my week

Soooooo, so much is going on! I really think that this week has been a little on the crazy side. The weather has been wacky as well, but expected. Our first taste of Spring is ALWAYS followed with a cold snap (and sometimes snow... it snowed on Easter 2 years ago!) and this year has not broken with tradition. It started out in the high 60's today, and it is currently something like 43 degrees, and the forecast predicts freezing rain tonight (!!!).

School was hectic this week, because last week was so nice we ended up blowing off most of the educational stuff. So this week was filled with DNA and gerunds and participles (I had to re-learn these, but they sound impressive, don't they?) and sentence diagramming for Tom-Tom. Katie learned about Moses (lots of info on this subject for little ones). Since starting Focalin (helps-your-brain-to-focus) last week, she has written three journal pages, has a new interest in math (because she can actually focus enough to do it), and has asked (can you believe it?) for more worksheets to practice writing. Very, very positive news. Danielle has learned about crustaceans, newspaper/reporting, and fractions... and she started her own blog a few weeks ago. So, I'm like mean-mommy-teacher this week; but at least we've seen forward progress!

So. I saw the movie Food Inc. last week... eeeewwwww! I haven't been able to eat a quarter pounder from McDonald's, or buy Tyson or Purdue chicken, or Smithfield ham/pork products. I highly recommend this film. Mark even liked it. And we are going to join a farmer's co-op. No more processed meat. It's like Upton Sinclair's: The Jungle, and it's real!

Prayer news: Please, please, please pray for one of my bestest, dearest friends, Eileen, and family. Prayer is amazing, and empowering and comforting! Be a prayer warrior! Her mom has just been diagnosed with all sorts of horrible cancer. My heart is truly breaking for them both. Pray for my friend (and neighbor) for closure on their house, and praise God for all their good news, lately... unsettling, yes, but overall, good! And, of course, generally just pray for all of us - our marriages, our relationships, our faith, our families, our children, and our Country. I am praying, too. A lot.

(a beaver dam... spotted on our hike... very muddy)

Well... All in all, it was a good week last week. The weather was fantastic. The sun shined Tuesday through Sunday, and we were outside for a part of every day! This means we totally increased our Vitamin D absorption rates, and increased our serotonin levels. I am actually surprised that I have become so SAD (seasonal affective disorder) sensitive! I have long suspected my husband of the SAD phenomenon, and now I have to claim that I am affected as well.

(cherry blossoms!)

Due to the increased daylight hours, and the sun shining all week, not a lot was accomplished educationally- speaking. The week was probably abbreviated greatly in regards to reading, writing and arithmetic. Science and social study endeavours, however, were pursued: We visited our good friends that live on a farm. The kids chased goats, fed a horse, went on a groundhog hunt, and examined chickens and their eggs. We played in the shadow of the great Marine Corps (not Marine Corpse, as my daughter said) museum. We walked and observed the spring changes in our neighborhood. We even went letterboxing at a local state park. It is hard to imagine that a month ago we were buried in snow!



(my husband and son thought this hilarious... obvious beaver activity... they pretended to chomp-chomp on thee tree stump)


Yesterday, my husband and I started The Love Dare bible study at our church. I'm really excited about this! We have made a forty day commitment to each other and the study of God's word. I can't even put to words how great I feel about this! Today's dare is about being patient with each other, and NO negative words. So far, so good. I'll be praying for guidance, and patience throughout this whole journey. Like most couples with children (and probably even those without kids) we are struggling with being over-committed... too many activities... too many places to be... too many things to do. We, as a couple, have taken a backseat to - well, to stuff. So, we are trying to make time for us. No easy feat!


Happy Spring!!!

antsy

I'm having one of those days where I feel antsy. I want to get out of the house, but it is pouring. I want to go shopping, but we are trying to save money. I want to exercise, but my body is just not too willing. I'm thinking of doing all those things I just never have time to do... but, well... I guess I really don't want to do those either - because today would be a good day for getting those things done (cleaning closets, sorting clothes, ridding the house of old plastic containers), but I just can't get motivated. I'm just too... antsy.

