We have PUPPIES!

Wednesday brought no sleep to my weary self... Daphne (Rts dog) paced and paced, hid under beds, and whimpered and whined! She was quite a handful! We determined that she was going into labor, but what exactly were we supposed to do about that??? She refused to go outside this morning so Rt locked her in our bathroom! I just couldn't stand it... so I came home at lunch and low and behold there Daphne was in my bedroom floor with 8 little puppies! Did you catch that part... my bedroom floor... on the carpet... yuck! Oh well... I already shampoed it all out! So I guess it's ok!

This little white one is my favorite. Look at his ears stickin' all out like Yoda! The rest of the pups have ears that lay down! Anyway, I'll try not to get too attached... but the odds are slim!



Anyway, they'll be ready to give away in 8 wks... if anyone wants one!

What time of day are you?

Found this on Sarah's blog...



I like the description better than the picture, but it makes sense!

You are the time of day when everyone is making plans for the night, but there's still an element of mystery about what exactly will happen. You are the moment when your hair looks just right and you're calling or texting friends to make last-minute arrangements about where and when you'll get together. Your time of day is full of possibilities. You're still not sure who might show up, and the night is full of electricity and hope. You are ready for anything, and excited about making the most of whatever (or whoever) crosses your path.

Positive Thinking...

I am attempting to work on my attitude toward life... I have become so cynical and questioning of the happenings around me and people's motives. I went to the bookstore today and bought these cute little books that include bible verses, inspirational quotations, and essays for saying thanks, giving comfort, sharing God's love, and friendship. I decided that if nothing else, reading something positive throughout my day might aid in a more positive view on life... and who knows, occasionally it might give me something to blog about when I have nothing to add!

Here are a few quotes that I found interesting today...

The truth of the Gospel is intended to free us to love God and others with our whole heart. (John Eldredge)

No matter how crazy or nutty your life seemed, God can make something strong and good out of it. He can help you grow wide branches for others to use as shelter. (Barbara Johnson)

If you won't fill your heart with gratitude, the devil will fill it with something else. (Marie T. Freeman)

We long to find someone who has been where we've been, who shares our fragile skies, who sees our sunsets with the same shades of blue. (Beth Moore)

Vacation...

Have you every felt like you needed a vacation from your vacation? I had an awesome weekend with my friends at the lakehouse... I'm not even sure I can put it all into words. It is awesome to have a group of people that you can be brutally honest with and know that they are still going to love you. I have had one or two friends like that along that way, but never a group of people that I would trust with my life. I'll post pictures when they get emailed to me...

Although we didn't intend on shopping, we ended up at Northeast mall so that we could go bra searching. After trying on every bra type in Fredericks of Hollywood we ended up at Victoria Secret. Let's just say that although the bras are entirely tooooo expensive, I FINALLY found one that fit perfectly! This may seem like a small feat, but I have been searching and searching for the perfect bra since Target redesigned my favorite one about a year ago. Anyway, I am not so excited about the cost of each one... but if I had gone there in the beginning I might not have bought the 5 others that just went in the trash can! You would think that designers would try harder to design bras that actually fit the average woman... especially since there are so many of us! Maybe we should go on bra strike... um, nevermind...

I started Weight Watchers on Jan 7th and when I went in on Feb 7th I had lost 11.6 pounds. (I probably gained them all back this weekend!) It hasn't been all that difficult to stick to... there are lots of resources available and that helps! My goal is to lose 50 pounds before we go to Mexico in May... at this rate I might just do it! YEAH!

Thanks a bunches...

Thanks f0r the comments on the previous post... they were uplifting! Brandi is praying that the rest of my week goes better... so I'm helping that prayer along a little... I leave after lunch Friday to go to my cousin's lakehouse for a time of R & R with some of my favorite people! No kids... no husbands... no real plans... that is exactly what the dr ordered, in my opinion! While I am gone, my family can continue the 14 loads of laundry that are in the kitchen floor, continue to check heads, and take care of the puppies that are going to come any day now! I am not going to worry about it one bit... Hope everyone has a good weekend!

God or Devil???

If you have read my blog in the last month, you know that there are things coming at me from all sides... I mean, just this week we've had a skunk, throw up, and lice and it's only Wednesday! Here's my question of the day: How do you know when it is God not giving you more than you can handle vs. the devil trying to get in your way? Any insight here would be awesome!

SKUNK!!!!

So... do you know what happens when a little white shihtzu runs into a big ole skunk???? The little white shihtzu comes into the house with a big yellow stain of spray upon his forehead! AUGH! Did you also know that there is nothing you can do about it when the spray is upon said dog's forehead because his eyes are so buggy that the usual remedies could blind him???? I NEED TO MOVE BACK TO THE CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, now that that is out... short of running to the store to buy a douche (which is one of the remedies I read that is safe for the face) I have tried just about everything else that we could think of. Just so you know, tomato sauce doesn't work... neither does dog shampoo... or baking soda... or kitchen soap! I wonder if the dog groomer could get this smell out tomorrow???? UGH! Good thing I'm leaving town this weekend and won't be stuck in the house with the smells! Know any good real estate agents????

Oh my... what a day...

Kali's head had been all itchy for quite a few days ... being the great mom that I am, I chalked it up to dry skin (which we all have) and put it out of my mind. Well, this morning, she was laying in my bed scratching her head like crazy and Rt says "People are going to think she has bugs if she keeps scratching like that" (do you hear the dum, dum, dum music yet?). Yep, we did a little exam and found bugs... a lot of bugs... icky little lice!

Then to top things off, I sent Megs to school (after thoroughly checking her out) only to have the nurse call and hour later to tell me that she had thrown-up and was pale like a sheet! So, I had to run and get her! I am almost positive that her episode was from taking her tamiflu on an empty stomach as I felt much the same way before I ate breakfast!

So, now, I am home again (remember, I spent several days last week taking care of the fam with the flu) disinfecting my house again (did that this weekend to kill the flu bug) with children who aren't really sick and don't think they need to be stuck in the house! Can you say Calgon take me way????

ps... spellcheck isn't working, sorry if there are any mess ups...

Makes you think...

I found this song on my friend Liz's blog, it is hysterical... in a sad sorta way! Go take a listen! I couldn't figure out how to embed it here...

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=797870

Ugh!!!!!!!!

So... the flu bug that has been making it's way through town has hit our house... Robert came home from class last night with a 103 temp! I guess his meds wore off in the middle of the night because at that point he began to shake uncontrollably. His temp this morning was 104. I had to come teach, so I left Megan home to take care of him (and to call 911 should his fever keep rising). She's had a sore throat and a lot of drainage... so I figured he could take them both in when he goes to the dr this morning.... besides, she had a flu shot... I never got one! Kali was a little irked that I made her go to school. (The little devil that sits on my shoulder said I should leave them both home with Daddy, so he could see what it feels like to be sick while the kids bicker and fight... but I flicked the devil off of my shoulder and took Kali to school!) He's not a good patient, so keep us all in your prayers! :)

Whatcha think???

I just couldn't take it anymore... I had to do some changing! Every time I open my friend Shelley's blog she has something new and different... so I did a little searching and found this free template online. It had a really ugly bright orange link to the site I got it from and I impressed myself with figuring out how to delete it! Now... if only I could figure out how to make my own cool templates! Oh well...

Life is good this week! I went to a seminar at a church in town on Saturday with my friend Amy. It was AMAZING! The speaker was Dana Mayhall, whom I have known since high school... she has had many jobs in Abilene including leading my youth drama/choir production my sophomore year in high school. Anyway, she spoke on empowerment... she said many things that touched me, but my favorite part was when she discussed the facades that we all put on... and how those inhibit our ability to serve the Lord. Now, I'm not much into facades as I am pretty certain that I can only be who I can be and I frankly, don't have enough energy or brain power to be anything other than I am. BUT... I do struggle in a BIG WAY with my self-esteem. I'm sure I could link it back to one of the many childhood things that happened, but I'm not in the mood to dwell right now and I have laid all of that at the foot of the cross because I can do nothing about things that happened 25 yrs ago... what I will say is that I am probably one of the most insecure people that I have ever met. I worry constantly about whether or not people like me... I worry about offending or leaving people out... I even worry that no one loves me when I don't get comments on my blog... Now, I can look logically at the situation and see that I have friends and people who love me... but it doesn't take away those insecurities and questions. Anyway, all of that to say that although I wouldn't call any of that a facade, it is in a certain way and it gets in the way of my relationship with the Lord just like pretending to be the perfect wife and mother would do. So... I laid that on the cross and am going to work on praising myself instead of assuming the negative. I can't describe the emotion in that room as women prayed for healing etc, but it was amazing! We want to have her at our church... I'll let you know when that happens!

