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Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Homeschool Resources - Writing Prompts/Journal Topics
This page has a wonderful list of writing prompts/journal topics:
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/prompts.html
11 ~Sarah's Savvy Savings~
Do you and your children have to do a sock search on your way out the door?
When my children were young, I became very frustrated when we would be ready to leave but no one could find their socks or they would go to get their socks and get "lost" on the way back to the door! So I found a plastic rubbermaid type bin that had 3 drawers. I put it by the front door and each child has one drawer for his/her socks! Now when it's time to leave nobody has any excuses to go back to their bedroom. Everyone, including the socks are right were they need to be. Everyone can have their socks and shoes on and be out the door within minutes :)
When my children were young, I became very frustrated when we would be ready to leave but no one could find their socks or they would go to get their socks and get "lost" on the way back to the door! So I found a plastic rubbermaid type bin that had 3 drawers. I put it by the front door and each child has one drawer for his/her socks! Now when it's time to leave nobody has any excuses to go back to their bedroom. Everyone, including the socks are right were they need to be. Everyone can have their socks and shoes on and be out the door within minutes :)
I'm Back!
Sorry it's been so long since I've written! I had to take a break over the Summer.
A lot has happened since I last posted anything. My divorce was just finalized last week, August 27th.
And baby Josiah's adoption became finalized the next day! (I will post more on this soon)
I have made the decision to homeschool my children. I already began over the Summer and it's been going really well! Zach is reading great and Jerry is well on his way. Mariah is learning her letter sounds and loves to work on "school"!
My sister who is very sick with her pregnancy moved in a few weeks ago with her 13 month old son. She is 20 weeks pregnant and very excited to find out if her Little One will be a boy or girl this Friday :-)
We have a new addition to the family! His name is Tyger. He is a 9 month old Chihuahua. I never dreamed I would own a Chihuahua but have thoroughly fallen in love with him.
Hope everyone's Summer went well! I'd love to hear stories from your Summer. Post them in the comment section under this post! Look forward to hearing from you.
~Sarah~
A lot has happened since I last posted anything. My divorce was just finalized last week, August 27th.
And baby Josiah's adoption became finalized the next day! (I will post more on this soon)
I have made the decision to homeschool my children. I already began over the Summer and it's been going really well! Zach is reading great and Jerry is well on his way. Mariah is learning her letter sounds and loves to work on "school"!
My sister who is very sick with her pregnancy moved in a few weeks ago with her 13 month old son. She is 20 weeks pregnant and very excited to find out if her Little One will be a boy or girl this Friday :-)
Hope everyone's Summer went well! I'd love to hear stories from your Summer. Post them in the comment section under this post! Look forward to hearing from you.
~Sarah~
Thursday, June 4, 2009
10 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Does your child squirt out way to much paste when brushing his teeth?
Buy travel size toothpaste tubes or get free samples from your dentist. Let your child use these small tubes of toothpaste. They will feel so independent when they can squeeze their one tube and not make a mess!
(Remember most toothpaste has flouride in it which can cause serious illness if swallowed by children. Always supervise children with toothpaste and stress to them the importance of not swallowing it! Tom's brand has a non-flouride toothpaste and some of the toothpaste made for toddler's and baby's is fouride-free.)
Buy travel size toothpaste tubes or get free samples from your dentist. Let your child use these small tubes of toothpaste. They will feel so independent when they can squeeze their one tube and not make a mess!
(Remember most toothpaste has flouride in it which can cause serious illness if swallowed by children. Always supervise children with toothpaste and stress to them the importance of not swallowing it! Tom's brand has a non-flouride toothpaste and some of the toothpaste made for toddler's and baby's is fouride-free.)
Monday, June 1, 2009
9 ~Sarah's Savvy Savings~
Is your child trying to get away with not washing behind his ears?
Buy some bathtub paint for children. The next time your child takes a bath/shower put the paint on those areas your child is hesitant to wash. My son doesn't like washing his hair so I put it on his head. Make a game of it and tell him/her to be sure to get all of the spots of paint off of him. My son is almost 7 and thought this was a lot of fun and he came out of the shower all clean!
Buy some bathtub paint for children. The next time your child takes a bath/shower put the paint on those areas your child is hesitant to wash. My son doesn't like washing his hair so I put it on his head. Make a game of it and tell him/her to be sure to get all of the spots of paint off of him. My son is almost 7 and thought this was a lot of fun and he came out of the shower all clean!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
8 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings~
Don't throw away that 'empty' bottle of lotion, yet!
Cut your bottle of lotion open. Then, using a spatula, put the rest of the lotion in a container with a lid. You will be surprised at how much lotion gets stuck at the bottom of the bottle!
Cut your bottle of lotion open. Then, using a spatula, put the rest of the lotion in a container with a lid. You will be surprised at how much lotion gets stuck at the bottom of the bottle!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
My Son Is a Victim of Bullying!
I would have never dreamed that my child would be bullied in Kindergarten!
In the beginning of the school year my son would come home telling me about this kid who pushed him around. I called the school a few times and even talked to the principal but was basically told "kids will be kids". He wasn't coming home with bruises or anything visible, but all he wanted to talk about at dinner time was all the bad things this child did at school. This quickly became old, and what I felt to be a tattle-tale session, so I decided to discourage any talk about this other child. I told my son, Jerry, that I wanted to hear about his day and what he did in school. Little did I know, at the time, the regret I would feel for making this decision.
A few weeks ago, I found out just how serious this bullying had become. Since about Spring break, it had become a huge struggle to get Jerry to go to school each morning but I had no idea why he didn't want to go. Then one day, while doing laundry I found a handful of pebbles in my washing machine. I went to Jerry(my rock-collector) and began lecturing him about putting rocks in his pockets. When I was done with my lecture, he innocently told me "but Mom, I'm not putting rocks in my pockets. The kids are pushing me down and throwing the rocks on me!". I listened to him and responded lovingly. This must have given him a "green light" to continue talking about what all had been going on at school. For the rest of the evening he told me story after story of times he had been pushed, kicked, hit, stuffed in his locker, name called threatened and on and on all by the same child. The stories came out like a flood that had been being held back. I quickly put two and two together and realized this was the answer to why Jerry was fighting with me every morning when it came time to go to school and why Jerry's meltdowns had skyrocketed in the evening! I decided to keep him home from school until I could talk to the principal. That was on a Friday. I got an appointment with the principal on Monday. The principal basically gave me the same, "I'm sorry but kids will be kids, but your child shouldn't be afraid to come to school so we'll talk to this kid". He also said he'd have Jerry's teacher give me a call. I was less then thrilled with his response but waited for the teacher to call me. Her response seemed promising. She wasn't aware that Jerry had been being singled out to be picked on but agreed that it seemed likely. She said she would move Jerry's chair to the opposite corner of the other child's and talk to them all about the classroom rules. So I made the decision to send Jerry back to school on Tuesday. Jerry was happy and confident that he would be kept safe! Jerry came home from school and had a two hour long horrible meltdown that evening! I had a feeling things must not have gone well at school despite Jerry giving me a sure it went fine response. Sure enough, four hours before school even started the next day, he began fretting about going. He said gym was going to be today and the child bullied him really bad in gym. I asked him again how Tuesday had gone and he admitted to being kicked a lot during recess and pushed down while waiting in lines and name called. Jerry said he was scared to go because no one could handle this child that was bullying him. I can only imagine Jerry's disappointment in those who promised to keep him safe. I called his teacher and let her know that Jerry wouldn't be in school again. She promised she'd get to the bottom of this and get back with me. I have not heard from her since and when I called to inform the secretary Jerry would not be coming today she asked for the reason of his absence. I told her, "he's scared to come because he's getting bullied". She asked, "Does the principal know". I told her, "Yes, but apparently they can't do anything about it". Her response, "Oh then I'll mark it down as a personal day". That's right, my child getting bullied at school is now my "personal" problem! Makes you wonder why they have an anti-bullying policy in the first place!
In the beginning of the school year my son would come home telling me about this kid who pushed him around. I called the school a few times and even talked to the principal but was basically told "kids will be kids". He wasn't coming home with bruises or anything visible, but all he wanted to talk about at dinner time was all the bad things this child did at school. This quickly became old, and what I felt to be a tattle-tale session, so I decided to discourage any talk about this other child. I told my son, Jerry, that I wanted to hear about his day and what he did in school. Little did I know, at the time, the regret I would feel for making this decision.
