A Full(er) Life

Family photo shoot

2011-10-26T06:36:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we found time to do a quick family photo shoot. There is a great local photographer that has this great deal where he does a 30 minute shoot for a modest fee. Then he burns all of your photos to a disc and you leave with the disc and a letter giving you all rights to the photos. That way you can have prints made, use them for Christmas Cards or whatever you want. The last time we did this we only had photos taken of our son. This time we did the whole family. Can you say Christmas presents??

A few shots from the day...

All photos taken by Todd Burnett

The end of marching band season

2011-10-23T21:49:00.009-05:00

It's been a rough marching band season. We had a ton of freshman this year and it takes a while to get the hang of playing and marching at the same time. We were several weeks into the season before they even finished their show. The kids worked really hard though and last weekend had the performance of the season at the Regional competition which allowed them to go to the Semi State competition yesterday. After a 4 hour bus ride though, the kids were tired and grouchy and not too excited about marching. I chaperoned the bus yesterday and I know I was grouchy and tired so I can understand how the kids felt. They were competing against some really good bands from the northern part of the state and we knew going in that it would take some sort of miracle for us to go to state. It wasn't the performance they had hoped for, but they can be proud of the fact that they made it to semi state two years in a row.

The Green Brigade waits to take the field.

Performing their show "Dare to Dream"

The 2011 Drumline. My son is playing the smallest bass drum on the far right.

Regardless of the score, I'm terribly proud of this hardworking group of kids. They practice a minimum of 10 hours each week and their Saturdays are usually 12-14 hour days. The usually have to report by 7:30am, they practice for 2-3 hours, eat lunch and then spend the rest of the day marching at 2 contests with long bus rides in between. They finally pull back into the parking lot around 10pm where they drag themselves off the buses and into waiting cars. And then, bless their hearts, they do it all again the following week. Gotta love the band kids! They rock!! Gee, now they have a couple of weeks before jazz band, pep band and winter drumline begin...

An identity crisis

2011-10-21T15:03:00.003-05:00

If you've stumbled upon this blog and are confused, it's okay. I am too. This blog was called Simple Things up until mere moments ago. Why? Because my heart yearns for a simpler life. A life where clothes are hung out on the line to dry. A yummy homecooked meal is on the table at 5pm every night. Evenings are spent playing board games, reading books and crocheting. Those are the things my heart desires but I've accepted the fact that what my heart desires and the reality of my life in 2011 are two entirely different things.

The reality of my life is that it is B-U-S-Y. My husband works full time as the guest room supervisor at a hotel. I'm an accountant for a commercial broadcasting company. We have a 15 year old son that goes to school, is a member of the drumline in the marching band and we are all involved in Boy Scouts. When we actually have a homecooked meal that we are all home for, it's cause for celebration. The laundry is piled up and the house is a mess. We often meet ourselves coming and going. It's hectic and stressful but in this season, this is what our lives look like. In 2 1/2 short years our son will be moving on to college. There will be no more band contests and our time with scouting will have come to an end. So, for the next 2 1/2 years I will embrace the crazy. Will I whine and complain sometimes? You betcha. However, I will strive to live in the moment and have fun instead of fighting it because I've realized that this is one fight that this mama ain't gonna win.

So buckle up because it's going to be a bumpy ride!

MYM - Week 3

2010-08-15T16:00:00.002-05:00

I have just had the most productive four days that I've had in years! I took PTO time on Thursday and Friday in order to get the house in order and prepare for a weekend campout with the scouts. I was cruising through my housework on Thursday when I received a phone call telling me that we were postponing the campout due to the heat advisories. The heat index was expected to be over 110 on both Saturday and Sunday. Up until that time, we had been hearing that the excessive heat warnings would end on Friday night. Well, we've got some tough kids but camping in that kind of weather is just plain crazy. This gave me an extra three days to get some serious organizing and work done!

I reworked my schedule from week 1. Now this may seem a little nuts, but keep in mind that I have to have everything done and be out the door at 7:15 each day. (I would LOVE to hear from other moms that work 8-5 outside their home to see how they handle this.)

Week 1 - Morning Schedule
4:00-4:15 Wake up and put sweats on.
4:15-4:45 Quiet Time
4:45-5:15 Treadmill
5:15-5:30 Iron clothes
5:30-5:45 Shower
5:45-6:15 Hair & Makeup
6:15-6:30 Make bed & get dressed
6:30-7:00 Breakfast
7:00-7:15 Brush teeth and out the door!

Week 2 - Quiet Time
Start with a worship song - Selah on my mp3 player
Read one chapter per day starting at Genesis 1:1
Write down one verse that really stands out to me.
Devotion - Work through 30 days of Leading your kids to Christ
Prayer Daily-Prayer from Power of a Praying Wife/Parent
Monday-Parents and extended family
Tuesday - In-laws and extended family
Wednesday - School & Scouts
Thursday - City & State Leaders & Emergency Workers
Friday - Our country's leaders & military
Saturday - Friends & Co-workers

Week 3 - Exercise Plan
I'm keeping this really simple. I'm not too big on exercise indoors. I like to walk outdoors but at that hour of the morning it just isn't possible. I'm just going to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes each day. There is a tv by the treadmill so I can catch up on the morning news or maybe find something to record on the dvr. My goal is to lose 30lbs by Christmas.

Gee.....ambitious much? I'm hoping I'm not jumping into this too fast. I've been trying to manage quiet time in the mornings but haven't been doing too well. In order to add in exercise and everything, it's going to have to be early morning wake up calls for me!

I also spent a lot of time these last few days organizing chores, menus and calendars. I have master chore lists that include all the things we need to keep this house in order. I made a daily list for every member of the family so that everyone knows what they need to do this week. I've been to the grocery (needed a loan for that one...) and made menus for the week. This should keep us eating real meals instead of popcorn for dinner. It will also keep us from hitting the golden arches or the home of the fourth meal. I have a kid that hates fast food and having a home cooked meal on the table each night will make him a happy boy. All of our laundry is caught up too and everything is put away where it belongs. Amazing! Our white board is back on the fridge so everyone can see the day's activities and dinner menu at a glance. It gets a little tricky because my husband's schedule changes from day to day and week to week. My son now has block scheduling which means keeping track of whether or not it is a green or white day so he knows which classes he has. Honestly, you moms that have more than one child? Y'all blow. me. away! I don't know how you do it. I can barely keep track of the three of us. I have to mesh together our personal calendar, school calendar, hubby's schedule, band calendar and scout calendar. It's kuhraaazy!!!!

So, if you are still with me, throw out any ideas you have for getting me some more sleep and still getting everything done. Right now I'm feeling very organized, but I'm feeling like every minute of every day is scheduled. My goal with this was to free up time for my family. But, in order to have quiet time, exercise time and keep the house in order, I feel like I'm never going to get to sit down and enjoy my family, a book or a tv show again. I'm conflicted. I'm going to have a home that is company ready at all times, but I'm not going to have time to entertain any company. What's a girl to do?

Ten on the Tenth - 8.10.10

2010-08-10T16:53:00.002-05:00

Hmmm...two tens in the date. Does that mean we have to do twenty? What's going to happen in October? (sorry, weird mood today)

I haven't participated for a while and now the tenth is almost over so I better get on it.

Top Ten Reasons I Hate Summer

10. Mosquitos. I'm a magnet for the little bloodsuckers and the bites sometimes end up the size of marbles.

9. Shorts. These legs just aren't suited for shorts ANY. MORE.

8. Swimsuits. If the legs aren't suited for shorts you can just imagine that the rest of me shouldn't be visible to the public.

7. Humidity. Here in the river valley the humidity is a killer. There is nothing worse than walking out the door at 7:30 am and feeling like you just stepped into a wet blanket. A hot wet blanket.

6. Sunburns. I can use spf 100 and still get burnt. People with black hair aren't supposed to do that are they?

5. Delayed Sunset. It stays light so darn late that I can't go to bed early. Because yes, sometimes I do go to bed with the chickens.

4. Electric Bill. We've had 90+ temps for over a month now and the A/C has been running nonstop. I'm going to have to take out a loan to keep the power on at this rate.

3. Fireworks after baseball games. Okay, now I just sound like a crabby old woman don't I? See, we live a few blocks from an historic old ball field. (It was in A League of Their Own) On the weekends they have fireworks after the game. Sometimes they don't start until 10:30 or 11:00 pm and if you've been keeping track (see #5) I like to go to bed early. When the fireworks start I suddenly feel like I'm in the middle of an old WWII flick.

2. Grass. I HATE yard work. I told my husband when we got married that I don't do yard work. I really should have put it in our vows. Fortunately our son now does most of the mowing.

1. Sweating. Yep, that's my numero uno! The A/C in our car went out some time back and at almost $1000 to replace it, in a 10 yr old car, it's going to stay out. So I don't get a break from the heat. There's nothing like driving to work at 7:30 in the morning and having your makeup dripping off your face. Gotta love it!

Taco Dip - I won an award!

2010-08-10T10:58:00.006-05:00

I'm no food blogger, but this is a really simple recipe that's quite tasty so I thought I'd share.

I can now officially call this my Award Winning Taco Dip. Okay, so it wasn't a county fair or anything like that, and I won a flashlight instead of a blue ribbon, but I'll take the awards no matter where they come from.

Each year the district that my son's scout troop is in has a big fall kickoff party where they give an award for the best side dish and the best dessert. This year I won the best side dish category. Since I'm not much of a cook, this is big news in my house.

Here is the recipe if you want to try it yourself. It's really yummy!

Taco Dip

1 - 8oz block of cream cheese

1 - 8 oz container sour cream

1 lb ground beef

1 packet of taco seasoning

2 cups shredded cheese (colby jack or mexican blend)

1/2 bell pepper - chopped

1/2 small onion - chopped

2 small tomatoes - thinly sliced

Soften cream cheese in microwave. Mix cream cheese and sour cream together. Spread mixture into a 9x12 baking dish. Place dish in refrigerator until mixture is solid, about 30 min.

Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning. Prepare according to directions on seasoning.

Take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and spoon the seasoned meat evenly over the sour cream/cream cheese base.

Now begin layering. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the meat.

Spread the bell peppers and onions over the cheese.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the bell peppers and onions.

Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the top of the cheese.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

MYM - It's going.....okay

2010-08-10T10:41:00.002-05:00

So, I had my plan and I followed it for all of 3 days. I didn't start until Tuesday and by Friday it all fell apart. Now it's Tuesday again and I haven't even attempted to get back on the wagon. School starts tomorrow so I will definitely try to get up early and have some quiet time before waking my teen up for his first day of high school. We all know I'm going to NEED to pray before that one.

This weekend I will be camping with the scout troop. This particular campground is gorgeous and one of my favorites. I'm going to pack a bag with my copy of MYM, a notebook, calendar, bible and whatever else I think I might need. By the end of the weekend I should have my plans in place (including prep for week 3...exercise) so that next week I can really get down to business. I really truly want this to work.

MYM - I Just Can't Say No

2010-08-02T18:14:00.006-05:00

Okay, So I have this inability to say no to anything. It generally gets me into trouble, but I think this time it might be getting me into something that will be very helpful. See, I'm disorganized and have become an expert at procrastination. What I want most in this world is to have an organized home that runs smoothly, leaving plenty of time for family. I want to live in the moment rather than spending every waking hour worrying about what needs to be done, where I'm supposed to be, what I forgot to do... What I have is a home that looks like a tornado hit it and a calendar so full of commitments that my family is rarely in the same room together so quality family time becomes impossible.

I stumbled upon Kat's Blog, Inspired to Action, a couple of months ago. She has so many great ideas for getting organized and making the most of time with family. Last week I read a post about now another blogger, Michelle from So I Married a Mennonite, plans to do a weekly series using Kat's e-book Maximize Your Mornings. Well, how could I say no? I've never said no to anything! Getting my mornings in order is really important to me. I wake up early but waste my time. I really need to get my act together because in just over a week my son will be starting high school. He will have to be in the building by 7:30am each morning. Ugh! I despise mornings where I'm yelling, he's late and we part with scowls rather than smiles. I know that it's my job as a mom to set the tone for the morning and I want this school year to be different. I REALLY want this year to be different. You have no idea.

So, here I am. I've downloaded the book and read a little bit of it. I'm going to read more before going to bed tonight but I'm starting with the action steps from Step 1.

I'm going to wake up @ 5:30am. I already get up at that time so that shouldn't be an issue. However, rather than sitting in front of the computer or tv, I'm going to do something worthwhile with my time.

I'm going to bed (lights out!) at 10:00pm tonight.

I'm going to lay out my bible before bed. I've never really been one to study my bible so I'm going to just start reading the Proverb that matches the date and spend time praying. I'll work on coming up with a better plan for next week.

The alarm clock is always set so nothing new there.

I don't have an accountability partner. I think I will quickly post an "I'm up!" on FB before I begin reading. That will have to do for now.

This will be my plan for this week. Exercise will be added later. I will also finish reading the e-book and work on Step 2 so I'll be ready for next Monday's link up.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

The post where I catch up on six months

2010-03-13T06:51:00.004-06:00

Well I never intended to go quite this long between posts. It's a good thing I have no ambition of being one of those bloggers that makes a living at it. Life here at our house is just moving right along. I wish I could say that I've mastered the art of keeping my home and family organized, but as I look around right now and see dirty dishes and dirty laundry (in the living room??) I am assured that I haven't.

The Fall was very busy with Scouting. Lots of campouts and other events filled the weekends. We attended a family reunion in Tennessee and stayed in a great little cabin that my son and I decided we wanted to live in permanently. Christmas was hectic as usual. I made a promise to myself that I will do better in 2010. In fact, I promised myself that I would have all of the shopping, wrapping, card preparing and decorating finished by Thanksgiving. For once, I'd really like to enjoy Christmas without all of the last minute running around, trying like crazy to get everything done. January brought my 42nd birthday and audit season. I'm not sure what it was about this year, but I worked more hours than I ever have before. For 2 months I averaged 60 hour weeks. I tried to keep up with the house, PTA and scouts too but failed miserably on all counts.

Now it's Spring, not quite warm yet, but Spring just the same. Time to get this house cleaned up and forge ahead. Scout activities are picking up with the warmer weather and we are in full Philmont prep mode. PTA is winding down and I'm very happy about that. (I have not enjoyed these past 2 years. I took a board position because there was literally no one else to do it. I didn't want to, but I felt so sorry for the teacher that works with the PTA that I did it anyway. I'll never do that again. From now on I will not volunteer out of guilt, I will volunteer only after praying about it and know in my heart I'm doing it for the right reason.) Before I know it school will be out and we'll be preparing for...wait for it...high school. Time is just flying!

Even though I haven't been posting, I have been reading a commenting here and there when I have a chance. I've found some new blogs that I love and gave up some that weren't blessing my socks off. Just a few days ago I stumbled upon a blog with what seem to be very practical ideas for getting organized and being the best mom/wife a girl can be. I hope to spend some time reading this weekend and I'll share if it's as good as it seems.

I hear the laundry calling my name so I must tend to it. This evening is a scout swimming outing and tomorrow I will have lots of free time to clean and catch up while Dylan goes on a practice hike in preparation for Philmont this summer. Tons to do today and tomorrow so now I'm off with a pad and pen to make a list. Oh how I love a list!

Ten on the Tenth - 7.10.09

2009-07-10T06:36:00.003-05:00

It's summertime and everyone seems to be going on vacation. We haven't gone on a big vacation for a few years but here are a few places I'm dreaming of.

Washington D.C. - I spent one day in DC when I was in high school. It was a whirlwind trip where we flew in early in the morning and returned home very late at night. I've been wanting to go back ever since. I'd love to spend a whole week there visiting all the monuments and museums.
New York City - Oh my goodness...I've wanted to go to NYC for as long as I can remember. I grew up wanting to dance on Broadway and would love to go and see every show there is. I want to go lie on a blanket in Central Park and read a book. I want to see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Bldg. "Start spreadin' the news...."
Alaskan Cruise - I don't know why but an Alaskan Cruise has always appealed to me. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be.
San Francisco - I love the photos of the cable cars, the winding streets and Golden Gate bridge. It evokes another time when ladies wore long dresses and high top shoes.
Mackinac Island, MI - I specifically want to go the The Grand Hotel. Talk about going back in time! I want to walk through the gardens, take a horse drawn carriage or just sit on that front porch with a glass of lemonade.
A Little House tour - I've been to the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, MO...twice. I would love to take 10 days and make the grand tour of all the other little houses from Wisconsin to South Dakota. Really, not obsessed, just a fan. Really.
Texas - I've been to Texas once for a really quick one day trip. I've heard that there are so many beautiful cities to visit and I could just spend a week driving from city to city taking it all in. Oh, and I want to see Southfork. I'm a nerd.
The Ozarks - I've spent a little time in this area because my father grew up in Arkansas and we still have family there. I'd love to spend a week in a cabin on a lake though. I can't imagine anything more peaceful and realxing.
Colorado - I've never seen the Rocky Mountains and I would love to. I can't imagine anything more majestic.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina - I love the ocean but I'm not really a traditional beach girl. I'd much rather be walking the beach in a pair of capris than lying on a towel in a bathing suit. I really think I'd like to visit a more natural beach. Every beach that I've ever been to has been really commercial and full of people.

Summer Camp

2009-07-06T10:12:00.015-05:00

I grew up on movies and books about summer camp. To me, summer camp was a very magical place. You could do so many things there! You could find the twin sister you never knew you had. You could be a camp counselor and find your first boyfriend. You could fall in love with a bad boy. Summer camp was the one thing that could take my oh so boring 13 year old existence and turn it into something worth writing down in my little red diary with the gold lock! The only problem was, I never got to go to summer camp. I never went to a sleep away camp. I never went to Girl Scout camp. I never went to church camp. I was such a deprived child.

However, I have found that if you wait long enough, all good things will come to you! I FINALLY got to go to summer camp! Granted, it was boy scout camp, but I'll take it. It was so much fun. I did my best not to embarass my son and let all the boys have fun and take care of themselves without me hovering over them. They have said I'm welcome to come next year so I must have done something right.

This camp is on scout owned property about an hour north of our city. It's really an excellent facility. There is plenty of room for the boys to go exploring, a lake for swimming and fishing and a fantastic dining hall/meeting hall. (Dinner each night was catered by this amazing restaurant! I think the rolls were deep fried. Amazing.) My only complaint all week long was about the ladies shower house. There were so many mosquitos in the shower stall that I thought they might just carry me away! Not a good thing when you're...you know...clothing challenged.

The powers that be that planned this camp did an amazing job. The boys could be kept busy just about every minute of the day if they chose to. Here is our basic schedule. (Check in was Sunday at noon and check out was Friday at 9am)

6:45- Pick up breakfast & lunch packs from dining hall. (Lots of dried foods)
7 - Breakfast
8 - Morning colors (flag raising for you non scout/military folks)
9-11 - Morning program (boys worked on merit badges at different stations)
Noon - lunch
2-4 - Afternoon proram (more merit badge work)
4-5 - Afternoon Special (FUN games that earned your troop/patrol points)
6 - Evening colors and dinner
7-9 Campwide Special (More games that earned your troop/patrol points)
11 - Taps and quiet time (yeah...right)

Highlights from the week included:

Monday night chapel service - a wonderful talk on what it means to do your 'duty to God' from a man that has been involved in scouting for about 50 years.

Wild Wednesday - Large sheets of plastic, water and half a dozen bottles of dish soap. Those are the ingredients of one of the most fun things the boys did all week long. It was called human curling. One boy from each patrol would be pushed/tossed down his lane on the plastic and had to land with a body part in the square marked at the end. This also counts as a bath. Or so they say.

The Great Race - This is a campwide scavenger hunt, skill test, trivia game. I don't know how else to describe it. The boys had lists of questions to answer. The answers were actually clues that led them to stations throughout the camp. At each station they had to do things like tie knots, shoot, swim, start a fire, etc. The first group to complete everything and return to the dining hall won. I am very proud to report that one of our patrols came in first! Go Screaming Squirrels! (Only one broken bone came out of this and a.) he wasn't ours b.) he returned to camp the next day.)

