Journal of a SAHM/Housewife

The Girlfriends

2011-09-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

They met for lunch today, this group of friends who hadn't seen each other all summer. And as girlfriends often do, they TALKED. About everything from the best way to avoid mold in the rubber strip of their front-loading washing machines...to how to best communicate with their husbands.

These ladies are not perfect - not by any means. They've all admitted their weaknesses and faults to each other, because over the years, they've discovered that there is strength in sharing their struggles.

And today, over lunch, they talked and laughed, and caught up on each other's lives.

Somehow, the conversation shifted to their frustration about how their husbands dont listen to them...or if they listen, they dont remember what was said. They all seemed to share that frustration, and strangely, that fact seemed to encourage them. Because maybe it wasn't that they were unimportant or boring...maybe it was just a "man thing".

And please dont misunderstand - these ladies didn't sit to have a man-bashing session! No - these ladies were just speaking from their hearts. They were joking and laughing with amazement at how all their husbands seemed to do all the same things!

As she listened to her friends, one of the ladies secretly wished that her friends' husbands could be hearing the conversation. If they could only hear their beautiful wives, talking in an environment where they knew that each word was being heard and taken to heart by the hearer - Instead of how they usually heard their wives...speaking in moments of frustration or anger. Wouldn't they agree, that their wives were worth listening to?

One of the ladies said, "I’m home alone most of the time. So when he’s home and I want to talk to him, he puts out his hand and says 'sssshhhh'...because he's watching TV."

"And it’s kinda hurtful, isn’t it?", said another. "My husband comes home, sits down and watches sports. I take the kids up for a bath, and when I come back down, he’s gone to bed."

Another said, "You know, I asked my husband why he didn’t listen to me. And his answer was, ‘because I know you'll tell me again.' "

“I know all my husband's coworkers' names", said another lady. "..And I even know what each of their jobs' are. Why? Because I listen to him and remember what he has to say because its important to him. But he cant remember what I just said to him. What if he talked about work all the time, but I didn't remember anything he said? I think he'd feel bad"

They were speaking somewhat lightheartedly, of course...but still, there was an ever-so-slight sadness in their voices.

But these ladies know something. They know that the most important thing isn't to be heard...the most important thing is to be right with their Creator.

The lady who'd been secretly wishing that the husbands could hear the conversation said, "The other day in a silly argument about nothing important, my husband told me that he'd change when I changed. I didn’t say anything at the time, but I knew that I didn’t have the same privilege. I know that I cant wait for him to change before I do...I have to change because I know God wants me to. "

They all agreed that it was easier said than done, but that it was the truth.

You see, after venting and sharing their struggles, this group of imperfect ladies know the conclusion to the whole matter. That it doesn't matter. That they need to do what is right in the eyes of God, no matter what other people do.

Still, they all thought it might be nice if they could feel "important" or "interesting" once in a while.

A Picture of the Church...at the Skatepark

2011-08-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

The other day, we were at the skate park and saw this guy (in the video below) trying to do a front flip on his scooter.

But it's hard. And scary.

He tried over and over. At first, he used a pad to land on. Then he'd try it without the pad. I dont personally know how much it hurts to land hard on a wood ramp...but I imagine it probably hurts.

He was obviously scared, which I think is normal. But these guys...they just do stuff afraid. I've mentioned before how they are so inspiring to watch!

Anyway, this guy would stop, take deep breaths, bend over his scooter and hang his head, and then he'd give it a try. He'd tell his buddy to remove the pad, and then he'd try again...and fail. It was a whole process.

But as I stood there watching, a mental picture began to unfold in front of me. A picture of the Church.

On one hand, I saw the person doing something he had to do himself. Nobody could do the front flip for him. He was scared, but he stuck to it, even though he was getting knocked around quite a bit.

On the other hand, I saw the crowd around him. They were shouting encouragement to him...

"You can do it"!

"You almost got it"

"You're almost there!"

"Just go for it!"

This is exactly what our Christian family should look like. Christian brothers & sisters gathered around someone who is struggling...shouting encouragement to him. And they weren't just giving him lip-service...they all KNEW he could do the front flip if he just kept at it! They had faith FOR him, when all he could feel was fear, frustration and uncertainty.

When he finally did it, the whole place erupted in cheering and everyone ran towards him and hugged him. It was Awesome!

Rejoice with those who rejoice... (Romans 12:15)

So with this metaphor in mind...take a look at the video...

*If you've received this by email and can't see the video, go here to see this post online.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1

My Week in a Nutshell...

2011-02-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

It's a wonderful life...

Reading my bible

Praying for strength

Waking a sleepyhead to start the school week

a drive to school

a scramble for lunch money

Tidying up the house from the weekend mess

Pruning the trees

Laundry Laundry Laundry

A drive to school and back again

Homework Homework Homework

Bedtime prayers

Big hug and goodnight kiss

Waking a sleepyhead to start another day

Another drive to school

To the store because we surely can't run out of COFFEE...

More Tidying

More homework

Impatience

Laughing

Lunch with the hubby

Shopping with Mom

Oops, almost out of gas

Don't forget piano lesson

American Idol

Bible Study morning at Church

Thanking God for the people in my life

More drives to school

Wondering why the glass is next to the coaster

Wondering why the dirty clothes are next to the hamper

Wondering by the paper towel roll is next to the Paper Towel holder

My heart hearing God remind me to give grace just as I received it

More helping with homework

Cooking and washing dishes

Folding endless piles of clean clothes

Buying Valentine's Treats

Dont forget to pay the bills

Laughing with my Mary Kay Lady

Starbucks with Hubby

New cell phone - yeah!

The bank

Oops, dropped my credit card on the ground outside, but hubby saw it

Talking on the phone with my sister about face creams

Movie and coffee with a friend

Vacuuming, sweeping

washing, folding

wiping, arranging

...and putting away

Facebooking, Texting, Blogging, emailing

Wondering why the week was this easy...

Pursuing Peace

2011-02-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

I was reading through all the old posts on this blog. The first few posts are filled with details of my day - with errands and duties and activities. Back then, I took a lot of pride in being busy. I find that most moms do. Its seems that we think the busiest mom is the best mom.

A couple of years ago, though, I hit a wall. I felt like I never had enough time for everything. I felt as if I always had to be on my way somewhere else. "Everyone wants a piece of me", I used to think.

And then, one day I experienced...not even sure what. An anxiety attack that didn't leave me for weeks. I wont go into all the details of it, only because I dont like to dwell on that time too much. Suffice it to say that I was overwhelmed and incapacitated by anxiety/panic attacks.

One of the days during the time that I was going through this, Little Boy had appendicitis and had to have emergency surgery. Wow - that story deserves a post of its own! Here I was having some sort of breakdown, hubby was out of town...and Little Boy needs surgery! I know that God helped me rise to that occasion, and only He got me through it. (And thank God for my parents!)

Funny thing is, that all the busyness of our schedule came to a screeching halt because Little Boy had to recover from his surgery. So while my son took time off to heal from his surgery, I began to think about things. Why were we doing soccer? After all, when its time for practice or games, Little Boy seemed bummed. Why were we doing Karate? We would rush there, and we would rush home. When we skipped it, we feel relieved. In addition, that year Little Boy was really beginning to struggle in school. We were at soccer and karate 4 days out of the week, so by the time we got back to do homework, he was tired and stressed and frustrated.

It occurred to me that I did a lot things because I felt "I should". When I asked myself why we were in soccer, the most honest answer was "because everyone else does it, so we "should" too. I began to identify the things that "had" to be done, and then added to that list the things that we "wanted" to do. We quit the activities, and Little Boy began to just play in the neighborhood with the kids that lived on the street. Believe it or not, this was something that we had always been too busy to do because we had always been on our way out somewhere. He began spending the afternoons outside riding his bike or riding his scooter with his friends. He seemed happier and more relaxed than I'd seen him in a long time.

Its true that being busy was not the only cause of this episode of anxiety. Since that period of time, God has revealed to me the various causes of what I went through. I came to realize that I had a lot of fears about a lot of things.

One of the things that I learned, was that I did the things that I thought I "should" do, because I was trying to "earn" approval. I was raised in a works-based religion, and even though I thought I understood God's grace, I didn't really understand it, because I was still working hard for God's approval. He showed me that no matter what I did..I could never ever earn His approval. That's why He sent Jesus.

Today, I am still working through some fear issues, and dealing with occasional anxiety. It seems that living a life of fear is a hard habit to break! :) But I know that God will be faithful to complete this work that He began in me.

I am starting to see the value of a simple life. Sometimes we Mom's do things that the other Mom's are doing because we feel we need to measure ourselves by everyone else. But in reality, we are all different. We have different strengths and different weaknesses. We have to be honest with our limitations. Because sometimes its better to do a few things really well, instead of struggling and stressing to do a million things just barely good enough.

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Romans 14:19

And so I've began to pursue peace. Doing the things I have to do, and then add to that the things that bring my family joy and peace.

This is a journey that I am still on. As the old saying goes, "God isn't finished with me yet". May your life be filled with the things that make for peace, and the things by which we may edify one another.

***

Just Commit

2011-01-22T17:48:00.000-08:00

Big day today. Today, my Little Boy overcame a major fear at the skate park. He's been wanting to "drop in", but he's had a major mental barrier about it. All the other kids there do it, and they all seem to say that it's easy. Its a basic trick for scooter riders. And he's wanted to do it...but something about standing at the edge and scooting down...well, it's kinda scary, and he was really avoiding it.

To see what I'm talking about - go check out this video of a kid dropping in. (This is NOT our video - just some video I found on Youtube)

So today, he went to the skate park with his best friend. It was his friend's first time at a skate park with his scooter, and he dropped in and said it was easy. So the pressure began. We kept telling Little Boy to try it, and he wanted to...but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Another kid there was also telling him that it was no big deal, and that he could do it.

Now - if you've seen the video, and think that you don't blame him for being scared...I totally understand. But Little Boy LOVES his scooter, and he's good on it. We KNEW he could do this easily...but he had some fear that had convinced him that he could not do it. Again, this is a basic move for scooter kids.

And here's the thing. I struggle with fear...and living with fear SUCKS. I'm kinda wishing right now that I had blogged about the struggles I've had with fear and anxiety. I've been wanting to, but haven't been able to get everything into words. So you see, watching my son allow fear to win? No, it cannot happen. I never want him to miss out on anything because of fear.   So this little lesson of dropping in...well, it goes beyond the skate park. Its a life lesson.

Sadly, after a lot of stressing about it, he decided to not even try. So we walked to the car and were ready to head home.

But in the car, he decided he wanted to try it. So there we went, back to the skate area. By this time, the other kids were noticing what was going on. They were watching him stand at the edge, look down and stress out.   He'd ride to the edge...look down...ride away. Then he'd ride to the edge again...look down...and ride away. Over and over and over.

Funny thing is, the other boys started telling him, "You can do it! Just do it!"

Finally, this older kid - he was maybe 15-years old - had been watching him, and he asked him,

"What are you trying to do, dude? Drop in?".

Little Boy said yes.

Older Kid walked over to him and said, "Just put your board here, your foot here, and just go. Its really easier than you're thinking".

I didn't hear what Little Boy told him, but I could tell by the hand movements, that he was telling him that he was afraid he was gonna go head first.

Older kid told him, "Just bend your legs and lean back. You can do it, really. You just have to commit".

You just have to commit.

I'm also kinda wishing that I had already written the post that has been in my head for a few months. About the skate park. There are so many life lessons to be found in the fearlessness that those kids possess! They are willing to tumble and fall and get hurt so that they can experience that "cool trick". They push past the fear. And as I've mentioned my battle with fear...pushing past the fear is major. One of the things that I've thought about as I've watched them, is that some things need full commitment. I like to do things slow and cautious so I can back-out or quit when things get hairy. But I've discovered that some things don't lend themselves to "slow and cautious". Some things require full commitment. And if we wait until we're fearless...we'll never do anything. Forget about Nike...sometimes its God who says, "just do it". If we're ever going to do cool tricks in life, or in our spiritual walk...we're just gonna have to " do it scared". Just Commit.

So there he stood, on the edge...thinking way too hard and long about dropping in. He asked his best friend to come do it so he could watch. He had him do it two more times. Everyone around him kept telling him that he could do it.

It seemed like forever.

I was behind him praying that God would meet him where he was and give him just a little dose of the courage he needed.

Finally...he went.

We cheered! (or was I the only one clapping and jumping? Hmmm...not sure now that I look back...)

Later, he would say that he heard everyone behind him go "yay!..." And then, "Oooooh!" Because the funny thing is, he "dropped in" perfectly, but when he turned to ride back around, he crashed and fell. Isn't that the way life goes...we dread doing something because we're scared, and then we end up falling doing something we've done a million times!

