I don't know what week we're supposed to be on anymore. I'm pretty sure somewhere between 7 and 9. It would take too much effort to figure it out, and since I don't really care because none of our curriculum is counted by weeks I'm just going to let it go. We're on track, that's all I care about right now!
We only did school 2 days this week because we were traveling back from OK Monday and Tuesday. I suppose that technically we could have done school on Friday as well. But I don't see the need for that. We're getting done what we need to get done. Having Fridays off to spend with Hubby and Daddy are more important than making sure every science lesson is completed. I did manage to learn a couple of things this week though.
Number one, I still have control issues. I know, I know. If you know me you're probably rolling your eyes. I'm working on my control issues. I don't feel bad about them anymore. I get a lot accomplished on time and correctly done because of my personality. But I also understand that I can be more relaxed about some things. Our homeschool for example. I was labeling the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers on our wall map yesterday. As I was standing there labeling them and talking about the lesson, #1 pipes up and says that she thinks that is the fertile crescent. Then #2 chimes in and agrees and they began to talk about what they remembered about it. Instead of letting them talk it out and taking two stinking minutes to stop what I was doing and just go with the flow of learning, I jumped all over them for talking while I was trying to teach them. No, the irony is not lost on me. *Sigh* In my defense, I did catch myself fairly quickly so there was no yelling involved, but the moment was lost. One of these days I'll learn to let go of having to have everything perfect.
I was also reminded of the tender heart of my oldest. Her latest book study was The Bronze Bow. I don't remember having read it myself, but the teacher's book sums it up pretty well for me. One of the questions was if stealing was OK in God's eyes for any reason. As we were talking about it we talked about how in many countries and even here in the US people steal because they are hungry and have no money to buy food. And we discussed that even though those situations are extremely sad that God has said that stealing is a sin in any situation. She was tearing up throughout this conversation. When I asked her what was upsetting her she just said that is was so sad that people didn't have money for food. My sweet, sweet girl. If all of us had the compassion of an 11 year old, we could change the world.
On a slightly funnier note, I got several comments from family members this last week that my comments about wanting to stab my eye out with a pencil while listening to #3 read seemed overly harsh. I lovingly reminded them that none of them have to listen to her on a daily basis. I will also mention that no one who has a 1st grader has taken offense to my comments. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about that! I will also state that listening to her is no longer quite the torture it was a few months ago. It's almost fun. Almost.
The time finally arrived that #2 had to be talked to about her independent work. She was leaving it until later and later in the day to where she would be doing school work at 4 and then she would "forget" about her chores. If things follow like they normally do, she'll probably have to be talked to a couple more times, but she'll get it eventually. She's just got to find her balance between work and play.
So that was our short week. Next week will be short too since we're going camping. But learning about nature is so much more fun when you're out in it! Can't wait!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Fun with family
The many faces of children who were woken up at 3:30 to start traveling.
While we were going up to Oklahoma for Hubby to speak at a youth camp last week, we also got to spend time with some of my family. The original plan was for all the girls to stay with my parents while Hubby and I attended the camp. Unfortunately, some health problems I've been having off and on for the last couple of years popped up again so I decided not to attempt camp. It was a good decision, even though I was really bummed to miss out on going. However, next year #1 will be old enough to attend as a camper so we're making plans to go back next year.
So while Hubby was at camp the girls and I spent time with my parents, grandpa, and uncle on Friday. I made one of my better batches of salsa. It's been a while since I made any so I was pleasantly surprised! I played 42 with my Dad, Grandpa and Uncle Rick that night. I'm happy to say I can now play with my Grandpa without feeling completely intimidated the entire time. I'm not the best player, but I'm not horrible either!
Friday night my sister and bro-in-law came in. I think they were originally coming to attend a party my brother and his wife were having Saturday night, but Sis wasn't feeling well and they ended up not going. We stayed up late Friday night talking. I love watching my sister with her husband. I have three brothers who are married and I love all my sister-in-laws, but there is something different about my sister being married. I am so happy that she found someone who loves her the way he does. It helps that he fits in so well with our family!
Saturday morning we headed to the zoo. And we spent most of the day there. It was an awesome zoo and we enjoy every time we go. It was nice getting to spend time together.
