I had this week off and I did not make a list of all the things I intended to do this week including cleaning out closets, cleaning carpets, scrapbooking and going to the pool. I did not throw the list out and do only the "fun"stuff. I would never give up an opportunity to get organized and cleaned to have fun with my children!

Yesterday I did not tell Caylee that Id take her to the pool and then go in the bedroom where my husband was sleeping (since he worked nights) and lie down beside him for a few minutes. I did not fall asleep and start snoring enough to wake him and make him get up and leave the room! (leaving me sleeping like a baby) When I finally woke up I did not put on my swim suit and hear thunder as we were about to walk out the door! I certainly did not keep on the swim suit and decide to fry green tomatoes in my swim suit just before Gary left for work.

In anticipation of a busy week this week after a week off I certainly did not wake up all night long every hour on the hour looking at the clock and then dream about working in a daycare with thousands of babies and no one to help me. I wouldn't possibly be anxious about a busy week with all the children returning NOT ME!!!

I also did not get excited to see school supplies at wal mart and then come home and count down the weeks until school starts again.

School?

This weekend while I was shopping at Wal Mart I noticed all the school supplies that they have out already! My children were groaning when they saw it and I was reminded of the old staples commercial . I always thought that was funny and eventually understood why it is true.

By the end of the school year we are all ready for the homework to end and to not worry as much about bed times and signing reports etc... The first few weeks of summer is always so wonderful! But by mid summer the kids are bored and I'm out of things to do with them and we all long for the routines that we have during school.

There are 6 weeks until school starts! Since Samuel started kindergarten this is what I have done....

The first few weeks we allow them to stay up later and sleep later (to a point) however, half way through the summer (like about now) I usually start weaning them back into the routines. We figure out what their bed times are for the year.
(for example: Caylee's bed time is 8:30, Sarah's is 9:30 ) and I figure out how much earlier each week they need to go to bed and get up in the morning. So when its time for school it isn't so hard on them or me.

There is nothing worse on children than to allow them to be awake until 10:00 pm every night and then expect them to suddenly go to bed at 8:30 and get up at 6:00 a.m.

I have been super tired lately myself since Samuel has been working and getting home late. I cannot sleep until I know he is home safely. Therefore, I'm not getting the sleep that I used to.

Young children (elementary and preschool age) need 10 hours of sleep each night. If they aren't getting that, then it disrupts everything during the day from potty training to nap time to temper tantrums. Proper sleep makes all the difference!

The weekend

I am all about some sales and good deals! As you know, my son is graduating form high school next June and I'm already thinking about the party we will throw him. (18th birthday in May, graduating high school in June and then leaving for boot camp with the Marines a few days later) While shopping at Wal Mart I saw these clearance items ... half price thank you notes and invites!!!



This evening before Gary went to work I fried up these yummy fried green tomatoes! I used the batter that we bought from the Amish Store but I didn't like it as good as I like my own recipe. I will have to dig that out and share that recipe here this week.

Our lunch was definitely a "southern" lunch today all that was missing was the fried cornbread! We had Chicken and Rice, Steamed Cabbage and Squash with Onions. Of course my picky child (Charlotte Ann) wouldn't eat any of it and decided she would go with left over BBQ Chicken.

Last Day

Today is the last day of my vacation. It went by so fast! I didn't get any of the cleaning out done but I had lots of fun with the girls going to the pool, the water park and going to lunch etc...

I have been so tired lately and hoped that this week would give me lots of rest. However, its Sunday and it was all I could do to get out of bed this morning. Tomorrow I have to get up at 6:00 a.m.!!! I'm not looking forward to that at all! (I have missed the the little people a little bit though)

I'm leaving now for church and as usual will be late. The rest of the day will be cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow.

Are you ready for Monday?

Fun in the Sun

This week I have had too much fun being off of work! I had grand plans to clean carpets and clean out closets as well as swimming and having fun. However, I gave up on the cleaning and just had fun! We spent a few days at the pool and a day at Wet and Wild Water Park. I got a lot of sun but it doesn't hurt! It may look like it hurts but it really does not hurt! I have to get my mind back in work and school mode now. Monday all the children start back and I have to finish up my last few weeks of summer classes at the community college. I also have to enroll in my Fall classes! I will be taking 4 or 5 classes this fall! (two are online) but it still means that I will be in class 4 nights a week! (but I'm almost done! )

What do you think Im gonna do with these?

