I don't know what to make of this.
I know we can't compare our days to anyone else's. When reading Stacy's School During Breakfast posts, I just was so inspired and moved by the image that brough to my mind - yes, chaos and all! So I adjusted our day to kind of look like that.
First day was yesterday. And while it was a success in that I pulled it off and it was a peaceful morning, it was an utter failure as well. How you ask? Well, we were DONE school by about 10:30!!!! Ack!!! That does not work for me!!! The whole idea is that school is supposed to take up a decent chunk of the kids morning so that they are not left hapless and climbing the walls. We just got off of break, and quite frankly, I was so looking forward to a little more structure, I wasn't too thrilled when by snack time, we were done school and the kids were antsy and squirrelly!!! It was like we were still on break!
Sigh. What to do. What to do. Of course, my natural thought is to scrap the whole getting up at the butt-crack of dawn idea.
So today, slept until God woke us up. That was nice. My son, Timmy, was the first one up. Emma and Daddy slept until 9 (since they were out late on a date last night). Timmy set the table and made breakfast - no joke! And I got up and took a shower. We ate as a family around 9:30 and did our Art Study there at the Breakfast table. Then we went and did our read-aloud on the couch. Then around 10 we went to the table to do our science and independent work. Emma brought her independent work with me to the library so I could get some work done on the computer and the boys could wrestle and play the wii (their date).
All in all, we are in a much better place today, since everyone is occupied for more of the day. I guess I have to continue to try to implement the parts of Stacy's routine that I fell in love with while striking a balance of what works for us.
This afternoon when we get home, I will likely have the kids paint their rendition of the Homer Painting, and I will start dinner, then hop on the treadmill for a while. All in all, I will have accomplished everything I set out to yesterday, but with more sleep, and a more structured day. Works for me.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Last Day
Today is the last day of our Winter Vacation. It has been incredibly fun and renewing.
But tomorrow we are back to our routines which I am so grateful for.
And, since I will be implementing some of Stacy's School During Breakfast routine, it will be necessary to make some changes around here. We have in the past had 2 modes:
On non-school days, the kids and I get up whenever we want, sometimes I am the last one up. :)
On school days, I am the first one up, but not by much. I usually spend their breakfast time with my coffee trying to pry my eyes open and get my head clear enough to start our school day which is typically an hour or so later. This is what I would consider one of my weaknesses.
On the occaisonal days that I get up super early and have my prayer, exercise, shower, and coffee all before they come down, life is SO much better. This is what I am going to try to implement starting this week. I am printing off some prayers and filling my ipod with praise, so my exercise and prayer time can be combined first thing in the morning. Then I will be showering and getting dressed and having my coffee while I prepare their breakfast. So that during breakfast, we can be starting school.
This will take some amount of organization and discipline on my part. Like setting out clothes for myself the night before, setting the breakfast table the night before and setting my alarm - as well as, GASP! Going to bed earlier! That is the kicker for me. I am SUCH a nightowl. I need to adjust this part of my life because it is an area of extreme selfishness. I need to force myself to bed earlier so that I can accomplish all of the things I want to in the mornings!
Wish me luck!
But tomorrow we are back to our routines which I am so grateful for.
And, since I will be implementing some of Stacy's School During Breakfast routine, it will be necessary to make some changes around here. We have in the past had 2 modes:
On non-school days, the kids and I get up whenever we want, sometimes I am the last one up. :)
On school days, I am the first one up, but not by much. I usually spend their breakfast time with my coffee trying to pry my eyes open and get my head clear enough to start our school day which is typically an hour or so later. This is what I would consider one of my weaknesses.
On the occaisonal days that I get up super early and have my prayer, exercise, shower, and coffee all before they come down, life is SO much better. This is what I am going to try to implement starting this week. I am printing off some prayers and filling my ipod with praise, so my exercise and prayer time can be combined first thing in the morning. Then I will be showering and getting dressed and having my coffee while I prepare their breakfast. So that during breakfast, we can be starting school.
This will take some amount of organization and discipline on my part. Like setting out clothes for myself the night before, setting the breakfast table the night before and setting my alarm - as well as, GASP! Going to bed earlier! That is the kicker for me. I am SUCH a nightowl. I need to adjust this part of my life because it is an area of extreme selfishness. I need to force myself to bed earlier so that I can accomplish all of the things I want to in the mornings!
Wish me luck!
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Bountiful Baskets
Bountiful Baskets is a food co-op located in AZ, UT, and a few other states. You pay for your share on-line, and then go pick it up. It is not a long-term, weekly commitment, but a sort of pay as you go deal. I love that! Some weeks we don't need to get a whole lot. And as I found out with this co-op, due to the VAST amount of produce included, we will likely only purchase this every other week or so.
