Sorry. I tried to give this post another title, I really did, but I just couldn't resist. What can I say? I'm weak! :)
I, Vicki, otherwise known as "she who hates to cook" has now cooked dinner using actual recipes from an actual cookbook for 2 nights in a row. I realize this means NOTHING to most people, but this is quite the accomplishment for me.
Yesterday for breakfast, we had waffles. Yes, they were the frozen kind that you just pop into the oven for 5 minutes, but I still consider them to be a step up from Pop Tarts! LOL For lunch, we had deli ham, sliced cheese, crackers, and grapes. Last night's dinner was baked bbq chicken which turned out to be delicious! The homemade macaroni and cheese, well, not so much. It was edible, but not good. On the upside, I do think I know what went wrong with the mac and cheese, so I will try again some time~one day when I'm feeling brave. :)
Today's "brunch" was toast~with cheese, or with butter and jelly, or peanut butter~kids choice and fruit~the fruit was canned, except for the grapes, but again, better than Pop Tarts.
Dinner was better tonight. I used a recipe called 'beef noodle skillet"~basically, it's home made hamburger helper. I served some mixed veggies with it, and made "bits of sunshine biscuits". All of these items were a hit with hubby and the munchkins! YAY!
We WILL be sticking to one night a week of frozen/microwavable dinners. This is because I have to do my grocery shopping in the evening when dh can drive me, so usually by the time we get home, everyone is HUNGRY and TIRED, including me. So, we do really easy, quick stuff on Tuesdays, which is our usual grocery shopping night.
You didn't expect me to go completely cold turkey, did you? :)
Blessings,
Vicki
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A 4 post day!!!
This post might explain a bit about the "tone" of my 3 previous posts from today.
This morning, I needed to go into the bathroom. Seeing that the door was halfway open, I assumed no one was in there and walked right in. That is where I found my 5 year old son, standing in a perfectly good bathroom, RIGHT next to a perfectly good toilet, tinkling into the TRASH CAN!!!!!
What on earth is up with THAT?! What makes a healthy, typical, 5yo boy walk into the bathroom and say to himself "Sure, there is a perfectly good, clean toilet here, but, hmmm....I think it's a good idea to use the trash can instead."
WHAT the heck?!!
Once I found my voice again, I immediately let him know, in NO uncertain terms that he was never, ever, ever, to do that again!!!
Now. Fast forward to this afternoon. It's 5:15 pm. Roger and the kids are trying to eat their supper so we can leave for church by 6pm. I'm in the other room getting ready, and I hear Roger say "Noah, where are you? You're too quiet! What are you up too?" Noah doesn't answer, so a minute later I can hear Roger's footsteps, walking around the house, looking for Noah. The next thing I hear is Roger booming out "NOAH BRIAN!!!!"
Right away, I know this CAN'T be good. I rush into the room they are in. I see Roger, but don't see Noah. That, I soon find out, is because Noah is hiding under the bed. He doesn't yet realize that hiding under the bed is a dead giveaway that he's done something he shouldn't have done.
Roger pulls Noah out from under the bed. Noah immediately begins to cry, burying his face on Roger's shoulder. He refuses to look at either of us. This is NOT good.
The child had taken gum from an Easter basket ~without permission, I might add. He had gotten gum in his hair, and rather than tell us that so that we could get it out, he decides to use a pair of child's scissors to CUT the gum out of his hair!!!!! AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
He now has a small almost bald spot right in the FRONT of his hair!!!!
I fear that I'll be joining him soon. Sooner or later, I'M going to have a bald spot if I keep pulling my hair out this way!!!!!!
Is anybody out there praying for me? Oh, Lord have mercy, I hope so!!!! :)
Blessings,
Vicki
This morning, I needed to go into the bathroom. Seeing that the door was halfway open, I assumed no one was in there and walked right in. That is where I found my 5 year old son, standing in a perfectly good bathroom, RIGHT next to a perfectly good toilet, tinkling into the TRASH CAN!!!!!
What on earth is up with THAT?! What makes a healthy, typical, 5yo boy walk into the bathroom and say to himself "Sure, there is a perfectly good, clean toilet here, but, hmmm....I think it's a good idea to use the trash can instead."
WHAT the heck?!!
Once I found my voice again, I immediately let him know, in NO uncertain terms that he was never, ever, ever, to do that again!!!