And that's another life lesson. Sometimes you will fall. That's the risk. I always say jokingly (sort of) that I like guarantees in life. But that's not the way life is designed. There are no guarantees. You will fall. As Brett Michaels said, "its not if life will knock you down, its when and how. And its definitely about how you roll with it".

Fear, you lost today. And for the rest of his life, Little Boy will remember what its like to do something even though he's afraid. And that sometimes all we're lacking is the commitment to "do it scared".

Different Perspectives

2011-01-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Today, the "Trash Boy" in my home gave a lively discourse on why we should use regular, washable plates, and not paper plates. He explained that if we used regular plates, there would be less trash in our landfills.

Dishwasher Lady rebutted that the amount of water used to wash a dish - in a state that was currently in a state of drought - would be was wasteful, and further, the water would require gas to heat it for dish washing purposes.

My, my...what an environmentally conscious household I live in!

In reality, my son doesn't wanna take out the trash, and I don't wanna do the dishes!

I Hate Wet Socks

2011-01-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

After I take a shower, I crack the shower stall door open, ever so slightly...I squeeeeeze my fingers out...grab the corner of my towel...and...quickly snap the towel into the shower stall and shut the door. Why? Well, because I like to stand in the steamy warmth of the shower stall while I dry myself. And the bonus to this is that I don't go out into the cold bathroom while I'm still dripping wet.

But boys? Well, they're different. They jump right out of the shower while they're still in the process of turning off the water, and they stand there, dripping wet... and shivering.

Now, its certainly OK if they choose to stand there and shiver..but the 'dripping' part..well, that's where they drag me into their actions. At some point, I walk through the bathroom wearing socks, and I inevitably step on the puddles of water that they've left...which soaks my socks...which makes me cold...and I hate to be cold...which is why I dry off in the shower stall.

Its definitely interesting to be the only female in a home of boys. None of them- including my husband - have any idea what its like to live with a sister. They think that their "boy ways" are just the way the world works.

Lets not even talk about the toilet seat.

Or the bodily functions.

Or the coughing and overly exaggerated gagging & sputtering that takes place when they get a whiff of...gasp...HAIRSPRAY! Ewww....so girlie!!!

And, I've had to learn to watch things like "Cops", or Nascar, or Surviver Man. And I get NO sympathy about how long it takes me to get ready to go out the door (it only takes me 1/2 hour!). And since I've been dumb enough to boast about how "strong" I am, I get no help toting a case of water into the house from the garage.

But...I dont have to buy them 10 different pairs of shoes in various styles...or lots of different outfits. They're happy to wear their favorite jeans and t-shirts every day. And I dont have to worry about anyone playing in my make up. (Heck, I have a hard time making them wear DEODERANT!) And they sure do love their Mama. :)

BOYS? I Love 'em! (But I seriously hate wet socks.)

The Story Behind the Picture

2010-08-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today I have a guest blogger - my hubby, Craig! Its short and sweet, but it says so much. Now, without further ado...I present..a Blog by Craig...

Good looking little dude hua... That's my little 10 year old boy.

It all started about 14 years ago when I met my wife. Sometime before we were married, maybe about 3 to 5 months after we started dating, we went for a walk in a park. My wife ...saw a little tree there and got a naughty idea. She scratched "Craig + Liz" in the tree. This was back in 1995 sometime. After that day, many things have transpired in our lives, like getting married and having a child.

For the first time in about 14 years, my Son and I happened to be driving by that park, and I said, "I wonder if I could find that tree that Liz scratched our names into." Well, funny thing, it was right there after 14 years, very readable. When she did it, it was a couple feet lower, and much smaller.

So I had my Son stand under the little time capsule. My wife and I never would have imagined at the time 14 years ago, that we would have our little 10 year old boy, standing right beneath that little spur of the moment message. At the time, I don't think we knew we would be married and go through all the good times we have had since then.

Maybe I'll visit it in another 15 years, and put my grandson, or grand-daughter under that tree for a picture.

Again With The Weight Thing

2010-07-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Alright, people...I need to lose 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Sounds pretty easy. But that means...no fresh peach pie (see below), no Sam's Club-size bags of Doritos in the house, no fun BBQ's with friends, and definitely no stopping at my mom's house on an empty stomach! (Ok, so its too late for that last one today...but in the future...)

(Sigh)....reminds me of last time I was planning a trip to see some old high school friends. Yeah, I can just be happy being my old chubby self, until all of sudden, out of nowhere, a trip to see old friends comes up! Discipline is a wily and evasive creature...but I've discovered that with the proper motivation...I can capture him! At least for while...

I know we're talking about weight loss here, but I just gotta tell you how excited I am that I made a pie! I. Made. A pie.

Awesome.

OK, so I used the Pillsbury prepared pie crust...but still, I picked the peaches off my little tree, sliced them up, mixed them up with all the pie-ish stuff...and baked it! Now that I see how easy it was to do, I might even throw caution to the wind next time and make my own crust.

But that'll have to be after I lose those 5 lbs.

Just for the record...I need to lose 40. But I figure losing 5lbs will take me back to - at very least - the weight I was last time I saw these friends. ha!

Which reminds me, I've been working with a fitness trainer for a few weeks. She's part of a Networking group I belong to, and she offered the members a super duper good price, so I took advantage of it. We arent doing anything that I couldn't do myself at home....(did I mention that wily creature called "Discipline" already?)...but with her, I am forced to go, even when I dont feel like it. And believe me, there have been plenty of mornings that I haven't felt like it. I only see her twice a week, so I reeeeeeaaaally need to do something on my off days...like walk or something. I keep saying that. But that's about all...I just "say" it.

I swear I just saw that wiley creature stick his tongue out at me...

I guess that's it for now. Little Boy's playing at a neighbor's house, so I'm gonna head on over to my jewelry making studio (aka...the table in the corner of the office) and play with some beads. This weekend I made a bunch of sparkly, glassy, crystally stuff. But today is definitely a gemstone day.

Church Update

2010-07-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Last year, I wrote a post about how discouraged I was feeling about church. I had been wanting...no - really needing to hear some MEATY in-depth bible teaching. I mentioned in that post that the church I was attending gave "lighter" messages on Sunday, so as to make it easier to bring someone who doesn't usually attend church. They do the more in-depth studies on Wednesdays. But with Little Boy's homework struggles, it was kinda difficult for me to get away on a weeknight. So I was really feeling kinda like I was dying on the vine.

I kinda feel like explaining the whole thing again, but really, I already said my piece in that post last year.

As a side note, when I wrote the above line, I had to stop and think...is the phrase "say my piece", or "say my peace"? Both make sense in their own way. But according to the Free Dictionary online, it is "say my piece". I am sort of a geeky word and phrase lover...so it pleases me to share that info.

But I digress.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it's been almost a year since I've posted anything here, and I wanted to update you on that issue because I know that my loyal readership has been waiting to hear the conclusion of that matter. Yup - all my fans....both of you.

In the "church" post, I also mentioned that I had found a listing for a local church that claimed to teach in just the way I was looking for. And when I looked up their location, I remembered seeing signs at their building promoting "Apologetics Month" . So I started listening to their podcasts and really, really enjoyed it.

Eventually, I went to check it out. I have to say, I love it. The pastor..."my" pastor is an AWESOME bible teacher. I attended their "5 Weeks of Apologetics" and they had some amazing speakers. I find myself excitedly awaiting Sunday morning to I can "get to" go to church! They teach the bible verse by verse, covering original language, who it was written to, how do WE practically apply it to our lives, etc.

Now...the next step here is that I have to meet some people there. I have been quietly lurking, not really getting to know anyone. I attended the Women's Study on Thursday mornings a few times, but various things kept coming up on that day/time, and I finally gave up. And since Little Boy was still struggling with homework, I didn't even consider attending stuff on weeknights.

BUT..it's summer vacation! Yay! And so I think its a great time to take advantage of that time and go to some midweek services. The Women's study is on Mondays and the Midweek service is..well, midweek (Wednesday)!

I'm tempted to attend Wednesday because of the awesome teaching. But I'm thinking I should attend the Women's Study for the sake of getting to know other women there. But I reeeeeaaaallllly would like to attend Wednesday for the teaching.

Maybe I'll throw caution to the wind and attend BOTH!

Little Boy and I DID volunteer for a Ministry there too! We're part of the...um..."(...mumbling while covering my mouth...) Ministry".

Oh, OK, it was the DONUT Ministry, OK? Ha ha! Once a month, we clean up the donut cart after services. Little Boy loves it because he gets to eat whatever is left over. and I have to say, he is a good little kitchen cleaner!

So that's the story. Found a new place. Love it. Learning a lot. Next phase: stop lurking quietly and get to know more people.

Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

ALMOST A YEAR?????

2010-06-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Really? Has it been almost a YEAR since my last post?

See what happens when you are a SAHM? You get too busy to blog.

But the Blog Bug has been gnawing at me lately. So here I am.

So to start things out...I dont have much to say today. Seems like I've gotten used to the quick one line updates about life on Face book. So here I am on blogspot, with unlimited room for my thoughts.

So my mind goes blank. It figures.

But, I'm back. And I plan on carving out some time here and there to restart this beloved activity. Me spewing my thoughts. Yeah, I love it. See ya soon.

My Dad

2009-08-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Note: My sister and I wrote our own little article for my Dad and gave it to him for his birthday. Here's mine...

Today, we are celebrating my Dad's birthday! And it's always a challenge to figure out what to get him for a gift because he has everything, and of course, he can buy whatever he wants when he wants it!

So we're buying him dinner and giving him some small gifts he might enjoy - nothing too exciting. But my real gift is to tell him what a gift he is to me.

The idea of writing this came to me a few weeks ago when I had taken my Dad to an appointment for a procedure he was having done. The procedure only took about 20 minutes, and he felt perfectly normal when he was done, but they recommended he have someone to drive him home, so I went along to drive him back home.

Our destination was 30 minutes away, and the appointment was at 1pm. This meant that we'd be driving home right in the middle of rush hour traffic. The smart thing to do is to get on the Fastrack toll lane to bypass the traffic jam. But for me...well, in the past, I've battled anxiety and/or panic attacks when I drive. And the Fastrack is a separate lane on the far left of the freeway, which makes it difficult to "pull over" if you need to. So I usually just sit in traffic, in the slow lane, with the comfort of knowing that I can pull over if I start feeling funky. So I was a little worried that I might have to make my mom and dad sit in traffic for hours to accommodate my anxieties.

But on that day, I felt pretty good. And I feel pretty comfortable with my mom and dad. But still, the thought of the possibility of the panic attack was in the back of my mind. I was a little embarrassed that I might have to tell my Dad, "Uh...I don't wanna feel anxious so I'm gonna make you sit in traffic for a couple of hours. Hope you don't mind".

So I nervously said, "Um.. I cant quite decide if I want to get on the Fastrak or not". I said this to feel them out...to see what they thought. (Yes, I have to do this even though I've known them for 43 years!)

My mom says, "Do whatever you feel comfortable doing. If you feel like getting on the Fastrrak, go ahead, I f you don't feel comfortable, just take the regular freeway."

And she meant that.

My Dad said, "Do whatever you want, Mija. We're in no hurry".

And he meant that.

And you know what? Any feelings of anxiety that I had were removed by the fact that their only concern was for me to feel comfortable. I hopped on the toll lane and felt perfectly fine, because I felt no pressure. The only thing that mattered to them was that I felt ok.

As I thought about that, I realized that their response that day was a pretty accurate representation of them. They are always fully accepting of me and they love me despite all my "issues" and weirdness. All they want is for me to be happy. Total patience. Unconditional acceptance.

I’m 43 years old. I am married. I have two kids. I am in the wonderful position to look at my life and appreciate the really important things. As you probably know, when you are a teenager, you don't always appreciate the things and people you should appreciate.

My sister - she was kind of a mellow sort. Not much trouble. But I'm sure I tried my Dad's patience a lot more since I was a bit more trouble! But I've always known that there was nothing I could do where I couldn't come to my Dad for help.

He is also a great Grandpa. He is funny, wise, loving, generous, patient, forgiving. I know that my boys love him with all their hearts!

Aside from him being a wonderful father and grandfather, I can also say that he is great man. I see people come to him for all kinds of help. I've seen him get taken advantage of. But that never makes him bitter. He keeps on helping people and giving them chances to do better. Since we've lived in CA, my parents' home has been a refuge to a lot of people. Some have appreciated it. Some haven’t'. But they never stop being available to their friends and family.

This is why, when I hear that God is my "father", the image I get is of a loving God who loves me, despite myself. Not everyone can say that.

Just want to say Happy Birthday Dad. I love and appreciate you more than you can ever know!

What Encourages Me

2009-08-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Found an interesting new blog today. Its called In Courage. In the post I read today, the writer talked about having courage and the many "colors" it comes in. In the end, she asked...what encourages you? Usually, I read such things, take a minute, and then go on with my day. Today I am prompted to think a bit harder. And as I do, it becomes an inventory of the blessings I have...

