Argh!!!

I wrote a whole post with pictures and when I tried to publish it went away! I am so mad! I thought blogger was supposed to save my work. I did try to save it and it wouldn't save. I don't have time to redo it, later...

Milestone


Last night I taught Cortney, who is 11.5, how to shave under her arms. Yep, my 11.5 year old daughter has hair under her arms and she wanted them gone. So what if it was just 4 or 5 hairs under each arm and that you could hardly see, for a girl in a rush to grow up it is a big deal. So, last night we hit a milestone. She made me promise that I would teach her how to shave her legs in the spring. Really, her legs are a bit hairy, they look like they are covered with little black spider legs so it will be time. She just has no idea what awaits her as a woman, if she did maybe she wouldn't be in such a rush.

Rambling

I haven't posted in over a week. It has been crazy around here. Southern California has been on fire, and although we are not in any danger of being in the path of any of the fires, the air quality has been horrendous. The ash and smoke made breathing almost impossible most of last week.

I do playground duty at my kids public schoo.l The kids were not allowed outside because of the awful air quality, so they all had to stay in the cafeteria during lunch recess and it is not very roomy in there at all. Plus the bookfair is going on and takes up a lot of room. So, I spent most of my time rearranging the kids and trying to keep some kind of order. I would come home with an awful headache due to the bad air, loud noise and stress.

I also had parent teacher conferences last week for my boys. Cameron (9 - 4Th grade) is doing well but has trouble focusing. Nothing new for him. I have had him tested for ADD but he does not have it. He just loses interest quickly. I did get a nice complement from Cameron's teacher, she told me that out of a class of 32 students Cameron is the only one that says please and thank you. She said that manners and politeness is very rare from a student these days. That made me proud and sad all at the same time.

Collin my Kindergartner is doing well too. He is still having trouble retaining the letters of the alphabet but he is showing improvement so what more can I ask for. The teachers on the other hand ask for too much of these babies in my opinion.

It took me four hours to write out lesson plans and do research for our History time. We are studying Ancient Egypt and I find it all so fascinating. More fascinating than the kids do unfortunatly.

Two kids had doctors appointments, Cortney had to have labs done, the hubby has been working long hours, blah blah blah.

So it was a crazy week, this week should be a little easier.

Saturday night my husband went to a Homeschool Information Night and we both had a nice time. Of course there was the awkward moment when the speaker asked if anyone had a game system, I raised my hand and in a room of about 100 people I was the ONLY one to raise my hand! It was a conservative group but come on, I couldn't be the only one in that room with a "system" in my homes. Or should I say systems since we have an X Box, Wii, Playstation, DS's, and various older game boys. My own husband didn't even raise his hand. Yep, I felt a little singled out. I felt like I need to explain the restrictions I put on the use of those systems. Like they aren't allowed out during the week, good grades must be made to be able to play them etc.

After that my husband and I went out to dinner, just the two of us. What a treat that was. These meetings are monthly meetings, and since I have very little dignity, I will show up again, maybe I will even take a DS along to play. So this will be our monthly date night.

While we were at dinner Saturday night I mentioned to my husband that I would like to tear the bar out. By bar I mean a half wall between our living room and dinning area that has a narrow bar on top and bookshelves underneath. It is old fashioned looking and ugly. Also without it the living room would look more open and we would have more room. He agreed. Sunday I went to run some errands and when I got home the bar was gone. I guess he thought I meant ASAP. I do like it better but he does have a lot of patching and painting to do now and I have a bit of an eye sore until he is done.

I was working on the playground today and there are three fifth grade boys that fight with each other all the time. One boy "J" told me that "A" called him a C*ck sucking b*tch. "A" admitted it and said that the other boy told him too F off first, and "J" admitted to that. Sigh, I just can't believe the language that comes out of these kids at times, and the anger and lack of remorse or regret. I worry about our future sometimes. I can't wait to have all my kids home. I go back and forth about just pulliing them out now, Cameron loves his teacher and she really is a great teacher and Collin is making progress and I have no complaints about his teacher or classmates. Kindergartners are off by themsefls with no contact with the rest of the general population. There are so many sweet little ones at the school, it just so few to make things go bad. Enough rambling, my heart is just heavy tonight and I needed to vent some.

Sunday updates

A few updates on past posts.

First, Vern was set free about a week ago. We let him go in the back yard where we found him. We had been spending time with him in the back yard getting him used to the outdoor surroundings. He kept wandering further and further away from us until we decided it was time to say goodbye. It was a sad farewell but we all understand it was what was best for Vern.