Now. Fast forward to this afternoon. It's 5:15 pm. Roger and the kids are trying to eat their supper so we can leave for church by 6pm. I'm in the other room getting ready, and I hear Roger say "Noah, where are you? You're too quiet! What are you up too?" Noah doesn't answer, so a minute later I can hear Roger's footsteps, walking around the house, looking for Noah. The next thing I hear is Roger booming out "NOAH BRIAN!!!!"
Right away, I know this CAN'T be good. I rush into the room they are in. I see Roger, but don't see Noah. That, I soon find out, is because Noah is hiding under the bed. He doesn't yet realize that hiding under the bed is a dead giveaway that he's done something he shouldn't have done.
Roger pulls Noah out from under the bed. Noah immediately begins to cry, burying his face on Roger's shoulder. He refuses to look at either of us. This is NOT good.
The child had taken gum from an Easter basket ~without permission, I might add. He had gotten gum in his hair, and rather than tell us that so that we could get it out, he decides to use a pair of child's scissors to CUT the gum out of his hair!!!!! AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
He now has a small almost bald spot right in the FRONT of his hair!!!!
I fear that I'll be joining him soon. Sooner or later, I'M going to have a bald spot if I keep pulling my hair out this way!!!!!!
Is anybody out there praying for me? Oh, Lord have mercy, I hope so!!!! :)
Blessings,
Vicki
Growing Pains~the Spiritual Kind
I mentioned in a post from a couple of days ago that we had been experiencing some trouble~financial, and with a particular family situation.
I"m happy to report that I feel a lot better about things today. Nothing is "fixed" as of yet, but I can see some things going on that are encouraging to me. I see myself and my husband growing spiritually, becoming more mature in our walk with Christ.
On the financial front, my husband told me yesterday that he plans to give up a certain leisure time activity that he enjoys. He is going to be taking on a second job, so he won't have much time to pursue the hobby for a while anyway, so he has decided to sell the equipment he uses for this hobby. No one asked him to do this, he has done it on his own.
A while back when we were in a financial "tight spot" someone suggested that he sell this stuff, and his reasoning at that time was "but I work really hard, and I DESERVE to indulge in my hobby after work". Well, that may be true, but he deserves financial peace and stability too,. and he has grown enough to come to that conclusion on his own.
I've done some growing of my own. God has changed my heart, and changed how I feel about.....of all things.....cooking. I have NEVER liked cooking! I have often WANTED to like it, and WISHED that I DID like it, but I've never liked it.
But, if Roger is willing to work 2 jobs, and to give up a hobby he enjoys, then I need to do my part too. So, this week when I made our grocery list, I cut out most of the "convenience" items and instead bought the ingredients to make things myself, from (gasp!) recipes!!! This means that I am going to have to invest a little more time in menu planning, and I'm going to have to spend a little more time in the kitchen doing actual ( gasp again!) COOKING!! LOL!
And, as shocked as I am to say this, I am GLAD to do it! Working a job outside the home to bring in an additional income is not an option for me right now, so I am willing, and honestly GLAD to be able to contribute in this way. I've been asking the Lord to show me how to actively do something to help our financial situation, and now He has. He has shown me that it's time for me to grow up and get cookin'! LOL!
The other situation, the family situation, I am still unsure about. I'm not even sure that my dh sees the situation as a problem at all. For sure, he doesn't see it as a big problem the way I do. More prayer is in order for that situation.
God in His mercy though, has shown me that He is doing a work in dh and in me. He is guiding us in the financial situation, and He can guide us in the family situation as well. Oh, how thankful I am to know that!
Blessings,
Vicki
I"m happy to report that I feel a lot better about things today. Nothing is "fixed" as of yet, but I can see some things going on that are encouraging to me. I see myself and my husband growing spiritually, becoming more mature in our walk with Christ.
On the financial front, my husband told me yesterday that he plans to give up a certain leisure time activity that he enjoys. He is going to be taking on a second job, so he won't have much time to pursue the hobby for a while anyway, so he has decided to sell the equipment he uses for this hobby. No one asked him to do this, he has done it on his own.
A while back when we were in a financial "tight spot" someone suggested that he sell this stuff, and his reasoning at that time was "but I work really hard, and I DESERVE to indulge in my hobby after work". Well, that may be true, but he deserves financial peace and stability too,. and he has grown enough to come to that conclusion on his own.