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| Who doesn't love a baby elephant! |
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| Love my Dad! |
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| That's a baby chimp hanging there. |
Sunday we were able to worship with a congregation we hadn't been at for several years. Hubby spoke there both services and we enjoyed getting to see several people who hold a special place in our hearts. My youngest brother was also able to be there with his daughter and I was thankful to get to spend some time with them as well. I'm attempting to teach all my nieces "Aunt Nita's cool!" I got K, who is 6 months younger than #4, to say it for a while. Then she turned ornery just like her Daddy and now the stinker won't say it. I attempted to teach it to the other niece on Sunday. She just looked at me. She too takes after her father. The awesome thing is that because I had kids so much earlier than my siblings I will be able to spoil their children and they can't do a single thing about it--my kids will be too old for them to retaliate with them. I will be the cool aunt!
Monday we had lunch with my Grandpa and visited with him for a little while before getting on the road. We stayed the night on The Farm and headed home on Tuesday. We are glad to be back. Until next week when we are going camping. Can't wait!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Many activities crammed in a few days
Hubby and I have always liked going to the movies. We've passed that on to the girls as well. They all love to go just as much as we do. We don't go all that often because it's stinking expensive for 6 people, but we do occasionally splurge and go see a movie with all of us. If it is a movie the older girls have begged to go to but that we weren't really planning on taking them we'll give them the option of using some of their spending money to help pay for their tickets. They haven't said no yet. I like being able to give them that option. It helps offset the cost that Hubby and I are paying so that we get to do it more often, and it also helps the girls see the value of saving up their spending money so they have it available for spur of the moment fun things to do. Win-win!
So that is what we did on Friday. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is actually funnier than the first one. At least that is what our family thinks! We all had fun watching it. After the movie we made it home just in time for our other date-night family to bring their girls over for us to watch. I try to keep all 7 girls occupied with something like a movie or food while they're all together, but there is always a little bit of time when they just get loud and giggly. When that happens I always miss our game room we had in Houston. The one with doors that shut to block most of the noise. Oh well, at least we always know they are having a good time.
<---Dessert for our date night guests. Caramel Rice Krispies! So good!
Saturday we were invited to a birthday party for some new friends we met through our homeschool group. That was also a lot of fun. I was thinking about it, and I really love the fact that the majority of times, when a homeschool family has something for one of their children that they don't invite just kids that are the age of the one they are celebrating. Usually, entire families are invited. Now, I know this isn't always the case, and I also know that families whose children attend public school probably do this also. However, I can't think of a single time only one of my children have received an invitation to something that the rest of the family wasn't invited as well. I really love that when a homeschool kids knows another homeschool kid they know each other's families as well.
After the party we went and dropped our girls off for Hubby and I to have our date night. We went out for dinner and then ran some errands. Exciting stuff, I know. I started to feel guilty that we weren't doing anything else on our one date night a month, but then I realized that we don't always need spectular dates. Are special, romantic dates nice? Sure! But sometimes just being together without four little voices demanding our attention is enough.
And on Monday the girls and I met some friends at a corn maze. This particular corn maze has two homeschool days, one in October and one in November. Next year we'll be going in November. It was still really hot when we went. We still had a good time, but I don't want to have to think about sun screen when we go to a corn maze. Live and learn!
So that was our full weekend. We got up well before the sun on Tuesday to start our trip up to Oklahoma, but that's a fun story for another time!
So that is what we did on Friday. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is actually funnier than the first one. At least that is what our family thinks! We all had fun watching it. After the movie we made it home just in time for our other date-night family to bring their girls over for us to watch. I try to keep all 7 girls occupied with something like a movie or food while they're all together, but there is always a little bit of time when they just get loud and giggly. When that happens I always miss our game room we had in Houston. The one with doors that shut to block most of the noise. Oh well, at least we always know they are having a good time.
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Saturday we were invited to a birthday party for some new friends we met through our homeschool group. That was also a lot of fun. I was thinking about it, and I really love the fact that the majority of times, when a homeschool family has something for one of their children that they don't invite just kids that are the age of the one they are celebrating. Usually, entire families are invited. Now, I know this isn't always the case, and I also know that families whose children attend public school probably do this also. However, I can't think of a single time only one of my children have received an invitation to something that the rest of the family wasn't invited as well. I really love that when a homeschool kids knows another homeschool kid they know each other's families as well.