I am encouraged by my husband. Who even though he gets on my nerves by leaving socks in every corner you can imagine, and who has opinions I think are too strong some times - he still is the one who can speak God's Unchanging Truth to me when I've dropped the ball and want to give up. He is unshakable in that way.

I am encouraged by my sister. Who found out she had cancer the week before her wedding. Who has had two miscarriages. She is married to her best friend and finds the things she has gone through as an opportunities to speak God's Rescue to anyone who is willing.

I am encouraged by my friend Gina - who, having endured things in her childhood, and in the difficult beginnings of her marriage, finds herself happily married to same man, who is a new man, and a house full of the most polite children you'll ever meet! the things she's experienced have served to fill her heart with compassion for others. She speaks God's Mercy

I am encouraged by my friend Tracy- who has the gift of faith and exhortation. My most precious memory of her is right before my son was diagnosed with Coats Disease. I went up to the altar for prayer at church and felt gentle hands on my shoulders behind me. I recognized her voice whispering prayers behind me. When I turned she was gone. She had no need for recognition, she simply needed to pray for me. She speaks God's Faithfulness.

I am encouraged by my friend Barbara - who is a quiet and gentle spirit, full of wisdom and experiences. As our friendship grows, I am surprised to discover how we go through similar things. She speaks God's Understanding to me.

I am encouraged by my Mom - who taught me to unclog a sink with Vinegar and Baking soda! (smile!) And even though moms get on our nerves sometime when we are grown mommies ourselves, she's always there when I need her. I know that I could throw up my hands and give up and she'd be there to take care of me and then gently get me going again. She speaks God's Comfort to me.

I am encouraged by my Dad who is the ultimate in generosity. He'd give his last penny to help me if I needed it. He has always been there to help me, even if the trouble I was in was by my own making. Its hard to sum him up in a couple of lines - so let me just say this, he has always been a grand example of God's Unconditional Love.

I could go on and one with this. I scratch my head and wonder why God has placed all these precious people in my life - does He do this with everyone???

What gives YOU courage?

To read the blog that inspired this post go to Incourage.me

A Mid Summer Night's Blog

2009-08-02T17:27:00.001-07:00

It's the midpoint of summer vacation, and as you can probably tell from the silence on my blog...I've been busy! So I thought I'd throw a quick blog at you just to say, Yes, I'm still here!

I'd like to share some summer things that either work well for me, or just plain make me happy!

1. Once the hot weather hits, I start wearing sunscreen in place of body lotion. My favorite is "Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 50+" because it has a nice scent and feels light on your skin, not heavy and gooey.

2. Using a light scented body spray over my whole body every day helps me feel better on those really hot and sticky days!

3. Having the kids home equals a messy home. Concentrate on these areas to stay sane: Dishes, Laundry, and Making the beds. Most everything else can wait, and these particular areas go a long way in making you feel like you've got a handle on things.

4. Enjoy your kids! This is a big DUH for most of you. I, on the other hand, try every summer to keep up on things just as I do during the school year. This year, I've whittled the chores down to the few priorities listed in item #3, and made it a point to do something every day with Little Boy. And I'm not talking about anything too complicated, sometimes just buying a pay-per-view and watching a movie together is fun! Now that I'm not thinking about how productive I could be, I'm actually having fun with my kid!

5. Let the kids stay up late! I've been letting Little Boy stay up till 11pm, and as a result, he sleeps till 9:30 or 10am. Since I get up early with hubby (he leaves for work at 6am), I stay up after hubby leaves and enjoy some quiet time watching morning news and sipping coffee. Which leads me to the next item...

6. Try to get most of my quick chores done for the day while Little Boy is still sleeping so I can be ready to hit the day when he's awake!

7. Create a special holiday! We do "Jamba Juice Mondays". We went to Jamba Juice on one Monday at the beginning of the summer, and Little Boy said, "We should do this every Monday!" So we have!

8. Refuse to use the oven during summer. The oven really heats up the house and with the cost of electricity, I don't want the AC to work too hard! I make a vow every Summer that I will not use the oven, and I don't! I've even converted some "oven recipes" to work on the skillet or toaster oven.

9. Here's something I just plain love about summer: Dragonflies! I love when they make their appearance! They are such beautiful little graceful creatures!

10. Well, I actually couldn't think of another thing, but I wanted to end on an even number! So let's just say that my Number TEN favorite thing about summer is blogging about my favorite summer things/tips!

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!!

Clueless!

2009-05-20T19:19:00.001-07:00

The Season Finale of American Idol has come and gone - and as you may or may not know, this was my first season watching the show. (It really consumed a lot of my time, but I've loved it!)

My personal pick was Danny Gokey, who was eliminated last week. And truly, I'll be holding out for him to release something, because he is the BEST! I LOVED seeing him perform last night! Pairing him up with Lionel Richie was brilliant. (Lionel Richie is the soundtrack of my high school days!)

I also LOVED Alison Iraheta and Cyndi Lauper's duet of Time After Time. It was beautiful! I went on iTunes this morning to see if we could download any of the performances, but I found nothing! (bummer!)

But here's the main reason for this post today. I had to laugh at myself when I re-read the post I wrote at the beginning of the season. I had said that I couldn't figure out why the judges picked Kris Allen, and that I thought he was just "OK". Boy, was I ever clueless! I would have never guessed back then that he'd be the last man standing!

Congrats to Kris!

Not sure if I have the fortitude to face another season - I was on the edge of my seat every week! But yeah, I'll definitely watch next season because now I am hooked!

So NOW what do I watch on Tuesdays and Wednesday???

Church

2009-05-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday, and although I feel the desire to go to church, I haven't gone in weeks. Sometimes I've had a legitimate excuse - like going out of town on Mother's Day to visit my Mom-in-Law. And last night, Little Boy's friend spent the night over here, and they were up really late, so we all slept in this morning.

Then there were other weeks, when I could have gone. But I didn't. I've been feeling indifferent about going. Which kinda bugs me, because I've always loved going. But lately I've been craving something that I haven't been getting.

But first, here's my disclaimer: It's always hard to say that you need something else, without sounding critical of what you currently have. And that's not really my motive here.

My pastor gives a "lighter" message on Sunday mornings, because he wants it to be an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable bringing someone - someone who might be "searching". Someone who might not necessarily go to church on a regular basis. His messages are topical. Something based on scripture that you can apply to your life. He is good speaker. Very animated. Very funny. A real person you can relate to. But when I leave, I find that I don't feel like I've delved into the Word. I feel like I've gotten some wise advice for my life - and I guess there really isn't anything wrong with that. But the unflattering truth is that I don't want to sit through a message directed at an unbeliever, Sunday after Sunday.

There. I said it. I want to be nice, but I also want to be honest.

And yeah, I know what you might be thinking:

You get what you put into it.

You need to go there to give, not to receive.

Don't go with the attitude of what they can do for you, but what you can for them.

If you go with a good heart, you'll always learn something.

You should be learning the Word on your own, not just on Sundays.

And I totally understand all that. But truly, I don't think I'm going with the attitude of "what can they do for me?". I just want to go and learn and be challenged and get closer to Him.

My pastor does a more in-depth bible study on Wednesday nights, and when I've gone in the past, I've learned a lot. But I don't go Wednesdays. I like to be home on weeknights to make dinner for my family and be there when my husband gets home, and to help Little Boy with homework.

I've attended this church for about nine years. I've met some of my most beloved friends there. Friends that I can count on for true fellowship and for lifting me up when I'm down, and they know they can come to me for the same. So I'm not bashing my church. But I really am in dire need of something more.

My sister goes to an awesome church, and she loves it. She is so excited about it! I've gone a few times and I also download their podcasts. Their messages are awesome and challenging and scriptural and relevant. The sermons are topical, but they are also "meaty". But her church is too far from me. But that's what I want. To be excited, to be growing, to be challenged, to be intimate with God and His people.

And no, I don't expect Sundays to be the only time I hear or read the Word. I do read on my own, and I listen to my Sister's pastor, as well as others like Joyce Meyer, John MacArthur, etc.

So last week, I really gave this some thought.

And here's what I was thinking. Little Boy will be attending a new Christian school in the fall. And I was thinking that since he'll be going to school there, it makes sense for us to check out the church there as well.

But a couple of days ago, I talked with someone who goes there. They really like it there. But they said that it's kinda the same as my current church. Which puts me right back at square one.

I've been thinking..surely I cant be the ONLY person in my town who wants to hear a meaty sermon. Surely there exists a church that digs deeply into scripture on Sundays. So I Googled the churches in town and began to peruse the list.

Just so you know, my city has lots of churches. Lots of big churches. We visited a few of them before we found our current church. But if I am honest, I will tell you that most of them lighten up their Sunday sermon.

My sister tells me that kind or church is necessary, and perhaps she is right.

But, back to the list. I came across the name of one particular church that I actually drive by every day. It's caught my eye before because I remember once when I passed by, they had a sign up that said they were having "Apologetics Month". I was kinda intrigued, but soon forgot about it. But last night I went to their website and here's what I read:

Therefore, if you choose to make (us) your home church you can expect a strong, in-depth forty-five minute to one hour study on Sunday mornings. The teaching is from the Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. We will draw our wisdom and direction from God's Word and we as a church family consider it the final authority for all questions regarding faith, practice, etc. Sadly, this approach to ministry is becoming unique in American Christianity. All too often the Bible is abandoned, compromised or the message watered down.

I saw that they podcasted their sermons, so I downloaded a few of them. I started listening to one last night, which I thought was pretty good. The preacher seemed very knowledgeable about biblical theology. Not legalistic, but not postmodern. Very balanced. He gave a sermon about a topic (which he explained was a a break from their Sunday schedule - they are currently going through Hebrews, but took that Sunday off to speak about a particular topic). When he was done with the sermon, there was Q & A session about the topic, which I thought was kinda different. The whole thing seemed geared toward the Christian. And that is exactly what I am looking for.

(Not that I want to exclude the person who might be seeking. I welcome them to join us as we do our thing!)

I talked to Hubby about this and told him I'd like to check out this new church. He said OK. Maybe next Sunday.

So we'll check it out. Its not a huge church, I haven't heard anyone talking about it, nor have I run into anyone who has attended there. So anything can happen. I'll let you know how it goes whenever we decide to check it out.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Casting Crowns -SLOW FADE video

2009-04-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

One of my Facebook Friends posted this video today and it made quite an impression on me. I promptly posted it on my profile. But I'd also like to share it with you. It was the Dove Awards winner for best video.

(if you receive post by email, and the video doesn't show up on your message - click here to go directly to my blog to view it. I promise you it's worth it.)

Our Weekend "Excursion"

2009-03-29T17:08:00.001-07:00

We finally got a chance to go the desert for some dirt bike/quad riding this weekend! We've tried to get away a few times in the past two or so months, but something has always come up. Either it's been raining or we had something else that had to be done. But this weekend, everything worked out, so we got the trailer packed and ready to roll!

We were going out there with our good friends, and had planned to leave at the same time so we could "caravan" out there. We figured we would pick up Little Boy at school, and then hit the road. At 3 o'clock, our friends still had a few errands to run, but told us to go on ahead and they'd be about a half hour behind us. No problem.

There was - as there always is on Friday afternoon - a lot of traffic heading out of town. But the place where we go ride is only 1-1/2 hours away. We called our friends to let them know what the traffic was like, and they still hadn't left! Turns out they still had to go to the bank, to the grocery store, and I don't know where else, but they seemed to be taking a long time getting on the road!

Little Boy was so happy to finally be going "camping"! That morning when he was getting ready for school, he had seen Hubby getting the trailer ready, and when he saw the trailer hitched to our Ford Excursion, his little eyes lit up! He said, "I can't wait!". And when we picked him up at school that afternoon, he walked out, saw the trailer waiting for him, and said, "I cant wait to get in that car and GO!"

So we hit the road, and were plugging along, fighting traffic. We were listening to some "Classic Pop" (Magnet & Steel, Only Time Will Tell..) Little Boy was playing his Nintendo DS in the back seat. Hubby got a gadget that allows us to be online on the road, so I was busily "Facebooking" while he drove! It was great!

But after about an hour, as we headed up a hill and around a bend...the car sounded a little funny...then it...stopped. Hubby reacted immediately and pulled over as quick as he could. The car died!! His best guess was that the transmission went out. Not good.

We called our friends to see how far behind us they were. They still hadn't left town.

We were on a highway, on a curve, so cars were coming pretty quick around the bend, and I didn't feel very safe sitting there. We decided to walk over to a restaurant that we knew was close by. As we started walking, I said, "I'm glad Daddy is leading this hike, cuz I thought the Cafe was the other direction!"