I've done some growing of my own. God has changed my heart, and changed how I feel about.....of all things.....cooking. I have NEVER liked cooking! I have often WANTED to like it, and WISHED that I DID like it, but I've never liked it.
But, if Roger is willing to work 2 jobs, and to give up a hobby he enjoys, then I need to do my part too. So, this week when I made our grocery list, I cut out most of the "convenience" items and instead bought the ingredients to make things myself, from (gasp!) recipes!!! This means that I am going to have to invest a little more time in menu planning, and I'm going to have to spend a little more time in the kitchen doing actual ( gasp again!) COOKING!! LOL!
And, as shocked as I am to say this, I am GLAD to do it! Working a job outside the home to bring in an additional income is not an option for me right now, so I am willing, and honestly GLAD to be able to contribute in this way. I've been asking the Lord to show me how to actively do something to help our financial situation, and now He has. He has shown me that it's time for me to grow up and get cookin'! LOL!
The other situation, the family situation, I am still unsure about. I'm not even sure that my dh sees the situation as a problem at all. For sure, he doesn't see it as a big problem the way I do. More prayer is in order for that situation.
God in His mercy though, has shown me that He is doing a work in dh and in me. He is guiding us in the financial situation, and He can guide us in the family situation as well. Oh, how thankful I am to know that!
Blessings,
Vicki
Outgrowing the need for support?
I read this morning where another homeschooler stated that after a few years of homeschooling her children, she "outgrew" the need for a homeschool co-op or a support group that sponsors field trips, parties, etc.
I was a bit offended by this because to me, the tone of the message was that 'someday when we grow up, we should outgrow the need for a group too'. She didn't SAY that, but that was the implication. She made the statement that she 'never got anything' out of the field trips and holiday parties. She said that she and her children "learned to do things as a family" without the need for "verification" from others, or the need to be "part of a group". Again, implying that needing to feel like part of a group is a weakness.
Well, I'm sorry, but I think this is way off base. We are part of a Christian HS group, and it's been, and continues to be, a GREAT experience for my family! We have parties, playdates, field trips, Mom's Night's, a social studies fair each year( sometimes 2) and all kinds of cool stuff!! As a matter of fact, tomorrow we are going to watch a policeman perform a demonstration with his trained canine partner.
Maybe there are some people who don't "get anything" out of this kind of thing. That's fine, but it doesn't make you more mature than people who DO get something out of it.
And here is something else to consider~maybe, just maybe, you get very little out of it because you put very little into it.
Doing things on your own is great, but every now and then it's bound to get a little lonely.
Blessings,
Vicki
I was a bit offended by this because to me, the tone of the message was that 'someday when we grow up, we should outgrow the need for a group too'. She didn't SAY that, but that was the implication. She made the statement that she 'never got anything' out of the field trips and holiday parties. She said that she and her children "learned to do things as a family" without the need for "verification" from others, or the need to be "part of a group". Again, implying that needing to feel like part of a group is a weakness.
Well, I'm sorry, but I think this is way off base. We are part of a Christian HS group, and it's been, and continues to be, a GREAT experience for my family! We have parties, playdates, field trips, Mom's Night's, a social studies fair each year( sometimes 2) and all kinds of cool stuff!! As a matter of fact, tomorrow we are going to watch a policeman perform a demonstration with his trained canine partner.
Maybe there are some people who don't "get anything" out of this kind of thing. That's fine, but it doesn't make you more mature than people who DO get something out of it.
And here is something else to consider~maybe, just maybe, you get very little out of it because you put very little into it.
Doing things on your own is great, but every now and then it's bound to get a little lonely.
Blessings,
Vicki
For Cryin' Out Loud!!!!!
What were you doing when you were 11?
Let me see. If I remember correctly, at age 11 I was in the 5th grade. Elementary School. We still had recess, played dodge ball and jumped rope. I distinctly remember our teacher, Mrs. Wofford, reading aloud to us every day. I remember she read several of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" books to us, as well as some mysteries~Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, maybe?
I had a best friend named Tammy, and we loved spending the night at each others houses. We both had "Gerber Baby" dolls, and we loved to try different outfits on them and play with them. We also played softball in my yard.
One thing we did NOT spend a lot of time thinking about was BOYS!! Take a look around on CBS.com and you will see a news story there about 5th graders being arrested for having sex IN the classroom WITH other elementary aged students, and NO adults present!!!!! EXCUSE ME??!! The article states that the class was 'inadvertantly" left alone for about 15 minutes.