A few weeks ago, I found out just how serious this bullying had become. Since about Spring break, it had become a huge struggle to get Jerry to go to school each morning but I had no idea why he didn't want to go. Then one day, while doing laundry I found a handful of pebbles in my washing machine. I went to Jerry(my rock-collector) and began lecturing him about putting rocks in his pockets. When I was done with my lecture, he innocently told me "but Mom, I'm not putting rocks in my pockets. The kids are pushing me down and throwing the rocks on me!". I listened to him and responded lovingly. This must have given him a "green light" to continue talking about what all had been going on at school. For the rest of the evening he told me story after story of times he had been pushed, kicked, hit, stuffed in his locker, name called threatened and on and on all by the same child. The stories came out like a flood that had been being held back. I quickly put two and two together and realized this was the answer to why Jerry was fighting with me every morning when it came time to go to school and why Jerry's meltdowns had skyrocketed in the evening! I decided to keep him home from school until I could talk to the principal. That was on a Friday. I got an appointment with the principal on Monday. The principal basically gave me the same, "I'm sorry but kids will be kids, but your child shouldn't be afraid to come to school so we'll talk to this kid". He also said he'd have Jerry's teacher give me a call. I was less then thrilled with his response but waited for the teacher to call me. Her response seemed promising. She wasn't aware that Jerry had been being singled out to be picked on but agreed that it seemed likely. She said she would move Jerry's chair to the opposite corner of the other child's and talk to them all about the classroom rules. So I made the decision to send Jerry back to school on Tuesday. Jerry was happy and confident that he would be kept safe! Jerry came home from school and had a two hour long horrible meltdown that evening! I had a feeling things must not have gone well at school despite Jerry giving me a sure it went fine response. Sure enough, four hours before school even started the next day, he began fretting about going. He said gym was going to be today and the child bullied him really bad in gym. I asked him again how Tuesday had gone and he admitted to being kicked a lot during recess and pushed down while waiting in lines and name called. Jerry said he was scared to go because no one could handle this child that was bullying him. I can only imagine Jerry's disappointment in those who promised to keep him safe. I called his teacher and let her know that Jerry wouldn't be in school again. She promised she'd get to the bottom of this and get back with me. I have not heard from her since and when I called to inform the secretary Jerry would not be coming today she asked for the reason of his absence. I told her, "he's scared to come because he's getting bullied". She asked, "Does the principal know". I told her, "Yes, but apparently they can't do anything about it". Her response, "Oh then I'll mark it down as a personal day". That's right, my child getting bullied at school is now my "personal" problem! Makes you wonder why they have an anti-bullying policy in the first place!
Monday, May 11, 2009
7 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
It's garage sale time! Having trouble getting those stickers off of your merchandise?
Rub them off with a little oil! Use whatever oil you have on hand such as coconut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Peanut butter even works!
Thanks to Karen Spooner for todays Savvy Savings idea!
Rub them off with a little oil! Use whatever oil you have on hand such as coconut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Peanut butter even works!
Thanks to Karen Spooner for todays Savvy Savings idea!
Day of Redemption!
After yesterday's mishaps, I wasn't so sure about stepping into the kitchen today! Five o'clock rolled around, and I decided I had no choice but to jump back in with both feet. I looked through my pantry trying to decide what to have. I had a bag of potatos that needed used so I decided to make them into french fries. I also had two huge onions. I had bought them with the intention of making onion rings. Mind you, I've never made onion rings before! I do make french fries at least twice a month, but on the danger scale they get a ten! I caught a whole batch on fire once! But that's another story for another day...
So I quickly made the potatos into french fries and put them in the oven. Then, I looked through my cookbooks and came across an onion ring recipe that looked like what I was picturing in my head. Potatos and onion rings...hmmm. I decided I better come up with some meat to round out the nutrition level of this meal. I settled on some frozen cubed beef, which thawed out nicely in the microwave. I put it in a frying pan and added some onions, garlic powder and salt. While the potatos and beef cooked, I went back to making the onion rings. My first batch finished and turned out just as I had hoped! I immediately called my mom and invited her and my dad over to share in this wonderful moment! She didn't hesitate to accept my offer and quickly gathered her, already cooked, dinner up and brought it on over. Amazingly, everything turned out wonderful and the onion rings were appreciated by all! Ah, yes...nothing like the sweet taste of redemption!
So I quickly made the potatos into french fries and put them in the oven. Then, I looked through my cookbooks and came across an onion ring recipe that looked like what I was picturing in my head. Potatos and onion rings...hmmm. I decided I better come up with some meat to round out the nutrition level of this meal. I settled on some frozen cubed beef, which thawed out nicely in the microwave. I put it in a frying pan and added some onions, garlic powder and salt. While the potatos and beef cooked, I went back to making the onion rings. My first batch finished and turned out just as I had hoped! I immediately called my mom and invited her and my dad over to share in this wonderful moment! She didn't hesitate to accept my offer and quickly gathered her, already cooked, dinner up and brought it on over. Amazingly, everything turned out wonderful and the onion rings were appreciated by all! Ah, yes...nothing like the sweet taste of redemption!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Explosions, Burns and Spoiled Turkey! Happy Mother's Day to Me!
Today started off like most Sundays. I got up bright and early and had everyone bathed, fed and looking their Sunday best by 9 am. We arrived at church with plenty of time to spare and I must admit I was proud of my accomplishment! I was particularly proud that Mariah had a barrette in her hair and kept it there until we came back home from church! She can't stand having her hair messed with and I've given up on doing anything with it, but for some reason today was pleasantly different.
I sat down in Sunday School class and had to remove myself from the room 3 times to go cough my brains out. Why is it, you hardly realize you have a cough until you are at church! Then there's no stopping that cough! I finally found some hot water and that seemed to soothe my throat enough that I could sit and participate in the rest of the Sunday School hour, which by this point was down to an half hour. I enjoyed the rest of the morning at church. When I picked the kids up from children's church, I was greeted by a blue faced Mariah! Her teacher explained to me that they were coloring faces on balloons and Mariah decided to kiss hers! Her entire lips and cheeks were blue! So much for a nice mother/daughter picture on Mother's Day! I took my blue faced darling home along with her brothers who, thankfully, were not blue faced.
I managed to get the children to help me tidy up our house and gave them the "if you would keep this place clean during the week we wouldn't have to do this now" lecture. I think I lecture them to make me feel better because it surely doesn't help keep the house cleaner!
It was 4 o'clock, by the time the house was beginning to look like it had four walls and carpet once again. My parents were coming over for a nice peaceful Mother's Day dinner so I was cooking turkey, cranberry sauce and asparagus. My mom was bringing stuffing! yummy!
I had cooked the cranberries down and like I'd done several times before was going to blend them in my Magic Bullet blender and strain them so they would be nice and smooth. I remember the splatters that got all over last time when I used the blender so I decided to use the normal bullet cup. Less than a minute later, I would regret that decision! Apparently, when the manual says, "do not use with hot liquids", it means "Do Not Use With Hot Liquids!!!" I filled the bullet cup a little more than half way then proceeded to push it down on the bullet machine. BOOM!!! It literally exploded everywhere! I was covered in cranberry sauce! Very HOT cranberry sauce! After I got over the intial shock, I realized every splatter on my face and arms was burning me! So I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror where I saw red blotches all over my face. I immediately began rinsing my face with cold water. My right eye had been hit with sauce and was beginning to feel very burnt, along with my upper lip. I called my mom who agreed to come right on over to help out. In the meantime, I put my kid's Clifford ice pack along with my soft clothe ice pack over my entire face. I concentrated on getting the cold on my eye and lip. By the time my parents arrived I was grateful that my burns were feeling like they were going to be all right. We sureveyed the damage to the kitchen together. What a mess! Bright red sauce was everywhere! Thanks to my parents, we had the whole place including ceiling, floor, cabinets, walls and more, cleaned up in no time at all! We decided chunky cranberry sauce would taste just fine for dinner!
We were able to laugh this incident off and were very thankful that my burns hadn't turned out to be worse. Then it came time to carve the turkey! As my mom was carving away, I snitched a bite. It tasted a little different, but I shrugged it off as having something to do with it being organic. Then my mom asked what I thought of it so I tasted another bite and agreed it did have an interesting flavor. My mom suggested it almost had a hint of almond. I took another bite and could definitely taste the almond flavor. My dad piped in that they must have fed this turkey almonds! My mom noticed that the white meat tasted more normal than the dark so I tested her theory out and again had to agree that she was indeed right. By this time, what began as a slight odd flavor was becoming a downright nasty taste. We all came to the conclusion that our much anticipated turkey dinner was literally going to the birds!!! That almond flavor was reclassified as spoiled turkey flavor! The problem with buying organic is there aren't any perservatives to keep the food from spoiling quickly! Lesson learned-buy the turkey, thaw the turkey, cook the turkey immediately!
What was going to be a scrumptious turkey dinner for Mother's Day turned out to be a Mother's Day dinner full of laughs and unforgettable memories as we recalled the days happenings! Oh and by the way we ate hotdogs with the scrumptious homemade stuffing my mom brought. Thanks for saving our Mother's Day Dinner, Mom! You are the Best :)
I sat down in Sunday School class and had to remove myself from the room 3 times to go cough my brains out. Why is it, you hardly realize you have a cough until you are at church! Then there's no stopping that cough! I finally found some hot water and that seemed to soothe my throat enough that I could sit and participate in the rest of the Sunday School hour, which by this point was down to an half hour. I enjoyed the rest of the morning at church. When I picked the kids up from children's church, I was greeted by a blue faced Mariah! Her teacher explained to me that they were coloring faces on balloons and Mariah decided to kiss hers! Her entire lips and cheeks were blue! So much for a nice mother/daughter picture on Mother's Day! I took my blue faced darling home along with her brothers who, thankfully, were not blue faced.
I managed to get the children to help me tidy up our house and gave them the "if you would keep this place clean during the week we wouldn't have to do this now" lecture. I think I lecture them to make me feel better because it surely doesn't help keep the house cleaner!
It was 4 o'clock, by the time the house was beginning to look like it had four walls and carpet once again. My parents were coming over for a nice peaceful Mother's Day dinner so I was cooking turkey, cranberry sauce and asparagus. My mom was bringing stuffing! yummy!