This past week I did not spend about 30 minutes in our front yard taking photos of our yard to post on Facebook.(to show the hill (or mini-mountain) that we live on) While snapping these photos I would never NOT NOTICE that my son;s Mustang was missing. How can a mother spend that much time taking photos of the area where her son always parks his car and not notice that the car was not there?

I was NOT totally shocked when the 17 year old looked out the window to notice the missing car. I also did not follow him outside the the camera in hand when he discovered that his car had rolled down our mini-mountain during the night (because he didn't put it in park!) I did NOT take about 40 photos of Gary cutting down trees to free the "wild Mustang". I was NOT thinking the whole time of how much I am going to miss occurrences like this when my son leaves next June for the Marines.

I have NOT had this scene from Gomer Pyle repeatedly going thru my head of Gomer singing the Marine Hymn ever since the ceremony in Raleigh where my son did his swearing in.

I did not skip church but send all my children with my mother in law to church on Sunday only to spend the rainy morning at home (alone) with my husband cleaning and talking.

This week I am NOT "babysitting" a butterfly for my friend Sharon. (Ill post about this one in more detail later)

A Week Off

I have this week off. I needed it. Life can be so overwhelming sometimes. The day to day (even summers) can overwhelm you... at least they do me. Between summer classes, 11 people in the house on any given day, just having that many around can be overwhelming but then there is the cleaning up after that many people, arguing, bills etc...

The children I care for during the day went to the beach so I'm taking this week to recoup and refresh. I plan to clean the house and have a list of things to do each day but being careful to leave time for the pool, scrapbooking, making cards and the water park.

Today its Sunday and we have taken today to relax and clean a little and watch am movie. What better day to do it? Its cool and raining. I can hear the frogs outside croaking. I'm drinking coffee and smell chili cooking (that Gary is making)

It has been a nice and relaxing day.

Gossip or Prayer

I know that we have all heard about the situation with the S.C. Governor. I am not one to talk politics but this situation has caught my attention. I mean, it is in the news every day... you cant miss it!

What gets me the most is the fact that everyone has all of these horrible things to say about the man and many of these people are likely guilty of the same things.

I don't condone what he did. The extra marital affair was wrong and hurtful to his family but again, we don't know what happens behind closed doors either. Is this our business? I don't really think so.

I am in awe of his wife, Jenny, who has reacted as every Christian should. In fact, I read a really good article at Carolina Mama about her. You should check it out.

I guess what puts him in the news is his status as the S.C Governor. When you are in high positions you are in the public eye and risk having all of your business plastered all over the news. It was undoubtedly a bad decision to have the affair, and to travel all the way to Argentina to see his mistress while not telling his staff that he had left the country, but I have no judgement for him. We all know it was wrong but what they need most from us right now is not for us to gossip about it but to pray for all involved.

Sin is sin and we have all fallen short . We should not look at him and judge him yet hold him up in prayer. His wife, his children and even his mistress is in need of our prayers today.

Wild Flowers

Yesterday Gary brought these flowers home that he stopped and picked on the side of the road for me. Even some little purple ones (my favorite color) I brought the kids inside from playing and found them already in a vase with a little note for me. :)

Sun Tea

My grandmother used to make Sun Tea all summer long. I decided to make it and the kids have been fascinated. Fill a clear pitcher/jar with water and add tea bags. Place lid on and sit out in the sun for a few hours until the tea is the color that you like. (weak or strong) Add sugar (we add 1 cup of sugar to this) and enjoy with a splash of lemon juice!

Missing Mustang

Samuel got up today and looked out the window and this was our conversation:
Samuel: Where is my car?
Me: What do you mean?
Samuel: Did dad take my car or something?
Me: No he didn't take your car
Samuel: Its so not where I left it.
Me: Are you sure?

Samuel runs outside and finds his car in the woods! I follow him but by this time I was on the phone with Gary already telling him Samuel's car is missing and then said, "Oh my gosh its in the woods!"

This is what we saw once we walked way down in the woods.

This morning I had been taking photos of our yard. We live on a mini-mountain. I was snapping away and it never dawned on me that his car wasn't there nor did I spot the car in the woods. Want to know why?

Apparently Samuel was busy on his new phone and didn't put the car in park or take the keys out. I looked outside around 11:30 and it was in the right place, so some time in the night it rolled down the hill and took a hard left. Had it went strait it would have went into a hole and we would not have been able to get it out. This is a small tree the car went over before hitting a bigger tree and stopping.

This is what you saw if you looked down at the bottom of the yard.