Campfire Program - The last night of camp is the big campfire for all the boys. They have two large campfires behind the platform and it's an impressive sight. Troops/Patrols sign up all week long to do songs and skits at the campfire. Awards are also handed out. It was a fantastic year for our group. One of our boys had the most fish caught (20) and another boy had the largest fish. Another of our boys won the top shot competition in both archery and shotgun. (Top Shot includes scouts and adults so this was quite an accomplishment. It's usually an adult that wins.) The Screaming Squirrel patrol won the top patrol award which is a highly coveted award. The campfire program ended with the Order of the Arrow callout ceremony. This is a rather secretive event so I can't say much about it. Seriously. The Order of the Arrow is a group of scouts that is voted on by their peers to be part of this special honor society. I was beaming when my own son was chosen. I wish I had pictures but we aren't allowed to photograph this ceremony. Again, seriously.

The really big story for the week was the weather. Sometime during the night Tues into Wed, we received a couple inches of rain. One of our tents (4 large canvas tents/13 boys) flooded. I tried to make them feel better by praising their indoor swimming pool but they didn't think that was funny. So, they moved into the other tents which were damp but at least they didn't require life jackets. On Wed night we were informed that if the sirens should go off, it would mean that we were under a tornado warning and we were to head to the dining hall. We were in the campsite furthest from the dining hall of course. The scoutmaster slept with an axe so that we could break into a nearby storage building. Needless to say I sat up all night praying. I was channeling my Granny and pleading the blood of Jesus over every person, tree, and pebble in that camp. It was long night. On Thursday it rained about every 30 minutes. Kid. You. Not. Then the lightning started and my oh my was it close. I had a boy do the duck and cover move at my feet. About 3pm I received a phone call from our scoutmaster to take all the boys that I had in camp at that moment to the dining hall because he'd received a phone call from someone back in civiliation that there were tornados in the area. I told those boys to move it and they didn't ask questions. As we were walking the sirens went off and we ran for cover. Well, they ran for cover. I ran about 5 steps and practically had a heart attack so I walked the rest of the way. (Now I understand the need for physicals and weight guidelines. My goal is to lose 70 lbs. before I go back next year.) Staff members were stationed all around the dining hall watching the skies. Two funnel clouds were spotted but none touched down. It was a scary couple of hours. Keep in mind that this was all happening on the first anniversary of the tornado that killed scouts at a camp in Iowa. We were all very aware of how real a threat we were under. The boys were real troopers throughout the threat and did exactly what they were told. I can't even begin to describe how scary it was to be mom to 13 boys when there are tornados close by.

So really, that's camp in a nutshell. There were so many fun and touching moments that it's hard to remember them all or write about them. Chris volunteering to say grace at a dinner with a couple of hundred people in attendance, Nigel ( a brand new scout and the youngest in our troop) wanting to go home Mon night because his "body just felt funny all over like it wanted to go home", Rocky (sitting in a lawn chair staring at his flooded tent) telling me that tent was 'harshing his mellow".... We also had a difficult night around the campfire with the boys speaking openly to an adult volunteer that they were having trouble with. (This adult has a long military background and there have been conflicts.) It was hard to watch this man that only wants the best for the boys hear how the boys felt and equally difficult to watch these young boys speak from their hearts. In the end though, relationships were strengthened.

We had fun. We got muddy. I didn't find any long lost twin and my true love was at home working but I'd do it all over again in a minute!

Camp

2009-06-07T07:08:00.001-05:00

I'm leaving for Boy Scout Camp for a week. I should have PLENTY to write about when I come back. See ya!

Thank you and a question

2009-05-07T21:49:00.002-05:00

Wow. Thank you all so much for the kind comments and emails. The encouragement means a great deal to me. I guess that all moms get discouraged at times and need someone to say 'it's okay...it will get better and tomorrow is another day". Some days it just seems as if you're a complete failure and then the next day you do a one-eighty and you feel like you just might make it. Today has been a good day. We made it out the door on time this morning and then attended Dylan's music concert tonight. There hasn't been a lot of fussing and arguing going on. This is so much nicer.

Now, for the question. It's no secret that I'm not a bible scholar. I've always attended church but I've never been a part of a bible study or really took the time to study on my own. There are so many books, dvd's, cd's and other media available to people these days. You can listen to sermons online all day long and on tv all night long. How do I know who is 'real'? Do you know what I mean? There are people out there writing books and buying tv time that aren't grounded in the Word and their interpretations of scripture may be a tad 'off'. How can you tell the difference? Obviously I need to be reading the Bible on my own, but so many things just don't make sense to me and I need to either read or listen to someone else's views on the scriptures. There are so many different viewpoints out there and I just don't want to start believing the wrong things. How do you decide? Is a gut feeling? Do you go on recommendations from others? Just hope for the best? Help a girl out will ya?

Now, it is very late and I've got to work all day tomorrow and chaperone a dance tomorrow night. Then there is the weekend...but that's a whole post in itself. Goodnight!

Parenting isn't for cowards

2009-05-05T09:24:00.006-05:00

My child did not come with an owner's manual. Yes, I bought several books on baby care before he was born and I've bought several books on raising boys but none of them are really helping me. I'm honestly at a loss these days. Living with a teenage boy is really trying my patience. I mistakenly thought that I wouldn't have to deal with the hormonal moodiness since I had a boy. Ha! I'm such a silly mom. One minute we are chatting and laughing and in the blink of an eye he turns into a sullen angry boy. How does that happen? And just what is he so mad about? I don't get it.

I feel as if it's my fault that he's this way. I'm the mom so it has to my fault right? I have so many regrets about they way he has been raised. When I was pregnant with him, I had dreams of being the perfect mom. We would read together every night and always say our prayers. I wouldn't yell or spank. We would do crafts for every season and holiday. His baby book would contain every important memory. I had plans for piano lessons and the Suzuki violin method. He would get good grades and I would be involved in his schoolwork and his school. Playdates would be plentiful because I was going to make sure he had all the friends I never did. We chose our church because it had a strong children's program and wanted to be sure he had good church friends as he got older and would be meeting kids from all walks of life in public school. Being a mom was something I'd looked forward to for so long and by golly, I was going to do it right but I didn't.

And there are no do overs.

Now here I am 13 years later and facing the reality that all of the plans and dreams didn't happen. We rarely read books at night and now my son really doesn't like to read. Prayer time together never became a habit and is now non existent. I yell...a lot. We hardly ever managed to even color eggs or carve pumpkins much less do crafts. The baby book is blank. The piano and violin lessons never happened. His grades are awful (even though his test scores are WAY above average) because I can't seem to remember to keep up with his assignments and never taught him how to organize them himself. He doesn't have many close friends because I was always too busy to have other kids over to play. He won't attend Sunday School because he has no friends there at all. We've missed a lot of church over the last 4-5 years and the friendships never developed.

But there are no do overs.

I don't know where to start now. I have one year before he starts high school and I'm terrified that I haven't instilled the right values in him. I'm afraid that he's going to start hanging with the wrong crowd, that the grades will go down and there will be trouble. I just want it to be 1996 again so that I can have that little baby again and I can do it right.

But there are no do overs.

I sat in church this past Sunday and poured out my heart to God during the communion service, begging him to help me. I'm so fearful that I will lose this beautiful boy that I was given to a world that is ugly and dark. I need for Him to tell me what to do, only I don't know how to hear His voice. I just feel so inept. Like I'm not smart enough to figure this out and at the same time I know I don't have to figure it out because He already has. I'm floundering and all I want is to find the right path.

Because you know what? There are no do overs.

I confess

2009-05-04T22:32:00.004-05:00

Edited following Tues morning Shred: Don't skip two days. It's like starting all over again. Oh. My. Word. The pain. The nausea. It's all back. Shoot me please.

Forgive me interpeeps, I have not Shredded since Saturday. On Sunday I honestly just didn't want to do it before church. I meant to, I said I would, but I didn't. Then today I woke up at 3am with the worst sinus headache because of the storm front that was moving through. It hurt so bad that I was queasy. I just couldn't do the dvd. I'll be back at it tomorrow though I promise!

Okay, now I can sleep since I've got that off my chest. Whew.

Ramblin'

2009-05-02T09:02:00.002-05:00

There is not a coherent thought in my head so that means....a list!

I just finished Day 3 of The Shred. I still can't do the whole thing but I'm doing a little more each day. I did a few more jumping jacks, a few more push-ups and a few more crunches. I've also lost close to 2 lbs. The weight loss is probably due to giving up soft drinks though.
I'm working on an organizational system for daily and weekly schedules. I'm trying to incorporate chores and meal plans. I'm guessing my Granny never had an organizational system and she raised 5 kids by herself, during the depression with no electricity or running water. I think the biggest problem with my homemaking skills is me. Not my lack of a good organizational system.
I was so proud of myself last night. I found a great deal on ground chuck, bought close to 15 pounds, came home and browned it off and put it all in zip loc bags for future use. Wouldn't it have been fabulous if I'd put it in the freezer instead of leaving on the kitchen counter all night long?
I've got to clean the house, make potato salad and deviled eggs, go back to the grocery for more ground chuck and do a ton of laundry. And I'm sitting here in front of the computer.
The potato salad and deviled eggs are for my nephews birthday party later today. He's turning 8 and is an exact replica of my husband at that age. I'll have to post the pictures to prove it. This kid can eat his weight in deviled eggs so my MIL and I are both making some. Better not check his cholestoral any time soon.
Tomorrow is church, lots of household paperwork (including PTA and Scouts) and I've got to go pick out a new vanity, sink and toilet. I'd rather be shopping for a new handbag. Oh, and I'll be shredding before church. Can't wait for that!
Why am I the only female in the world that can't stand to read Jane Austen? I love the movies, but the books? I can't force myself and I feel like a failure as a woman. There. I've admitted it.

How is that for a ramble? Now I'm going to do a whirlwind cleaning job and fix that food. No way I'm going to get it all done. Crud. I don't have a gift yet. Now I have a #8.

Shred - Day 1

2009-04-30T05:55:00.003-05:00

Oh. My. Goodness. Seriously, how hard could it be to do a 20 minute dvd? That was my silly thought at 4:30am. Now it is 5:55 and I'm sitting here feeling as if I'm going to toss my cookies. I couldn't even do most of it. I tried, but I couldn't. I had so much stuff jiggling during the jumping jacks.... I did try to at least keep moving by walking in place when I felt like I was going to pass out or puke. I actually thought I was going to lose it on my living room floor. My oh my. Now I understand those contestants on The Biggest Loser that are heaving in the bushes.