The other thing that really stuck with me from Dana was her theory of raising hands in church. I've never been one to raise my hands in church... I don't have beliefs against it... I just haven't felt comfortable to do it. Dana is definitely a hand raiser... and here's why... think of a little kid whose father has just come home from work... what do they do??? They raise their hands to their father, arms stretched wide, wanting to be held. When Dana raises her hands during worship she is much like this child... only she is saying Lord I worship You! I want to be close to You! You are my heart's desire! Bless me! Etc. etc.! Anyway, I'm not telling anyone how to worship... I just thought this was interesting... I still couldn't really get my hands above my shoulders Sunday... guess there is work to be done... haha!

Video... Wow!

Oh my... it is amazing what you get in your email sometimes and how much you really need to read it or hear it. This video is 11 min long, but well worth it for anyone struggling with why things happen the way they do!

Here's the link if they hyperlink doesn't work!

http://www.nooma.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=270&PMID=25&mode=FLV

Is it too much to ask???

I just watched the weather... is it too much to ask for a snow day tomorrow??? Or at least a late start??? I am EXHAUSTED and could use a morning of not leaving my house at 7:20~!

Here's hoping!

Responsibility missed him...

Read no further if you are not in the mood to listen to a rant!

My mom called to tell me that baby Makenzie has the same syndrome (whose name I do not know) that baby Alyssa has.

Here's where my rant begins... what in the crap were my brother and his girlfriend thinking???? When Alyssa was born and the genetic testing showed that there was a defect in Ashley's chromosomes why did no one go get fixed???? I get that they were doing the safe thing and taking the pill... obviously no one was in class the day they talked about how birth control is not always effective... but would you really just leave it at that if the dr's said you had this issue????? So now, my little brother (who is on his 4th kid by his 3rd girl) is living with his girlfriend, her 5 yr old son, and their two special needs kids... oh and I can't forget the kid that is his that he has on the weekends! To top it off... they don't even have a vehicle that will hold all of the children and Ashley refuses to drive a mini-van because they aren't cool. Well, I'm sorry but didn't you give up the right to be cool when you had 3 kids by the age of 20????

Obviously I would never say any of this to either of them, because that would be unkind... but seriously, when are they going to wake up???? My little brother has always been irresponsible and self-centered and I guess I'm just annoyed that he is still being this way.

Keep them in your prayers... my Sunday school teacher said that sometimes things like this happen in a persons' life as a means to bring them back to the Lord. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that... because at this point it looks like He will have to heap a bunch more on them to get them into church... and I'm not sure how much more my parents can handle of the heaping!

MLK Day...

I'm pretty sure I work for the only institution in town that is having class today... and being that I am such a great teacher I gave my own students a walk (I mean online assignment), but the education class that I am taking is still meeting. I have four hours to get dressed and make my way into town... I wonder if that will happen!

Kali has had a loose tooth for a few weeks and no matter what I did she would not try to pull it out. Well, last night, on the way to bed she ran into the wall (she is sooo my child) and out pops her tooth. She had that panicked sort-of cry.... you know, I'm not sure if I hurt but their is blood gushing from my mouth... and came running into the living room screaming about her tooth. I'm not a fan of gushing blood so I did the good mommy thing sent her to her dad and pushed it out of my mind... until this morning when she got out of bed and asked where her tooth was... OOPS! I'm still not sure where the tooth was, but Rt put money in his coat pocket and took the coat to her... he told her that the tooth had been in his pocket so to check in there... and wow... there was a $2 bill in the pocket! That amazing tooth fairy can find a tooth anywhere, apparently!

One last thing before I forget... I am having a pampered chef party on Friday night... this is my open invitation to all who might want to come... if you live to far away but are interested here is my consultant's website... check it out! Just so you know, the January special is 20% off of stones and since I have broken my two favorite stones in the last few months it is time for a party!

Bored, bored, bored...

So... I think I have reached my limit of being stuck in the house! I have tried to venture out, but my limit of being out seems to be about 2 hrs. I always forget that the worst part of surgery is how your body feels when it is all said and done... I mean, my nose isn't so bad it's the overall icky feeling that I can't seem to make go away! Oh well... I just need to give it time and I will feel better. It has been nice watching the family do all the chores though! I have to go back to teaching on Tuesday, so let's hope I have it together by then!

My little brother and his gf had their baby... MaKenzie Leigh. She was born on Wednesday. I have no clue about all of the particulars due to my own surgery, but she is currently in the NICU at Abilene Regional. She had a seizure and low blood sugar and wasn't breathing right. Today I heard that she is eating on her own but that they have found a heart mumur and it looks like she will be there for a few more days running tests. One of her eyes is teardropped shaped, like Alyssas and they are wondering what other similarities they are! Just keep the family in your prayers... I'm not sure Ashley can handle two special needs kids, a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old.

Aftermath...

I'm alive! I got home about two yesterday and haven't moved much from my little corner of the couch except to potty! My mom hung out with me all afternoon and even made me some potato soup. My friend Amy made me some chicken and dumplings for dinner and my hubs and kids were great at fetching last night. Robert even got up and cooked me breakfast at 6am this morning (cuz I was huuunnngggrrryyy)! I went to the dr this morning and I will save you all the gory details of that trip, but I will say I didn't know it was possible to shove all that packing up in that tiny hole! ANyway, I can already tell a difference with my breathing and other than being tired (from the lack of sleep last night) all is good! Praise God!!!!! Anyway, hope you have a blessed day and I'm sure I'll be back later to post out of boredness!

The Fever is GONE!!!!!!!!!!

Kali's fever broke last night about 6:30... 3 hrs after paying the dr copay to be told it would pass in 2-4 days. Oh well, better to know in my opinion. Now... no one else can get sick! She is still laying on the couch in my office, though, because you must be fever free for 24 hrs before sending a child to school. I'm not a fan of that rule and I will be even less of a fan come 2 o'clock when she is bored to tears and driving me batty! She is currently watching Cinderella... and she is very mesmerized... isn't there a Cinderella II????

My surgery is tomorrow morning. I'm not so worried about the actually surgery... more dreading the aftermath. I have gotten so many different after surgery reports from people, so I'm unsure what to expect. Some say it was wonderful, some say it was not so wonderful. I'm shooting for the I feel wonderful and I can breathe again feeling, but I guess we will see, huh??? The one question I forgot to ask.. when do I get to drive again????

I read an article on MSN this morning about self-esteem and daughters... the article said that children are having lower self-esteem at an earlier age. I didn't read the entire 6 pgs, but a good portion of it discussed how mom's feel about themselves and the things we say about our own bodies and how that leaves an impression on our kids. A little scary since I just started Weight Watchers! I know that for health reasons I need to lose weight, and I have made that clear to my entire family, but how do I balance that for my girls. I mean, I am just fine with who I am and what size I am... I mean, my self-esteem issues have nothing to do with being over-weight (frankly, my opinion in this is that if you can't like me fat I don't want to be your friend when I'm skinny) but I have lots of friends who worry about their weight and seem to be always on a diet. There have been many times that Megan has had to sit there and listen to a person who was a size 6-8 complain about their weight and I just wanted to bop them. And every time she hears one of those conversations I see her face fall because she knows she is overweight. Which I guess is the real issue... Megan is about 20 pounds overweight... her friends at school weight 80 pounds... Megan weighs 123. (She is 5'1" though, so I expect her to weigh more than the girls around her.) This is very frustrating for her and she wells up with tears anytime we say something (and by say something, we point out healthy choices, we don't tell her she is overweight)... which we do very carefully because the result is usually a puddle of tears. It also doesn't help things that Kali weights 57 pounds now (down 3 from 2 weeks ago)! Anyway, the article didn't address how you help your child be healthy without damaging their self-esteem... and I think it needed to. We are a society that is worried about what we were, what our hair looks like, and what we weigh... this is what we are passing on to our girls. There is nothing wrong with being healthy... but to obsess over it like some of the people I see around me is not ok...

Ok.. I'll get off my soapbox now... the article just frustrated me!

The start of a new semester...

