New Year's Resolutions

I am either an all or nothing girl. That makes New Year's Resolutions hard for me. I make resolutions and then mess up a couple of days or one day and then give up. I do not usually do resolutions for that reason. I have several things I really want to do this year, so I am going to give resolutions a try again. I am hoping that by listing them out on my blog I will be more accountable. I may even try to do an update each month on how I am doing with each resolution. Most of my resolutions are tied together in some way or another so hopefully listing them out will not be too confusing.

My first resolution is one that everyone has. I really need to lose weight! I never lost all of my weight after I had Seth and it really is starting to bother me. I need to lose about 20 lbs.

What is my plan for this? My first thing is to cut out my daily glass of coke. This is going to be so hard for me. I tried to get off of it before Christmas, but got really stressed out and tired of headaches and after a week I was drinking it again.

My second thing is to cut down on the sugar our family eats. I think as a family we would be so much healthier. We have not had the flue this season, but I am afraid that we are playing with a loaded gun by allowing our kids to eat as much sugar as they do.

And my last thing to do is to cut out or way down on the processed food. This is going to be hard on me with the kids lunches. It is so easy and cheap to fix the kids a box of Aldi Macaroni and Cheese for lunch. Now I will have to plan lunches when I plan our grocery trips. I really do not know what to plan for the kids to eat for lunch. Anyone have any ideas?

My second resolution is to run a 5K. I have always wanted to be a runner, but I never have been. Growing up I was not into sports. I took ballet forever and stayed in shape that way. When I was in college I was a cheerleader and that kept me in shape and before I was married I went aerobics class all the time. Now I can not afford a gym membership and I really need to do some kind of physical activity if I am going to accomplish my first goal.

How am I going to accomplish this? I am not an early riser and I do not like the cold, so I have started running our stairs. My goal is to do this a couple of times a day and keep track of it and run up at least one more time than the day before. If I make up and down 5 times on day one then I want to make it 6 times on day 2.

These are my first two resolutions and tomorrow I am going to post my last two, but now I need a coke and maybe I will run some stairs while I am at it.

Curly Girl

All of my life I have had straight hair. I mean straight as a board, nothing can curl it hair. If I use hot rollers or a curling iron, it will be straight again before I can get out the door. Back in the 80's, when perms where the thing to do, I would have to get my hair fried to get it to curl. It was bad.

When I found out I was pregnant with a girl in my second pregnancy, I selfishly prayed for her to have curly hair. I prayed for more important things for her too, but I did not want her to have the curse of flat hair. (Now I know some think curly hair is a curse too. I have a friend who has very curly hair and would love to trade me for my very straight hair.) When she was born, she had a full head of black hair. As she got older it got lighter and curlier.

When it got to the point it was very curly, I realized one problem. I had no idea how to take care of curly hair. It is so different from straight hair. My hair is soft and hardly ever gets tangled. Her hair is so coarse and get tangled when you just look at it. She also has a tender scalp, so when we comb it out we have tears and cries of pain and I get very impatient.

I have tried so many things to make it easier to brush out her hair. My hairdresser told me not to use the products that say they will get tangles out. She says they are very acidic. What has worked best for us is during her bath I comb out her hair while there is conditioner in it.

As she has gotten older her hair has become more straight. We have let it grow out long and there is just a wave to her hair now, but it still tangles so easily. And we still have so many problems combing it out.

The other night I was reading Smockity Frocks. She had a link back to an old post she had done about a book called Curly Girl and how she took care of her hair. I found it so interesting that I read all she had on it. So now we are going to try the Curly Girl way. Last night I did not use shampoo on her hair. We just rinsed it and then put conditioner on it. I then combed it with my fingers and then we did a quick rinse. I did not want to rinse out all of the conditioner, but just a little.

This morning her hair is curlier. She is complaining that it is too fluffy and will not go behind her ears, but I do think it is curlier and looks better. We will see what this does and if it makes it easier to take care of her hair. The only problem is that she got make-up for Christmas from her Aunt Sandra and she put glitter make-up in her hair. Just rinsing it in water did not get the make-up out of her hair. I wonder how long it will take to get that glitter out?