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| Many kids, many ages! |
And on Monday the girls and I met some friends at a corn maze. This particular corn maze has two homeschool days, one in October and one in November. Next year we'll be going in November. It was still really hot when we went. We still had a good time, but I don't want to have to think about sun screen when we go to a corn maze. Live and learn! |
| Hot, tired, and DIRTY! |
Monday, October 14, 2013
A letter to my Grandma
Dear Grandma,
Today marks one year of the night when Dad sent a text out at midnight and got all of us on a conference call to tell us that you weren't going to be with us for very much longer. I've been dreading today and tomorrow for a few weeks now. But I've found that although I'm a little more sad than I have been, it hasn't hit me as hard as I thought it might. I think it's because you being gone is a hole that I constantly feel.
I think about you all the time. Whenever I have a question about cooking or baking, my first thought is always about you. I miss being able to call you and ask how you would do something. I have your bread maker now. You know, the one you told me for 3 years I was going to get when you moved to Duncan? It still works. And I smile every time I look in the recipe book that came with it because you not only kept the receipt stapled to the book, you wrote the date you bought it and where you bought it from. That was so you. And I like looking at your handwriting. It makes me think about all the notes and cards I got from you over the years. I wish I had kept more of them. Your words of encouragement and love meant so much to me. I will think about that every time I see your handwriting.
I think about you when I hold Daniel's hand. He holds my hand just like you used to. I have no idea how he picked that up from you, but I'm really glad he did. It reminds me of all the times I sat by you at church and you would hold my hand as long as I wanted to. Or later, all the times we would sit talking and you would reach over and put your hand in mine. I remember how soft your hands always were. I hope I always do.
We're going up to Duncan tomorrow. I'm glad I get to be around Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Rick and Stephen. We're going to go eat mexican. Where else could we possibly go? Whataburger maybe, but mexican seems the most fitting. We might cry a little, but I think there will be more laughing than tears. You left an amazing legacy in your family. I'm going to enjoy honoring it.
I like that I get to see Grandpa when we are in Duncan now, but going to his apartment without you there always feels off. I helped Mom put some of the stuff up in the kitchen. We made it as easily accessible for Grandpa as we could, but I think it would have driven you nuts. Or maybe I'm just thinking about what you would have said if someone else had tried to arrange your kitchen for you. Ha! That would have gone about as well as someone trying to do my kitchen for me.
I thought about you on Deanna's birthday. I'll always be thankful that she got to share birthdays with you for a few years. I love that every year on her birthday I'll get to tell her how she shares a birthday with my Grandma. She won't remember you, but I have pictures. The day she was born when you and Grandpa stayed in Oklahoma longer just so you could see her. The year of her second birthday when you held her for a picture on your birthday. I remember thinking when I took that picture how cool it was going to be every year to take a picture of the two of you and watch you grow older together. Now I'll just be thankful for the years when I did get to take a picture.
You should see my girls Grandma. I think you just might like them a little bit. Cali still kind of remembers you. Cali and Hailey both remember that you made chocolate chip cookie dough. I think it would make you smile to know that that is what they remember about you. I made chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago. I had to send a picture to all the other kids. I know they all thought about you too.
Sometimes I think that maybe we ought to have something that seems more meaningful than cookies that we all "remember" you by when we talk about you. But honestly, your cookies and cookie dough sum up a lot about who you were. Baking them, like you always cooked and baked for others. I can't count the number of times I was in your kitchen when you were making food for other people. Customizing the dough. No chocolate for Debbie and Kristen. No nuts for Matt and I. Little touches that showed those you loved how much you cared for them. And mostly, the sheer number of cookies you must have made for all of us while you could. You knew we all loved them and you provided them. And there was probably just a little bit of pride going on that no one could top your cookies. And I think you would laugh to know that none of us will ever be able to make chocolate chip cookies without thinking about you!
I really miss you Grandma. I miss hearing your voice. I miss seeing you smile. I miss your hugs and kisses. I miss your laughter and watching you insist you have no idea how to play a card game that we all know you know how to play because you're the one that taught all of us. And even though I won't ever get to see you again this side of heaven, I know that when God calls me home I'll get to hear your voice again saying, "Come here Nita. Let's talk." I can't wait!
Today marks one year of the night when Dad sent a text out at midnight and got all of us on a conference call to tell us that you weren't going to be with us for very much longer. I've been dreading today and tomorrow for a few weeks now. But I've found that although I'm a little more sad than I have been, it hasn't hit me as hard as I thought it might. I think it's because you being gone is a hole that I constantly feel.