I had cooked the cranberries down and like I'd done several times before was going to blend them in my Magic Bullet blender and strain them so they would be nice and smooth. I remember the splatters that got all over last time when I used the blender so I decided to use the normal bullet cup. Less than a minute later, I would regret that decision! Apparently, when the manual says, "do not use with hot liquids", it means "Do Not Use With Hot Liquids!!!" I filled the bullet cup a little more than half way then proceeded to push it down on the bullet machine. BOOM!!! It literally exploded everywhere! I was covered in cranberry sauce! Very HOT cranberry sauce! After I got over the intial shock, I realized every splatter on my face and arms was burning me! So I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror where I saw red blotches all over my face. I immediately began rinsing my face with cold water. My right eye had been hit with sauce and was beginning to feel very burnt, along with my upper lip. I called my mom who agreed to come right on over to help out. In the meantime, I put my kid's Clifford ice pack along with my soft clothe ice pack over my entire face. I concentrated on getting the cold on my eye and lip. By the time my parents arrived I was grateful that my burns were feeling like they were going to be all right. We sureveyed the damage to the kitchen together. What a mess! Bright red sauce was everywhere! Thanks to my parents, we had the whole place including ceiling, floor, cabinets, walls and more, cleaned up in no time at all! We decided chunky cranberry sauce would taste just fine for dinner!
We were able to laugh this incident off and were very thankful that my burns hadn't turned out to be worse. Then it came time to carve the turkey! As my mom was carving away, I snitched a bite. It tasted a little different, but I shrugged it off as having something to do with it being organic. Then my mom asked what I thought of it so I tasted another bite and agreed it did have an interesting flavor. My mom suggested it almost had a hint of almond. I took another bite and could definitely taste the almond flavor. My dad piped in that they must have fed this turkey almonds! My mom noticed that the white meat tasted more normal than the dark so I tested her theory out and again had to agree that she was indeed right. By this time, what began as a slight odd flavor was becoming a downright nasty taste. We all came to the conclusion that our much anticipated turkey dinner was literally going to the birds!!! That almond flavor was reclassified as spoiled turkey flavor! The problem with buying organic is there aren't any perservatives to keep the food from spoiling quickly! Lesson learned-buy the turkey, thaw the turkey, cook the turkey immediately!
What was going to be a scrumptious turkey dinner for Mother's Day turned out to be a Mother's Day dinner full of laughs and unforgettable memories as we recalled the days happenings! Oh and by the way we ate hotdogs with the scrumptious homemade stuffing my mom brought. Thanks for saving our Mother's Day Dinner, Mom! You are the Best :)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to My Mom
and to all the other Mommy's!
Today is a wonderful day to celebrate and
take some time to love on your children :)
and to all the other Mommy's!
Today is a wonderful day to celebrate and
take some time to love on your children :)
Mother of Mine
by Sarah
You are my Mother
I would have no other
You make me want to be my best
I’ve put you through the test
At times you are weary
You always come through cheery
Even through times of tense
Your love for me is immense
You always show you care
And as friends we share
Our love for each other is given free
Mother and daughter we will always be!
by Sarah
You are my Mother
I would have no other
You make me want to be my best
I’ve put you through the test
At times you are weary
You always come through cheery
Even through times of tense
Your love for me is immense
You always show you care
And as friends we share
Our love for each other is given free
Mother and daughter we will always be!
Friday, May 8, 2009
6 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Are you baking and having trouble getting all of your honey or molasses out of the measuring cup?
Simply measure your oil first. Then reuse the oiled measuring cup for your honey/molasses and it will slide right out! If your recipe doesn't call for oil just simply spray your measuring cup with oil before putting your honey/molasses in it! You'll love this mess-free tip!
Simply measure your oil first. Then reuse the oiled measuring cup for your honey/molasses and it will slide right out! If your recipe doesn't call for oil just simply spray your measuring cup with oil before putting your honey/molasses in it! You'll love this mess-free tip!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Hospitals and Mich's
This evening Jerry was talking about hospitals(I think we had been discussing the H1N1 flu because he had brought a informational paper home from school on the flu) and he stated, "Hospitals are only for if you are pregnant...and if you are in a car accident." I chuckled as I thought about how my poor children are going to grow up never wanting children of their own! They are convinced all women spend their pregnancies sick in the hospital!
Later in the evening, Mariah gave me another chuckle as she was discussing her height.
She told us with much animation, "Last night I grew a mich! I'm growing more mich's and mich's everyday!" Of course Zach jumped in there and corrected her but luckily it didn't sour her upbeat mood and she continued telling us about how many "mich's" high she was growing :)
Later in the evening, Mariah gave me another chuckle as she was discussing her height.
She told us with much animation, "Last night I grew a mich! I'm growing more mich's and mich's everyday!" Of course Zach jumped in there and corrected her but luckily it didn't sour her upbeat mood and she continued telling us about how many "mich's" high she was growing :)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
5 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Need a rag to clean up those spills?
Take any old t-shirt(that you don't wear anymore) and cut it into the size rag you want! What a great way to recycle those t-shirts with holes and stains!
Thank you Andrew Spooner for todays Savvy Savings idea!
Take any old t-shirt(that you don't wear anymore) and cut it into the size rag you want! What a great way to recycle those t-shirts with holes and stains!
Thank you Andrew Spooner for todays Savvy Savings idea!
The Top Ten Reasons I Do Not Want a Repeat of Last Week!
1. The back door on my van broke
2. Realized the windsheild on my van leaks significantly!
3. Got a scratch on my eye resulting in having to wear glasses until it heals.
4. Had a severe allergic reaction to the Cipro eye drops the doctor gave me for the scratch on my eye! Since I'm not brave enough to use the new drops he gave me, I am going to wear the glasses longer than the original 7 days; hoping for just another week. I feel like I'm looking through binoculars. Can't wait to wear contacts again!
5. Found out I have Rosacea. A rash on my face that isn't really cureable :(
6. Discovered that Josiah(my 7 month old) more likely than not has Latex-Fruit Syndrome-Yes, there is such a thing! I will be getting him into the doctor to verify this as soon as I feel better.
7. Discovered the itching I've been getting along my jaw-line is from being allergic to bananas! It seems like it is common to develop this allergy after a pregnancy.
8. Jerry refused to stay at school so we had to bring him back home (he is autistic and once he makes up his mind about something there's no changing it, although we did spend an hour trying!).
9. Spent three hours at Urgent Care to find out...
10. I have pharyngitis. I'm still miserable and waiting for the antibiotics to work!
2. Realized the windsheild on my van leaks significantly!
3. Got a scratch on my eye resulting in having to wear glasses until it heals.
4. Had a severe allergic reaction to the Cipro eye drops the doctor gave me for the scratch on my eye! Since I'm not brave enough to use the new drops he gave me, I am going to wear the glasses longer than the original 7 days; hoping for just another week. I feel like I'm looking through binoculars. Can't wait to wear contacts again!
5. Found out I have Rosacea. A rash on my face that isn't really cureable :(
6. Discovered that Josiah(my 7 month old) more likely than not has Latex-Fruit Syndrome-Yes, there is such a thing! I will be getting him into the doctor to verify this as soon as I feel better.
7. Discovered the itching I've been getting along my jaw-line is from being allergic to bananas! It seems like it is common to develop this allergy after a pregnancy.
8. Jerry refused to stay at school so we had to bring him back home (he is autistic and once he makes up his mind about something there's no changing it, although we did spend an hour trying!).
9. Spent three hours at Urgent Care to find out...
10. I have pharyngitis. I'm still miserable and waiting for the antibiotics to work!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
4 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Need a scrubby-pad for your pots and pans?
Save the mesh bag your lemons come in. Tie the bag inside itself and you will have the perfect scrubby to get off all those tough stains! The best part! It comes free with your lemons!
Thank you Karen Spooner for todays Savvy Savings idea!
Save the mesh bag your lemons come in. Tie the bag inside itself and you will have the perfect scrubby to get off all those tough stains! The best part! It comes free with your lemons!
Thank you Karen Spooner for todays Savvy Savings idea!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Autism: Finding the Connection
What Does a Banana, Jacket, Backpack, Home and School Have in Common?
My son Jeremiah, who has autism, must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning! Somehow the banana I gave him for snack at school got split open before it even landed itself in its proper place inside Jerry’s backpack! I found his banana lying on the floor, not in his backpack. I put it in a baggie for him and into his backpack. I quickly found out that bananas in baggies are unacceptable! Jerry was furious that I would think this was an appropriate response to his “broken” banana dilemma! Jerry insisted on a new one. “Broken food” has always been an issue with Jerry and today would be no different. I didn’t have a “fixed” banana to give him so we left for my mom’s with the “broken” banana in tow and a very angry Jerry.
The days schedule included garage saling until lunch, eating lunch, seeing Jerry off to school and more garage saling. We left for the sales right away, and Jerry forgot about his banana and was doing quite well. That is until it came time to for him to get ready to catch the bus. Jerry became very upset that he didn’t have his jacket with him. It really wasn’t very cold and he had been fine all morning with out it, but he became insistent that he was going to freeze without it. I can’t make a jacket appear out of thin air so I tried to reason with Jerry. On this particular day, there would be no reasoning with him. The bus pulled up and Jerry was still standing shoulders up, arms straight down at his sides, fists clenched, head down, and totally refusing to budge from the garage. I lead him down to the bus hoping the pressure of his peers watching his display would change his tune. That wasn’t going to happen today! I physically put him on the bus, but could not convince him to stay. The bus driver also tried his hand at talking Jerry into finding a seat. Three times Jerry stormed off the bus and I calmly placed him back on hoping with all hope that he would go with the flow! Finally, I decided Jerry really wasn’t going to amuse me. Besides, the bus driver needed to get going. In defeat, I told the bus driver I would drive him to school. I managed to get him in my mom’s car and off we went to school. Jerry growled and stated his opinions very loudly the entire drive to school. I got Jerry out of the car and walked into the school with Jerry following as far behind as he could. He walked little tiny baby steps but we managed to get to his classroom. Then, he put his brakes on full force! Nothing I said or did would convince him to step foot into that classroom. He continually told me he wanted his backpack which he had refused to bring with him. His substitute teacher made a few attempts at getting Jerry to join her which also failed. I finally walked back out to the car with Jerry following behind. In despair, I asked my mom, “what do I do now!?” We decided perhaps he would stay if she took him in. I stayed out in the car with my other children and waited, and waited, and waited. After about an hour, my mom and, guess who? Yep, Jerry! came back out to the car. My mom relayed Jerry’s antics to me. Apparently, Jerry kicked, screamed, hid under desks, and pounded his fists at anyone trying to help. Jerry had dug in his heals and was not going to stay at school. The whole time he was demanding to be taken back home. The assistant to the principal (the principal was not available), finally, told my mom to take Jerry home because they could not handle him. In the car he went, to join us for the rest of our garage saling plans. Guess what we heard from him the rest of the day! “Take me back to school! I want to go to school!”
