Every tuesday for the last month I have volunteered at Miss Megans school. I go in the mornings and I usually stay for about an hour. The first time I went Megan cried and cried when it was time for me to go. The second time I went Megan was mad and had an attitude because she knew I would be leaving. The third time I went things were fine. I walked into the class room and Megan hollered out a cheerful "Hi Lisa"! I answered with an equally cheerful hello (acting as if I am always called Lisa and not Mom) and my volunteering started. At one time Megan needed some help and I said "here let Mom help you". Megan whispered out of the side of her mouth "You mean let Lisa help you." She seemed to be embarassed so I didn't say anything else. I finished volunteering and left the class room with a kiss and a "Good bye Lisa."

When Megan got home that day I told her I was very proud of her for not crying or getting mad when I left her class. Then I asked her why she kept calling me Lisa. She said "Duh, because we are at school", and she walked away.

Now I don't know why I am Mom at home and Lisa at school, but it is obviously very important in her little kindergarden mind, so as long as she is happy I will be happy too....

Thanks a lot Debra....

About two weeks ago I had a busier than normal week. By that I mean on top of all the other things I normally do as a stay at home Mother of five I, on this paticular week had been doing a lot of errands and volunteering that took me out of the house for most of the day time hours. On Thursday night of this very busy week I commented to the children that I was super tired because I had been so busy.
"Yeah Mom, you have been busy this week". Debra said in a suprised voice. I then said that I think I am busy every week. Debra replied "Oh I know your usually busy its just that this week you are actually going places and doing things instead of just sitting around the house all day"
"Thank you Debra" I said
" Your welcome" she answered.

Look at my terrific bargin...

The other day in the middle of cleaning, cooking, helping with homework and doing laundry I smelled something burning. I of course thought it must be dinner, but no; it was the wash machine. The poor thing had been on its last leg for some time now and I wasn't very surprised to see it had finally given out. Now I don't know how much laundry you guys out there do, but in my house I wash at least one load of laundry a day. If I don't do at least one load of laundry a day my laundry basket quickly over flows with dirty clothes.

So knowing I didn't have any time to delay I quickly did a caculation of the bills (by quick caculation I mean I decided what bills I would not pay this week) and I went off to the store. Before heading to the store I had already determined (or rather my bills had determined) that I had three hundred bucks to spend on a new washer. Now I know three hundred dollars isn't going to buy anything spectacular, but thats o.k. I just need a plain old jane washer.

Look what I found on clearance for (you are never going to believe it) three hundred dollars!!!








This washer is normally eleven hundred dollars. It is a Maytag Neptune. It can wash a king size comforter and the sheets that go with it in one load. The control panel is electronic, it has nine wash modes (including one called hand wash). I can set this machine to do an extra rinse, spin or wash and it plays a musical song when the load is done. It was on clearance because it had been retuned. The sales guy wasn't sure why it was returned, but he knew it had been in the repair shop and had been given the o.k. for resale. He gave us a thirty day warranty. We figured it was such a good deal that it was worth a try. I have washed everything in the house (even if it wasn't dirty). I have used every wash cycle and water combination you can imagine and it works wonderfully. For three hundred bucks I am in absolute laundry heaven (yes, with this washer there is a laundry heaven). It was a great deal, the washer works beautifully and I am very happy....

So pretty, and I made it....

Isn't it pretty? This is my first completed crocheting project. It took me about six hours to do. It was so much fun making and I am really proud of the finished product. I made it for a friend who is of course having a baby...

In the Army now....

Anyone who knows this family (or who has been following this blog) knows how up and down Ashley has been the passed few years. My husband and I have really had our hands full with this child. She has done everything you can possible imagine a teenager doing, plus more. It has taken her seventeen years to learn it, but I think she finally gets the fact that she is only hurting herself. Yes, her Dad and I are very upset and disappointed by her antics, but she is the one who suffers the consequences. Now don't go thinking that she has magically transformed into this perfectly behaved child, who never does anything wrong (that would be too much to ask for). But she has started taking steps (without being prompted) to better herself. For instance: It was her decision to go back to school instead of getting a GED. She is arranging to be tutored in classes that she is having trouble with, and just recently and most shocking Miss Ashley has signed up for the Army Reserves. The recruiter was here last night and we filled out all the paper work. Ashley will go next week to Fort Lee in Petersburg, VA for her testing and physical. If all goes well she will attend boot camp in the summer, but be back home in time to finish her senior year of high school. During her senior year of high school she will work her designated weekends with the army (and be paid of course) after she completes high school she will then decide to go active in the army or stay in the reserves and go to school, which of course the army provides for all her schooling. She has decided to go into human resources, which is a great career choice. I am really happy with Ashleys decision to join the army. As we all know a military life is not for everyone, but I think Ashley will benefit from the discipline and routine of the army. I think she will also gain a self confidence and independence that she is now lacking. She is very excited about it, and I am very excited for her.

Just a little side note: Ashley going into the army is a bit of a family conflict, since her cousin is in the marines. We are joking that at the family Christmas gathering we are going to have an Army - Marines show down.....Go Army......

Wordless Wednesday

Tackle it Tuesday

This is my first Tackle it Tuesday. I choose a big one. This is a little cubby space in my bedroom that is called Moms area. I have my scrapbook table, my computer desk and my paper work table (bills, school forms etc.). This area is always a mess and nothing is ever taken care of here. But today that will change....

Here is before...

and after

One month down, nine to go....