Here is the link to Smockity Frocks: http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2007/03/curly-girl.html

Out of the Mouths of Babes

We spend Christmas Eve with Chris's family. We usually eat dinner that always includes beef tenderloin, then go to church for Christmas Eve services, and then go back to Chris's parents house to open presents.

This year when we went to leave for church, Grant wanted to ride with Chris's brother and their son Jackson. So we took their daughter Caroline in our car with Katie Beth and Seth. When we got to church Caroline said, "I know why we are going to church. We are going to church to celebrate Jesus's birthday." Katie Beth answered with,"Are we going to get cake?" I had to tell her, "No there would be no cake."

Blogging again

I am going to try this again. I really want to blog, but it just seems to be something else to keep up with. With everything else I have to do, it just seems to get left out. But I really want to do it. So as one of my New Year's resolutions, I am going to try and blog again.

I have several other resolutions that I am going to blog about as I start this again, but for today this is the main one I want to focus on. I think blogging is such a good way to document the things we do in our day to day life, but I have never been much of a writer. Even as a child, I would start a diary, but it would not last long. I received good grades in writing in High School and then I went to college. The teacher I had for composition did not like my writing. I could not believe that I received a B in that class. From then on I have doubted my writing. So I second guess everything I write.

In other news, I was so excited tonight. For Christmas I received a gift card from my parents to buy clothes. I went to Kohls tonight and found an 80% off rack. I bought several things and now I have some new clothes and three pairs of jeans instead of 2. All I could think of was,"Thank you God for providing for my wants and need."

Mom's Soup Pot

I have been in a dinner rut. I have had no ideas for dinner and have not been to the store, because I did not know what to buy. Everything that I could think of to cook made me think of winter food. I like lighter food in the summer.

I had finally decided on two meals to cook and had plans to go to the store yesterday. Then my oldest came down with a stomach bug. I did not make it to the store. My husband stopped on his way home and bought some essentials and stuff to make quesadillas. That did not sound good to me either, but everyone else like them and they were happy.

Finally today I went to the store. I have been craving an all vegetable dinner. I also saw a recipe on the Crock Pot lady's website for Cowboy beans. And then Pioneer Woman had the best looking potatoes and steak and stuffed tomato on her site today.

Last night when I could not figure out what to cook, I put as my status on facebook that I did not know what was for dinner. I am friends on facebook with a couple of my friends that I grew up withs parents. One of them sent me an email telling me how she used to freeze all of her leftover vegetables and then make a soup out of them.

That reminded me of how my mom talked about her grandmother's soup pot. She said that she kept a big bowl in the refrigerator and put all of the leftovers in it. Then once a week she made soup out of it. I think that was a pretty common practice. Those women of the Great Depression knew how to not let anything go to waste. They made sure everything they bought for food got eaten. How different is that now? We through food away and do not think a thing about it. It bothers me that I am throwing away food that we paid for, but not enough to do anything about it. I try to make my family eat leftovers, but it does not happen very often. Right now there is a almost whole chicken spaghetti sitting in my refrigerator. It was a new recipe and no one liked it. It tried to eat it, but who wants a whole chicken spaghetti? I think if it is still good, I am going to freeze it and then try and use it this winter for a soup.

Tonight for dinner we are going to have butter beans, sauteed squash, corn pudding, fried okra, and fresh tomatoes. We will probably have leftovers tomorrow night and then whatever is left I am going to put in a gallon Ziploc bag and use for soup this winter. My family may get tired of soup!

What I Have Been Doing

For the past week I have been cleaning out bedrooms. I started in my daughter's room. I have been wanting to paint her room, but it was so messy that you could not walk through it. We spent one day cleaning out and organizing all of her stuff. That night when I was giving kisses and hugs, my son asked if we were going to do his room the next day. I think he was a little jealous. He usually has the cleaner room of the two.

