A Little Down Time

I haven't been writing very much lately, and I don't like that.  Life has been happening rather quickly these days and that doesn't leave me with a lot of down time.  I'm going to try to make at least two posts per week because I don't want to forget these days, crazy as they are.  

Presently, the house is quiet except for the  dishwasher and the ramblings of Drs. Stevens and O'Malley as background noise.  The soon-to-be one year old is napping and the Hubs just left with both boys for piano lessons and football practice.  Usually on Mondays we make a family outing of it...we hit Shaun's piano lesson, have a quick dinner, and then visit the library before Jordan has football practice.  I've been a little sick with a summer cold so I decided to stay home.  There are so many things I should be doing.  Like cleaning, folding up the mountain of clean laundry that has taken over the laundry room, or going over the boys lesson plans for the rest of the week.  Instead I'm on the couch, blogging, and watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy.  I love it when I have a little down time!

School:  We started school a few weeks ago.  We're on Day 16 of our school year and it's going really well.  I feel like we're accomplishing so much.  Shaun has studied Carl Sandburg, Robert Frost, and we started reading The Jungle Book last week.  I'm surprised at how much I like it.  Shaun likes it too, he just won't admit it.  Ha!  His math is coming along as well.  Yay for Khan Academy! Spanish is something new Shaun is studying this year and I'm proud of how well he's catching on.  He's come so far since we began this homeschooling journey 4 years ago.  Back then he couldn't focus long enough to finish an assignment and now he pretty much can do everything on his own.  

Jordan is in second grade now.  His reading skills have exploded.  A few years ago, when he was in kindergarten I worried if he would ever learn to read.  A very wise woman told me to "let it rest" for awhile, and against my better judgement, I did.  That was the best thing I could have done for him.  He pretty much taught himself to read last year, in his own time.  When he was ready.  I should've known he wouldn't be rushed!  He's studied the poetry of De La Mare, Rosetti, and Mother Goose so far this year and we've been reading lots and lots of books.  It seems that he and his brother are opposites in that Math is really easy for Jordan.  But then, he struggles with spelling and grammar, which Shaun has always rocked out with.

Extras:  Shaun is still working hard at piano.  He gets better and better every week and has such a good ear.  He can play by ear, which makes him not want to practice.  I can relate because I was the same way when I took piano! Solution Choir started up again yesterday and then tomorrow is his first rehearsal with the North Georgia Children's Chorus.  We're really excited about this!  He's also helping out with Jordan's football team and he'll play basketball this winter and of course baseball in the spring.  

Jordan's playing football.  Honestly, I'm surprised that he's stuck with it.  It's intense!  But he loves it.  And he's good at it.  I'm so glad he found something to do because I worry that he gets lost in the shuffle sometimes.  Typical middle child issues.  I was not thrilled at all when we signed him up.  I hate football.  Or at least I thought I did until the first game on Saturday.  When I heard the words "tackle by Jordan Smith, number 1" over the loudspeaker I kind of turned into a crazy football mom.  He's also singing with Generation Praise again.  

Co-op starts up again in a few weeks and I'm glad we started our school year when we did.  It's always good to find our "groove" before our commitments begin.  

And me.  I'm just trying to keep up with everybody else!  

Full of Chagrin

Today the boys and I took Violet to a dermatologist to have her birthmark checked out.  Thankfully, it is just that- a birthmark.  Totally benign.  We'll have it removed when she's a pre-teen and we don't even have to have followup visits until then, unless we notice it changing.  

The appointment was in Cumming, and Chris had to work.  So it was me and the kids.  I get so nervous when I drive to appointments.  My sense of direction is not good and I'm infamous for getting lost.  Thanks to the navigation app on my phone we made it to the appointment on time.  We stopped at a "new" library on the way home.  By new, I mean a library that we've never been to before.  Then we had to hit the grocery store to have Violet's prescription filled and pick up a few things.  

By this time, we were all tired.  Tired of driving. We were hungry, too.  Its Fasting time again, and the boys are fasting sugar, so they couldn't get an ice cream from Chick-fil-a.  I was really tired from all the driving and I just wanted to get home.  

The main reason for stoping at Kroger was to get Violet's reflux meds.  I wish I could have just went through the drive through, but the driver's window on my Explorer decided to mess up last week, and I hate having to open the door at drive throughs.  We went in and I herded the boys to the pharmacy and we took our place at the end of the (very long) line.   

An older lady began talking to me about how my baby looked very young to have out and about. I told her that she was 4 months old and she just kept shaking her head and saying that she looked a lot younger than that.  Really, lady?!?

Jordan has learned to read and is going through that wonderful phase of reading everything!  He was reading all of the signs around us and talking about how we needed to go to Lindsey's window.  Lindsey is my cousin, who just so happens to work in the Kroger pharmacy.  I told Jordan that we couldn't go to her window because she was working and we'd get her in trouble.  Both boys started in then.  Shaun was telling me that we were supposed to go to the other window, the empty window where Lindsey was.  I told him no we were not.  And then Jordan asked me if we were picking up or dropping off.  I was like, "What?  We're dropping off your sister's prescription.  Why?"

