Love grows best in little houses

Overheard in our house lately

2011-12-12T11:58:00.003-05:00

Mommy: We're going to Starbucks to pick up a snack really quickly.
Reagan: Can I get a bumpy road cake pop?!
-----------------------------
Reagan (while crafting): Now I get to glue baby Jesus's head on!! (?!)

Christmas Gifts

2011-12-06T21:08:00.004-05:00

Since I put Reagan in preschool two days a week this year (yes, we still homeschool--three days a week!), I needed to make teacher's gifts and classmate goody bags. After scouring pinterest for some ideas, I settled on these two--Hats and Cupcake Socks.

I put my own twist on both and wa-lah! The results are below! I have to say I had a blast and the gifts were simple and inexpensive to make. Breakdown is below:

2 pack of socks (each teacher gets a two pack!):$3.17 (60% off clearance sale at JoAnn's)
1 pail: $1.19 (60% off clearance at JoAnn's)
Cellophane paper, red pompom on hand (I picked up the cute checkered ribbon at JoAnn's as well for 60% off--but it's the same pattern they've had for years..I stock up every year after Christmas usually!)

Total cost for each teacher's gift: UNDER $5!

Hats: $1 each at the Target Dollar spot
Cocoa: $1.00 for 10/packs
Marshmallows: $2.50/bag (I only used half the bag that I had purchased for our own use at home!)

Cost per classmate: approx $1.21 (made 12 goody bags)

LOVED MAKING THESE!!

Thankfulness Challenge Day 6

2011-11-06T21:15:00.002-05:00

Thankful for the wisdom of others and that they can pass on that wisdom to us freely.

Thankfulness Challenge Day 5

2011-11-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Thankful for books :) I just love books! And thankful for a country where they are soooo plentiful! More than I could ever hope to read....

Thankfulness Challenge Day 4

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Thankful that we're able to provide for our family...there are so many who can't :(

Thankfulness Challenge Day 3

2011-11-03T09:52:00.002-04:00

Today I'm thankful for the continued nice weather we've had throughout the fall and the fact that we've stayed safe throughout all of the storms and 'freak' weather that we've had throughout the US this year.

Thankfulness Challenge Day 2

2011-11-02T13:07:00.002-04:00

I'm thankful for amazing foilage and small towns where I can feel safe raising our family and happy knowing at any moment I'll run into a friend.

Thankfulness Challenge Day 1

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm thankful for my husband, who loves to do dishes and loves me even when I'm not loveable. I'm thankful for my daughter who is my special gift from God and whom I love more than anything.

Daddy-ism!

2011-10-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

I ran to the office for a few hours today and when I came home, Josh had just finished giving Reagan a bath and was making dinner for her. He was, of course, a proud devoted daddy taking care of his sick little girl.

A sick little girl who not only has a nasty respiratory virus, but also has a bit of red, irritated chapped skin--for which we'd been giving her baking soda baths (tip! it works wonders!) Josh was so proud of himself for remembering to put baking soda in the bath and since we had just run out of the box I keep in the bathroom, I asked off-hand "Oh, you found another box?"

Josh: "Yep, there was one up on the shelf next to the laundry detergent."
At this point I stopped. "Where???"
Josh: "Up on the shelf next to the laundry detergent..you know, you had a big box up there."
Me: Um, no, honey, that wasn't baking soda.
Josh: Yes it was. It had the Arm & Hammer label on it.
Me: (slightly panicking at this point) Um, no, it was washing soda. CLEANING soda--you're not supposed to put it on skin.
Josh: I'm sure it was baking soda.
Me: No. Stop. Just show me what you used.
Josh: See? This.

At this point, I I'm alternating between panic-because Washing Soda is different from baking soda..and is in fact more caustic and can IRRITATE skin and oh yeah, you're not supposed to swallow it and Reagan has a bad habit of blowing bubbles and swallowing some of her bath water (gross I know, but she picked it up in swim class!)--and hysterical laughter.

Josh picked her up and rinsed her in the shower quickly and she came out no worse for the wear...perhaps a little cleaner than usual, but without any ill effects.

I got a good laugh because..well really...Reagan was fine and...aren't our guys just really cute when they're clueless? :)

Reaganism!

2011-10-01T10:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Reagan was completing one of her workbook pages. This particular page was matching rhyming words. One of the pictures showed a little man wearing extremely tight pants (the word to rhyme was "tight").

Reagan looked at the picture thoughtfully and said "I wonder why he's wearing such tight pants?" Then she shrugged and said "Oh, he must be a drummer!"....WHAT?!?!?! lol!

2011-09-11T17:05:00.001-04:00

??

2011-08-16T09:04:00.002-04:00

Has it really been a month since I posted??? Argh. For a while I was so good at posting several times a week...now, life just seems to run away from me. News here is that we are STILL waiting to find a child to adopt--infant, older child..whatever! We just want to add to our family!

And we're starting back to 'home'school on August 22nd...eek! I'm excited! I'm a nervous wreck! Check out our homeschool blog to see how things are progressing by clicking the button on the left!

Boys

2011-07-21T19:02:00.001-04:00

Today Reagan had several friends over to play. One of them happened to be a little boy, I'll call "J". J is a little boy that she had a crush on when she was 18 months old (he is a little over a year and half older than she is.) She would follow him around and do everything he was doing. They haven't spent much time together in the past two years--J has been attending preschool and then Kindergarten this year so Reagan spent more time playing with his younger sister.

But today they were all together. And J drew her a picture and hung it up in her bedroom. A picture of Reagan and J together. A picture that included a "R" at the top...a heart....and then a "J".

I happened to notice the heart while Josh and Reagan where playing camping tonight. I brought it out to show him and ask Reagan about it.

Mommy: Reagan, is this the picture J made for you?
Reagan: (shyly, ducking her head) Yes.
Mommy: Is that you and J in the picture?
Reagan: Yes.
Mommy: Is that a heart between the R and J?
Reagan: (again, shy, nodding)

Daddy is sitting stone-faced through all of this and says "You need to watch that boy." I walked out of the room to hang the picture back up and heard Josh saying to Reagan "Remember, Reagan, no boys til after college." She shook her head emphatically NO and said "Oh, Daddy, you're so crazy!"

OY. VEY.

Bagels

2011-07-18T06:12:00.002-04:00

Dear Someone/Anyone,
Please start making blueberry bagels in the "mini" size. This would make breakfast so much easier.

What do you use when your child is sick?

2011-07-17T20:48:00.002-04:00

Reagan's asthma is acting up again. I will say we've had a good run of her not getting sick for a while...which has been awesome. But I think combined with the horrible heat and humidity we've had, along with our extremely busy schedule--it just all caught up with her.

So I decided I would post my list of things I send Josh to the store for (and that I really should keep in the house no matter what!) when Reagan comes down with something. It really is a great list and helps keep both of us sane!

--Several boxes of tissues--both lotion and non-lotion (mostly because I hate using lotion AFTER your nose is already chapped, because then it just feels greasy..so I always want to have both!)
--Up to date prescriptions for your child (including those they use only when sick--make sure those haven't expired!!!)
--Lots of Gatorade and juice (Welch's grape has TONS of antioxidants)(this time Josh purchased powder Gatorade, which is a GREAT idea!)
--Straws!
--Humidifier
--Popsicles
--A can of chicken noodle soup (even though homemade is really best sometimes you just don't have "time" to make it from scratch!)
--Children's Tylenol and Ibuprofen (must have because you can alternate them to get a high fever down quickly!)
--A good quality thermometer--we like a temporal scanner thermometer (and always have a backup thermometer in case one quits working)
--Favorite or new movie, lots of good books and even a small inexpensive new toy stashed away (helps alleviate boredom!)
--And of course, a good working relationship with your child's doctor(s) and nurses and their emergency number so you can call and ask questions or get your child in quickly if necessary.

Some other tips that I've found helpful:
--A good book/quiet movie for mom (If you have one child or a child that is sick frequently, you'll find you spend lots of hours at their bedside/next to the couch watching them sleep, checking their temp and basically trying to be quiet. This will do wonders to alleviate YOUR boredom! My personal recommendation is any Jane Austen movie or frankly, any book!)
--Baths. Baths are soothing and even more wonderful if you can put some Johnson's eucalyptus bubble bath in the water or lavender bubble bath to help relax your child. (Note: Moms should be wary of using Vicks type medication with children who have asthma..it may exacerbate their breathing issues).
--Rubbing your child with lotion. When your child has the flu, you can do a ton to relieve body aches by simply heating some lotion for a few seconds in the microwave and then rubbing them down.
--If your child is suffering from stomach flu, rotavirus or any other tummy/bottom ailment, invest in a small trash can, double lined with plastic grocery sacks-easy to dispose of; disposable underpants/pull-ups (great for when there are uncontrollable spasms); and diaper cream for those same issues, even if your child is potty trained.
--Half of a strong onion, cut in half, next to your child's bed makes a great all-natural decongestant and allows your child to sleep much better!

Hoping this list helps someone else out!

Words I Never Thought I'd Hear.....

2011-07-05T06:55:00.003-04:00

When I woke Reagan up after a very busy and late weekend (although we tried to put her to bed early last night), she rolled over and groaned: Can't I sleep just a little more? When I said, no, she had to get up because she had camp today, she groaned again and said "I wish they didn't make it so early!"