Y'all, I am so impressed with this whole process. I have to admit, I was skeptical because I had been reading some of the complaints on the message board, so I braced myself for a negative experience.
NOT SO, my friend, NOT SO!!!
I signed up for my first pick-up in Anthem, AZ. And can I just say.... WOW!! The people were so super friendly! I told the gal at the table that it was my first time, and she got another volunteer over to help me through the process. That gal even took me to my baskets and offered to help me to my van!
Seriously, this is the way businesses should run, let alone a volunteer organization! I am a stickler for good customer service and I can honestly tell you I was blown away by those folks this morning!
Now, on to the food!!!!! My husband is not really the "notice and get-it" kind of guy... but when he walked into the kitchen this morning and saw everything I had received piled high on the island (a photo-op for the blog, of course!) he kept remarking about how much there was, what a great price it was, and how delicious it all looked!
I can't remark enough about how incredible the selection was, how MUCH there was, and how fresh everything is!!!!
Between the food quality and the excellence of the service, I am HOOKED on Bountiful Baskets!! I received nothing other than joy for posting this blog - I am not affiliated with BB in any way.
Here's what we got:
10 apples
4 pears
6 tangerines
2 dozen bananas
1 pineapple
1 lb bag baby carrots
1 head of celery
1 jicima
1 elephant garlic
12 bulbs of garlic
2 bunches cilantro
1 bag fresh herbs
5 baby limes
8 avocados
6 ears of corn on the cob
4 large yellow onions
3 zucchinis
1 large bunch of asparagus
1 head of romaine lettuce
1 head of cauliflower
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1lb white mushrooms
1lb portabella mushrooms
20lbs of tomatoes
5 loaves of honey wheat bread
For a grand total of ..............
only 55 smackeroos!!! Yep, 55 dollars bought me ALL of that. Did I mention that I was impressed?
Y'all, I am so impressed with this whole process. I have to admit, I was skeptical because I had been reading some of the complaints on the message board, so I braced myself for a negative experience.
NOT SO, my friend, NOT SO!!!
I signed up for my first pick-up in Anthem, AZ. And can I just say.... WOW!! The people were so super friendly! I told the gal at the table that it was my first time, and she got another volunteer over to help me through the process. That gal even took me to my baskets and offered to help me to my van!
Seriously, this is the way businesses should run, let alone a volunteer organization! I am a stickler for good customer service and I can honestly tell you I was blown away by those folks this morning!
Now, on to the food!!!!! My husband is not really the "notice and get-it" kind of guy... but when he walked into the kitchen this morning and saw everything I had received piled high on the island (a photo-op for the blog, of course!) he kept remarking about how much there was, what a great price it was, and how delicious it all looked!
I can't remark enough about how incredible the selection was, how MUCH there was, and how fresh everything is!!!!
Between the food quality and the excellence of the service, I am HOOKED on Bountiful Baskets!! I received nothing other than joy for posting this blog - I am not affiliated with BB in any way.
10 apples
4 pears
6 tangerines
2 dozen bananas
1 pineapple
1 lb bag baby carrots
1 head of celery
1 jicima
1 elephant garlic
12 bulbs of garlic
2 bunches cilantro
1 bag fresh herbs
5 baby limes
8 avocados
6 ears of corn on the cob
4 large yellow onions
3 zucchinis
1 large bunch of asparagus
1 head of romaine lettuce
1 head of cauliflower
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1lb white mushrooms
1lb portabella mushrooms
20lbs of tomatoes
5 loaves of honey wheat bread
For a grand total of ..............
only 55 smackeroos!!! Yep, 55 dollars bought me ALL of that. Did I mention that I was impressed?
Saturday, January 09, 2010
The Year of Yes... or Instead
Eloquent words elude me as I sit indicted of a crime against childhood.
Convicted on many counts of being the joy-stealer, the fun-nabber, the creativity-thief.
My sentence? Years of regret. Wishing I had said yes more and no less. Wishing the memories they held were of life to the full, rich in joy and creativity and an absence of fear that mama's answer will always be no.
So I join two of my dear friends here in this space to make a commitment to rehabilitation. To change. To grow and to be healed. Ann says it best when she speaks of the no's uttered to children reflect the no's we tell ourselves. "No, I can't do that." "No, I am not good enough" "No, I shouldn't think that." "No, don't dare to dream THAT dream." "No, I don't deserve that."
What about when "yes" is simply not possible? Elise reccomends "instead." I like this one. Because perhaps with any rehabilitation process, I need to begin with baby steps. I need to have an out... an opportunity to not burn out on all yeses all the time.