Then my 6 year old points to the sign above Cousin Lindsey's empty window.  The sign that reads Drop Off Prescriptions Here.  "See?  It says we drop off at that window and we pick up here!".  

I was so full of chagrin.  As we headed over to the correct window I apologized to both boys.  Lindsey even filled our prescription right away and we didn't have to wait.  It pays to have connections!  I'm so glad that my boys were observant...we probably would have waited in the wrong line for 15 minutes, only to have to go to the correct window and wait even more!  

2012

January.

Chris and I began our last half of School of Discipleship and later on that night, found out we were expecting again.  A few days later we began the annual Daniel Fast with our church which led to some of the most clearly conveyed instructions from God that I've ever experienced.  I developed a severe case of morning sickness that lasted all day, every day.  We began classes at our "new" co-op and made many dear friends.  My friend Kendra introduced me to The Hunger Games.  Jordan turned 6 years old.  

February.  

My uterus tore and I was put on bed rest.  We downsized and moved back into our first home.    I learned that it really is okay to ask for help.  We got a second car, thanks to my parents! We celebrated Shaun's 12th birthday.  

March.

I missed Jordan's first soccer practice due to bed rest.  The boys had an amazing combined birthday party.  Shaun sang onstage during a Kidpak service with the older members of Generation Praise.  Jordan had his first soccer game of the season.  Shaun joined a baseball team and even marched in a parade. My pregnancy progressed and we found out that our baby was a girl.

April.

We celebrated Easter.  God once again showed me just how He provides when our car broke down and our dryer quit...and we had the funds to repair both!

May.

Chris turned 34.  Boys finished up their seasons of soccer and baseball.  We began to get ready for summer.  After much debating, The Hubs and I decided that our daughter would be called Violet Victoria.

June.

We all attended Summer X-treme and grew closer to God.  My friends Kendra, Rachel, and I met Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee.  I sank into the worst bout of depression I've ever experienced.  Georgia sweated it's way through a major heat wave.  

July.

I Went up for prayer during an alter call at church and was delivered from depression once and for all in Jesus' name!  The next week really put my newfound freedom to the test when Chris lost his job.  We were humbled and learned the hard way to depend on God for everything.  The Lord continued to provide for us beyond our wildest dreams.  I was introduced to Duck Dynasty. 
The following week our hearts were broken when our Papaw passed away.  I saw my new OBGYN the day before his funeral and was sent for a 4D ultrasound.  The joy of seeing our healthy baby girl up close took a little of the sorrow away, but I still don't know how we made it through that week.  
We graduated from School of Discipleship and began to pray about what to do next.  Chris was blessed with another part time job as Chapel Pastor at Bethlehem Christian Academy.

August.
The boys and I began the new school year.  Grades 1 and 6!  We went on several "family dates" during our last days as a family of 4. My blood pressure made us worry a little.  I went to the hospital twice for pregnancy related issues. The kids and I went though the back to school prayer line at church and my pregnant stomach was blessed several times. Shaun joined the Kidpak Dancers at church.  Jordan joined Generation Praise.  It began to be a regular occurrence to be asked if I was having twins, and even triplets.  Lori, Kendra, Kelli, and Mandy threw me the most beautiful baby shower I've ever seen.  Chris and I had our 13th wedding anniversary.  Elissa came to visit.  Jordan began soccer practice for the fall season.  Violet was born. 

September.
Violet and I came home from the hospital.  Together, right on schedule.  I'm still thanking God for this.  I recovered from my c-section and we all struggled to adjust to having a baby in the house.  Shaun and Jordan fell head over heels in love with their sister, even though she cried and cried and hardly ever slept at night.  We were all loved on by our friends with meals, encouragement, prayers, and support.  
I made it to Jordan's first soccer game, just one week after having a baby.  I paid for it later-  it was too soon to be out- but it was worth it.  We had our first experience with horrible little league coaches who show favoritism.  

October.
Lots of Fall activities- hockey games, festivals, and Halloween.  I also started Weight Watchers and was able to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans.  Shaun signed up for basketball. 

November.
Both boys were sick.  This is so rare, it sticks out in my memory.  They're hardly ever sick!  I saw both of my sons perform together for the first time with Generation Praise. My heart was heavy about the presidential election results.  Lori, Kelli, Ashley, Krista, and I attended a Twilight marathon and the premier of Breaking Dawn Part 2.  Violet was sick for the first time.  We began cloth diapering.  The boys began Christmas production rehearsals and we had our first Thanksgiving together as a family of 5.  

December.
Shaun and Jordan were in two Christmas productions.  Violet was sick again with another ear infection and croup.  I was sick, too.  The next week all 5 of us caught a stomach bug.  The week after that, Violet began her third round of antibiotics for a chronic ear infection.  Some friends and I celebrated Kendra's birthday.  The boys and I discovered our area's new community center.  We celebrated our first Christmas as a family of five .  Violet and I shared a birthday.   She turned 4 months old and I turned 32.  