So... today was the first day of classes and although I was planning on getting out of bed at 6am to get ready I did not actually get up until 6:50! OOPS! Then I get out of the shower to find Kali and Robert still in bed. Kali had a valid excuse... a headache, stomachache, and a fever... Robert had no excuse, however! Anyway, seeing as how it was the first day of classes Kali had to get dressed and go lay on the couch in my office. She still has a fever and tonight it was 103.5 when I got home from class. I can't really figure out what is wrong with her either... she hasn't thrown up, she doesn't have excessive snot... hmmm... to go to the dr or not???? I hate not knowing what is wrong and would rather just take her in and be told it is a virus than sit around wondering how long she'll be sick!

Other than that things went well today. I am taking a couple of education classes so that I can get my certificate, so that was a little weird... to sit in a class with people I used to teach! The hilarious part of it all is that my teacher was my 6th grade English teacher! It ought to be interesting!

We had a blast at the wedding this weekend! The reception was awesome... apparently the thing to do in East Texas is to have a 'party barn' and that is where the reception was... someone's huge horse barn. It was set up beautifully and there was a dance floor... I spent most of the evening trying to convince my hubs that he needs to build me a barn like that! Honey Brown played and we danced and it was great. We did have to make a run to the store for drinks as the only drinks at the reception were beer, wine, and water... I'm not sure what they thought the kids were going to drink, but whatever... it worked out! I'll load some pics when I find my camera! I do think the dogs missed us more than the kids...

So far this year...

So much for my plans of the year... haha! I have done great on the Weight Watchers (which I'll get to in a minute), but the quiet time is hard to do when there is no actual quiet yet in my life. Yesterday, on the way to school, Meg's pulls our her 365 devotions for Tweens and starts doing her thing in the 20 min drive to school. I couldn't help but think that if I had someone to drive me around I would have more time to study His word!

I signed up for Weight Watchers again... I was basically signing up for 3/4 of my family as we could all loose a little! I am slightly irritated that my dear husband gets 41 stinkin' points a day. I really think that is oh so not fair... I mean, he will loose weight more quickly just because he is a man... so why on top of that does he get more food???? Oh well... when I informed him that his daily bag of chips habit had to go if he was going to succeed in losing his 20 or so pounds he looked a little depressed, so I guess we will see how well he sticks to the program!

My surgery is scheduled for the 17th for all those who are wondering. We are leaving town this weekend and I couldn't handle giving up a weekend without my own kids to get it done tomorrow! (I say without my own kids because we are going to help our friends take care of their twins during their brother's wedding that the entire rest of the family is in. We love the twins and Honey Browne is playing the reception so it wasn't too difficult to persuade us to ditch our own kids!) Anyway, I will be out of commission for at least 5 days after the surgery, so I'm sure my students will be excited that they won't have class!

Have a blessed day!

Plans for the year...

I have read a couple of posts that talk about goals for the year as opposed to resolutions. I think I like the word plans... you see, if I make a plan and it doesn't happen the way I want it to I can say plans changed. If I make a goal and don't achieve it I feel a bit like a loser! ha!

Here are my many plans for the year...

1. I plan to continue to grow my relationship with Christ. I have a tendency to get distracted during the day and I don't make it to the quiet time that I plan to do. If I do it at night I fall asleep, and I can never seem to get up in the morning. So... I have carved out a time during the day (while sitting in my office) that I will work on this... besides, I don't actually work in my office!

2. Lose weight... I know, I know, everyone has this goal, but I really am tired of being this size... not to mention some of the health problems that I know would be better if I lost a few pounds. So... I have drug out the Weight Watchers stuff and will be at the 10:30 meeting tomorrow! Robert and I are going to Mexico in May with some friends and I would like to at least be back into a 12 before we go... maybe I should glue a swimsuit to the front of the fridge! (See, reasonable goals here... I could say a size 2, but since I've NEVER been a size 2 I think I'll just be realistic!)

Ok... this is really where my plans stop. I have lots of ideas of things I would like to do... but these are the two I will 100% commit to!

And Shelley, these next pics are just for you... I made sure to use my home laptop so I could post a few pics! :)

Happy New Year!

I sooo forgot to wish everyone a happy new year! So... Happy New Year!

Conversations in the Wheeler household...

Do you have conversations like this in your house??? (Oh, and while they were hilarious when they happened they don't seem to have the same zing... sorry... but I think you'll get the point!)

#1. Me: I have a deviated septum and will have to have surgery next week to fix it... Megan: So, your gonna get a nose job like Ashley Tisdale... that's what she said and her nose is all different now. Me: No, they aren't going to do anything to the outside of my nose. Kali: well, I think you should let them make it smaller... (is this her way of saying I have a big nose???)

#2 This conversation needs some background info... My little brother lives with is gf and has 3 babies by 2 women and marriage doesn't seem to be in his future... Kali at dinner tonight: Did you know you can have sex without being married? Me: Well, that's true but that is not God's plan and life is wayyyy harder if you do things in the wrong order. Megan: There was a 5th grader who was prego at my last school...ewwwww Robert: Kids don't need to have kids Me: God made sex for a husband and wife and within that bond sex is not a bad thing, in fact God meant it to be fun RT: WOOOO HOOOO.... at this point my children turned beet red and proceeded to leave the room! I can only imagine what they will be thinking when they go to bed tonight.

#3 Kali fell off of her bike at ACU this afternoon and hurt her arm. On the way home Robert was trying to console her and tried to tell her why it was good it was one arm and they could put a sling on it at home. Kali: But I use this arm to play on the compt Robert: (who has a busted lip) well, I like to kiss mommy with both of my lips and I have a busted lip so how do you think I feel? Kali: You can put a sling on your face...

I just noticed that all the funny comments seem to come from Kali. She does keep us quite entertained but it is usually because she is saying things that leave me speechless....

I'm not CRAzY!!!

I went to see the ENT today and I am officially NOT CRAZY! I have a deviated septum and sinus cavities that are completely packed with the yucky stuff! You ask why I celebrate so... well, it is because I have had chronic sinus crap for 6 mths and my family dr treats me like I'm over exaggerating or something every time that I go in. I think he just didn't think it was as bad as I thought it was... shows him what he knows! The ENT couldn't even look up one side of my nose because my septum was pushed over so far. I will be having surgery next week or the week after... I'm not overly joyed about surgery, but I'll deal with it just to be able to breathe again!

My crazy life...

It has been a while since I posted... Sorry! It is always more difficult to find time to post when I am off of work... I try to sit on the couch and post, but it's not the same as sitting in my office in the quiet!

I'll try to catch you up on the happenings of our lives!

I have reached a certain level of peace regarding my future at the University. I don't know what God's plan is, but I know He has one and will let me in on it when I need to know... you just don't know how much I hate that! It took me a while to get to that point and but it did help that last Sunday at church my preacher made several points that applied to my life while staring at me! I'm not sure if it is good or bad that my preacher knows what is happening in my life and what I struggle with, but what he had to say does make a lot of sense.

One of the reasons that I have reached a certain peace with my changes at work is that I am being pulled in other directions pretty strongly. I have been pestering my husband for over a year about having another child. I can't exactly have one myself due to the fact that my tubes have been cut, burned, and tied and although my dear Kali thinks I should just buy new tubes that isn't exactly possible. Not to mention that fact that I'm not the best pregnant person... I don't like the lack of control I have over my body (nausea, vomiting, peeing when you sneeze, laugh, cough) so I end up being rather whiny and annoying. So... over Chicken Express a couple of days ago we narrowed down our options. We will continue to pray about it, but we are thinking about becoming foster parents. I need to check into all the guidelines, but so far it looks like a real possibility and if I am working less I would have more time for the stuff that has to be done for the kiddos. I'll keep you posted!

Christmas was at our house this year due to my mom's foot surgery. It was quite difficult to get everyone together due to my little brother and all of his children and in the end we were missing his current gf's kid. But, it did turn out well and everyone seemed to have a good time. Robert was off Christmas Eve, so that was an added bonus. He got to help with the house cleaning and even pitched in with the pie baking. I love that his mother (no matter how crazy she is) taught the boy to move around the kitchen. Some of our pies looked a little retarded, but they tasted just fine. [For those who don't know me you should know that this is the first time in my life that I have EVER baked a pumpkin or pecan pie... I don't cook nor do I know how to cook most things!] All the cooking with my hubs made me look forward to the day when he finishes school and has time off at the same times I do! Too bad he can't quit his current job and go crazy taking classes... instead we have 108 more hours to go... which looks like it will take 7 more semesters!