So what does a banana, jacket, backpack, home and school have in common? Absolutely nothing! That is unless you have autism. I'm sure for Jerry they have some sort of connection. As for me, I will always remember the day they all caused Jerry to have a meltdown!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Highs and Lows
Today was one of those days, we've all had them, were I'm just now able to sit for more than 2 seconds! I've been up since 6:00am and it's 11:40pm! Over seventeen hours of go, go, go! Now that's what I call a long day!
This morning, after a quick shower and feeding Josiah, I begun the daunting task of putting all of my garage sale items outside. I don't have a garage so all of the items needed set out the morning of the sale! I was able to get most of the stuff out before loading everyone in the van to run Zach to school. Zach, who loves school so much he thanks God every night that he gets to go, was not at all happy that he would be missing out on the action at home and put up quite the fuss. On the way back, I couldn't resist stopping at a garage sale! I am so thankful I stopped! I was able to get Mariah a new bike and Jerry a huge Thomas the Train set(Christmas present!!!)
Then, back to setting up my garage sale, which became a constant chore all day long! It was windy all day! Not just a little windy. I'm talking major, blow all my stuff to the neighbors yard, windy! Other than the wind, I was very pleased with how the sale went. At 12noon I had to leave the sale to run Jerry to school. One of my neighbors was nice enough to come over while I was gone and chase after runaway items and help the occasional customer. Once the traffic had died down, I thought about sitting and enjoying the "wind" but couldn't manage to get my mind off of the three large loads of laundry waiting to be folded inside. I drug all of the laundry outside and proceeded to fold it all. I'm sure my neighbors watched in disbelief as I fought with the wind and somehow managed to get all three loads folded!
Finished, but this time I didn't even think about sitting down. My strawberry plants were calling my name. "Plant us, plant us," they cried. Needless to say, I couldn't resist their cries! At 2:30 it was time to drag the remaining items back into the house and tear down all the tables. By this point in the day it was close to 80 degrees and just as windy as ever! I changed into shorts so I could complete my chore without totally melting. Although, my children reassured me that I would not melt! Only witches can melt and that's only if water is poured on them!
I decided I really liked my strawberry plants and wanted to get some more so I headed over to my mom's to pick up the boys and then we all headed to Meijer. I picked out two more bunches of ten plants and also fell in love with two blueberry bushes, along with lettuce, spinach and watermelon seeds(the kids idea, not mine)! I think I better get going on digging that garden I've been planning on making! After getting the groceries I needed and realizing the back door on my van wouldn't open we headed back to my mom's. Yes, you heard correctly! My van door is absolutely refusing to open!!! Made for a fun time of putting all those groceries in the van!
My dad was home when we arrived so he was kind enough to take a look at the door. After confirming it wouldn't budge and finding that there was no way to easily get to the problem area, we had this brilliant idea of taking the door off of it's hinges. Okay so it wasn't a good idea at all! Not only could we still not get to the part we needed but the one side tried to open while the other side stayed stuck. After battling for way too long with the door and thanks to a kind neighbor we managed to get the hinges back on the door and shut it again. I'll take it in to a shop next week!
Thanks to my mom, we ate a wonderful dinner! Afterward, we all went outside to help my dad put up a new trampoline. This endeavor took the remainder of the evening. At 9pm it was finished and what fun it was! Even baby Josiah got a turn on it. I'm not sure which he giggled over more, being in it or watching his Papaw and his siblings in it! While Mariah was jumping, Josiah clapped for her and squealed with delight!
9:30pm-time to go home, but not so fast! I went to back out and heard this horrible grinding sound! I immediately remembered I had put on the emergency breaks while we were working on the van so released them and began to back up again. Same sound! I stopped and pulled the van back up, got out and found the ladder we had been using still standing there. Ooops! Okay back in the van and on home we went. The children helped me bring in the groceries then got in their jammies. In the meantime, I decided I wanted to move the seats in the van back further so I could, perhaps, have more room up front. Not meant to be! The springy/wirey device that is supposed to release the lock and the back bench seat apparently was in a bad mood today! Urgh!!! I finally gave up on it and went in to read the children their goodnight story.
I spent the rest of my evening getting ready for another big day tomorrow! I'm just hoping I can move after today!
This morning, after a quick shower and feeding Josiah, I begun the daunting task of putting all of my garage sale items outside. I don't have a garage so all of the items needed set out the morning of the sale! I was able to get most of the stuff out before loading everyone in the van to run Zach to school. Zach, who loves school so much he thanks God every night that he gets to go, was not at all happy that he would be missing out on the action at home and put up quite the fuss. On the way back, I couldn't resist stopping at a garage sale! I am so thankful I stopped! I was able to get Mariah a new bike and Jerry a huge Thomas the Train set(Christmas present!!!)
Then, back to setting up my garage sale, which became a constant chore all day long! It was windy all day! Not just a little windy. I'm talking major, blow all my stuff to the neighbors yard, windy! Other than the wind, I was very pleased with how the sale went. At 12noon I had to leave the sale to run Jerry to school. One of my neighbors was nice enough to come over while I was gone and chase after runaway items and help the occasional customer. Once the traffic had died down, I thought about sitting and enjoying the "wind" but couldn't manage to get my mind off of the three large loads of laundry waiting to be folded inside. I drug all of the laundry outside and proceeded to fold it all. I'm sure my neighbors watched in disbelief as I fought with the wind and somehow managed to get all three loads folded!
Finished, but this time I didn't even think about sitting down. My strawberry plants were calling my name. "Plant us, plant us," they cried. Needless to say, I couldn't resist their cries! At 2:30 it was time to drag the remaining items back into the house and tear down all the tables. By this point in the day it was close to 80 degrees and just as windy as ever! I changed into shorts so I could complete my chore without totally melting. Although, my children reassured me that I would not melt! Only witches can melt and that's only if water is poured on them!
I decided I really liked my strawberry plants and wanted to get some more so I headed over to my mom's to pick up the boys and then we all headed to Meijer. I picked out two more bunches of ten plants and also fell in love with two blueberry bushes, along with lettuce, spinach and watermelon seeds(the kids idea, not mine)! I think I better get going on digging that garden I've been planning on making! After getting the groceries I needed and realizing the back door on my van wouldn't open we headed back to my mom's. Yes, you heard correctly! My van door is absolutely refusing to open!!! Made for a fun time of putting all those groceries in the van!
My dad was home when we arrived so he was kind enough to take a look at the door. After confirming it wouldn't budge and finding that there was no way to easily get to the problem area, we had this brilliant idea of taking the door off of it's hinges. Okay so it wasn't a good idea at all! Not only could we still not get to the part we needed but the one side tried to open while the other side stayed stuck. After battling for way too long with the door and thanks to a kind neighbor we managed to get the hinges back on the door and shut it again. I'll take it in to a shop next week!
Thanks to my mom, we ate a wonderful dinner! Afterward, we all went outside to help my dad put up a new trampoline. This endeavor took the remainder of the evening. At 9pm it was finished and what fun it was! Even baby Josiah got a turn on it. I'm not sure which he giggled over more, being in it or watching his Papaw and his siblings in it! While Mariah was jumping, Josiah clapped for her and squealed with delight!
9:30pm-time to go home, but not so fast! I went to back out and heard this horrible grinding sound! I immediately remembered I had put on the emergency breaks while we were working on the van so released them and began to back up again. Same sound! I stopped and pulled the van back up, got out and found the ladder we had been using still standing there. Ooops! Okay back in the van and on home we went. The children helped me bring in the groceries then got in their jammies. In the meantime, I decided I wanted to move the seats in the van back further so I could, perhaps, have more room up front. Not meant to be! The springy/wirey device that is supposed to release the lock and the back bench seat apparently was in a bad mood today! Urgh!!! I finally gave up on it and went in to read the children their goodnight story.
I spent the rest of my evening getting ready for another big day tomorrow! I'm just hoping I can move after today!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
3 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Do you have battery chargers and adapters that you can't remember what they belong to?
Mark all of your adapters/chargers with a permanent marker telling what they belong to (I use a silver one, it shows up nicely on black). Make sure you mark them as soon as you get them or you'll end up wishing you had! I started this a few years back and my only regret is that I didn't think of it sooner! If you have two of something like two cell phones, mark the chargers "cell phone 1" and "cell phone 2". Then, be sure to put a corresponding 1 and 2 on the phones.
Mark all of your adapters/chargers with a permanent marker telling what they belong to (I use a silver one, it shows up nicely on black). Make sure you mark them as soon as you get them or you'll end up wishing you had! I started this a few years back and my only regret is that I didn't think of it sooner! If you have two of something like two cell phones, mark the chargers "cell phone 1" and "cell phone 2". Then, be sure to put a corresponding 1 and 2 on the phones.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Watching Her Fade
There's nothing quite like finding out your cat puked by stepping in it!