Phew!  What a year it has been.  Full of ups and downs, but we've made it though with God's help.  May God continue to bless us all in 2013!

Young Poet's Society

Yesterday was the day.  My kids had been fearing this day for the past 10 weeks and honestly, so had I.  

The dreaded poetry recital at co-op.  

I've always been terrified of public speaking.  I'm not good at it.  I'm so self-concious and I hate being the center of attention.  I think it all stems from way back in seventh grade when I gave some kind of oral report in Mrs. Jarrard's science class.  My zipper was unzipped the entire time.  Fun.  I took the required "communications" course in college.  My instructor said everyone in her class would learn to love public speaking.  Wrong.  Somehow I made an A, even though I froze up on my last speech and completely forgot what I was supposed to talk about.  

Back to my kids.  They're so funny.  They don't mind singing in front of a crowd.  They do this all the time.  However, when I broke the news to Shaun that he was going to have to memorize a poem and a scripture to say aloud in front of our homeschool co-op, he freaked. And I secretly freaked with him.  I know how I would have felt about this in sixth grade.  Who are we kidding?  I would still feel the same way if I had to do it today!

I thought about not making him do it, but at the end of the day I decided to be responsible and parent-like.  I chose a four-line poem for him to memorize.  He picked his own scripture-  one that he had already memorized from church.  And we learned them.  

He was actually okay until the day of the recital.  He was so nervous yesterday!  The recital participants went on by grade, and then in alphabetical order, so he had a long time to wait!  The younger kids went first and said their poem as a class.  Here is a picture of Jordan with a few kids from his class, taken with my cell phone.  I can't find my camera anywhere!

This picture is deceiving.  He didn't say a word of his poem!  Afterward, he said he was just too nervous.  Stinker!

A bit later, it was Shaun's turn.  He had asked that I come and sit near the front so that I could cue him if he needed it.  My stomach was in knots as he made his way to the stage- I was so nervous for him.  And bless him...he froze.  Like mother, like son.  I whispered the first word to him and he remembered what he was supposed to say with a smile on his face, but he was so embarrassed and my heart hurt for him.  I was so, SO proud of him for staying up there and finishing even after he had a rocky start.

Of course, he wasn't the only one who messed up.  There were a lot of mistakes made by lots of other kids.  I reminded him of this when everything was over and he was saying that he sucked.  I also stressed how proud I was of him for sticking it out and finishing strong.  

At the end of the day, I was glad I made them do it.  Shaun lived through it, just like I knew he would.  The first time is always the hardest and we talked about how easy it would be next time since now he knows what to expect.  He just looked at me when I said that part.  Ha ha!

My Little Strong-Willed Scientist

In addition to loving art, Jordan has also really been interested in science lately.  One of his favorite things to do lately is to "make an experiment".  This usually entails wearing "science goggles" at the kitchen table and mixing up this and that in a graduated cylinder.  I try to throw some actual schoolwork in the mix.  I'll tell him to add 10 ml of water or 5 ml of salt.  Or something like that.  

Today, while I was reading with Shaun, Jordan announced that he was going to "do some science".  I told him to not use any food in his experiments.  Imagine my surprise when I walked into the dining room after Shaun's reading lesson to find lemon pepper seasoning all over the table.  As in, a whole container of lemon pepper seasoning.  On the table.  And the floor.  And in a graduated cylinder mixed with water and some red liquid.  And peanuts. He used peanuts too.  About half the peanuts in a large Planters container.  

So, we had a little talk about wasting food and disobedience.  I asked him what he thought his punishment should be for his crimes.  He suggested a time out.  I had something better in mind.  My little strong-willed scientist is going to have to do chores to buy me some more lemon pepper seasoning and peanuts.  He's also grounded from science for a few days.  

Grounded from science.  There's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself say. 

Reading

The kids and I went to the library yesterday. Jordan picked out some "Magic Tree House" books for me to read aloud to him.  He has really taken off with his reading lately, but he still likes to be read to.  Who doesn't?  Before we started the book, I said to him "Just think Jordan...you're so smart and you've been working so hard on your reading.  One day soon, you'll be reading books like these to me!"  

He just kind of nodded and asked me to start reading.  So I did.  I was halfway through the first page and he nudged me out of the way...and began reading the book by himself.  

He finished chapter 1 with just a few prompts from me.  I bragged and bragged and asked him if he was tired of reading yet.  And he said no!  He read another chapter, again almost all by himself.  

How I wish I had been able to take a picture of the look on his face.  He was SO proud of himself, and of course I was SO proud of him, too!  He not only read, but he was enjoying himself.  Usually when we read he's ready to stop way before whatever we happen to be reading is even over.  