I am sure once Christmas is here I will not be able to believe how quickly time went by. Right now though, it seems that the first month of school has just barely passed in a crawl. I keep waiting for the smooth flow of school routine to kick in, but it hasn't. It seems every morning is finding us as tired and cranky as the first day of school, only without the new school excitement. No matter how early or late we go to bed, no matter how prepared we are for the day, no matter how patient I am, it just hasn't kicked in yet. Or maybe, it hasn't been able to kick in because my kids won't let it.

Every morning Megan (grade K) wakes up with a new excuse as to why she isn't going to go to school today. She has faked sick, pretended to be asleep, hid behind a bush and just stood in one spot at the bus stop and refused to move. After two weeks of this I figured out the problem. His name is Joshua. He follows Megan every where at school, he scribbles on her papers. At nap time he will squish his mat by hers even tough she told him not to and the worst thing of all; he won't stop touching her hair. It sounds to me like little Joshua is in love, but it didn't feel like love to Megan it made her miserable. After a talk with the teacher little Joshua is no longer stalking Megan. Although Megan is still the grouchiest little thing in the mornings and she has to go to time out almost every day she no longer tries to get out of school.

Debra (7th grade, first year in middle school) has already been assigned after school detention. Her math class had a sub and it seems that Miss Debra took that as a cue to talk and talk and talk. The sub asked her repeatedly to stop talking, but obviously Debra didn't listen. Now normally getting an after school detention for talking would of resulted in loss of phone privileges for a week. I figure if shes talking so much in school then she has no need for the phone because she already told her friends all they need to know, but Miss mouth Debra could not help but try to lie her way out of punishment. She told me that the only reason she was talking was to make some boy leave her alone. She said whenever the teacher was not looking the boy would bother her and when she would tell him to stop the teacher caught her. Now I don't know about you guys but that sounded pretty lame to me and a quick call to the school revealed that Debra was in fact lying. So now she has lost every privilege known to teens for a week.

Now on to Ashley (11th grade), who has returned to public school for the first time in three years. I took her out of public school because she refused to do well. She honestly thought school was there for her pleasure, to do what she wanted when she wanted. She would not straighten up, so I pulled her out. This year we decided to let her return to public school with the strict conditions that she must behave and do her best on class work. Well her behavior has been excellent. We went to back to school night and all her teachers said she was very respectful and cooperative (I honestly almost passed out when I heard that). I was really proud of her and let her know that. Last week interims came out. Most of her grades were really good. I knew she had been struggling in Algebra and I was curious to see what grade she would bring home. Well it turns out she didn't bring a grade home. She kept coming up with all these stories of why her Algebra teacher hadn't been able to send out interims. So being the patient, loving parent that I am, I gave her all the rope she needed to hang herself. I waited one week and then her Dad and I searched her things. Not only did we find her failing Algebra interim, we found my signature on it. Also there was a note on the interim (from me) asking about tutoring. The teacher said she would loook into it and let me know. Now I have heard of some crazy things before, but a student getting tutoring behind her parents back? Now that is a new one. Needless to say Ashley is on restriction for the foreseeable future.

Last but not least we have Jessica(fifth grade). Jessica is being really good and having no problems at school, but she can't seem to get it together at home. She has no problem waking up for school but I have to constantly keep reminding her to get ready. She will start to get ready and then stop. I will remind her and she will start getting ready again. This goes on for about 30 minutes and then finally she is dressed. She has forgotten her lunch atleast once a week and every day after school she gets in trouble for not putting her book bag and shoes away. We now have a new rule with Jessica; if I have to tell her to put her things away, she gets an early bed time. So rest assured she is getting plenty of sleep because she is always in bed early.

All of the girls are required to find an extra cirricular activity. It can be a sport or club, but they have to be in something. This year Jessica has choosen soccer and Megan is in the girl scouts. She is a little daisy. Ashley and Debra have not signed up for anything. I have given them until tomorrow to sign up for something or I will find something for them. Since neither of them have come to me with an idea I don't imagine they have found an activity. So this afternoon I am calling the school and I am going to find some volunteer programs for my two baddies and from now until spring sport and club sign ups they can help others, since they refuse to help themselves....


Now I could look at the start of our school year in two ways. One: I could look at this start as an omen of things to come. Which means I could have a very long and trying year ahead of me. Or two: I could look at this as a sign of how on top of things I am. While the girls have been bad, they have not gotten away with it. They were caught and caught early. And they will continue to get caught each time they are bad. Also the fun stuff has just started. For instance today is my first day (this year) volunteering at the Elementary school. Being involved with the girls school makes us all happier. Girl Scouts just started last week and soccer will begin soon. We also have some family fun trips coming up (Six Flags this weekend, a birthday party for faith and Megan, and the pumpkin farm). So hopefully throwing some fun into the mix will help lighten the mood. I also plan on vounteering at the middle and high school. Although that does not make the older girls as happy as it makes the younger ones.

We are off to a rocky start, but hey, atleast we were able to get started.....

So glad Dad checked on her...

Every night we put baby Faith (our one year old) to bed around 7:00 p.m. We lay her down with a pacifier and two blankets. One blanket to cover up with and one to cuddle. Sometimes she goes right to sleep, but normally she fusses for about 15 or 20 minutes. We usually let her fuss for a while and then we go in, lay her back down and cuddle her up with her blankets again. Last night after a bit of fussing Daddy went in to check on the baby. I am so glad he did. Faith had taken her diaper off, which wouldn't of been so bad if she hadn't had a bowel movement. Now that by itself would of been gross, but Faith didn't stop there. She spread poo all over herself, in her hair on her belly, her face and even on her feet. Her sheet, blankets pacifier and almost every bar of her crib had poo on it. The room just reeked of poo and since Daddy found it, he had to clean it.... Poor Faith and Daddy, but lucky Mommy...