With any rehab, this will take work. Work in my head, heart and most of all my soul. To think of the Yes HE said for me. To be humbled in the moments when MY agenda seems like the most important thing, and to simply say yes. Yes to the child. Yes to the husband. Yes.
"Let it be done unto me according to Thy word." Luke 1:38
Convicted on many counts of being the joy-stealer, the fun-nabber, the creativity-thief.
My sentence? Years of regret. Wishing I had said yes more and no less. Wishing the memories they held were of life to the full, rich in joy and creativity and an absence of fear that mama's answer will always be no.
So I join two of my dear friends here in this space to make a commitment to rehabilitation. To change. To grow and to be healed. Ann says it best when she speaks of the no's uttered to children reflect the no's we tell ourselves. "No, I can't do that." "No, I am not good enough" "No, I shouldn't think that." "No, don't dare to dream THAT dream." "No, I don't deserve that."
What about when "yes" is simply not possible? Elise reccomends "instead." I like this one. Because perhaps with any rehabilitation process, I need to begin with baby steps. I need to have an out... an opportunity to not burn out on all yeses all the time.
With any rehab, this will take work. Work in my head, heart and most of all my soul. To think of the Yes HE said for me. To be humbled in the moments when MY agenda seems like the most important thing, and to simply say yes. Yes to the child. Yes to the husband. Yes.
"Let it be done unto me according to Thy word." Luke 1:38
Friday, January 01, 2010
A Long December.....
It's been a long year around here. I will spare the 2009 re-cap, and simply say that as this year comes to an end, I am so incredibly grateful that it is over. I look forward to very good things in 2010. I know that I would not be able to embrace the joys of 2010 quite as fully if I had not lived the pains of 2009 and for that I am grateful. I am grateful for the restored Hope that has made a home in me. The hope that comes from a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
This song is a haunting one, to be sure. But I love it. I love it because it speaks of hope. And of mending the broken. I listen to it every single New Years and remember to hope.
So as firecrackers blast in the valley that surrounds me, and young and old holler joyous strains of Auld Lang Syne, I nestle in and whisper to you..... Happy, Hopeful New Year. There is REASON to believe this year will be better than the last.
A Long December - Counting Crows
A long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leaving
Oh the days go by so fast
And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I could be forgiven
I wish you would
(Na na na, etc. yeah)
The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl
And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California
I think you should
(Na na na, etc. yeah)
Drove up to Hillside Manor sometime after 2 a.m.
And talked a little while about the year
I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower
Makes you talk a little lower about the things you could not show her
And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass
And it's one more day up in the canyon
And it's one more night in Hollywood
It's been so long since I've seen the ocean
I guess I should
This song is a haunting one, to be sure. But I love it. I love it because it speaks of hope. And of mending the broken. I listen to it every single New Years and remember to hope.
So as firecrackers blast in the valley that surrounds me, and young and old holler joyous strains of Auld Lang Syne, I nestle in and whisper to you..... Happy, Hopeful New Year. There is REASON to believe this year will be better than the last.
A Long December - Counting Crows
A long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember the last thing that you said as you were leaving
Oh the days go by so fast
And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I could be forgiven
I wish you would
(Na na na, etc. yeah)
The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl
And it's one more day up in the canyons
And it's one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California
I think you should
(Na na na, etc. yeah)
Drove up to Hillside Manor sometime after 2 a.m.
And talked a little while about the year
I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower
Makes you talk a little lower about the things you could not show her
And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass
And it's one more day up in the canyon
And it's one more night in Hollywood
It's been so long since I've seen the ocean
I guess I should
Sunday, December 13, 2009
One more week!
We have only one more week of school left in 2009.
And then we will be off for SIX WEEKS!!! I am so thrilled! We are going to have a great time!
For the first four weeks my mom will be with us from Canada, a long overdue visit from Nana! And our first Christmas with her since we were married, so I am thrilled! The kids are beyond excited as well, so it should be a great time.
She arrives Wednesday, and then after a few days of catching up and staying up too late, and all that fun, we will all head north to Flagstaff on the 20th. We are (fingers crossed) hoping that friends of ours from California will be joining us for this family vacation. It would be so nice. The goal is to let the kids play in the snow on the first day of Winter!
Then home again on the 23rd so that we are settled in for Christmas. I am sure there will be some last minute provisions needed to be purchased on that evening. (There always are.)
Christmas Eve morning will be spent opening gifts with our St. Louis family via Skype. The UPS man is kindly delivering our package to them and theirs to us. We will put the computer in a relatively easy and safe location and then we will try to do this long-distance Christmas morning thing as best we can.