No dog yet. I still haven't been able to find one that makes me feel like Kammi did. I will continue to look, I really want a rescue dog. A friend of mine has been encouraging me to just go to our local shelter to find a dog but I know if I go down there and look at all those animals in person we will come home with not only a dog but a bird, several rabbits, and some kind of reptile. I am better off just looking at pictures for now.

I finished my book on Friday afternoon. It was a good book, not excellent, but it kept my interest. I felt a bit empty when I finished because I didn't have another book to immediately start reading. So Cortney and I went to the library and got there 15 minutes before they closed. I grabbed a few books hoping I would find one I would enjoy. I started reading this book and so far it seems good.

I haven't started to crochet yet. Just haven't been able to find the time. We are taking a trip over Thanksgiving so maybe I will have time to start then.

Cody is doing better with his attitude and school work, I don't know what brought around the change and I am not going to question it.

Cortney is still sick. After two weeks of complaining about a sore throat and not feeling well this stellar mom took her to the doctor. Low and behold, she has an ear infection and possible strep throat. She is on an antibiotic now and seems to be feeling better. She also had a tetanus shot while we were there and now she can't lift her arm. I had one last year and I remember how miserable and painful it was. Cody stayed at my moms last night and from what I hear he was throwing up all night. I am not proud of this, but I am glad he was there and not here. I don't deal with vomit well, I usually just join in. This too shall pass...

It is going to be hot and windy here the next week. For some reason I hate the wind worse than anything. I think it is the noise it makes and the way it dries my skin and what it does to my hair not to mention the allergies around here. We have had fall weather off and on but it just doesn't stick.

Reading

I have always loved to read, ever since I was a little girl. Unfortunately this love of mine has been lost on my kids, so far. They seem to be taking after thier dad when it comes to reading. I so wish they would read more. They have their assigned reading for school of course, but I wish they would read for leisure and fun too.

I do my best to set a good example. This past summer I set a goal to read one book a week. I will also add that Cortney finished the reading challenge at the library and I do think with a little more encouragement I will make a reader out of her yet.

Back to my goal, I made it plus some. Thank goodness for the library! I have really enjoyed rediscovering the library and all it has to offer.

I have been reading this book for the last three weeks and I just can't seem to find the time to finish it. My days are busy and when I do finally crawl into bed at night with my book and start to read I always seem to doze off. I get so annoyed at myself when I wake up with the book lodged into my neck. I have even tried to have the kids read to me but I still fall asleep and when I wake up the kids are long gone. Since it is a mystery I can't wait to get to the end to find out what happens. I am three quarters of the way through the book and I am determined to finish it before the weekend. If I can just figure out a way to stay awake.

Girls only

This was awesome! I danced I sang I embarrassed my daughter. We heard good messages, great music and we bonded.

Friday

TGIF! I am still sick, now my throat hurts. Shouldn't I be better by now? It has been a whole week since this cold thing started. I am so impatient.

Tonight and tomorrow I am taking Cortney to The Revolve Tour. A bunch of girls from our church are going and I am going along to chaperon. I am really looking forward to it! These preteens are growing up faster and faster these days and it scares me.

I really have nothing else to say today. I just don't feel good and am lacking the energy I need to do much of anything. I promise to be more interesting next week...

quote of the day

I consider myself a pretty organized person, I have to be since I am a busy mom of five kiddos who is also homeschooling two kids, three if you count the preschool activities I do with Casey. But I often find myself running out of hours in the day that I desperately need, for important things, like reading and writing blogs. It's all about priorities people. I just finished reading this book and I found it to be quite helpful. It even came with a disk to print forms and charts to use. I plan on implementing a few of them, soon. Especially the clean room charts, the kids have been taking advantage of their mom being overwhelmed a lot of the time. I have never been one for charts and lists, but as I grow older and the days grow shorter I have decided that it wouldn't hurt to try.

This quote made total sense to me, especially since I have been cleaning out the garage.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.
-A.A. Milne


I have found things in boxes that I have had since high school. And clothes from the um, 80's. I can't believe I wore some of those things and actually thought I was so cool. I guess I was back then ( hee hee). Anyone remember legwarmers or sweatshirts with the sleeves cut off? It was fun going down memory lane, I just wish I didn't look so dorky the first time around.

crochet

I have always wanted to learn how to crochet. I am in awe of people that crochet, needlepoint and knit. My sister in law taught me how to crochet yesterday, well I got *the chain* down, now I need to learn how to actually stitch. So, today I bought a needle and yarn and I am going to go to the library and get a book, I am determined to teach myself how. I spend so much time waiting for the kids I need to do something to keep my hands my busy. There is so much I want to learn, I need to make a list.

in sickness...