We did do something new this Christmas... because everyone left early Christmas Day we decided to go to the movies. We took the girls to see the new National Treasure movie... I recommend it to everyone. It was awesome... no sex, no language, and not that scary! We couldn't have chosen a better movie to watch! Both girls enjoyed it and no one fell asleep!

Ok, I think that catches everyone up! I have lots of stuff on my mind, but I'm not sure where to begin and the kids are busy bickering over the other compt behind me... so I best go break it up...

What do you do?

I had a funny thought just now as I was cleaning my office and rearranging furniture... every time my world begins to spin out of control I clean my office and rearrange furniture. Why is this? Then I started to think back to the day before my job... my solution then was to shop... I think cleaning my office might be the more responsible way to handle stress. On some level, cleaning my office and rearranging furniture is me controlling my life in the only way I know how... I mean, there is so much happening right now that is puzzling... the one thing I can control is where my desk is in my office. What do you do when your world is spinning around you???

You might be wondering what has thrown me into such a cleaning freenzy... I had a meeting with my dean and the VP yesterday. For the 08-09 school year I am being dropped down to 3/4 time. I will still have benefits, but it will be a $8000 pay cut. They seemed so excited when they told me that the other person that I work with would be 3/4 time as well, but they don't seem to realize how this affects my life. I don't really care that the 65 yr old woman that I work with who retired from the public schools will still have a job... I care about the fact that a pay cut of 800$ a month will financially damage my family. In fact, about the time that all of this will take place is about the time my loans will come due, so instead of being 800$ short a month we will be about 1600$ short a month. I care about the fact that this decision brings into question what will happen the next year... should RT even continue school??? I mean, he'd have 60 hrs and then I wouldn't have a job if all goes as it seems it is going to. So many questions...

Anyway, on top of the house issue (see below) and the questions I have there I now get to add this to my list. I seriously would like one year where there were no freakin' complications. Is that too much to ask? I know that God has a plan... I really do... and I know that everything happens for a reason, but as I sit here in my office crying once again I can't seem to figure out what it is. Is this God's way of telling me to get out of the education field? I mean, it has truly been an uphill battle, so maybe it isn't where I'm supposed to be. Who knows? Anyway, pray for my family as we try to figure this out!

Update...

Sorry, no fancy title. The guy didn't show up Tuesday night. I called his number to check if I had the time wrong and his wife is in the hospital. He said he would call back later this week, but I don't know that he will. The most difficult part of this process is that I was perfectly fine with living out in the boonies still, until he contacted us. Then I let myself consider what living in town would mean and how it would affect our entire lives. That sounds dramatic, but living 25 min from work, church, and Target does not make life convenient. I mean, if we moved to town our gas bill would go down about 400$ a month. We already have a house that would work out wonderfully and it is 2 blocks from church, 3 blocks from my work, and 4 blocks from the kids school. Do you know how much more sleep I could get if I live that close to everything we do??? Not to mention if you live 2 blocks from church you can't use oversleeping as an excuse not to go, unlike living 25 min away. Then there is the friend thing... my kids don't exactly have neighbors to play with... it would be nice to be able to say 'go play outside with the kids.' Or even go ride your bikes, and the kids not be able to say 'but we live on a dirt road.' (Oh, and I know you can ride on a dirt road, but you should see the rocks, even I wouldn't brave it!)

The funny thing about all of this is that it seemed like him coming and wanting our house and us moving to this other house was the PERFECT plan. I mean, I can think of 100 reasons why it would benefit everyone involved. I look at it and it all seemed to fit and there was a peace about it, like this is how it should be... AND THEN... it didn't happen. I'm not questioning God, I know things happen in His time and that He has a plan, it is just sort of puzzling. It makes me wonder what is yet to come... like if this wasn't the plan then what is the plan???? Does that make any sense?

Blessed...

Yesterday, while we were gone to church, our house tried to burn itself down! Well, I know a house can't choose to burn down, but somehow the stove cut on (the knobs are in the front so someone probably bumped them and we just didn't see it) and caught the stone and spatula that were sitting on top on fire! I assume the entire house was filled with smoke because there is a layer of black ash on every surface of the house.



Here's a pic of the cabinet above the stove. Pretty, huh??? The next pic is of my white curtains in the living room. You can't really tell in the pic how bad it was, but if you look closely you can see the soot on the ceiling too!

We are having a clean up party today after school (if anyone feels sorry for me and wants to come help, feel free) and the carpet people are coming in the morning! We really have to rush to clean it up because a guy is supposed to come out tomorrow night to see about buying the place. He seems quite promising as he has been leaving us notes for a couple of weeks trying to catch us (he left them on the front door, which is not the door we use to come in the house). He told RT yesterday that he can't find a house anywhere within his range and ours seems to fit perfectly. Keep your fingers crossed that we can get the mess cleaned up and the house smelling pretty so that he will buy it.

We cleaned up a little last night, and I kept trying to remind my husband that we were very, very lucky that our house didn't burn down and that we truly are blessed! (I'm not sure he was convinced since he was cleaning instead of studying for his Algebra final!) My other happy thought was that since I haven't started Christmas shopping yet, there are no presents that have to be rewrapped or a tree that has to be cleaned! See... I knew there was a reason I hadn't started shopping yet!

Edit: My friends are truly awesome. Holly, Emily, Betty, and my mom all came out to help me clean up yesterday. It took about 3 hrs so I can only imagine how long it would've taken if they hadn't been here! I am blessed to have such great people in my life that are willing to drop everything to come help me clean up my messes (not just talking about the house now). I am currently sitting on the couch watching the carpet cleaners scrub away on the nasty carpets. It is amazing to me how much cleaner the professionals can get the carpet. Keep praying that the guy who is coming to look at the house tonight is so impressed that he writes me a check on the spot! :) With Robert in school and the price of gas, it would be so nice to have the opportunity to move back into town. I'm trying not to get our hopes up... but it's soooo hard! Anyway, thanks again to the people who helped me clean (my mom even ironed my curtains)! It means a lot to me!

Busy, Busy

We have reached the point in the semester where I begin to question whether I need to be admitted to the place with the padded walls! It is the last week of classes with finals next week! My desk is completely covered with work that needs to be graded, my voicemail and email are full of messages from students explaining why it is that they haven't gotten their work done, the kids are mad because I haven't put the Christmas tree up yet, and my husband is irritated because he is feeling neglected! AUGH! At least I know that this feeling is temporary!

Ashley went to the dr... her due date is January 19th.... and she is dilated to a one. The doctor doesn't seem too concerned that she has gone 8 1/2 mths without prenatal care, which concerns me and everyone else, but who are we, I guess. Her sonogram is December 19th, but if you could see her you would question (like me) if she's even going to make it to that appt. Keep praying for my brother and his girlfriend... I can't imagine how difficult life is going to be with four children under the age of 5 and one with severe disabilities. Matt did say he and Ash were going to get married... so I guess that is a step in the right direction.

Our Sunday School Christmas party is Saturday night... it is at the Country Club. I'm not overly joyed about the 50$ that it is going to cost to eat there, but I'm hoping that the food is great and we enjoy it. Any ideas about what to wear to the country club??? I mean, my preference is always blue jeans but for some reason I get the impression that is not appropriate attire! Guess I need to go buy a dress! Shucks...

Our church Christmas program is Sunday night... if your bored and need something to do! :) The children's choir is singing (as in both of my children) and I have a solo! I love that I'm in a church where I can use the talents that God gave me!

Ok... I guess that about does it. My goal for this weekend is to put the tree up, but first I have to get the house clean! Wish me luck...

The Truth

It has been very interesting watching all of the news coverage regarding the football player that was murdered last week. My students and I were discussing it today, and many of them were of the opinion that the guy lived a lifestyle that was not safe and therefore bad things happened to him. I just opened MSN and there was this very interesting article addressing how black men are being murdered by other black men and what to do about it. It specifically addresses the NFL player, but I think it can be spread throughout. I can't wait to get to school and see what my students think. This won't be the first time we have had this conversation, and I wish we as a school would have the conversation campus wide... I mean, we bring these kids from inner city Houston and Dallas and within a week they are hanging out with kids who are just like the ones they left at home... Instead of taking the opportunity to choose friends that will lift you up and help you succeed in life they picks guys who are packing and know how to kick some fanny. It is a situation that causes much distress for me as I watch students get sucked right back into destructive cycles... Anyway, sorry for the rant... any comments???

What I'd like to say...

If you missed Brandi's comment from the post before you should go read it... it had me laughing out loud in my office!