As soon as we began our little trek up the hill, a car pulled over and asked if we needed a ride. It was a man, a woman and someone in the back..I didn't notice if it was a child or adult. But I felt quite uneasy...which is probably a tribute to every movie I've ever seen where someone is stranded on a highway. I was really relieved when Hubby said, "No thank you, we're just walking to the restaurant over there".

The Cafe was a little place - there were a few people sitting at the bar, eating and chatting. It appeared that they were "regulars" because the waitress was sitting and talking with them like they were old friends. When we said we'd had car trouble, they all chimed in with some advice.

We called the Auto Club and they said a tow truck would be on the way. We started looking through the local phone books for a place to tow the car. The best idea was to have it towed back to our house, but we were an hour away from home.

FLASHBACK TO ONE MONTH AGO....

Me: Honey, our Auto Club membership is due..I was thinking that maybe to save money, we should just get the basic membership instead the the "Plus" Membership. We both have pretty new cars, I don't anticipate that we'll be needing to be towed 100 miles anytime soon.

Hubby: Why, that's a good idea, Sweetie! Yeah, go ahead and renew it with a basic membership.

FLASH FORWARD TO PRESENT TIME:

Me & Hubby: DOH!

(With the Plus Membership, you get free towing up to 100 miles. With the basic membership, you get 7 miles free towing. After 7 miles, it costs $8/mile.)

Our friends called and they had an idea: What if she drove their motor home, and he could drive his big truck to pull our trailer after our Excursion was towed. That way, we could still do the weekend!

That's why they took so long to get out of town!! :)

We told them that the Auto Club had sent a tow truck, and then mentioned our frustration with the fact that we had changed our membership to "basic". They said, "Wait! We have the Auto Club PLUS membership! Lets use our card!" Hubby called the Auto Club and told them that the people we were traveling with had the PLUS, and asked if we could use their membership for the 100 mile free towing. Yes, they said - we could do it as long as the Plus member was present and could sign for it.

Finally, the tow truck arrived. Although now we were worried that our friends wouldn't arrive in time to use their card! We told the driver about it, and he said he didn't mind waiting, but that his shift was almost over, and he would have to call in to his shop to find out if they would let him wait, or if they would want to send another driver. His shop said that was fine, but he'd have to tow it back to the shop, and then another driver would take it to our home.

At this point, Hubby told me he was going to go back to the Excursion with the Tow Truck Driver, and that we should wait at the Cafe. Said it'd be about 20 minutes. He walked out. Immediately, he walked back in and sat down. He looked over at me and said, "I'm not going anywhere". I was confused, but he said, "You'll see".

In walk two HUGE, HAIRY, guys with LONG grey scraggly beards. They wore flannel shirts and worn jeans, and they were loud and boisterous. This really struck me funny!!! But I was glad Hubby had chosen to stay!

As it turned out, the Tow Truck had enough seats for all of us, so we went back to our vehicle, and the driver began to load our car on his truck. As he was doing this, I saw our friends pull up behind us. Man, was I ever happy to see them! Perfect Timing!

We called my parents (who live on our street) and asked them to please go to our house and sign for the Excursion when it arrived. (Side note: When it did arrive, the driver wanted to be paid for it, because he processed the transaction with OUR membership, so there were a few frustrating phone calls back and forth, but the problem was finally resolved!)

When the Excursion was loaded on the tow truck, Little Boy and I hopped into the Motor home with my friend. Hubby and his friend stayed behind to hitch the trailer to his truck and then follow behind us.

We arrived at our destination at 9:30pm.

Well, it only took us SIX hours to get there!!!

Sheesh.

This and That

2009-03-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, I was collecting clothes to do laundry. There were some clothes on the bathroom floor, so I bent over to pick them up. Actually, I bent over and yanked them because I was in a hurry. They just happened to be hooked on the corner of the cabinet, so when I yanked, I actually opened the cabinet hard and fast and it smacked me - hard - on the nose. Youch! I iced it right away because it was getting swollen, and I was starting to look like a boxer - not the dog, the athlete. I forgot about it after a while...until I looked in the mirror later. I have a nice blue bruise on the bridge of my nose. DUH!!!

*******

Best quote of the night from Little Boy as he watched Stevie Wonder on American Idol:

"Is he the American Idol from last year?"

*******

For the last couple of days, I've been trying HARD to get some good photos of my jewelry designs. I am NOT a photographer. (I should have asked Daiquiri for some advice!) I googled "photographing jewelry" and there was plenty of info. White Balance...yada yada...diffused light...yada yada... There are photography sites that give general info on taking pictures. Then there are the Jewelry sites, that give advice on how to photograph jewelry. Some of these jewelry designers say to take photos outside in the sunlight. Some say to buy a set-up with lights and tents, etc. Some say to make your own set up with a box and white tissue paper. It's quite confusing. Here are my sad first attempts:

Too Orange!

Too White!

Too Blue!

Just Right!

Hopefully I'll remember how I got that shot so I don't have to relive the frustration!

******

As the title of this post infers...this post isn't much about anything. Just this and that. Hadn't blogged in while so I wanted to just throw something out there.

Until next time...

Readings That Have Grabbed Me

2009-03-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just because I've been doing more reading than writing this week, I thought I'd share the "Gems" I've come across recently. Click on the links to go to the sites - I promise you will love them.

I'll start out with something serious. This is from a blog called "The Dirty Shame". Its a beautifully written plea to God to remember us and forgive us as we fall short almost continuously. Here's the link: Dust

This is from the blog "Conversion Diary". It's an older post, but totally relevant. The name is self-explanatory. The Danger of Being Overloaded

For the final read, I'll send you to a lighthearted one that will make you laugh. This is written by a young man who will be married soon. He contemplates how women are different from men. His blog is new, but I got hooked on it quick. The writer is very funny and has a very clever wit. His blog is called "Life is Easy". The entry is called (click on link) Wedding Planner

Until the next post...

From My Friend that I Don't Really Know..

2009-03-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

I follow a few other blogs, but this one is my favorite. Its called "Call Her Blessed" and it's written by "Daiquiri". Even though I've never met her, I feel like I know her from her blog! On Sundays, she writes a "Seek the Lord Sunday" post, and I really liked today's, so I wanted to share it with you!

Here's the link to it- enjoy!

Seeking An Unfair God

Just a Quick Minute to Talk About American Idol...

2009-03-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

I am watching American Idol this season - its 8th season. You might be surprised to know that I have never watched American Idol before. Yes, its true. Never.

So I'm kind of new to the frustrations that come with it. I'm taking some time to discuss it here on my trusty blog. I'm venting. (I'm having a hissy fit, actually) And I have to wonder, is this the way American Idol always is?????

AUDITIONS:
I started watching during the auditions, and I really enjoyed that. Its so tear jerking to see the family waiting to see if their loved one "made it". They'd cry, I'd cry...it was heartwarming.

HOLLYWOOD WEEK:
Next came Hollywood Week. This was when I decided that Danny Gokey was the one I would be rooting for! That "Seal" song he sang...it had me at hello.

After Hollywood Week, the judges cut the list down to 36 contestants - and began to show 12 at a time. Out of each 12, three were chosen to be in the finals.

(Again, being a newbie, I'm wondering if this is the way its usually done...)

GROUP ONE:
For Group One, I was pretty satisfied. I thought Alexis Grace was excellent. And of course, Danny Gokey made it in. (If he didn't, I might have given up right then and there). Michael Sarver...eh...I could take him or leave him. But all in all, I was satisfied with the choices.

GROUP TWO:
In Group Two, I was happy to see Alison Iraheta make it - her rendition of "Alone" was spectacular! I thought Adam Lambert's "Satisfaction" was strange, but kind of intriguing, and the more he sang, the more I liked it. A very daring performance. I was glad he made it in because now I"m curious to hear more. Kris Allen made it in, but I have to say, I was kind of surprised. He's a good singer, but his performance of "Man in the Mirror" was just "OK". I thought Mishavonna Hensen's "Drops of Jupiter" was beautiful - I really think she should have had that spot.

GROUP THREE:
This is when it all started to go wrong.

The picks from Group Three are Jorge Nunez, Scott MacIntyre, and Lil Rounds.

No question about it, Lil Rounds deserves to be there. She was great. But here's the thing, I just don't love Jorge Nunez or Scott Macintyre. I'm sure they are very nice people, but I just don't
think their performances were worthy of those spots. Jorge is too screamy. Scott is kinda bland and I think his singing is very stiff.

But beyond that, what's really eating at me is that I just cannot believe for a moment that Ju'Not Joyner didn't make it in! (Who the heck is voting, anyway??) His performance was flawless and he got glowing feedback from the judges. His soulful rendition of "Hey There Delilah" was breathtaking! He is waaaaaaaaaaay better than Scott or Jorge. As a matter of fact, a few people were. Here's the LIST of additional contestants that were better than Jorge and Scott that night:

Kristin McNamara - she has a great voice, but for some reason, they just don't like her and really enjoy picking on her. I feel that their summation of her probably swayed the voters to dislike her.
Von Smith - He's kind of "hit and miss" with his performances, but this night, he was great.
Kendall Beard - She did a Martina McBride song, and she is a very good pop country singer.

But mostly, I am just stunned Ju'Not didn't make it.

STUNNED, I tell you!!!

WILD CARD PICKS:
At this point, the judges chose a few contestants to come back for a second chance. Great, I think to myself, Ju'Not will get another chance.

But...

WHAT THE...?

HE WASN'T EVEN IN THE JUDGES' WILD CARD PICKS! Now I'm thoroughly confused!

...It's just a show... its just a show...It's just a show...

AND..not only do they NOT bring back Ju'Not, but they actually DO bring back the ever-shrieking-constantly-chatting-overly-dramatic Tatiana! She CAN sing, but its overshadowed by her personality. (Actually, she'll probably get a reality show).

WILD CARD SHOW:
I was OK with the four that were chosen at the end of the Wild Card Show. No complaints, really. I'm just glad that Tatiana didn't make it. Although, considering how emotional and devastated she was when she was eliminated the first time, it seems cruel to bring her back only to eliminate her again. She is annoying, but there's not need to be cruel. What makes it worse is that more than likely she was only brought back for the sake of drama.

WHERE WE ARE NOW:
So here are the "Final 13":
(* = my top choices)

Alexis Grace*
Danny Gokey**
Michael Sarver
Adam Lambert
Allison Iraheta**
Kris Allen
Lil Rounds*
Scott MacIntyre
Jorge Nunez
Megan Joy Corkrey
Jasmine Murray
Matt Giraud
Anoop Desai

Let's see if I can take one season of American Idol.

***

I'll leave you with JuNot singing:

Dog, Fences and Daytrips

2009-02-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

I've been working on Part II of my posts on Anxiety (for Part I, go here). I'm not quite finished, and I have to admit, it's a hard one to write. Anxiety is the kind of thing that seems to come back when you think about it. So, let me just say - I'm working on it slowly, carefully, cautiously and prayerfully. As soon as I it ready, I'll post it.

Meanwhile, things have pretty good. Besides last week when our dog ripped his paw open on a sharp end of a rolled up wire fence. I proclaim on a pretty regular basis how I dislike that dog...yet, he had a bit of trouble under anesthesia when they were suturing his wound - and the vet told us that his heart rate kept getting slower and slower and that she was afraid they would lose him on the table. (He's fine now). But I almost busted out crying in the middle of Petsmart when I heard that. Go figure. Maybe I kinda like him after all. (These are pics of him waiting to see the doc.)

Speaking of the dog - it was raining today and he refused to leave his little warm kennel to go out and do his business. So I'm standing by him, and all of a sudden, he starts growling and barking viciously! I about jumped out of my skin! Sheesh! Scared the bajeebers out of me. I could not imagine what he was barking at! Until I looked out the sliding door and saw this little wet dog roaming around our yard. I recognized him as the next door neighbor's dog! I peeked outside and saw the fence between us and our neighbors was DOWN. Yup, just laying flat on the grass, with a huge opening into the neighbors yard. The people (who are new renters) were not home. Finally, hubby's friend came and helped him prop up the fence and stabilize it until it can be fixed. Did I mention it's pouring rain outside? That was a fun task in the rain.

This weekend we took a day trip to Balboa Park in San Diego to see a couple of museums. We picked the Science Center and the Automotive Museum. It was pretty fun. But what really caught my eye was all the "life" going on around me. While the town I live in is large, it has a small town feel. So when I get to the "city", it's always interesting to see everything going on there. For example, there was a guy with a mic and speaker preaching the gospel to passerbys. There was also a group of people wearing t-shirts that said "Hug it Forward", and they were walking around giving hugs. Hubby said hi to a homeless guy and handed him a couple of bucks. Then he turns to me and says, "Why aren't the huggers hugging that guy?" I had to agree.

