Several people have asked me recently how it is going back to school at this point in life. It's hard!! But it is so much more meaningful because I have a definite goal. In my case, it's a lifelong goal, so I am excited about it and I love my classes. But it's still a real challenge. On Monday and Wednesday, I spend all morning schooling with Wesley and Honour (mostly Wesley as Honour is older and very independent-she also likes to work together LATE at night and sleep in). Then I go to class, where I change gears and become the student. This semester is Physiology, which is all about thinking through the why and how of the body.
Then I come home to deal with dinner, usually a quick meal of sandwiches or leftovers from the weekend. If there are activities to be driven to, we do that. By the time I get everyone settled and upstairs it's close to 10. That's when I start on grading papers and prepping classes for the next day. I teach all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays, usually after very little sleep. So in the evening, I crash - often on Eddie's lap while we watch TV. He is so gracious and is happy to buy us pizza or other quick dinner for Tuesdays. Thursdays, the kids are with their dad so I either take us a quick dinner or stop on the way for fast food.
By Friday morning, it is tough to drag myself out of bed, but the reward is being able to stay home ALL day if I want to. We do all the stuff for school we didn't get to earlier in the week, usually the fun stuff. Today we watched a History Channel show about the Dark Ages - it was great. Then I catch up on laundry and housework, paperwork, and cooking. I really do love to cook. It is time consuming, though. We still eat relatively healthy when we're home. I keep eggs, low fat meats, fruit and veggies. I cook lots of rice or noodles and keep them in the fridge. But to have the luxury of a few hours to make a nice meal is something I appreciate more now than I ever have. I study on the weekends and if I'm waiting for kids at their activities. It's all I can do to keep up with one class at a time. My goal is a 4.0 in all these prerequisite classes so I have a chance at whatever grad program I decide to apply to. It won't be easy.
So that's what a week looks like. I so enjoyed the Christmas break and I look forward to Spring Break and summer as well. I'll take a class in the summer, but I won't have to teach or homeschool. It's just what I need to refresh and be ready for the fall again.
But for now, I have meatloaf in the oven, the dryer is running, and I have to pick up B from an afterschool project. It's the little things that make life so good. In a couple of hours I'll have a full tummy and my kids and my man all here with me and NO work to be done.
That's why I love Fridays!!!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Grief is a Many Faceted Emotion
Some of my posts are for documenting funny or fun things about being a mom. Some are about homemaking. This one is probably more therapy for me than anything. Grief hit me like a ton of bricks today, more than 2 yrs after my dad died. So, I feel the need to get a story out. The good, the bad, and the ugly of it.
In 2008 my dad went through a tough time. He was newly divorced after a short lived marriage that was a mistake after my mother died. He had loved her for 37 years and was lost without her. He made a mistake and it was a hard, hard time. He had retired from a life in the restaurant business, so he was alone, dejected and very lonely. My brother, sister, and I all encouraged him to find a job, any job. He needed to get out of the house and be with people. My dad was a People Person, with 2 capital P's! Sitting around the house with his dog was allowing him to sink further and further into depression. He had great friends and church family that probably is the only thing that saved his sanity. But it wasn't enough. So he got a job driving a school bus. He could make the morning run, spend the midday on the lake fishing (his real passion), and then make the afternoon run. It was perfect for him. He drove for one year for one school district and then the next year he moved to another district closer to home and with better conditions and pay.
By this time, he had reconnected with a lifelong friend, a lady that had been my mom's best friend. Her husband and dad were fraternity brothers. The 4 of them were so close and that friendship stood through both of their partners' deaths. So they talked, and talked some more... they visited. It was now to the point that they were making life changes so they could get married. She lived in Memphis, but visited often. I grew up loving her and was so thrilled they could be together and make each other happy.
On the morning of September 14, 2009, Dad was a substitute driver. The route was a special education route that he had not driven before. He left very early, about 6 in the morning. It was still dark, it was rainy and very foggy. Somehow, he didn't see a tractor trailer coming down the deserted road and he pulled out in front of it. There were no children on the bus yet, but he had an aid since it was a Special Ed bus. Although that man was injured badly, he survived. My father did not. He died on that highway in a most tragic way. That time was a blur. I got the call and went straight to his house. As the story unfolded, my emotions were all over the place. I know it's normal, but the anger was palpable. He died driving that school bus. It was very easy to blame the bus, even myself for encouraging him to get a job... If he was not doing that, he would have been at home, perhaps lonely, but SAFE. My brain wasn't thinking clearly through the fog of grief. I so deperately wanted to lash out at the school district, the other drivers, anything that could explain it away. I was MAD.