Cortney has been complaining of a sore throat for a couple of days. Today she just laid on the couch while I went through the kids weekly assignments and recorded them. Around 11:00 I started to feel bad. I had to work at the school and by the time I got home I felt awful. I put on some old comfy sweats and crawled into bed keeping one ear open for the kids. I just had to hang on until 5:00 when the hubster got home then I could sleep.

At 5:00 the phone rang, it was the hubster, he was going to be late, argh! He got home about 6:30 to find Cortney and I curled up on my bed moaning and writhing in pain. He jumped right in and made dinner, bathed the kids and cleaned up the house. He brought Cortney and I some cold medicine and we finally started to feel better. We are blessed to have to have him!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen of the many things I did today:


1. Take boys to school, drop Casey off at my moms so she can drop her off at preschool, take Cody to Science class and Cortney to band for flute.

2. Pick up Cody, Cortney, Collin and Casey.

3. Go to Grocery store, Big Lots, Dollar Tree and Clothing store.

4. Make and eat lunch with the kids.

5. Do four loads of laundry.

6. Pick up Cameron and take him for allergy shots.

7. Do homework and schoolwork with the kids.

8. Make dinner, clean up kitchen and make lunches for tomorrow.

9. Give the little kids baths make sure big kids shower.

10. Get backpacks and clothes ready for tomorrow morning.

11. Read stories to little kids and get them in bed, make sure big kids do their reading.

12. Go to kids back to school night at their school.

13. Watch Survivor, send big kids to bed so I can have peace to read for an hour and go to bed.

ball of energy

I think it was God's joke to me to give me a moody 14 year old AND an energy filled 3 year old at the same time. Casey is just a ball of energy, she doesn't walk - she runs, hops, skips, jumps, whatever she can do except walk to get from place to place. She also talks constantly, I mean all the time, she just has so much to say. I also thank God everyday for bringing this little ball of joy into our lives. She has a zest for life that I admire and am also jealous of. For Casey, life is an adventure to be lived to the fullest everyday.

is it too soon to vent?

Serenity Now!
I am new to this blogging thing but I really do need to vent some. About my oldest son. Cody.

He. Is. Driving. Me. Nuts! I am homeschooling him and his sister Cortney. I have homeschooled Cody off and on throughout his schooling career. The best way to describe Cody and public school is it is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, aint gonna happen baby. At least not easily.


So he has been home 5 out of the last 10 years. Cortney decided she wanted to be homeschooled for sixth grade. She even wrote me a whole page of why she wanted to homeschooled with reasons I could not argue with. I am ashamed to say that I encouraged her to stay in public school. I asked her if she would miss her friends, she said she would still see her friends which is true. I told her she miss sixth grade science camp and she said that was fine with her etc. So,I let her stay home too. I was going to homeschool her starting in seventh grade anyway, I can't stand out Jr. High school.


Here is a typical morning:


Me: Cortney you need to do your spelling, grammar and literature.


Cortney: Okay mom.


I don't see or hear from her again for at least and hour when she is finished and ready to go over her work. She may have a question now and then but she works hard until she is done.


Me: Cody, you need to do today's grammar.


Cody sits at the table and looks at what the assignment is which may be reading 2 or 3 pages and an exercise or two.


Cody: Do I have to do both these exercises, can't I just do one?


Me: No Cody, you have to do both.


Cody: Well, do I have to write 5 paragraphs, can I just write 2.


Me: No Cody, you have to do all five, that is the assignment.


Cody: But it is so much, I will never finish...


Me: Just keep working Cody, you will get it done.


This is followed by blank stares into space, lots of sighing and eye rolling.


Cody: I will do something else and do this later.


Me: No Cody, do it now.


Then he is up about 12 times to get a pencil, a piece of paper, go to the bathroom, sharpen his pencil, get drink of water and, well, you get the picture.


This goes on all day with every subject. He is always like this, day in and day out. I realize that if he were in public school I would have no idea what he was doing and I am 99.99999% sure he would not be doing his schoolwork or homework. Plus he would complain about all of his teachers and have an excuse as to why he wasn't doing his work, and how it was someone else's fault. I just keep telling myself that a bad day of homeschooling Cody is better than a good day of school for him. And yes, I have had him tested for every learning disorder and ADHD and he doesn't have any of that.


I have to do something to change this. To turn this around. I manage to hold my temper but I am getting so frustrated with him. I just don't know what to do anymore. It would be easy to say that he is a teenager and that is how all teenager act but it isn't. And he doesn't have to act like *all* teenagers. He has a choice.