Incidentally, I am not at all a fan of CBS news. I read the story there because I followed a link that led me there. You could probably find coverage of the same story on foxnews.com which I much prefer.
Anyway, WHAT is going on with these kids? I had NO idea about sex at the age of 11, and it is my opinion that NO child SHOULD have any clue about sex at the age of 11!!! Good grief!!!
There was another chilling element to this news article. The Sheriff in the county where this took place stated that the parents of these children would not be charged in any way because "while the kids are at school, the parents relinquish all control to the administration". He went on to say that "all we can do is look into what goes on in these children's homes". Well, gee, you THINK?!
If this doesn't give parents a valid reason to homeschool their children, then nothing ever will. For Crying Out Loud!!!!
Blessings,
Vicki
Let me see. If I remember correctly, at age 11 I was in the 5th grade. Elementary School. We still had recess, played dodge ball and jumped rope. I distinctly remember our teacher, Mrs. Wofford, reading aloud to us every day. I remember she read several of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" books to us, as well as some mysteries~Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, maybe?
I had a best friend named Tammy, and we loved spending the night at each others houses. We both had "Gerber Baby" dolls, and we loved to try different outfits on them and play with them. We also played softball in my yard.
One thing we did NOT spend a lot of time thinking about was BOYS!! Take a look around on CBS.com and you will see a news story there about 5th graders being arrested for having sex IN the classroom WITH other elementary aged students, and NO adults present!!!!! EXCUSE ME??!! The article states that the class was 'inadvertantly" left alone for about 15 minutes.
Incidentally, I am not at all a fan of CBS news. I read the story there because I followed a link that led me there. You could probably find coverage of the same story on foxnews.com which I much prefer.
Anyway, WHAT is going on with these kids? I had NO idea about sex at the age of 11, and it is my opinion that NO child SHOULD have any clue about sex at the age of 11!!! Good grief!!!
There was another chilling element to this news article. The Sheriff in the county where this took place stated that the parents of these children would not be charged in any way because "while the kids are at school, the parents relinquish all control to the administration". He went on to say that "all we can do is look into what goes on in these children's homes". Well, gee, you THINK?!
If this doesn't give parents a valid reason to homeschool their children, then nothing ever will. For Crying Out Loud!!!!
Blessings,
Vicki
Monday, April 9, 2007
What do you do with days like this.....
When you are just in a foul mood, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better any time soon?
The situations I'm dealing with today are things that will eventually be worked out one way or the other, but there is no "quick fix"~no way that these things can be taken care of TODAY, or even within the next couple of days.
One situation involves family members, and it's hard because the person who has caused the problem is someone very close to me who doesn't even realize that they HAVE, in fact, caused a problem. Or, more precisely, this person is aware of the situation, but does not view it as a problem. Therefore, trying to work it out is rather like banging your head against the wall!!
The other situation is financial. It too will be worked out soon enough, but it's going to take time.
Finally, I am struggling spiritually because of these 2 situations. We have been tithing faithfully for some time now, and handling our money is what we believe to be a Scriptural way. In spite of all of this, we still struggle financially. Now, I know that God doesn't promise us that tithing will remove any and all financial struggles. But I truly believed that AT LEAST things wouldn't always be SUCH a financial struggle. But, instead of getting better, things have gotten worse, and if I may be blunt, I think that stinks!!!
I know that God can work out both the financial situation and the family problem, but for whatever reason, He has not chosen to do that, and I guess I'm just having a pity party and asking Him WHY today.
If you are so inclined, I could surely use some prayers today.
Blessings,
Vicki
The situations I'm dealing with today are things that will eventually be worked out one way or the other, but there is no "quick fix"~no way that these things can be taken care of TODAY, or even within the next couple of days.
One situation involves family members, and it's hard because the person who has caused the problem is someone very close to me who doesn't even realize that they HAVE, in fact, caused a problem. Or, more precisely, this person is aware of the situation, but does not view it as a problem. Therefore, trying to work it out is rather like banging your head against the wall!!
The other situation is financial. It too will be worked out soon enough, but it's going to take time.
