Seriously...can this happen?

Just a quick post...I know I have a busy schedule...but I just thought I would share the next week with you:
Friday: finish ppt presentation for Sunday, make 50 cards, make 50 gift bags, hair cut for big girl, go to florist for donation, HEB for donation.
Saturday: finish work, make cookies for next week, pick up items for end of the year party, get prizes
Sunday: church, garden, finish work, start 2 new classes
Monday: meet at school to deliver 50 gifts to teacher doors (most people will be on a holiday)
Tuesday: Big girl to school, drive to pick up mom from airport (about 5 hours in the car), bible study that afternoon, make breakfast
Wednesday: get breakfast to 50 or so teachers, teach science that afternoon to 40 kids
Thursday: Big girl to school, make dessert, take desserts to about 50 teachers, go home and make lunch item
Friday: Big girl to school, go pick up flowers, set up luncheon, stay during lunch to help teachers, clean up, school class party, tye dye shirts...go home and pass out!

So what do you think? Is there anything else I could add to my schedule? Ha...crazy busy just doesn't cut it this time...I will say insane! But I know it will all be taken care of...and I have a few GREAT helpers...couldn't do it without them...and a ton of parents are bringing food for the luncheon...it is just scary being in charge of everything. And you all know how much of a perfectionist I am...so I need everything to go smooth! So I will let you know how things go.

On another note...I started reading another book...and it is SO boring...Mrs. Dalloway...if it does not start getting better...I am taking that one off my list! Anyone every read it? by Virginia Woolf? I know it is a classic...but good grief...I need something!

Talk to you soon.

Not a day to be frustrated!

OK...this will probably not be a 'fun' update or post...so if you want to just skip this one...I will understand. Or if you chose to read it...maybe you could also just say a quick prayer for me along the way! So today is my hubby's birthday...so it was really not a good day to be frustrated. It started with me having a hard time waking up...I knew when I stepped out of bed and felt the pain that it might be a tough day...but I just ignored it. It really is amazing how much we take for granted each day that we live...taking for granted exactly what our feet do and what our hands and arms do. And just when I think I am really getting better, I am reminded with a day like this!

I have been walking lately on MWF...so I called my friend and said that I was not going to go...but she encouraged me and I knew I needed to keep up with my routine. I did not tell her the real reason I didn't want to go...that I just felt horrible...but I went. I made it through and even made it to the grocery store and home. Then things just seemed to go downhill from there. One of those days that I couldn't open anything with these hands...a day that it hurt to lift my arms to put my hair up...a day that my wrists burned when I tried to do anything...and a day that it hurt to lift my kids. I guess that was the worst of it!

I try not to complain about it...try to just ignore it...most of the time just dealing with the pain because I have forgotten what it felt like not to have any pain. But everyone ages, and everyone aches...so I shouldn't be a baby and whine about it. But I was just frustrated today. I wanted to bake a cake (he was out of town anyway), I wanted to have the house clean but just trying to open the sippy cups to go in the dishwasher seemed to be a task. I did work in the garden a bit, and watered the yard...but didn't get everything completed.

So, you see what I mean about not a 'fun' post...I don't mean to be so negative...and normally I am not...but today was just hard, and not a day that I wanted to hurt. Tomorrow will be better...I believe that! I really have been meaning to get you an update on my wonderful garden...I love it! It is hard work...and I am still not sure how I fit the work in...but it is so nice to have those yummy veggies in my yard. So I will get a picture of what I have growing and update you soon.

Thanks for listening to me vent...I know who my faithful readers are...and I know you will be back!

OK...I did write a few words below...but I just wanted to share a few photos.

Hello everyone...I can't believe it is already May. This year seems to be flying by...I just can't keep up. The girls had a recital last weekend and Nana and PawPaw came to visit. So I had to share some pictures.

OK...the garden is going great...I try to spend a little time each day weeding and killing squash bugs. We already have some squash, strawberries, and we even have fruit on our trees...so will see how they grow and how they taste. I can't wait.

School is almost over for Big Girl and we have been working hard...she is so ready for summer.

Sweet girl is still as busy as always and has a fascination with 'slide' phones. She normally asks everyone what kind of phone they have and if they have a slip phone she will ask to see it.

