letting your kids be average

**I went back through my posts and noticed I had a number of drafts.  So, here is number one the the "Draft Series".

look up the word average and you'll see it has a lot to do with math.
listen to any game of baseball and you'll quickly learn it's all about averages.
letting your kids be average is a whole other story.

now i am not against excelling or doing your best.  i am all for that.  while most of us are more than likely average, we strive to make our kids better than average.

take a phone call to a long distant relative or friend.  you know the question is going to be asked..."so, how are the kids doing?"  you're not going to answer, "oh, they are average kids doing average things."  if you're like me sometimes at that particular moment your kids are just average.  they aren't in any special activity.  they aren't winning any big awards, etc.  they are just being average.  why do we feel bad saying not much exciting is happening?

again i am not promoting laziness or free-willing living.  four-wheeling, maybe.  i see this alot amongst homeschoolers.  public schoolers too, just not as much.  take homeschool forums (pet peeve alert), far too many moms signatures will list how many kids they have, their ages, and curriculum they are using.  honestly it does not encourage me one bit to know that your brilliant child is taking chemistry, physics and trig all at the same time.  or that you can teach all ten of your kids who all will end up being doctors or something like that.

again the long distance phone call..."did you know that johnny/juan/maria (whatever names fits) won this award, is the top of her city, got 2nd in the state and 7th in the U.S of A!"  to which you respond, after oh wowing, my johnny didn't fight his sister today. 

now i am not trying to make fun of high achievers; we need them.  but why are we wanting our kids to be the best (or somewhere close) is it for them or to make us look good.  especially if you homeschool.  if they do poor or average in public school you can at least blame the school.  but when you have average kids, that means that you are probably average too.

to me, being average is not a bad thing at all.  if that is who you are, then that is who you are.  be the best average person there is.  i have seen too many parents put all of this unnecessary pressure on the kids to go to the olympics if they're good in sports, become a specialized doctor, etc.  let the kids do their best and to be kids.  far too many kids aren't kids anymore.

okay, i am stepping off my soapbox now.

a Bit of This and That

Golly, where did the time go???
Being sick can REALLY throw me off.
Back to life here.
We have celebrated two more birthdays since my last post.

Been making cold medicine runs like nobody's business.
Trying out some new recipes, some failures, some keepers.
And doing a bit of scrapping.

 credits go to Sahlin Studio which can be found here.

Part of the Group

We all belong to communities, to groups.
If we work, our co-workers are our community.
If we home school that is a community...and so on.
Families with children with Down syndrome is one group I long to be a part of.  To truly belong to.
People with Downs stand out to me like...can't think of something fitting, but my eyes (heart) are drawn right  to them.
I am never quite sure if it's okay to introduce myself.  "Hi.  My name is... and I am going to be a part of your group one of these days, can we talk."
I usually just watch them pass on by and pray that our day comes all the sooner.
I feel like a soccer mom sitting in her fold out chair at a game cheering on a team where I don't know any of the players, but can tell you all of the moves, etc.

Well, today I did it...I introduced myself to a mom and her beautiful (truly beautiful) 17 year old daughter.  They kept passing me.  I had to say something.  I walked over to them as they were looking at burger buns and said, "Excuse me.  I just wanted to say your daughter is beautiful."  They welcomed me very warmly and we ended up talking.  I left so encouraged.  She is 17 and just graduated.  (Early)  She is going to go to college!!!  There is a special college near us just for graduates like her.  The mom was Korean I think, and the girl, she talked so well.  I was truly blessed to meet them.  I was encouraged to see what possibilities lie ahead for our Little A (the boy we are hoping to adopt).  Happy that I didn't offend them, and that they welcomed me so genuinely. 

It totally made my day!  Today I felt one step closer to being part of the group.

Let's Talk - Time Management

Can someone say "Ouch!"
Time management is something that I haven't necessarily struggled with, but haven't mastered either.
Take this morning.  I slept in a bit longer than normal, watched a few funny YouTube videos with the kids and maybe checked my email one too many times.  (This adoption process has me chained to my email.)
Now I did workout, do my devotions, showered, ran errands and sit a bit and talk to the kids all before noon.
While I am a stay-@-home mom and can "make my own" schedule, I really am aware of those time thieves that seem so innocent until you look at the clock and realize you still have a full to-do list.
Nothing gets me stressed like running behind (well, ok there are a few things other things), so I have to be diligent with how I spend my time.
Here are a few of the things that steal my time:
*the internet, can we say FB, email, blogs...are really the biggest thieves.

When we had dial up or even before we had internet (we were late bloomers), I would get all of my stuff done in the morning, have time to go to the park, library, etc. with the kids, read a book, have ladies over, etc.  Now so much of our lives are ran by the internet, you almost can't avoid it.  Don't worry I am not giving up all of my web life. 

The main thing that keeps me on track is making a list of what I need to do that day and erase it when it is finished.  With the kids here it is easier to get distracted more often, and believe me, I do that well enough on my own.  So, having a visual list helps.