We set the service for a Friday at 2 pm, in the middle of the day to allow for the people who would drive from Austin, Waco, and Dallas to be able to do it in a day. I really didn't think about the school district. He had only been there 2 weeks, it's not like they really knew my father. But they wanted to have their own service to honor him. I was so mad, I didn't even want to go. In my mind, it was these people who were the closest to being responsible for his death. I know - NOT logical or true- but I was hurting and upset. So, we reluctantly went to the service. All the siblings and his two sisters and the lady I loved now so much. My attitude was not the best. I felt they were intruding on our grief.
What I saw in the next hour or two made me drop my jaw! They started out with the administrator telling the story of his hiring, only a few weeks earlier. His main question was "Am I going to be able to fish?" Once she assured him it was a split shift, he was on board. Then a man got up to tell a story that I was stunned by. This was a man who had known my father 40+ years ago when they both ran track at Memphis State University. He ran into my dad here many years later and 2 states away, working in the same schools. He remembered him and told some funny stories I had never heard. Then one driver after another, from both districts he had driven for, got up to tell how my father had impacted them. He always cared about people and they knew it. They told how he gave parenting advice, asked about their families, listened to their troubles. Oh my! I couldn't believe how many people had been touched by his short time in those positions. One of them told of how much he loved driving and loved the children he drove. He always had a way with kids and could be strong for when it was needed. We had heard at home about the kids, but this day we heard how the kids felt about him and about how much he was loved by his fellow drivers. I was blown away. At the end, the drivers filed by in front of the family, more and more telling how they loved his smile and will miss him in the bus yard.
As you can imagine, my heart was changed by this time. They were no longer an intrusion on my grief, they were lovely people who grew to love my father in such a short time. I felt guilt, relief, still great sadness, and an appreciation for the fact that he had loved what he was doing in this stage of his life. My dad was a great man. I still miss him so terribly. Today I would have invited him here for the Superbowl on our big new TV with all the junkfood he would have loved.
Because this was a newsworthy event in his little town it was in the paper and on the news. There were ugly, hateful comments on those website articles about how he must have been a careless driver. My father hadn't had an accident in his entire driving life. We asked HOW could this have happened for so long. My boyfriend, Eddie, and I went to the site of the accident several times to analyze it and try to figure it out. We think the large upright mirror blocked his view of the truck lights in the fog and dark for just the split second it took him to pull out. I needed an answer. We'll never truly know but I know my father never would have put anyone's life in danger. It hurt to hear negative things about "those bus drivers".
Why did this hit me today, over 2 years after the accident? The sermon in church this morning was about Esther. He spoke of people whose passion takes them to a place where people need help so much. Maybe my father was driving that bus, in that place and time for all the children and other drivers that he touched. I hate that he is gone, my children have no grandparents anymore. I hate that I miss him all the time. But, he may have been there "for such a time as that". I can not question all this after the fact.
In 2008 my dad went through a tough time. He was newly divorced after a short lived marriage that was a mistake after my mother died. He had loved her for 37 years and was lost without her. He made a mistake and it was a hard, hard time. He had retired from a life in the restaurant business, so he was alone, dejected and very lonely. My brother, sister, and I all encouraged him to find a job, any job. He needed to get out of the house and be with people. My dad was a People Person, with 2 capital P's! Sitting around the house with his dog was allowing him to sink further and further into depression. He had great friends and church family that probably is the only thing that saved his sanity. But it wasn't enough. So he got a job driving a school bus. He could make the morning run, spend the midday on the lake fishing (his real passion), and then make the afternoon run. It was perfect for him. He drove for one year for one school district and then the next year he moved to another district closer to home and with better conditions and pay.
By this time, he had reconnected with a lifelong friend, a lady that had been my mom's best friend. Her husband and dad were fraternity brothers. The 4 of them were so close and that friendship stood through both of their partners' deaths. So they talked, and talked some more... they visited. It was now to the point that they were making life changes so they could get married. She lived in Memphis, but visited often. I grew up loving her and was so thrilled they could be together and make each other happy.