My dream is to pass on my love of reading to my children.  I know, I know.  My oldest kids are boys, and most boys just don't want to sit still long enough to enjoy a good book.  Shaun is just now beginning to tolerate reading.  He hated it before because he struggled with it so much.  Now he, too, is finally taking off with it.  It must be the year for books in our house, and I couldn't be happier.  

Don't Forget to Vote!

Yesterday Shaun's volunteer group met to make posters reminding the community to vote.  We are so thankful for Mrs. Gigi, who put the group together and volunteers her time to work with our older homeschool kids.  

Working hard on their posters.

The group is really for middle and high schoolers, but they let Jordan make a poster, anyway.  :)

Most of the group.  Someone declined to be in the picture.  

The kids had a good time.  It was nice to get out of the house and do something different.  They discussed the importance of voting, and various aspects of "election etiquette".  

"Arting", Hearts, and The Art Club

Yesterday, Jordan suddenly decided that he's into art.  We came home from swimming and he immediately brought his pencil box full of markers and crayons to the table and began "arting".  

You've never heard the term "arting" before?  Well, it simply is "the act of making art".  

Jordan "arted" until it was time to go to a birthday party and then he scooped up his supplies to take with him so that he could "art" in the car.  We had many, many new pieces of art by Jordan by the end of the night.  

This morning, he was at it again.  Only instead of drawing pictures he was into writing notes.  I was in Heaven watching him sit still and work voluntarily.  Here are two samples of the many, many, many notes he wrote today.

"I love Mommy.  Jordan loves Mom. Jordan"

"I love Violet.  Jordan loves Violet."

I love all of the little hearts he drew for "love".

He also wrote notes for Pop, Susie, and his cousins.  Of course he had to run next door to deliver said notes.  When he came home he announced that he was having an "art club".  

And that's just what he did.  Teddy and Hippo came to the Art Club's first meeting.  They had Cheeze Its for snack.  "Arting" makes one extremely hungry. 

I've had the most fun watching him create today!

Snowbound

That's been us this week. It snowed Sunday night. A lot. And it all stuck. And then it all froze over. Which made driving difficult.

So, the Hubs had to spend a few days at the hospital, where he works. He was on-call and had to be within 30 minutes of the hospital at all times. Which left me home alone. With my sweet, lovely, hyperactive children. Stir crazy doesn't begin to describe it.

Okay. It wasn't all that bad. We played a lot of video games. Shaun "skated" on the frozen snow in the yard. Jordan became addicted to "The Wonder Pets" on NetFlix. Shaun beat several levels in "Lego Star Wars". We all engaged in countless light saber battles. Jordan learned to write his name. Shaun finished a up a unit in math. We ate a lot of peanuts and vegetables. We squabbled. We played with Legos, Moon Sand, and Play Doh. Jordan performed a few puppet shows. My dad braved the elements to drive over for a visit. We screamed like school girls when the Propane man drove up in his big huge truck to make his delivery before we ran out of Propane. (I think we were really just excited to see a human who wasn't related to us)

By this afternoon...after Day 3 of being stuck inside with nowhere to go, we were more than just a little sick of each other. So my sister and her family came to visit. Then, in a desperate attempt to get out of my house, I convinced the Hubs that we needed some groceries. We piled in the car and slid to Kroger. I planned to spend $20 and would up spending $60. Ouch.

Our Thursday activities have been canceled for tomorrow due to the "inclement weather". So we'll be here again. Hopefully we'll get out and do something on Friday. When the temperature will actually be in the 40s.

40 degrees. That seems downright balmy right now.

Have I mentioned that I don't particularly like the snow?

A light-hearted, shallow Thanksgiving post...

...which will be followed at some point by a sentimental, deep Thanksgiving post. But tonight, I feel like being a little silly.

So, I'm thankful for:

...NetFlix. Because it keeps me company when I can't sleep.

...my iPhone. Because it introduced me to Words with Friends. And it allows me to snap cute photos all day long, even though the quality's not great.

...Facebook. Because it gives me a glimpse of the "outside" when I'm inside the house teaching my children.

...The Office. Because nothing makes me laugh harder late at night than Michael Scott.

...my Thursday night clique. Because I've never belonged to a clique before and it makes me feel so special.

...feta cheese. Because its just so darned good...and it only has 1 carb per serving.

...Twilight. Because its brought me so much mindless happiness over the past year.

...the person who invented text messaging. Because text messaging has eliminated hours and hours of mind-numbing small talk from my life.

...Call of Duty. Because it occupies my Hubs for so many hours, which gives me some free time.

...Wal-Mart. Because its open 24 hours. This enables me to meet interesting people while grocery shopping at midnight.

...homeschooling. Because it allows me to sleep intil 9:00 am most mornings.

...Teen Mom. Because Catelyn, Maci, Amber, and Farrah make me feel so mature.

And many, many more. But I have to stop now, because I can hear Jordan and he's supossed to be asleep...and even though I'm mildly annoyed right now, I'm so, SO thankful my children have the ability to get in and out of bed by themselves. :)

On how my routine's out the window.

