Down 3.8 lbs. Not bad, but I can do better!
sue
Friday, May 23, 2014
bittersweet
With a little sweet sadness, we said goodbye to Brooklet Elementary School today. Not that we didn't enjoy our time there, we did. The kids have wonderful memories of friends and teacghers from the past 3 years. We are embarking on a new adventure, and I must admit it's a little "scary", but we have been led down this path and we are full of hopeful eagerness.
I have worries, mostly because traditional public school is ALL I ever knew. I had fond memories of singing in the musicals, assemblies, metal playground equipment, and the sheer amount of stuff crammed into each classroom. I worry that my kids will somehow miss out on some grand memory, but I am assured by my homeschooling friends that it is replaced with something better, something real.
Elementary school in 2014 is much different than the one I attended in the 1980's. Our reasons for leaving have to do with the standardization, the robotics of education, and the philosophy of No Child Left Behind. My children were not the victims of bullies, nor do I dislike the school itself. I am appalled by the last generation that our society put out....the irresponsible, entitled brats who have no idea how to handle defeat. I saw this behavior in my own children. Was some of it from me...YES! Did the learn it at school.....YES! We made the decision to change ourselves, our outlook, our parenting style and put a stop to the cycle that is turning out these youth.
We want out children to understand that someone wins and someone loses, and sometimes it's you. You don't always get a prize. You are not always super duper special. You are unique and we love you just the way you are. We can involve God as much as we want and we believe the government has no business in our children's education. We want our kids to have an innocent childhood, one that doesn't expose them to adult themes until they are adults. What's the rush to grow up?
So, yes, I have a bittersweet heart about them not having the old elementary school memories that I recall. But I ask myself, is that even possible? The world today is so much different than the one I grew up in. My goal is to give them the best possible gift I can, the gift of family. The gift of togetherness. I hope I can meet my goal.
sue
I have worries, mostly because traditional public school is ALL I ever knew. I had fond memories of singing in the musicals, assemblies, metal playground equipment, and the sheer amount of stuff crammed into each classroom. I worry that my kids will somehow miss out on some grand memory, but I am assured by my homeschooling friends that it is replaced with something better, something real.
Elementary school in 2014 is much different than the one I attended in the 1980's. Our reasons for leaving have to do with the standardization, the robotics of education, and the philosophy of No Child Left Behind. My children were not the victims of bullies, nor do I dislike the school itself. I am appalled by the last generation that our society put out....the irresponsible, entitled brats who have no idea how to handle defeat. I saw this behavior in my own children. Was some of it from me...YES! Did the learn it at school.....YES! We made the decision to change ourselves, our outlook, our parenting style and put a stop to the cycle that is turning out these youth.
We want out children to understand that someone wins and someone loses, and sometimes it's you. You don't always get a prize. You are not always super duper special. You are unique and we love you just the way you are. We can involve God as much as we want and we believe the government has no business in our children's education. We want our kids to have an innocent childhood, one that doesn't expose them to adult themes until they are adults. What's the rush to grow up?
So, yes, I have a bittersweet heart about them not having the old elementary school memories that I recall. But I ask myself, is that even possible? The world today is so much different than the one I grew up in. My goal is to give them the best possible gift I can, the gift of family. The gift of togetherness. I hope I can meet my goal.
sue
Friday, May 16, 2014
Weight Watchers Day 1
Today I started Weight Watchers again. I had joined back before I got pregnant with Lucas, so it's time. I'm probably about 40-50 lbs overweight for my height. I'd be happy to weight about 150...and that's a 30lb weight loss for me. I am tired all the time and I hate that I don't have the energy I used to...so it's time for a change! I already know where my pitfalls are...beer and carbs! I did some mild yoga this morning...just basic poses. It feels so great to just . I used to be so limber and I know I can get there again :) Here's hoping we see some weight off in about 5 days...that would be awesome!!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
busy
The littlest of the littles is on the move...crawling that is. Not far,but just enough to get himself stuck under the coffee table and let out little whimpers until I scoop him up and set him on another course. And we have a birthday today. A sweet blonde haired boy turns six today.