On the morning of September 14, 2009, Dad was a substitute driver. The route was a special education route that he had not driven before. He left very early, about 6 in the morning. It was still dark, it was rainy and very foggy. Somehow, he didn't see a tractor trailer coming down the deserted road and he pulled out in front of it. There were no children on the bus yet, but he had an aid since it was a Special Ed bus. Although that man was injured badly, he survived. My father did not. He died on that highway in a most tragic way. That time was a blur. I got the call and went straight to his house. As the story unfolded, my emotions were all over the place. I know it's normal, but the anger was palpable. He died driving that school bus. It was very easy to blame the bus, even myself for encouraging him to get a job... If he was not doing that, he would have been at home, perhaps lonely, but SAFE. My brain wasn't thinking clearly through the fog of grief. I so deperately wanted to lash out at the school district, the other drivers, anything that could explain it away. I was MAD.
We set the service for a Friday at 2 pm, in the middle of the day to allow for the people who would drive from Austin, Waco, and Dallas to be able to do it in a day. I really didn't think about the school district. He had only been there 2 weeks, it's not like they really knew my father. But they wanted to have their own service to honor him. I was so mad, I didn't even want to go. In my mind, it was these people who were the closest to being responsible for his death. I know - NOT logical or true- but I was hurting and upset. So, we reluctantly went to the service. All the siblings and his two sisters and the lady I loved now so much. My attitude was not the best. I felt they were intruding on our grief.
What I saw in the next hour or two made me drop my jaw! They started out with the administrator telling the story of his hiring, only a few weeks earlier. His main question was "Am I going to be able to fish?" Once she assured him it was a split shift, he was on board. Then a man got up to tell a story that I was stunned by. This was a man who had known my father 40+ years ago when they both ran track at Memphis State University. He ran into my dad here many years later and 2 states away, working in the same schools. He remembered him and told some funny stories I had never heard. Then one driver after another, from both districts he had driven for, got up to tell how my father had impacted them. He always cared about people and they knew it. They told how he gave parenting advice, asked about their families, listened to their troubles. Oh my! I couldn't believe how many people had been touched by his short time in those positions. One of them told of how much he loved driving and loved the children he drove. He always had a way with kids and could be strong for when it was needed. We had heard at home about the kids, but this day we heard how the kids felt about him and about how much he was loved by his fellow drivers. I was blown away. At the end, the drivers filed by in front of the family, more and more telling how they loved his smile and will miss him in the bus yard.
As you can imagine, my heart was changed by this time. They were no longer an intrusion on my grief, they were lovely people who grew to love my father in such a short time. I felt guilt, relief, still great sadness, and an appreciation for the fact that he had loved what he was doing in this stage of his life. My dad was a great man. I still miss him so terribly. Today I would have invited him here for the Superbowl on our big new TV with all the junkfood he would have loved.
Because this was a newsworthy event in his little town it was in the paper and on the news. There were ugly, hateful comments on those website articles about how he must have been a careless driver. My father hadn't had an accident in his entire driving life. We asked HOW could this have happened for so long. My boyfriend, Eddie, and I went to the site of the accident several times to analyze it and try to figure it out. We think the large upright mirror blocked his view of the truck lights in the fog and dark for just the split second it took him to pull out. I needed an answer. We'll never truly know but I know my father never would have put anyone's life in danger. It hurt to hear negative things about "those bus drivers".
Why did this hit me today, over 2 years after the accident? The sermon in church this morning was about Esther. He spoke of people whose passion takes them to a place where people need help so much. Maybe my father was driving that bus, in that place and time for all the children and other drivers that he touched. I hate that he is gone, my children have no grandparents anymore. I hate that I miss him all the time. But, he may have been there "for such a time as that". I can not question all this after the fact.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
A Legacy of Spelling
Well, I have tried to give my children many things as their mother, but one of the most important is an appreciation of the English language. We use curricula, but mostly we just read... and read... and read. Turns out, that reading pays off. Wesley entered the One Day Academy Spelling Bee... on a whim, honestly. But then today he just kept spelling... and spelling... and spelling! He spelled his way right to second place. We are so proud of him. He went round and round at the end, a real nailbiter. But he walked away smiling and proud.