I think about you all the time. Whenever I have a question about cooking or baking, my first thought is always about you. I miss being able to call you and ask how you would do something. I have your bread maker now. You know, the one you told me for 3 years I was going to get when you moved to Duncan? It still works. And I smile every time I look in the recipe book that came with it because you not only kept the receipt stapled to the book, you wrote the date you bought it and where you bought it from. That was so you. And I like looking at your handwriting. It makes me think about all the notes and cards I got from you over the years. I wish I had kept more of them. Your words of encouragement and love meant so much to me. I will think about that every time I see your handwriting.
I think about you when I hold Daniel's hand. He holds my hand just like you used to. I have no idea how he picked that up from you, but I'm really glad he did. It reminds me of all the times I sat by you at church and you would hold my hand as long as I wanted to. Or later, all the times we would sit talking and you would reach over and put your hand in mine. I remember how soft your hands always were. I hope I always do.
We're going up to Duncan tomorrow. I'm glad I get to be around Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Rick and Stephen. We're going to go eat mexican. Where else could we possibly go? Whataburger maybe, but mexican seems the most fitting. We might cry a little, but I think there will be more laughing than tears. You left an amazing legacy in your family. I'm going to enjoy honoring it.
I like that I get to see Grandpa when we are in Duncan now, but going to his apartment without you there always feels off. I helped Mom put some of the stuff up in the kitchen. We made it as easily accessible for Grandpa as we could, but I think it would have driven you nuts. Or maybe I'm just thinking about what you would have said if someone else had tried to arrange your kitchen for you. Ha! That would have gone about as well as someone trying to do my kitchen for me.
I thought about you on Deanna's birthday. I'll always be thankful that she got to share birthdays with you for a few years. I love that every year on her birthday I'll get to tell her how she shares a birthday with my Grandma. She won't remember you, but I have pictures. The day she was born when you and Grandpa stayed in Oklahoma longer just so you could see her. The year of her second birthday when you held her for a picture on your birthday. I remember thinking when I took that picture how cool it was going to be every year to take a picture of the two of you and watch you grow older together. Now I'll just be thankful for the years when I did get to take a picture.
You should see my girls Grandma. I think you just might like them a little bit. Cali still kind of remembers you. Cali and Hailey both remember that you made chocolate chip cookie dough. I think it would make you smile to know that that is what they remember about you. I made chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago. I had to send a picture to all the other kids. I know they all thought about you too.
Sometimes I think that maybe we ought to have something that seems more meaningful than cookies that we all "remember" you by when we talk about you. But honestly, your cookies and cookie dough sum up a lot about who you were. Baking them, like you always cooked and baked for others. I can't count the number of times I was in your kitchen when you were making food for other people. Customizing the dough. No chocolate for Debbie and Kristen. No nuts for Matt and I. Little touches that showed those you loved how much you cared for them. And mostly, the sheer number of cookies you must have made for all of us while you could. You knew we all loved them and you provided them. And there was probably just a little bit of pride going on that no one could top your cookies. And I think you would laugh to know that none of us will ever be able to make chocolate chip cookies without thinking about you!
I really miss you Grandma. I miss hearing your voice. I miss seeing you smile. I miss your hugs and kisses. I miss your laughter and watching you insist you have no idea how to play a card game that we all know you know how to play because you're the one that taught all of us. And even though I won't ever get to see you again this side of heaven, I know that when God calls me home I'll get to hear your voice again saying, "Come here Nita. Let's talk." I can't wait!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Weekly Wrap-Up: I'm changing it up again!
Believe it or not I really would like to have a brilliant plan for our homeschool year in August that I implement and have it work beautifully all year long. I have also learned after 6 years of homeschooling that the probability of that happening is slim. Extremely slim. So I'm changing some things up. Again. Probably not for the last time this year.
First, #2's progress through her math book is going to come to a stop for the next several weeks. This is because we switched from Math-U-See in 2nd to Saxon in 3rd and back to MUS for 4th. Live and learn. I am now completely committed to using MUS through 4th and then switching to Saxon. Good news for #3 and #4, not so fun for #2. We're having to take some time to go back over multiple digit multiplication since Saxon did not cover that last year. It's not a huge deal, I do remember how to teach it, and thankfully MUS has a worksheet generator that I can just print worksheets and their answers right off the computer. And it might actually turn out to be a really good thing since she was on track to finish her math book about 2 months before we were done with everything else. Now if I can just remember that she's not supposed to be working in her book.