At one point, I stood, and looked from my far left all the way to my far right. and this is how it scanned: Lone guy playing the sax for money...homeless guy digging in the trash can...table with tarot card reader...people walking their greyhounds (about 25 dogs in all)...Hug It Forward people hugging...open air preacher preaching...Young couple having their engagement photos taken...kids playing by the fountain...two police officers on horseback...group of people in black trench coats and white or purple wigs...group of little girls arriving for a birthday party.

Here's hubby and Little Boy by the fountain...
Yup, people-watching was fascinating, but we had a great time at the museums as well. There was a machine at the Science Center that took your pic and then "aged" you. Little Boy tried it and at 25 yrs, he looked just like his big brother! We went to Spreckels Organ Pavilion, which is beautiful outdoor theater. The photo here is from my phone, so it's not real good quality, but it came out kinda cool with the sun shining down. All the old buildings at Balboa Park are really beautiful, so its nice to just walk around looking.

Today is President's Day, so Little Boy is home from school he's got a friend over, and they're a little bored cuz its raining and they can't go outside to play (although if I said the word, they'd be out in the rain in 2 seconds flat!) But for now, they are watching movies (Over the Hedge & Surf's Up) Meanwhile, I am sitting here, with you, and I'm starting to get a little cold in this office. Its 52 degrees outside, which is FREEZING COLD to me, but I realize that's a nice day for those of you in the colder parts of the world. I can see the snow on the mountains around us, and that makes me feel even colder! I think I'll go make myself my favorite tea - Good Earth Original

Til next time!

There Will Be a Day

2009-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

The song says it all...

AMEN!

Anxiety - Part I

2008-12-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted much since October. I've had to..hmmm...let's see..what is it that I've been trying to do?

Re-prioritize?

Simplify?

Get a grip?

*******

This is a big topic. I've decided I'm going to do this in parts. Here is Part I.

*******

What is ANXIETY?
If you've experienced "acute anxiety", you understand what I'm talking about. If you haven't experienced it, you might not understand how debilitating it can be. It's not just "being nervous". It includes panic attacks, and can also be Panic Disorder.

MedicineNet.com has a good description of symptoms, if you'd like to read it.

In his book "Overcoming Panic Attacks" Ray Comfort presents this scenario:

You are in bed, when you are awaken by a creak on the floor. You see a huge man, with a stocking over his face. He is holding a gun. Your heart races with fear. Your mouth is dry. Fear paralyzes you. Your racing heart is taking too much blood to your brain, causing your mind to go blank. The inability to respond makes you panic, causing your breathing to be irregular. This causes a cold sweat in your legs, hands and face. Adrenaline is pumping through your body. The stranger smiles an evil smile, and cocks the gun. You know you are going to die.

THAT is what an attack of irrational fear feels like. But there is no gun, no stranger, no threat of death. Yet, those are the same nightmarish feelings.

*****
You might think that since I included the "clinical" descriptions of anxiety, or because I use the medical terms, that I'm just chalking it up to a physical condition. It is physical - but it can also be emotional and/or spiritual. I will talk about all these areas.

*******

I've had anxiety and/or panic attacks in the past. But this October, it was different.

In retrospect, I can look back and see that I should have seen it coming. I had had small spurts of anxiety - kinda like I felt it creeping up. I felt too busy and overwhelmed by always being on the go. I felt soooooo tired of always having to be someplace else. I was feeling exhausted and at the end of my rope. But I thought I'd been shaking it off pretty efficiently.

At one point before it all happened, I had felt the urge to fast. Quite out of the blue, I had the thought that I should fast and pray to combat anxiety. I thought it was a great idea. But I never did it. I wonder if God had spoken to me, and I didn't heed the warning

I hesitated writing about it. I didn't think it was worth rehashing it. But it culminated with learning to hang on to God with all my might. So I will write about it in order to a) help others that might be feeling the same things (you are not alone!) and b) remind myself what God has done (I am not alone!).

Stay tuned for...What I Experienced - Part II

Baby Come Back!

2008-10-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to try the Swiffer Wet Jet. Just for kicks. And because Sam's Club had the starter kit.

I have a linoleum floor in my kitchen. It's white and has little grooves where all the dirt gets trapped. I have, on occasion, gotten on my hands & knees and taken a green scouring pad and scrubbed each groove until my floor looked all white. But mostly, I just mop as best I can, and live with the linoleum floor that I'm not that crazy about...knowing that one day we'll put in a good floor.

Anyway - back to the Wet Jet.

I tried it. And I could not believe how DIRTY the cleaning pad was after the first run-through.

But I was thrilled that maybe...just maybe..I could finally get those little grooves clean! Woohoo!

Below are photos of the first, second and third cleaning that I did - one right after the other. Yuck! Disgusting! I'm almost embarrassed to show the photos.

But, Wow! I am sold on the Wet Jet - it definitely lifts the dirt off your floor, don't ya think?

Ouch Report

2008-10-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

When I saw the caller ID at 1:45pm, I wondered what was wrong. It was my son's school. And the secretary took so long to get to the point...

Hello?

Hiiiii...Thiiiiiis iiiis Jennnniiiifffeerrr froooommm schoooool. (pause) I haaaaave yooouuuur sonnnn iiiiiin the offffiiiiicce...

I wanted to yell - JUST TELL ME IF HE'S OK!!!!!!!!!!

***

Well, the sum of the matter was that he cut himself with scissors.

On the nose.

Yeah - he cut his nose with scissors.

***

Is he crying? - I asked.

- No, He's doing ok, he's not crying.

Is it bad enough to need stitches?

- No. But it's bleeding a bit. (pause) Actually, the bleeding seems to be stopping now, he's been applying pressure.

OK. So we should come get him then.

(By this time, Hubby, who had picked up the phone at the same time and heard the whole thing, was running around looking for his shoes and his keys.)

***

We walked in and there was that sweet little boy, sitting in the office with his feet dangling from the chair, holding an ice pack wrapped in a paper towel against his little nose. I had him remove the towel so I could see. On the tip of his nose, there was a little red "U". He had cut the tip. The bleeding seemed to be almost stopped. He kept dabbing it, and leaving little red "u" prints on the towel. But then as we sat there talking with the school secretary, he seemed like he wanted to cry. But that kid...he never cries. Oh - he cries if you cut his waffle wrong. Or if he misses an all-new episode of iCarly. But for a skinned elbow or a...snipped nose? Nope. No crying here.

But he's OK. We got him home and cleaned his cut and put a little band aid strip on him so that it wouldn't get messed with accidentally. (Little boys have a way of rubbing their faces on carpets, couches, stuffed animals, etc.)

The school gave me a paper with "Ouch Report" printed on top. The incident was described as: "Snipped nose with scissors in class". Add that to the list of phrases I'd never thought I'd hear.

Back to the Grind...

2008-10-10T11:45:00.001-07:00

Haven't quite gotten back in the swing of things after our trip. This is the hallway - every room in our house pretty much looks like this:

Before:

Aaaaah...much better now...

After:

I cleared out the hallway, but now my room has all the sorted laundry. Notice how high the underwear pile is!

All in a day's work...

Reunion Time!

2008-10-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

It seems like only yesterday that I posted about my class reunion coming up, and about how I needed to lose some weight for it! But it's here - tomorrow morning we leave for our weekend trip to see all my old friends! I am excited!

I managed to lose about 12 lbs - not quite the 20 I wanted to...but still, its something! The best part is that I think I have changed some habits so that I can keep going until I lose those 40 lbs I need to. (30 lbs left to go!)

I wish today weren't' so busy so that I could spend the day packing, but what the heck, I'll pack tonight. Little Boy has a 1/2 day at school, and then we go the dentist for both our check ups. (Our dentist is about 30 minutes away - I refuse to find one closer because I've been going to his office for 11 years!) So, assuming there's no traffic, we'll probably be home around 4pm or so. After which, I've got to do laundry so that I can actually have something to pack. I hope to leave around 9am tomorrow morning, which will get us to my hometown around 5 or 6pm.

I'll be posting photos remotely on my other blog - my "picture blog", so keep on eye on that for a peek at the fun I'll be having!

Later!

Change is Good

2008-09-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why I'm sitting to blog, of all things. I have to leave here in 10 minutes to pick up Little Boy at school! Yet, here I am anyway!

Last week, Hubby went to the Dr. and was told he needed to change some things. He has high blood pressure, is overweight, has high triglycerides, and very low good cholesterol. Not good. And so we begin the process of changing his habits. Avoid sugar, sodium and saturated fat. What's left to eat???? I started re-reading the South Beach Diet, and I think that is what he really needs. I printed out the food list and sent him on his way.

So I was wondering what I was gonna make for dinner. No more grabbing dinner on the way home from Karate class...even if we make a low fat choice, fast food is full of sodium. I threw some chicken in the crock pot, and searched the pantry for something to throw in there with it. I usually do a can of stewed tomatoes...but they're full of sodium. I also sometimes throw in a can of cream of mushroom...but its full of sodium. It's a bummer that Sam's Club sells the "standard" stuff only...not the low sodium or low fat version. I'll have to head to the actual grocery store..or maybe Henry's.

But guess what? I had some fresh tomatoes, so I chopped them up and threw them on the chicken, and then a diced onion, and then some sliced fresh mushrooms. I sprinkled some garlic powder, some fresh ground black pepper, a PINCH of salt, and then as an afterthought...1/2 cup of white wine. See? I CAN make a fresh healthy meal!!

Wow, has it been 10 minute already? Better hit the road...

Nothing Today

2008-09-18T13:49:00.001-07:00

Today is Thursday.

Laundry Day. PTA Meeting. Soccer Practice. Dishes are piled (not too high - Thank You, Lord). Nerf Guns and Darts all over the Living Room. Bills to Pay. No Milk in the fridge. We're out of Bar Soap. Out of Dog Food.

I woke up at 5:30 with a headache. Felt like someone had shoved a sharp pencil in the base of my skull and had it exit out my forehead. I took some Excedrin at 6. Figured I'd feel good by 6:30.

I didn't.

Somehow got Little Boy ready for school and got him there.

Came back and jumped in bed. Counted the minutes til I could take MORE DRUGS!!! at 10:30, I took some Motrin. (after googling if I could take Tylenol and Motrin together...)

I felt nauseous. My poor hubby kept calling me to see if I was OK.

I got up to get the ice pack and put it on the base of my head. It felt good. I somehow fell asleep for a bit. Not long, though.

I got up at 12:30 and had a cup of coffee cuz I figured my body is used to the caffeine and I certainly don't need a caffeine headache on top of this one.

I paid some bills.

I ate a soup.

I got an email from some health site that said that lack of water is a cause of headaches. I have seriously neglected any water intake the past few days.

Filled my sipper.

Its 2pm and I should probably take a shower before I pick up Little Boy.

I feel like blowing off the PTA meeting and soccer practice. I could if I wanted to.

Well, I could.

The world wouldn't end. At least not because of that.

I feel slightly better, but still kinda dizzy.

Gonna shower now.

Accomplished nothing today.

The Cut-Off Load

2008-09-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Laundry.

The mere word probably made you shudder. (Unless, of course, you're my sister, who's husband does the laundry - in which case the word made you feel feelings of affection...)

I have two laundry days: Monday & Thursday. Each day has about 6 loads of wash.Unless it's the day I wash the bathroom rugs and/or bedsheets - then it's about 9 loads.

Most weeks, my two laundry days end up leaking into the other days, so that I have piles of sorted laundry in the hallway for days at a time. Then the family comes home, changes clothes, and the hamper keeps filling up before I can even get it empty.

Introducing...the CUT-OFF LOAD.

Let me explain. If I keep grabbing clothes out of the hamper as quickly as they are piling into the hamper, the laundry never ends, right? Well, I've decided that when I sort the laundry at the beginning of the day - THAT'S IT! I won't add clothes to the day's laundry if anyone comes home to change. The final load I sort is THE. CUT-OFF. LOAD. Clothes that are added after this load will simply have to wait till the next laundry day.

It's really not as easy as it sounds. I've had to fight some neurotic tendencies to accept the cut-off load. Sometimes I cant be comfortable knowing that the hamper has clothes while I'm doing laundry. It just seems wrong. But if you're the same kind of neurotic about this - trust me, if your mind knows that there's an organized cut-off load method at work here, it's easier to accept. Its when you start grabbing an additional shirt here, or a dishrag there that you feel like you gotta do it all or nothing! Don't do it. Just embrace the cut-off load!

And now, please excuse me while I go put yesterday's cut-off load to wash.

Pests, Homework, and Crockpots

2008-09-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

I totally knew that I should have listened to my "inner pest controller".

This week I had the thought that I should spray the perimeter of the house for ants. And I distinctly remember thinking, "Wouldn't it suck if I didn't do it and then regretted it when I saw ants invading?"

You know where I'm going with this, don't you?