Tuesdays. I used to love 'em. We had a routine, the kids and I. And if you know me, you know how I love a good daily routine. Until last week, our Tuesday routine was as follows:

Wake up. Do some school. Grab a quick lunch (usually gluten-free mac and cheese with peas and carrots- a favorite with my boys). Jump in the car for Shaun's physical therapy appointment. Then, it was on to Monkey Joe's for Free Tuesdays. That's right. Free admittance. For us, that's almost a savings of twenty bucks. We'd meet up with some friends and the children would jump themselves silly while the moms talked until 4:30. That's when we'd head over to Stevie B's for pizza. Because on Tuesdays at Stevie B's, kids eat for one dollar. That's a crazy-good deal. So, we'd eat, the kids would play, and us moms would talk (some more) for another few hours. Afterwards, we'd head home, get baths, and the kids would be so worn out they'd go to bed early. What a great day! Here's a few pictures from past Tuesdays:

Shaun flirting with a MJ employee.


Most of the "regulars".




Two Tuesdays ago, we went to Monkey Joe's as usual. I signed the kids in and they took off. The teenaged employee put my wristband on and then said, " That'll be six dollars". Huh? I informed him that this was Tuesday, and admittance was free! Then he informed me that admittance was now three dollars on Tuesdays. Well. I decided that I could deal with spending six dollars, especially since my kids were already jumping! We continued on with our Tuesday as usual.

Last week when I signed in the kids at MJ's, the same teenaged employee hits me with "That's seventeen dollars and ninety-eight cents". I think I actually gasped a little and sputtered "Are you charging full price on Tuesdays now??". It seems that yes, Monkey Joe's has done away with Free and/or Reduced Tuesdays. Talk about disappointment! I was able to somehow talk the staff into letting us in for three bucks, same as the week before. But I don't think I can do it again. Which means that our Tuesday Routine is out the window. Because I will NOT pay almost 20 bucks for my children to jump on inflatables. I refuse. Its ridiculous!

So now our Tuesdays have changed. I assume I'll actually be making dinner in my own kitchen, since I can't really imagine us waiting around Gainesville for 2 and a half hours on one dollar pizza. What will I do with all of the extra time I'll have on Tuesday evenings? Maybe I'll get some cleaning done. And my Jeep needs a good washing. I'm also behind on the laundry. Somehow, none of this sounds as fun as all the conversations my friends and I had around the Stevie B's table...

Oh, Tuesdays! You were nice while you lasted!

Firsts

There's only one word to describe my family's life lately. Busy. We've been so busy. We're finally back in the swing of things with school. The kids have started attending a co-op. Chris has been working tons and tons of overtime. Etc, etc, etc. Its been awhile since I've posted anything, and a lot of "firsts" have happened since last time:

1. Jordan's first bike ride. While at my mom's for a visit, my babe taught himself how to ride a bike sans training wheels. I was pretty amazed. He's now a pro.

2. Shaun's first sleep-over. Shaun spent the night with a friend. This is the first time he's ever been away overnight, aside from spending the night with family. I was a bit of a nervous wreck, but things went just fine. When I left him, he had tears in his eyes, so I fully expected a phone call from my friend Rebecca at 2:00 am. But things went just fine. Shaun and his friends actually were sound asleep by 8:00- they had played hard outside all day long. When I picked him up the next day, Shaun asked why I was there- apparently he wanted to stay longer. He's growing up.

3. My first meal at Red Robin. While Shaun was "spending the night", I was having a mom's night. At Red Robin. Oh my. Delicious isn't the word. I'm hooked. I want to go back. I had this monster burger topped with avocado dip and feta cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

4. Chris' first Dad's Night Out. I've been having a lot of "me time" lately, and I guess Chris was jealous. At any rate, he informed me that he was going out to a movie with a friend from work. Since I'm such a good wife, I had no problem with this. And I didn't laugh at all when Chris' friend would up having to work late, forcing my Hubs to see a movie by himself. Hee hee!

5. Jordan's first self-inflicted hair cut. Jordan's co-op teacher came up to me in the hallway at church and exclaimed, "That baby of yours! I looked at him and he was leaned over the table chopping his hair off..and hiding it in his pencil box". I went into Jordan's classroom to survey the damage and found a huge chunk cut into his bangs and the hair on the back of his head. When I asked why in the world he would do such a thing, Jordan informed me that he needed a haircut. Sigh.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Hmm. This week must NOT have been extremely boring and mundane, since I can't really seem to think of any good NOT ME'S. But, I'll give it a try anyway.

I did NOT get to take a two hour Sunday afternoon nap yesterday. And it was NOT as wonderful and amazing as I remembered Sunday afternoon naps to be.

While at a marriage conference over the weekend, my Hubs and I did NOT agree to go on a 7 Day Sex Challenge. I am NOT turning a little red as a type this- I'm a married woman, after all!