He comes by it honestly. I was a trophy-winning UIL speller. It doesn't get much nerdier than that. I traveled all over the state, competing in spelling contests for 2 years in high school. I loved every minute of it... well, except for the time that I came home sleep deprived and high on success and my parents called the trip sponsors to find out if I had been doing drugs! True story!
Then, his sister! When Bethany was in 3rd grade, she entered the homeschooler's spelling bee. And she won! First place! As the youngest participant. We went to the Regional Bee and she did well, but fell out on the word "tonsillitis". I had to do spell check on that just to make sure! We were so proud of her. But it made her incredibly nervous and she chose not to participate again. Wesley doesn't have the same nerves she did and he wants to do it again. So this time next year, watch out. He'll be spelling everything ALL the time. In the meantime, just look for me at church tomorrow - I'll be the one with the big proud grin on her face.
He comes by it honestly. I was a trophy-winning UIL speller. It doesn't get much nerdier than that. I traveled all over the state, competing in spelling contests for 2 years in high school. I loved every minute of it... well, except for the time that I came home sleep deprived and high on success and my parents called the trip sponsors to find out if I had been doing drugs! True story!
Then, his sister! When Bethany was in 3rd grade, she entered the homeschooler's spelling bee. And she won! First place! As the youngest participant. We went to the Regional Bee and she did well, but fell out on the word "tonsillitis". I had to do spell check on that just to make sure! We were so proud of her. But it made her incredibly nervous and she chose not to participate again. Wesley doesn't have the same nerves she did and he wants to do it again. So this time next year, watch out. He'll be spelling everything ALL the time. In the meantime, just look for me at church tomorrow - I'll be the one with the big proud grin on her face.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Meet Pogo
This is Pogo, he is a Pogona Vitticep, better known as a Bearded Dragon. He is a lizard native to Australian deserts, but now makes his home upstairs in our playroom, with Pluto the dwarf hamster. I like low maintenance pets.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Happy New Year 2012
What a nice weekend. I am not one to really get into the party scene, so a quiet night at home is my favorite choice for celebration. If we had a small party to attend, that's sometimes fun - but no huge crowds! Yuck! We went for a nice lunch at a Greek restaurant, then cupcakes and coffee for dessert. Then we came home for a LONG nap! Lovely. Bethany was the only one with us but she had gotten new DVD's and was so absorbed in them she was happy, too! We woke up in time for a little History Channel and sparkling cider.
This morning we went to church, then finally got Wesley's bearded dragon - Pogo. He is happily adjusting to his new home. We had black-eyed pea soup and cornbread for dinner, and are now enjoying TV and the fire. All the other kids came home today so it is good to have them all under the same roof tonight. The best way to start a New Year.
I did get much of my closet decluttered, with 2 huge boxes of clothes in the back of the car ready to drop off tomorrow. I still have one more week before teaching so I will try to get the rest of the closet and my room cleared.
This morning we went to church, then finally got Wesley's bearded dragon - Pogo. He is happily adjusting to his new home. We had black-eyed pea soup and cornbread for dinner, and are now enjoying TV and the fire. All the other kids came home today so it is good to have them all under the same roof tonight. The best way to start a New Year.
I did get much of my closet decluttered, with 2 huge boxes of clothes in the back of the car ready to drop off tomorrow. I still have one more week before teaching so I will try to get the rest of the closet and my room cleared.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Traditions
I have a story I wanted to tell when it happened, but it was a quasi secret, so I had to wait. There is a jeweler here in Central Texas, James Avery, that makes a unique line of Christian-themed, mostly sterling silver jewelry. A staple for them is charms. We moved to Texas in 1976 and my father found them soon after. Before long, every gift for every female for every occasion, became a trip to James Avery for Daddy. He bought me rings, earrings, charms, bracelets, and necklaces. My mother and sister had a similarly overflowing jewelry box. It became a most special tradition to open the little boxes with a candelabra on them. When my mother died in 2003, my sister and I had a memorable time of looking through and dividing her special pieces. Many of them one of us already had. He gave the girls charm bracelets when they were born and added to their charm collection every birthday and Christmas.
