Thanks to my little ones watching Nick Jr., this song has been stuck in my head :-) At least it's not an annoying one lol.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
As we celebrate Memorial Day...
Let us remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we may still call our country the land of the free...
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky.
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.
Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, we must go to our rest.
Always true to the promises we've made.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
"Taps"
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky.
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.
Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, we must go to our rest.
Always true to the promises we've made.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
"Taps"
Thursday, May 13, 2010
57% of Americans dont think women should breastfeed in public.
According to Babytalk Magazine, 57% of Americans dont think women should breastfeed in public.
Wow.
*headdesk*
I guess women who exclusively breastfeed should hide away for the remainder of the time that they nurse their children? Um, no. Those 57% should grow up and stop this crazy obsession that boobs are strictly sexual, indecent, etc. and be glad that those children are being given the best possible nutrition. Sorry but if breastfeeding women can't feed their babies in public then bottle feeding shouldn't be allowed in public. Sounds silly doesn't it? That's the same idea.
End rant.
Cafe Manager Berates Breastfeeding Mom
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/breastfeeding-mom-harrassed-restaurant/story?id=10627999
Wow.
*headdesk*
I guess women who exclusively breastfeed should hide away for the remainder of the time that they nurse their children? Um, no. Those 57% should grow up and stop this crazy obsession that boobs are strictly sexual, indecent, etc. and be glad that those children are being given the best possible nutrition. Sorry but if breastfeeding women can't feed their babies in public then bottle feeding shouldn't be allowed in public. Sounds silly doesn't it? That's the same idea.
End rant.
Cafe Manager Berates Breastfeeding Mom
http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/breastfeeding-mom-harrassed-restaurant/story?id=10627999
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Can I have just FIVE minutes?
I stumbled upon the following letter at http://www.topbabypages.com/. I couldn't help but feel this author's pain. I cannot count the number of times I have been interrupted while attempting to take a shower. While it is frustrating, I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world. I love every bit of it, good, bad, and downright ugly :-)
Dear Kids,
Don't be alarmed, the world isn't coming to an end. I am simply taking a bath. It will take about 30 minutes and will involve soap and water. Yes, I know how to swim. Even if I didn't, forcing myself to drown in a half-inch of lukewarm water is more work than I've got energy for. (Which reminds me, I'm all for science projects, but the next time you want to see if Play-Doh floats, use cold water.)
Don't panic if I'm not out right on time. I've heard that people don't dissolve in water and I'd like to test the theory. While I'm in the tub, I'd like you to remember a few things, the large slab of wood between us is called a door. Do not bang to hear my
voice. I promise that even though you can't see me, I am on the other side. I'm not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border, no matter what I said a while ago, I didn't mean it.
Honest.
There will be plenty of time later to tell me about your day. Later means at a time when I am no longer naked, wet, and contemplating bubble gum in the blow dryer. I know you have important things to tell me. Please let one of them be that you have invented a new way to blow bubbles, not a new way to add gum to your hair.
Believe it or not, shouting, "TELEPHONE!" through the closed bathroom door will not make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since Amazing Mind-Reading Mom has the day off, you'll need to write that message down. Use paper and a pencil. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can't send him to school with telephone-number tattoos.
Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between the sound of "nothing" and the sound of a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I'm choosing not to answer you.
Don't call your dad at work and tell him I am unconscious in the
bathroom. He didn't appreciate it last time. He won't appreciate it this time. Trust me.
No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to play. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to use the bathroom.
If someone is in our other bathroom, you will just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have four feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to "water" the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don't feel the need to call me when the dog does it.
Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors
locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention. I know it works in the movies. This is reality, the place where people don't like to sit in a tub while rocks and broken glass rain in on them.
Do not set the house on fire. Call me if there is an emergency.
Emergencies are:
1. Dad has fallen off the roof.
2. Your brother and/or sister is bleeding.
3. There's a red fire truck in front of our house.
Emergencies are not:
1. Dad has fallen asleep.
2. Someone on TV is bleeding.
3. There's a red pickup truck in front of our house.
One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future, when anything in the bathroom overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of
every towel in the house. For my sanity's sake, let's pretend it was the tub, O.K.?
No, I don't want to hear the real story.
Ever.
Especially not while I'm standing in the pool of water you missed.
(P.S. All Play-Doh experiments are canceled.)
Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes, you can do both at the same time. Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that stack of bills on the coffee table.
I'll be out soon. Maybe.