What are your biggest time wasters?  What helps you to stay focused?

Break in NOLA Posts

I thought you may be getting tired of NOLA posts.

I bought some new pillows at WalMart for our couch and love them...

 I added two dark brown faux leather pillows and some colorful ones!  The couch is very comfy now.

The Morning After Confessions (not as juicy as it sounds)

(This is a pretty random post, and yet it is all related.)

Okay, well, two mornings after.
I have to confess that I went to bed a bit heavyhearted the night of the elections.
I got up the next morning and decided that Obama may be stealing getting more of our money but he isn't going to steal my joy!  I had a great time reading my bible and praying.
Then it was off for my pre-breakfast, pre-kids waking up, pre-...well you get the idea walk/jog.  It felt great.  I felt great all day.

Something happened that night when I went to bed, reading about how a woman with a learning disability changed her brain...good read.  Something got resparked (is that even a word?).  Don't know what clicked, but I got re-energized for homeschooling again.

I confess, I was feeling pretty burned out from teaching.  High school kicks my butt!  Most home schooled high schoolers can pretty  much school themselves at this point.  (How's that for fitting in as many "school" words in as possible?)  Well, not so in our house.  I was this close (can you see my fingers?) to sending him back to public school...this close.  He was not a happy camper.  Alas, I have come up with a new plan.  We are sticking with the current distance learning, and I am adding a heap of work onto his day and mine.  We have just begun this and I am already behind on my "chores".  Why oh why does this happen every time I regroup?

So, at the end of this journey, our homeschool journey, our journey with four more years with Obama, both of our kids will be graduated and able to vote.  Me, I may be starting all over with our "new" kids.  Anybody got an few extra brain cells I could have...maybe that's covered in Obamacare.

Today

Golly, you guys, You really liked the trapping/hunting post.  Here I've been not posting.  There will be more from where that came from.

Today:
is going to be another 80 degree day.
ladies are coming over to help go through our pecans.  (I make them work for their nuts!)
filled out an application to volunteer at a local therapy center for special needs folks.
is Thursday, laundry.
one of the dogs threw up...big mess.
I am loving our clean windows.
I am a bit bugged my the cussing cooler people on my neighbors roof.
the story of King Solomon and the two ladies with the baby issue is really alive to me.

march mumblings

today is another WINDY day.  

to dusty, so yucky out.

this time of year sort of stinks...the temp is perfect but you can't enjoy it due to the wind.

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one of my dearest friends is adopting three more kids, to make their total 7!  

i am SO happy for them.

those three boys are going to LOVE it.

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two of the teen boys on my frig (the Reece's Rainbow kids) have gotten families!

God is good!

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saw my first robin of the year!!!

LOVE, LOVE these birds.

spotting my first one of the year is like blooming flowers to me.

his lovely mate.

son was watching them this morning and was excited that it found a worm.

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B100 makes your pee SUPER yellow and after two days made me smell like Noxzema.  

weirdest thing.

stopped taking them.

Have a wonderful day!

all day shopping

Friday, the kids and I took off of school to do some much needed shopping.

All of the good stores are in the next city one hour away.

The day was cloudy and a bit blustery.

 Big city here we come.

 Trying on clothes at Ross.  Then Marshall.  Then Big 5.

Spinach Stromboli at the mall.  It was huge.  It was good.  Hubby had the rest for dinner.

In the mall we walked back and forth, from one end to the other trying to find a much talked about jewelery store.  Everything is a dollar.  We asked for help.  It is next to a lingerie store.  Which explains why we missed it.  We always look the other way at those stores.  After a long, club music headache later daughter and I had our little bags done.

Onto Hobby Lobby, then Old Navy.  Son and I were successful at finding a few items.  Daughter, not do lucky.  Poor girl is like me when it comes to clothes, especially me as a teen.

Finally we ended up doing a quick run to Sam's.  (EVERYTHING is out of town for us.)

The kids stayed in the car.  Their feet were killing them. 

We left the house at almost 10am and got home after 5pm.  Minus the hour drive one way, you have one long day!

trying to make some $$

i am sure you've noticed some of my post are for Social Spark.
i am trying to earn a few extra bucks.
i accept some offers and they post whenever they like, so i may have a boatload (not really that many) of posts coming from Social Spark.  sorry.
also, the more readers i have the more i qualify for, SO if you like this blog could you please follow and tell your friends about it...THANKS!

just because you took the time to read...Charlie our dog who lets son dress him up.

good morning monday before thanksgiving.
got a good night's sleep.
will start on my thanksgiving to-do list today.

i have been planning (sort of ) a post about homeschooling, our school day, etc. 
do you have any questions you'd like answered?

off to shower...you didn't really want to know that did you.

Plans for November

I am going to toss in a few of my latest LO's for your viewing pleasure while you read.

I have been thinking about November, the month that kicks off BUSY season for us around here.

In Nov. we have an anniversary, Thanksgiving (which will be at our house), some friends and family b-days, home bible studies start, etc.

I also need to nail down and wrap up (literally and figuratively) Christmas gifts.

