Snapdragons Rule!

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

Thanks to Mrs. Sam for this fun quiz!
Just a bit of trivia for you; my favorite snapdragon bears my daughter's name!

"It Might Behoove Me to Be Heaved"

Ever feel like you are in the belly of the whale? Not quite listening to what the Lord had called you to do? I have been feeling that way lately and thought I would share these words of wisdom! :-)

Besides, who can resist the Newsboys? Happy Friday!

Todays Lesson

Complete the following equation...

3 well meaning, but needy children - 1 traveling father = _________ ?

Answer: One tired and cranky Momma!

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On top of being sick this week, I do not sleep well when Mr. Clean is gone. Just the comfort of him snoozing next to me is soothing and familiar. I have been married to the man for almost twelve years and grown quite fond of him so when he is missing, life just stinks. I am tired and grumpy to say the least (time for some Ramen Noodles).

If you are a homeschooling military Mom who has experienced deployment you have my permission to come and smack me upside my head for complaining about the measly 5 days my husband will be gone this week. Single parenting is not for the feeble minded (like myself lately) and knowing that there is an end in sight makes life much easier.

I must send out a shout of thanks and appreciation to my friend Susie who offered to come and hang out with me last night to ease the burden. She brought Mr. Holland's Opus with her and I am not sure I will ever recover. Now my eyes are puffy to boot. Stupid movie.

Just Go With the Flow

I have never been one to like the leadership role. I will help anyone in any capacity, but I have no need to be in charge. Just stick me in the background, tell me what needs to be done and I will do it. Mr. Clean has the same personality.

That's not to say we do not have our own definite opinions, we do, but we tend not to be that outspoken and know that we can just change our personal situations if we find the leadership in any given spot undesirable. We just like to go with the flow.

I have been in two different leadership positions this year that just prove to me that I still like the background. The first was with an international mother's organization. I was on the board as a treasurer (a role I adored, numbers never disagree!) and when the fiscal year ended there needed to be new President as the old one had no desire to re-run (nor anyone else). Against my better judgment I was convinced to go for it.

The year was successful but as I am not one to like confrontation, when uncomfortable issues came up between members, it zapped me emotionally. My theory; just be happy, darn it! I kind of surmised that because not all the members are believers that they would not have the same outlook on things and behaviors that I would. No big deal. It's a secular organization.

The second situation is with believers and that makes it tougher. We are in a group with people we love and are officially co-leaders. Unofficially we have no role and it is a struggle for us. Since however, we are "go with the flow" kind of people we have never stepped up and questioned any decisions being made without our thoughts and/or consent.

It probably looks to the other group members and leaders that we don't care or mind what happens, but we do and it's a hard situation to swallow and address. So pray that we prayerfully and logically access the situation. We do not want to damage any relationships, but we think it may be time to officially step down and possible remove ourselves completely.

Being Faithful to My Students

I have had an epiphany. I have them a lot so maybe they can only be classified as "awarenesses" or "a-ha moments", not truly epiphanies. Whatever you call it, I had one. Again.

This homeschooling thing has nothing to do with me. Yes, I am the teacher and the one in charge of keeping things running smoothly and on course, but it's not about me whatsoever. It's all about them. I don't get bragging rights when they have finished a workbook or read their first sentence (yeah Xena!), they do. I tend to forget this and I start revolving their schooling around my schedule when it should be the other way around.

Their education should be dictating my schedule. Homeschooling mothers (and fathers) all have things that cannot be ignored like cooking dinner, washing laundry and the urgent need to pee, but there are few precious things that should take our focus away from the calling to which we have obviously been brought. I have yet met a homeschooler that does this, "just for the heck of it". This is a commitment.

So I have decided to recommit myself to my children's education under my King's and my husband's authority. Not that I would ever pretend to speak for the Almighty, but I doubt He would put much stock in a myriad of play dates, field trips and "mommy down times" at the expense of a solid education. Those things are important, but only after a daily or weekly educational criteria have been met.

There will be "those days" and all of you homeschoolers and parents know what "those days" are. But isn't it our responsibility to make sure "those days" do not outnumber days spent building a solid foundation of learning?

I Am a Ninny

I will say it again, "I am a ninny". Maybe they have Ninny's Anonymous or something that I could go to for help.

I never ever watch Hallmark movies (unless Susie forces me) because I cry at all the commercials conspiratorially placed in said made for TV movies. Nor can I simply watch one more episode of "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" without wanting to go and jump off the roof in my grief, so I have decided to stick with "safe" shows like old 90's reruns of "COPS" and "SuperNanny".

Yet this week alone I have been sucked into two different media productions that made me bawl like a three year old denied ice cream.

The first was "Kid Nation", which looked completely cheesy on the commercials and had Mr. Clean and I cracking jokes and rolling our eyes. But apparently Mr. Softie Clean thought the kids might like it so we watched it with them and my eyes leaked. Stupid show.

Then tonight I declared it movie night so I could turn off my slow functioning and still congested brain and veg out, so the kids picked the human version of Charlotte's Web, which none of us had previously seen.

Now, I have seen the old cartoon version and have, of course, read the classic, but I cried anyway. For a spider. Did I ever mention I am seriously freaked out by spiders and the computer animated one is nothing like the pretty cartoon version. It's just creepy. Still, I cried for the creepy dead spider. Stupid movie.

I am going upstairs to watch a "COPS" rerun now and get a good laugh.

Life's Cure All

I have found the cure for all that ails ya! Albeit, while not completely cured yet, I am feeling loads better and I can tell you that it is all thanks to Ramen Noodles.