Now my little man is a handful. He is so active, loves to jump off things, but is scared of our neighbor (only a few months older). He is quite funny when our neighbor comes over he will run to me (I guess a little competition scares him away). Anyway, he loves to be outside and we have decided he will probably be the class clown. He is so funny, always trying to make you laugh, and likes the attention.

My reading is going great...I am really enjoying it. I am on 3 different books right now...one has been really hard to get through...Sybil...it is a disturbing book. Maybe you have seen the movie with Sally Fields...anyway...based on a true story the girl Sybil has like 16 different personalities and the book tells her story of how the doctors discovered what happened to cause these different personalities to emerge. It is a good book, interesting, but disturbing and sad at the same time. I will be sending this on to you froggymomma...so you have to read it.

OK...I am going to end for now and write more later. I have a few other things to talk about...but I am so tired right now and I can barely move my fingers...so I will try to write more this week.

OK...where did all my spare time go?

Well...slowly but surely I am reading my books. I am not sure about others...but I have so many things going on in my mind, and I think I have a touch of ADD at my age that sometimes I get bored with the same book. Don't get me wrong...all the books I picked are great reads...and I am really enjoying the 'personalities' of Sybil...but I like to keep things exciting...so of course I am reading several books at one time. It is just what I am in the mood for.

I just wanted to give you a cricket update...I have found a total of 7 live ones, 5 or 6 dead ones, and I saw a cricket leg the other day...so I am hoping my cats are earning their pay by eating all the crickets.

On a side not...our wonderful (not hyper at all) puppy decided to leave a dead rat on the back porch...a BIG rat! Kind of scary to think that critter was running around in our backyard! Anyway, I guess we will keep Concho around a little while longer...although if he keeps digging up my one particular plant we may have some issues!

Ok...now update on the kiddos...let's start with my little man because I just don't know what I am doing. Yes, he is my 3rd...but he is my first boy and HE DIDN'T COME WITH WARNINGS! So all you veterans out there...please SEND ADVICE! What is the deal with wanting to jump of everything? Is that just mine or are all boys like that? And if he doesn't stop handing me his boogies, then I am going to put a band aid on his nostrils. He does love to get dirty, he owns his own 'tools' and garden supplies, but he freaks out when dirt is on his hands. His face, well, he could care less...but he wants to wash his hands all the time. He will sit at the dinner table with us for about 2 minutes then he is done, he refuses to let me buckle his car seat, he doesn't like to nap and prefers to have a bedtime around 10 pm only to wake at 6 am to watch cartoons, and he enjoys tackling everyone and everything! So I am ready for advice...

Ok the girls are getting ready for their dance recital, they are still going through some 'sister struggles', but all in all the seem to be doing well. Sweet girl is still that princess that wants to play in make up and have her nails painted. She still speaks in a very high-pitch voice, has a bit of an attitude when it comes to cleaning her room, but loves to read, play kitchen, and go to school. Big Girl is doing well in school (we were there yesterday to teach about the environment), makes 100's on her spelling tests, loves to jump on the trampoline, has a new tooth growing in the front, wants her hair braided all the time, climbs in bed every night at about 2am (sometimes I am still up when she comes in), and remains to be my big helper.

Daddy is still working hard, out of town some, and he IS helping with the garden. I do remember him saying that if he put the garden in...that was it...he was not going to help anymore...but I guess he is just such an awesome daddy that he wants to show the kids that he is willing to do what it takes. I can't wait until we can go out to the garden and get some food! We have used the herbs already...it has been great!

And I guess you know what I do...work, work, work. Just kidding...I do work, clean, weed, plant, water...you know all those things a mommy has to do. But I am also fortunate enough to have special time with my kids and my family! We are so blessed...I am continually amazed at watching my kids grow and can't imagine how I would feel if I had to leave them all day. Yes, sometimes I do complain and I am working on that, but I am truly blessed to be able to stay here with my kids and be a part of Big Girls class!

OK...this is not a punishment...I did not tell him to get in the shelf and do sit-ups...but it does look like that is what he is doing...Just thought it was a cute photo.

In my spare time

Hi everyone...I am so happy to tell you that I have found some spare time. I can't believe it...and I know you will all be surprised. So let me first explain to you what I am going to do with my spare time. I have been challenged...not that I don't enjoy the challenge and that I do this anyway...but I am always up for a goal. So I am going to do the 9-9-9 challenge! That means that I picked 9 categories and in each category I have chosen 9 books...that means I will read 81 books on 09...there it is...the 9-9-9 challenge.