LOL!

Even better was when I told her to go say bye to Daddy (he is spending today at home!) and he groaned about being woken up; Reagan collapsed on the pillow and said "yeah, I feel that way too."

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................................

2011-07-02T09:54:00.000-04:00

My heart hurts today. I miss you, Pritsha.

2011-07-01T13:43:00.002-04:00

So thankful to be American.

Food stuff!

2011-06-23T12:38:00.003-04:00

Just tried a delicious new "recipe"! Reagan and I loved it! So simple:

Whole wheat tortilla
Peanut butter
Granola
Apple slices

Spread the peanut butter on the tortilla. Sprinkle with granola and apple slices. Roll up! DELISH!

Oh, and for those that love lemon as much as I do (because seriously, lemon is the.best.flavor.out.there.--you have to try Kroger's new Lemon Wafers--vanilla wafers, with LEMON. *DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL*

It's the First Day of Summer!!

2011-06-21T14:04:00.003-04:00

WOOHOOO! And although it's only the afternoon, Reagan and I are WHIPPED! We spent the morning washing the car (and getting soaked), playing on her water slide, making and playing with chalk paint, having a picnic and eating rootbeer floats while watching the clouds float by.

Great summer day! (And now let's hope she takes that nap!!!)

Official Breaking Dawn Trailer

2011-06-06T08:23:00.002-04:00

OH WOW!!!!!!!! I can barely wait for this to be released!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't miss!

2011-06-05T20:12:00.002-04:00

My three book reviews coming this week over at my homeschooling blog! CHECK IT OUT! :)

Early Mornings

2011-05-24T06:50:00.002-04:00

Reagan has been awake since 6 am. My child has never enjoyed sleeping. Who wants to sleep when there is so much to do?! Ugh. But this mom needs some serious make up sleep time, especially after Sunday night when Reagan ended up in our bed, terrified of monsters---and then proceeded to spend the rest of the night clinging to me (and me pushing her off of me..it was so hot!!) and grinding her teeth!! Can I say how glad I am that we don't co-sleep anymore?!

Methinks today will be a nap day. Oh yes. NAP DAY.

For Josh

2011-05-16T19:37:00.002-04:00

My dear husband says I haven't posted anything in a while, so here you go Josh. The reason I haven't posted anything lately is because I've been super busy (and yes, reading a great many amazing books-more on those later) and dieting and super tired. That's our life in a nutshell right now. I've lost 14 pounds! Yah!!

And by the way, as I'm writing this, Reagan is discussing with Josh how old 20 years is. When he said she was only 16 years from that, she revised her position and said 41 was old. Gee, thanks.

I have decided

2011-05-05T19:55:00.006-04:00

that I can do this:
(from Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons-an amazing blog chock full of goodies like this!)

or this:
(from The Inspired Room, yet another amazing decorating blog that I'm obsessed with..)

or this:
(homeschooling Reagan)

But I CANNOT do all three. And I don't think God expects me to. What I do think God expects me to do is stop growling and frowning at my child all the time, stop berating her, START letting her be a kid, let go of the expectations that I have for myself and the failures that those expectations bring and just simply do what it is God is leading me to do.

Playtime

2011-04-28T13:57:00.003-04:00

I walked into Reagan's playroom today to order her to clean it up and discovered this:

The manger and the three wise men...(can you see Mary and Joseph's feet sticking out?)

Here's Jesus in the manger.

Here's Jesus' birth announcement.

And here's Reagan with baby Jesus (who by the way, is wearing a baby alive diaper under that blanket and has been subjected to a rigorous feeding schedule consisting of bottles upon bottles of milk.)

Neurotic Cat

2011-04-26T15:40:00.003-04:00

Porthos has anxiety issues. BIG anxiety issues. He's always been a fraidy cat and when I leave him for any length of time, he tends to get destructive. Several years ago, I went home to Alabama for a week and he ate holes in my vellux blanket.

I know he's been upset about Pritsha. He's been cuddling in our room (never does that), he's been eating less (he's a pig) and he's been sleeping on Pritsha's chair and not moving for an entire day at a time.

I thought he was getting along better. Apparently not. THIS is what I found today when I went back to my bedroom. I understand what he's going through so I'm trying to refrain from screaming at him and throwing him out the door.

Allergies

2011-04-25T15:28:00.003-04:00

*groan* For once, I'm not talking about Reagan's allergies...I mean mine. Normally I only have to deal with them once a year when the dreaded Cottonwoods bloom. However this year, I am miserable. Wishing I were living in Alaska.

The Simple Secret To Making Mashed Potatoes

2011-04-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

For years after I married Josh I struggled to make mashed potatoes like my Granny does. I added seasonings, used chicken broth, milk, ranch dressing, sour cream---EVERYTHING. Reagan came along--she HATED my mashed potatoes (Josh had barely tolerated them before). And then....Granny told me her secret...which to be honest with you wasn't really a secret. I just needed to pay attention to what she was doing in the kitchen (and you know, help some too!)

The secret? Boiling the potatoes in salted water. A good bit of salt..don't worry, you'll drain most of it off..but the salt brings out the taste in the potatoes and enhances it. Seriously. After that, you just need a bit of butter, maybe a bit of milk and you have the best, creamiest mashed potatoes ever.

....And to think of all those years as a teenager I didn't pay attention. I probably would have been an award winning chef by now....

Easter

2011-04-24T02:31:00.003-04:00

Thank You Jesus. We are so unworthy and still You came to die for us.

Stretching a Whole Chicken

2011-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

We've been trying to save up uber money..which isn't that easy when you're a single income family and you have a certain someone in your family that likes to spend money on lots of new homeschooling curriculum..um, er, yes that would be me. UGH.

However, we definitely need to save up. We want to be able to pay for the adoption of course, but we also want to put our house on the market and buy our dream home next year...and there is also the need that should come up in the next two years--a newer vehicle for Josh.

SO...I'm trying to find creative ways to save cash. One of the biggest areas to cut is the grocery budget. I decided to see how far I could stretch a whole 4 lb chicken. I made it to four meals (and that was with spilling another meals worth on the floor.....*groan*). I started out with a whole chicken which I roasted in the oven (I rubbed it with Josh's special seasoning..mouthwatering..and oil). It was so great. Afterwards, these are the meals I made.

-Served the legs and wing for dinner with lots of veggie sides (Josh took the second wing for lunch the next day with veggies too!)
-Made chicken soup with carrots, parsnips, celery and chicken
-Spilled a meal's worth on the floor. Decided to scoop it up and save it for Pritsha if she would eat it :(
-Made Granny's Chicken Pot Pie (which fed us dinner and lunch for all of us the next day)
-Chicken Noodle Soup with veggies and loaf bread
-Quite a bit of rich stock!!!

I think I did pretty well, however I'm anxious to see how far I can stretch a couple of chicken breasts now!

Enfamil Lipil

2011-04-19T09:20:00.002-04:00

Interesting. If you purchased Enfamil LIPIL from 2005-2010, you could be entitled to two free cans or $12 in cash. Apparently, Enfamil claimed to be the only formula containing DHA and ARA (exactly why I bought it!) They are now having to make settlements with purchasers. See here for more information.

My thoughts?
Normally I won't file a claim against a company unless they've done something really wrong that effected me and my family. For instance, the Baby Einstein video rebates? UGH!! I completely didn't agree with that. If you really think that showing your baby a video is going to make them a genius, well...I seriously doubt your intelligence. I bought the Baby Einstein videos and Reagan loved them. That didn't mean that I thought it'd turn her into a genius. And I certainly didn't turn them in for a rebate, because that's simply taking advantage of the company. I kept them for our next child.

However, this rebate I have requested. I *DID* buy Enfamil Lipil because I thought it was the only formula with DHA and ARA. And after spending $300 a month in formula and diapers for two years, I definitely feel $12 is the least Enfamil could do. $26 for a can of formula that lasts two weeks is not cheap, but I bought it believing I was giving my baby the best (and I swear if someone leaves a comment telling me breast is best I will absolutely let lose a rain of wrath on you the earth has yet to see).

So, if you bought Enfamil LIPIL, check this claim out and see if you qualify for a rebate.

Today

2011-04-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

would have been Pritsha's 12th birthday. I want to write about her..but I still can't without sobbing. She was amazing. I miss her so much. And for my friends that have said so many wonderful things and thought about me in the last two weeks, thank you so much--it's amazing to have such good friends that understand the pain and loss that I'm going through.

Chicago School Bans Bringing Lunch From Home

2011-04-12T08:40:00.001-04:00

I'm not surprised this is coming out of Chicago. Check out the story here.

Happy Birthday Josh

2011-04-11T14:09:00.002-04:00

We love you so much!

The Great Divorce

2011-04-07T13:06:00.002-04:00

Over the course of this morning and last night, I read The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. I'm not here to tell you it was an awesome book and that I enjoyed it immensely...because well, I didn't. I *do* enjoy the works of C.S. Lewis, I just wasn't overly fond of this particular piece, although it now holds a special place in my heart.