I am NOT getting extremely sick of all this cold weather. Not being able to get outside in the sunshine is NOT causing me to seriously consider calling up the doctor and asking for some Zoloft. That being said, I did NOT wake up this morning and check the Weather Channel application on my phone first thing, before I even got out of bed. And I was not deliriously happy to see that next weeks weather is looking a lot warmer...highs in the upper fifties!

I am NOT determined to accomplish all of our homeschool goals this week. This is NOT such a big deal because we're on top of things and always accomplish our goals. Ahem. Or something like that.

I did NOT decide that our family needs to invest in a housekeeper. Chris did NOT agree with me and tell me to start making some calls to find someone. Then, we did NOT both change our minds when we visited some friends last night, reasoning that if the D family can manage to keep things reasonably orderly and homeschool all of their seven children, I should not have any trouble doing the same for our family of four. Sigh.

Have a blessed week!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I am NOT (healthily) obsessed with The Twilight Saga. Nope. And since I'm NOT obsessed, my 9 year old son has NOT seen the movie and knows nothing about it. Therefore, I did NOT catch my children playing Twilight last week. It also goes without saying that I did NOT overhear these words coming out of my oldest son's mouth while I was eavesdropping on their "play acting" : "Jordan. You can be James. Just give me your arm so that I can throw you down and break the floor". After hearing these words, I most certainly did NOT heave a sigh of relief when I realized that Shaun is totally "Team Edward". NOT ME!

I did NOT adopt my * "Thursday" attire today. Just because I was so, so tired.

I always possess complete control of my children. So NO WAY would I ever turn a blind eye while my 3 year old ran around the house completely nude...just so that I could finish up Shaun's math lesson. NOT ME!

Organization is my middle name. I am totally on top of everything, all the time. So I would NOT forget to check the gas level in our Propane tank...until I felt the hot water run out in the middle of my shower. That's right, I would NOT let us run out of Propane on the coldest weekend of the season. NOT ME!

*See previous post

Blessings to you all!

Thursdays

On Thursdays, my hair will not be styled. I will most likely be wearing a hat with the brim pulled down over my face so that I'm somewhat unrecognizable. I will not be wearing makeup except what may be left over from the night before.

My clothes will be the same ones I wore to church the night before, if they're not dirty. I reason that since I only wore them a few hours the night before, this is okay.

There's a good reason for all this sloppiness: I'm just tired on Thursdays! Thursdays are our hardest days. We stay out late on Wednesday nights. We have church. Its 9 or 9:30 before we leave. Not because service is that long, but because we love our church family and spend time socializing afterwards. When we (finally) leave the building, we usually go eat. El Sombrero is our usual choice...the staff has come to expect us! We go with friends and eat and talk some more. Usually we close out the place.

We usually make it home around 10:30 or 11:00. Chris and I get the kids to bed. Chris goes to sleep himself. I do a load of laundry or read or Facebook because I'm too wired to sleep. I finally make it to bed, but then we have to be up and back at church for Shaun's performing arts class.

So, I'm tired. And maybe I'm a slacker, but I'd much rather spend an extra 30 minutes sleeping than drying my hair. That's just me. I used to stress about this. I even went so far as to try to rush home from church without interacting with anyone in order to get home and into bed earlier. But that doesn't work for us. We love our Wednesday nights. The kids do, too. So we're keeping things the way they are. We'll keep living it up on Wednesday nights and I'll keep looking disheveled and sleepy on Thursdays.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My husband did NOT volunteer us to host our family's Thanksgiving meal this year. He loves me and appreciates my lack of stress control, so he certainly did NOT also put me in charge of cooking the turkey. On that note, this will NOT be my first time cooking a turkey, and I am NOT clueless on how to go about it. I truly hope this meal will NOT be disgusting! And I'm NOT soooo relieved that my sis-in-law is bringing some ham...just in case!

While making lesson plans for Smith University's (my affectionate name for our home school) unit on Thanksgiving, I did NOT realize that I needed to brush up on the topic myself. So, I did NOT need to google "The First Thanksgiving" for information to fill in the gaps. Not Me!

I did NOT join the throngs of silly teenage girls seeing the movie "New Moon" over the weekend. While my friend and I were NOT at said movie, these things also did NOT happen:

*After dinner and finding ourselves with a little time to kill, my friend Jody and I did NOT
go to Publix to try to find the "New Moon" collectors edition of People magazine. And we
were NOT mad and disappointed when we failed.

*We did NOT arrive at the theater an hour early so that we would get good seats.

*The following words did NOT come out of one of our mouths when the line finally started
moving and some crazy teeny-boppers tried to break in line:
"Oh! These girls are running! GO! RUN!"

*It was NOT so entirely fun to act like a teenager again!

I did NOT have some friends over for a get-together last week. We did NOT stand outside and laugh so hard that my neighbors probably thought (incorrectly!) that we were drunk. I am also NOT incredibly grateful that "church ladies" can have so much fun.

I did NOT receive this text from my hubs during my get-together:
"Just wanted to tell you that I love you. And thanks for everything you do. I couldn't make it
without you.". These words did NOT make my heart skip a beat and my bones did NOT turn to mush. Sigh!