Gee, I paint such a lovely picture for you to read as you eat your breakfast.

I took some pictures this morning for my 'before' shots but have chosen no to post them. There just isn't anything becoming about them at all. Should I lose 'up to 20 lbs' as the dvd case says is possible, I'll be happy to post them with the 'after' shots.

If this doesn't kill me, I should be in shape for Boy Scout camp by the time it rolls around in June. But that is a really big if.

I think I've lost my mind.

2009-04-29T14:03:00.009-05:00

Have you all heard about the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD? Evidently Vicki Courtney posted about it here and challenged others to commit to doing this workout dvd for 30 days. I read about it here on Big Mama's blog and here on Boomama's blog. Then I read Vicki's follow up post here.

This is the point where I lost my mind.

I left a comment on Vicki's blog saying "I'm in". Oh my word heaven help me!

So, tonight on the way home from Boy Scouts I'll be hitting Target to see if they have the dvd. I really hope they do because if I have to work any harder than that to purchase it I'll probably give up before I even get started. It's been known to happen. I'm just not an exercise girl. I stayed skinny all the into my early twenties by dancing and teaching little ones to dance. I ate like a linebacker and just danced it all away. Then I started sitting at a desk all day, got married and had a kiddo. But I still ate like a linebacker. Add it all together and you get to see numbers on your scale that you never ever thought you'd see back when you weighed a sassy 115 lbs.

My motivation is that I have signed up to be a leader at Boy Scout camp for a whole week in June. A week. In the woods. With the mosquitos and ticks. When it's really hot outside. I hope my son realizes how much I love him.

A.) This will mean lots and lots of walking, hauling my own gear around and trying to keep up with a bunch of 11-14 year old boys.

B.) Right now my technically obese self doesn't really fit in her uniform. I can button and zip everything but it really isn't pretty. I've got junk in my trunk, all four fenders and the tires. Some toning would go a long way in making that lovely tan and olive uniform look a tad more attractive.

If I can find the dvd tonight I'll do day 1 tomorrow morning before work. Pray. Pray hard. If I can still lift my fingers when I'm done I'll let you know how it went.

It's been a month? Really?

2009-04-23T21:36:00.012-05:00

I can't believe it has been a month since I posted. I really didn't think it had been that long. We've been busy with activities and with the kitchen. Oh my this kitchen. Several months ago we had the remains of Hurricane Ike blow through Indiana. We had some roof damage from the high winds and ended up with water going down into a couple of the walls in the kitchen. Since this is an old house with plaster walls, they just started disentegrating. So, after the roof was replaced, the guys came back and fixed the walls and painted the walls and ceiling. We did the trim which is saying a lot. This old house has really nice wordwork around the baseboards, windows and doors. The kitchen cabinets are original to the house and also had to be painted. It felt like we painted for days.

Now the painting is done and new curtains have been hung. (Material $12, Curtain Rods $9, Sewing by mom...priceless) I still haven't done any decorating because I want to be really sure before I put holes in the wall. It's kind of plain but that's actually nice because it was a cluttered disaster before.

I'm actually a bit embarassed to show these 'before' photos. I don't even think I realized just how bad it was. We never painted this room after moving in and it had really become a dumping ground. This house is small, under 800 sqare feet, so clutter really accumulates quickly. I have gone through all of the dishes, cookware, etc and only kept the items that I really use and love. The rest is yard sale bound.

Now for the photos...

Here are the before and after photos of the sink/cabinet wall. Keep in mind the fact that what you see here are ALL of my cabinets. Storage space is at a premium.

This is the before and after of the fridge. The weekly calendar board will probably go back up because we really do use it, but the junk stacked on top? Never again.

Here is a before and after of the table. We do not have a dining room so this is the only place for eating, homework, crafts, etc. And yes, that is a tv sitting on the table. Not one of my prouder moments. Oh, and these are from different angles. You aren't losing your mind.

This is the closet off the kitchen. It was a disaster! I'm trying to turn it into a pantry. We put a set of shelves in there and I'm trying to organize all the food items. I still need to do some work on this but it looks much better than it used to.

So, that's it. My 'new' kitchen! I'll have to take some more photos after the decorative stuff is up. I have a plate rack that I want to hang which will hold my grandmother's Blue Willow china. I think it will look nice with Granny's teapot which is sitting on top of the fridge. I have some other items that match the plate rack that will go in the room too. My mother and I are searching all of the consignment stores for a smaller table and chairs. I'm hoping to find a drop leaf table that will be a lighter color and not take up so much room. It may take a while to find just what I want. Then I can get a pretty table cloth and start displaying my pretty white Pfaltzgraff that is currently hiding in a cabinet.

There is so much to do but I'm really loving the sunshiney yellow walls. They sure do wake us up in the morning. Now we just have to redo the rest of the house....

Simple Sunday 03.22.09

2009-03-23T07:44:00.004-05:00

I'm late posting this but the fact that I'm posting more than once every three months is an improvement so I'm not going to beat myself up over it.

It was rough week and I honestly can't come up with small things that struck me as wonderful this week. I do have something though. Yesterday we celebrated two of my favorite people turning 13. My son Dylan and his cousin K were born 10 days apart and have celebrated every one of their 13 birthdays together. I love just watching them together because their is none of that boy/girl weirdness with them. They are just best buddies and I believe they always will be.

Happy 13th Birthay to two terrific kids.

It's all in the eye of the beholder

2009-03-21T17:18:00.004-05:00

In a 13 year old boy's eye, this is a clean room.

In his mother's eye, THIS is a clean room.

He isn't going to be too happy when he comes home. He doesn't want me messing with his stuff. I don't want the house condemned. I pay the bills, I win.

A day late but heavy on the teenage sarcasm

2009-03-19T21:48:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Mer and the Carpool Queen's blogs yesterday and finally got my son to answer the questions. Please keep in mind he is officially a teenager now.

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
Did you get your homework done?

2. What makes your mom happy?
When I don’t get a terrible grade.

3. What makes your mom sad?
When I skip my homework.(Can you tell yet that we are having homework/grade issues?)

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
By doing something stupid. (Gee...thanks)

5. What was your mom like as a child?
I don’t know.

6. How old is your mom?
41

7. How tall is your mom?
5’5 ½” (He missed it by an inch. I'm actually 5'4 1/2"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
I don’t know.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Sit on the recliner, watch tv and eat. (Sadly, he isn't too far off)

10.If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
You look like someone that would be in a Swiffer commercial. (???)

11. What is your mom really good at?
I don’t know (Obviously haven't been impressing him much)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Singing (Ha! This is no secret!)

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Accountant…bookkeeper is the official title.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Italian (Actually, my fave would be Mexican but I do like Italian.)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about all of this. (Again with the not impressing him.)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Daisy Duck (Huh?)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Scouts, Homework, Monopoly, I don’t know… (How about practically everything?)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We’re pretty much the same in every way, that’s why we’re always fighting right? (Sad but true)

19. How are you and your mom different?
Different hair color and you’re old. (Over 24 hours in labor & a c-sec for this?!?)

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
You say it every day. (And I always will)

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
I don’t know. What DO you like about dad? (Hmmm...maybe need to work on that Proverbs 31 thing a bit more.)

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Nashville (Not a bad choice.)

Fear of change

2009-03-18T06:37:00.004-05:00

9:30 am ~ Thank you so much for your kind comments and your prayers! Salary and benefit cuts are in my future, but God is good and I still have a job as does everyone else. Everyone from the CEO on down will be taking a pay cut and we will try to do this by cutting out any expense that we can. Their goal is to not cut any additional staff though so that when the economy turns around, we will all still be in place to move forward. I honestly expected to find that we were going to be losing more people and I could do cartwheels right now because I'm so happy that this family gets to stay together. Thank you God for employers that truly do care about the welfare of their employees.

6:30 am ~ I am not a person that likes change. I rarely change my hair. I carry the same handbag until it falls apart. My furniture hasn't been rearranged in over ten years. I have no desire to find a new house and move. I like to know what's going to happen each day, each week, each month. The fact that my husband's work schedule changes each week makes me crazy. I am comforted by routine.

Armed with that information about me, you can only imagine what the current state of events in nation's economy are doing to me. Everything seems to be up in the air and nothing is certain. Kevin has already been through a series of jobs in the last 12 months due to the economy. Until yesterday, I had felt very secure in my job. On March 27th I will celebrate my 20th anniversary with the company. Yesterday though, I learned that we will be having a company wide conference call today. Actually, in about 2 hours I will be listening to our CEO discuss plans for our company's future. I have no idea what he plans to say. Keep in mind, our offices share a wall so it isn't like he is someone I never see or talk to. To put it mildly, I'm terrified. I know that we will have to find ways to spend less. I'm pretty certain that wages will be frozen. Maybe some benefits will be cut. Those are all things I can deal with. What I can't handle is people losing their jobs. There are people there that have seen me through getting engaged and married. They watched my tummy grow with a child inside and rejoiced when my son was born. They came to the funeral home when I lost my grandmothers and saw me through some very dark days with my husband's illness.

I realize that if someone I care about leaves the company it doesn't mean they have to leave my life. We can still see each other or talk on the phone. I just don't want them to go. None of us are wealthy and several are single women living on one income. Losing a job could mean losing a home. We all actually care about the company that we work for (family owned) and losing employees will be much like losing family members.

Then there is the fear of myself being someone that is part of the staff reduction. That thought had me sobbing in a bathroom stall yesterday. I think of the hardship it would cause because I'm the one that carries all of our insurance. I'm the main breadwinner at this time. I also think about the 'family' I could lose. I've been with many of them longer than Kevin and I have been together and I'm not ready to say goodbye.

If you should read this before 8:30am central, please say a quick prayer for the gang at SCCC. I think we could all use it.

Memory Monday 03.16.09

2009-03-16T07:07:00.004-05:00

I'm finally joining in on Memory Monday!

The first thing I want to memorize is Proverbs 31:10-31. Obviously I can't do it all at once so I'm starting with verses 10 -12. I'm not good at memorization so I'm going to take this in small pieces.