So why did I read it? It wasn't that I had any great desire to see his thoughts on Heaven or Hell...years of being a Christian have lent their own ideas of Heaven and Hell to my imagination. No, it was the fact that our preacher had mentioned it a few Sundays ago in one of his sermons. I thought it might be interesting to check out. And God was obviously leading me in this direction. I'll get to why I believe that in a few minutes.

If you're a friend or a reader of my blog, you know this hasn't been the easiest of weeks for me. I lost one of my dearest friends, my first baby--my cat, Pritsha. I've cried myself to sleep every night. My heart aches. Every night Pritsha would sleep with me, nuzzle my hair, spend a few minutes loving on each other. This was our time, since most of my days are devoted to doing all the things being a mom and wife requires. Pritsha understood--her days were devoted to all the things that being a cat requires--sleeping and searching for that ever elusive patch of warmth and sunlight :)

The hardest thing I've had to face this week is that I'll never get to hold her again. I miss her so much. And regardless of the fact that we told Reagan that Pritsha is Heaven with God, I wasn't really sure that I believed it. The Bible mentions nothing about our pets going to Heaven--and why should it? The Bible is written for our Salvation..not theirs-animals don't need saving, we do.

I spent a lot of time this week researching to see if there was any tangible Biblical evidence that would show me that Pritsha was in Heaven with God. But the Bible was silent. God Himself felt silent. I know I've been blocking Him, which I think is common for those in pain. But obviously, although I've *felt* only silence from God, He was still there, leading me in my pain.

I read somewhere online this week, that there is a reason God gives us these animals to love and cherish--He is obviously trying to teach us about unconditional love, because they are true examples of it. And would a God who loves us and created such an amazing creation on earth, and an even more miraculous one in Heaven really leave us feeling so desolate for the love we gave our pets, and the love they gave back? I think not.

How many of you, when picturing Heaven have pictured streets paved with gold, mansions, wispy clouds and ethereal beings bathed in light? A God who created such an amazingly lush landscape as we have on earth is not going to leave animals and vegetation out of Heaven. The Bible mentions again and again that creatures of the earth will have their place in Heaven--we just know not whether they are new or old creations. But again, would God let us grow to love something with such unconditional love and accept theirs back, that He would leave us without them? I choose to believe God wouldn't.

And here is what leads me to The Great Divorce. Almost near the end of the book, when I was nearly ready to throw in the towel because it was simply dragging on and on, there is a scene with a woman--an angel? a saved person?-who is walking, led by a procession through the Valley of the Shadow of Life. The woman is surrounded by bright Spirits, those that loved her-rows of girls and boys, bathed in light and love, musicians singing in her honor. ...And then, her beasts. Rows upon rows of cats, dogs, horses, birds.....

The Ghost in whose shoes we are walking, asks "What are all these animals?" And the Angel who accompanies him replies, "Every beast and bird that came near her had its place in her love. In her they became themselves. And now the abundance of life she has in Christ from the Father flows over into them."

Beautiful? Yes. And it just happens to correspond with this thought from Dr. Moira Allen: "My own personal view on this question is that, just as humans are redeemed through the love of God, pets may possibly be "redeemed" through our love. 1 Cor. 7:12-14 speaks of the sanctification of a household through an individual; while it may be stretching a point to suppose that this household might include pets, it's not a completely illogical stretch."

I'm not saying that our pets do or do not go to Heaven. The Bible again, is silent. But I do know that God obviously was leading me somewhere this week--something He set in motion several weeks ago that came to fruition today--and yes, I firmly believe God was leading me along this path. So is Pritsha in Heaven? Only God knows the answer, but in my heart I believe she is there with Him, resting in a a perfect patch of sunshine and knowing love much more incredible than any I could possibly have shared.

I believe one day my family will be united with God in Heaven and Pritsha will be there, eager to share with us all that she has enjoyed with her and our Creator.

More Guilt Than I Can Stand

2011-04-03T17:40:00.003-04:00

Pritsha is like my child. No matter that she's gone..I love her and I always will. I can barely comprehend how I'm going to get through..or how I've gotten through the last two days. I miss her so much.

And I can't stand the guilt. You see, Pritsha started getting sick with a cold back in the winter. I didn't take her in to the vet..she had had the cold so many times before. So I gave her some left over antibiotics and left her to get over the cold on her own. It lingered a long time and she lost weight.

Josh and I had both agreed we would not do any life saving measures for the cats because of their age, the cost and the fact that our daughter is allergic to them. But the least I could have done was taken her to the vet and gotten her some more antibiotics to get over the cold.

She did eventually get over the cold, but she had lost so much weight by that point...I figured she'd eat and gain some back..but I wasn't that worried. She needed to lose some anyway (she wasn't overweight then, but I still wanted her to have less weight on her leg-she had torn her ACL some time ago and the vet had replaced it and said that weight and age would cause arthritis). She was still eating, albeit mostly people food. I'd give her a SMIDGE and then tell her to go eat her food. Bad mom.

I noticed she was getting slimmer and I told Josh that I didn't think she would live a lot longer..she was getting old (she would have been 12 this year, which I've recently discovered isn't that old). But I still didn't take her in. I just thought she was getting old.

But when a friend came to visit and so how bad she was looking, I realized she was skinnier than I had realized..and I took her in. Too late. Even after the doctor told me to get food down her, I force fed her for a few days and then left her to eat on her own..but she didn't....when I took her in again, she was losing more weight and then at the second vet's urging, began the force feeding 6-8 times a day, but it didn't help.

I don't know what she died of..if it was the infection that caused the weight loss that caused the shutting down of her body..or if it was a chronic condition (kidney disease could have still been the culprit) that caused the weight loss and shutting down.

All I know is that I SHOULD have done something..and now I've lost someone I love so much...so furmoms and dads..pay attention. If your cat gets a cold or starts losing weight, don't think that it will resolve itself on it's own. It won't. Take her. Get her help. And don't think it's just old age and accept it..fight for your pet.

So it's my fault she's gone. I hate myself for that. I should have disregarded everything and taken her in. She'd probably still be alive.

Pritsha

2011-04-01T07:47:00.001-04:00

died this morning. I want to write about her later. But I can't right now...I just feel so empty.

Update II on Pritsha

2011-03-31T12:52:00.002-04:00

Pritsha has spent the last several days not eating at all--and I had stopped force feeding her in the hopes that she would eat on her own. Not so. I called the vet office and one of the vets suggested we try an IV of Valium. Apparently it makes cats ravenously hungry after receiving it.

After she was weighed....at 5 lbs 15 oz (still loosing), they gave her the IV and the Valium worked! She ate almost a tablespoon of food!! I got her home, gave her some more food later on...was feeling so ecstatic...and then everything she ate came up. I spent the evening crying while she flailed around (affects of sedation and from being too weak) and rasped for air. I attempted to give her water. She threw it up. She hid from us for a while, then I found her laying in her litter box in the wee hours of the morning and I took her to bed with me. I was convinced she wouldn't make it through the night.

But she did and thank God for being so merciful...she has been able to keep down a little food and water today (force feeding). Her prognosis is not good. Her body is metabolizing itself and causing her liver to shut down. Her ears are showing some jaundice. The best I can do is keep feeding her and hope that it reverses the liver damage and we can put the weight back on her.

I know many people are not animal people, but I certainly am, and she is my first (fur)baby so if you pray, please say a prayer for her.

Reaganisms

2011-03-28T18:47:00.004-04:00

As we were reading The House in the Night, Reagan looked at the skeleton key (seen in this image) and loudly declared "This MUST be from the 80s, we don't use keys like that NOW!" *GROAN* I have never felt so old in my life......

*******
And, on the way to karate.....Reagan asked "How do mama cats get their baby kitties?" Needless to say, I nearly wrecked the van. After a quick thought through the parenting database in my brain, I remembered that usually kids just want a simple answer. So I tried "from their tummies, Reagan." Yep, that satisfied her..now I'm just wondering when that answer is going to stop working!!!

Did you know?

2011-03-26T14:01:00.001-04:00

That you can substitute plain yogurt or pureed cottage cheese for cream cheese? WOW! Check out some other substitution ideas here.

2011-03-24T13:40:00.002-04:00

There was snow on the ground this morning when I woke up....and yes, I did a double take. SNOW? REALLY? Ugh. However, I'm happy to say that it had all melted by the time we broke for lunch. Reagan is outside playing in the frosty air and gorgeous sunshine and I'm catching up on blog reading. In a little while we're heading to Goodwill to look for a new white sugar bowl (I love Goodwill for finding ironstone!!!) and then off to the dollar store in hopes of finding some foam board to make a "REAGAN" central station to display the day's work for Daddy.

Days like today are make me glad I'm homeschooling. Everything went perfectly--no fighting to get her to finish. No frustrated screaming because she wasn't getting something right--I was patient and she was sweet. Why can't every day be like this? Oh, because we're not perfect..that's right :)

We had a GREAT lesson on words today, studying several verses from Proverbs and I have to say I think hiding God's Word in our hearts is definitely making a difference in attitudes around her--specifically mine.

My favorite part of the day? Singing a praise hymn with Reagan. AWESOME. I love days like these.

