Family photo shoot

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

1. 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.
2. 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...."
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Colorado - I've never seen the Rocky Mountains and I would love to. I can't imagine anything more majestic.
10. 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

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

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

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

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

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'

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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!
7. 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

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.

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?

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

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.