Ok, so this has been one of those mornings that I have had to bite my tongue for fear of telling numerous students how I really feel... Let me give you some examples of how my students are behaving...

I sent an email regarding speech grades yesterday. I gave them an extra credit opportunity that had to be turned in at the beginning of class, typed, no excuses. If they didn't have it, they didn't get the points. (Mind you, the students are required to use their MCM email.)

Student after seeing other students handing stuff in: What email?
Me: The one I sent on Moodle, I'm sorry you missed the opportunity.
Student: But my MCM email doesn't work?
Me: How long has this been happening? (This was in an effort to figure out if this just happened so I should feel sorry for her.)
Student: Oh, all semester.

I couldn't even respond for fear of something sarcastically inappropriate coming out!

After group presentations I had another student come tell me how awful I am for making them do a group presentation. She then informed me that she was offended by the extra credit opportunity because she feels like she did everything she was supposed to for an A and she didn't get one. Mind you this is the same student who has turned in every assignment late... always with some excuse about stress from other classes. Why don't students get it??? If they turn in their work and follow the directions and come to class they will be happy with their grades...

I love my job, I love my job, I love my job...

Catching up...

It is 11 and I really should be in bed... 6am is going to come early after 5 days of sleeping until 8am. I really think grown-up world shouldn't start until at least 9am. If I didn't have to be anywhere until 9am I would be a much happier person! haha!

I've never been good at doing things when I am supposed to do them. For example, I had 5 days home in which I could've completely graded the work for all of my classes not to mention prepared for the next two weeks... instead, I did things like watch all the shows I have DVR for the last 2 mths, cleaned my bedroom from top to bottom, cleaned the living room from top to bottom, and washed, dried, folded and put away about 12 loads of laundry. All important stuff.... but probably not what the most impt.

I will say that cleaning my room from top to bottom completely disgusted me. Has anyone looked under their bed in the last year??? I decided to pull up the mattresses and vacuum under the bed... eww... lots of dust hiding under there. No wonder my allergies have been killing me!

As for the laundry... we had to buy a new dryer on Friday... let's just say how fun that wasn't. When I got my front loading washer I knew I would eventually have to buy a dryer, but I didn't expect the matching dryer to cost 700$. We decided that the matching part was a bit overrated when we could get a dryer that was just as good for 348$ and most dryers are front loading anyway. I will say that dryer should've been bought long ago. I can now get a load of laundry washed, dried and put away in less than 2 hrs. I'll let you know how this affects the electric bill!

So, this post is a little random... sorry... not a lot of important stuff happening... I'm sure I could come up with something meaningful to post... but I'm tired and my brain is not so much working! Have a good week!


PS> I have a grammar question... everytime I use the words should've, would've, could've the spell check goes crazy... why is this??? Those are words, aren't they????

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I spent the day at my mom's cooking for lunch tomorrow. We made dressing, banana pudding, and pie after pie. Oh and I got the job of deboning the turkey... ewww! It was a lot of fun though... something mom and I have never done before. Usually she has the kids out to help, but never has she asked me. She didn't ask this time, I volunteered... and she said that would be great. It was fun to spend the day working with her.

I did find out that my little brother's girlfriend is 7 mths or so prego! Um... how do you get that pregnant and not know??? Or how do you go that long and none of us know??? I mean we just say them a month ago and she didn't look prego... hmmm.

On the way home from my mom's I ran out of gas! I had to call RT to come rescue me! I do this occasionally and the guys he works with enjoyed a laugh at my expense today! I'm so glad I could cause a smile!

Anyway, that's about all I have... I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

Better...

Sorry to be all down in the dumps yesterday! After posting yesterday I decided to go get some good ole Burgers and Fries because I loooovvveee their very thick handcut french fries and whoever had cut the fries the day before made them shoestring! Talk about fitting into my day... I called Rt to tell him and he laughed very loudly! Oh well... everyday is a new day!

Today has been a better day... I think it was because I don't teach an 8am on Tues/Thurs. 8am classes are full of people who don't really want to be there and that makes a classroom difficult to deal with.

I have a question for you mothers out there... How do mornings go in your house??? I'm only asking because we struggle sooo much in the morning. It would help if I would get out of bed on time, but 6:30 is soooo early. I thought that getting out of bed would be easier as I got older.... but it's been the opposite. So... do you just bounce out of bed??? Is there some secret to it??? Give me some ideas!

When it rains, it poors...

Not literally of course since Abilene hasn't seen rain since sometime in Oct, but I feel like today has been one of those days that I would have rather not experienced... and it's only 11am. Ugh! I know that there are many people with many problems much worse than mine, but when you are stuck in the middle of the stuff it all seems so big. I know that in the long run it won't really matter and most of what is happening is just annoying, but I don't like how I feel inside when all of this stuff is happening. I woke up at 7:15 this morning and we have to leave the house by 7:30 for the kids to make it to class on time. It was anything but peaceful on the way to school and then I got to listen to 100 excuses for why the students didn't have their work done or why this or that was happening. I blew up at my 9am class because I have frankly heard just about enough. Then I looked at my checking acct and I cannot make heads or tell of what is happening. I used the bill pay that the bank does to pay the bills, but since it doesn't take the money out right away I cant figure out the balance. I guess I will just have to use that acct for bills and nothing else so that I can stay on top of the blow money. (I can budget, I can budget, I can budget... if I keep telling myself this will it happen???) Robert walked into my office before his 11 o'clock class and I burst into tears.... and now I cannot get them to stop. His solution was that I needed to go home and go to bed... he might be right. I honestly think that I have been sick with sinus stuff for so long that my body is just wearing down... or something like that. Too bad I can't just stop time and take a little nap.....

ALyssa Update...

Alyssa came home today. She is doing extremely well. She hasn't needed any pains meds and she is eating the entire house. I guess we will see what the future holds from here for her.

We went to Primetime on Friday night. It was a lot of fun, but I made Megan drive her own go-cart and it turned into disaster. She didn't really want to be by herself in the go-cart, but I made her do it anyway... I really though her anxiety was just her being silly about new things. So, guess what happened... Some great teenage boys who weren't paying attention ran into her in the back and side causing her to spin out and hit the side. She has some great bruises on her neck and down her chest and keeps complaining that her chest hurts and she has a great scrap on her chin. I'm not sure what to do about it... I mean, how long is she going to be sore? Should I take her to the dr? Anyway, the most frustrating thing of it all is that the accident only furthers her anxiety about the world around her. She is the kid who thinks of every possible negative thing that could happen and then refuses to do whatever it is that she was going to do. Not to mention I am now the bad guy... I made her go by herself and the bad things she thought were going to happen did. This is where I would like to thank the boys who only considered themselves and the fun they wanted to have... next time could you perhaps be considerate of the kids who are driving around you???????

Baby Alyssa

For those who are wondering, my walk was amazing. I'll share more later.

Right now I need some major prayers lifted up. My little brother and his girlfriend Ashley had baby Alyssa a little over a year ago. At the time of her birth, we knew there were problems, we just had no idea the extent of the problems. In the last year, Alyssa has had a surgery to fit a cleft small palate, an open heart surgery, and now on Wednesday morning she will have the top half of her skull taken off and reshaped because it has fused together too early. Alyssa is not developing normally... she has no motor skills... as in she cannot hold anything, roll over, or sit up... she can giggle at you when you act silly and she looks around... but that is all. The doctors have never given what she has a name, they just say that she has a syndrome. I'm not sure if the doctors don't know what the problem is or if they just don't think Matt and Ashley could handle it. We love Alyssa, she is quite precious, but her future is so shaky... so unsure... so challenging...

Anyway, on top of all of this my mom called to tell me that Ashley is pregnant again. I want to be happy.... I really do... but they are not married and they have an infant with soooo many problems already not to mention the fact that Ashley gets sick every time she takes Alyssa for an appt... how is she going to have a newborn and Alyssa??? On top of that... the genetic testing shows that Ashley's chromosomes are mixed up and my brother has had so much chemo his dr's suggested he not have anymore kids... anyway, do you get my frustration? I'm trying to be supportive, but I don't think they have been very responsible in all of this... It's too much of a risk if you ask me, but what do I know. I guess I would feel differently about it if I had gotten the impression that this was somehow planned, but apparently this baby was a complete surprise... just like Matt's other 3 children. Really, I'm not annoyed in the least... 4 kids, 3 women, it sometimes amazes me that we grew up in the same family. It was great fun explaining to my children that Ashley was pregnant again and fielding the questions regarding marriage, babies, and sin. Now, I don't want anyone to read this blog and think that I'm being a judgemental twit, I'm not, I love my brother, Ashley, and all the kiddos involved, I just really, really hate explaining all of this to my kiddos... I've gotten to be a pro at saying things like 'everyone makes mistakes' and 'yes I know, but we still love uncle matt.' I don't want my kids to think that babies are 'accidents' or 'mistakes' by any means, but I really don't know how to explain it all to them. Rt joked with Matt that he would pay for the vasectomy... I think he may be ready to make the appt and carry him to it.