I am also making the leap and breaking up IEW and language arts into different semesters. I will do just IEW with #2 and just language arts with #1 for the rest of the semester and then switch and do the opposite next semester. I'm not sure why I have such a feeling of trepidation about this. I think maybe because I'm realizing that #1 is getting to an age where I can't just shrug my shoulders and say we'll make it up eventually. But I really think this is going to work for us. Turns out using First Language Lessons has put them way ahead of schedule on Language Arts. And after talking to Hubby we agree that learning to write well and being able to articulate your thoughts either orally or written is more important than knowing how to diagram a sentence. So we'll be pushing through IEW more and taking it a little slower with the language arts curriculum. I won't really know if this is going to work until sometime next year, but I think it is a good decision. Want to know a secret? Sometimes not having someone tell me exactly how I should be doing this is a little frightening. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. We don't want anyone to think we homeschoolers aren't super confident in every decision we make for our children!
In other news, #3 has figured out how to work out word problems on her own. Hooray! Figuring out word problems is hard! That's a big step for her. Also, I no longer want to stab a pencil in my eye every time she reads to me. I've figured out that if I have her read a book to herself first and then read it to me out loud that she figures out a lot of words the first time through and then it doesn't take such an agonizing amount of time to go through the story with me. But really, it's such a joy to listen to her read. I may or may not "forget" to have her read to me some days. I should really get my act together better!
We have a busy weekend planned and then we have no school next week because we're heading up to Oklahoma for Hubby to speak at a Youth Camp. And it just so happens that we're leaving the girls with my parents and I'm going with him. I think the time off from school and the break from kids is going to be a much needed relief for all of us!
First, #2's progress through her math book is going to come to a stop for the next several weeks. This is because we switched from Math-U-See in 2nd to Saxon in 3rd and back to MUS for 4th. Live and learn. I am now completely committed to using MUS through 4th and then switching to Saxon. Good news for #3 and #4, not so fun for #2. We're having to take some time to go back over multiple digit multiplication since Saxon did not cover that last year. It's not a huge deal, I do remember how to teach it, and thankfully MUS has a worksheet generator that I can just print worksheets and their answers right off the computer. And it might actually turn out to be a really good thing since she was on track to finish her math book about 2 months before we were done with everything else. Now if I can just remember that she's not supposed to be working in her book.
I am also making the leap and breaking up IEW and language arts into different semesters. I will do just IEW with #2 and just language arts with #1 for the rest of the semester and then switch and do the opposite next semester. I'm not sure why I have such a feeling of trepidation about this. I think maybe because I'm realizing that #1 is getting to an age where I can't just shrug my shoulders and say we'll make it up eventually. But I really think this is going to work for us. Turns out using First Language Lessons has put them way ahead of schedule on Language Arts. And after talking to Hubby we agree that learning to write well and being able to articulate your thoughts either orally or written is more important than knowing how to diagram a sentence. So we'll be pushing through IEW more and taking it a little slower with the language arts curriculum. I won't really know if this is going to work until sometime next year, but I think it is a good decision. Want to know a secret? Sometimes not having someone tell me exactly how I should be doing this is a little frightening. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. We don't want anyone to think we homeschoolers aren't super confident in every decision we make for our children!
In other news, #3 has figured out how to work out word problems on her own. Hooray! Figuring out word problems is hard! That's a big step for her. Also, I no longer want to stab a pencil in my eye every time she reads to me. I've figured out that if I have her read a book to herself first and then read it to me out loud that she figures out a lot of words the first time through and then it doesn't take such an agonizing amount of time to go through the story with me. But really, it's such a joy to listen to her read. I may or may not "forget" to have her read to me some days. I should really get my act together better!
We have a busy weekend planned and then we have no school next week because we're heading up to Oklahoma for Hubby to speak at a Youth Camp. And it just so happens that we're leaving the girls with my parents and I'm going with him. I think the time off from school and the break from kids is going to be a much needed relief for all of us!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Great Expectations
I am guilty of having expectations of a reward when I do a good deed. I'm not expecting thanks or praise, in fact, I would rather do good deeds anonymously whenever possible. But I do expect to at least get the warm fuzzies and feel good about myself when I do something for somebody else.