Spiritual Warfare

Really. I'm so amazed at the prayers, phone calls, and encouraging words I've received this week in response to my previous post. I had no idea that so many people actually read this blog of mine. I'm humbled. I'm grateful. I'm blessed to have each of you in my life. And I have felt your prayers this week. Thank you!

Last week was...um...something else, to say the least. I've never gone through something like this before. And I'm nervous about writing about it now. Its gonna sound weird. But God brought me through it, and I feel like I need to share my experience. So here goes:

First of all, I need to be clear that I am a Christian. Jesus lives in me. I've been born-again, my sins are all forgiven, and I'm going to Heaven when I die. I'm sure of all this. But, about 2 weeks ago, something began to feel "off". Strange. I felt a presence around me 24-7. Not a good presence. It was extremely unnerving. It began to fill my head with thoughts. The best way I can think of to describe it is that it was almost like a whisper in my ear. I told you this was gonna be weird! For a week I listened to this "voice" tell me that:

I'm no good. I'm a horrible mother. I'm not capable of taking care of my children. I'm not qualified to homeschool my kids. I'm a horrible wife. My marriage was a mistake. My children were mistakes. My husband doesn't love me. I don't love my husband. We never should have gotten married. I'd be better off single. My children would be better off if I left. My parents would do a better job taking care of them than I do.

There were more, but those were the main thoughts going through my mind all day long. For a week. At first I just wrote it off as a bout of depression brought on by all the rain and gloomy weather. But then I started believing it. All of it. Crazy, I know. These thoughts consumed everything I did. I didn't eat. I didn't spend time with the kids. I didn't do housework. I neglected Chris. I began to resent the fact that I had a family, because it all just seemed wrong. I did go to church, but I wasn't "really there". I withdrew from everything. I wanted to be by myself all the time, and when I was alone, I would contemplate how I was going to break the news to Chris that I was leaving.

These feeling built and built. My mom sensed something was wrong and offered to watch the kids one night so that Chris and I could go out. I got really excited. Not because we were going on a date, but because I was finally going to be in a situation where I could tell him how I felt. And I did. Hence the "Regret" post.

Chris was hurt. Crushed is more like it. I will never forgive myself for causing him that kind of pain. We got back home and he told me he was going to sleep with the kids because he just didn't know what to say to me. So he did. I, on the other hand, did not sleep at all. I tossed and turned. I listened to the "voice" as it told me that what I'd done that night made me an even more horrible person than I was before. I cried and cried.

I started begging God to help me, and that's when it hit me: I hadn't prayed or read my Bible in over a week. I was astonished that so much time had passed since I had spent time with God. But it was true. I immediately started praying. Begging God to help me and forgive me for every false thought I'd entertained. Pleading with Him to restore the damage I'd done to my marriage. After I was done, I felt as if a boulder had been lifted off my chest. Things were going to be okay! I fell asleep around 4 a.m. and slept like a baby.

I didn't get to talk to Chris before he left for work the next day. I spent that day praying and taking stock of my life. How in the world could I have thought my children were mistakes? How could I have believed any of those lies for even one second? And oh goodness, what was I supposed to say to my husband. "I'm sorry" certainly wouldn't cover it.

I realized that I had been through spiritual warfare in its finest. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the presence I felt was demonic. That I had literally been walking around with a demon whispering lies to me. I had been under attack. And it wanted to take my family down with me. The worst part is that I listened! I was ready to divorce my husband and leave my children. Crazy. That's when I got mad. Really mad. The devil and his little cohorts should have had no authority over me. I'd dropped the ball, big time. And I'd almost thrown everything away.

I went through my entire house praying. Denouncing any demonic presences. Telling them they had no authority over me, my family, or my marriage. My uncle, who was doing some repairs on the house, probably thought I was going nuts! I felt light as a feather. Better than I had in weeks.

I had to talk to someone, so I called one of my best friends and told her all about it. And she said "Wow, I knew something like that was going on. Your voice was different when I talked to you on Monday. We've been praying so hard". Wow.

And then Chris came home. We had a long talk. After apologizing again and again, I began the story with "Now I know you're gonna think I'm crazy..."

But he didn't. He'd known something was going on all week, too. When I told him I'd been harassed by a demon, his response was "Is it gone? Did you get it out of here?" Wow again. And- he forgave me.

So, that's been my life for the past 2 weeks. Weird, huh. I've never been through something like that, and I hope it never happens again. The devil knows our weaknesses and he'll use anything to betray us.

I was trying to think back to when this all started. I think it was a few weeks ago. The kids and I were having an awful morning. Shaun would not listen to a thing I said. He was being so difficult. And I vaguely remember wondering to myself what in the world I was doing. I was so busy that day that I didn't get my quiet time in. Ditto for the day after. And the day after that. Then the rain started. The weather always gets me down, and the kids get antsy when they can't go outside and get their energy out. I was so overwhelmed that day. And I believe that was all it took. The Bible tells us that Satan is "The father of lies". I believed it before, but I really believe it now!