It seems like only yesterday that I was watching him learn how to crawl across the floor... sigh. These are the final days of public school this week and next. In my heart I am caught between joy, fear and longing. Joyful to be done with the standardized rituals and testing. Fear comes in the form of anxiety...notbeing sure I will ever be able to do it and still have my kids love me when it's all over. And longing...a longing for those elementary school milestones. Will they miss our on the school plays, the yearly photos? I pray about this daily. My decision is made, but I still worry that it's the right one. My faith needs to strengthen in this task because He set this path before me and I want to fulfill His will. It will all be okay.....breathe......breathe......breathe.
I've taken to sleeping on the family room couch as Lucas is finally sleeping in his crib and his room is too far for comfort from our master bedroom. So the couch has been my bed for some time. And perchance if he wakes in the middle of the night and needs to snuggle, we just curl up together in the spare bedroom until the sun rises. Thankfully he is sleeping through the night because one week ago we became parents to a different kind of baby...a furry one, or two. Two to be exact. Siberian Husky and Australian Shephard mix pups. So sweet....and FUZZY. Gabe is brown and white and definitely has more Husky in him. Buck is black and white and will probably have husky ears but a Shephard face. They were only five weeks when they came to us, but they are doing amazingly well. They already use their paper inside for" messes" and "go" everytime we go out. A few howling episodes here and there, but mostly, just amazingly well mannered. We are working on the "sit" command this week.
It really has been a busy past week. We finished the new chicken coop and moved the new hens and roosters in. Two of our hens and one of the roosters left with a table and chairs as a trade for the pups. Lol, bartering, I suppose. Pepper spent two nights in the pen, but she was being a bit of a bully to the new girls so I let her out to free range. She sleeps on the deck handrail right outside the back window....sigh. The nursery is also in the process of receiving some new (and much needed) flooring. I opted to piece in the carpet (again) in the family room as my master plan is to put laminate down in there too. All in due time. There are still so many unfinished projects (the master bath trim, the kids bedroom trimwork and that unfinished reading nook I had great aspirations for, the music room and then there is the everchanging craft/homeschool room). It will all get done and it will be as it is supposed to be. No worrying allowed here.
Between projects I am personally working on me. Yes, me. My role as a parent, working on having a chilled reaction to these angry outbursts from Madison. Working on not getting overwhelmed when they all come at me at once needing something. I am working on teaching them to be a little more independent and a little less messy. And I am working on not freaking out when everything isn't in it's place. Can you imagine? This is in my daily prayers. Pray for me too, please. But for now, I burn lavender incense to infuse some calm into the house. Not sure if it helps or just makes me sneeze!
It seems like only yesterday that I was watching him learn how to crawl across the floor... sigh. These are the final days of public school this week and next. In my heart I am caught between joy, fear and longing. Joyful to be done with the standardized rituals and testing. Fear comes in the form of anxiety...notbeing sure I will ever be able to do it and still have my kids love me when it's all over. And longing...a longing for those elementary school milestones. Will they miss our on the school plays, the yearly photos? I pray about this daily. My decision is made, but I still worry that it's the right one. My faith needs to strengthen in this task because He set this path before me and I want to fulfill His will. It will all be okay.....breathe......breathe......breathe.
I've taken to sleeping on the family room couch as Lucas is finally sleeping in his crib and his room is too far for comfort from our master bedroom. So the couch has been my bed for some time. And perchance if he wakes in the middle of the night and needs to snuggle, we just curl up together in the spare bedroom until the sun rises. Thankfully he is sleeping through the night because one week ago we became parents to a different kind of baby...a furry one, or two. Two to be exact. Siberian Husky and Australian Shephard mix pups. So sweet....and FUZZY. Gabe is brown and white and definitely has more Husky in him. Buck is black and white and will probably have husky ears but a Shephard face. They were only five weeks when they came to us, but they are doing amazingly well. They already use their paper inside for" messes" and "go" everytime we go out. A few howling episodes here and there, but mostly, just amazingly well mannered. We are working on the "sit" command this week.