Finally, I am struggling spiritually because of these 2 situations. We have been tithing faithfully for some time now, and handling our money is what we believe to be a Scriptural way. In spite of all of this, we still struggle financially. Now, I know that God doesn't promise us that tithing will remove any and all financial struggles. But I truly believed that AT LEAST things wouldn't always be SUCH a financial struggle. But, instead of getting better, things have gotten worse, and if I may be blunt, I think that stinks!!!
I know that God can work out both the financial situation and the family problem, but for whatever reason, He has not chosen to do that, and I guess I'm just having a pity party and asking Him WHY today.
If you are so inclined, I could surely use some prayers today.
Blessings,
Vicki
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Why not?!
I am all ready contemplating next school year. One reason I am all ready thinking toward next year is because Noah will be in Kindergarten, which makes him a "semi-official" student.
By that I mean that he will not be officially registered with the county as a homeschooler because our state does not require registration until the age of 6, and Noah is only 5. But, he has show MANY signs of readiness for a little bit more structured learning, so he will be an "official at our house" Kindergartner as of August 1, 2007.
That means that begining in August, I will have a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and a Kindergartner here at Eagles Wings Academy. I think a little more planning on my part is called for.
I have heard several discussions recently about 'year round' homeschooling. This term is a little bit deceptive in that these folks usually do take 12 weeks off ( as per our 180 day requirement here in the state of Georgia) but they don't take all 12 weeks, or even 8 weeks, or 6 weeks, during June, July, and August. I know one family who takes off the months of April, August, and December. Many families follow a 3 weeks on/1 week off plan.
I was sort of thinking out loud about this yesterday, when my 9yo daughter asked me "Mom, why DO we take the summer off from school? There's nothing else to do in the summer time anyway!"
Many would disagree with that statement, but I understand what she meant. We are not taking a family vacation this year, and even when we DO take family vacations, we usually take them in the Spring. Many of the activities my kids are ( or have been) involved in take the summer off~like scouts, American Heritage Girls, AWANA, our church's children's choir, even Noah's baseball team ends it's season at the end of May. So, from a kids point of view, there really isn't much to do in the summer. Spring and Fall, however, and even Winter at times, is very busy for us. So it DOES make sense to school in the summer and use our "off time" during times when we have other things going on.
So, we're going to give it a try this summer. I am not going to "push" to finish up our school year in May, as we have done in the past. We are only about 30 days shy of our 180 days for this school year, so we are going to take our time finishing those up. We took a break last week, and are only doing "the basics" this week. I"m still looking toward August 1 to be our 'official' start date for next year, but we will just see how it goes. I think it's going to be a good fit for our family.
Blessings,
Vicki
By that I mean that he will not be officially registered with the county as a homeschooler because our state does not require registration until the age of 6, and Noah is only 5. But, he has show MANY signs of readiness for a little bit more structured learning, so he will be an "official at our house" Kindergartner as of August 1, 2007.
That means that begining in August, I will have a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and a Kindergartner here at Eagles Wings Academy. I think a little more planning on my part is called for.
I have heard several discussions recently about 'year round' homeschooling. This term is a little bit deceptive in that these folks usually do take 12 weeks off ( as per our 180 day requirement here in the state of Georgia) but they don't take all 12 weeks, or even 8 weeks, or 6 weeks, during June, July, and August. I know one family who takes off the months of April, August, and December. Many families follow a 3 weeks on/1 week off plan.
I was sort of thinking out loud about this yesterday, when my 9yo daughter asked me "Mom, why DO we take the summer off from school? There's nothing else to do in the summer time anyway!"
Many would disagree with that statement, but I understand what she meant. We are not taking a family vacation this year, and even when we DO take family vacations, we usually take them in the Spring. Many of the activities my kids are ( or have been) involved in take the summer off~like scouts, American Heritage Girls, AWANA, our church's children's choir, even Noah's baseball team ends it's season at the end of May. So, from a kids point of view, there really isn't much to do in the summer. Spring and Fall, however, and even Winter at times, is very busy for us. So it DOES make sense to school in the summer and use our "off time" during times when we have other things going on.
So, we're going to give it a try this summer. I am not going to "push" to finish up our school year in May, as we have done in the past. We are only about 30 days shy of our 180 days for this school year, so we are going to take our time finishing those up. We took a break last week, and are only doing "the basics" this week. I"m still looking toward August 1 to be our 'official' start date for next year, but we will just see how it goes. I think it's going to be a good fit for our family.
Blessings,
Vicki
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