About a month ago I was petting my families beautiful persian, Prissy, when I felt a lump on her right hip about the size of a marble. We immediately set up a veterinary appointment to get it looked at. Our worst fear came to pass, as we were told she had cancer. The vet gave us some options that we could go home and think about. None of which seemed at all promising.
Within a week the lump had grown to the size of a golf ball! We took her back to the veterinary. The vet was shocked to see it had grown so fast and told us there was nothing that could be done at this point. Every day, I watch as Prissy becomes more lethargic and her hip becomes more tender, and I wonder how much longer before I'll need to take her back to the vet...for that last visit. I've never had to make that final decision for a pet before...How do you even begin to decide?
One day she'll be looking really worn out and sickly and the next she perks right up and wants to be petted by everybody. She's still eating and seems to mostly be enjoying life. On the other hand she is puking more frequently and pooping outside her litter box about every other day and her hip definitely has slowed her down. But just when we think her time is just around the corner, she'll do something totally adorable which makes it impossible to make that call to the vet's office. Yesterday, we came home and she was meowing at my daughter, Mariah. Mariah was ignoring her so Prissy put her front paws up on Mariah's legs and meowed at her again! Mariah was still just standing there so I commanded her, "Pet Prissy!" Prissy loved every minute of her petting and her favorite: under the chin scratches!
I stepped in some cat puke, but it was worth every minute of seeing Prissy's affection towards Mariah!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Fire on the Ceiling!!!
My five year old, Jerry, has always preferred to sleep in total darkness. I've always thought it was a bit odd. Especially when both of my other kids sleep with their lights on. Nightlights don't even cut it with Zach and Mariah. They have to have their room light on, their doors open and the light in the hallway on! Yes, we have had long talks about my electrical bill!!! Then there's my Jerry, he wants the door shut, the curtain drawn and all the lights off.
Tonight, Jerry kept coming out of his room. He gave me this "story"about how the light was scaring him. Of course, this didn't make much sense to me so I acknowledged his fear and sent him on his way. But like a boomerang, he kept coming back to me mumbling about how he couldn't sleep. Finally, as I walked past his room he pointed to the ceiling and exclaimed, "It's like fire on the ceiling! I can't sleep with the fire on the ceiling!" Sure enough, I looked up and the lamp in the nearby room was casting a shadow that appeared as fiery flames on the ceiling!
It always fascinates me to see things through the eyes of a child! To think, for the last few years, Jeremiah has been scared of light at night because, in his eyes, it was a scary fiery flame!
Tonight, Jerry kept coming out of his room. He gave me this "story"about how the light was scaring him. Of course, this didn't make much sense to me so I acknowledged his fear and sent him on his way. But like a boomerang, he kept coming back to me mumbling about how he couldn't sleep. Finally, as I walked past his room he pointed to the ceiling and exclaimed, "It's like fire on the ceiling! I can't sleep with the fire on the ceiling!" Sure enough, I looked up and the lamp in the nearby room was casting a shadow that appeared as fiery flames on the ceiling!
It always fascinates me to see things through the eyes of a child! To think, for the last few years, Jeremiah has been scared of light at night because, in his eyes, it was a scary fiery flame!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
You Never Let Go
I love this song by Matt Redman which was sung in curch this morning. How reassuring it is to know that throught it all God is holding on to us! I have been through my fair share of "the storms of this life!" To name a few: my mother's cancer, abusive husbands, my son's autism, severe sickness during my pregnancies, not one but two divorces, financial troubles, fear for my children's safety and the list goes on yet through it all I can still, not only, sing this song but believe every word of it. My God has seen me through all of the ups and downs life has brought me and I know he will continue to be faithful! I will continue to praise God through my current hardships for I have seen his unfailing love and provision for me! Thank you Lord for being my rock when all else seems to be falling apart around me!
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth
(Chorus)
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
(Chorus 2x's)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth
(Chorus)
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
(Chorus 2x's)
2 Things That Helped Save My Son From His Autism
Two things that helped save my son from his autism:
1. Applied Behavior Analysis therapy
2. Gluten/Caesin free diet
Two things that currently help save my son from his autism:
1. Glutamate Free diet
(I tell more about this at http://www.msgfreemeals.blogspot.com/)
2. Structure/routine
1. Applied Behavior Analysis therapy
2. Gluten/Caesin free diet
Two things that currently help save my son from his autism:
1. Glutamate Free diet
(I tell more about this at http://www.msgfreemeals.blogspot.com/)
2. Structure/routine
Five Chores I Could Live Without!
1. Seperating Laundry
2. Washing Laundry
3. Drying Laundry
4. Folding Laundry
5. Putting Away the Laundry
It doesn't take a genius to see the laundry and I don't get along! Day in and day out the laundry and I battle it out. No matter how prepared I am for the fight I always lose, but I've come up with a battle plan that I think might work and if it doesn't work I have my backup plan!
Battle Plan A
2. Washing Laundry
3. Drying Laundry
4. Folding Laundry
5. Putting Away the Laundry
It doesn't take a genius to see the laundry and I don't get along! Day in and day out the laundry and I battle it out. No matter how prepared I am for the fight I always lose, but I've come up with a battle plan that I think might work and if it doesn't work I have my backup plan!
Battle Plan A
- All people in this household shall wear their same clothes for one week.
- All people in this household shall not wear anything for one week.
A Toilet!?
Today my mom was talking to my 6 year old son, Zach, about a drawing contest our city is holding. She told him the contestants have to draw a picture that shows, "What the city means to you." She proceeded to ask him what he would draw to show what our city means to him. He matter of factly stated, "a toilet!" Not wanting to squelch his idea, she gingerly inquired why he would draw a toilet. Feeling a bit silly he responded, "because of the smell!"
We both were rolling with laughter as poor Zach's face turned red with embarrasment.
We had to give him credit for that one! When the weather turned from cold to warm the sewer smell was unbearable and obviously it left a lasting impression on my son's view of our city!
We both were rolling with laughter as poor Zach's face turned red with embarrasment.
We had to give him credit for that one! When the weather turned from cold to warm the sewer smell was unbearable and obviously it left a lasting impression on my son's view of our city!
2 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Making homemade baby food and the cubes are stuck in the tray?
Just put the ice cube tray in a warm pan of water for a few seconds and they'll pop right out!
Just put the ice cube tray in a warm pan of water for a few seconds and they'll pop right out!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
National Don't Flush Day!
My children forgot to inform me that today was "National Don't Flush Day", but don't worry I catch on quickly!
Honestly, what is it with children and flushing the toilet?! Is it really that hard? I would have thought they would enjoy flushing and watching everything swirl down the hole. But oh no! Not my children...
My oldest son doesn't flush out of pure laziness. Who would have thought it would be so hard for a six year old to take the time to push the little silver handle down when he gets off the pot.
My second son has twisted this popular saying to "If it's yellow don't let it mellow, if it's brown don't flush it down!" We have had a few mishaps with the potty getting stuffed full of paper and overflowing when an attempt to flush was made. So this smart child has decided, if he does more than pee, he better error on the side of caution and leave the flushing up to mommy!
Then there's my four year old daughter! She not only thinks I should flush for her but also prefers to have me wipe for her!
Ahhh, the joys of motherhood! It doesn't look like "National Don't Flush Day" will be coming to an end anytime soon!
Honestly, what is it with children and flushing the toilet?! Is it really that hard? I would have thought they would enjoy flushing and watching everything swirl down the hole. But oh no! Not my children...
My oldest son doesn't flush out of pure laziness. Who would have thought it would be so hard for a six year old to take the time to push the little silver handle down when he gets off the pot.
My second son has twisted this popular saying to "If it's yellow don't let it mellow, if it's brown don't flush it down!" We have had a few mishaps with the potty getting stuffed full of paper and overflowing when an attempt to flush was made. So this smart child has decided, if he does more than pee, he better error on the side of caution and leave the flushing up to mommy!
Then there's my four year old daughter! She not only thinks I should flush for her but also prefers to have me wipe for her!
Ahhh, the joys of motherhood! It doesn't look like "National Don't Flush Day" will be coming to an end anytime soon!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
1 ~ Sarah's Savvy Savings ~
Are your baby wipes to dry?
Just add a few tablespoons of water to the top wipe in the container and they'll be as good as new.
Just add a few tablespoons of water to the top wipe in the container and they'll be as good as new.
Time For Mommy!
Time for Mommy! Is this a foreign phrase in your house? As a parent you give, give, give then turn around and give some more! I’m sure you have heard the “professionals” say, “make sure you take time for yourself”. But is this really possible? Will you be a better mommy or daddy if you take time for yourself? And where in the world is this extra time supposed to come from?!?!
Well, today I took an hour to myself! My ex had given me a gift certificate for a one hour massage at my chiropractor’s office. He gave it to me for Valentines Day over a year ago. I’m not even sure why! Perhaps it was out of obligation. Maybe he was hoping to win Husband of the Year award! Kind of an ironic thought since the rest of our marriage was failing miserably. So I’ve had this certificate sitting around my house for over a year. A little piece of paper; yet every time I came across it an array of emotions rushed through me. The paper has moved from the card it came in, to my nightstand, to my computer desk, to my coupon drawer, back to my computer desk…and finally into my purse and into the hands of the chiropractor’s receptionist!
So what was keeping me from using it? A small part of me didn’t want to use it just because of who gave it to me, but the bigger reason it’s been shuffled around my house…TIME! I am raising four kids on my own; time is not something in over abundance around here! How can I possibly feel good about taking an hour to pamper myself when the dishes need done and laundry is stacked to the ceiling and the kids need me to spend time with them! The answer: I didn’t feel right about it! In fact, the certificate had expired in February so I had the perfect excuse to just throw it away, but my mom talked me into setting up an appointment anyway. She was sure they would still take the certificate since it was paid for and sure enough, they had no problem with letting me use it.