Such was not the case last week when I was trying to make a few meals to take to someone who had had surgery and was unable to cook anything. My original plan was to go shopping on Monday and make everything on Tuesday to take to them. They would be able to freeze everything so I could just take it all at once. Then we were informed that other people had blessed them and they didn't need any food until Friday or Saturday. I'm thinking this is even better. Now I'm planning on making everything on Friday and so instead of purchasing everything at the store I order several components of the meals I'm making online. I do this at least one a month with several grocery and household items. I earn reward points I can trade in for gift cards without paying any more than I would in the store. Plus it saves me quite a bit of time at the store. Always a plus when you're hauling four kids with you.
Then we get to church Wednesday night and we were asked if we could bring the meals for Thursday and Friday, they didn't get as much food as they thought they were going to. Now, I don't blame anyone for changing dates around. We had offered to bring them food whenever they needed it. I just don't do well when my well-laid out plans are changed on me. So on Thursday, the one day that week we were busy and gone with school stuff until about 4:30, I'm needing to make a meal. Thankfully I had everything I needed to make one meal. So I set about making the meal. And then sent Hubby off to deliver the meal and a promise to bring more food the next day while I'm trying to feed our children and clean up the kitchen and deal with #1 having a major headache and thus a complete melt down. Thankfully, Hubby took over the clean up and the care of children when he got back.
Friday was the day all the groceries were supposed to be delivered. They still hadn't come by 4 so I jumped online to see where they were at via the tracking number. Much to my dismay it showed that the packages had been delivered at 11:06 that morning. There were no packages at my front or back door. Of all the times I have ordered groceries have they ever been delivered to the wrong address? Nope. Just the one time I actually needed them. After dealing with FedEx for a while and finally figuring out that we weren't going to get the packages that day it was too late to go to the grocery store and still make anything to get to the family we were providing dinner for. So Hubby went through a drive-through and got them some chicken. Normally I would have been embarrassed to bring take-out when a home cooked meal had been promised, but I was so frustrated at this point I didn't even think about it. I was just glad we had the money for that quick fix.
Saturday the packages are still no where to be seen so we head to the store to get everything I needed. On a Saturday. At Wal-Mart. Enough said. So we finally have everything I needed and when we got home I spent several hours in the kitchen making meals. I was also making meals for us at the same time--well-laid plans, remember? And the whole time I'm working on all this food I keep wondering where my warm fuzzies are? I'm doing a good deed, right? Helping someone out, doing my Christian duty, yada yada yada. So why do I feel like I want nothing more than to throw my wooden spoon down on the counter and go read a book? At that point I would have gladly done laundry for the rest of the day if it meant I didn't have to be in the kitchen. Even after it was all done and Hubby had delivered everything I still didn't feel anything. I didn't begrudge them the meals, and I wasn't upset, I just had a general lack of feeling.
And I finally realized that God never promised warm fuzzies. I haven't been promised anything for doing good. I'm simply commanded to do it. Do I usually receive blessings in one form or another when I do a "good deed"? Sure. But is that why I should do it? Nope. I certainly shouldn't be doing it to receive praise from others, but I also shouldn't do anything hoping for a blessing for myself. I should just do it to be a blessing for others. Hopefully next time I'll have the correct attitude! And my boxes of groceries.
Such was not the case last week when I was trying to make a few meals to take to someone who had had surgery and was unable to cook anything. My original plan was to go shopping on Monday and make everything on Tuesday to take to them. They would be able to freeze everything so I could just take it all at once. Then we were informed that other people had blessed them and they didn't need any food until Friday or Saturday. I'm thinking this is even better. Now I'm planning on making everything on Friday and so instead of purchasing everything at the store I order several components of the meals I'm making online. I do this at least one a month with several grocery and household items. I earn reward points I can trade in for gift cards without paying any more than I would in the store. Plus it saves me quite a bit of time at the store. Always a plus when you're hauling four kids with you.
Then we get to church Wednesday night and we were asked if we could bring the meals for Thursday and Friday, they didn't get as much food as they thought they were going to. Now, I don't blame anyone for changing dates around. We had offered to bring them food whenever they needed it. I just don't do well when my well-laid out plans are changed on me. So on Thursday, the one day that week we were busy and gone with school stuff until about 4:30, I'm needing to make a meal. Thankfully I had everything I needed to make one meal. So I set about making the meal. And then sent Hubby off to deliver the meal and a promise to bring more food the next day while I'm trying to feed our children and clean up the kitchen and deal with #1 having a major headache and thus a complete melt down. Thankfully, Hubby took over the clean up and the care of children when he got back.
