a sell and we had what we needed. This can only be classified as a "God Thing". He worked it all out! His hand was on this situation even two years ago when Chris first listed that piece of equipment on Craigslist. I'm so glad that I went to Him and waited for an answer. I don't usually do that. I'm a big panicker. When I panic and overreact, I often rush into a decision. Which usually ends up backfiring.
I felt like I had to share this story, to give God the praise and honor He deserves. Sometimes, during our hectic lives, its easy to forget that God really loves us. He cares about all of our struggles, big and small. And He wants us to go to Him with our needs.
Thank you God, for what you've done for us. Not only today, but every day.
This story really began about two years ago. Now, if you know my husband, you know that he's a musician. And he loves to collect things to support this habit. Over the years, he's added to his collection largely. Two years ago, he decided he wanted new stuff. He realized that no way did we have the funds to purchase this "stuff", so he improvised. Sat down and took stock of what he had versus what he really needed. He took most of his "extra" stuff and wheeled and dealed. Made trade-offs at music stores. Sold stuff on Craigslist. Long story short, he was able to obtain all of the new stuff he wanted without having to spend a dime. He was extremely proud of himself, and I was proud, too.
So, he's been working with only what he needs, which is the way it should be. In my opinion, at least. He had one piece of equipment, however, that he wasn't able to get rid of. No one would take it in a trade. He listed it on Craig's list multiple times and didn't receive a single, solitary call on it. So he kept it. Found some ways to use it, but still...he didn't really need it.
Honestly, I had forgotten all about it. Then, this weekend, after my panic-induced crying fest, I began to pray. Which is what I should have done in the first place. I sobbed my heart out to God, and asked him to help us come up with a way to meet this need. Sunday afternoon, I remembered this piece of equipment. Instead of immediately going to Chris and demanding that he try to sell it, which I have been known to do in the past, I prayed and fasted about the situation. I prayed for God to give us knowledge on what to do. I asked for God to open Chris' mind about selling this piece of equipment- because even though he didn't really need it anymore, the selling of his stuff is still a touchy subject for my husband. Instead of rushing out and acting before I really think, I took the rest of the afternoon and the next day to quietly wait on God to tell me what to do.
And He did. On the way home from class Monday night, I carefully brought up the idea of selling the piece of equipment. And Chris took it well. Not as well as he could have...I knew he wasn't happy about it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. We picked up the kids, brought them home, and put them to bed. I straightened up the house and Chris headed upstairs to make a Craglist listing. He came back down around 11:30 and told me that he'd listed the equipment but that he wasn't all that optimistic about getting good results. After all, he'd tried before and no one had seemed to be interested. We prayed quickly about. Gave the situation to God again. Chris went to bed, I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. And my cell phone rang.
At 11:45, someone was calling about the listing! Chris talked to him for a few minutes, then hung up. He looked at me in disbelief and said "I think I just sold it. The guys coming to get it tomorrow. He said if everything checks out, he'll take it". Chris then continued to warn me to not get too excited. After all, we didn't know this person and half the time people that respond to Craigslist adds don't follow through. To make a long story short, last night Chris came home minus his equipment and with enough money to meet our need.
I'm still a little shocked. Less than 24 hours after Chris placed the craiglist add, he had made a sell and we had what we needed. This can only be classified as a "God Thing". He worked it all out! His hand was on this situation even two years ago when Chris first listed that piece of equipment on Craigslist. I'm so glad that I went to Him and waited for an answer. I don't usually do that. I'm a big panicker. When I panic and overreact, I often rush into a decision. Which usually ends up backfiring.
I felt like I had to share this story, to give God the praise and honor He deserves. Sometimes, during our hectic lives, its easy to forget that God really loves us. He cares about all of our struggles, big and small. And He wants us to go to Him with our needs.
Thank you God, for what you've done for us. Not only today, but every day.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Ronnie!
The Smith family has a friend. His name is Ronnie. Here he is, posing for a picture with his friend, who just happens to be My Hubs.
Ronnie's the one on the left. :)
I've known Ronnie for about 12 years. Chris has known him for...forever, I think. They grew up together. We have all worked together in the past and now we go to church together. We both just love Ronnie. So do our children. And we feel SO blessed to have him in our lives. Especially on days like today. When we needed help moving some furniture!
We were on the way to pick up some new (to us!) furniture and other furnishings. I was in the backseat and feeling a little bored, so I tried to take Ronnie's picture. When I asked him to turn around and smile, he replied "Why, so you can blog about me?" To which I replied "Well, maybe!".
And so I am! Blogging about him, that is!
Here we are on the way to pick up an extremely heavy couch. I don't think Ronnie was in the mood to have his picture taken!
Here he is being so kind by helping us take down some blinds.
Here he is with Chris, moving an extremely heavy couch. Did anyone else notice that Chris and Ronnie like to dress alike?
And here is Ronnie saying "No couch should be this heavy"!
So now you know our friend Ronnie. And just for the record, we also hang out with him when we're NOT moving furniture or cleaning out the basement.