For the past two days I have eaten pretty much nothing but Ramen Noodles, saltines and cola; the sick gal's staples. After each bowl of noodles I had a clear head, soothed throat and renewed spirit. It only lasted about an hour, but I felt markedly better regardless for that brief time (it's accumulative you know, so the more you eat, the better). The saltines were only a mild distraction while the cola simply soothed my throat and stomach while it was being actively ingested.

So after two days of intense scientific study I have concluded that Ramen Noodles can cure major illness. Or perhaps you will leave behind a pretty mummy due to all the sodium and chemicals. Either way, success!

Thankfully this little modern wonder only costs about $0.20 a package so load up and enjoy!

Knocked Down at the 20th

I had big plans for this weekend which were not extremely exciting, but quite fulfilling. I was going to CLEAN! I had been bitten by the cleaning bug the other night while redoing the family room and I was anxiously waiting for the chance to pawn the offspring off on Mr. Clean so I could get to work. Then Sunday I was going to join a friend for a tea in the community to cap off my weekend of hard work.

I was on my way for the goal when I got sidelined and tackled. Hard. Friday night I felt a little under the weather but I blew it off as a lack of proper sleep from my mad woman antics Wednesday night. By Saturday morning I felt as if I had been run over by a Mack truck. Full on temperature, sore throat, congested brain, upset stomach; the works. I slept all day.

Sunday Morning, same thing. The kids and the hubby went off to church while I slept. They came home and I slept some more. They went off to small group and I finally dragged myself out of bed to try and stay awake a little, lest I not be able to sleep all night. I slept all night regardless.

So here I am Monday morning feeling like a wet dish rag, but awake. A full roster of activities for the week wait for me with the house that needs even more attention due to the fact that the Momma person was, in essence, missing all weekend.

And Mr. Clean is flying out to Indiana today for the week. Pray that the house does not fall down around my ears. Then again, my ears are so clogged that I just may not hear it anyway...

Just a Shout Out!

About an hour ago my newest nephew was born. Isn't he a cutie?!
Cool date to be born on as well ;-) little guy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. CLEAN!

It's all about you today Babe!
Thanks for being an amazing father and husband.

Just for fun...

...although her Mr. Clean is fastidious in his cleaning and never speaks,
while my Mr. Clean, well...

The Homeschooler's Reality?

I am a night owl. It is just the way I was engineered and I don't mind it so much, although my beloved Mr. Clean is the polar opposite in that regard.

Last night my shaven sweetie had to be out late working (he came home for dinner and Xena's soccer game and then went back to work; HUGE brownie points scored there), so I decided to do something perfectly logical like rid the house of every conceivable dust bunny after the kids were tucked all snug in their beds with visions of "whatever" dancing in their heads.

Here is my dilemma. I hate/abhor/despise dust and filth and clutter. However, I am a homeschooler and the two seem to sometimes go hand in hand as I am trying to raise my kids with brains like Einstein and hearts like Billy Graham. You see my conundrum.

So after my students were in bed and my hubby off I started with the family room. I moved every piece of furniture in the room and dusted, vacuumed and wiped until my heart was content. I even rearranged furniture. With one huge exception.

We have an entertainment center and television that must weigh about the same as our minivan. When we moved in three and a half years ago we treated ourselves to a new television and entertainment center and I dare say they have never been moved since (1,2,3,... all together now, "ewwww"!). Granted I have dusted what can be seen and moved, but this behemoth is caddy corned in the room and it is 5 feet wide by 5 feet tall, so there is a cavern behind it that can not be reached.

I could stand it no more. I was going in. Squeezing my forehead in the corner to take a peek I was horribly ashamed, embarrassed and never going to let my mother in my house again (the sight just might kill her). Remember all the Indiana Jones movies with scenes of Indy making his way through tunnels and spaces that had not been explored in, say, 500 years or so? You get the picture of what I was facing. Plus there was kid "stuff" back there completely covering the floor. I know I have told them not to throw things in the house, so since they would dare not disobey, I have no clue as to how all that stuff got back there (naive moment now over).

Obviously I could not move it myself so I busied myself obsessing over the rest of the room until at about 10 minutes to midnight my hero swept in after driving over an hour back home. It was all I could do to let him close the door before I pounced on him begging him to help me move the mountain in the corner. Although I am sure there were much better things he might have wanted to be doing at midnight (number one being looking at the backs of his eyelids), he acquiesced.

Soon after he was in bed while I continued my mad passion until 1 am. And all I got completed was that one room. Now today I am tired and cranky and do not want to do anything but continue my assault on dust bunnies, but my number one priorities still need to be educated.

As homeschoolers are we permanently resigned to only get 1/2 of everything else done until the children graduate? If so, it just may be another three years before I venture behind that entertainment center again.

I best get into my teaching role now. I have minds to help form while they sit on dusty chairs.

The "Elephant" In the Room

Geee, this test is a shocker (can you just hear the sarcasm dripping from my voice?).
Although, 42% Liberal? I would rather stick bamboo shoots under my fingernails.

Thanks to the Tutor for this test. I am sure she is laughing uncontrollably about my
libertarian rating ;-). Can I be a fascist libertarian (they received the same percentage)?
Seems a little contradictory to me!

You scored as Conservative, You believe in personal responsibility, believe in fiscal restraint and free markets, and believe government should limit radical social change. You are more likely to vote with the Republican Party. Conservative 67% Libertarian 58% Fascist 58% Environmentalist (Green) 42% Liberal 42% Anarchist 33% Centrist 25% Socialist/Marxist 0% What is your true Political Ideology? created with QuizFarm.com

Ouch!

Boy is this timely and a bit convicting for me, I just found myself recently grumbling about something regarding my own church; something that was quite minute and not at all pertinent to my walk, simply my comfort level. Ouch...