Christmas Eve evening will bring Christmas Mass and some traditions like watching The Polar Express & reading Twas the Night Before Christmas. We also will get to open ONE special gift from Santa when we get home from Mass. Our Christmas pjs!! We can put them on, get our annual photo, and then hunker down for that long winter's nap.
This year wil bring a change since I won't have to wrap anything on Christmas Eve as I always have in years past. I am DONE! Done, done, done! I am so thrilled to go into the next week and a half knowing that I am done shopping and completely done wrapping, etc.! When mom gets here we will shop a little for her, and like I said provisions to be gathered on the 23rd. But blessed be the Lord, it's been such a beautiful Advent without the stress of a mounting to-do list!
Christmas morning will be our traditional light snack of oranges and cinnamon rolls before we dive in to the fun! We all just take turns and unwrap one at a time, ending with Santa's gift to the family. Which sometimes is a big ticket item, and some years is more simple. This year it is a Wii & Wii Fit Plus. Isn't Santa the best?
After all the gifts are opened and the trash is away, we will have a lovely Christmas Brunch with my Breakfast Casserole, fresh fruit, yogurt, and mimosas. Then it is a relaxing day of playing with our new toys, reading our new books, going for a walk, and making a big Christmas dinner with my mom. Turkey anyone? Then after dinner, we will go for a drive to see the lights.
The next several weeks after that will be just a time of relaxing and being on vacation together. I am sure there will be loads of wii-playing, and lego-building, and chapter-book reading. I also will need to do some school planning in there, so I will likely take a couple days where I just go for the day and let my mom have her time with the kids and I plan, plan, plan. We are changing some things for school after break, so I want to be well-prepared. More on that later.
Then mid-January, mom leaves, and we hop in the van and head to St. Louis for a 2 week vacation which includes a scrapbooking weekend for me! Blessed, I tell you, we are so blessed.
Once we get home from St. Louis, we will dive into school for the 2nd trimester. So there you have it! our plan for the next 6 weeks or so.
And then we will be off for SIX WEEKS!!! I am so thrilled! We are going to have a great time!
For the first four weeks my mom will be with us from Canada, a long overdue visit from Nana! And our first Christmas with her since we were married, so I am thrilled! The kids are beyond excited as well, so it should be a great time.
She arrives Wednesday, and then after a few days of catching up and staying up too late, and all that fun, we will all head north to Flagstaff on the 20th. We are (fingers crossed) hoping that friends of ours from California will be joining us for this family vacation. It would be so nice. The goal is to let the kids play in the snow on the first day of Winter!
Then home again on the 23rd so that we are settled in for Christmas. I am sure there will be some last minute provisions needed to be purchased on that evening. (There always are.)
Christmas Eve morning will be spent opening gifts with our St. Louis family via Skype. The UPS man is kindly delivering our package to them and theirs to us. We will put the computer in a relatively easy and safe location and then we will try to do this long-distance Christmas morning thing as best we can.
Christmas Eve evening will bring Christmas Mass and some traditions like watching The Polar Express & reading Twas the Night Before Christmas. We also will get to open ONE special gift from Santa when we get home from Mass. Our Christmas pjs!! We can put them on, get our annual photo, and then hunker down for that long winter's nap.
This year wil bring a change since I won't have to wrap anything on Christmas Eve as I always have in years past. I am DONE! Done, done, done! I am so thrilled to go into the next week and a half knowing that I am done shopping and completely done wrapping, etc.! When mom gets here we will shop a little for her, and like I said provisions to be gathered on the 23rd. But blessed be the Lord, it's been such a beautiful Advent without the stress of a mounting to-do list!
Christmas morning will be our traditional light snack of oranges and cinnamon rolls before we dive in to the fun! We all just take turns and unwrap one at a time, ending with Santa's gift to the family. Which sometimes is a big ticket item, and some years is more simple. This year it is a Wii & Wii Fit Plus. Isn't Santa the best?
After all the gifts are opened and the trash is away, we will have a lovely Christmas Brunch with my Breakfast Casserole, fresh fruit, yogurt, and mimosas. Then it is a relaxing day of playing with our new toys, reading our new books, going for a walk, and making a big Christmas dinner with my mom. Turkey anyone? Then after dinner, we will go for a drive to see the lights.
The next several weeks after that will be just a time of relaxing and being on vacation together. I am sure there will be loads of wii-playing, and lego-building, and chapter-book reading. I also will need to do some school planning in there, so I will likely take a couple days where I just go for the day and let my mom have her time with the kids and I plan, plan, plan. We are changing some things for school after break, so I want to be well-prepared. More on that later.