It really has been a busy past week. We finished the new chicken coop and moved the new hens and roosters in. Two of our hens and one of the roosters left with a table and chairs as a trade for the pups. Lol, bartering, I suppose. Pepper spent two nights in the pen, but she was being a bit of a bully to the new girls so I let her out to free range. She sleeps on the deck handrail right outside the back window....sigh. The nursery is also in the process of receiving some new (and much needed) flooring. I opted to piece in the carpet (again) in the family room as my master plan is to put laminate down in there too. All in due time. There are still so many unfinished projects (the master bath trim, the kids bedroom trimwork and that unfinished reading nook I had great aspirations for, the music room and then there is the everchanging craft/homeschool room). It will all get done and it will be as it is supposed to be. No worrying allowed here.
Between projects I am personally working on me. Yes, me. My role as a parent, working on having a chilled reaction to these angry outbursts from Madison. Working on not getting overwhelmed when they all come at me at once needing something. I am working on teaching them to be a little more independent and a little less messy. And I am working on not freaking out when everything isn't in it's place. Can you imagine? This is in my daily prayers. Pray for me too, please. But for now, I burn lavender incense to infuse some calm into the house. Not sure if it helps or just makes me sneeze!
Friday, January 3, 2014
rabbits and storage and cold, oh my!
This morning I was greeted by a bright sun streaming through the back windows of the house after two days of bitter cold rain. . The cold remains I learned as I went out to feed the chickens this morning and was met with a biting wind as soon as I opened the screen door. I've grown unaccustomed to the cold being here for the past two years. It reminds me of home....sigh. But I do so love the sun. So the thermostat was turned down and the curtains drawn back to warm up the house naturally.
The girls (chickens) water bowl was frozen over this morning...had to punch through to refill it. They crowded around me as I did so, clucking and clattering the whole time. They are such silly birds. I know they are mad because they want to be out...but I am tired of cleaning off the deck, lol. The rest of the herd of cats and kittens were fed in the warmth of the shed. These cats kills me, they lay on the deck,out in the cold and don't go into the shed to sleep. Strange. Rosebud is getting bigger and fluffier. I wish she were a boy. She will most definitely have to be spayed, along with the two other females. 11 is enough.
I'm researching rabbit pens. Seems the one I bought needs a drop pan and legs that will add another $40 to the bill..but then I can use it indoors or out. If I go with the smaller one, I fear it won't be enough room for our new pet. Once it's outside we will have to build some type of top over it to protect it from the elements. I probably should have just bought a standard hutch and been done with it. It probably would have been about the same till all is said and done.
The upstairs is coming along. I fear I am going to have to repaint the girls side. I apparently didn't mix the paint well enough and there appears to be several shades of pink rolled onto the wall. Could I just say I meant for it to be that way?? I have two boxes of trash to come down yet and yesterday was spent hauling storage totes to the girls room closet (their new home). I did manage to condense a good bit, but the Halloween costumes need to be transferred to a flat storage box. Those big totes take up so much space! If the weather stays non rainy, Sunday is cleaning day for the shed, then the other totes will be moved out there. Oh, how I wish we had a garage!!