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12

Simple Sunday 03.15.09

2009-03-15T10:05:00.002-05:00

In keeping with the title of this blog, I want to take time out each week to remember the simple things that happen in daily life that make me happy. Those are the things that really matter. Sometimes they occur in mere seconds and are gone all too quickly. I want to be able to come back and read through them and remember. When life is making me crazy, I want to be able to remember.

Simple Sunday

Dylan shared the big recliner with me yesterday while watching a movie. That has been our snuggle spot since he came home from the hospital but for the last year or so he's been telling me we don't fit and he wouldn't sit with me. But yesterday, for 2 glorious hours my boy sat in our chair with me and let me snuggle.

On Friday night I finally went and got my Sam's card. I was added to the company account this year but hadn't made it out there yet. So, I got the card and Kevin went with me. We walked through the store chatting and buying way too much. Including a 5 lb bag of peanuts in the shell. We never grocery shop together and it was fun to spend the time together.

Last Saturday night we went shopping at the mall for Dylan's birthday presents. We had Chik-Fil-A and spent time in the cafe court reminiscing about our growing boy.

That's it. That's all I have for this week. I'm sure there were other moments that passed too quickly and were forgotten. I'll have to try to make notes this week. I don't want to forget the simple things that make me smile.

Dear 2009 - The apology

2009-03-15T09:28:00.003-05:00

Dear 2009,

I sincerely apologize for for my oh so sassy post on New Year's Day. I really had no idea you would take it so personally. Did you really need to retaliate to the extent that you did? I know I was a little sassy, but I didn't even use curse words!

Anyhoo, I'm sorry for disrespecting you the way that I did and I'm hoping that you will accept my apology and allow me to have a halfway decent 9 1/2 months. Pretty please???

Thanks,
m

Yeah, I was sassy and I've paid for it. The last two months have been exhausting.

I have worked more hours than ever before. About 15 hours of overtime each week which includes every Saturday. The time leading up to our annual audit is always crazy, but this was ridiculous. Then the auditors were on site for 3 weeks. I cringe just thinking about it.
I turned 41. 'Nuff said.
Kevin lost his job. It was retail sales and their business bottomed out after Christmas. Last one hired, first one fired.
My dad ended up in the hospital for 24 hours with a very nasty flu bug.
We had a massive ice storm. We never lost electricity but we did lose cable, phone and internet. We can't complain about that though since the neighbors across the street didn't have electricity for a week!
My dad turned 80. We had a huge party and it all turned out perfectly. This was one of the few bright spots this winter.
I had to get bifocal contact lenses. I'm officially old.
Kevin's substitute teacher license came through (finally) and he subbed 4 days in Feb. Then.....
Kevin started a new job. It's a temp to hire thing and we're still in the temp part. I hope it works out.
I missed too many Boy Scout meetings and I'm way behind in my secretarial duties.
I missed 2 PTA meetings, the Valentine Dance and Barbeque Bingo. I'm way behind on my treasurer duties.
Our roof was finally replaced from damage from Hurrican Ike in September. Yeah, I said hurricane and I live in Indiana. Bizarre.
My boy turned 13. I thought that since I had a boy, I wouldn't have to deal with the whole hormone thing like I would if I'd had a girl. Was I ever kidding myself!

2009 has really been kicking my tail, but now that I'm back to a 40 hour workweek I'm hoping I can get back on track. If the weather could warm up, I'd be in great shape! I'm much more productive around the house when I'm not bundled up in a blanket. Really, I am.

10 on the 10th

2009-03-10T11:40:00.007-05:00

Today is my son's 13th birthday so I'm going to post 10 things I love about this boy.

I love that when he was little he said "kank koo" for thank you.

I love that he still had to be tucked in every night until he was at least 12.

I love that he isn't embarassed to go skateboarding with his dad.

I love that he can now set up his own tent and cook his own meal over a fire that he started.

I love that when he was little he would tell people he had a brother and that brother's name was Grandpa.

I love that he will still play Monopoly with me even though he now considers me an inferior opponent.

I love that his best friends are his cousins. Cousins are very important when you are an only child.

I love that in staring contests I can always make him laugh first.

I love that he went to his first real concert (John Mellencamp) with his old mom and dad.

I love that he plays the drums and guitar....just like his daddy.

Happy Birthday beautiful boy. I love you.

Dear 2009

2009-01-01T11:52:00.002-06:00

Dear 2009,
You. Are. Mine. The last two or three years have kicked my tail but you won't. I'm not even going to give you a chance. You see, I am motivated. I am motivated to get my life together, to spend more time on what is truly important and to learn to live each day to its fullest.

Usually I make resolutions but I'm not going to do that this year. Why not you ask? Because making resolutions is really just a form of self torture. I'm an all or nothing gal and when I make a resolution I'm only setting myself up for failure. I resolve to exercise three times a week. I make it through the first week and then I only manage to get two times in the second week. I've failed and I give up. Substitute diet, quiet time, family nights, blogging, cooking, staying on a budget and reading for exercise and you'll see that I start off each and every year by planning to drive myself crazy and send myself into a deep depression. What a sick tradition!

This year I'm making some goals and creating a to do list. Basically I just want to try to keep my eye on my goal of living a simple life and putting God and my family first. The rest is just details.

Over there>>>>> on the side bar, is my list of goals and to do's. I'm not setting any "must do three times a week" mandates on myself. I'm just going to work on doing better. As long as I'm improving I'm not failing. That should keep me from sending myself into a deep dark depression by the 15th of January.

So that's it 2009. You are the year I'm going to start living the life I was meant to live!

Yours truly,
Me

A Christmas Meme

2008-12-09T16:22:00.003-06:00

I need to lighten the mood around here so I snatched this from Joanne's blog.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I love them both! I'll take the egg nog though.

2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa just sits them under the tree.

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white? White.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I've never had misteltoe.

5.When do you put your decorations up? Ususally around the first weekend in December but I'm really running late this year.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Mom makes Hot Browns.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Making cookies with Grandma.

8.When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My cousin Shelli told me when I was 4. Scrooge.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open gifts at my in-laws house.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Very old fashioned looking. All white lights, lots of ornaments (many handmade), popcorn strings and an angel on top.

11. Snow. Love it or dread it? I love it on the weekends but hate it on workdays.

12. Can you ice skate? Not a chance.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Barbie's Dream House

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Spending time with my family.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Sugar cookies with icing.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Singing carols with the whole family while my mother-in-law plays the piano.

17. What tops your Christmas tree? An angel all dressed in gold and white.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Little Town of Bethlehem

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck? Yuck

21. What do you want for Christmas? Time to rest and relax with my family.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? I have a couple of work parties but nothing with friends.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's? Jeans and a sweater.

24. Do you own a Santa hat? Several. My son was obsessed with them when he was little.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Christmas Eve with Kevin's family and Christmas Day with my family.

Oh what a week

2008-12-04T07:24:00.004-06:00

This week.
It's flying by.
We've been up too late at night.
Waking up has been hard to do.
The house isn't as neat as it was last week.
I didn't have quiet time today.
Work is a bear. A bear that was forced awake in January. Mean.
Tonight is family night and I may be at the office late.
Check engine light on the car came on last night.
Heat in car is no longer working and it is currently 25 outside.
Scouts was bad last night. We have a boy in trouble.
PTA was bad Tues night. Kids fighting in parking lot.
I have to pack tonight for an overnight trip to Nashville.
I'm not even looking forward to Nashville anymore. Too tired.
There are no Christmas decorations up in my house.
I need caffeine.

Close your eyes and imagine...

2008-11-30T10:14:00.002-06:00

I don't remember where, but a while back I read an article about visualizing the outcome of something you want to achieve in order to help you truly achieve it. For example, if you want to lose weight, you should visualize yourself at your goal weight, how you would look and feel, and this will help you on your journey. I've been thinking about what I want my home life to look like.

I see myself sitting on the couch each morning reading my bible and talking with my God. Then I spend time readying the house for the day. I see Dylan and I sitting at the breakfast table each morning. We chat about the day ahead. We both get ready for the day and leave the house on time. Evenings are spent eating dinner together as a family. Then we do the dishes and spend the rest of the evening together talking, reading and playing games.

Gee, does that sound a little 'Waltonesque' or what? I can't help it. I love watching that show and seeing the whole family together in the living room after dinner. They gather around the radio to listen to a favorite show. John is reading the paper, a couple of children play checkers and Olivia and Grandma are mending clothes or kintting. That's what I want my world to look like. Now I just have to figure out how to get there.

I think it's going to take quite a while to get to where I want to be. Each and every inch of this house needs to be cleaned and the excess stuff that has accumulated tossed out or donated. There is so much stuff crowding our very small house that we can't enjoy the things that we love. I've started on the basement and oh my word it's going to take much more time than I thought. I'm afraid that a New Year's Eve party won't be happening this year. There is so much cleaning to do. Our basement gets damp when we have a lot of rain and this past spring was wetter than normal. As I'm pulling out boxes I'm finding that I'm going to have to wash down everything with bleach. Furniture will have to be moved and carpets cleaned. There just won't be enough time over the next 3-4 weeks for me to get it all done. I think we'll have to shoot for spring break instead.

Between now and New Year's Eve I'm going to work on my 2009 plan. It will be my year of learning to life a simpler life. 2009 is all mine.

So far, so good

2008-11-24T05:35:00.002-06:00

I'm up! I read the first 2 chapters of Genesis and spent time in prayer for myself, my family and my coworkers. Then I put away the clean dishes in the drainer, washed some glasses that were in the sink and set out things for breakfast. Then I put a load of laundry in the dryer, another load in the wash and put away mine and Kevin's clean clothes. Dylan can put away his basket tonight. Now I'm headed to the shower. I'll have to hurry to be ready to eat breakfast with Dylan at 6am but I think I can make it.

Now, my confession. I never went to the grocery last night so I'll have to do it tonight after PTA. I also never made it to the basement yesterday. I'm going to have a lot to do next weekend.

Okay shower, here I come!

A Fresh Start

2008-11-23T12:40:00.005-06:00

This is it. I'm making a plan and sticking to it. I've promised my son. There is no going back.

Our mornings are horrible so we've made a schedule that we are going to follow. No matter how difficult it is we are going to stay on track until we get used to it. I've read that it takes 30 days to create a habit. Getting started during the holidays probably isn't the smartest idea, but I'm always that person that waits until Monday...or the first of the month...or New Year's Day....or Groundhog Day....or whatever else will let me put it off another day. I'm hoping that by New Year's Day we'll be feeling like we are gaining some ground.