Love, Mom
Dear Kids,
Don't be alarmed, the world isn't coming to an end. I am simply taking a bath. It will take about 30 minutes and will involve soap and water. Yes, I know how to swim. Even if I didn't, forcing myself to drown in a half-inch of lukewarm water is more work than I've got energy for. (Which reminds me, I'm all for science projects, but the next time you want to see if Play-Doh floats, use cold water.)
Don't panic if I'm not out right on time. I've heard that people don't dissolve in water and I'd like to test the theory. While I'm in the tub, I'd like you to remember a few things, the large slab of wood between us is called a door. Do not bang to hear my
voice. I promise that even though you can't see me, I am on the other side. I'm not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border, no matter what I said a while ago, I didn't mean it.
Honest.
There will be plenty of time later to tell me about your day. Later means at a time when I am no longer naked, wet, and contemplating bubble gum in the blow dryer. I know you have important things to tell me. Please let one of them be that you have invented a new way to blow bubbles, not a new way to add gum to your hair.
Believe it or not, shouting, "TELEPHONE!" through the closed bathroom door will not make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since Amazing Mind-Reading Mom has the day off, you'll need to write that message down. Use paper and a pencil. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can't send him to school with telephone-number tattoos.
Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between the sound of "nothing" and the sound of a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I'm choosing not to answer you.
Don't call your dad at work and tell him I am unconscious in the
bathroom. He didn't appreciate it last time. He won't appreciate it this time. Trust me.
No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to play. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to use the bathroom.
If someone is in our other bathroom, you will just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have four feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to "water" the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don't feel the need to call me when the dog does it.
Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors
locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention. I know it works in the movies. This is reality, the place where people don't like to sit in a tub while rocks and broken glass rain in on them.
Do not set the house on fire. Call me if there is an emergency.
Emergencies are:
1. Dad has fallen off the roof.
2. Your brother and/or sister is bleeding.
3. There's a red fire truck in front of our house.
Emergencies are not:
1. Dad has fallen asleep.
2. Someone on TV is bleeding.
3. There's a red pickup truck in front of our house.
One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future, when anything in the bathroom overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of
every towel in the house. For my sanity's sake, let's pretend it was the tub, O.K.?
No, I don't want to hear the real story.
Ever.
Especially not while I'm standing in the pool of water you missed.
(P.S. All Play-Doh experiments are canceled.)
Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes, you can do both at the same time. Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that stack of bills on the coffee table.
I'll be out soon. Maybe.
Love, Mom
Monday, April 19, 2010
I Can't Wait
When you reach the proper age
I will teach you to read and you can turn the pages
How to dress and tie your shoes
Your one plus ones, and your two times two's
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't wait
As you grow, I'll show you things
How to ride your bike and kick your legs out on the swings
To fold your hands and bow your head
How to say your prayers before you go to bed
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that I have lost along the way
And I can't wait
How do you sleep so peacefully?
How do you trust unflinchingly?
How do you love so faithfully?
How do you dance so joyfully?
Oh you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important (essential) things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't
No I can't
Come teach me
Of love and dreams
And all the most essential thing
And all that I have lost along the way
Cause I can't wait
"I Can't Wait" by Sara Groves
I will teach you to read and you can turn the pages
How to dress and tie your shoes
Your one plus ones, and your two times two's
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't wait
As you grow, I'll show you things
How to ride your bike and kick your legs out on the swings
To fold your hands and bow your head
How to say your prayers before you go to bed
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that I have lost along the way
And I can't wait
How do you sleep so peacefully?
How do you trust unflinchingly?
How do you love so faithfully?
How do you dance so joyfully?