Friday was the day all the groceries were supposed to be delivered. They still hadn't come by 4 so I jumped online to see where they were at via the tracking number. Much to my dismay it showed that the packages had been delivered at 11:06 that morning. There were no packages at my front or back door. Of all the times I have ordered groceries have they ever been delivered to the wrong address? Nope. Just the one time I actually needed them. After dealing with FedEx for a while and finally figuring out that we weren't going to get the packages that day it was too late to go to the grocery store and still make anything to get to the family we were providing dinner for. So Hubby went through a drive-through and got them some chicken. Normally I would have been embarrassed to bring take-out when a home cooked meal had been promised, but I was so frustrated at this point I didn't even think about it. I was just glad we had the money for that quick fix.
Saturday the packages are still no where to be seen so we head to the store to get everything I needed. On a Saturday. At Wal-Mart. Enough said. So we finally have everything I needed and when we got home I spent several hours in the kitchen making meals. I was also making meals for us at the same time--well-laid plans, remember? And the whole time I'm working on all this food I keep wondering where my warm fuzzies are? I'm doing a good deed, right? Helping someone out, doing my Christian duty, yada yada yada. So why do I feel like I want nothing more than to throw my wooden spoon down on the counter and go read a book? At that point I would have gladly done laundry for the rest of the day if it meant I didn't have to be in the kitchen. Even after it was all done and Hubby had delivered everything I still didn't feel anything. I didn't begrudge them the meals, and I wasn't upset, I just had a general lack of feeling.
And I finally realized that God never promised warm fuzzies. I haven't been promised anything for doing good. I'm simply commanded to do it. Do I usually receive blessings in one form or another when I do a "good deed"? Sure. But is that why I should do it? Nope. I certainly shouldn't be doing it to receive praise from others, but I also shouldn't do anything hoping for a blessing for myself. I should just do it to be a blessing for others. Hopefully next time I'll have the correct attitude! And my boxes of groceries.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Weekly Wrap-Up: Back to a full week
Man the last couple of days have been rough. I'm really re-thinking the whole buying groceries online and having them delivered. More on that in a second.
Monday morning I found that my children are completely self-sufficient in the mornings, even if left to their own devices for many hours. How do I know this now? Because Monday I turned my alarm off without realizing it. I thought I had gotten smart. I made it to where I have to actually shake my phone to get the alarm to snooze. The idea was that this would keep me from randomly slapping at the screen while still asleep and accidentally turning off the alarm instead of just snoozing it. I've been doing it this way for a while, and it has worked well. I probably snooze it 4 times before actually getting up, but having to shake the phone makes me wake up a bit more. However, Monday morning I did manage to turn the alarm off. I have a vague recollection of hitting the screen and it turning off and thinking, "Wait, don't I have to shake it?" before going back to sleep. I don't remember anything else until 10:28 when I woke up and saw what time it was. I blame it on the fan Hubby turns on every night that is really loud. I didn't hear the girls at all, even after I woke up. After checking on them and finding they were all alive and well I finished getting ready and we got started on school, just a tad bit late! Needless to say, there was school in the afternoon, but only with the oldest. Now I'm trying to figure out if I need to take the drastic step of making it where the alarm doesn't turn off until I get up and do 15 jumping jacks or something. I'm pretty sure I could find an alarm like that if I looked hard enough!
Tuesday night I was able to go to a Chonda Pierce concert with several ladies from church. There was a little bit of confusion when we saw the multitudes of people parking and going towards the convention center. Let's just say that the caliber of people where not what we were expecting at a Chonda Pierce event. Turns out there was a WWE wrestling event in the next building. Yep, that would explain it! Chonda was as funny as ever. I was saddened to hear about the struggles she is having in her personal life. I knew about her depression, but she has a lot more to deal with right now. It makes it even more amazing that she is able to laugh and make people laugh with the pain she is dealing with. It just solidifies my thoughts that you can never know what a person is going through based on what you see.
We finally started back with IEW for #1 this week. I excited that she was able to do pretty much everything by herself without minimal help from me. That is the ultimate goal, for them to be able to sit down with references and be able to write a well-written paper without any help. #2 still has a ways to go, but that is to be expected since #1 has been at it longer. The bummer is that by the time I get #2 to where she can write on her own I'll be starting over with #3. I'm telling you, I really think I would have had my kids closer together if I had known how it would work when it came to schooling! Kids closer in age are much easier to teach together than doing everything separately!