*And for my friends who don't homeschool, please don't even think that most days are like this...I *DO* get frustrated easily and scream and so does she..so if you're thinking of homeschooling and think that you could never be patient enough to do it, you're right--you won't be--no one is. But with God's help you can make it through!*

Update on Pritsha

2011-03-20T13:23:00.002-04:00

No kidney disease..but we're not sure what IS wrong with her. Her bloodwork came back that she was low in protein, VERY low in potassium, anemic, very high red and white blood cell counts and several other numbers were off. The vet believes there might be a problem in her intestines that isn't allowing her to absorb nutrients.

Right now our plan of action is giving her potassium gel twice a day and force feeding her 'critical care' food (very soft pate style food that I can squeeze into her mouth) when she doesn't eat (which is often). Today however, we've been lucky-we gave her some catfish and she devoured it! YAH! I'll be making a trip to Kroger again soon to buy more for her!

For my homeschooling friends.....

2011-03-19T00:00:00.002-04:00

For my friends that homeschool, I hope you get as big a laugh out of this as I did!!

(you'll have to click the link to really see the tee and read it..sorry this pic is tiny!)

Pritsha

2011-03-18T11:30:00.002-04:00

Pritsha has been sick all winter with a bad cold..which made her lose a good deal of weight. I took her in today finally (all winter I've been preoccupied with Reagan who was sick a great deal). Apparently our scale is very off. I thought she had gone from 12 to 8-9 lbs. At her last appointment she was 14 pounds however, and she has dropped to 6 lbs 6 oz. We're waiting on blood work to come back tomorrow but our vet seems to think it's probably kidney disease.

Today is not a good day in our house. This has been my baby for 12 years and I'm very worried about her. Please keep her in your thoughts if you can spare a few.

Southern Hummingbird Cake

2011-03-17T03:41:00.003-04:00

I haven't had Hummingbird Cake in years, but I see one in our future soon! Sigh...seriously, if you didn't grow up as a southern child, you have no idea what you're missing!

And it's not just food that brings those waves of nostalgia washing over me---but memories of pure and simple innocent childhood that remind me of why I was so lucky to grow up southern--sipping honeysuckle juice straight out of the honeysuckle vine, catching lightening bugs on warm summer evenings, letting them light up your room long afterwards, catching rolly pollies (I never knew there was another name for them til just this year!), heaping up huge piles of pine straw to make pretend homes, spending all day outside running around like wild heathens terrorizing the neighborhood--stopping only for a sticky Popsicle at home..the juice dripping down your chin and leaving little splotches all over dirty white eyelet shirts, hearing the screen door slam behind you as you ran quickly in and out..no time to let it close slowly.

Sweet southern memories.....

Heart wrenching...

2011-03-16T19:08:00.002-04:00

One dog's loyalty to his friend..... (Click to read article with translation or watch video below).

Here's the video clip:

UPDATE: CNN and the UK Telegraph have both reported that the dogs have been rescued since the footage aired, and are both receiving veterinary care; the more seriously wounded dog is at a clinic in the city of Mito, while the protective spaniel-type dog is receiving care at a shelter in the same town.

Giveaway!!

2011-03-16T17:31:00.001-04:00

on my homeschooling blog...come register to win!!

Happy Anniversary

2011-03-15T08:41:00.001-04:00

8 years! I love you Josh!

A huge favor from my followers!

2011-03-12T14:14:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! If you follow my blog, I need a huge favor! Please click the link to your right to head on over to my homeschooling blog. I'm applying to be a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew for the 2011-2012 school year (so I can earn free curriculum while I review them-yah!!!!) and I need at least 25 subscribers...so pretty please? And if you're not a follower here, please link over and follow there anyway (that is, if you're so inclined!)

Just click the link on the right or click HERE to head over to the homeschooling blog. Scroll down just a bit and click on the "follow with google friend connect" button!

THANKS!

No where else to vent

2011-03-12T11:57:00.004-05:00

Well...since I gave up Facebook for Lent and my membership with FF is finally done (and I am not going to renew...I am NOT going to renew-or so I keep telling myself), the only place I have left to vent is here.

Why...ON EARTH...did they schedule our mandatory adoptive parent training seminar for the weekend of MOTHER'S DAY!?! That is a very special weekend in our home..a Girls's Gardening Weekend with Grandma (also her birthday weekend), Mommy and Reagan. I'm VERY frustrated. I know we have to go and get it out of the way (they only hold them every six months) but GRRRR..I'm really not pleased about the timing!!!

Obama makes ME sick...

2011-03-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Really? It'd be so much easier to be "president" of China??? (The fact that China has a "president" is a laugh in and of itself.) Because you know, MR. Obama, I'd be more than happy if you'd take your pathetic low life morals and views of my country off to China. And yes, I know that's not nice to say but really...this is the United States--we don't bow down and believe something just because YOU say it's true and we are NOT, you get this "MR PRESIDENT" ..we are NOT going to let you destroy this country.

Days like this...

2011-03-11T13:01:00.003-05:00

are hard to be a mom. When your child is so sick, you can barely keep on top of anything. When your child is screaming in pain and she has vomit shooting out one end and poop shooting out the other and you can barely stem the flow long enough to think straight, much less clean it all up..and it's been going on for days. When you're gagging yourself but you still have to get her clean and calm and TRY to get some fluid down her stomach, even when she's screaming and fighting you. When there is little you can do to alleviate the illness. When you accidentally give her a second dose of Tylenol too close to the first because you have had so little sleep that you can't remember the time you gave her the dose before..even though you TRIED to force your tired brain to write it down. When your child screams at you that you're a bad mommy because you lost your temper and snapped and screamed at her to give you just ONE MINUTE because you can't do everything at once. When your nerves are frayed from worry and whining and lack of good sleep.

These are days that it's hard to be a mom.

But I know there will be days in the future where we'll have a Mommy and Reagan day and I'll get to take her to lunch and listen to her ramble on about whatever is in that pretty head of hers and watch her splash in the fountain at the zoo...and the thought that THOSE days are just down the road--those days help me get through days like this.

Time 4 Learning Review

2011-03-09T16:52:00.005-05:00

Over the past 30 days, I've had the privilege of using the Time 4 Learning program in our homeschool. This has been such a blessing to us, as I was having a very hard time getting Reagan excited about the reading and math aspects of school (she is very much a strictly science oriented girl!).

In fact, Reagan enjoyed the program so much that she begged to do it every day and completed almost all two levels of preschool in the 30 days we were given to review it! Some days she would spend an hour or two just playing and redoing lessons she had already done FOR FUN! I can't tell you how excited and happy I was to find something that engaged her and that she enjoyed doing. In fact, I've just now bumped her up to Kindergarten level math, in the hopes that Time 4 Learning has given her the incentive and confidence to tackle a non-science subject!

What is Time 4 Learning exactly?

According to the Time 4 Learning website, they are a technology based program that teaches preschool through 8th grade using a combination of animated lessons, interactive activities and reinforcing worksheets.

Not only is the Time 4 Learning program great for homeschoolers, but students needing a little extra reinforcement outside of school can use it as well.

For a low monthly fee, you have access to Language Arts, Phonics, Grammar, Science, Social Studies and Math. (Science and Social Studies are available in 1st and 2nd grades respectively).

A typical lesson on the preschool side included a short story or video to introduce the lesson and then several activities to reinforce the lesson-ranging from sequencing, to playing the syllable drum, putting together puzzles or Reagan's favorite, playing a game with Brainy Bot. Some lessons even include an idea notebook filled with activities to reinforce the lesson outside of the computer.

I was impressed not only with the fact that Reagan was learning, but she was amassing amazing computer skills. In 30 days she moved from barely being able to use the computer at all, to spending an hour or two on her own manipulating the program. And how many preschoolers are introduced to the concept of syllables? Not many I'll wager..but Reagan got it!

Some great items to note about this program:
-There is no contact, you use it on a monthly basis and cancel at any time.
-There's a two week money back guarantee.
-For all levels (except preschool) there are parent progress reports that you can log in and check at any time to see your student's progress.
-You can review lesson plans ahead of time to mesh with what you're currently learning.

For more information, please visit Time 4 Learning. You can click here to check out a free lesson demo or here to check out a preschool demo, and here to check out Time 4 Learning's Lesson Plans and Scope and Sequence.

Disclosure: Please note that I received a free 30 day Trial for review on my blog. However, the opinions expressed therein are mine alone and were not written by Time 4 Learning.

HI-YA!

2011-03-02T21:57:00.002-05:00

I took Reagan in for her first Karate "lesson" today (it was really a consult). She was so adorably shy and whisphered all of her responses to the teacher. (Funny, she's loud, talkative and obnoxious at home ;) love that kid!) After we completed some paperwork and the teacher spoke with Reagan, he had her practice some basic movies..one of which included using a heel slap to break a board.

She was so proud of that broken board! She showed it to everyone-her best friend, her best friend's mommy, and, of course, Daddy! Yes, the board was very lightweight and fribrous, and he probably helped it just it bit to break when she hit it, but she was so proud of herself nonetheless!

He even put her name on it and gave it to her to take home! My little girl is so excited about learning Karate! I'm excited too! I think I may join up for myself!

2011-02-28T18:27:00.002-05:00

Hmm.....now I really *CAN* put Reagan in that bubble to protect her.....