So... please pray for baby Alyssa, pray for the dr's and the nurses who will be taking care of her. Pray for Matt and Ashley and my parents as they wait patiently for the surgery to be over... pray that there will be a peace about whatever happens. Pray for peace for all of us regarding this new pregnancy... I do know that everything happens according to God's plan and there isn't a lot that I can do about any of it... (see I did learn something this weekend!).

Happy Halloween!

I'm not sure why the pic is so small, but here's Halloween for us. Megan was a pirate again and Kali was a bride... or better yet the runaway bride since she had her camo tennis shoes on. We are all about recycling this year! Megan's costume cost way too much last year and so she knew she had to wear it again. Kali's dress is the flower girl dress from the wedding this summer and she had my vail from my own wedding. Our church had their fall festival tonight so we hung out at the church for a few hours and then headed home. We've already gone through our candy and weeded out the stuff we don't like so I have goodies to take to my students tomorrow. haha!

I leave Thursday afternoon for a walk to Emmaus. Please keep me in your prayers over the weekend. While I am very excited about this experience, there is still a part of me that is leary.... not of anything that is going to happen even though I have NO CLUE what happens while you are there, but because I am a firm believer that the only time Satan cares what a Christian is doing is when they are becoming closer to God... so by going on this walk I almost feel like I'm putting a target on my chest for Satan. I know that sounds a little morbid, but the times in my life that I have struggled the most and felt truly attacked are the times when I have been trying the hardest to be closest to God. Pray for my family too... Thursday-Sunday is a long time to be without a Mom in the house.

God bless and I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll post again Monday!

What's the world coming to???

Update: I did go to the dr yesterday and I have bronchitis. Yuck! I got a shot, antibiotics, cough medicine and two inhalers. He said I should start feeling better soon. I told his nurse when I went in that if he told me it was allergies again I was going to kick him... guess he listened! ha! He did say that this season is the worst one for allergies... he also mentioned my dogs... hmmm... what to do, what to do????

Now to the serious part:

I am a huge Boston Legal fan, but man, tonight's episode was depressing. You can read the episode recap if you would like on the link above. There were many twists and turns tonight, but the most frustrating part was that a man who was innocent was murdered because a town didn't want him around. He had convicted of rape at 17 for having sex with his 16 yr old girlfriend and when he moved to the town he registered as he was supposed to. The rape was overturned, but the town didn't care, they wanted him gone. Even the town Priest was ugly to him. I'm not sure what the creators of the show were wanting to leave the audience with... I mean, were they pointing out that "Megan's law" has some real issues, were they pointing out that we are not a very forgiving society, were they pointing out that parents will do anything to protect their children??? I'm not sure... but I do know I have a problem with a law that puts a man who had sex with his girlfriend on the same list as a man who molests little children... perhaps something should be changed in the law. I am more concerned about how the church was portrayed though... a part of me understands their behavior but I also know that there was nothing ok with it. Do we really treat people like that???

To make matters worse I watched the news after the show and got to hear about a 15 yr old boy who beat a homeless man to death. Now, is it just me, or do you question how things like that happen? Did the kid just wake up this morning and decide it was a good day to kill someone? Where were his parents? What has happened in his life that would give him the rage necessary to kill a person? Other questions that the new story left me with were about the victim... apparently he was a Vet who has lived on the streets of Abilene for several years... huh? several years? a Vet? How do people like this slip through the cracks? Why was he on the streets?

Ok, I know this is a depressing post... but golly... what is this world coming to???? I will never understand how people can do such horrible things to each other. It is just not ok...

What a weekend!

Another weekend gone... and what a weekend it has been...

I hosted a bridal shower (with 9 other women) on Friday night and in the middle of the shower I got a phone call from my husband. I, of course, didn't have my phone on me, so I didn't know I had received the call. Oops. When I finally checked the message I quickly got in the car and sped home... wanna know why???? There was a skunk in the dog fence! Ugh! When I got home, I found my husband sitting in a lawn chair waiting for the skunk to emerge from behind the doghouse. I finally got the water hose and squirted the smelly creature out of his hiding place. On his way to dispose of the skunk, Rt saw another skunk leaving our yard... what's that about? We have lived here for almost 3 years and have never seen a skunk in our yard... in the last week Rt has seen several! And for those who are saying 'ah, poor skunk' sorry to offend, but if you had smelled my yard and vehicle all day Saturday, you would realize that skunk and man cannot cohabitate!

My dad went in for his interview with Cintas. Must to our surprise, he is considering NOT taking the job. This is not ok with any of us, and we do not understand his logic... so just keep him and us in your prayers. I don't want him to turn down a position just because it scares him. Anything is better than the jail!

We took the girls to see "Hairspray" this weekend at the $1 theater... and Megan didn't like it. When I probed her for answers I found out that she just didn't get parts of it. Can you guess what part of the movie she didn't get??? The racism part! We spent the entire ride home trying to explain to her the stupidity of prior generations. And the stupidity that still exists today. Then we watched "Glory Road" and had to explain again why all the bad things happened to the black basketball players. And why the confederate flag was disrespectful. Anyway, poor kid... you could tell that she didn't really get why people would act that way. If you haven't seen Glory Road... you should see it... it is a great movie...

Well, since I've had a sinus headache for 3 days I think I'm going to go to bed now... Hope everyone had a great weekend...

Icky!

I feel icky! I hate sinus stuff! I do great as long as I'm sitting still, but as soon as I move the icky feeling comes back. Hmphf! I have stuff to do... I don't have time to be sick!


I played hookie from school today and I let Megs stay home too (she's sick too). We decided to go to the mall before we picked Kali up from school and right when I walked into the mall I saw 2 students that I would've had in class today. It wouldn't have been so bad, but these were Cooper High School kids... ummmmm.... they weren't supposed to leave campus! Megs thought it was funny!


I have a 'what to do' question for ya'll... Megs got her health check done at school last week and she was quite upset about her weight. What would you do if it were your own kid? I already watch what she eats... am I supposed to put her on a diet? She weighs 6 pounds less than I did when I graduated high school... she's only 3 inches shorter than I was then, but still.... what would you do?

It's cold outside...

Today is one of those days where it would have been nice to stay in bed! It's cold! The forecast for the week is a cool one... part of me is happy because I really hate to be sweaty... the other part of me is sad because I hate to shiver. Where is the happy medium?

I did get my house cleaned. Or at the least the part of the house that I was responsible for. Robert helped out a lot, and so that made a difference. The girls cleaned their end of the house, but it wasn't my kind-of clean... I'm learning to let go of that idea that it will be spotless... but it's hard!

Kali woke up Sunday with a low-grade fever so we stayed home from church. It is amazing how much you can get done if you do not leave your house for an entire day. We did 10 loads of laundry and got them all put away (miracle, huh, holly?). I cleaned out all of the closets... meaning I took out the stuff that was too small, too ugly, or otherwise not going to be worn and put it away for the next dittos... and got an idea of what all I need to purchase in order for my kiddos to be clothed this winter. I even cleaned and organized a couple of kitchen cabinets. If only I had one day a week that I could dedicate to getting on top of my house. Again, this is why I need a wife!

I called the dr this morning to make appointments for me, Megan, and Kali as we all have heads full of snot (ewwww... not one of my fave bodily fluids), but they had no available appts. Nice. The nurse did call me back, though, and she is just going to call me in some Z-packs... so maybe I'm glad there were no appointments... this way I only have to pay for the meds and not the 25$ copay for all 3 of us.

Hope everyone has a blessed day!

Busy weekend ahead...