I am doing the laundry. Again. I have the privilege of raising a child who is still a bed-wetter. It's been one of those weeks that the good-nights just don't seem to keep everything dry. I know it's a weird thing to write about, but it is a frustrating part of my reality. The reality is that I also have to borrow my parent's steam-cleaner (again) because I let said child sleep in the den last night... and, well, this morning everything was damp. I put down some carpet deodorizer, when my youngest came around the corner, then paused, then while eyeing the carpet with wide eyes, exclaimed, " The magic snow! It's back! Santa must be here!"

Oh my. We used the carpet deodorizer to be magic snow this Christmas.

Explanation: "Yesssss... isn't that interesting? It just looks the same. It's just carpet cleaner, Honey. The magic snow is a little different." Danielle just rolled her eyes. Tommy started flapping. Katie starred at my with her mouth open, eyebrows lifted, eyes still wide.

Yep. Super-mom again! Yep. Being facetious. Sarcasm in my voice.

So... another rainy day. I think we might escape to the book store, or something, just to get out of the house. We've already been to the library this week, or we would go there, instead (less tempting to buy something). We have to go to the pet store, too, to get filters for the turtle habitat. By the way, if you ever consider buying a turtle, you should know they live for forty years, and you can't cuddle them. They don't like to be cuddled (did you know that turtles actually hiss?), and you can get scary salmonella from their shells, or something. We never have (gotten Salmonella), but we don't cuddle our turtles, either.

It should be a good week. Plus, today is Sunday which is church day, and that always makes me feel good. The lesson last week was about sacraments. I'm not sure what this week is about because I didn't look ahead, but it is always good. I always feel better after church. And, we have an awesome band! I pray for peace for us all, today.

It is NOT Forks...

It is Stafford, even though it may look like the Pacific Northwest. I understand that my best friend there will have rain all week, as well. So, maybe the vampires will stay out west, although, Virginia is becoming a very favorable location for those opposed to direct sunlight.

I really enjoy my i phone, but let me tell you that when said piece of electronics has issues it invokes a very high anxiety-state for me. Twice this week, I've had seizure like activity due to technology NOT working. Best Buy fixed the problem on Monday... tonight it was my tech-savvy husband (thank goodness! I would never have gotten to sleep)!

insight

I am finding insight in unexpected places, these days. In attending a support group, I discover that the process of making a change is what is so hard... I think that the change itself isn't so bad, it is getting to that place that is hard. It is taking those first steps. That is what is so difficult!

I find that when I am angry (seething, really) I don't make great decisions. It really does help to step back (literally) and take a few (or ten) deep breaths (again, literally).

Facebook can reveal great wisdom! A complete stranger's written words calmed me last night. I felt ashamed that I had even been angry. This also proves to me that God does big things with sometimes little actions. He uses us in ways we can't imagine. Someone spoke to my heart and taught me a lesson that I will hopefully not forget!

So... I just pray that this insight keeps on keeping on! And I pray for more good news. And I pray for help dealing with the not-so-good news.

I can't wait for next Saturday! NEW MOON is released on DVD. I'm going to get the special addition for sure! We plan on having a Twilight fest at our house, complete with pizza, pop-corn, and chocolate! It might even be raining to make the mood more festive.

just a blurb

(bracelets and baubles)

(Katie made)

A crafty week/ weekend. We made lots of bracelets! Danielle danced in a competition. Cooking occurred. Danielle started her own blog. Katie colored lots of pictures. Tommy got in on the action here and there... a little of this, a little of that. We walked, soaked in some sun, and visited with friends and family. I will write more, soon. I want to write more... I even have lots to write about. For now, though, it is bed time.......

(these are the bon-bons Danielle made... 1 lb of sugar, 1/2 lb of butter... yuuuummmmyyy!!!)

Sun! Blue sky!

Really? Sun AND clear skys? I honestly can't remember the last time we had a beautiful day. Since we all need to up the vitamin D absorption, I forced us out for a morning walk. Katie is in the picture skipping up the sidewalk.

Fresh air

Tom-Tom likes the outside, too! He even wanted to take off his shirt. I told him we might scare people, or cause an accident from the glare that would reflect off of our non-sun-touched, white skin!

Sun shine!

FINALLY. Nice and dry for a morning walk and stop at the playground! I think we are just so thankful to get to go outside. It's not too wet, too windy, or too cold.