Now let me tell you about my spare time...if I force myself to get off the computer by 2 am...then I have about an hour to read so that I can get up at 7 am. The morning spare time I try to read my Bible. If I put myself in 'time out' (potty break) then I can usually hide for about 10 minutes. I also have spare time when I pick big girl up if I go early and sit in the line. I know you are all wondering how in the world I am going to accomplish my goal...but I am going to try hard. I debated on doing this at all, but when I sat down and wrote down the books I have already read...I figured I would give it a try.

I am not sure if it is the challenge, my love for reading and books, or that froggy mom is just so darn encouraging...but I am up for the challenge. Plus...we trade books all the time...so this should be fun.

So I am going to post my list of books that I am going to try to read. This does not count my daily Bible reading and my 2 bible studies that I am involved in...this is strictly 'spare time' reading. And froggy mom...if you see any that you want to read, let me know and I will pass them on. I don't have all the books yet...but I will let you know. I will post my list, then you will see a new element on the side of the blog that I will keep you updated on the books I have read. Here you go:

I. Classics
1. A tale of two cities – Charles Dickens
2. The Island of Doctor Moreau – HG Wells
3. Tom Jones – Henry Fielding
4. Le Morte D’Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table – Thomas Malory
5. The Castle of Otranto: A gothic story – Horace Walpole
6. Cecilia, or memoirs of an Heiress – Frances Burney
7. Ms. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf
8. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
9. The woman in white – Wilkie Collins

II. Science and History
1. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage – Alfred Lansing
2. A Sand County Almanac – Aldo Leopold
3. Sensory Exotica – Howard C. Hughes
4. The lives of Ants – Laurent Keller
5. The Essential Aldo Leopold – Curt D. Meine
6. Auschwitz a new history – Laurence Rees
7. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn – Eric Ives
8. The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey – Candice Milllard
9. A Delusion of Satan: The full story of the Salem witch trials – Frances Hill
III. Biography
1. Vivian Leigh
2. The Diary of Virginia Woolf Volumes 1-5
3. Marlee Matlin ‘I’ll Scream Later’
4. Edgar Allen Poe, His life and legacy – Jeffrey Meyers
5. John Adams – David McCullough
6. Beatrix Potter: A journal – Beatrix Potter
7. The Unabridged journals of Sylvia Plath
8. Survival in Auschwitz – Primo Levi
9. Called out of Darkness: A spiritual Confession – Anne Rice

IV. Books I have wanted to read
1. The Importance of being Earnest – Oscar Wilde
2. The Monk – Matthew Lewis
3. The Stolen Child – Keith Donohue
4. Jungle book – Rudyard Kipling
5. The man in the Iron Mask – Alexandre Dumas
6. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
7. Sybil – Flora Rheta Schreiber
8. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Bronte (oxford classic)
9. The Last Dickens – Matthew Pearl

V. Books I LOVE to re-read
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (actually I love ALLof her books)
2. Harry Potter Series (audiobooks)
3. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
4. Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen
5. Dracula – Bram Stroker
6. Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice
7. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
8. Lord of the Rings Trilogy – JR Tolkien
9. A wrinkle in time – Madeleine L’Engle

VI. Recommended for me
1. Acts (life lessons) – Max Lucado
2. Bible Moms: Life lessons from mothers in the Bible – Amber Swenson
3. A Treasury of Royal Scandals – Michael Farquhar
4. The Shack – William P. Young
5. Sookie Stackhouse series (read 1-4 and need a break) – Charlaine Harris
6. Courageous Leadership – Bill Hybels
7. Texas Garden Almanac – Doug Welsh’s
8. One Tough Mother: it’s time to step up and be mom – Julie Barnhil
9. Better than Good – Zig Zeigler

VII. Fiction
1. Inkheart series – Cornelia Funke (Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath)
2. Twilight Series – audiobooks
3. Serena – Ron Rash
4. The last Lecture – Randy Pausch
5. Running with Scissors – Augusten Burroughs
6. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun – JRR Tolkien
7. The Children of Hurin – JRR Tolkien
8. The Italian – Ann Radcliffe (oxford world classic)
9. Skin – Ted Dekker