So, the next day we spent on his room. I thought his room would be easier, but it was actually harder. He had a bunch of little things that were very hard to classify. When it was done, he was glad.

After I had finished their rooms, my room was the messiest in the house. I tried all week to work on mine, but I had one big problem. The baby. His crib is in our room. I work the best while he is asleep. Finally on Saturday the kids had a birthday party to go to. I put Seth done for his nap in the pack and play in the living room and my wonderful husband took the other two kids to the birthday party and I had uninterrupted cleaning time. I was really embarrassed by how much dog hair was on my carpet and my comforter. I had taken my comforter off of my bed to take to the dry cleaners, but my dogs had decided that it made a good bed. One of our dogs is a Chow/Golden retriever mix and she sheds so bad in the summer. After all of my cleaning I finally took my comforter to the dry cleaners today.

In other news. I finally got all of my curriculum ordered. Today Grant's reading books came in and I am really excited about them. I have switched him to Sonlight for reading, but had to order them off of ebay. It took a lot of patience for me to wait until I found all of the books together and at a price I could afford, but I think this reading will be better for him. Last year we did Abeka reading. I love Abeka, but I think he was bored with it. When I started checking books out of the library for him to read, he started reading better. I think he will do better with reading real books instead of readers.

So, my plan for curriculum this year is ABeka for phonics, language, math, and spelling. Getty Dubay for handwriting. Math- U- See for Katie Beth's math. 100 Easy Lessons for Katie Beth's reading. Sonlight reading 2 for Grant's reading. Sonlight Core K for history. Some lapbooks and experiments in a bag for science.

I am still working on putting together our Bible. Last year I used a devotion book that Grant had and their memory verses from Awanas. This year I bought a book called Polite Moments. It is more of a character training book. I think I am going to focus on a "trait" a week and find verses to go with that "trait". I will write about how this goes when I start putting it together more.

In other other news. Our upstairs air conditioner is out again. This is the third time this summer. I am trying to be thankful in all things. I am trying to look to the positive. I put Seth to bed in his pack and play and I am going to go upstairs and clean bathrooms. I usually put this off for fear of waking him. Since he is not asleep up there, I know I will not wake him.

Off to clean bathrooms!

Science Swap

I am terrible about planning science experiments. When I do get around to planning them, I then realize that I do not have all the supplies, then I forget to put the supplies on my grocery list and I never buy them. So I was really excited when one of the mom's in our homeschool group put together a science swap this summer. At the homeschool conference I went to, I bought several science experiments in a bag from a company called Holy Cow Science, but if I participated in this I could get even more science experiments already planned.

To participate in the Science Swap, you had to plan a science experiment in a bag. You were to put all the supplies you would need to perform the experiment in a gallon Ziploc bag with the directions for the experiment and make enough for everyone in the swap to have one.

Eight families participated, so we made up eight bags of an experiment called bobbing raisins. We all met at a park and the mom that coordinated the swap had eight bags setting out and we put one of our experiments in each bag.

My kids were pretty excited to have some experiments to do and I was really excited to have experiments that I did not have to plan or gather the supplies for.

Yes Ma'ma, No Ma'ma

I have had a hard time teaching my children to say Yes Ma'ma, No Ma'ma, Yes Sir, No Sir. I have corrected them and corrected them and they still do not seem to get it. I was really getting tired of correcting them and not seeing them get it.

Then one day I was reading one of my favorite blogs, http://www.smockityfrocks.com/. She had a post about using a jar of marbles to give your kids an incentive to do things. I pulled out a jar and a bag of marbles and we started.

Every time they said Yes Ma'ma, No Ma'ma, Yes Sir, No Sir they got to put a marble in the jar. When the jar was full they got to go to Marble Slab for Ice Cream. They filled that jar up pretty quick.

So, the second time around, I made it harder. This time I could take marbles out. I told them if they talked ugly to each other, if they did not obey all the way, right away, or any other thing that I thought was ugly, they would lose a marble. It took them longer to fill it up this time, but it sure is a good motivator.