Yup - I didn't do it and we saw ants in our pantry last night. It wasn't a full-blown infestation, but there were a few ants cruising around. So I put on my mask and goggles and went to grab the spray. However, I soon remembered that I had used it up last time I sprayed. So I rummaged around the garage to see what else I could find. I found a pink can of Raid Ant Spray, so I began to spray the outside with that, until the can was gone. So I went into the garage again, rummaged some more, and found a can of Raid Spider Spray, and a can of Raid Flying Insect Spray. I wondered if ants are picky about what kills them, so I read the ingredients. They all contained different active ingredients. But being that this was an urgent task, I figured I'd just spray what I had on hand, and buy the other stuff this week. I decided to use the Spider Spray first. I sprayed that....until that ran out. On to the Flying Insect Spray. (Although being that you're supposed to spray that into the air to kill the insects while they're flying, it has a very "airy" spray, and its hard to aim it at something specific. Keep in mind, it was nighttime, so I am out there in the dark, with my mask, goggles and a flashlight, hunched over...spraying. Furthermore, the flashlight was one of those no-battery-just-shake-it-to-charge-it flashlights, so it's not all that bright. I felt a spider web on my legs at one point and quickly aimed the light at my legs. I saw a spider on the ground, and it was jumping around really springy-like. Yick! So I sprayed it for about 30 seconds straight. It was still jumping! (Evidently, spiders ARE picky about what kills them.) And here's the creepy part - I took the flashlight off of it for a second, and when I put it back on the puddle of Raid to look at the spider again...it was gone!!! (reminded my of a Friday the 13th movie).

I'm happy to report that there are no ants in the pantry today, so I gues my hard work paid off. Either that, or the ants are avoiding the Ant Sprayed area, and are opting to go the long way around and enter though the Flying Insect Sprayed area.

In other news...

This was our first full week back at school. Little Boy worked hard all week! He has never appreciated a weekend like he appreciated this one! He had a lot of homework all week, along with soccer practice twice a week (1-1/2 hours in 101 degree weather), and Karate twice a week. Its too much, and I wonder if we should give up one or the other, but he loves them both. He has patched all week (See my Coat's Disease Blog if you dont know what I mean about patching). AND...we've established that sugar is his enemy when he needs to focus on school and homework. So we've ruled (I've ruled, actually....) that there be no sugary anything Monday through Thursday. Today (Sunday) he had french toast for breakfast, and let me tell you, I could totally see a difference in him compared to the no-sugar week we just had! I've been really proud of him with his efforts and yes, I've let him know that!

My 20 year old started a new semester this week as well, but so far, nothing too exciting is going on besides the usual hard to find parking spot and the overpriced textbooks!

I can't really say that I'm running an organized household now that school's back in progress. But, I have hopes that I might be soon. Last week another mom and I were organizing a "Welcome Back to School" breakfast that was at our kids' school, so we were busy all week getting that planned. Hopefully this week will be a little more "normal"....you know, like I'll actually cook at least one meal or something like that!

One more thing before I go, though. I found an awesome website, which I read about on another mom's blog! The person creating the site is a mom and she has resolved to use her crockpot for everyday of 2008! So there is a post every single day with a new recipe. She has photos, as well as her verdict on how it turned out. The writing is VERY entertaining and funny, and there are a lot of good recipes and great links on there too. It's "A Year of Crockpotting". I hope you go check it out! I haven't tried any of her recipes yet, but I'm kinda excited about trying some out! My usual crockpot fare has consisted of soggy chicken - but she's got things like banana bread (yes, baking!) and lasagna!

Well, today is Sunday, and a new week is before me! It would be awesome if I could get a jump start on tomorrow's laundry! At very least, I should go check to make sure Little Boy has clothes to wear tomorrow. Laundry - the fun that never ends.

Two Bits of Advice & One Question

2008-08-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Never, ever, buy WHITE rugs for the bathroom again. It appears that people's feet are actually DIRTY when they're stepping into the shower or bathtub. Hence, the brownish color on the once-white rugs.

I decided to wash them today. Which leads to the next bit of advice...

Stop using Fabric Softener. I use Downy or Suavitel cuz I love the way clothes smell when I use fabric softener. Today, I put bleach into the bleach dispenser, and it promptly spilled on my feet. It appears that the dispenser was CLOGGED with WAXY, BLUE-ISH stuff, and so the dispenser had no choice but to overflow.

(Never mind the fact that I don't actually PUT fabric softener in the BLEACH dispenser...but that's a mystery to be solved another day. I have a couple of people to interview on that topic...)

So I've spent the last 1-1/2 hours cleaning out the gunk from my machine. I've googled how to do it...some say vinegar...some say vinegar ruins your machine. Some say use CLR cuz it's "natural", then they say, make sure you have adequate ventilation cuz it is "toxic" (natural AND toxic, huh?) So I used a good, old fashioned towel and brush and scraped it off. YUCK.

After a bit of Googling, I decided - no more fabric softener. I've been using liquid cuz I heard that dryer sheets are bad for your dryer..so now I surmise that the choice is to A) ruin your dryer, B) ruin your washer, or C) go without. I choose C. Hard scratchy clothes, here we come. Also, I read that Arm & Hammer detergent contains "washing soda" which, according to to the information highway, keeps your pipes clean. So, there you go.

Ever dream that my blog might actually be informative? Nope, I didn't either.

Now, for the question: HOW MANY TIMES CAN "THE VIEW" RE-RUN THE EPISODE OF MICHELLE OBAMA???????

I don't watch it every day. Just once in a while. And these random viewings have caught the same episode of them interviewing Michelle Obama THREE times. (and I figure those are only the ones I've caught). It was an OK interview. She seems like a nice lady. I just wonder why I haven't caught any McCain reruns. Things that make you go, "Hmmmm..."

That's it for now. Just wanted to complain for a minute.

Tuesday - 8/19/08

2008-08-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

We were gone all weekend and when we got home, the house was clean - because that's how I left it. Two days home and the dishes are stacked up in the sink, the table in the TV room is filled with games, remotes, cups, toy cars, papers... and the most annoying thing to see...the pillows from the couch are thrown all over the floor. One day, instead of puffing them up and placing them neatly back on the couch, I'm gonna assume the discus-thrower position and I'm going to FLING them out the front door. Obviously, I didn't do much yesterday - just hung out and relaxed - hence, the messy house. But come on...TWO days in the house should NOT a disaster create. But, it does.

"We're out of bottled water", I was told. We always have cases of water in the garage. But they will die of thirst in this house if I don't lug a case of water in from the garage and put the bottles in the fridge. In an act of immature defiance, I have placed the case of water on the kitchen island just to see if any bottles ever make it into the fridge if I don't do it.

Today, Little Boy and I were invited to go see Space Chimps with a friend of mine and her two boys. (By the way - the movie was surprisingly good). After that we went to lunch. After that, we came home briefly, but then were off to karate class. After which we went to the Bible Book store to buy Little Boy a bible for school (he needs an actual bible in 3rd grade!). Of course, he decided on the leather bible with silver-lined pages and the thumb index. He sat and started reading Psalms right then and there, and kept telling me that this was the perfect bible for him! I wanted to go with a cheaper bible, but it seemed to me that he loved that one and was excited about reading that one. So I went with it.

...And I say all that to say...I didn't do much around the house today, either.

But guess what? I don't care. I always have to do it eventually. So who cares if I put it off a day or two. (Someone does, but it ain't me!)

However - in unusual behavior, I decided to start planting stuff. Now, here's the thing: gardening is not my thing ( I kinda hate it). But I hate my yard, so I figured I would take a three-foot length of our side-yard at a time, pull out the already sparse and dying grass, add a bag of soil, and plant something. Anything. My first project is a tropical looking leafy thing that I've had in a pot for a couple of years. The roots are starting to come up and its getting way too big for that pot. So what the heck, I'll throw it in the ground and see what happens. Then, when the urge hits me again, I'll do the same with another three-foot patch of grass. So tonight while little boy played outside, I pulled some grass up, and I used that four-pronged sharp thing that you stick in the ground and twist. I kept hitting something, so I decided to dig it out. It was a ridiculously HUGE rock. About the size of half a loaf of bread. Maybe tomorrow I'll dig-n-twist some more. When I feel the ground is ready, I'll dig a hole and put the plant in. (This is major gardening for me!)

I can't want until school starts so I can do these things without feeling like I should be doing something to entertain my child. Although when school starts, I'll feel like I should be doing something like trying to sell my handmade jewelry to boutiques, or trying to find a part time job somewhere. At which time I'll probably feel like I should be home cleaning or volunteering at school. There's no winning. NO matter what you do...you're not doing something else. (How's that for a nugget of wisdom?)

And so you say, "maybe if you spent less time BLOGGING...."

But that, my friend, is what keeps me sane!

July 21, 2008 - Monday

2008-07-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Monday again!

Last week hubby worked at home all week. It always puts me in a weird frame of mind, cuz it seems that he throws my "schedule" off when he's home. But it's summer vacation and Little Boy is home too, so my schedule is kinda thrown off anyway. Also, since we're in penny pinching mode right now, it's good to save on the gas and the toll road charges that we'd pay if he had gone to work. I did notice something else, though - there was about half the amount of laundry last week, since Hubby just threw his same old shorts and t-shirt on every day!

I also did something else that ended up being a great idea - even though I did it unintentionally. I cleaned half the house on Wednesday, and then the other half on Thursday. Each day took about an hour, and my house was clean! (Which makes me wonder why it takes me ALL day to clean the house sometimes, but ok, whatever...) I ended up doing this because on Wednesday, I had some ladies over for our weekly bible study. I thought I'd just clean up the front rooms: Living/Dining room, Kitchen, TV room, and of course, the Guest Bathroom. So the next day, all I needed was the laundry room, Little Boy's room, and the Master Bed/Bath. I think this is a method I might adopt regularly!

I know this isn't a "dieting" blog (I'll resist the urge to start yet another blog...), but I will share my dieting progress. I was getting a little frustrated, cuz after two weeks of 1500 calories, I had lost one pound, and I kept losing/gaining/losing the 2nd pound. OOOoh, I was getting downright mad! My friend very gently told me that maybe I need to avoid "empty calories". For example: 100 calories of broccoli, and 100 calories of donut, are not equal. Really? I thought they were equal. Don't read that sarcastically - I really thought they were equal. A calorie is a calorie, right? I mean,why should it make a difference as long as I stay within my allotted calorie intake? But ok, I thought it was worth a try. And then, I read that your body does not care how many calories you eat daily, it cares how many calories you have per meal. Therefore, if you have a high calorie meal, your body will store fat, even if your daily calorie intake is low. Hmmmm. So, I started eating nutritious, low cal meals every 2.5 hours. Yeah, just like a baby. I even set the alarm on my cell phone and put it in my pocket. I did this for one day...and I had lost 2.5 lbs by the next morning. Coincidence? I dunno. But I'm definitely eating every 2.5 hours from now on.

Hubby, on the other hand, has lost about 8 lbs. His method of weight loss? Watching me diet. That's it. He's just watching me diet, and the pounds are falling off of him. (GRrrrr!)

Well, off I go to start..no...off I go to continue my day. I've picked up the stray stuff around the house. I've started laundry. Kitchen is clean. Little Boy has eaten breakfast and is watching a movie. We cleaned out the office this weekend, so I have a few "yard sale" items sitting in my living room, so I'll have to find a place to store those things until the elusive yard sale happens. I have a pile of filing to do (hubby has saved every bit of paper from his entire life, and it makes his nervous to think of getting rid of any of it!). But once that pile is nicely filed away, we'll actually have some room in the office. Not much more room, but a little bit. (At least we'll be able to get to the window now.)

So it seems that this Monday is off to a semi-organized start. That makes me happy. Hey, I should throw something in the crock pot so then dinner will be done! (I love not having to think at 5pm about what's for dinner!)

Until next time!

July 11, 2008 - Friday

2008-07-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided that I had finally "had it" with this filthy messy house. I spent the whole day cleaning. I started at 7:30am and I was still going at 4:30, when Hubby got home. Whew! I was kinda cranky and tired by then, and I was working myself up to being even more cranky by telling myself that these boys were gonna all come home and start making a mess and we'd be back to the dirty messy house that we were. Am I the only woman who does this - be home all day and start "thinking" - and by the time hubby gets home, I'm all worked up into being mad and annoyed at something he hasn't done yet??????? Sheesh. Poor Guy.

...and the fact that my period is due today is totally irrelevant.

Later that evening - after dinner - we were sitting in the living room in the dark with the fan hitting us, chatting, and he got up to get something to drink, and I said I was gonna go do laundry - and he starts saying - "No - don't go! Sit with me!" Which I guess "sounds" sweet..but it annoyed me, cuz I thought "Ya know, just cuz you're off from work, does not mean that my job ever ends. Quit make me feel like I'm doing something wrong just cuz I wanna go fold your underwear!!!!".