My father was killed in September of 2009. My birthday had been in August and I had not seen him since then. My sister's birthday was September 1, just two weeks before he died. When we went to his home that day, there were two little James Avery bags, sitting on his piano, waiting until he saw us again. Sydney, our lifelong special friend who was very close to marrying Dad, knew which was which and gave us our presents. Mine were dragonfly earrings which still make me cry when I wear them.
Fast forward to this Christmas. When I asked my two younger girls what they wanted for Christmas, they both wanted a James Avery purity ring more than anything. It was a little beyond my budget for individual gifts, but when your teen daughter wants to proclaim purity to the world... you have to support that. And the fact that it was a James Avery product made it even more special. I went into the store one afternoon a couple of weeks before Christmas and teared up walking in the door. We picked the rings and the lady helped us get them. As she showed and polished, I told her about my father and his tradition. It was my first James Avery purchase, despite having literally dozens of pieces. She cried, too... and thanked me for telling her my story. I walked out of the store that afternoon, feeling warm and fuzzy, missing my parents, but knowing full well that they would be proud to know what I had done, and even more proud of my girls for making that significant commitment.
I love you and miss you Daddy, but you done good! All your girls love you, and even more important, we love the Lord!
My father was killed in September of 2009. My birthday had been in August and I had not seen him since then. My sister's birthday was September 1, just two weeks before he died. When we went to his home that day, there were two little James Avery bags, sitting on his piano, waiting until he saw us again. Sydney, our lifelong special friend who was very close to marrying Dad, knew which was which and gave us our presents. Mine were dragonfly earrings which still make me cry when I wear them.
Fast forward to this Christmas. When I asked my two younger girls what they wanted for Christmas, they both wanted a James Avery purity ring more than anything. It was a little beyond my budget for individual gifts, but when your teen daughter wants to proclaim purity to the world... you have to support that. And the fact that it was a James Avery product made it even more special. I went into the store one afternoon a couple of weeks before Christmas and teared up walking in the door. We picked the rings and the lady helped us get them. As she showed and polished, I told her about my father and his tradition. It was my first James Avery purchase, despite having literally dozens of pieces. She cried, too... and thanked me for telling her my story. I walked out of the store that afternoon, feeling warm and fuzzy, missing my parents, but knowing full well that they would be proud to know what I had done, and even more proud of my girls for making that significant commitment.
I love you and miss you Daddy, but you done good! All your girls love you, and even more important, we love the Lord!
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Preparing for a New Family Member
Yes, we are adding to the family. NO! I am not pregnant. Our new family member will have 4 legs, not 2. He/she will also be coldblooded and only about 6 inches long. Wesley has been saving for a bearded dragon lizard since the summer. On Friday, we cleaned up the playroom and made a large space for his 40 gallon reptile cage. I know 40 gallons is a bit large for a 6 inch animal. But, this critter cage is on sale now for $60 off. We had to act on this now since the kind salesman told us in advance of the sale and said he has never seen it go on sale this cheap! So, while the habitat isn't nearly as much fun as the critter himself, we bought that and the lamps we'll need. Now Wesley has to start saving again. It may be Christmas until he has the money saved. This is a big commitment. The paperwork says they have a lifespan of 3-10 yrs, but some people have told us they are known to live as long as 15-20 yrs. He will have to care for his new buddy for a very long time. I want him to work hard to appreciate the responsibility this will be.
In the process of rearranging the playroom, I made a decision. To me, it's kind of a sad one. For many years, I was into every craft imaginable. THIS is a post from 2005 about my little secret obsession. I have tried it all! I have organized and reorganized my supplies through the years, as you can see HERE . I have even tried to indoctrinate my own children into the habit. I have not had the time in several years to sew and craft like I used to. But I naively thought that as the children got older and left home, life would be simpler. I would have time for that which brings me such joy. Alas, it is not to be... yet. My new direction in life means that for the next 5-10 years, life will not be getting any easier. It may in fact get more crazy, with even less free time for such activities. In addition, I am fixing this house up because in a few years, I'll be ready to sell and downsize. That means I am not going to want to move all this STUFF~! So, over the next months I will be purging some amazing craft supplies. I will never part with my 2 special sewing machines, but the closet stuffed with fabric may need to be culled to a few useful pieces. Tie dye, soap making, beading... all of it will go. I'm not up for it now. It may be Christmas before I work up the gumption to deal with it all. But I am finally ready to accept that I can part with these materials and not have a whole in my heart. Sounds melodramatic, doesn't it? Well, I feel very strongly about my sewing and crafting. There was a time in my daily life of making PB and J sandwiches, tying shoes, reading Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel and Little House on the Prairie, cleaning boo boos, washing clothes, and cleaning the kitchen, that a sewing project might be the only thing I accomplished in my day that didn't have to be done ALL over again the next day. I had something to show for my day. It was my creative outlet. Now... I have to find smaller projects. So, it's okay that I am saying goodbye to some friends. I hope in the end, they'll go to good homes where they will live up to their creative potential.