Our Morning Schedule

4:00-4:30 Quiet time with God - I need this, I really do.

4:30-5:30 Home Blessing (I've always called it housework but this sounds so much nicer)

5:30-6:00 Shower & Hair

6:00-6:30 Breakfast with Dylan

6:30-7:00 Bathroom time for me, shower for Dylan

7:00-7:30 I get dressed, Dylan has his bathroom time

7:30-8:00 Take Dylan to school and me to work

Note - I'm not leaving Kevin out on purpose, he just never gets up until we are out of the house because he doesn't have to be at work until 9am at the earliest.

This week will be a bit off because of the holiday, but here are our plans.

Today
I'm heading down to the basement to clean. Later I need to run to the grocery so I don't have the fight the crowds later in the week.

Monday
Work/School
PTA - Pack Thanksgiving baskets
Dylan's music lessons - Kevin will drive
Dinner
Review Dylan's schoolwork

Tuesday
Work/School
Dinner
Review Dylan's schoolwork
Laundry & Ironing
Vacuum carpet & Quick dust with Swiffer

Wednesday
Work/School
Dinner
Review Dylan's schoolwork
Bake cookies for Kevin's Black Friday lunch (he works retail...yipes!)
Make slaw for Thanksfiving Day lunch
Make sure everything is set for Thanksgiving Day

Thursday
Make sweet potato casserole and green beans
Mom's house for lunch
In-laws house for dinner

Friday
Put together tray of cookies for Kevin
Clean basement
Work on laundry

Saturday
Clean basement
Work on laundry (yes there really is this much to be done)
Dylan's friend here to work on Science Fair project

Sunday
Breakfast
Church
Day trip with Mom, Dad, Kevin and Dylan to West Baden to see Christmas decorations.
Back home to make sure things are ready to start all over on Monday morning.

So, there it is. I'm putting our morning routine on the front of the fridge and in the bathroom so we can easily refer to it as we create these new habits. The weekly schedule will go on my weekly dry erase board on the fridge. I've already been using this to keep activities straight but now I'm going to put everything on there...chores, meals, everything. The hardest part is going to be getting up at 4am but it has to be done. At least until the clutter is gone. I hope to eventually hit a maintenance mode that won't require the kinds of hours I'm going to need to put in to get this place in order.

Now, I'm headed to the basement to get started sorting out what needs to go and what needs to stay. Wish me luck!

I need a plan

2008-11-22T06:32:00.002-06:00

This weekend I'm going to take some time to come up with a realistic daily schedule and plan for the week. I've probably chosen a bad time to start this since it is a holiday week, but I can't put it off any longer. I am constantly making schedules that just don't work. They are unrealistic. I plan to get up much earlier than I'm capable of and do way more than I can possibly accomplish in the time allotted. I make a very valiant attempt to follow this 'dream' schedule for a week and then completely give up when I fail and fall back into 'no schedule at all' mode. This is no way to live.

Several things have come to a head this week that have let me know I and my family cannot continue on this chaotic path. Mostly, they had to do with Dylan. His schoolwork is suffering. He is not a natural organizer and he needs help. Because the house is a wreck and our calendar is bursting at the seams, I haven't been helping him the way I should. Days and weeks pass without me really checking his grades online or asking to see his agenda book. He says he doesn't have homework and I just run with that because it's easier and hey, we need to be across town 5 minutes ago so grab your coat and run for the car. I met with all of his teachers yesterday and we discussed ways to help him get back on track. I've known for a long time that we are too busy but that meeting with the teachers was the smack in the face I needed. We need more time to just be at home doing the mundane day to day stuff like looking at agenda books. After that meeting I took a scalpel to our calendar and cut out everything I possibly could for the months of November and December. I haven't started a 2009 calendar yet but the first thing I'm going to do is schedule a weekly family night. If it's on my calendar in ink I won't be lying to people when I tell them I have a prior committment. I'm choosing Thursday because it's my hubby's day off. He will be relaxed and can have part of dinner ready so we can eat shortly after I get home from work. That will leave more time for games and movies.

The second thing that really hit me this week was how badly I need to get this house under control so that Dylan can invite friends over. I'm so embarassed by the mounds of clutter that I don't allow anyone in the house. And then there is the basement. Back in April I pulled everything out of the storage area so I could go through it, throw away a bunch and organize what was left. Well, it's all still sitting there in November. Even though it isn't very nice, the finished part of the basement could be a decent family room. The bookcases are down there. There is a small sofa and television along with the stereo and all of our cd's. The treadmill is currently folded up because the floor is full of junk and I can't unfold it. Dylan's drumset is down there and I'd like to make a music area with his and Kevin's guitars and the keyboard hiding under my bed. It could be a fabulous place for a 12 year old boy to hang out with his friends playing music, watching movies or playing video games. I even have a dream of turning a corner into my office. I have an old computer that I'd like to set up on a small desk. This would be my place for doing Boy Scout and PTA work and paying bills. Right now all of this stuff is in my living room. Ugh.

I need to do this for Dylan. He doesn't have friends over which leaves him sitting in front of the tv or computer all alone. He's becoming a sad little boy. On Thursday night a friend came over so they could work on their science fair project. I managed to get the house into decent shape so that his friend wouldn't think we were truly horrible and Kevin was off all day so he did some more straightening. Kevin put dinner in the crock pot for me (I had it all assembled in a zip loc bag) so we would have a meal other than pizza. When I got home from work, Dylan and his friend were working ont their project and they were having a ball. They were laughing and goofing around. Then something happened that has never happened before. At the last minute we invited his friend to stay for dinner. I realize this isn't huge and it happens in houses all over the country every single day, but for us it was HUGE. I saw how happy it made Dylan. I saw his eyes light up and I saw him smiling from ear to ear. He's a very lonely little boy and it's my fault. I never let him invite anyone over because of the house, and he usually can't accept invitations from friends because we already have other plans. I have taken this very social little boy and refused to let him spend time with friends. Seeing the pure joy on his face at having a friend stay for dinner just broke my heart. Why on earth have I let our lives get to the point that I can't let my child invite a friend over to play, spend the night or have dinner? I want to see that joy on his face all the time. I don't want him to be lonely.

So, the plan. One must be made. I'm going to work on it and post it later this weekend. Today I need to straighten up the house, do some laundry and finish helping Dylan set up his new computer. He has worked and saved for the last year or so to buy this computer. We started setting it up last night but couldn't finish because we need a cable and by the time we figured that out the stores were closed. I can run and get that at 9am, then I'm going to finish the computer setup, straighten the house and put away clean laundry. The rest of the day will be spent in the basement. All day tomorrow will be spent in the basement. This coming Friday and Saturday will be spent in the basement. If I can get through all of the boxes, bags and piles by next Friday, that will only leave the deep cleaning. I can do that in the evenings. My goal is to get it in shape so that Dylan can have a sleepover party for New Year's Eve. He doesn't know that yet. I'm going to wait until next weekend to tell him. That way I'll be sure that I can actually pull it off. It will make him so happy and that smile will make my heart melt so it's a win/win situation.

And now I see there is still an hour and a half before the store opens so I think I'll start the house straightening right now. That way there will be less to do later. Gee, what a novel idea.

My head is spinning

2008-08-20T06:01:00.004-05:00

***edited at the bottom***

A few years ago, Kevin and I went through a difficult period. There was loss of a job and illness all rolled up together. I was under a great deal of stress trying to keep everything running smoothly, pay the bills and care for the two loves of my life. There was no time for friends or any extras. I just plodded through the days, one after the other, attempting to keep my head above water.

After about 3 years of living this way, I fell into a group of wonderful women friends. It's a large group and everyone is so different. They are a pretty outgoing group too. When we are all together there is much laughter, shopping, eating, dancing and general craziness. I was convinced that this was what my life should be about. I should be having fun! I'd been struggling for so long that now it was my turn. I deserved to get away for girls weekends. I deserved a break from the mundane. I should be going out listening to music. I should be out shopping for more fashionable, sexier clothes. I should be doing all sorts of things for ME. So I did. I did all of those things and guess what? They didn't make me happy either. Not truly happy. I was trying to be someone I'm not and we all know that never works in the long run. Yes, I love spending time with my friends. They are amazing and they make me laugh and they actually listen to me when I talk. I'm looking forward to seeing them in a couple of months because it's been a very long time since I've seen them. I've learned though, that bars and music aren't really my thing. I'll never be fashionable or sexy. I don't feel all that refreshed after a girls weekend, but I do feel guilty for leaving my husband and son. I learned that being a wife and mom is my thing. It always has been and it always will be.

I've spent a great deal of time thinking and praying about who I really am. What my purpose in life is. The answer is that I'm a wife, mother and daughter. That's it. I'm not going to change the world and I'm not going to decorate the world. (ala Baby & Lisa in Dirty Dancing) I'm just going to be a mom. A friend of mine wrote in a blog that there was a time when she saw herself turning into a soccer mom and it scared her to death. For a time I thought it should scare me too but now I know that's who I'm supposed to be. Okay, so I'm a Boy Scout mom instead of a soccer mom, but the result is the same. I just feel like I've been let out of jail or something. I'm free from the struggle that has gone on inside of me for so long. This is who I am and I won't apologize for it or try to change for anyone. I'm a God loving wife and mother. Period.

Now that I've had this great revelation, I'm overwhelmed with all the thoughts in my head and information on the web on being a wife and mother. I've never eased into anything in my life. I always jump in enthusiastically, ready to take on the world. So, I want to do it all! I want to be a great wife and mother. I want to declutter my house. I want to make my own cleaning supplies. I want to plant a garden and can vegetables. I want to start sewing and crocheting again. I want to create a haven in my home. I want to become a bible scholar. I want to simplify my life. I want to start a mom's group. I want to learn to cook really tasty and nutritious meals. I want to craft my own gifts and make a Christmas planner....in August.

Can you see why I'm going crazy over here? I want to makeover my whole life in about 3 days. At this rate I'll lose my marbles. I know I need to slow down and ease into everything but that's so hard. Every blog I read has the most wonderful ideas for creating a lovely yet simple home. They have recipes. They have crafts to make. They have information on being a good wife and mother. It's all right there for me to read and absorb. There are so many fabulous women out there writing and sharing their hearts with others. The internet is an amazing place.