But, like always, I made it through. God is good!

I feel the need to stress here that the devil is real. Demons are real. I know that some Christians don't like to think about this, but its true. The devil is real and he's after you. He knows you. He knows your habits, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Example: he definitely knows that self-esteem has never been my strong point. I really struggle with self-doubt. So, that awful morning when I began to second-guess my ability to homeschool gave him a way in. He's sneaky like that. And the fact that I was missing out on my "alone" time with God opened the door even wider.

I've learned my lesson. I know what's true: I'm doing what God has called me to do. With my kids, with my marriage. We're destined for great things. I will never take my eyes off Him again.

Randomness

Here are some random things I did today:

Killed a ginormous, hairy spider in the bathroom.

Gave Shaun his math test. (He made a 93!)

Listened to a VERY interesting "Focus on the Family".

Took a bubble bath.

Sent my sweet husband to the store for "femenine products".

Rescued Jordan from the top of our truck.

Got my laundry pile down to ZERO.

Started to make dinner, only to realize that the particular dish I wanted to make takes an unbelievable 4 hours to make.

Fed my family some leftovers instead.

Walked to get the mail.

Watched the boys play in a big, huge, mud puddle on the way to the mailbox.

Stayed up way too late.

What's for lunch?

I begin hearing these words around 10:00 am every day. Months ago, I had a ready-made answer: Sandwiches!

But not anymore. Shaun's wheat allergy has changed all that. Oh, I tried to keep making sandwiches work as a suitable lunch. I bought the rice bread. The rice bread that's really thick and dry and gritty. And costs 4 dollars for one small loaf. And that the kids wouldn't eat. So, no more sandwiches for us.

During the summer, I would cook a great meal for my boys at lunch time. Then, when our home school year started, I realized that I was wasting over an hour of my precious time cooking and cleaning up. Since my children still need to eat, despite how crunched for time I am, I came up with some quick, simply recipes that my children love. They're healthy, and I don't have to give the kids anything they shouldn't be eating. I'm really quite proud of myself. Here they are:

Mexican Beans and Rice (I made up this title)

white rice (kids are allergic to the brown)
black beans
salsa
Monterey Jack cheese

I just mix it all together and then top the mixture with some additional cheese. Then I bake it for awhile and its done. The kids eat this like its going out of style. I make a big casserole dish full, so we can eat on it for at least 2 days.


Pizza

Bob's Red Mill Gluten/Wheat Free pizza dough
flax mill and water (as an egg substitute for the dough)
tomato sauce (made without high fructose corn syrup)
ground beef
onion
Mozzarella cheese

I just make the dough, sautee the beef and onion, spread the sauce, sprinkle the cheese and bake. One bag of Bob's Red Mill dough mix is enough for 2 huge pizzas. So, once again, we can eat this meal for more than one day. The great thing about this dough is that it tastes almost like thin-crust dough made from what. Its actually pretty good. And again-- my boys eat it like its going out of style.


Veggies and Mac and Cheese

2 boxes of rice mac and cheese mix
green beans (fresh or canned)
crowder peas or black eyed peas
any other kind of vegetable I have in the house

Mac and cheese has been a favorite food of Shaun's since...um...I guess since he could eat. Ditto on the crowder peas. My granny has fed him crowder peas from her garden since he was about 9 months old. They're delicious and full of protein. I was so thrilled to find boxes of quick mac and cheese made from white rice noodles. Just like Kraft, only the kids can eat it. Its also really good. You can detect a difference in the noodles. Not a bad difference, just a difference. I also mix in some ground flax seed for additional nutrition. Served with vegetables, this is a quick and nutritious meal.


There you have it. What we've had for lunch this week. Not quite as easy as slapping some ham and cheese sandwiches together, but not too difficult either.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


I did NOT become a home schooling parent last week. I was not extremely nervous about is, and it did NOT go extremely well (for the most part).

I did NOT get the run-around from the school system again today when I took Shaun to his old elementary school to officially withdraw him. The wonderful office staff there did NOT disappoint me with the same rudeness and lack of knowledge I experienced last year. Once our withdrawal was complete, Shaun and I did NOT practically skip with joy as we made our way back to the car.

This past week it did NOT become apparent that I do NOT have a green thumb. I have NOT been waiting in anticipation for my first tomato harvest for the entire summer. And, since I love fresh, homegrown tomatoes, I was NOT completely disappointed when THIS is all my many plants have produced so far:


The larger tomato on the far left is NOT a store-bought Roma tomato.

I am NOT about to become an aunt again in 3 short weeks. And my sister/best friend is NOT naming her new baby boy after me.

Chris and I did NOT lose Jordan at church yesterday. After he was found, Jordan did NOT get his little hiney spanked really hard by his two frantic/terrified/relieved parents for running away and hiding from us in order to sneak back outside to the play ground. Nuh-uh. No way. That would NEVER happen!

Have a great week!