Oh you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important (essential) things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't
No I can't
Come teach me
Of love and dreams
And all the most essential thing
And all that I have lost along the way
Cause I can't wait
"I Can't Wait" by Sara Groves
Monday, April 5, 2010
A Post With No Name
Why is it as a child you feel as if time crawls, but as you get older it feels like somebody is slowly upping the tempo to your life's song until it moves so fast that one day you look in the mirror and realize that the person staring back at you is not the one who did 10, 5, or even 3 years ago? I mean, it's not always a bad thing, it's just a little alarming at how fast time goes by. I'm sitting here pondering the things that need done in my life and while I subtract the hours required to do these things, I realize that I am in some serious debt, time-wise! There are so many things that need done but no time to do them. I almost feel guilty sitting here writing this because at this very moment I am thinking of those few dishes left in the sink that need to be added to the dishwasher or the remaining pile of dirty laundry that needs washed, or heck, the mountain of boxes in our garage that needs tackled. But you know what? Now that I have a few minutes to myself with the children asleep in their beds, I think I'm going to spend the last few minutes of my day to destress, wind down, and veg :-)
I honestly planned to post a detailed update with these few extra minutes (No, really!) but everyone will just have to wait. It's not like there's anything major to report at the moment anyway so I will just leave you all with my "mini-rant" :-)
I honestly planned to post a detailed update with these few extra minutes (No, really!) but everyone will just have to wait. It's not like there's anything major to report at the moment anyway so I will just leave you all with my "mini-rant" :-)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
My Valentine's Gift
My hubby is so romantic :-)
On another note, we have a big chunk of our stuff moved into the house. It only took two trips in a 26 foot Uhaul truck but we got it done. We will probably have to rent another truck in the future when we are ready to get the last bit of stuff but it can wait for now. Now I'm surrounded by boxes that haven't seen daylight in over 2 years. It's like Christmas and Halloween all wrapped into one because the majority of boxes have nice things in them that we need for the house, and then there are a couple of boxes that have unpleasant surprises from being in storage for so long lol. Well, I better get back to work while the house is quiet!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snow Day!
This morning we woke up to a surprise- snow! This is the most I have ever seen it snow here in Texas, and I have lived here my entire life. We got at least 7 inches or so. We are really close to the record for here. The girls actually had to go to school today but luckily they got out an hour early. Tomorrow school is closed so we will have to see how we will spend the day :-) I know this doesn't even come close to the amount you folks up north see but for us it's pretty darn amazing...
.
.
.
The view out our front door this afternoon.
The view out the back door this afternoon.
Our house around lunch time today.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Back on Track
Whew! I feel like I need to knock some cobwebs off of this blog, it's been so long since I've posted an update! Where should I begin? (I can be really corny and bust out into a very well known Sound of Music song here but I will refrain...)
Back in December we FINALLY sold our home in Abilene. We were really bummed to let it go but it was for a good cause. You see, we could not get a place of our own in DFW until we sold the one we owned in Abilene. We have actually been staying my husband's wonderfully AWESOME parents (Yes, I love them to pieces and am not being sarcastic, unlike so many out there who LOATH their inlaws, many times for good reasons.) since we moved from Del Rio so Tom could work in DFW.
While we all get along wonderfully and have helped each other out in so many ways, we knew it was time to focus on a new chapter in our life and get a place of our own. Up until now, Tom was driving 1 1/2 hours one way to and from work. When gas prices were sky high, that hurt. On top of that, he's not a fan of driving, so his stress level was pretty high. To top it off, while staying there, our family of 5 grew to be a family of 7, so things got pretty cramped. So, after selling our home, we immediately began the search for a place to rent close to Tom's work.
Now, many people ask us, "Why don't you buy instead of rent?"
I wish we could buy, but we can't right now. We really need to save up some money and take care of a few things. Well, we could buy SOMETHING. But we don't want to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on just SOMETHING. If we are going to invest our money in something that costs so much, it's going to be our dream house.
Unfortunately we had to take a break from looking for a couple weeks in January while Tom was in Chicago for work. When he got back though, we started our search again. While looking for homes, we came across a few hurdles, the biggest one being the amount of scams out there (There are one or two in particular that I will go into detail about but that will be another post some time later, I have a bone to pick with Quest Property Services.) so that took up a lot of our time. Luckily I worked with a wonderful agent, Debbie Holt, with Re/Max Masters in Grapevine. She helped us out with our search and we finally found a 4 bed 2 bath home in Fort Worth. Once I get a chance to take pics, I will upload them.
Another big change is we enrolled the girls in public school when we moved. I know that some may think that I'm crazy for having them in public school and others may think I was nuts for homeschooling but either way, we decided that this is what's best for them. We enjoyed our homeschooling adventure and may homeschool again in the future. I don't feel too bad about it because the schools that they go to now are excellent and so far the girls love it. They come home every day and tell me all about their day and look forward to going. I'm sure it is just the excitement of a new school but I will enjoy it while it lasts :-)
Well, I guess that's the majority of what's happening right now. Once things settle down a bit I hope to post a little more.
Back in December we FINALLY sold our home in Abilene. We were really bummed to let it go but it was for a good cause. You see, we could not get a place of our own in DFW until we sold the one we owned in Abilene. We have actually been staying my husband's wonderfully AWESOME parents (Yes, I love them to pieces and am not being sarcastic, unlike so many out there who LOATH their inlaws, many times for good reasons.) since we moved from Del Rio so Tom could work in DFW.