Figure out something for hubby and I to do for our 20th ann.

Start getting goodies for DD's upcoming 16th b-day.

Hubby and the kids are going to concerts out of town (two separate places) this Friday.  I am staying home and organizing our photos.  Ugggh!  They are a mess.

october obsevations

*when my kids step it up and are a bit better then normal,  i find myself wanting to step it up as well.
*when someone dies things (emotions, thoughts) get all jumbled up, especially if you're not sure if they knew Jesus.
*nothing says home like your own bed after a long trip.
*family is always worth the drive.
*teaching your kid to drive can make you a more cautious driver.
*those first "i am not ready for this." feelings do give way to "i can't wait until you can go to the store on your own for me."
*macaroni and cheese taste really good if you haven't had it in a LONG time.
*hearing our kids talk and laugh together, never grows old.  wish i could bottle it up.
*i do love those rainy days.  wish we had them more.
*setting schedules can do weird things to our son.
*cold, rainy days aren't meant for school work.

Today is Thursday (ok so it was yesterday)

Today is Thursday...it is raining...it is chilly.

I hope you don't mind if I think aloud here.

Thursdays have always been the hardest for me to concentrate on schooling the kids.
It's been like the day I've needed to just take off and not do much.

It's raining.  I LOVE the rain.
I want to sit and sip coffee.
I want to go thrifting, find some treasures.
I want to read, just for me reading.

I don't want to teach or check the kids work.
I don't want to do laundry or clean the house.
I have some pillows I want to make a rag rug I need to finish.

But alas, 'tis all wishful thinking.

But I am going to go have a cup of coffee.

windows

so i have a thing with windows.
doesn't everybody?

i love windows. 
the light they let into the house.
the view.
the ability to spy on your neighbors.
(you know you do too.)
it is one of the big reasons we bought our house.
we have two windows walls.
everywhere you go in our house there's windows.
cleaning them it another matter in and of itself.

yet windows-at night-well they need to be TOTALLY and completely covered.
no gaps, no room for eyeballs to peek through!
especially when we lived next door to two families from church.
you know eyeballs like on Count Olaf's ankles.
like the one's in the isles during Halloween.

anyway, have a great day and cover your windows!

The Lord Takes Pleasure

Sometimes (a lot) of the time a need to be reminded that I need to depend more on God and less on myself.  A lady in church gave me this scripture:

Psalm 147:10 & 11
He delights not in the strength of the horse: he takes not pleasure in the legs of a man.

The LORD takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

His mercy, man do I need that!

In October

YIKES!  So sorry for the hugeness of the photos in the last post.  How embarrassing and distracting.  I tried to make them smaller.

Anyway, onto a real live post.  I'll try not to post too many ads for products.  Those two just fell one after another.

Last month I wrote I wanted to do a few things...let's see how I did.
remember my sister's b-day...Check

take the kids to see alpacas...Check
exercise more...does a two hour walk with hubby count?
have some ladies over
not get mad at hubby hunting so much...hence the two hour walk
make my first peach pie...made it and ate it!  it was good too.
spend more time with God...check
do some art with the kids...Check

Five out of eight...not too bad.

Now for October...just that name brings visions of autumn.
transfer files from pc to hard drive
clean out laundry room
exercise more (let's see how i do this month)
speak more positively
go on local train ride with kids
get to bed before ten more often

That's all for today.  Off to start homeschooling, showering, grocery shopping, clothes washing, slow cooker filling.

Have a great day!

Random, Very Random

I have been going back between two pounds.  Gained two, lose two, gain two...I have prevailed and finally lost three!

I am going to have a few hours to myself today!

It seriously seems like everything I make for dinner lately is a miss.  I have been trying new recipes (more on that later) and have yet to find a good one.  Last night was a bomb and so we had not-so-yummy leftovers.  I left the table and the conversation turned to what it was like eating in the Depression.  "Is this what it was like?"  Son actually concluded that now is probably worse.  See what I mean.

I highly doubt the my beloved Red Sox are going into the post season.

We just came out of revival and man was it good.  God moved powerfully!

Need to come up with something for our church potluck this Sunday.  Something tried a proven.

Being Nosey

So our kids think I am nosey.

I ask them questions about everything really.

Even hubby agrees at times.

But I am the mom for goodness sake.  I NEED to know these things, right?

I know that some people believe that if you don't ask your kids/teens questions they will just talk and you'll be able to "tell".  Okay, maybe. 

So I am going to give it a try.  Only ask really important questions, like "How many fish sticks do you want?",
"How did you do on your math?"  (this one they do tell me w/o asking sometimes.)

I am going to see how this don't ask, they'll tell method works.

How about you?  Are you a nosey mom?

is it september already!?

where did the time go?
have you seen it?

this month i want to...
remember my sister's b-day
take the kids to see alpacas
exercise more
have some ladies over
not get mad at hubby hunting so much
make my first peach pie
spend more time with God
do some art with the kids

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just because i know you like photos:
here's one of me in the 70's.