Yesterday they filled it up and we let them choose their treat. They choose Snow Cones. So last night we loaded up in the car for a trip to the Snow Cone stand. They really enjoyed their snow cones. I just wish I had taken a picture of them with the snow cone juice all over their faces.

This morning I emptied the jar to start over and they already have 4 marbles.

Seth's First Haircut

I put off getting Seth's hair cut as long as I could. His head was getting so sweaty and we were spending so much time at the baseball fields that I just couldn't postpone it anymore.

We were going to my husband's family reunion and one of his uncles used to be a barber. He always bring his tools because someone always wants a haircut. So Chris (my husband) decided that this would be the best time for a haircut. So after he pried Seth from my arms and I quit kicking and screaming saying, "I do not want my baby to look like a big boy," (Not quite that dramatic, but that was how I felt) Chris and his Uncle Bub got to work and cut off all of my baby's curls.

He looked really cute, but it was hard for me to get use to his new look. I knew it had to be done. I did not have this hard of a time when the other two got haircuts. I do not know what it was about this one, but it was really hard.

I WON!!

I am so excited. I won a $25 gift certificate to the EcoStore. Now I can not decide what I am going to buy. I would really like to try the pure oxygen whitener, but also some shampoo, but also some soap. I think I will have to study their website more to decide. I will let you know what I try and how I like it.

Michelle Duggar

I was so excited to meet Michelle Duggar! I love the way her and Jim Bob show their faith for everyone. They are not afraid of what anyone thinks, but God and I believe God has blessed them for that.

Our homeschool group has monthly meetings for the moms called Renews. A couple of the moms in our group know the Duggar's because they worked on the Duggar's political campaigns. They asked Michelle if she would come and talk to our homeschool group. It was one of the best attended Renews we had ever had.

Michelle was great! She was just like she is on TV. She is very sweet and down to earth. She was very encouraging. Unfortunately only Grandma Duggar and the baby came with her. The rest of the family was in Tennessee helping the Bates family build their house. I would have loved to see in person how all of the kids interact together.

What I learned. The one thing that she said that really struck me was that I do not have the right to sleep. She was talking about how at night the older kids come in her and Jim Bob's room to have talks with them. She said that sometimes the girls will talk until 2 in the morning and that she does not have the right to sleep when it is so important to spend that time guiding her children. It really made me think about all the things that I think I have the right too and how I feel offended when I do not have those things. I am a sinner only saved by grace not by what I do, but by what Jesus has done for me. Since that is true why do I feel I have the right to have all the things I think I need. Only Jesus know what I need and the only thing I need is Jesus.

Oh, and I hate the way I smiled in the picture, but it was the only picture I had of me and Michelle.

Bible reading

I am really behind! I finished up Genesis tonight.

One thing that stood out to me was that Jacob deceived his father and Esau and from then on he was being deceived. It made me wonder what sin I have committed or an committing that will keep coming back to me. My prayer is that God will show me my sins and help me get out of them.

For the rest of the book, I had a lot swirling around in my mind tonight. When I read tonight I was really depressed about some issues in my life. There are some struggles that it seems we can never get out of. I know things can get worse and I do not want anything worse, but I wonder when we can climb out! This may not make any sense to anyone else and I am just rambling, but I need some therapeutic conversation with myself and that is what I am doing.

Arkansas Baseball and The Bible

What does Arkansas Baseball and The Bible have in common? Nothing except that I wanted to do both last night.

I have been doing my Bible reading at night after the kids are in bed and when their Daddy is home to help if they have any problems. Last night Arkansas was playing in an elimination game at the College World Series. It looked like they were going to lose and then they tied it up in the 9th inning. It then went on until they finally won in the 13th inning. It was about 11 o'clock then. We had let the kids stay up to watch and they both had fallen asleep.

I am hoping to get caught up this afternoon when Seth naps. We do have a busy day though.
This morning we are going to a Science swap. Then we have swim lessons this afternoon and tonight Katie Beth has a tee ball game and I am going to hear Michelle Duggar speak. I am so excited to go hear her.