Growth Spurts

2011-02-25T13:25:00.003-05:00

I get a kick out of watching Reagan's eating habits when she's going through a growth spurt. She goes from picking at her food to gobbling adult sized meals!

A few weeks back she the following for breakfast:
A whole bowl of chocolate cream of wheat
2 sausage links
Milk
2 Scrambled eggs with ham

Today for lunch (and this is not the healthiest lunch ever, but it worked for today!):
2 whole hot dogs
Salad with carrots and sunflower seeds
A container of strawberry applesauce
Chips
Milk
and an Oreo Cakester

WOWZA!

*UPDATE 1:49 pm: Reagan: "Mommy? I'm still kinda hungry....." EGADS! (we made blueberry banana smoothies!)

Conversation

2011-02-23T15:33:00.001-05:00

Reagan: Mom, this glue stick keeps sticking everywhere but right here!
Mommy: (fixing the glue stick) Reagan, you're so cute!
Reagan: MOMMY! I'm serious!

2011-02-15T19:06:00.001-05:00

This is from the Gravy Pages! I love it!!! Click over to her site to see some more awesome homeschool stuff!

The Homeschool Moms who Can't Do Everything Sung to the tune of Veggie Tales "The Pirates who Don't Do Anything." By Joelle White and Maura Light, who wrote the chorus and started the whole thing.

All 3 Moms:
We are the home school moms who can't do everything
We just stay at home and plan a lot
And if you ask us to do everything
We'll just tell you
We can't do everything

Mom2:
Well, I've never been to Boston and I've never shot a musket,
and I've never built a cabin using nothing but an axe,
and I've never skinned a possum, and I've never staged a battle,
and I've never started home school before fall!

All:
We are the home school moms who can't do everything
We just stay at home and plan a lot
And if you ask us to do everything
We'll just tell you...

Mom3:
We can't do everything!

And I've never distilled water, and I've never banded birdies,
and I've never built an ant farm 'cuz I can't stand things that crawl,
and I've never dug a fossil, and I've never owned a test tube,
and I've never started home school before fall!

All:
We are the home school moms who can't do everything
We just stay at home and plan a lot
And if you ask us to do everything
We'll just tell you
We can't do everything

Mom1:
And I've never slaughtered chickens, and I've never milked a go-oat,
and I've never gone to 4-H or the local county fair,
and I've never sewn a jumper, and I don't look good in denim,
and I've never started home school before fall!

Mom2: Huh? What are you talking about? What's a milk goat and denim jumpers got to do with being a home school mom?

Mom3: Hey, that's right! We're supposed to sing about academic-y things!

Mom1: Oh...

Mom2: And who ever sews school uniforms? That's impossible! Why even bring it up? Am I right? What do you think?

Mom3: I think you should do your laundry.

Mom2: Huh? Why do you think that?

Mom3: You should...

Mom2: Don't wanna!

Mom3: You wore that shirt yesterday!

Mom2: That's it, you're going to help me!

Mom3: Says who?

Mom2: Says ME, that's who!

Mom3: Oh yeah? Well I'm not picking up your socks! (pinches her own nose)

Mom2: Argh!

Mom3: Yike!

Mom1:
And I've never done gymnastics, and I've never danced the polka,
and I've never painted daisies 'cause I cannot paint at all,
and I've never made a schedule, and my house is never perfect...

Mom2: It'll never happen!

All: And we've never started home school before fall!

We are the home school moms who can't do everything
We just stay at home and plan a lot
And if you ask us to do everything
We'll just tell you
We can't do everything

Mom2: Pass the pencils! Who's got the teacher's guide?

Mom1: Here it is! (holds up shredded paper)

Mom3: (groans, then smiles with sudden inspiration) Time for recess!

Mom2: It's definitely time for Scotch tape.

Mom3: Oh, I don't like that stuff...

Mom1: Hey, look! I found a crayon!

(That was funny, take me back to the top)

Monday's Tips and Tricks

2011-02-07T14:12:00.002-05:00

I'm participating in Monday's Tips and Tricks over at Homebody today. Head over to check out some wonderful ideas from other women around the blogosphere!

Ok-here's my tip: I keep a Tupperware container in the back of the van filled with disposable cups, plates, utensils, napkins, bowls, paper towels, hand sanitizer, plastic baggies and (currently frozen) wipes. I also include juice boxes and several bags of snacks--goldfish, raisins, rice cakes, etc., and of course, a blanket (and for those of you with younger kids--I also keep a travel potty!) This way, whenever we decide to have an impromptu picnic at a park, or take a road trip to the larger city near us, or Reagan just gets hungry--we have something right with us! Definitely makes my life easier!

Valentine's......

2011-02-07T07:39:00.002-05:00

It ALWAYS sneaks up on me! What to do!?!?? Guess Reagan and I should pull out some heart activities for this week. I'll share a list as soon as I make one!

Time 4 Learning!

2011-02-03T11:56:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited! I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience! Time4Learning is an online educational program that can be used in many ways including as a homeschooling curriculum or afterschool tutorial.

Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning by clicking this link!

Little Leaps Love Challenge

2011-02-02T23:45:00.001-05:00

Jolanthe, who is the genius behind Homeschool Creations, is hosting a Little Leaps of Love Challenge on her blog, No Ordinary Moments. I love this because it reminds to me to do something special for my loved ones every day! Check it out!

Reaganisms!

2011-01-11T17:38:00.002-05:00

Overheard at our house today....

"Mommy, I think I have a pickle (pimple!) on my face!"

To Daddy, after I had suited her up to go play in the snow with Josh:"Daddy, you can fit out the door, but I'm not sure I can!!"

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

2011-01-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

Next year we're utilizing Sonlight (with a combination of Timberdoodle's Core Curriculum for K) for Reagan. Tonight we decided to stop by Half Price Books armed with a list of books we needed for Reagan. We found 3 (Reagan was tired and hungry) before we had to leave. Books that would have cost a total of $69 at Sonlight...we found for $12!!!! I'm sooooo relieved!!!

And amazing---right as we were about to leave, in fact as soon as I said, 'we're leaving now' to Reagan, I looked up and there, right smack in front of me was one of the books I needed. $20 at Sonlight.......wait for it.....$1!!!! on clearance at Half Price Books. WTG GOD!! He was definitely looking out for us! I take this as proof positive that we are on the right track!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2010-12-24T21:43:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

4 years ago today....

2010-12-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

I gave birth to the most amazing child. Happy birthday to my beautiful, smart, funny, sweet--totally intoxicating with her enthusiasm-child. I love you more than you will ever be able to imagine and I am so unbelievably blessed to be your mother!

You can read more about the miracle of her amazing birth here.

Christmas Books, Days 2-4!

2010-12-04T14:03:00.001-05:00

Check out my homeschooling blog for some great book recommendations for this time of year!

Day 1: 25 Days of Christmas Books

2010-11-30T19:22:00.001-05:00

The first of many posts to come featuring some of our favorite Christmas books. The full post can be found on my homeschooling blog.

What I'm Thankful For!

2010-11-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

I'm most thankful for my wonderful Saviour that came to earth in human form and sacrificed Himself for me. I'm more thankful than I could ever possibly say for my amazing family--my husband and daughter, my parents, grandparents, in-laws, extended family and friends than I could ever tell them.

But what else am I thankful for? After reading a blog post over at 50s Housewife, I decided to list the top ten non-tangible things I'm most thankful for!

(In no particular order)
1. The Internet! (this is a love/hate relationship for me, but without it, I wouldn't know so many amazing people and have access to so many fun things for my family and I to do!)
2. Indoor plumbing! Can you imagine using a porta-potty style outhouse? EWWW!
3. Cell phones--they keep me from pacing the floors when Josh is commuting in a snow/ice storm.
4. Modern Medicine-that saved my daughter's life and my life and that continually keeps her healthy (most of the time!)
5. Cameras-I love being able to snap a shot of my daughter's face and look back at them any time I wish.
6. Printing Presses-that pop out book after book after book for me to enjoy.
7. Libraries-access to thousands of books I don't have to pay for!!!!
8. Cars-I live so far away from my family..if there weren't cars, I can imagine how few times I would get to see them over the course of a lifetime.
9. Refrigerators--I shudder to think of the germs caused by not refrigerating food!!
10. Glasses/Contacts-that enable me to see!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Christmas-Free Nativity Downloads

2010-11-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

I love these downloads I found for the retelling of the Christmas story!
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/cll/story/xmas.html

2010 Version of All You Ever Wanted to Know

2010-11-23T07:17:00.003-05:00

...about how we celebrate Christmas (but didn't care enough to ask ;) )

I saw this as a post over at It's Almost Naptime! and I couldn't resist sharing here too!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Neither! Coffee with a TON of holiday creamers--Peppermint Mocha, Pumpkin Pecan Spice, Eggnog.....I love them all! I swear I pour in half the bottle into my coffee cup. Is there a Creamers Anonymous anywhere???

2. Does Santa wrap presents or sit them under the tree? Santa is a smart man and after the first year of delivering presents to our house, realized that many fits could be avoided if he simply left the wrapping paper off and the gifts assembled ;)

3. Colored lights or white? I put up SEVERAL trees. Some of them have white, some have colored. It depends on the theme of the tree and which room it's in. I prefer white. It lets the ornaments shine through without distracting from them. Can you tell I'm a *little* obsessive about Christmas???