Ronnie's the one on the left. :)
I've known Ronnie for about 12 years. Chris has known him for...forever, I think. They grew up together. We have all worked together in the past and now we go to church together. We both just love Ronnie. So do our children. And we feel SO blessed to have him in our lives. Especially on days like today. When we needed help moving some furniture!
We were on the way to pick up some new (to us!) furniture and other furnishings. I was in the backseat and feeling a little bored, so I tried to take Ronnie's picture. When I asked him to turn around and smile, he replied "Why, so you can blog about me?" To which I replied "Well, maybe!".
And so I am! Blogging about him, that is!
Here we are on the way to pick up an extremely heavy couch. I don't think Ronnie was in the mood to have his picture taken!
Here he is being so kind by helping us take down some blinds.
Here he is with Chris, moving an extremely heavy couch. Did anyone else notice that Chris and Ronnie like to dress alike?
And here is Ronnie saying "No couch should be this heavy"!
So now you know our friend Ronnie. And just for the record, we also hang out with him when we're NOT moving furniture or cleaning out the basement.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Two
I was up until 2 a.m. this morning. I know. I vowed to never, ever do that again. And I did really well on my "sleeping promise" to myself, or whatever you'd like to call it. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I was in bed by 12:00. I wasn't asleep, by then, but I was resting. And I did manage to fall asleep before two o'clock. I think.
But last night. Chris- along with the boys and some snacks, pillows, and bedspreads- headed upstairs to have a "slumber party". They do this from time to time. We've discovered that "slumber parties" are a great way for them to spend time together and also a coy way to get them to sleep. It usually works. They were all out by 11:00 last night. I stayed downstairs with a movie of my own. "Amelia", if anyone's interested. Not a great choice, in my opinion. I found if boring and slow. And, as a friend of mine put it, "Amelia was a floozy"!
Anyway, I had been watching for about 20 minutes when my BFF called. Otherwise known as my sister. We usually talk multiple times throughout the day, and mostly every night. So of course I stopped the movie to talk to her. Then, after we'd said goodnight, I logged onto Facebook via my cellphone where I discovered that I had many important messages to answer. ;)
After that, I finally finished the movie. Didn't feel tired at all, even though it was around one o'clock. So I picked up my book and started reading. And I read until after two. Which resulted in me sleeping in really late this morning. Ugh. I'm wondering why I do this to myself. Is my "alone" time at night really worth it? Really? Considering the sluggish way I feel right now, I'm saying NO. Its definitely not worth it.
I'm considering taking some Benedryl tonight. And not just for my allergies, if you know what I mean!
But last night. Chris- along with the boys and some snacks, pillows, and bedspreads- headed upstairs to have a "slumber party". They do this from time to time. We've discovered that "slumber parties" are a great way for them to spend time together and also a coy way to get them to sleep. It usually works. They were all out by 11:00 last night. I stayed downstairs with a movie of my own. "Amelia", if anyone's interested. Not a great choice, in my opinion. I found if boring and slow. And, as a friend of mine put it, "Amelia was a floozy"!
Anyway, I had been watching for about 20 minutes when my BFF called. Otherwise known as my sister. We usually talk multiple times throughout the day, and mostly every night. So of course I stopped the movie to talk to her. Then, after we'd said goodnight, I logged onto Facebook via my cellphone where I discovered that I had many important messages to answer. ;)
After that, I finally finished the movie. Didn't feel tired at all, even though it was around one o'clock. So I picked up my book and started reading. And I read until after two. Which resulted in me sleeping in really late this morning. Ugh. I'm wondering why I do this to myself. Is my "alone" time at night really worth it? Really? Considering the sluggish way I feel right now, I'm saying NO. Its definitely not worth it.
I'm considering taking some Benedryl tonight. And not just for my allergies, if you know what I mean!
Monday, May 3, 2010
(Lack of) Sleep
I haven't been sleeping so well lately. More specifically, I haven't been sleeping well since the week before Easter. Neither has Jordan. I think all of the late-night rehearsals messed up our schedules. Allergies may also be a factor. I've felt like absolute poo since the pollen came out. Whatever the cause, Jordan and I have been pulling some all-nighters. Or at least some "3:00 a.m.-ers". Jordan has been staying up, which means that I have to stay up, lest he have a full run of the house.
Now, one of the perks of homeschooling is that my family can "make our own schedule". Which is great! As long as we're talking about staying out a little late to go out to dinner or to the movies. Stuff like that. Its nice to be able to do things without worrying about being at school by 7:45 a.m. the next morning. We take advantage of this perk often. But, for the most part, we are still on a schedule. Or we were until recently.
I began to find that I could just not get up at 8:00 in the morning after only 5 hours of sleep. I had no trouble doing this when I was in high school. Guess I'm getting old. Anyway, after staying up all night for several nights, I began to slide a little in the mornings. By sleeping in until I woke up on my own. I'm embarrassed to say that this was sometimes 11:00. Yes, I would seriously sleep until lunchtime! And so would Jordan. Then, I would get up and try to stumble through my day. Still exhausted, after all that sleep. Attempt to rush through school with Shaun. All of us were grouchy. Then night time would come and the whole cycle would begin again. Now, sometimes, we had places to be in the mornings. Which would make everything worse! Jordan hasn't napped in over a year, so on some days he would be running on 3-4 hours of sleep. Not good!