Finally, I got my mommy time! For a whole hour, I laid there and tried hard not to think about anything but relaxing and enoying my massage. Was it worth it? Am I a better parent today then I was before I took some time to myself? Well, my knees didn’t appreciate the massage and have been hurting worse than they were before, I was itchy and irritable the rest of the day from the oils (I didn’t exactly have time to squeeze in a shower!) and the laundry pile only grew larger. I’m thinking, next time I want some “me” time, I will go get a cup of coffee with a friend…oh wait! I can't stand coffee!
Well, today I took an hour to myself! My ex had given me a gift certificate for a one hour massage at my chiropractor’s office. He gave it to me for Valentines Day over a year ago. I’m not even sure why! Perhaps it was out of obligation. Maybe he was hoping to win Husband of the Year award! Kind of an ironic thought since the rest of our marriage was failing miserably. So I’ve had this certificate sitting around my house for over a year. A little piece of paper; yet every time I came across it an array of emotions rushed through me. The paper has moved from the card it came in, to my nightstand, to my computer desk, to my coupon drawer, back to my computer desk…and finally into my purse and into the hands of the chiropractor’s receptionist!
So what was keeping me from using it? A small part of me didn’t want to use it just because of who gave it to me, but the bigger reason it’s been shuffled around my house…TIME! I am raising four kids on my own; time is not something in over abundance around here! How can I possibly feel good about taking an hour to pamper myself when the dishes need done and laundry is stacked to the ceiling and the kids need me to spend time with them! The answer: I didn’t feel right about it! In fact, the certificate had expired in February so I had the perfect excuse to just throw it away, but my mom talked me into setting up an appointment anyway. She was sure they would still take the certificate since it was paid for and sure enough, they had no problem with letting me use it.
Finally, I got my mommy time! For a whole hour, I laid there and tried hard not to think about anything but relaxing and enoying my massage. Was it worth it? Am I a better parent today then I was before I took some time to myself? Well, my knees didn’t appreciate the massage and have been hurting worse than they were before, I was itchy and irritable the rest of the day from the oils (I didn’t exactly have time to squeeze in a shower!) and the laundry pile only grew larger. I’m thinking, next time I want some “me” time, I will go get a cup of coffee with a friend…oh wait! I can't stand coffee!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Because He Lives!
The first Sunday I went back to church, after having Josiah, this song was sung in the service. It meant so much to me! I was singing the following line "How sweet to hold a newborn baby..." when tears came to my eyes. To think I could let go of all my worries "Because he lives" was so reassuring.
Today, this song was sung again. After a very emotional week, I was able to sing the lyrics below and once again be reminded and reassured of the fact that my God is alive and taking care of my children and I! "How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives;But greater still the calm assurance:This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!"
BECAUSE HE LIVES
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
Words and music by William J. Gaither© 1971
Matthew 28:6"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Monday, April 13, 2009
Best Easter Ever
Yesterday my five year old,Jerry, told me this was the best Easter he's ever had!
Considering, every crisis that has ever happened in my life seems to happen right in the midst of Easter, I wholeheartedly agreed with him!
The first Easter that started my long line of eventful Easters took place in 2005. This Easter was a time of sorrow. It was difficult to celebrate the resurrection of my King when my second born son had just been given a life sentence of Autism.
Then in 2006, I was forced into leaving my first husband when he severely abused our first son the week leading up to Easter. That Easter will always bring back memories of uncertainty and fear.
The Easter of 2007 brought with it mixed feelings of relief and judgement as my long awaited divorce was finalized.
But none of these could prepare me for the Easter of 2008! I was extremely sick with my pregnancy and was admitted to the hospital, the week of Easter. At the same time, my marriage of 7 months was crumbling right before my eyes. I spent that Easter laying in a hospital bed wishing I could go home to celebrate Easter Sunday with my children, wishing I could fix all that was breaking down around me, wishing I hadn't gotten myself into yet another mess!
Then there's Easter of 2009! Believe me when I say it's had it's drama! But I still will have to agree with Jerry this is the best Easter we've had in a long time! This Easter had all the traits of a great Easter. Most importantly, we celebrated Jesus' resurrection every day up to Easter Sunday and we even all were able to go to church on Easter Sunday! We spent it with our family. Most everyone was healthy. We participated in Easter egg hunts, a carnival, egg painting and egg coloring. We did an Easter egg hunt at Mamaw and Papaw's and had Easter baskets for all the kids to enjoy. It just doesn't get much better than that!
Considering, every crisis that has ever happened in my life seems to happen right in the midst of Easter, I wholeheartedly agreed with him!
The first Easter that started my long line of eventful Easters took place in 2005. This Easter was a time of sorrow. It was difficult to celebrate the resurrection of my King when my second born son had just been given a life sentence of Autism.
Then in 2006, I was forced into leaving my first husband when he severely abused our first son the week leading up to Easter. That Easter will always bring back memories of uncertainty and fear.
The Easter of 2007 brought with it mixed feelings of relief and judgement as my long awaited divorce was finalized.
But none of these could prepare me for the Easter of 2008! I was extremely sick with my pregnancy and was admitted to the hospital, the week of Easter. At the same time, my marriage of 7 months was crumbling right before my eyes. I spent that Easter laying in a hospital bed wishing I could go home to celebrate Easter Sunday with my children, wishing I could fix all that was breaking down around me, wishing I hadn't gotten myself into yet another mess!
Then there's Easter of 2009! Believe me when I say it's had it's drama! But I still will have to agree with Jerry this is the best Easter we've had in a long time! This Easter had all the traits of a great Easter. Most importantly, we celebrated Jesus' resurrection every day up to Easter Sunday and we even all were able to go to church on Easter Sunday! We spent it with our family. Most everyone was healthy. We participated in Easter egg hunts, a carnival, egg painting and egg coloring. We did an Easter egg hunt at Mamaw and Papaw's and had Easter baskets for all the kids to enjoy. It just doesn't get much better than that!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Funny Phone Fact
My children were discussing how the computer was another way for me to talk to people. Zach was explaining how it was like using the phone, but he preferred to use the phone. Jerry stated, "Yeah, I know they used to use computer's to talk before their were phones!"
Friday, February 20, 2009
Josiah is Sleeping in His Own Room!
Last Friday, I decided Josiah needed to start sleeping in his own room. He's been sleeping through the night since he was a few weeks old, but has had a lot of congestion and breathing issues so I've resisted moving him away from my room. Alas, I knew if I didn't do it soon before I knew it, I would have a toddler sleeping in my bed.
I picked the day and early on in the day, I moved all of his stuff out of my room. I was hoping this would solidify my decision in my mind. I also voiced my decision to my mom and sister. There would be no turning back now! Of course this move to his room would be very difficult! All day I prepared myself for the worst and before I knew it, it was time to put Josiah to bed. I put him in his bed and kissed him goodnight. I arranged everything in his bed just right. I gazed at his beautiful face for awhile then leaned down and kissed him again. He had gotten used to holding on to my fluffy bath robe while he fell asleep, then after he fell asleep I would slip it away from him. So I layed the bath robe up against his face just the way he liked it, and placed it in his little hands. Eventually, I was confident that I had everthing "just so". I kissed him one last time and whispered the words, "goodnight sweetie". I crept out of the room. A few minutes went by. I worried that he might have gotten the robe over his face so I creeped back into his room just to be sure he was still safe. All was well, so once again I left my little angel, all alone, to sleep by himself. I tried to busy myself around the house, but the nagging voice in my head was demanding that I check on Josiah. So, once again, back to his room I went. Josiah gave me one of his adorable grins as I peeked in his room. Of course he was fine. I left him again, surprised at how well he seemed to be handling sleeping all by himself. I got ready for bed, then thought I better check on him one last time. I was sure he must be missing me by now and totally frightened by my absence. So I peeked in again, stirring him from a very relaxed sleepy state. I tried to convince myself he would be fine and decided I should try to get some sleep of my own. I laid down in my bed. My bed seemed so big and empty without him in his bouncy seat, sleeping peacefully next to me. I made sure the baby monitor was on with the volume all the way up. I laid there for awhile, then I heard something! A small rustling noise came from the monitor. I thought, "This is it! He's waking up and realizing I'm not there. He'll start crying any minute!" I wanted to be sure I was there to comfort him and reassure him that he would be okay so I got up and crept into his room. His eyes were closed. He wasn't crying. I stayed for awhile admiring his sweet, angelic face. I thought about how peaceful he was and how totally oblivious he was to his momma's fretting! I went back to bed and after a good hour of lying there waiting for his frightened cry, I fell asleep. I woke early the next morning and immediately went to Josiah's room. There he was still sound asleep! Josiah had slept through the night in his own room! Yes, it sure was a difficult night but I did it! I put Josiah in his own room, now I just need to get myself sleeping through the night!
