D is decorating the Christmas tree...singing "...happy birthday to the tree, happy birthday to the tree...."

Love that boy so much!

The joy of a boy that is happy to be six can be very contagious....and that is a very good thing indeed!

12-01-11

I had a busy day today but somehow didn't get much accomplished. I hate when that happens! I worked in the cafeteria, dropped off forgotten homework, made arrangements to help a friend in her store, made dinner, did homework, put kids to bed. Forgot to have the kids start their advent calendar tonight. I guess the kids too get to open two days tomorrow. I surely need to make sure that doesn't happen again. I still have so much to do to finish my list for today. Chances are, it won't be finished. I.am.tired.

I have so much I want to do in the next two weeks. My plan is to plan as little as possible after the 15th. That will give me time to wrap, attend school parties, bake a little, and read holiday stories and enjoy the kids. Somehow that is what needs to happen. DETERMINATION is what it will take, I think.

I so very much enjoyed the holidays with the kids when they were younger, but I really am enjoying it now that they are growing up too. A part of me thought I would miss those younger days...and I do...but enjoying the present helps so much. I want to more readily live in the present and not be stuck on the past. I am doing it. It feels great.

We had a winter storm come through Tuesday night. This brought us a snow day on Wednesday. This gave us a white and snowy start to December. I am thankful for that fresh, white blanket of snow. It makes everything clean and fresh again...it is invigorating and inspiring!

Happy 1st! 25 days until Christmas!

Conferences

Went to conferences tonight.

Went very well.

Kids doing very well.

I am so very proud of my guys.

Teachers very pleased and happy to have them in class.

Yeah!!!

I am thankful for all of the genuinely good people who are willing and happy to help when they can...just because. Sometimes, when I can't "do it all" on my own, maybe God is letting me know that it is really okay to let someone help. I should be more open to the help, appreciate it, be thankful for it.

I believe that God knew that I was going to be needing the help and placed this person/s in my life at just the right time.

So......thank you for being willing and able to help with our dear daughter at this time in her life when we are trying to quickly figure out life with a chronic condition. You have been a source of great help and encouragement for both myself as a concerned parent and for her as a young girl trying to figure out the new normal.

Also so very thankful for such a great kid. She amazes me with her strength and courage. She has a great attitude and has so very much to offer to the world with her "AWESOMENESS". So very blessed to be her Mommy.

Long day. But still good. Practice today for the robotics tournament. Practice yesterday for the robotics tournament. Two kids with possible sinus infections, two kids teetering on the edge. Hoping they can fight it off. Sunshine all day, a bit breezy. Lovely fall day, really. Starting the week already tired. We'll be okay...better than okay. We're together. Remembered to "fall back" before in got confusing.

We're here. We're together. It's all good!

So very thankful for the crazy wonderful bunch of kids that made me a MOM! As difficult as it can sometimes be, I wouldn't change a thing. I love these guys! I can't imagine life without them!

Your children will see what you're all about by what you live rather than what you say. Wayne Dyer

We're parents first, and once you have kids, everybody knows that you have priority lists. Number one is your family and everything else just kind of finds its place. Tim McGraw

Enjoy the rest of the weekend...the sun...the brisk air...the colors...the smells...the sound of laughter.

I am thankful for the beauty God created for us to enjoy. The palette of colors is spectacular when I stop and take a moment to look around. Just look at this flower! It has so many colors and the way it is made up of so many tinier flowers is amazing. Wow!

Quote of the Day
"When you get into a tight place and it seems that you can't go on, hold on — for that's just the place and the time that the tide will turn."
– Harriet Beecher Stowe

breathe

wind storm. power out. power on. all looks good...briefly. no water. no refrigerator. no freezer. no power in one bedroom. investigate. half of fuse box no longer working. old fuse box. needs to be replaced. switch things around. have all but oven/stove...for now. so we thought. today...no hot water. hot water heater dead. on top of all that, computer difficulties and wireless connectivity, keyboard, phone charger not working, phone battery dies faster than ever before. mp3 dead and not charging. work project coming due and not going well. two more projects just added with the same due date.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

breathe in ... breathe out ... breathe in ... breathe out ...

UN

I struggle to find the words to adequately describe my love for my kids. Some of our friends and family seem to be on the same page...so to speak...with their kids. others...not so much.

Though I have my moments of feeling UNappreciated or UNnoticed or UNsatisfied with an issue...

I feel that the love I have in MY heart for MY children is UNconditional, UNbelievable, and UNbreakable. ...and UNcontrollably a part of myself.

I am so thankful God sent them into my life and made me a mom.

Balance

Balance....I don't have it. I need it pretty badly, but right now I just haven't got it. I tell myself that I am a work in progress, but that can't be an excuse. I need to work so much harder at finding more BALANCE! Let's see what I can accomplish if I set my mind to it for the month of October. I can do anything for 30 days, right? ......RIGHT?!

Behind

I am usually behind. It just is. Maybe some day that will change. It might be nice. Any way, I came across the song, If I had Wings, by Darius Rucker. I am really liking it right now! I don't know when it came out, but I am so glad I found it!

On the track of me being behind (and trying not to be) I was getting cards out of my card file for events in the month of June. While getting out graduation cards for a couple of open houses coming up, I found TWO cards for open houses we couldn't attend LAST YEAR. WITH THE MONEY IN THEM. ADDRESSED. Boy do I feel stupid. Do I send them with an apology or do I not? Does Ann Landers have an answer for questions like that?

I also upgraded my cell phone. I am so used to a basic phone that this new smart phone is a big change for me. It is at the simpler end of the smart phones, but much more than what I had. I like it, but I kind of long for the more basic sometimes. My Dear Husband assures me that I will really like it once I get used to it. Time will tell. In the meantime, my children are all more than happy to take it over for me.

I am also waaaaay behind on uploading photos to my computer. I have just been getting new memory cards instead. Smart, huh! This practice drives the Dear Husband absolutely nuts. That might be a good project for the summer evenings...downloading and organizing my many photos.

I still haven't found a new church for us either. One that we all feel comfortable with.

I desperately need to sell all of the outgrown kids clothes too. I may just donate the majority. I feel like the volume of outgrown clothes and "stuff" is swallowing us up and it just needs to go.

....and this blog of mine. It is so neglected. The problem is that I haven't been journaling at all. It is like I am completely losing lots of information and fun tidbits about my life with my loves. I need to change this.

Acknowledgement is the first step, right?

I will give myself the title of Work In Progress.

Spring yet?

I am ready for it to warm up a little. Well, that isn't exactly true. If it warms just a little, it will be mud everywhere. I would like it warmer AND drier.

I have to admit that I enjoy the snow and the joy it brings for the kids...as long as I don't have to drive in it. But I enjoy spring too, and it is about time.

In addition to enjoying the snow, the kids have been busy, as always. Which in turn keeps the Daddy and myself very busy. Truth be told, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have decided to try a 30 day challenge workout. So far so good...I'm on day seven. Hopefully it will help with some weight loss. We will see. Maybe it will become a healthy habit which will help me be ready for spring and the summer. Keeping my fingers crossed and praying for the strength to stick to it.

Me