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Yes...although it rarely works in this house!

5. When do your decorations go up? Personally I would put them up in the middle of November, but Josh is obsessive about Thanksgiving....so Christmas decor Friday after Thanksgiving. It takes about three days to decorate!!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? It's a tie between cornbread dressing and lemon pie!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Waking up Christmas morning to see dozens of leather bound vintage Children's books arranged in a design around the Christmas tree. I can still smell them :)

8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth??????

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? OF COURSE!!!!!!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Um,......I have to make sure the colors aren't grouped together and everything has to be spaced perfectly so you can see something from all sides!

11. Snow-love it or dread it? I love the THOUGHT of snow. Frankly, I can do without it...Let it snow on Christmas Eve all day and all through Christmas Day and melt on the 26th!!

12. Can you ice skate? I grew up in a state with ONE rink.....two hours away from me!! You can guess the answer!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? The leather bound Children's collection and my microscope!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Knowing and celebrating that my Lord and Savior came to earth as a precious child :)

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? LEMON PIE!!!! (Granny's recipe of course!)

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Um, lemon pie??? :) No really, driving around with hot cocoa and listening to Christmas music while looking at the lights!

17. What tops your tree? A star, but Reagan has requested an angel on at least one tree this year!

18. Which do you prefer-giving or receiving? GIVING!! I love finding the perfect gift for Reagan and Josh!!! I LOOOOOVE seeing their eyes light up. (But don't get me wrong--I love getting gifts too!)

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard on High, Christmas Canon by Transiberian Orchestra, Good King Wenceslas--really I love all the Christmas hymns!

20. Candy Canes-yuck or yum? In peppermint bark--YUM!!!!!

21. Favorite Christmas show? Holiday Inn!!!!

22. Saddest Christmas Song? ???????????????? I don't know!!!

My "new" cleaning system

2010-11-18T09:25:00.004-05:00

This cleaning system is really helping me keep things under control. I just wish there were LESS cleaning to actually do. At least I don't have to worry about forgetting something this way and my house has stayed much cleaner!

Another bonus to this system is that I'm not angry at my husband nearly as much! Let me explain: I'm at stay at home, homeschooling mom. I feel like it's my job to do all the housework (at least the inside stuff!) But the truth is, there are hardly enough hours in the day to get everything done and when my husband would come home, sigh and start to pick up, it would infuriate me and I'd yell at him to leave it alone. Which would in turn, make him angry at me for yelling, being frustrated and not accepting his help..leaving the house still in a mess! With this system he knows exactly what still needs to be done that day and if there is something I really don't want him to touch, I take it off the hook before he gets here.

Hook you ask? Yes, hook. Here's how hooks play into the system.

Set up:

1. I typed up a list of the chores that I need to do daily and weekly. I printed, laminated and cut them, punching a hole on one end of the strip.

2. I divided the chores into three piles: Daily Morning Chores, Daily Evening Chores and Weekly Chores.

3. I embellished! Daily Morning Chores have a bright yellow star sticker on the end. Daily evening chores have a subdued blue star sticker on the end and the weekly chores don't have anything (except for "take out the trash" which is a Tuesday-MUST chore and "pick out Reagan's clothing for the week" which is a Sunday chore--I simply wrote those days on the ends of those cards).

Using the system:

1. I hung up two hooks in the kitchen (on the fridge) with the labels "To Do" and "Finished". All the items were hung up on the "To Do" hook and as I do them, they (obviously) get hung up on the finished side.

2. At the end of every day the blue and yellow tags get rehung on the "To Do" side. And on Sunday evening, all the evening chores get hung back on the "To Do" side as well.

That's it! So easy. Every day I do my daily chores and a couple of weekly chores. And it's keeping me saner and the house looking ten times better.

***A couple of things I wanted to mention that I do-the playroom/school room does NOT get cleaned everyday. That's a separate entity. I'm working on addressing that issue for us (maybe like a straighten at the end of the school day?). And the quarterly chores (washing windows, cleaning pantries, cycling toys out, etc) are still something I'm working on as well!

If you want a list of what I do, here are my chores!

Daily Morning Chores
-Complete a load of laundry
-Sweep kitchen and laundry rooms
-Vacuum (I look over the house daily. If it needs it, I do it, if not, I move it over to the finished pile and move on!)
-Run a load of dirty dishes and put away (reload any that need to be loaded)
-Pick up and straighten the house (this includes wiping sinks, emptying trash bins, picking up and returning items, hanging up towels, straightening pillow and slipcovers)
-Scoop litter box
-Make beds

Daily Evening Chores
-prep coffee pot
-bedtime routine for me
-pick up/straighten house again
-pack Josh's lunch
-fill work boxes for school

Weekly Chores
-clean fridge
-grocery shop
-meal plans and coupons
-wash bath toys, loofahs, bath mats in/out of tub and shower curtains as needed
-wash bed linens and towels
-clean toilet
-dust hall and bath
-dust family room
-scrub bathtub
-wash cats' bedding and bowls
-refill soap dispensers
-refill cleaners
-charge phone (yes, I consider this a chore!)
-garbage to curb
-clothes out for the week for Reagan
-clean out van
-change out Church bag
-clean coffee pot
-dust kitchen and laundry rooms (includes wiping down cabinets)
-mop laundry, bath, kitchen and entry areas
-wash slipcovers
-dust bedrooms (includes fans, sills in the summer!)

Stay tuned in the next few days for Reagan's chore and getting ready chart! This little thing has made our lives run a lot smoother in the mornings before getting ready to start school!

What Women (and MOMS) Do All Day

2010-11-17T08:34:00.003-05:00

Recently I was searing the Internet trying to find a good way of keeping track of all the housecleaning things I needed to do during the day. In the middle of my search I decided it might be interesting to find out exactly how many hours per day the average woman spends cleaning. I didn't find a good estimate..but I did find a rather sarcastic reply from a man who said his wife spent 8 hours a day on facebook and then complained about not having enough time to do everything she had to do. Another man then responded about how his stay at home wife/mom shouldn't have had that much to do...I mean, she's home--all.day.long.

Hmmm. Needless to say I was infuriated, but I brushed it aside and continued the search for a good housecleaning schedule. But the thought was still there in the back of my mind, nagging at me, that maybe someone should tell the world exactly what it is that stay at home moms DO every day. I can assure you we don't sit around watching daytime soaps and eating out way through every piece of chocolate in the house.

So, here's a quick peak into my schedule.

Wake up
Breakfast
Get myself together
Get Reagan together
Start straightening house--ie: make beds, return all the little items scattered throughout the house to their proper places, vacuum, straighten slipcovers and pillows, open curtains, unload dishwasher, reload dishwasher, unload dishwasher, start the reload cycle again, put a load of clothes in the washer, wipe down the bathroom sink, wipe down the toilet, empty the trash, sweep the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms, make sure the bathroom rugs and hand towels and everyones towels are hung up so they'll actually dry instead of mildew, throw the clothes in the dryer and/or hang up on the line (trying to conserve energy), swill a cup of coffee, ensure that Reagan has finished her breakfast, make sure she has her vitamins and medication, take my vitamins (IF i remember), scoop the litter box, clean up a few messes that have managed to appear while I'm doing all of the other stuff, pay bills as the mailman delivers them, spend some time on the net (yes, I waste too much time here).

Ok at that point I *might* be through with my normal cleaning. But probably not..after all, those dried clothes are going to fold and put themselves away! Notice I haven't even mentioned spending time with Reagan yet because I NEVER play with her anymore..I know..I'm a horrible mom. I'm just not one of those playful moms...and I feel guilt over it constantly!!!

Some where after all of this, we sit down for school and do our schoolwork, play games, do puzzles. Then we break for lunch. I prepare lunch, we eat, watch a cartoon or two (I should say that unfortunately I would let the tv babysit Reagan quite a bit while I did all of that cleaning and I'm trying not to now...I'm having her help more and follow a schedule of her own to get herself ready..which I still have to supervise and discipline as necessary).

After lunch, weekly work comes in. Here are the other things that need to get done during the course of a week: wash bed linens, towels, loofahs, bath mats, shower curtains, bath toys, dust every room in the house, clean the toilet, wash the cat's bowls and bedding, scrub the bathtub, refill soap and cleaning dispensers, clean the fridge and freezer, garbage taken out and to the curb, clothes out for the week for Reagan, charge the phone (we don't use land lines anymore), mop the kitchen, laundry, bath and entry areas, clean van, wash slipcovers, change out church bag, clean the coffee pot, grocery shop, meal planning and coupons! Oh, and we can't forget play dates, park time, story times and all the other activities we do for our children that get thrown in here somewhere!

Then there's preparing dinner and snacks.

THEN, I have a nighttime routine after Reagan goes to bed: straighten up the house, fill her work boxes for the next day in school, prep coffee pot, put reminder notes on the door for Josh, fix Josh's lunch, straighten and pick up house again and do my own bedtime routine.