In the process of rearranging the playroom, I made a decision. To me, it's kind of a sad one. For many years, I was into every craft imaginable. THIS is a post from 2005 about my little secret obsession. I have tried it all! I have organized and reorganized my supplies through the years, as you can see HERE . I have even tried to indoctrinate my own children into the habit. I have not had the time in several years to sew and craft like I used to. But I naively thought that as the children got older and left home, life would be simpler. I would have time for that which brings me such joy. Alas, it is not to be... yet. My new direction in life means that for the next 5-10 years, life will not be getting any easier. It may in fact get more crazy, with even less free time for such activities. In addition, I am fixing this house up because in a few years, I'll be ready to sell and downsize. That means I am not going to want to move all this STUFF~! So, over the next months I will be purging some amazing craft supplies. I will never part with my 2 special sewing machines, but the closet stuffed with fabric may need to be culled to a few useful pieces. Tie dye, soap making, beading... all of it will go. I'm not up for it now. It may be Christmas before I work up the gumption to deal with it all. But I am finally ready to accept that I can part with these materials and not have a whole in my heart. Sounds melodramatic, doesn't it? Well, I feel very strongly about my sewing and crafting. There was a time in my daily life of making PB and J sandwiches, tying shoes, reading Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel and Little House on the Prairie, cleaning boo boos, washing clothes, and cleaning the kitchen, that a sewing project might be the only thing I accomplished in my day that didn't have to be done ALL over again the next day. I had something to show for my day. It was my creative outlet. Now... I have to find smaller projects. So, it's okay that I am saying goodbye to some friends. I hope in the end, they'll go to good homes where they will live up to their creative potential.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Six Years Ago
I was feeling like blogging, just because it's a beautiful day and my heart is filled with joy. This blog is 6 years old, and such a chronicle of my life in these years. Life is very different but some things never change. Fall still makes me feel like baking. I found this post from this time in 2005 and thought I'd reshare it. I may be making some pies next weekend... I love pumpkin.. If you're reading, what's your favorite pie?
http://weavingatapestry.blogspot.com/2005/10/its-baking-time-again.html
http://weavingatapestry.blogspot.com/2005/10/its-baking-time-again.html
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Why I am Okay Being Alone this Time Around
Well, I have been divorced almost 4 years. I was married for 17 years. At 20, I was very eager to get married. Get on with life. Have babies, you know the drill. Now, I'm much more reticent about big changes. I am in a serious relationship and I love him very much. We plan to marry someday, but honestly, it scares the daylights out of me. I was serious when I got married for the first time. I had no intention of divorce. But there came a time when I was dying inside and it was either divorce or my own spiritual death. I am a different person than I was fresh out of divorce. I was excited to be free. I altered who I was for all the years I was married out of fear that he wouldn't approve of the real me. When I was finally free, I relished in the freedom. I remember eating ice cream out of the carton in the first few months... in bed!! I did lots of things I had never done before. Why? Because I could!! I went dancing for the first time on my 40th birthday. I had my first margarita after my divorce. I bought a coffee pot, a real one, and drink coffee whenever I feel like it. It's not about being selfish... it's just about being - ME. The kids and I decorated our home, I put candles everywhere, we felt relaxed and happy in our own home, no fear of criticism or anger.