So, here I am, spinning in circles trying to do it all. I have a lot to learn and a lot of work to do to but it feels so incredible to have the fog lifted away so that I can see which direction I'm going.

Edited to add: Joanne pointed out this Psalm to me in her comment. It's perfect for me right now.

Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning- 6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. 7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10 The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

An ending

2008-05-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of sixth grade for Dylan. School would have ended last week but we had some days to make up due to all the snow and ice storms. I can't believe he's finishing the sixth grade. Only two more years and he will be entering high school. It's unbelievable to think that he's that old already.

Today I go back to work after a three day weekend. I wish it were my last day for the year too. Kids just don't know how good they have it.

I caught a glimpse

2008-05-26T07:39:00.002-05:00

On Saturday Dylan and I made the cemetary rounds with my parents. We do it every year for Memorial Day. We have several cemetaries that we visit, decorating the graves with flowers and remember those that are buried there. Our first stop was to the graves of my maternal grandparents, their parents and a many other family members that were gone long before I was born. It's an old country cemetary with stones dating back to the Civil War. It sits behind a church that is no longer used. I remember going there as a little girl with my mom and grandmother. We would go early in the morning and stay for a good part of the day, taking lawn chairs and a picnic basket. We sat our chairs in the shade of the giant oak trees that stand just outside the fence surrounding the cemetary. My grandmother would visit with old neighbors and relatives as they came to visit the cemetary. Many of them also brought their chairs and lunch. It didn't seem the least bit odd to me that we would picnic and visit a few dozen feet from the graves of our ancestors. These days, we don't take our chairs and stay for the day, but we do wander all through the cemetary, making note of new graves and chatting with others that are there doing the same.

When we were finished at the cemetary, we did something we haven't done in a very long time. We took a drive through the country. Mom showed us the one room school house where she attended the eighth grade. We saw where her house was and where her grandfather's house was across the road. We drove the route that she walked to school each day. We saw where her best friend lived, the home she cleaned for an elderly widower and the location of the local store and talked about how she walked to all of them. She didn't even have a bicycle to ride. It's no wonder that obesity wasn't a problem back in the 30's and 40's. My mother and her siblings walked more miles in one day than I walk in a whole week.

As we drove up and down these gravel roads, I caught a glimpse of the life that my mother had and the life that I want. Granted mom grew up without indoor plumbing and electricity and I have no desire to go to that extreme, but there was definately something in her life that I want. It's simplicity and I believe that it still exists today on those country roads. We drove past homes where people were sitting on porch swings or in chairs in the yard. They waved at us as we drove past. They had no clue who we were yet they waved. People don't do that where I live. We saw people working in their gardens, fishing in ponds and hanging clothes out on the line to dry. Many of them were doing chores but there was a big difference between them and me. They were smiling and waving and enjoying their lives. They find joy in their everyday lives and enjoy the things that I consider mundane. They also do a wonderful job of keeping their homes looking neat and put together and inviting. My porch has containers of camping gear from two weeks ago sitting on it. It isn't a porch that screams out "come on over sit down and have a glass of sweet tea".

I want what they have. I want to find joy in taking care of my home and family and not look at it as a chore. I want to create a home that makes people want to come over and sit for a while. I want to bring that country road to my home in the city and make my home a wonderful place to live.

Happy Birthday Mr. President

2008-05-18T07:23:00.011-05:00

I haven't been keeping up with my thrice weekly posts. I'm just not doing a very good job of simplifying so that I have more time for doing the things I really want to do. I'm not giving up though! (The basement is still a wreck too. Ugh.) As for Simple Things...spending special times with my family is definately at the top of the list. Mother's Day weekend was one of those times.

We live in one of the three states in which Abraham Lincoln grew up. From Feb 12, 2008 to Feb 12, 2009 the nation is celebrating Lincoln's 200th birthday. Last weekend, one of five national events celebrating his bicentennial was held near our home. It was called the Bicentennial Lincoln Encampment. A state park was closed so that approximately 4300 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, along with leaders and parents, could attend. We drove up on Friday night to set up our camp. Keep in mind that it had been raining all week long so we set up our tents in a mud pit. On Saturday morning we had a wonderful breakfast of pancakes and sausage before starting out for our day long trek. Each person had a passport type booklet which they would carry all day long as they visited various events throughout the State Park and the neighboring National Lincoln Boyhood Memorial. At each event or display, everyone would receive a stamp in their book. Everyone completing all of the required events earned a commemorative medal. Let me tell you, this was not a 'gimme'. Everyone had to really work to make it to all of the events. Our troop walked approximately 10 miles (I think it was more) between 8am and 4:40pm. We only stopped once, letting the boys sit down for about 20 minutes to eat their sack lunches. We were very fortunate in that two dads stayed at our camp for the day and had a delcious dinner ready for us when we finally got back to camp. I've never tasted better grilled chicken. After dinner, it was back to the National Boyhood Memorial for the closing ceremonies. There was music and a performance by Fritz Klein who appears accross the country as Abraham Lincoln.

After the closing ceremony it was back to our campsite for the night. By the time I took my shoes off on Saturday night my feet were throbbing and my whole body hurt. The boys were tired too and didn't argue once when we said it was time to head to the tents for lights out.

Saturday night into Sunday morning was interesting. Bad weather blew in. It rained for hours and then the wind began to blow. We had wind gusts of 50-60 mph. Amazingly we only had one tent that came down in the storm after a pole broke. There were other troops camping all around is and other tents were coming down and anything that hadn't been stored well the night before was flying around through the campground. It was an ugly night. We had planned to get the boys up at 8am to pack up for our return home. Well, the weather had everyone awake by 5:30am so we were on the road by 8am. It was a long weekend, but one that I hope the boys never forget. This was an opportunity that they will never have again.

Now, a few scenes from our weekend.

Here we are starting out on Saturday morning. Eight hours later we weren't moving quite so quickly.

We learned how to make Cloud Biscuts from "Mrs. Lincoln".

The Civil War encampment was a huge hit with the boys.

Listening to the Native American drummers was incredibly relaxing.

The amazing Fritz Klein wowed us with his rendition of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

The sky on Sunday morning wasn't very pretty.

Abby

2008-05-04T17:26:00.002-05:00

My sweet Abby

For fifteen years you were my girl.

You'll always be my girl.

I'm going to miss you so much.

Wheeeee!!!!

2008-05-02T15:42:00.003-05:00

I just received FREE tickets to tomorrow night's Casting Crowns concert! I get to take Dylan and my niece. They are practically twins since they were born only 10 days apart. I'm so excited! We get to sit in a skybox and everything!

God is good!!!

A long week

2008-04-29T14:07:00.002-05:00

Last week was a rough one. I took a whole week off from work thinking I could get the basement cleaned out and cleaned. I thought that by Friday I would be shampooing the carpets and putting the finishing touches on the family room. It didn't happen. I was pulled away for all sorts of errands and other things that were minor emergencies and needed to be handled. This left the basement actually looking worse than when I started. Now I need to somehow find several hours this week to work down there going through boxes, bags and piles. I can't give up until it's done.

I can't believe I let things get this way. I feel like one of those people you see on one of the Clean(fill in the blank) type shows. I just have accumulated so much stuff and I have no idea why. Of course I'm not in this alone. I have a husband that loves to buy books and cd's and junk in a big way. On a daily basis he comes in the house with some pile of stuff that I'm supposed to find a place for.

So, now I just have to keep plugging away and working at the mountain on a daily basis. The trick is finding time to do that. I'm considering getting up very early each morning to try to get an hour or so in each day before anyone else gets out of bed. Can I truly face clutter at 5am though? We'll see.

I'm not even going to try to post my schedule for this week because I don't really have a good one. I know that tonight my neice is interviewing my father, a former chef, for a school project. Tomorrow night is Scouts and Thursday night is the Green and White Banquet at school for students that made the A or B honor roll all year. Saturday we are celebrating May Birthdays in Kevin's family. We celebrate once a month instead of trying to do them individually. I have no meal plan or chore plan. I'm just going to try to fit in working on the basement whenever I can. Which will probably be at 5am. Oh. My. The more I try to simplify our lives the busier they get. How exactly did that happen?

This past weekend wasn't all bad. Kevin was out of town doing outdoor skills training for Boy Scouts. He really enjoyed it and we have discovered that he is a whiz with a compass. Dylan and I spent Saturday shoe shopping, having a nice dinner and just being together. We actually made it to church on Sunday (first time in months) and then came home and cooked a brunch of pancakes and sausage. We certainly didn't spend Sunday as a day of rest as is my goal. We did get the main part of the house somewhat cleaned up though. I felt so energized after we came home from church that I just couldn't help myself. I went on a cleaning frenzy.

I told Kevin last night that the lightbulb came on and I know what's been wrong with me. I know why I've been depressed and haven't wanted to do anything but sit in the recliner watching tv for the last year. I've let God slip out of my life. Oh, I know He's there, but I've been taking Him for granted and haven't paid a bit of attention to Him. We haven't been going to church. I haven't been reading my bible. I've let myself fall into watching things on tv that are dark and depressing instead of uplifting and positive. It's actually been building for about four years, but this last year it has really hit me hard. I need to make changes from the inside out. I'm so thankful that God doesn't take me for granted like I do Him. I've felt so lonely this last year because I haven't allowed God to be a part of my day to day life. What was I thinking? What was I teaching my son? *This is where I knock myself in the head V8 style*

So, in addition to the time I need to spend working on our house, making family time, cooking family meals and working outside the home, I need to make time for me and God. Anyone have any idea how I can do this still get to sleep each night? How is a mom supposed to do it all? Is a mom supposed to do it all? So many questions, so few answers.

I've made a big mistake

2008-04-21T18:59:00.002-05:00

I can't get this basement completely cleaned and organized in a week. It's going to take years. There are boxes of papers that never made it to a filing cabinet. Boxes of baby clothes and toys that I just can't seem to give up. Camping gear, photos, cd's, videos, clothes that no longer fit and stuff. Stuff that I don't ever remember purchasing. Oh. My. Word. How did I let this happen?

That's it. I don't stop until every inch of this house has been decluttered and cleaned. It's going to be a very long spring and summer.