Then mid-January, mom leaves, and we hop in the van and head to St. Louis for a 2 week vacation which includes a scrapbooking weekend for me! Blessed, I tell you, we are so blessed.
Once we get home from St. Louis, we will dive into school for the 2nd trimester. So there you have it! our plan for the next 6 weeks or so.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Walking slowly through the day
We are here. We are enjoying our last stretch of school before Winter Break. I call it Winter Break not to be politically correct or anything even remotely close, but because we are going to be off school for much more than just Christmas. We are taking a total of about 6 weeks off starting December 19th. We will be doing school all throughout the summer months because of how hot it gets here - it just makes sense to be inside doing school in 120 degree weather.
So, we are working hard over the next week to get loads of work done before we break for "the Winter".
Oh but today, today was not a case of the working extra hard.
Well, it started out that way. And then shortly after a math class with Daddy over his lunch hour, and a fantastic phone call with a blogging friend that I will soon get to call a "Real Life" friend, it became a case of walking slowly, clutching one's midsection, and praying one didn't throw up.
And at first I thought it was the red, red wine I drank last night - even though it was in extreme moderation.
And then I hoped for the impossible....
And then my little guy threw up. Followed in suit by big sister.
Sigh. Just a bug. A yucky bug that has come into our home and will leave soon after it's wreaked it's havoc. Thank God my Christmas shopping is done and I have it all wrapped. We can trudge through to the weekend - only one more day of school.
But mom comes next week and there is much to do to prepare, so if you think of it, say a prayer for us, would you?
So, we are working hard over the next week to get loads of work done before we break for "the Winter".
Oh but today, today was not a case of the working extra hard.
Well, it started out that way. And then shortly after a math class with Daddy over his lunch hour, and a fantastic phone call with a blogging friend that I will soon get to call a "Real Life" friend, it became a case of walking slowly, clutching one's midsection, and praying one didn't throw up.
And at first I thought it was the red, red wine I drank last night - even though it was in extreme moderation.
And then I hoped for the impossible....
And then my little guy threw up. Followed in suit by big sister.
Sigh. Just a bug. A yucky bug that has come into our home and will leave soon after it's wreaked it's havoc. Thank God my Christmas shopping is done and I have it all wrapped. We can trudge through to the weekend - only one more day of school.
But mom comes next week and there is much to do to prepare, so if you think of it, say a prayer for us, would you?
Thursday, December 03, 2009
And The Winner Is.....
After drawing this:
Congratulations to my friend Jenn from Munchkinland who has won a signed copy of my cookbook.
It will be in the mail soon, dear!
Thanks to all who entered. You can order your own copy by clicking on the "Buy It Now" button above. Tell your husband's to stop by and pick up a copy for you for Christmas!
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
First Week of Advent
You can find the details for the COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY HERE. Enter to win your own signed copy - contest ends at midnight tomorrow night!!
*********************************************************************************
The first week of Advent is upon us and I am so excited to be homeschooling this year for this wonderful season!
Today is a busy day for me finalizing some of our plans for celebrating Advent. We are doing a scriptural advent calendar that includes sacrifices & good deeds for our Sacrifice Manger. We are also doing the Jesse Tree for the first time this year. I am very excited about that!
We are praying along with Holy Heroes - you can still sign up for their emails! We have printed off their Advent Wreath prayers.
And finally, we are praying THIS NOVENA to St. Andrew. All in all, I think we will be keeping Christ in our hearts and minds throughout this magical season.
For the month of December I am making a December Daily album, following Ali Edwards's lead & using writing prompts from Jessica Sprague's Holidays in Hand class.
Thank goodness my decorating is done! On to the celegration of my most favorite liturgical season!
What are your plans for Advent?
*********************************************************************************
The first week of Advent is upon us and I am so excited to be homeschooling this year for this wonderful season!
Today is a busy day for me finalizing some of our plans for celebrating Advent. We are doing a scriptural advent calendar that includes sacrifices & good deeds for our Sacrifice Manger. We are also doing the Jesse Tree for the first time this year. I am very excited about that!
We are praying along with Holy Heroes - you can still sign up for their emails! We have printed off their Advent Wreath prayers.
And finally, we are praying THIS NOVENA to St. Andrew. All in all, I think we will be keeping Christ in our hearts and minds throughout this magical season.
For the month of December I am making a December Daily album, following Ali Edwards's lead & using writing prompts from Jessica Sprague's Holidays in Hand class.
Thank goodness my decorating is done! On to the celegration of my most favorite liturgical season!
What are your plans for Advent?
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