Yesterday I re organized my bathroom closet, and my entire kitchen. I moved all my small appliances to the closet and moved the food storage to a base cabinet. I think this will work well but I think I still want a big pantry closet in the laundry room for bigger items like paper towels and such. All in due time. It's amazing how you can repurpose and change things around and spend zero money to organize, lol. I's all about using your imagination and thinking outside the box. I abhor clutter is drives me mad. I've been scouring Pinterest for ideas for the kids room...for closets and storage for toys. There's so much out there, but I want to spend zero money so I will have to improvise with what I have. I have to remind myself that our house isn't going to be on BHG so it doesn't always have to be matchy matchy. We live here! I need to stop trying to live up to the expectation that my house will always be spotless. It won't be. I have 5 kids that need to be allowed to be messy and play. Let it go and breathe.
sue
The girls (chickens) water bowl was frozen over this morning...had to punch through to refill it. They crowded around me as I did so, clucking and clattering the whole time. They are such silly birds. I know they are mad because they want to be out...but I am tired of cleaning off the deck, lol. The rest of the herd of cats and kittens were fed in the warmth of the shed. These cats kills me, they lay on the deck,out in the cold and don't go into the shed to sleep. Strange. Rosebud is getting bigger and fluffier. I wish she were a boy. She will most definitely have to be spayed, along with the two other females. 11 is enough.
I'm researching rabbit pens. Seems the one I bought needs a drop pan and legs that will add another $40 to the bill..but then I can use it indoors or out. If I go with the smaller one, I fear it won't be enough room for our new pet. Once it's outside we will have to build some type of top over it to protect it from the elements. I probably should have just bought a standard hutch and been done with it. It probably would have been about the same till all is said and done.
The upstairs is coming along. I fear I am going to have to repaint the girls side. I apparently didn't mix the paint well enough and there appears to be several shades of pink rolled onto the wall. Could I just say I meant for it to be that way?? I have two boxes of trash to come down yet and yesterday was spent hauling storage totes to the girls room closet (their new home). I did manage to condense a good bit, but the Halloween costumes need to be transferred to a flat storage box. Those big totes take up so much space! If the weather stays non rainy, Sunday is cleaning day for the shed, then the other totes will be moved out there. Oh, how I wish we had a garage!!
Yesterday I re organized my bathroom closet, and my entire kitchen. I moved all my small appliances to the closet and moved the food storage to a base cabinet. I think this will work well but I think I still want a big pantry closet in the laundry room for bigger items like paper towels and such. All in due time. It's amazing how you can repurpose and change things around and spend zero money to organize, lol. I's all about using your imagination and thinking outside the box. I abhor clutter is drives me mad. I've been scouring Pinterest for ideas for the kids room...for closets and storage for toys. There's so much out there, but I want to spend zero money so I will have to improvise with what I have. I have to remind myself that our house isn't going to be on BHG so it doesn't always have to be matchy matchy. We live here! I need to stop trying to live up to the expectation that my house will always be spotless. It won't be. I have 5 kids that need to be allowed to be messy and play. Let it go and breathe.
sue
Thursday, January 2, 2014
is it really 2014?
Ok, so 2013 is over. It went out with a big bright ball crashing hoorah, while my co workers and I stood in room 1 of the ED devoid of hats or noisemakers, knee deep in patients with the flu. And so we welcomed in 2014. I hugged my friends Kari and Linda, and off we went, praying for the night to JUST BE OVER. .
I made some resolutions. Easy one's I think. Or well maybe practical ones'.
Take a family trip.
Save 10% of our paychecks and put it into an account...no touching!
Find a church.
Improve my sewing and crochet skills.
Live Dr. Markhum's advice on parenting.
Plant and maintain a vegetable garden.
Not too bad. I know it's more than one, but it's more like my goal list for 2014. 2013 wasn't so bad. We had good moments (Lucas :)) and not so good moments (Frazier's stroke, the bathroom disaster, and an $11,000 bill). But we survived and we are still here. Intact. A family with it's problems and it's better days. I hope 2014 brings forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude, mended fences, and simplicity.
blessings all!
sue
I made some resolutions. Easy one's I think. Or well maybe practical ones'.
Take a family trip.
Save 10% of our paychecks and put it into an account...no touching!
Find a church.
Improve my sewing and crochet skills.
Live Dr. Markhum's advice on parenting.