Gary had to cut trees down with the chain saw and still couldn't get the car out! We had to get someone to come over to tow it out of the woods. Its scratched and dented and the blinker light is broken but he is so blessed to still have his car. It so reminded me of the time last year that he slid his truck into a creek about 4 feet down and Samuel had to climb out of the truck and up the truck bed to escape.

This year will be quite interesting before he leaves for the Marines, don't you think?

Are you feeling guilty for pretending not to notice as your child sucked toothpaste out of the tube? Feel like a slouch for wearing your husband's big, baggy t-shirts all day? We'll don't! Not Me! Monday was born out of my desire to admit some of my imperfections and reveal a few moments I'd rather forget. You may find it therapeutic to join in and do the same thing!

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This morning I did not decide to treat myself to peanut butter pie for breakfast and then I did not feel sick after enjoying this yummy pie my friend Sharon made.

I did not get frustrated this weekend about the shape of our linen closet and how cluttered and messy it was and dump all its contents on the floor! I certainly did not forget it was there and get side tracked with another job in the house and leave the linen closet bare and a pile in the hallway all weekend.

I have not neglected other house hold jobs because of getting addicted to playing Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook every chance I get. (Its so tempting to play and beat my "friends" at the game.

Last weekend while on a weekeng get away with my husband I certainly did not find a few moments to post Facebook status messages on my cell phone. (Using cell phone for things other than talking is NOT new to me because Id never fall that behind in technology.

Weekends

Last week was a very busy and tiring week. Saturday I was looking forward to a slower weekend. Gary and Samuel were working and the girls left with their grandma which left me home ALONE! That is a rare thing in a house of six people.

I turned up the stereo as loud as I could, lit candles around the house and started cleaning!

I didn't get everything done that I wanted but I made some progress. I took time to email, Facebook, and even take a nap.

I still have lots of organizing to do but I'm off next week so hopefully I will accomplish more then. I promised the girls that Id take them to Wet and Wild Water Park next week so .. that will take up one day and I hope that I can read a novel during the next two weeks as well.

I only have 4 more weeks of summer classes at the Community College and then a break before I begin full time classes.

Life is never dull.

Future Marines

Samuel left this morning to meet with Sgt. Buchannon and pick his job that he will hold in the Marines. He has to give them three choices. It is hard to imagine him holding any of these jobs.

At the State Capitol

Yesterday we went to the State Capitol Building in Raleigh for a special ceremony for the First Seniors in the Delayed Entry Program for the Marines. These boys standing there looked so young to me. These are the brave ones that are fighting for our country. It was hard to watch Samuel raise his right hand and swear in. He will leave in less than one year. It is hard watching him prepare to leave home but Im so proud of him.


Sgt Buchannon his recruiter who will be working with him over the next year.

Myrtle Beach for the Weekend

Margarittaville and North Myrtle

I had to take a photo of this... a bus line named after me!

We saw lots of things on this trip. Definitely not the quiet beach trip we usually take. At Myrtle Beach there are amusement parks, rides, shops, go carts and even Elvis! We ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margarittaville and afterwards fed the ducks and fish. It was so hot and humid! (and we both got sunburn) but it was so fun.

Our Weekend

Our appetiser at Jimmy Buffet's Margarittaville.

Taken from our balcony.

We watched Parasailing all day and rides on banana boats.

Gary and I had a nice weekend . We headed to Myrtle Beach Friday afternoon and got there around 10 pm. We were so excited to see that the resort we were staying at upgraded us to an ocean view room at no extra charge!! It was really nice.

Father's Day

Father's Day is Sunday and it slipped up on me!

My daddy is very special to me. My sister and I were raised by him, a single dad.
He worked long hours and I had to do a lot that most children didn't have to do. I had to help take care of my younger sister, learn to cook, and clean.

I cant say that learning all that was a bad thing. It has helped me in life! It made me want my children to learn to wash their own clothes and help take care of their younger siblings. I didn't want them growing up and not knowing how to do things on their own.

I think Samuel has figured out why I taught them these things. He has been doing his own laundry for awhile and doesn't understand other 17 year olds complaining because their mom hasn't washed their clothes yet this week. He tells them, "wash them yourself!"

Anyway, I am so thankful for my daddy, and the father of my children.

I would like to ask you to pray for my daddy today. He is in severe pain, almost unbearable from 4 ruptured discs in his neck. One is pressing on his spine. He has been to therapy for it and back and forth to the doctor and surgeon but so far they don't want to do surgery as they want to exhaust all other ways to fix the problem with surgery being a last resort.

Please pray that the pain will lessen and the doctors will make the correct decision to help him.

Happy Fathers Day!