Week 2

2008-04-21T07:17:00.002-05:00

Last week went pretty well. There were a few glitches here and there but all in all it went pretty well. This week will be completely different as I have taken the whole week off from work to do some major cleaning and decluttering in the basement. I'm scared that today is already shaping up to be a bad day in which I won't accomplish a lot, but I'm going to do my best. Dylan is staying home from school with a sore throat and will need to make a trip to the doctor and we are short one car at the moment. I really hope I'm able to get a lot done even though everthing is working against me and it's ony 7:25 am.

So here is the plan for this week.

Monday
Kevin works 3:00 - 9:15
Dylan is home and will need to go to the doctor.
I plan to work on the basement as much as possible.
Dylan and I will have chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and veggies for dinner.

Tuesday
Kevin works 9:00 - 4:00
I'll be back in the basement.
This will be our family night with dinner and games.
Dinner will be pork chops, potatoes and veggies.

Wednesday
Kevin works 8:30 - 3:00
I'll be back in that basement again but will stop early to take Dylan to the orthodontist.
It's curbside recycling day so we have to have our tub to the curb early.
It will be Sloppy Joes for an early dinner.
We will all be at Boy Scouts from 6:00 - 8:00

Thursday
Kevin works 3:30 - 9:15
Me, I'll be back in that basement again.
Dylan and I will have Chicken & Cheese Quesedillias for dinner.

Friday
Kevin is off and will be leaving for Scout training.
I'm hoping to shampoo the basement carpet and then clean up the rest of the house.
Dylan and I will have the night to ourselves and we'll have to find something fun to do.

Saturday
Kevin will be gone for Scout training.
I really hope that I will be done with the basement so that Dylan and I can have a fun day!

Report Card

2008-04-20T07:59:00.003-05:00

Family Dinners - 4
Family Game Night - 1

Not bad for our first week. A few changes were made to the schedule. Yesterday, Dylan had a Scout project that I didn't know about so we had to switch things up a bit. The result was that no work was done on the basement yesterday.

So far today we are completely off schedule because Kevin is working early this morning. So, I didn't cook a big breakfast. He will be home pretty early though so I'm hoping we can have some family time this afternoon.

Earthquake!

2008-04-18T06:53:00.003-05:00

We were shaken awake at 4:36 this morning by an earthquake. And we don't even live in California. Kevin and I woke up to our bed shaking and the sound of windows rattling. We jumped out of bed and ran for Dylan's room. I yelled for him to get out of bed, he sleeps on the lower level of bunk beds, and he met us in his doorway. We stood there and rode out the rest of the quake. It lasted almost 45 seconds which seems like hours when your house is shaking. The reports say that the epicenter was about 70 miles away and that it was a 5.2 quake.

This was about the sixth earthquake that I can recall feeling. It was Dylan's second one and he has declared it "cool". Oh to be twelve.

In an instant

2008-04-15T05:44:00.002-05:00

Yesterday went well. I worked like a mad woman while at the office and feel caught up after being gone to training last week. Dylan and I had eye doctor appointments and now Dylan is the proud owner of a pair of contacts. He's feeling oh so grown up and is thrilled that he won't have to wear glasses any longer. Then I came home and lit into the house while Kevin took Dylan to his music lessons. I found something to cook for dinner. Ok, it was Hamburger Helper, but it was food and can be cooked quickly. Anyway, I put that on the stove, straightened up the house a bit and put away basket after basket of clean laundry. Not long after my guys came home, we sat down to a family dinner. Yay! We chatted about school, about the test Kevin had taken, about upcoming Scout adventures and the fact that I had made a schedule for the week and posted it on the fridge. Dylan takes after me and loves it when we have a schedule. While he was doing his happy dance because I'm grilling steaks on Saturday night, it happened. I realized that I had left something off the schedule. I have to work the ticket table for a music program at the school on Thursday and Friday night. The rest of the PTA officers will be at the state convention and that leaves me, the incoming treasurer to hande everything. (The fact that only about five people do anything for the PTA at my son's Title I school is a whole other post.)

In an instant Kevin went from praising the fact that we had dinner on the table and the house looked decent, to berating me for putting a Family Night on the schedule if I wasn't going to be there, volunteering for too much, and just being an all around incompetent wife. In an instant, I went from feeling like "I can do this" to "Why do I bother?". In an instant I went from being cheerful mom to the wicked witch of southern Indiana. So much for a lovely evening with my family. It ended about midnight with me sitting on the floor at the coffee table paying bills and realizing that our car tags expire on the 15th. That would be today. Which means I'll be speding my lunch hour at the BMV. Great fun.

So, today is a new day and I'm going to try very hard once again. I'm going to be positive and do my best to keep to my schedule. I'm going to work it out so that I only have to be at the school for a short time on Thursday and Friday and I'm going to say a prayer right now and forgive and forget the episode at dinner last night. It's a new day. A clean slate and I'm only going to write good things on it.

Week One

2008-04-14T06:27:00.002-05:00

Here it is, the first week of trying to get organized and live simply. I'm afraid that there is so much organizing and cleaning to do that the living simply part isn't going to kick in for a while.

Monday
Kevin is off and is taking the post office test. Then he has a doctor's appt.
I work my normal 8-5 schedule with the exception that I'll be taking off early for mine and Dylan's eye doctor appointments.
Dylan has school, eye doctor and music lessons tonight.
Dinner will be whatever we can find and I will put away all clean laundry tonight. I also need to work on the bills. It may be a late night.

Tuesday
Kevin works 9-4.
I work 8-5
Dylan has school.
Kevin and I have a Troop Committee meeting at 6:30 and I think it will be a family dinner at Denny's. At least we'll all be together.
I will update the Troop website before going to bed.

Wednesday
Kevin works 2:30-9
I work 8-5
Dylan has school and will eat dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.
Dylan and I will go to the Troop meeting from 6-8.
I will organize our calendar before going to bed.

Thursday
Kevin is off
I work 8-5
Dylan has school.
We have no other plans so we will have a family dinner (beef stew) and can play games afterwards.

Friday
Kevin works 1-9:15
I work 8-5
Dylan has school.
Dylan and I will go grocery shopping and then have dinner when we get home.

Saturday
Kevin works 10-7
Dylan and I are off!!!
Dylan and I plan to hit the laundromat and then work in the basement all day long.
We'll have a late family dinner, steaks on the grill. Yum!

Sunday
Breakfast of pancakes and sausage.
Church
I have no idea what lunch will be.
We will attempt to have a relaxing family day with no chores.

Okay, so that's three family dinners, but one of them is at a restaurant. We'll work on having breakfast together as much as possible too.

I'll check in mid week and we'll see how this is going.

Here we go again!

2008-04-13T07:34:00.002-05:00

Let's see, is this my third or fourth attempt at blogging? I've lost count. I start a blog, post about 10 times, decide I hate my writing and give up for six months. This time I've set a goal for myself. I want to blog three times a week for one year. I always set to be an every day blogger and then get disgusted with myself because I can't meet that goal. I'm also giving myself permission to just blog whatever I'm thinking and I won't get upset with myself for not being witty and funny like so many of the blogs I read. So, if you want to tune in three times a week for mediocre writing, this is the place!

The purpose of this blog is to record our lives as we move from this crazy, cluttered life to one that is more peaceful and simple. It's going to take a lot of work, I know that, but I believe that it will be well worth it. Who knows, maybe someone else will be encouraged along the way.

I have just finished reading Living Simply by Joanne Heim a/k/a The Simple Wife. This was exactly the book that I'd been searching for. So many books on living a simple life involved growing my own vegetables, throwing away the television and only shopping at Goodwill. I don't want to become a vegetarian or live on a commune. I want to live in my little house with my family. I want to watch some television and buy pretty new clothes for summer. I want to eat steak for Pete's sakes!

I spent several days this past week in a computer class learning to use report writing software. One thing that the instructor said stuck in my head as something I wanted to do with this blog. I know, I was supposed to be concentrating on balance sheets and profit and loss statements and not blogging but sometimes my mind just works that way. He told us that when we are designing a new report, we should picture the end result first so we know where we want to end up. That's what I want to do here. I want to establish what I want my home life to look like so I know where I am headed.

The House
I start with the house because my surroundings seem to be causing me the most stress at the moment. It's a small house, only about 750 sq ft, with a full basement. Half of the basement is finished and should be a family room. However, it is filled with boxes and stacks of stuff and is currently uninhabitable by humans. The rest of the house isn't horrible, but every nook and cranny is filled with something. The house also needs some updating with paint, carpet, furniture.

I want this house to be clutter free and well organized. The storage area in the basement will be clean and organized with boxes and containers labeled. The laundry room will be clean and there will be system in place for sorting the dirty laundry in bins and clean laundry will not be allowed to pile up. The family room will be clean and free of boxes. Half of the room will be the music area with drums, guitars and keyboard. The other half will be a sitting area with comfy chairs and plenty of books. The rest of the house will be clean and clutter free. Closets will be orgaized and all of the things we don't use or like will be donated or tossed. The redecorating with paint, carpet and furniture will have to wait until funds allow.

Home Life
I truly am longing for more quality time with my family. We tend to all go our separate ways too often. Kevin will be buried in a book while I am watching television and Dylan is on the computer. We don't talk or interact and this just isn't acceptable. I know that we can't have a 'set' schedule with Kevin working retail, so we will need to be flexible. I will have to have a new schedule each week rather than being able to have a consistent routine. I want to sit down each week with our calendar and Kevin's schedule and plan out at least 3 family dinners and one night in which there will be no television or computer. I want it to be a night when we talk, play games, take a walk or ride bikes. This involves me learning to cook better than I do now and pulling together some menus that I can easily prepare. I would really like to set aside a day each month to prepare a few meals that can be frozen so that they are ready to go when we are in a hurry. I also want to do better with our morning routine. We need to sit down to a quiet breakfast together as often as possible and have our things ready from the night before so that we aren't running out the door at the last minute trailing stuff behind us.

Okay, so those are the basics of my picture. This is what I think a simple life should look like. A clean organized home and a family that spends time together. Can we get there? I think we can. It's going to require perseverance and the ability to say no to outside forces that would try to infringe on our family time, but I think I've got just enough fight left in me to do the job.