It's amazing to me that my house has not been condemned. Well, maybe it's not that bad, but it is pretty bad. I don't see how people keep a clean house constantly! I can't do it. There is laundry to be put away on the couch... laundry to be done on the kitchen floor (no laundry room, the kitchen floor is the closest place to separate before it heads down the hall)... both bathrooms need to be cleaned... let's not even talk about the last time the place was dusted... and once again I cannot see the actual counter in kitchen! Ugh! I have this overwhelming urge to put my fingers in my ears and starts singing (you know, like when someone's trying to tell you something you don't want to hear!). I know exactly what has caused this disaster to happen in my house... it is called life. I get up between 6:30 & 7... leave the house by 7:30 in order to get the kids to school by 8 (have I told you how much I love country living?)... go to work until I pick the kids up at 3... MW is reading camp... Tues is speech... Wed is church... Thurs is soccer.... then the weekend hits! Thursday nights is the only night that I get home by 3:30... then it's right out the door to soccer. I guess I could be like a couple of my friends and give up sleep so that I could maintain my house, but that doesn't sound appealing by any means... not to mention if I don't go to sleep by 10:15ish on a consistent basis I get complaints from those around me that I'm not a nice person... SOOOOOO... does anyone have some ideas for how I can manage my house, my job, my kids, the bills, the pets, church, etc. Oh and I do like to have friends... so occasionally I like to do things with them! Ugh! I SERIOUSLY NEED A WIFE~

I still haven't heard anything about my dad's job. I know he is sooo frustrated. Keep praying something comes up. He'll stay at the prison til it kills him... which is liable to happen since it is the jail we are talking about! Gah, that sounds bad... but since he started at the jail the stress really has done things to his normally healthy body.

Oh, and does anyone need a bunk bed? We have a set that we got when RT and I were separated... it is a futon on bottom and twin on top. It is from Sam's and we bought it from the woman who bought it from Sam's. It is just sitting in my entryway right now and needs a place to go! :)

Have a blessed weekend.... and if you know a solution to my housing dilemma, let me know!

Hmph!~

Cintas didn't call. Hopefully they will call today. I hate the waiting game and I want this to work out for my parents! It has been difficult watching them struggle financially over the last couple of years.

One of the things that I enjoy about reading my friend's blogs is the amount of honesty about how life really is. People talk about their lack of time management skills, their slip ups, their bad parenting moments, their imperfect marriages, children's, selves...etc etc. As if blogspot is a safe forum... away from judgement. Here is my question... why is it that being truthful about struggles is so easy online, but not in person? Or maybe the better question for me is why is it that when you tell people you are struggling 'out loud' you get the look that says 'I can't believe you said that out loud.'

You all know Rt is in school and lets just say that this last writing assignment he had really made me question whether our marriage would survive the assignment. In fact, the process was so frustrating for me that I left him at home Sunday morning and went to church. During Sunday School, I asked for prayers for both Rt and I as this research paper was causing much frustration for him and was causing much conflict in our marriage. I didn't share all the gory details of the not nice things that had been said over the course of the weekend, but I did say that we were both struggling with our tempers etc. I didn't look at the entire room as I was speaking, but I did look at one of the sections and both of the wives had looks on their face like 'oh my... I can't believe she said that.' I've tried really hard to not think about what was going on in their heads, but you know how well that works sometimes. I guess I just wish that we really were free to be honest with the people who are supposed to care without feeling the airs of judgement. And I know that not everyone was acting like they did... but it just annoys me!

SO.... for the women who acted like this here is my message to you... The one thing that I have discovered over the last few years is that we all have 'crap' going on in our lives. Everyone yells at their kids or their husbands once in a while... Everyone has problems with handling money... or eating right... or making the right parenting choices... and the list goes on and on... I have not met one person who can honestly say that they are perfect... so just for me, the next time someone asks for prayers for something that is happening in their life... just smile and pray... appreciate the honesty, because I would rather see honesty any day over fakeness.

...ok... sorry if I'm venting again... jess

Needed prayers...

When my dad lost his job at Crown, Cork & Seal (remember, they closed last year) he had much difficulty finding another and eventually ended up with the jail. Well, for those who know anything about him, you know the jail is SOOOOOO not the place for my sweet little dad. He has held his own and is definitely respected, but he always has seen life through rose colored glasses and the jail is changing that. He interviewed for a job at Cintas about 6 mths ago and although they really, really wanted to hire him, something happened corporately and they weren't able to. At that point, they told my little brother, who works at Cintas, that they would find a way to hire my dad. Well, yesterday, they told my little bro that they were calling my dad TODAY! Please pray that the job is something my dad can take! I mean, at this point he would take just about anything, but he has to make more than he does at the jail, otherwise my parents cannot pay the bills. When my dad took the job at the jail he took at 30,000$$ a year pay cut (not that he had a choice... there are no jobs in Abilene) and this last year or two has been very hard on my parents. Anyway, pray, pray, pray...

Amazed...

Ok, I have to vent a little! Last year, Abilene passed a no smoking ban that covers restaurants, bowling alleys, bars, and even entryways to buildings. I don't smoke (I used to smoke one cigarette when we went out dancing... but that is now illegal) so other than I'm annoyed that my friends have to go outside and smoke if we go out dancing... it really is no biggie to me. But what I don't understand is how we can tell people that they cannot smoke in a bar, which is a place that I would fully expect people to smoke, and yet we will not tell parents they cannot smoke in their car with their children! Can someone explain this to me? I mean, if I choose to go to a bar that I know is going to be smoke filled it is my personal right, but a child has no ability to stand up for themselves! Ugh!

You might ask what is bringing this little rant on... and here is what it is... This morning, while sitting at a red light, I look over and see a mom in a little bitty car (you know, roller skate on wheels) with the windows rolled up tight... she had two little kids strapped into their car seats and she was puffin' away. I wanted to get out of my car and knock on her window and give her some statistics regarding death and cigarette smoking... or better yet, the statistics that link children's asthma to parental smoking. but I didn't... I just drove on.

I get that smoking is a person's right... and I get that I shouldn't tell people how to raise their children. BUT COME ON... if you ask anyone who smokes, they will tell you that it is awful for them... and yet, most smokers still smoke in the presence of their children. WHY??? My cousin works for the American Cancer Society and one of her jobs is to answer questions about loss. A few months ago a woman called to ask if her dog was dying of lung cancer because she smoked around the dog... my cousin answered "Yes, smoking has been directly linked to lung cancer" and the woman burst into tears. I have yet to meet a parent who wants to give their child lung cancer (or their pet), so why do people continue to smoke in their presence?

Let me just clarify here before I get a bunch of strange comments from people about smoking being their right... I do get that... and I honestly believe that if you want to contaminate your body with that crap it is sooooo your right and I will leave you alone... but it is not your children's (or your pets) choice... so don't smoke around them!

Ok... I think I have that out now... Keep me in your thoughts about 3 o'clock... we have a dept meeting with the Dean, VP, and Registrar...

Long day...

It is only 6 o'clock, but I could seriously crawl into my bed and stay there until morning. Megan had her birthday sleepover last night and I got all of 4 hrs sleep. The girls had a good time, though, so I guess my lack of sleep was well worth it. We ended up eating dinner at Olive Garden last night and then we went to see the movie Sydney White. The girls really enjoyed the movie, but it didn't end until after 11. By the time we got home and they played it was pretty late! At 2:20 am I told them to go to sleep and I think they did... but I was passed out, so who knows! At 7am they woke me up so I could cook the cinnamon rolls... aren't they sweet?

Kali had a soccer game today. The team we played was quite aggressive and both Kali and her friend Karina were "injured" during the game. The girls were fine after a few tears, but I really wanted to go ask the other team's parents what they were teaching their team... I mean, last I heard pushing and tripping in 7 yr old soccer is not acceptable and someone really could've been hurt! I guess this is all just part of the game, but I'm finding that parents are rather annoying on the benches... I just want to hold up a sign that says "Our kids are 6-7 for goodness sake... lighten up!!!!" Oh well, only 2 more games! I wonder if softball is any better?

Ok... I'm done for the night! Have a good rest of the weekend!

Megan

Happy 10th BD Megan! (It was yesterday, but my compt crashed again!) I have written and rewritten this post this morning. It is hard to put all of what Megan is into words. She is very intelligent and excels in school. Her teachers love her, but I think it has something to do with the fact that they don't really have to teach her. She loves to sing and we have been informed by many that she has a gift. She loves the Lord and doesn't understand when kids at school don't . She is kind-hearted and hates for people to be ugly or mean. She helps around the house and she is a great help with Kali. She really is a good kid and she is quite responsible. Life isn't exactly easy for our dear little Megpie. She is sooo hard on herself to be perfect in school and in life that she is full of anxiety. We are constantly encouraging her to just do things and that she needn't try to be perfect, but she still struggles. Someday her perfectionistic tendencies will probably benefit her, but when you are 10 they just make life difficult! (If anyone knows a solution to this, let me know!) Anyway, while life with Megs isn't always easy emotionally she is a wonderful kid whom we love very much! Happy Birthday girl!