Last week, I had enough. I talked it over with Chris and we decided to purchase some Benedryl for Jordan. Dye free, of course. We gave him a dose one night last week. And....voila! We're back on our sleep schedule. Or at least Jordan is. I'm not. I've still been a night owl. Enjoying my "free time" and paying for it the next day.
But enough is enough. I'm tired (ha ha!) of feeling sluggish and slouchy all of the time. Tired of being grouchy. Tired of being forgetful and disorganized. Tired of looking tired. So I made myself a rule. I will be in bed (and asleep) by midnight and up by 8:00 the next day. No exceptions. So, no more reading all night long. No more late-night phone conversations (you know who you are!) or 1:00 a.m. Facebook chats (and you know who you are!). I suppose I should also vow to not visit the RedBox anymore, too, since I am never able to start watching a movie until after 10:00.
Since its already 11:59 tonight, I will begin tomorrow. I. Will. Be. In. Bed. By. Midnight. Tomorrow. Yes I will.
Now, one of the perks of homeschooling is that my family can "make our own schedule". Which is great! As long as we're talking about staying out a little late to go out to dinner or to the movies. Stuff like that. Its nice to be able to do things without worrying about being at school by 7:45 a.m. the next morning. We take advantage of this perk often. But, for the most part, we are still on a schedule. Or we were until recently.
I began to find that I could just not get up at 8:00 in the morning after only 5 hours of sleep. I had no trouble doing this when I was in high school. Guess I'm getting old. Anyway, after staying up all night for several nights, I began to slide a little in the mornings. By sleeping in until I woke up on my own. I'm embarrassed to say that this was sometimes 11:00. Yes, I would seriously sleep until lunchtime! And so would Jordan. Then, I would get up and try to stumble through my day. Still exhausted, after all that sleep. Attempt to rush through school with Shaun. All of us were grouchy. Then night time would come and the whole cycle would begin again. Now, sometimes, we had places to be in the mornings. Which would make everything worse! Jordan hasn't napped in over a year, so on some days he would be running on 3-4 hours of sleep. Not good!
Last week, I had enough. I talked it over with Chris and we decided to purchase some Benedryl for Jordan. Dye free, of course. We gave him a dose one night last week. And....voila! We're back on our sleep schedule. Or at least Jordan is. I'm not. I've still been a night owl. Enjoying my "free time" and paying for it the next day.
But enough is enough. I'm tired (ha ha!) of feeling sluggish and slouchy all of the time. Tired of being grouchy. Tired of being forgetful and disorganized. Tired of looking tired. So I made myself a rule. I will be in bed (and asleep) by midnight and up by 8:00 the next day. No exceptions. So, no more reading all night long. No more late-night phone conversations (you know who you are!) or 1:00 a.m. Facebook chats (and you know who you are!). I suppose I should also vow to not visit the RedBox anymore, too, since I am never able to start watching a movie until after 10:00.
Since its already 11:59 tonight, I will begin tomorrow. I. Will. Be. In. Bed. By. Midnight. Tomorrow. Yes I will.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Bottoms
I'm getting a little worried about Jordan. My four year old. The two of us had an unusual conversation earlier today, while I was cooking lunch. Before I go any further, I should explain what a "tail" is in the Smith household. This is the name that my hilarious four year old gave to his penis awhile back. Not sure where it came from. He just started calling it a tail one day, and we didn't correct him because it was cute. Now I'm wondering if he'll still be calling it a tail on his wedding night. Anyway. Here's what was said:
Jordan: "Mom. I just don't want to have a tail anymore."
Me: "Excuse me?"
Jordan: "I don't want my tail anymore. I want two bottoms."
Me: "Um, what?"
Jordan: "I want two bottoms, like Layna has. Not a tail." Layna is my niece...his 3 year old cousin and often his "partner in crime".
Me: "Well, sorry, Hon, but God made you a boy. You can't get rid of your tail."
Jordan: "Well, one day I'll be a girl. With two bottoms. Like Layna."
He ran off, leaving me to wonder how in the world he knows that Layna has "two bottoms". I can just see them now, comparing their "parts" in their bedrooms. We'll have to start making sure the doors stay open! I called my sister to tell her about this conversation. Her reaction? "At least we'll have lots of stories to blackmail them with when they're older!"
Jordan: "Mom. I just don't want to have a tail anymore."
Me: "Excuse me?"
Jordan: "I don't want my tail anymore. I want two bottoms."
Me: "Um, what?"
Jordan: "I want two bottoms, like Layna has. Not a tail." Layna is my niece...his 3 year old cousin and often his "partner in crime".
Me: "Well, sorry, Hon, but God made you a boy. You can't get rid of your tail."
Jordan: "Well, one day I'll be a girl. With two bottoms. Like Layna."
He ran off, leaving me to wonder how in the world he knows that Layna has "two bottoms". I can just see them now, comparing their "parts" in their bedrooms. We'll have to start making sure the doors stay open! I called my sister to tell her about this conversation. Her reaction? "At least we'll have lots of stories to blackmail them with when they're older!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)