Plant and maintain a vegetable garden.
Not too bad. I know it's more than one, but it's more like my goal list for 2014. 2013 wasn't so bad. We had good moments (Lucas :)) and not so good moments (Frazier's stroke, the bathroom disaster, and an $11,000 bill). But we survived and we are still here. Intact. A family with it's problems and it's better days. I hope 2014 brings forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude, mended fences, and simplicity.
blessings all!
sue
onward..
New Years came and went while I was stuck at work. I quick pre countdown call to my hubby, and a Happy New Year wish to each of my kids...then me and some of the other staff met in room 1 and watched that big bright ball drop down in Times Square while we stood knee deep in patients here in our little South Georgia ER. And so we welcomed in 2014.
I laid in my soft bed the next morning, drinking a post work beer and thought about the past year and the upcoming year. Had I met any of my goals? Yes. I did. But there is always more to do. more goals to set. Which leads me to my NY Resolution list. Do you have one?
take a family trip
find a church
save 10% of our earnings
plant and maintain a vegetable garden
become a better parent
improve my sewing and crochet skills
improve my computer skills
so I sit here tonight, after my first full day in 2014, Willie is crooning away on Pandora drifting me backwards in time and to a gentler place. I so hope my children have good happy memories. I dare say I wish I had been born in the 50;s when time may have been harder, but they were simpler. I so long for that simple, uncluttered, no gadget, no social media place. A place where I didn't know what anyone was doing unless I called them and they told me. I almost wish to be invisible. I suppose I could if I just left Facebook. lol.
we are getting a bunny. Rmma has already named him/her Sugarbear. I'm going with Snickers. I swore he would be outside, but I'm thinking I will get an inside pen. he's a pet right?
I painted the upstairs this week. I have more work to do. i'ts overwhelming going thru all the stuff up there. we had a throw out party tonight. purging is good for the soul. I'm so looking forward to getting everything in it's right spot. I put away the Christmas stuff tonight too. I got it down to 5 boxes ..mainly flat storage boxes. That's a mighty big deal to me. My Halloween costumes are still taking up too much space lol. Oh well, it's a work in progress.
I welcome 2014. We had our ups and downs in 2013. Many blessings more than anything else.
God is good. I hope that 2014 brings mended fences, love, patience, acceptance, and being present in the moment.
Blessings
sue
I laid in my soft bed the next morning, drinking a post work beer and thought about the past year and the upcoming year. Had I met any of my goals? Yes. I did. But there is always more to do. more goals to set. Which leads me to my NY Resolution list. Do you have one?
take a family trip
find a church
save 10% of our earnings
plant and maintain a vegetable garden
become a better parent
improve my sewing and crochet skills
improve my computer skills
so I sit here tonight, after my first full day in 2014, Willie is crooning away on Pandora drifting me backwards in time and to a gentler place. I so hope my children have good happy memories. I dare say I wish I had been born in the 50;s when time may have been harder, but they were simpler. I so long for that simple, uncluttered, no gadget, no social media place. A place where I didn't know what anyone was doing unless I called them and they told me. I almost wish to be invisible. I suppose I could if I just left Facebook. lol.
we are getting a bunny. Rmma has already named him/her Sugarbear. I'm going with Snickers. I swore he would be outside, but I'm thinking I will get an inside pen. he's a pet right?
I painted the upstairs this week. I have more work to do. i'ts overwhelming going thru all the stuff up there. we had a throw out party tonight. purging is good for the soul. I'm so looking forward to getting everything in it's right spot. I put away the Christmas stuff tonight too. I got it down to 5 boxes ..mainly flat storage boxes. That's a mighty big deal to me. My Halloween costumes are still taking up too much space lol. Oh well, it's a work in progress.
I welcome 2014. We had our ups and downs in 2013. Many blessings more than anything else.
God is good. I hope that 2014 brings mended fences, love, patience, acceptance, and being present in the moment.
Blessings
sue
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