VIII. Books to read with the girls
1. Princess Bride – William Goldman
2. Matilda – Roald Dahl
3. Jude Blume (Fudge-a-mania, Sheila the great, Tales of a 4th grade nothing, Superfudge)
4. Charlotte’s Web – EB White
5. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Judi Barrett
7. The Mouse and the motorcycle – Beverly Cleary
8. Pippi Longstocking – Astrid Lindgren
9. Freckle Juice – Judy Blume

IX. Saw the Movie…want to read the book
1. The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas (actually a re-read that I love)
2. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
3. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace
4. A Beautiful Mind – Sylvia Nasar
5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
6. The other Boleyn girl – Philippa Gregory
7. Anna Karenina – Helen Edmundson
8. A streetcar named desire – Tennesse Williams
9. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

Surprise...the babies are here!

Ok...the babies are finally here. Many of you know that we raised praying mantids in Big Girls classroom...and they were born Friday. Well...they hatched Friday...but we were all so excited. We had about 250...they were EVERYWHERE. For those of you that have not done this with your kiddos...you should. Especially if you have a garden...they are great for pests.

So, I have to tell you how the day and weekend went. First, we had to go to Waco to buy food for the babies. We looked all morning outside, but it was too chilly and we could not find any small insects. I know many of you are laughing right now at the fact I drove over an hour just to get food for insects...but I really did it for the kids. We didn't want to leave the babies at school...so Big Girl brought them home. We also had 50 very small crickets (which I immediately placed on a high shelf). Daddy wondered why we had them inside...but he dealt with it.

On Saturday we did a little shopping, bought a few more plants for the garden, and worked in the yard all day. When it was time to come in the girls wanted to check on the mantids...so we did and they are growing. I thought it might be a good time to feed them...so we went to get the crickets.

Do you see where this is going? I looked on the shelf...but no crickets. I asked sweet girl (I am contemplating a name change) where they were and she said that Little Man had them. WHAT??? Mommy going crazy at this moment. Well, we found the cage...and yes...we saw crickets...TWO. Where are the others you ask? Well, Little man wanted to play with them so he let them out...that was what Big Girl said. So...we have about 40-45 baby crickets in the house...so far I have found 2. Anyone want to come hang out at the house?

I just had to tell you about that...I will keep you posted.

Crazy Times!

Well we made it through Spring Break...and it has been a bit crazy for me. First the girls were gone for the break so it was just me and little man, and daddy. We had fun working in the garden, playing in the yard, and even went out of town to visit a good friend. We went to a base ball game, but we really missed the girls. Just not the same without them. So we were happy when they came home...and as soon as they got back, daddy had to leave for work...and can I just say OMG...what a week. It was a hard week for us, especially since I had to get up early and stay up really late. Let me just try to explain what our week was like:
Monday...wake at 630, take Big girl to school, busy all day, Little man dumped a coke in the kitchen just after I mopped the floor.
Tuesday...Big girl to school, moms day out, bible study, PTO meeting, again busy all day, little man dumped a glass of water in my bedroom.
Wednesday...not too bad, worked in the yard, tried to finish laundry, the girls had dance, and again I was up late.
Thursday...a bit slower, no meetings, just worked in the yard and cleaned up the dirt little man dumped in the kitchen. Do you see a pattern forming here?
Friday...Big girls field trip, errands in town, little man dumped a coke icee in his room, he dumped a bag of chips in the kitchen, finally my scrapbook night.
Saturday...house is a disaster! We are all tired...we worked in the yard and I worked on the computer.
Sunday...church, work in the yard, work on computer.
MONDAY (yesterday)...my birthday!!! We had fun cleaning up the crayon on the floor and the wall...little man tried to decorate my room I guess...but it came right off thanks to a special cleaning product. He again dumped water on the floor.

We had a few cool nights and a few plants in the garden didn't do too well...I don't think they are dead, but they do not look great right now. But we have quite a few things planted...and the yard is looking great. I need to take a picture and post it...I will try to do that.

Anyway...I just wanted to let everyone know that we are doing great. Big girl is glad to be back at school, Sweet girl is still the princess and ruler of the house, and little man continues to surprise me with the messes he can make. But we are having fun creating beauty in our yard and garden...I can't wait for the garden to bear fruits!

Hope to see you soon!