Yup, I feel silly typing it now. Please tell me that you can relate.

It's just that I was tired. I spent the whole day picking up everyone's "stuff"; cleaning the dribble off the side of the toilet (3 males in the house); sorting dirty underwear; chipping the petrified food off the dishes; and winding up & finding the proper home for at least three thousand phone/video game/headset/laptop/ipod charger cords; dust, vacuum, mop...you get the idea. And I did all this with NO air conditioning. Plus, I had to find time to go run a couple of errands, and then, when I was all done, I had to run Little Boy to karate lessons (which I did not feel like doing). When I got back, I heated up dinner (Thank you, Lord, for leftover spaghetti), and then I discovered a trail of ants heading from the lawn into the garage, up the wall and into the ceiling, so I put on the gloves, mask and sprayed the entire perimeter of the house. I was tired.

I hopped in the shower to so I could put on my jammies and relax , and hubby decides he wants us to "take an evening drive". OK, well, don't feel like it - but he worked all day and if it gives him a small pleasure to take an evening drive, how can I say, "Nah, dont' feel like it"??? Ugh.

At some point, I gotta get a hold of myself and say - "Hello? You cannot be cranky woman all night - remember you asked God this morning to let the Holy Spirit guide you in everything you do! That does not mean that you can spend the rest of the evening making snippy comments at your family!!!" So, I got a hold of myself.

***

So here I am this morning thinking: Aaaah, I love getting up to a clean house. It's so relaxing. I'm gonna sit here and have my coffee, and catch up on some blogging, which I haven't had the time to do all week. I'm gonna catch up on my jewelry business paperwork for that I've been putting off (receipts and inventory). I know that Little Boy has been going to bed late and sleeping till at least 9am, so I've got a couple of hours of peace and quiet, since it's only 7am.

But guess who's up? Yup, Little Boy. And being the godly mother I am, I said, "What are you doing up at 7:30????? It's too early!!!! You have to go back to bed!!!!!"

As soon as I heard myself, I realized how dumb THAT sounded. I looked at his little sleepy eyes and felt like the loser mom that I am. So I hugged him and smiled. And I thought, no problem, he can watch cartoons or something while I'm on the computer for a little bit.

Except that he woke up kinda chatty.

I used to think: I don't mind my SAHM "job", it's the interruptions that drive me nuts. But I've learned that the interruptions ARE the job. So I'll finish up this post and go get him some breakfast. (breakfast in in my house means a bowl of cereal).

Later this morning I'm gonna meet some moms for lunch at "Chick-Fil-a". That should be fun for us AND for the kids, since they have a little indoor play area. Plus, since I'm Little Boy's primary playmate (is that called a "Primate"?) most the time, he'll be glad to play with some other kids.

Sometime today, I'll have to finish up the laundry(started it yesterday, as I mentioned, but did not finish). And I'll have to find time to organize my business paperwork later this evening. I'm somewhat organized already, but I've fallen behind. Story of my life.

I also gotta remember to take the SUV for a smog check. Registration was due yesterday and when I went to pay it, i saw that I had to smog it. Fun.

Which reminds me - I also gotta file taxes for my jewelry business soon (gotta pay that sales tax!).

Always a million little things to remember, isn't there?

***

On the bright side - I started "dieting". Yeah yeah, I shouldn't use the word "diet". But come one, I'm counting each calorie I consume - so as ugly a word as it is - I am dieting. In one week, I've lost 2.5 pounds, which is right on schedule for the 2lb/week goal I'm going for. We've also been walking in the evenings, so that helps.

Well, I better start the day since my quiet morning of solitude has ceased to exist. My poor Little Boy - how could he possibly know that his sleeping late keeps me sane by providing me with necessary alone time????? He can't. He just felt like getting up and he did. I better go be a good mom to him. The Lord gives me patience and lets me know when I'm being selfish. It's not wrong to need alone time, or enjoy alone time, or to even have things that are fun or make me happy or give me satisfaction. But when I put aside my family to do those things, then I gotta stop and get my priorities right. I am truly self seeking by nature. Lord, please help me to put my family first and not be worried about the extra unnecessary things in life. Let me first do the things that make my family feel happy and loved. I always seem to find time for the other things when I put my family first - but I don't find time for the family when I put the other things first.

Off to start the day...

Can I do it?

2008-07-02T22:21:00.001-07:00

I got a call from my childhood best friend today. She lives in the small town where we grew up and keeps me posted on all the happenings. It's been 25 years since we graduated, and apparently, some of our classmates felt like we couldn't let the 25 year mark pass us by without having some sort of event.

So, they planned an informal get together (carne asada cookout at someone's house) in October. My first thought is that I would LOVE to see everyone!

My second thought is that I don't want to go because I'm too fat.

My friends (who were here when i got this phone call) said I shouldn't let that stop me from going to be with friends. And they are right. But I just hate the thought of being seen.

And you know, I've been saying for years now, that I have to lose weight one of these days. And, to be honest, I was there five years ago for my 20 year reunion, and I know that I'm not MUCH fatter now than I was then. So, really, what's the big deal since they've already seen me fat?

I talked with hubby about it and he said that we both need to lose weight, and that maybe this short term goal would actually motivate me. After all, I have three whole months. Enough time to lose something. Maybe I wouldn't be Twiggy by October, but I'd definitely feel better than I feel now.

But there's something more. I'm afraid of saying I'm gonna lose weight because I'm afraid I wont be able to do it. I hate to say that - it sounds stupid. But that's how I truly feel. Afraid of failure. Afraid I'll get my hopes up of looking good, and then I'll still be big fat me, just like always. How do people lose 100+ lbs? We see it all the time on TV! I only need to lose about 40 lbs. Should be a piece of cake. (Mmmm, cake...)

But I'm thinking that this just might be possible. I have 12 weeks. At 2 lbs per week, I could lose 24 lbs. So maybe I can try to lose 20 lbs.

It just seems so impossible to me. WHY???? I hate feeling like I can't do it. I am afraid of failing in this. But I think I have to try. Not just for this event - but because I have to. and this event just came along to give me a kick in the butt. Think about it - if it were a year away, I'd think I had a lot of time and I would procrastinate. But three months is not long - yet long enough to do something.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Maybe if I say it enough times, I'll believe it.

Monday, June 30, 2008

2008-06-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Yikes - it's Monday. I feel overwhelmed thinking about all I have to do.

I just looked at the calendar and see that some DMV registrations are due today (the 2 motorcycles and the quad). So I'll have to get to AAA today to get that done.

Plus, I have to take the dog's paperwork to the City to renew his registration.

Which reminds me, I can't forget to get Little Boy registered for his swimming lessons. Was it this week that they start a new session, or next week? Argh.

Of course, I need to quickly get the house picked up and laundry started - ideally before Little Boy wakes up.

And some time today, I have to make sure that I get an account opened up to begin accepting credit cards in my jewelry business, since I booked my first jewelry show (my sister's show). Not sure how long it takes to activate an account like that, so I better get it going quick.

I should probably plan tonight's dinner, since I don't wanna feel overwhelmed when the times comes - and the day will fly by before I know it.

And the fish tank looks a little murky - I really have to get that cleaned out today. I put it off last week, and it looked bad then.

I also have to make sure the 20 yr old mows the lawn today (mental note: make sure he puts the right kind of gas in the lawnmower - regular gas, not pre-mix. Regular is in the big white container, pre-mix is in the small red container). Plus, I really need to find the time to sit and chat with him about his responsibilities here at home - and his attitude.

I wanted to get my hair cut today. Wonder if I'll have time.

I usually change the bedsheets on Mondays, but maybe I'll skip it this week...although, come to think of it, I think I skipped it last week...but come on, how dirty can they be? ..we shower before bed...ok, I'll skip it.

But as I remember, I have been putting off the ironing too, and its stacking up. Poor hubby doesn't have those shirts to wear if they're sitting in the basket, but he never complains about it. He just wears the same old knit shirts that don't need ironing. I better get to that this week. Not today though.

I talked to a friend at church yesterday and she mentioned going to the "free movies" (Some theaters show family movies for free during the summer) I don't think I'll be able to go this week. Maybe next week.

It's 7am.

I got up at 5:45 - got hubby up and out by 6am. What have I been doing for an hour??? Eesh. I gotta get off this computer and get going for the day.

Think I could possibly fit exercise into my day? How about playing with my child? Or...most importantly...I've noticed that the days I've been blogging about have not contained any bible reading. That needs to be a priority!

- that, and exercising.

- those two things, and playing with my kid.

- those things, and planning a date night with hubby, because if I don't, we just fall into "maintaining" our household as co-workers - and that's not good.

- all that, and making sure I spend time with my friends, because they give me the encouragement I need to do all of it

Yeah, those things are most important.

But I still have to make sure I pay the DMV today. And register the dog.

I am definitely overwhelmed today. Better get going and away from this office. I'd love to sit and have my coffee while I watch the news for at least a 1/2 hour...but my 20 yr old's friend spent the night in the family room, so...sssshhhhhh...I gotta be quiet - and I definitely can't clean up that room right now.

I guess I really don't have time for the hour by hour blogging today. I gotta hit this day running.

June 26, 2008 (Wed)

2008-06-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

NOTE: I am really starting to bore myself with these hour by hour entries. How about you? I should have started this during the school year for some high drama!

5:30 am already? Make breakfast, coffee and lunch for hubby...

6am - Computer time.

Side note: I gotta tell you what I did last night before I went to bed. When I got in the shower, I took a Mr. Clean Eraser with me (if you've never heard of it or tried one - FIND ONE AND BUY ONE!) While I was showering, I scrubbed my shower. I felt so good when I went to bed, knowing I didn't have to scrub the shower today! I used to use Comet and/or Scrubbing Bubbles, and I would scrub for a long time, but it would never quite get clean cuz it has all these little grooves on the surface. One day, I tried the Mr. Clean Eraser and it just wiped clean! Amazing! (is it sad that cleaning my shower is a highlight?)

6:30 - Coffee, bowl of cereal and morning news

7:30 - Start Cleaning the house!

9:30 - Still Cleaning. Little Boy just woke up - a tiny bit crabby

Put away the HUGE pile of clean clothes that has been sitting in my room since Monday's laundry.

I don't feel like cleaning, so I'm kinda in s l o w m o t i o n. I keep stopping to do unimportant stuff. Some days are like this, and some days I get done quickly! If I can get done by noon, I'll be happy.

1130am - Lunch - cuz I'm starting to feel the coffee boring a hole in my stomach

Little Boy is with his brother and they are cracking up, watching the Chocolate Rain video on youtube (and all the spoofs related to it..their favorite is McGruff the Crime Dog singing it). and they keep yelling, "MAMA! MAMA! COME WATCH DARTH VADER SING CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!". Ok, I'll humor them.

Noon - OK - all I need to get done is the kitchen. But I'm gonna shower and get dressed first.

1230 - The 20 year old left for work, and the trash is ONCE AGAIN full. But it's not quite overflowing. I consult my mom network (send cellphone photo of trash can with a text to another mom) and we decide that it qualifies as "full", therefore, worthy of a "fine".

1pm - Prepare car for doggy-ride to the vet

(Just so you know, this is a major outing for the dog. And to give you an idea of what I'm in for, I refer to him as the "bucking bronco". )

2pm - At the vet. That dog is hard to wrangle through a parking lot and store. The floors of the store are slippery for him, so he is moving his legs as fast as he can, but he's just sliding and not going anywhere cuz he's on the leash. People look at us and laugh. (writing a check while holding onto him is a barrel of fun)

3:45 - Finally home. And covered in dog drool.

One thing I forgot about was that the door in the back of the SUV is broken, so instead of staying up when you lift it up, it falls straight down. So when I got to the vet, I lifted the door, and then remembered it was gonna fall on my head, so I put my hand up real quick, and the door fell on my fingernail and it ripped a little bit way low in the pink of the nail. Ouchie.

4pm - Finish cleaning up the kitchen and the laundry room.

Did I mention the toilet needs fixing? The chain that lifts the flap in the tank broke. Hubby took the cover lid off the tank and said we could flush it by hand (in the tank) until we got it fixed. I connected the flap to the chain with a safety pin, and viola! its fixed!

Uh-oh - Little Boy has karate tonight, and I didn't wash his shirt. (it would seem logical to invest in another shirt, but alas, I'll probably just have him wear it dirty...after all, he's just gonna go sweat in it again...) And furthermore...we somehow lost one of his karate shoes. We searched everywhere but can't find it. So now we gotta buy him another pair.

4:15pm - Whew! Just finished mopping the kitchen

Gonna sit and have a soda after that job! Gonna see what's on Dr. Phil real quick.

Never made it to Dr. Phil cuz I had to put new batteries in a Darth Vader Head, and then I got busy doing something else.