I'm not even going to talk about lesson plans, time for devotionals, exercise or me time or time to read all the books I need and want to read...but I do make time for those..because if I didn't, frankly, I'd go crazy.

Should I go on to mention the other stuff that needs to get done but not on a weekly basis? Like cycling out clothing for the kids based on season, repairing their clothes, buying new clothes, cleaning and cycling out toys, windows, cleaning out the pantry,...etc, etc, etc...I'm not even going to list all of those things!

So....there you have it. A (SMALL) glimpse into what women do all day. After reading this, I want to collapse..but I can't. I've done most of my morning work, but I still have clothes to dry/put away, dishes to put away and school to teach..and that's just the rest of the morning before lunch :)

I feel like blogging today...

2010-11-07T12:30:00.002-05:00

So our furnace went out this morning (the exact same problem we had last year) and rather than pay double for an emergency repair, we decided I would cook like crazy and warm up the house. It definitely worked! I made several batches of banana bread, boiled chicken for casseroles (to come later) and made banana snack cake and banana snack cake cup-cakes. (Can you tell I got a great deal on bananas?)

I'm actually feeling well rested for once and (fingers crossed) Reagan is going to take a nap while Josh does the dishes!! YAH! Which means I get about 30 minutes to do nothing until I have to finish cleaning the kitchen, straightening the school room and some various other projects that need to be finished.

Speaking of homeschooling, I am feeling much more relaxed now than I was in September. I STILL have not got it all together but it's flowing a lot more easily than it was. Yesterday we put together a model of the solar system--with balloons. And all was fine (except for the fact that Jupiter popped twice)...until we heard a loud pop a couple of hours later. Our sun had exploded. Thank the Creator of the Universe that He made everything so perfect that it will really happen..until HE decrees that it should.

I am dealing with my own feelings of guilt however. Am I putting too much on Reagan at such an early age? Shouldn't she be playing more? Shouldn't I be playing with her (I NEVER play with her anymore..now she prefers to do it on her own...although I think I should at least play with her for 30 minutes day....have I put it into practice? No.....) And the yelling....I yell about regular life, I yell at her to put stuff up, I yell at her to go to bed....and to top it all off, some days I yell at her during homeschooling. I HATE THAT! Yelling to me is so much worse than spanking could ever be. And yet, I do it daily to my child :( Guilt. GUILT. GUILT!!!!!!!!So should I put away the things that make me yell at my child? I think I should..and I have been.

We were using a phonics/reading program that incorporated way too much writing for a Kindergartener, much less a 3.5 year old. So out it went. Our math program uses a ton of handwriting, and while the math portion itself is going well....again the handwriting is a huge problem for us. So I'm thinking about slowing down the handwriting.

And I think that's all the time I get for today..Reagan is screaming about not being able to sleep..sigh.......

Oh where Oh where is NICU Bear?

2010-11-03T20:45:00.002-04:00

NICU bear is missing. And Reagan is beside herself. I've never seen her sob so much over a single toy..not even when I threw away one of her puppies for hitting. NICU bear is missing and I'm currently tearing apart the toy room looking for him.

Ennunciation please!

2010-10-27T20:37:00.001-04:00

Commercial: blah blah blah ....you too can turn your house into a house of horrors!
Reagan: Look mom! You can turn our house into a little house of whores!!!

Words fail me.......

My Mom, by Reagan

2010-10-19T15:37:00.002-04:00

This is a cute idea. Copy this note, ask your child the questions and write them down exactly how they respond. Tag me back if you haven't done this, I'd love to hear the answers.

1. What is something mom always says to you? "put on your pull ups!"
2. What makes mom happy? kisses!
3. What makes mom sad? no kisses
4. How does your mom make you laugh? by telling jokes
5. What was your mom like as a child? funny, but i don't know for sure because i didn't see what you did as a little kid because i wasn't out yet. don't you know that?
6. How old is your mom? 4
7. How tall is your mom? i can't tell!!!! 4 school buses tall!
8. What is her favorite thing to do? go out for treats together
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? cook dinner!
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? i don't know mommy.
11. What is your mom good at? laundry
12. What is your mom not very good at? roasting marshallows!
13. What does your mom do for her job? she works
14. What is your mom's favorite food? asparagus (um, no??)
15. What makes you proud of your mom? for making homemade applesauce
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? i don't know...what is coming on next??
17. What do you and your mom do together? go out for treats (I'm sensing a pattern here....)
18. How are you and your mom the same? We have the same color hair.
19. How are you and your mom different? I don't do the laundry and she does.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Kisses!
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? To the mall (um, no??? This is HER favorite place to go!)
22. Where is your favorite place to go? The mall!

My poor neglected blog

2010-10-13T20:49:00.002-04:00

I am on the computer all the time. So you would think I have time to blog. I don't. Usually I'm looking for homeschooling items for Reagan, or lately for her birthday party ideas.....we're having her birthday party on Friday. And....I'm slightly spazzing!

She's having a camping themed party, and I need to get the house cleaned, the yard cleaned, the goody bags put together, the fish cut out, the scavenger hunt completed....so what the heck am I doing sitting on the computer? Good question!!! Argh!!! Off to work on more birthday party stuff!!!

2010-10-08T14:29:00.000-04:00

I love fall!!! That's pretty much all I wanted to say! I'm sure I'll be blogging away this winter, but right now it's infrequent posts and lots of things to do!

Toys For Sick Days

2010-10-02T22:12:00.002-04:00

Do you keep a stash? No, not that thing that grows on your upper lip (if you're a man, baby!) More as in, a stash of toys. I do. I keep an upper closet filled with games, stickers, books and toys that I've picked up on clearance or that grandparents have sent Reagan or that I've gotten through some free program (a few days ago I even received a car from Trio!!)

These are PERFECT for those days when your little one is sick and feeling like the whole world is crashing down around them. I pull out one every once in a while and it really brightens Reagan's day...even if the toy only provides an hour of entertainment, I consider it well worth the cost.

Right now in my stash, I have a few books, the Trio car, some stickers, some plastic trinket style rings, some lip gloss, a few nice wooden toys for her kitchen (that might end up under the Christmas tree) and enough material to make her a twirly dress.

As the year continues to wear on, I know I'll be pulling items out and replenishing as necessary. I try to stock up on trinkets after every holiday and when a big box of goodies arrives from my mom, I always hold a few things back. I'm telling you moms, this is a GOOD practice! If you don't have a stash...stock up now! After Halloween sales are perfect to pick up cheap goodies!

Back Home!

2010-09-27T09:17:00.002-04:00

We had an exhausting weekend at the Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio, and although Reagan, Mommy and Grandma had tons of fun, we are SOO happy to be back home! This means we can finally get back on a schedule and I can start blogging regularly! After today of course...today we slept in and I have to run to the office for a few hours--today is a 'get over the vacation' day!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a sneak peak at my new dough bowl....I LOVE this thing!

Reaganism!

2010-09-19T16:23:00.003-04:00

We had a great trip but we're happy to be home! Completely exhausted and ready for lots of sleep tonight..in the meantime I leave you with a Reaganism.

Mommy: Reagan, you have to wear socks with your shoes or you'll get a blister.
Reagan: Mommy, did you know there's an ice cream called a blister?
Mommy: A blister ice cream????? No, there isn't!
Reagan: Yes, there is.
Mommy: Oh! You mean a blizzard!!!!

Never Forget.

2010-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Updates!

2010-09-08T20:34:00.003-04:00

Homeschooling is TOUGH!!!! Reagan insists she already knows everything I'm trying to teach her (and most of it she does) and her attention span is that of a, well, a three year old. She's so intelligent, but definitely right on her age development with maturity! ARGH! I'm having to switch some things around--do less review and more fun stuff to capture her attention!

We're also headed to Alabama to visit family this weekend. Josh has to stay home :( and we'll miss him, but it'll be nice to see my family and have Reagan spend some time with her grandparents! Enjoy the beginning of fall!

Backyard Camping!

2010-09-06T19:32:00.003-04:00

We have been so busy lately. Most nights I stay up until 1 or 2 am printing, cutting, laminating..you name it, just to get ready for the big day--tomorrow!!! I'm so excited for Reagan. And she's so excited and ready for school to start. We'll see how excited she is after she finally gets involved in the lessons! Right now I have pumpkin buns rising on the stove to cook for a special First Day School Breakfast! And this weekend she had a blast camping in the backyard with Daddy (Mommy wasn't allowed..except for the smores part!)

Capital Tour

2010-08-31T20:33:00.001-04:00

This is very enlightening. I am so proud of my country's heritage...not so proud of it's present. Can we return to this place once again?

Doing Better...

2010-08-30T15:25:00.002-04:00

Reagan is doing much better! We're still working on clearing those lungs out, but every day shows a little improvement. She's getting lots of rest, eating a little and today she was able to have a play date after a two week period of not being able to see anyone! She even gets to go to her first dance class today! Yah! I absolutely will be posting a picture of her in her cute little outfit!

In case you were wondering...

2010-08-28T16:40:00.002-04:00

where I am, Reagan has been VERY sick this past week. In fact she was almost hospitalized and we're working on getting her healthy. She was FINALLY able to get some sleep on Thursday night, after not being able to really sleep since Saturday. So when I'm not shoving medicine down her throat between 10-14 times a day, I'm trying to get her to sleep, or drink to stay hydrated or eat, to make up the 3 lbs she lost just this week.