I picked the day and early on in the day, I moved all of his stuff out of my room. I was hoping this would solidify my decision in my mind. I also voiced my decision to my mom and sister. There would be no turning back now! Of course this move to his room would be very difficult! All day I prepared myself for the worst and before I knew it, it was time to put Josiah to bed. I put him in his bed and kissed him goodnight. I arranged everything in his bed just right. I gazed at his beautiful face for awhile then leaned down and kissed him again. He had gotten used to holding on to my fluffy bath robe while he fell asleep, then after he fell asleep I would slip it away from him. So I layed the bath robe up against his face just the way he liked it, and placed it in his little hands. Eventually, I was confident that I had everthing "just so". I kissed him one last time and whispered the words, "goodnight sweetie". I crept out of the room. A few minutes went by. I worried that he might have gotten the robe over his face so I creeped back into his room just to be sure he was still safe. All was well, so once again I left my little angel, all alone, to sleep by himself. I tried to busy myself around the house, but the nagging voice in my head was demanding that I check on Josiah. So, once again, back to his room I went. Josiah gave me one of his adorable grins as I peeked in his room. Of course he was fine. I left him again, surprised at how well he seemed to be handling sleeping all by himself. I got ready for bed, then thought I better check on him one last time. I was sure he must be missing me by now and totally frightened by my absence. So I peeked in again, stirring him from a very relaxed sleepy state. I tried to convince myself he would be fine and decided I should try to get some sleep of my own. I laid down in my bed. My bed seemed so big and empty without him in his bouncy seat, sleeping peacefully next to me. I made sure the baby monitor was on with the volume all the way up. I laid there for awhile, then I heard something! A small rustling noise came from the monitor. I thought, "This is it! He's waking up and realizing I'm not there. He'll start crying any minute!" I wanted to be sure I was there to comfort him and reassure him that he would be okay so I got up and crept into his room. His eyes were closed. He wasn't crying. I stayed for awhile admiring his sweet, angelic face. I thought about how peaceful he was and how totally oblivious he was to his momma's fretting! I went back to bed and after a good hour of lying there waiting for his frightened cry, I fell asleep. I woke early the next morning and immediately went to Josiah's room. There he was still sound asleep! Josiah had slept through the night in his own room! Yes, it sure was a difficult night but I did it! I put Josiah in his own room, now I just need to get myself sleeping through the night!
Zach is Recycling!
At Zach's last TigerScout meeting he learned all about recycling.
This past weekend, he took action and did some recyling of his own!
For Valentines Day, rather than waste paper making new cards he took pictures and cards he had already made and added some hearts and special notes to make them good as new!
He was so proud of himself, as he showed me how he had recycled his old cards.
But, he really outdid himself when he found the thank you note for his great Aunt and Uncle from Christmas (when I sent out the Christmas thank you's he had lost his and had to make a new one) and redid it for Valentines Day. He showed me how he was able to simply change "thank you for the gifts" to "thank you for the gift" by erasing the "s". He also added a fancy heart and put it in one of the envelopes he had just received. Hmmm, come to think of it, the envelope was from his Aunt and Uncle who are going to receive the thank you note. Perhaps, I should have a talk with Zach about how to appropriately regift!
This past weekend, he took action and did some recyling of his own!
For Valentines Day, rather than waste paper making new cards he took pictures and cards he had already made and added some hearts and special notes to make them good as new!
He was so proud of himself, as he showed me how he had recycled his old cards.
But, he really outdid himself when he found the thank you note for his great Aunt and Uncle from Christmas (when I sent out the Christmas thank you's he had lost his and had to make a new one) and redid it for Valentines Day. He showed me how he was able to simply change "thank you for the gifts" to "thank you for the gift" by erasing the "s". He also added a fancy heart and put it in one of the envelopes he had just received. Hmmm, come to think of it, the envelope was from his Aunt and Uncle who are going to receive the thank you note. Perhaps, I should have a talk with Zach about how to appropriately regift!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Cute Mariah Quotes!
Mariah's baby brother had a bad cold that she caught from him.
Feeling totally miserable, she told me, "Mom I didn't want to take his cold from him! He can have it back!"
I've been giving the kids a lot of orange juice to drink. Mariah needed more and said, "More Vitamin C please, Mom."
Feeling totally miserable, she told me, "Mom I didn't want to take his cold from him! He can have it back!"
I've been giving the kids a lot of orange juice to drink. Mariah needed more and said, "More Vitamin C please, Mom."
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I Am Blocking, MOM! (That is blocking the ball from hitting me!)
This is Zachariah's first year participating in Upwards Basketball, a non-competitive way to learn how to play the sport. Having never played any sports before, Zach is really struggling to learn the rules of the game. Every week after his practice and game I try to just pick one thing that he can really concentrate on for the next week. The first couple weeks, I had him concentrate on staying with his team as they ran from one side of the court to the other. The third week, he was out sick with a horrible cold! I'm thinking, of all the kids to have to miss a game and practice night Zach was the one that couldn't afford it! The fourth week, I explained to him the importance of staying right on the guy he's supposed to be guarding. At the next game, it was apparent Zach was following my advice. He was glued to his guy the whole time and even had his arms out just like he'd been taught! I found it odd, though, that he was staying right behind the person he was guarding. Like a little shadow he followed them with his arms out. Several times I yelled out to him, "In front! You need to be in front of him". But Zach just gave me this look that said, "I have it under control mom!" I gave up shaking my head in despair. I knew what my bit of advice would be this week! On the way home, I praised Zach for staying with his guy with such tenacity. Then I carefully told him that when you are guarding someone you really should be in front of them. I went on to explain why it was so important to block the other guy from getting the ball. Zach informed me that he understood all of this. Then he went on to tell me that he was "blocking the ball!" That is, he was staying behind the other guy so they would block the ball from hitting him! Being short in stature, Zach had figured out that if he guarded from behind his person there was no chance of the ball hitting him!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Where's My Baby Boy, Jerry?!
My first grader, Zach, often comes home from school and tells me his "bad" news. Most are horrid injustices in the eyes of a six year old. Things such as not being able to go outside for recess or running out of toothpicks for his art project. The worst "bad" news ever was not being able to do math activities! Math activity time is Zach's favorite thing at school!
I was totally unprepared when Zach came home to my mom's house, Wednesday, with "bad" news. Zach came in, ran down to the basement and washed his hands as he does every day. Then he casually came in the living room were Iwas watching TV and said, rather calmy, "Mom, I have some bad news." I was tempted to brush him off until the next comercial but trying to be a good listener asked him what his "bad" news was today. Imagine my shock when he informed me Jerry, his 5 year old brother, hadn't come home with him. In fact, he hadn't seen Jerry get on the bus at all! I quizzed Zach a bit to be sure what I was hearing was correct. Sure enough Jerry was lost!
The first few weeks of school, Jerry was having trouble remembering to get off at his bus stop so I figured he probably was still on his bus and decided not to panic, yet. I immediately called the school and let them know Jerry didn't come home with Zach. They were about as surprised as I was and said they would make a few calls and track him down. I ever so patiently waited for my phone to ring. Fifteen minutes later, it finally rang! Jerry was nowhere to be found! They checked the bus and he wasn't on it. With relief, we figured out they had checked the wrong bus. So again I left things in there hands as they made more calls.
The minutes slowly ticked by. With each passing minute my heart started beating faster. My mind began wandering. It shouldn't be taking so long to call the right bus! What if they didn't find him, then what! Finally, I got the call I'd been anxiously awaiting for! They found him!!! He was on the wrong bus! Two of the drivers were substitutes resulting in the buses getting out of order. Jerry was used to getting on the last bus in the line and hadn't noticed that it wasn't his until after he got on. My poor little boy had tried to tell the bus driver he was on the wrong bus, but he was sitting too far in the back to be heard. When all the other children were dropped off he moved to the front of the bus and made another attempt to be heard. By then the driver had gotten the call from the school and was bringing my Jerry home!
As soon as I heard the bus pull up in front of the house I went out to meet Jerry. My brave little guy came running up to the house with a relieved look on his face. Then he completely lost all that bravery. The tears came streaming down his face as he tried to tell me who was responsible for putting him on the wrong bus. Fighting back tears, I held him in my arms. I hugged him over and over not wanting to let go...but my job as a parent is to let go. We constantly need to "let go" of our little ones as they grow up. All the while, trusting that God will protect our babies as He protected Jerry. Today, when you find yourself resisting letting your little one go remember that God is with them, watching over them and protecting them and although we cannot be forever by their side, God can!
I was totally unprepared when Zach came home to my mom's house, Wednesday, with "bad" news. Zach came in, ran down to the basement and washed his hands as he does every day. Then he casually came in the living room were Iwas watching TV and said, rather calmy, "Mom, I have some bad news." I was tempted to brush him off until the next comercial but trying to be a good listener asked him what his "bad" news was today. Imagine my shock when he informed me Jerry, his 5 year old brother, hadn't come home with him. In fact, he hadn't seen Jerry get on the bus at all! I quizzed Zach a bit to be sure what I was hearing was correct. Sure enough Jerry was lost!
The first few weeks of school, Jerry was having trouble remembering to get off at his bus stop so I figured he probably was still on his bus and decided not to panic, yet. I immediately called the school and let them know Jerry didn't come home with Zach. They were about as surprised as I was and said they would make a few calls and track him down. I ever so patiently waited for my phone to ring. Fifteen minutes later, it finally rang! Jerry was nowhere to be found! They checked the bus and he wasn't on it. With relief, we figured out they had checked the wrong bus. So again I left things in there hands as they made more calls.
The minutes slowly ticked by. With each passing minute my heart started beating faster. My mind began wandering. It shouldn't be taking so long to call the right bus! What if they didn't find him, then what! Finally, I got the call I'd been anxiously awaiting for! They found him!!! He was on the wrong bus! Two of the drivers were substitutes resulting in the buses getting out of order. Jerry was used to getting on the last bus in the line and hadn't noticed that it wasn't his until after he got on. My poor little boy had tried to tell the bus driver he was on the wrong bus, but he was sitting too far in the back to be heard. When all the other children were dropped off he moved to the front of the bus and made another attempt to be heard. By then the driver had gotten the call from the school and was bringing my Jerry home!