I feel kinda bad that I haven't done too much with Little Boy today, but he played with a friend yesterday, and tomorrow his aunt and uncle will be here, so its ok for him to have a mellow day, I guess.

Ya know, it seems that I'm not mentioning any tantrums or me losing patience with him, but he's been pretty good! Also, I feel it worth mentioning, that a few months ago, I was tormented with myself for always feeling impatient and yelling at him. I asked God to give me patience and guess what, He did. I'm not saying I don't yell at him. But it's really decreased a lot. I imagine if I keep blogging about my days...you'll get to experience some of the frustrations. Usually they come during the school year when there's the pressure of homework, and getting things done before bedtime. Right now we're free as birds. (Chirp Chirp)

4:45pm - Little boy is walking around right now with his Darth Vader head on. It was cute at first, but now I'm growing weary of the voice changing sound it makes.

He wants to go play out front, but I say No, he can go out in the back cuz I can't watch him in front at the moment. So he is having a cow about it. (Come on, dude, cant you see I'm blogging?????) I tell him that I have been cleaning all day and now I am taking a few moment to relax - absolutely true!

5:45 - to karate! (reading time, yay!)

7:30pm - home for dinner. My friend, Del cooked for us today. You know Del, don't ya? Del Taco? (We can all eat for $10 off the value menu!)

After dinner - outside to play!

Friend of mine called and is babysitting granddaughter and they stopped by to visit for a little bit.

10pm - showers and George Lopez Show.

11pm ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

1 am - fell asleep too long! Now I gotta lug the 60 pounder to his own bed. (this is a BAD habit we're getting into here. Summer vacation is full of broken rules, isn't it?)

Until tomorrow...

June 25, 2008

2008-06-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Note: This is a relatively uneventful, boring post. Just thought I'd warn you beforehand.

Today I have written off doing anything useful. And you know what? I'm ok with that. It's taken me a while to realize that some days, nothing gets done. What I've learned is that the "mess" will wait for you. It will still be there when you decide to get to it. Your kids, however, grow up too fast.

I got up at 7:30am and got dressed (and nagged Little Boy into getting dressed!) and headed to my mom's for a weekly bible study. We ended up going a bit long, but it was good.

At around 11:30, I left and ran home cuz the dog groomer got there and I had to give her my specific directions. ("Shave his butt and sorry that it's full of poop".)

Groomer was done at around 1pm - Groomer said he was full of foxtails (little stickers) and that she had removed a lot of them, but he still had a lot.

1:30 - Ran to Wal Mart with hubby. (he worked at home today)

2:30 - Hosed off the back yard for any pre-grooming poops that might still be laying around.

3:30 - Wasted/spent time on the internet.

4:30 - Hubby said he hadn't eaten all day and wants food.

Dinner today was canned baked beans with chopped up wieners and a side salad (I am committed to "no frills" dinners this week!)

5pm -Little Boy wanted to do his worksheet book (bought him a 2nd grade book at Sam's Club to do this summer so he doesn't get "rusty" on all the stuff he learned this year!) He did a few pages and had fun!

5:30 - suggested we take a walk - and this time, we took the dog AND the hubby! I think we all enjoyed it (and needed it!)

7pm - Hung around outside with hubby and Little Boy, and also removed a TON of stickers from the dog's fur/skin. (ouch...can't believe he let me do so many)

7:30 - YACKED ON THE PHONE!

8:30pm - YACKED WITH HUBBY for awhile sitting in the dark living room with Elton John blasting.

9:30 - Watched TV with Little Boy (Home Improvement)

10pm - shower time for Little Boy

10:30 BLOG!

Think about what I've got to do tomorrow - take the dog for his rabies shot, and clean the house cuz my sis and her hubby are coming on Friday! (not that it will be clean by Friday if I clean it tomorrow...)

11pm - Shower and Bedtime (to finish reading The Penny)

June 24, 2008

2008-06-24T09:24:00.001-07:00

NOTE: I know this hour-by-hour thing will get boring pretty quick - so I won't do this forever. Just enough times for you to get the general idea. After that, I can just fill you in on the "highlights" of my day.

Yeah, highlights. Like the dog story below - that is definitely what you call a "highlight". Ugh.

5:30am - up and running: make coffee, breakfast, and pack hubby's lunch.

6am - Get on computer, check emails. Finish blog post from last night.

6:30 - Wow, I feel like I kinda am getting a headache. I'm gonna lay on the couch and watch TV to see if I can get rid of it.

8:55am - WHAT? I slept for almost 2-1/2 hours?????? Sheesh. But at least my headache is gone.
I cant believe Little Boy is still sleeping - I'm enjoying a quiet cup of coffee..

9:15 - He's awake!
We argue about the fact that yes, he has to brush his teeth every morning.

9:30 - clean up around house: make beds, put stray stuff away

10:30 - only 85 degrees today - maybe we should go walking. I'll take the dog, too.
I get myself dressed and tell Little Boy to get dressed.

11am - We're out the door. BUT, as I'm leashing the dog, I notice that everywhere he sits, he leaves a BIG POOPY BUTT PRINT. (this is gross to even write about..but if you are mad at me cuz you have to read it, remember, I had to live it) As I'm wondering if I should even take him when he's this grossly dirty, he proceeds to SHAKE HIS WHOLE BODY, AND POOP FLIES EVERYWHERE. (Its in slow motion in my memory) So I stuff him back in the yard and we go walking without him.

I hate that dog. I really do. And if you are an animal lover and disgusted by that statement, you are certainly welcome to come clean the poop off his butt anytime. I'm so glad the groomer comes tomorrow.

The walk was nice - Little Boy was very chatty.

Noon - back from our walk and into the showers cuz we felt we still had poop on us (plus we are really sweaty)

Lunch.

After lunch I wasted/spent some time on the internet.

2pm - Patched Little Boy. Because of the fact that he hates this so much, and will cheat/peek if left to his own devices, I need to be with him every moment of his patching so that:
a) he won't cheat
b) he'll be distracted and it will be easier for him.

3:30: started preparing dinner (chopped tuna salad) so I can throw it together later.

Also realized that my 20 year old has ONCE AGAIN left the house without emptying the kitchen trash can. It is in a constant state of overflowing. Last week we told him that he would be fined $10 each time he left with the kitchen trash full. I guess we gotta do what we say, huh?

4pm - clean up, and pick up stray stuff laying around the house.
Continue laundry

And...waste/spend more time on the internet. (funny how I'm really conscious of every minute spent now that I"m blogging about it.)

5pm - Find Karate Clothes in the pile of clothes on my bed. (Again, thank you , Lord that at least it's a pile of clean clothes!)

5:30 - go to Karate class. This is semi-enjoyable because I have an excuse to sit and read for 45 minutes (woohoo!)

7pm- On my way home, gotta stop and get some goodies for tomorrow's bible study.

Get home and "assemble" dinner

7:30 - Help hubby fold up and put away water slide. BLAAAGH - the ground underneath smells like a sewer since the slide has been sitting there for three days!
Plus, I also hose off the sidewalk, cuz there is DOG POOP BLOBS all over the place. I soooo hate that dog.

8pm - Finally sit down for dinner. Hubby is kinda nervous about eating "salad" for dinner.

8:30 - Hubby and I sit in front room for about an hour and "chat".

9pm - BLOG, read news, search recipes on internet. (yeah, I"m on the computer again - got a problem with that?)

10:30 - Showers and pj's

11pm - read in bed for awhile. (Reading Joyce Meyer's novel, "The Penny" - so far it is very sad)

Midnight - ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz...

It's Monday Again

2008-06-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's Monday again. A new start. New aspirations for the week.
I'll keep the house neat every day. I'll do my housework really quick so I can sit and enjoy my son being home for summer vacation. I'll plan the menu for the week. I'll make little boy pick up his toys every night before going to bed. And I'll start patching him regularly like I should. I'll start walking...and dieting. Life will be much more organized...starting today. Yes, Monday is a clean slate.

I wake up at 6am and get up with hubby. I make his coffee. But there's nothing to make him for breakfast and nothing to pack him for lunch. Mental note: go grocery shopping today.

6:30 - Hubby goes to work. I sit and have my coffee and watch the news on TV. But the Coffee tastes gross! I see that the coffee is not "brewing" all the way through. Run Vinegar through pot to clean it out. Run fresh water through it to clean out the vinegar. seems to work OK.

7am: Check email and finish blog post I started last night

8am: Start laundry

9am: Little Boy wakes up and wonders who he should invite to play with him on his water slide. Mental Note: Go grocery shopping really fast so we can invite a friend to play with him.

9:30: Remembered dog's rabies is due this week. Need to groom him before I stick him in the car to take him to the vet, cuz his butt hair has a bunch of poop balls hanging and I don't want that in my new car. Called Vet for info. Called Groomer to schedule an appt.

10am: Mom calls - needs me to take her to deliver her "specimen" (don't' ask) to the lab, and then she needs to pick her her RX at Walmart.

Continue laundry.

Hmm...Bathroom clock has stopped. Better change the battery now while I'm thinking about it.

11am: Shower and make Little Boy get dressed and ready so we can take Mom on her errands.

Noonish: Pick up mom. Go to lab. She takes us to lunch (McDonalds inside Walmart).
But mom isn't picking up her RX...she's only just getting it filled. Walmart's pharmacy is closed between 1230 and 130pm. (Annoying!) Now we gotta walk around Walmart, killing time. (I hope I still have time to grocery shop and invite a friend to play!)

1:30: (finally!) Mom drops off her RX. They say it will take an hour. She'll have Dad pick it up later.

2pm: Little Boy really doesnt wanna go grocery shopping with me, so I take him and Mom home and go shopping by myself (much more enjoyable this way anyway). I hit Sam's Club, and then Albertons for the stuff Sam's doesn't have. Hope the food from Sam's is OK in the trunk while I run into Albertons - it's so hot in the car.

3:30: Get home, put groceries away. Gotta pick up Little Boy.
Before I got, I'll take clothes out of dryer, put in new load to dry, and new load to wash.
An I better turn on the water for the water slide to cool it off.
Oh yeah, better give the dog some water, since its 105 degrees outside.
While I'm at it, I better water the plants.
One more thing - I should check the machine to see if the dog groomer called. Yes, they called, I really should call them back right now to schedule that appt.
One last thing while I'm thinking about it...call playmate to see if he can come play. No one's home, left a message.

4pm - go pick up Little Boy at Mom's.

4:30 - We're home. He' s mad cuz nobody is here to play. I've called three neighborhood kids and nobody's home/available. I tell him that's just life and he can just go play by himself today. I tell him that instead of being angry, he should be thankful that he's had friends here for the past four days. He's not agreeing and he storms off to his room. I tell him to go to him take 10 minutes to cool of cuz now he's just being rude to me. We do this a few times until he finally cools off. (I'm making a conscious effort to not yell and get angry at his little tirade! I'm trying to "model" self control, after all)

5pm - finish cleaning up kitchen and family room (a disaster!)
Continue with laundry

5:30- start preparing dinner (roast beef and cream cheese wraps, cuz it's too hot to cook!)

6pm - Hubby's home so I scramble to assemble the wraps. Oh, he's not hungry cuz he ate a big lunch and he's been snacking all day and he just guzzled a Gatorade on the way home. I feed Little Boy and myself. (Mental note: next time I make wraps, less cream cheese and more roast beef. Otherwise, they are good!)

7pm SIT ON THE COUCH...AAAAaaaah.
Wow, all of a sudden I feel tired. I mention this to hubby..he says "why?" (Why??? Why??? Gee, I don't know why I'm tired, after all, I've been sitting and watching soap operas and eating bon bons all day, right?)

7:30: Hubby is yelling from the yard..."do you know where the drainage holes in the grass are?" We spend time poking holes in the grass looking for them - we found a couple. (We are draining the water slide).

8pm - Gotta sit and watch American Gladiators with Little Boy.

9pm- He decides he wants mac and cheese.

930 - Sit and write this post.

10pm - Shower time for Little Boy.
I wonder where my older son is? I better give him a call. (he's always busy with various things in his schedule: Work, Band, Girlfriend, having fun...)

Oh, he's home. He's been home since 8pm and has been asleep in his room. He's cranky and hot (we're not running our air cuz we dont wanna pay the high electric bill. Yes, we are all suffering through this heat wave). I tell him to come out to the living room where it's cooler. He does and we sit and chat in the dark for a few minutes.

10:30 lay down with little boy to watch TV till he gets sleepy. We watch George Lopez. (totally not a kid's show, but he likes it and I'm too tired to argue)

11pm - Make sure Little Boy gets up to pee, cuz he drank something at 10pm.

1130 - I shower, and get in bed. Read for a while.

Midnight - Time to move that 60 lb sleeping boy to his own bed. Man, he's heavy.

Goodnight...