She really is about 100 times better than she was this time last week, we just have to focus on getting her lungs clear at this point. It's VERY difficult to tell a 3 year old she can't run and jump around and act silly.

So that's where we are. Hopefully she'll be 100% by next week and I'll be back to posting.

Breaking my heart..

2010-08-23T14:03:00.002-04:00

Today Reagan and I were talking about going to the doctor (she's sick..again.) And she said she knew why she was sick..because I hadn't been giving her her Singulair. Smart kid. She's actually right on the money. But there are reasons I haven't been giving her the Singulair.

I didn't want her suffering from the side effects anymore, and I don't want her being on medication for the rest of her life. I tried to explain that to her, but I think she misunderstands why she needs medication (and who can blame her? She's been on medication her entire life!!) She said, "but Mommy, I need it to live!"

I don't think my heart will ever be fully normal after that statement. So what to do? Josh and I agree we don't want her on medication for the rest of her life unless it's absolutely necessary, but we don't want her sick all the time either. Changes must be made.

I've been lax about not allowing chemicals in the house. That has to stop. Dust catchers, ie knick knacks, have to go. Slip covered furniture....we have but I want to get better slipcovers/furniture so it stays on. Better filtration system, no more candles and axe the perfume again.

I've decided we're going to have to go minimalist. No more photos hanging on the walls, no more tons of bookcases that never get dusted....everything is going to have to go in enclosed shelving unit/bookcases or closed door closets...natural fibers...anything that can collect dust..it needs to go. Which means my prized floral arrangements that I made and absolutely adore..gone. Knick-knacks mostly gone..only keeping a few that can fit in enclosed glassed in cases.

It's going to take a while but her health is worth it.

A post--can you believe it???

2010-08-19T07:49:00.002-04:00

A quick post from me--we're gearing up to start Kindergarten soon and I'm spending most of my time with my playdates or getting things ready! As soon as we actually start school I'll have more time to post--umm, I think!

In the meantime, Reagan and I are dreaming of fall...we're both fall people and can't wait for it to get here! And Reagan has changed her mind about her birthday party for this year---it was space themed, but now she wants a camping theme! I'm so excited! Feel free to leave any ideas!

A Tree

2010-08-11T20:37:00.002-04:00

Last weekend Reagan and I went to Kid City--a big event for..guess who? Kids! While there I saw this awesome display with a tree and I knew I had to get one for Reagan's school room. Today, I went out and purchased it (only $11!!!!) and Reagan has been obsessed with it all evening! I need to laminate the leaves and then we can do all sorts of fun manipulative learning fun with it.

Who knew a paper tree could bring such joy? Oh and here's a Reaganism for you! (As a side note, she refused to let me put any of the animals on the tree because apparently birds and squirrels will damage the poor defenseless thing!)
"Reagan, did you know that trees are home to over 400 different plants and animals? That tree is probably wondering where all his friends are. He's probably crying "Come back friends!"

Reagan--in complete exasperation--HE IS NOT, MOM. He's saying SHOOO!

Oh brother.

Goals for Myself

2010-08-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

I started thinking about all the things I really wanted to make happen in my daily life--getting up early (I've never been an early riser), exercising regularly, having a daily devotional...none of those things were getting done. And it's all because I don't really have a plan. So I decided to make a goal sheet for myself. A basic list of things that I want to get done every single day. Here's my daily goal list. What's on yours?

Get up by 6:30 am
Have devotional time for myself
Exercise
Take prenatal vitamins!!
Get house straightened up before starting rest of day
Have breakfast at the table
PLAY with Reagan at least 1 hour each day
Don’t let Reagan watch more than 2 hours of tv per day (those coupons help!)
Don’t do computer time unless Reagan is having tv time
Don’t have lunch in front of the tv
During nap, spend less than 30 mins on comp.
Have dinner at the table as a family
Have a devotional as a family (5-10 minutes?!)
Keep tv off in the evenings until Reagan goes to bed
Spend one hour a night WITH Josh--not in front of comp
Spend at least 15 minutes a night pampering ME

2010-08-09T06:39:00.001-04:00

Benjamin Franklin once said "Beer--proof that God loves us." But Leah says "Coffee--proof that God loves us." Frankly, Ben, I think I'm right on this one!

Reaganism!

2010-08-08T12:50:00.001-04:00

The Bible is a really important book, mommy. It's not like swamp monkeys or something.

Hmm.

2010-08-06T09:24:00.002-04:00

The title of this post was going to be "Oooh...look at me, posting two days in a row!" But um, yeah, this is Friday. NOT Thursday. This summer has been so erratic, so different from our normal lives, that I feel completely off course. I can't wait to get back on a schedule and enjoy the next few months with Reagan. AND start school!

I *think* Reagan is excited to be homeschooling this year. I know I'm excited. I've purchased almost all her curriculum--I have a few more things to order, and now I'm in the process of organizing it. I am usually one of those people that needs things planned out for me in advance so I can see the big picture--otherwise I tend to get overwhelmed. But in getting everything together, I think I'm only going to plan a month in advance...which may be more work in the long run, but it'll allow us more flexibility--which I do enjoy!

I know I printed out our curriculum choices for this year in an earlier post, but things have changed slightly since then. I've found some curriculum that I like a little bit more than those I previously posted....and I realized that I can't be quite as aggressive as I wanted to be. She IS only 3 1/2! So with that in mind, we're holding off on studying history for another year or two and we're going to be doing a lot more unit studies. I'm also utilizing the Horizon's program through Alpha-Omega Publications--I'm very impressed with their company. I love that Horizon's is an advanced program, great for gifted students, BUT, I can go as slow as we need to--or as fast as we need to!

LOL! As you can see, I'm really in the mood for school to start. Who knows, maybe I'll even buy a pack of pencils..freshly sharpened, and arrange a bouquet on my kitchen table today? ;) (You've Got Mail fans should know what I'm talking about!)

Been quiet around here...

2010-08-04T16:35:00.002-04:00

I haven't felt much like blogging lately. In fact, to be honest, I haven't felt much like doing anything lately..but this week I've been getting back into the swing of things...having play dates, trying not to be quite so cranky with Reagan, cleaning...you know..just living.

Yesterday I even forced myself out into the rain in my new (bright red, mind you) rain boots and splashed in puddles with Reagan. I love the sound that our feet making, sucking up the mud and water and then the force of the water spraying out as our feet slap back into the mud.

While we were out playing in the rain, we watched a squirrel burying an acorn.
Let me tell you, this little guy was diligent about his task. It took him a good 10 minutes to bury it. Reagan and I decided to venture over and see if we could discover his loot. He'd hidden it well. Even though we'd watched him intently, we still couldn't find the hole. After poking around for a few minutes, I looked up and saw him scampering back down the tree, watching us. He stopped..hesitated, the scampered closer....closer...and sat up on his haunches, whiskers twitching, little hands held together....as though he was saying "please, oh please don't take my food!" He.was.adorable!

Reagan and I left his treasure alone and went inside for hot chocolate..which apparently triggered the "I'm ready for Christmas to be here NOW" gene, because later she went to the library with Daddy and returned with Barney's Christmas Special. (Yes--that Barney--as in giant purple dino.) Today she even held an impromptu concert with her friends, singing Christmas carols and asking for more hot chocolate and having a 'snowball' fight with hair ribbons.

If she's this anxious for Christmas it's going to be a long, long fall.

Great decor blog giveaway....and an update on me

2010-07-31T18:26:00.003-04:00

First, before I tell you about an amazing giveaway on one of my favorite (if not my absolute favorite blogs), I want to say thank you to all of those that prayed for me and my family this past week.

I wasn't sure if I was going to talk about what had happened on my blog or not, but I post about my family regularly and this *is* part of my family. Josh and I had been trying to have another baby and I did get pregnant..and lost the baby. It was a very emotional time for both of us--ups and downs of waiting several days to have blood work come back and trying not to get our hopes up. In one way we were very lucky--we didn't even know I was pregnant until I started having intense pain. If you've read my blog any length of time, you know my body does NOT like being pregnant, so please keep us in your prayers in the future, as we really do want to add onto our family. I think I'll leave my update at that.

*****
Ok, even if you don't enter this giveaway, you must checkout the Miss Mustard Seed blog! I absolutely adore her decor...she's so creative, she's down to earth, a youth minister's wife and very sweet! I seriously would love to fly her up here to decorate our dream home when/if that ever happens! She's giving away a 2000 follower prize pack and it is loaded with things I love..ironstone, grain sacks and...an OLD SCALE!!! I want an old scale so bad I can taste it people....seriously..my favorite one that she has is in her bathroom..go look through her photos. I DROOL over that thing....I love the one in the kitchen too!!

Go HERE to check out Miss Mustard Seed!

Still waiting...

2010-07-28T16:11:00.002-04:00

Still waiting for more results. Please keep sending prayers this way!

Asking for prayers..

2010-07-27T11:07:00.001-04:00

First, Reagan has been sick, but she's on the mend---just a chest cold now we think. And second, please keep me in your prayers as I'm going through a very difficult time right now.