As soon as I heard the bus pull up in front of the house I went out to meet Jerry. My brave little guy came running up to the house with a relieved look on his face. Then he completely lost all that bravery. The tears came streaming down his face as he tried to tell me who was responsible for putting him on the wrong bus. Fighting back tears, I held him in my arms. I hugged him over and over not wanting to let go...but my job as a parent is to let go. We constantly need to "let go" of our little ones as they grow up. All the while, trusting that God will protect our babies as He protected Jerry. Today, when you find yourself resisting letting your little one go remember that God is with them, watching over them and protecting them and although we cannot be forever by their side, God can!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Today, From Front to Finish!
Today I woke up way too early so I could take the kids to Sunday School and 11am church service.
We got home around 1:00pm.
Ate lunch, then my mom and dad came over.
My dad is helping Zach make his PineWood Derby Car for the big race with Boyscouts!
I sorted through some "papers" in my never-ending/always-growing stack and put my furniture back were it belongs from cleaning the carpets.
Around 3:30 I started making dinner.
By the time we finished eating and the baby was fed it was time to leave for Zach's choir practice.
So at 5ish we headed back to church.
Came home from church at about 7:30.
Kids got ready for bed, I read to them and tucked them in.
I've spent the rest of my evening making bread, cleaning the oven, separating laundry(I got 3 loads washed and dryed; they still need folded), emptying and refilling the dishwasher, emptying the dish rack and washing the dishes that don't go or didn't fit in the dishwasher, fed the baby a few times, got the kids lunches and snacks ready for tomorrow, set out their breakfast, finished sorting and putting away all the "papers" and kids school-work type stuff, finished putting the steam vac away, put the fans away from drying the carpet, vacuumed the enterance room, fixed the towel rack in the bathroom and on and on and on. Now it is five till 1am and I'm wondering why in the world I started the oven on it self-clean because I really don't want to go to bed with it still on. I have 25 minutes until it's done so I think I'll fold the four baskets of clothing that are staring at me!
We got home around 1:00pm.
Ate lunch, then my mom and dad came over.
My dad is helping Zach make his PineWood Derby Car for the big race with Boyscouts!
I sorted through some "papers" in my never-ending/always-growing stack and put my furniture back were it belongs from cleaning the carpets.
Around 3:30 I started making dinner.
By the time we finished eating and the baby was fed it was time to leave for Zach's choir practice.
So at 5ish we headed back to church.
Came home from church at about 7:30.
Kids got ready for bed, I read to them and tucked them in.
I've spent the rest of my evening making bread, cleaning the oven, separating laundry(I got 3 loads washed and dryed; they still need folded), emptying and refilling the dishwasher, emptying the dish rack and washing the dishes that don't go or didn't fit in the dishwasher, fed the baby a few times, got the kids lunches and snacks ready for tomorrow, set out their breakfast, finished sorting and putting away all the "papers" and kids school-work type stuff, finished putting the steam vac away, put the fans away from drying the carpet, vacuumed the enterance room, fixed the towel rack in the bathroom and on and on and on. Now it is five till 1am and I'm wondering why in the world I started the oven on it self-clean because I really don't want to go to bed with it still on. I have 25 minutes until it's done so I think I'll fold the four baskets of clothing that are staring at me!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Don't Get Sick ON Me
Today while we were watching Zach play basketball at his Upwards game, Jerry was coughing.
I teasingly said to him, "Don't tell me you are getting sick on me too!"
Jerry replied, "Oh no, Mom, I was coughing the other way."
I teasingly said to him, "Don't tell me you are getting sick on me too!"
Jerry replied, "Oh no, Mom, I was coughing the other way."
Maps in My Head
Tonight at dinner Jerry informed us, "I have a map in my head!"
Mariah was pleased to hear this and replied, "I don't have a map in my head! You can use your map for me and Zach if we ever get lost."
Zach, either oblivious to the fact that Jerry's maps were in his head or just trying to find a way to join the conversation, piped in, "I have a Pensylvania map and a Michigan map."
Not to be outdone Jerry let us know that he actually had three maps in his head!
Jerry proudly stated, "I have one of Michigan, one to our house and one to Mamaws house, all in my head!"
Mariah was pleased to hear this and replied, "I don't have a map in my head! You can use your map for me and Zach if we ever get lost."
Zach, either oblivious to the fact that Jerry's maps were in his head or just trying to find a way to join the conversation, piped in, "I have a Pensylvania map and a Michigan map."
Not to be outdone Jerry let us know that he actually had three maps in his head!
Jerry proudly stated, "I have one of Michigan, one to our house and one to Mamaws house, all in my head!"
Good Morning!
"Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning..." I sing-song to my children.
It's Saturday, normally that would mean we would all be sleeping in, but not today!
Today Zach has an Upwards game at 10am so it's up n about early.
The children are eating their cereal while discussing what defines a baby.
Is a one year old still called a baby? Zach says it's anyone under the age of two. Mariah chimes in that babies can only crawl and Jerry is sure that babies can not talk. Zach informs them that babies talk by crying. Jerry matter of factly lets everyone know that Josiah has told him, "I love you Jeremiah" then goes on to explain that Josiah did not know his last name was Carter.
It's Saturday, normally that would mean we would all be sleeping in, but not today!
Today Zach has an Upwards game at 10am so it's up n about early.
The children are eating their cereal while discussing what defines a baby.
Is a one year old still called a baby? Zach says it's anyone under the age of two. Mariah chimes in that babies can only crawl and Jerry is sure that babies can not talk. Zach informs them that babies talk by crying. Jerry matter of factly lets everyone know that Josiah has told him, "I love you Jeremiah" then goes on to explain that Josiah did not know his last name was Carter.
Friday, January 30, 2009
He Hugged Me Yesterday!
Jeremiah hugged me yesterday!
My son who was diagnosed with autism at 21 months of age, hugged me yesterday.
My son who I thought would never say "I love you Mommy", hugged me yesterday.
My son who I thought would never look me in the eye, hugged me yesterday.
My son who I thought would never smile at me, hugged me yesterday.
My son who screams more than laughs, hugged me yesterday.
My son who yells "You are the ugliest Mommy I ever had!" hugged me yesterday.
My son who doesn't realize it when people are making a joke, hugged me yesterday.
My son who takes everything done as a personal offense, hugged me yesterday.
My son who takes five minutes to think about what he is going to pray about before he prays, hugged me yesterday.
My son who finds the smallest details in the simplest of things, hugged me yesterday.
My son who has incredible handwriting for a five year old, hugged me yesterday.
My son who wants to know how everything works, hugged me yesterday.
My son who can't wait to be able to read everything, hugged me yesterday.
My son who looks up to his older brother, hugged me yesterday.
My son who is so proud of his baby brother, hugged me yesterday.
My son who loves playing with his sister, hugged me yesterday.
My son who rarely hugs me, he picked me to hug, he hugged me yesterday!
My son who was diagnosed with autism at 21 months of age, hugged me yesterday.
My son who I thought would never say "I love you Mommy", hugged me yesterday.
My son who I thought would never look me in the eye, hugged me yesterday.
My son who I thought would never smile at me, hugged me yesterday.
My son who screams more than laughs, hugged me yesterday.
My son who yells "You are the ugliest Mommy I ever had!" hugged me yesterday.
My son who doesn't realize it when people are making a joke, hugged me yesterday.
My son who takes everything done as a personal offense, hugged me yesterday.
My son who takes five minutes to think about what he is going to pray about before he prays, hugged me yesterday.
My son who finds the smallest details in the simplest of things, hugged me yesterday.
My son who has incredible handwriting for a five year old, hugged me yesterday.
My son who wants to know how everything works, hugged me yesterday.
My son who can't wait to be able to read everything, hugged me yesterday.
My son who looks up to his older brother, hugged me yesterday.
My son who is so proud of his baby brother, hugged me yesterday.
My son who loves playing with his sister, hugged me yesterday.
My son who rarely hugs me, he picked me to hug, he hugged me yesterday!
My First Blog Post
Well, I have a blog. Hmmm, what should I write.
Zach is in his jammies and is currently acting like a cat. He is actually on all fours meowing at me.
Mariah is putting away her toys. She has loaded her baby stroller with the baby crib and the baby swing and is now very carefully manuevering it into her room.
Jerry just came zipping by with his jammies on. Yay two with jammies on, one to go!
Mariah's plan is not working, the crib fell off of the stroller. lol She's loading it back on.
I've been in the process of cleaning my carpets. All the children's bedrooms are done and I am working on the living room. I have five fans running in the living room! brrrrr All the "wind" is making Prissy, our cat, act crazy! She's running around the living room trying to catch the "wind".
Josiah is sleeping. He sleeps a lot. His favorite place to sleep is his car seat. I don't know what he's going to do when he gets to big to fit in it.
Well time to read books to the kids, then off to bed!
Zach is in his jammies and is currently acting like a cat. He is actually on all fours meowing at me.
Mariah is putting away her toys. She has loaded her baby stroller with the baby crib and the baby swing and is now very carefully manuevering it into her room.
Jerry just came zipping by with his jammies on. Yay two with jammies on, one to go!
Mariah's plan is not working, the crib fell off of the stroller. lol She's loading it back on.
I've been in the process of cleaning my carpets. All the children's bedrooms are done and I am working on the living room. I have five fans running in the living room! brrrrr All the "wind" is making Prissy, our cat, act crazy! She's running around the living room trying to catch the "wind".
Josiah is sleeping. He sleeps a lot. His favorite place to sleep is his car seat. I don't know what he's going to do when he gets to big to fit in it.
Well time to read books to the kids, then off to bed!
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