While we all get along wonderfully and have helped each other out in so many ways, we knew it was time to focus on a new chapter in our life and get a place of our own. Up until now, Tom was driving 1 1/2 hours one way to and from work. When gas prices were sky high, that hurt. On top of that, he's not a fan of driving, so his stress level was pretty high. To top it off, while staying there, our family of 5 grew to be a family of 7, so things got pretty cramped. So, after selling our home, we immediately began the search for a place to rent close to Tom's work.
Now, many people ask us, "Why don't you buy instead of rent?"
I wish we could buy, but we can't right now. We really need to save up some money and take care of a few things. Well, we could buy SOMETHING. But we don't want to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on just SOMETHING. If we are going to invest our money in something that costs so much, it's going to be our dream house.
Unfortunately we had to take a break from looking for a couple weeks in January while Tom was in Chicago for work. When he got back though, we started our search again. While looking for homes, we came across a few hurdles, the biggest one being the amount of scams out there (There are one or two in particular that I will go into detail about but that will be another post some time later, I have a bone to pick with Quest Property Services.) so that took up a lot of our time. Luckily I worked with a wonderful agent, Debbie Holt, with Re/Max Masters in Grapevine. She helped us out with our search and we finally found a 4 bed 2 bath home in Fort Worth. Once I get a chance to take pics, I will upload them.
Another big change is we enrolled the girls in public school when we moved. I know that some may think that I'm crazy for having them in public school and others may think I was nuts for homeschooling but either way, we decided that this is what's best for them. We enjoyed our homeschooling adventure and may homeschool again in the future. I don't feel too bad about it because the schools that they go to now are excellent and so far the girls love it. They come home every day and tell me all about their day and look forward to going. I'm sure it is just the excitement of a new school but I will enjoy it while it lasts :-)
Well, I guess that's the majority of what's happening right now. Once things settle down a bit I hope to post a little more.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The last few weeks...
...have been flying by! Where does the time go? Jaina celebrated her first birthday on October 11th and Alex celebrated his 2nd birthday on the 28th. They had a blast on their special days and I now have two toddlers running around the house! What did I get myself into? Just kidding! I wouldn't trade my life for anything.
Homeschooling Samara, Andrea, and Myranda continues to be a learning experience for all of us. It has it's ups and downs and I have definitely found my patience limit :-) It's really cool to be completely involved and aware in their educational accomplishments and each day I appreciate the fact that we chose to homeschool. I was a bit nervous in the beginning but I now am confident that we made the right choice for our family.
Samara and Andrea are pretty independent with their learning although I do step in occasionally to point them in the right direction if they get lost and if I feel that a certain topic hasn't been covered as well as I would like. I am super proud of them and amazed at just how fast they can learn when there are no boundaries!
Myranda is doing pretty good as well. She can be very stubborn and distracted at times with her learning. Until recently, she was having a little trouble with learning to read but I have started to notice that everything she has learned is coming together. She can now read well with just a little help with new blends where needed. Now we are having trouble with math. She will sit for a very long time on the same math worksheet. It's not that she doesn't know how to do the work. She just chooses to daydream and goof off. I'm not too worried yet because I'm pretty sure that things will "click" for her in math just like they are in reading. In the process I have learned that beans, candy, etc. when used as a counting tool are more of a distraction than a help, even when the candy is used as a reward for good work :-)
Homeschooling Samara, Andrea, and Myranda continues to be a learning experience for all of us. It has it's ups and downs and I have definitely found my patience limit :-) It's really cool to be completely involved and aware in their educational accomplishments and each day I appreciate the fact that we chose to homeschool. I was a bit nervous in the beginning but I now am confident that we made the right choice for our family.
Samara and Andrea are pretty independent with their learning although I do step in occasionally to point them in the right direction if they get lost and if I feel that a certain topic hasn't been covered as well as I would like. I am super proud of them and amazed at just how fast they can learn when there are no boundaries!
Myranda is doing pretty good as well. She can be very stubborn and distracted at times with her learning. Until recently, she was having a little trouble with learning to read but I have started to notice that everything she has learned is coming together. She can now read well with just a little help with new blends where needed. Now we are having trouble with math. She will sit for a very long time on the same math worksheet. It's not that she doesn't know how to do the work. She just chooses to daydream and goof off. I'm not too worried yet because I'm pretty sure that things will "click" for her in math just like they are in reading. In the process I have learned that beans, candy, etc. when used as a counting tool are more of a distraction than a help, even when the candy is used as a reward for good work :-)
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