Thursday we were back to going to our Hilltop Speakers. This is basically a public speaking group, associated with Communicators for Christ. Hubby and I have both wanted our girls to be involved in something that would get them more comfortable with public speaking and more comfortable meeting and talking with strangers in general. We like Communicators for Christ because their entire premise is preparing children to be able to tell about Jesus at any given moment, no matter who they are speaking to. I love that idea! It's been a bit more work for me than I was anticipating, but we're finding our groove. We only meet twice a month, which is good for me. Otherwise Thursdays would be pretty stressful all the time. We have to finish school and eat lunch early to make it to the meeting on time. For now it is working pretty well.
As for why yesterday and today have been rough--it seems like if something could go wrong with trying to make meals it has. Refrigerated products left out for several hours and going bad, flour spilling in the bottom of the chest freezer, groceries ordered online being delivered to the wrong address, miscommunication between Hubby and myself as to what veggies to put in the freezer and what to be left out, spills, rotten meat, etc, etc. I could go on, but I'm putting myself in a bad mood again. Let's just leave it with Hubby having to get chicken for the family we promised to provide dinner for tonight and our own dinner may or may not be ready by 8. I planned on comforting myself with a large caramel rice krispie treat, but elements of that were also in the wrongly delivered groceries. I will instead eat peanut m&ms and glare at anyone who asks me when dinner is.
Monday morning I found that my children are completely self-sufficient in the mornings, even if left to their own devices for many hours. How do I know this now? Because Monday I turned my alarm off without realizing it. I thought I had gotten smart. I made it to where I have to actually shake my phone to get the alarm to snooze. The idea was that this would keep me from randomly slapping at the screen while still asleep and accidentally turning off the alarm instead of just snoozing it. I've been doing it this way for a while, and it has worked well. I probably snooze it 4 times before actually getting up, but having to shake the phone makes me wake up a bit more. However, Monday morning I did manage to turn the alarm off. I have a vague recollection of hitting the screen and it turning off and thinking, "Wait, don't I have to shake it?" before going back to sleep. I don't remember anything else until 10:28 when I woke up and saw what time it was. I blame it on the fan Hubby turns on every night that is really loud. I didn't hear the girls at all, even after I woke up. After checking on them and finding they were all alive and well I finished getting ready and we got started on school, just a tad bit late! Needless to say, there was school in the afternoon, but only with the oldest. Now I'm trying to figure out if I need to take the drastic step of making it where the alarm doesn't turn off until I get up and do 15 jumping jacks or something. I'm pretty sure I could find an alarm like that if I looked hard enough!
 |
| Some of the ladies in our group |
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| A couple more |
We finally started back with IEW for #1 this week. I excited that she was able to do pretty much everything by herself without minimal help from me. That is the ultimate goal, for them to be able to sit down with references and be able to write a well-written paper without any help. #2 still has a ways to go, but that is to be expected since #1 has been at it longer. The bummer is that by the time I get #2 to where she can write on her own I'll be starting over with #3. I'm telling you, I really think I would have had my kids closer together if I had known how it would work when it came to schooling! Kids closer in age are much easier to teach together than doing everything separately!
Thursday we were back to going to our Hilltop Speakers. This is basically a public speaking group, associated with Communicators for Christ. Hubby and I have both wanted our girls to be involved in something that would get them more comfortable with public speaking and more comfortable meeting and talking with strangers in general. We like Communicators for Christ because their entire premise is preparing children to be able to tell about Jesus at any given moment, no matter who they are speaking to. I love that idea! It's been a bit more work for me than I was anticipating, but we're finding our groove. We only meet twice a month, which is good for me. Otherwise Thursdays would be pretty stressful all the time. We have to finish school and eat lunch early to make it to the meeting on time. For now it is working pretty well.
As for why yesterday and today have been rough--it seems like if something could go wrong with trying to make meals it has. Refrigerated products left out for several hours and going bad, flour spilling in the bottom of the chest freezer, groceries ordered online being delivered to the wrong address, miscommunication between Hubby and myself as to what veggies to put in the freezer and what to be left out, spills, rotten meat, etc, etc. I could go on, but I'm putting myself in a bad mood again. Let's just leave it with Hubby having to get chicken for the family we promised to provide dinner for tonight and our own dinner may or may not be ready by 8. I planned on comforting myself with a large caramel rice krispie treat, but elements of that were also in the wrongly delivered groceries. I will instead eat peanut m&ms and glare at anyone who asks me when dinner is.
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