I will try to write about what I learn from her later.

Day 2 Bible Challenge Genesis 16 - 28:19

I have many thoughts about Day 2's reading. I hope I can remember all the thoughts I have.


One thought I had was about Abraham's character. He was a foreigner in the land he lived, but when Sarah died the Hittites were willing to give Abraham him any burial plot he wanted. When he found the place, the owner wanted to give the land to Abraham. Abraham had to insist that he wanted to pay for it. Abraham was a wealthy man, so the Hittites knew that he could afford to pay for the land. But I believe that due to the character that Abraham had shown he had won favor with the Hittites.

I had many thoughts about Lot. I do not know if I can express them all in the way I was thinking.

My first thought was when Lot offered his two daughters to the angry crowd. Did he not value his daughters or did he believe the strangers where more valuable?

My next thought was about his future son-in-laws. When he went to them and said that God was going to destroy Sodom and they needed to leave with him, they did not listen. Did Lot not teach his daughters to look for someone with the same values as they had? Did he not teach his daughters that his future son-in-laws should respect him?

My final thought about Lot was when he was in the mountains with his two daughters. He must have taught his daughters about some of his beliefs, but they must have not taken it to heart. They did not trust God to carry on Lot's lineage. Instead of praying to God, they took matters into their own hands. They must have known that their father would not go along with their plan, so they got him drunk in order to carry out their plan. I wonder how he felt after he found out?

The biggest lesson for me in this is to teach my children. To make sure they know all of my beliefs and why I believe like I do. To pray that God will help me teach them and show me all I need to teach them. Then to pray that he will make them take these teachings to heart.

I know I had some other thoughts about Issac and Jacob and Esau, but now I have forgotten what they were.

90 day Bible Challenge

I have started a 90 day Bible challenge. The goal is to read through the Bible in 90 days. I am praying that I will be able to do this.

Yesterday I read Genesis Chapters 1 -16. The first thing that always amazes me is how orderly and organized God is. And how unorderly and unorganized I am. This is an area I really need to pray over.

The next thing I thought about was how Adam and Eve spent time with God in person, but still managed to sin. How can I expect to do any better, especially on the days I do not spend time with God?

The next area that really stood out to me was when Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham. They had God's promise of offspring, but decided that they did not like his timing or maybe they doubted His promise. So they took matters in their own hands. How many times have I done that? And look at the lasting effects of them doing that. What lasting effects are there when I take matters in my own hands?

Now it is on to the next days reading.

God gives Strength

Yesterday our Bible lesson was about God giving us strength to do the hard things in life. The verse it was based on was Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

When it was time to cook dinner, I had planned on grilling some chicken. The kids were in the backyard riding their bikes. When I went out to start the grill it was cold outside. They were out in shorts and t-shirts. I told them it was cold. When I went back to put the chicken on, the kids told me that God was giving them strength to stay out in the cold. I just laughed. Even if they did not fully understand the lesson, at least they were listening.

School Work

I am trying to decide what to do for Grant's school work next year. He is not doing as well as I think he should be. Is it that I am biased because of my background? Sometimes I think being a teacher messes me up with homeschooling. I have seen what good readers the ABeka curriculum can produce, but at the same time I also know that not everyone learns the same. I also fear that if I switch curriculum, we will miss learning something or I will mess what Grant has already learned up. I know that different phonics programs teach in different ways.

Next year already worries me. Katie Beth will start Kindergarten and Seth will be more active. I will have to figure out a better schedule for everyone.

Here is what I am thinking for each child. Grant: Sonlight for reading and history, Explode the Code and ABeka for phonics, ABeka for Math, A Reason for Spelling or Abeka for spelling and ABeka for handwriting. I am not sure about science.
Katie Beth: Just about everything will be ABeka. I may add Explode the Code and we just started 100 Easy Lessons. We probably will not be finished with it when we start school next year.

I just started Katie Beth on 100 easy lessons. She is so excited about it. She will be my one that loves to do school, if I keep reminding her that I am the teacher.