Dance Lessons

When Rt and I were separated, we took dance lessons once a week as a way to try to reconcile things. It is very difficult to dance with a person you have no desire to be in the same room with. Now that things are better, we are taking the dance lessons again. It is so much more fun. However, I made a few notes to self while dancing tonight:

1. Don't garden for hours the day before you take dance lessons... especially if the dance is the waltz. (My legs hurt!)
2. Don't try to dance in socks if your husband wears work boots to dance practice... your toes will pay for it.
3. Don't show up late to dance practice... otherwise, you'll have to cut in to dance with your spouse. (I did tell him I would be late and to just dance with someone, but I wasn't sure how to cut in when I finally got there.)

Anyway, if you have the opportunity to take dance lessons you totally should! We are having a great time! We weren't going to do it, at first, because our schedule has been so crazy, but I'm glad we decided to do it!

Flower Garden & Funny Moments

When we moved into our house we had this big round Iris bed on one side of the yard... you know, strategically placed so people driving in could see the pretty Irises when pulling down our drive. {Ok... I must add sarcasm here... I'm not sure why they planted Irises, I mean, they flower once a year so what people really see when they roll down the driveway is big green blades sticking up!) Well, I have done nothing to the flower bed and we have lived here for two 1/2 years. It still has Irises, but it also has a large amount of Johnson grass. A few days ago I decided we should clean it out and plant some crape myrtles in the center and have the Irises surround them. I went out today and started pulling the grass out... it is not as easy as I thought it would be! That grass will not come out. I tried watering the ground so the grass would pull out more easily but all that I accomplished was attracting "Daphne" to the muddy water and dirt. So... if you have any ideas, please pass them on! I thought about spraying weed poison on it, but I don't want to kill the bulbs! (Is that possible!!) Ok... I am in wayyyy over my head!

Funny Moment for today.... and a reminder that I should be glad the camera is in the shop...

While Rt was mowing the yard today I noticed that there was a kitten stuck in the very, very top of one of the many mesquite trees in our 'yard'. Being the kind hearted (or idiotic) person that I am I decided to go up after it! Well, I haven't climbed a tree in years and was never all that graceful at it before... but the poor kitten needed help. I climbed the tree and coaxed the kitten down and then figured out that I myself couldn't get down. Robert was mowing and didn't even notice that I was in a tree. It took him about 20 min, but he did finally come rescue me... if the camera had been in the house I swear he would've gone and gotten it before he helped me out! I had to promise not to climb anymore trees so I guess the kitten is on its own should it get stuck in a tree again!

No progress

Well, I haven't made any progress in the bed department or the education department. The most difficult thing with the education choice is that I can't wait until I'm told I don't have a job to make a decision... especially because all of the plans include education. I did spend a couple of hours online today looking at education options. Tech has a couple of PhD's that are almost completely online... that is definitely more tempting than moving.

There was a Tech guy at MCM giving a lecture and he brought a SegWay with him. Here are a few pics of the girls trying it out! I got a chance too, but no one took pics of it! It would be great fun to own one, but with a price tag of $5000 I guess I'll be walking instead of rolling!

Running, Running, Running

I'm really considering calling in sick tomorrow just so I can have a break! haah! Just kidding... but it did cross my mind. I would like a day to stay home with no one here so that I can get on top of my house. I seriously need my house cleaner back!

I have a couple of opinion questions for you... decisions I am having difficulty making on my own... Give me your opinions, please!!!

Question 1:
One of my friends and I were talking about my children's sleeping arrangements and she commented that we have had more beds in our house... and she is right. We cannot seem to work out a system that keeps my children happy. First it was separate beds in separate rooms and no one would sleep. Then it was bunk beds in the same room and again no sleepers. Now the girls sleep on the same bed in the same room and they are sleeping just fine. I would really like to get rid of one of their rooms and make them share again and use the other room for a craft/play/TV room, but do I get rid of the bunk beds and buy a full-size bed? Hmmm... How do your children sleep? A few of my friends grew up sharing a room and a bed with their sisters and think that is what I should do, but since I would still prefer to have my own bed I just don't know! (Seriously, I understand the Leave it to Beaver days when couples slept in separate beds... if I didn't share a bed no one would touch me and wake me up in the middle of the night! I know, I have issues!) Anyway, what would you do?

Question 2:
I had a long talk with my dean today about job security... and basically there is none until I get a Phd. and even then who knows. Here are my current options and I would like you to tell me what you would do... Option #1: I take the fast track classes at MCM and get certified to teach high school and use that as my plan B should something happen at MCM. Option #2: I start my Phd in English or EdD in Higher Ed and remain in the college world but in a different position. Neither option really has the security I would like to have, but I am realizing I don't exactly have control over this. I have spent much of my day praying about this and am really trying to let it go... but not stressing over it is easier said than done. {For those who don't know the situation at MCM I'll give you a little catch up.... MCM cut the comm dept and we have one year left...there is no plan after that time and we have no idea how many of us they will keep on. } It would be easy to put all of this on the back burner and try not to think about it, but the truth is I have to have some sort-of plan... I mean, if I am moving to high school I need to take the courses while they are free just like I need to get started with the other courses if I'm staying in the college world! Anyway, what would you do????

Day Two...

Day two of "Daphne" ownership.

I have never really been a dog person. Cats are more my style... I think it has something to do with the likenesses in our personalities! :) When we got Yogi during the summer I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I love him and everyone knows he is MY dog. Well, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I decided we would get Yogi a friend. Daphne is very cute (and I'm sure that is what I was thinking), but she is very much a lab. So far she has been in our family for 24 hours and has managed to desecrate my bedroom floor with her bowels, jump on every surface in the house, and scare sweet little Yogi. So much for Yogi having a friend! I forgot how hyper labs were and how much their tails hurt! Daphne is very happy and therefore her abusive tail is always wagging. I foresee her being an outside dog (only) in a few days. I got up this morning and took the dogs for a walk. Daphne was literally dragging me along, while Yogi was moving quite slowly. I came inside and told Robert that he was going to have to walk the dog or I was going to have to wear running shoes... hmmm... maybe this is a sign!

It's over...

Our very busy weekend has drawn to a close. (Thank goodness!) I would post pictures, but I had to drop the camera off for repairs so no pics. This weekend we managed to attend the AHS homecoming game, watch Kali play soccer, start a fence, go to dinner with the family, go to church, watch the Junie B Jones production, finish a fence, and go to the grocery store. It is 8:30 on Sunday and this is probably the first time that I have rested. I have not gotten a single thing ready for this week, but I guess I can just wing it! (Or so I hope!)

We ended up eating dinner with the family on Saturday to celebrate my niece's bd. That way we avoided the entire dealing with the ex thing and my kids got to see Junie B. Jones.

That's all for now as Rt needs my compt to do his homework... guess I'll post more later!

Busy, Busy...

I started to list all that we have to do this weekend and it isn't all that much, but it seems like a lot. Kali has a sleepover tonight to go to, but she has to be at the AHS game tonight and a soccer game in the morning. Bet she'll be in the best mood for the soccer game!

I do need some advice. My niece is having her bd party this weekend and I cannot decide if we should go. My little brother and the baby's mom are not married and their break-up was not exactly nice. The mom hasn't exactly been a nice person and I frankly don't want to go to a party with her and all of her family. I suggested to my brother that we all go out to lunch and celebrate her bd, but he didn't seem interested. Not to mention the party is on Sunday at the same time that I promised the girls we would go see Junie B. Jones. Give me some advice... what do I do?????

Funny Stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oc1j5NakY

This is funnyyyyyyy!

Pics

I promised pics from this weekend, but so far the only ones I have are the flood... so here goes!

Pretty, huh? I think we got there in time, though, so the damage isn't going to be toooo bad! or so we pray!

Crash

If you are feeling up to a eye opening experience watch the movie Crash with a freshman class of college kids and make them read this article . Wow! If you haven't seen the movie I strongly suggest that you take the time and watch it. I know it is rated R and several of you don't watch rated R movies, but it really is worth the exception. The movie discusses stereotypes etc and has a way of really opening a viewers eyes to the ways that we all struggle with this.