In the early days, I thought I might be eager to get married again when the time came. I love the idea of being married. I love family time. And I love spending time with my guy now. But also love coming home to my kids in our relaxed home and not worrying about a little mess. I am so much neater than I was in years past, but this home is lived in. And the relationship I have with my kids is so much more important than having a spotless home. I get frustrated that I have to remind them 101 times to do a simple chore, one they should do every day. I tire of telling them to clean up after their snacks. But I am not going to belittle them and make a bigger deal out of it than needed. We're going to clean up and then play a game. We all enjoy a clean space. We all struggle with keeping up with it.
I love to relax at night after kids go to bed. Some nights he is here with me and we snuggle up on the couch. But other nights I am here alone. I listen to the radio, or watch TV, or read, or check Facebook. I never get bored... never. I can't remember the last time - many years ago when I was truly bored. Yes, I do often wish I wasn't going to bed alone. But I know that even that special time isn't always special... Someday I hope to have that intimacy. But for now, I am scared. I am scared of failure. I am scared of hurting my kids. I am scared of getting hurt. I am just scared. So is he. So I am content to be alone. For now. And the foreseeable future.
In the early days, I thought I might be eager to get married again when the time came. I love the idea of being married. I love family time. And I love spending time with my guy now. But also love coming home to my kids in our relaxed home and not worrying about a little mess. I am so much neater than I was in years past, but this home is lived in. And the relationship I have with my kids is so much more important than having a spotless home. I get frustrated that I have to remind them 101 times to do a simple chore, one they should do every day. I tire of telling them to clean up after their snacks. But I am not going to belittle them and make a bigger deal out of it than needed. We're going to clean up and then play a game. We all enjoy a clean space. We all struggle with keeping up with it.
I love to relax at night after kids go to bed. Some nights he is here with me and we snuggle up on the couch. But other nights I am here alone. I listen to the radio, or watch TV, or read, or check Facebook. I never get bored... never. I can't remember the last time - many years ago when I was truly bored. Yes, I do often wish I wasn't going to bed alone. But I know that even that special time isn't always special... Someday I hope to have that intimacy. But for now, I am scared. I am scared of failure. I am scared of hurting my kids. I am scared of getting hurt. I am just scared. So is he. So I am content to be alone. For now. And the foreseeable future.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Happy but crazy
I have been thinking about life recently. I made a huge decision over the summer to return to school and head in the direction of a new career in the next few years. For the first time in 20+ years, I am the student and not the teacher. I am taking Anatomy, which I love! I love to go to class, I love to study it. I struggle to find the time for everything but my homeschooling responsibilities are less this year than in many years. My kids are supportive of this change, and so is Eddie. But it will require sacrifice on all our parts. I saw that this week. We had a huge catering job over the weekend at church, so I was very busy until Sunday, then exhausted. I had a test on Wednesday, so I spent the rest of my time either working with my own kids, studying or preparing for teaching on Tuesday. Basic dishes and cleanup is about all the house saw this week. I think I did well on the exam (nervous system), but I left and immediately felt all the weight of the world, in addition to the adrenaline still pumping through my system. I wanted to crash, but I had to teach today as well, so I came home to prep and grade papers. Finally tonight I crashed. I went to Eddie's and mostly slept on his lap while he watched the baseball game. Of course now that I am home, I am awake and watching the rest of this very exciting World Series game. I have never watched a baseball game on my own - meaning alone because I wanted to. But this is Texas - and it is exciting. SO I am weary to the bone, but once again can't really sleep. I'll start studying the next section tomorrow as we do our homeschool work, but this is going to have to be a weekend of rest.
I look back over the last few years and I have often been exhausted and overwhelmed as a single, working, homeschooling mom. But I am HAPPY! And I would take happy and overwhelmed over the alternative any day. I am blessed!
I look back over the last few years and I have often been exhausted and overwhelmed as a single, working, homeschooling mom. But I am HAPPY! And I would take happy and overwhelmed over the alternative any day. I am blessed!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Living off the Coupon Bounty
Now that I have been hardcore couponing (as I have learned that serious couponers prefer to be called, NOT Extreme) for a full month, I am evaluating my progress. I know May isn't completely over yet, but my food and household budget is spent so I am calling it done unless there is a freebie deal next week. I have entered each and every trip into my Excel Savings Tracker and I did pretty darn good. I spent about the same dollar amount I usually do but in a manner that I got WAY more stuff and built a pretty healthy stockpile to take us through the summer. And I saved 56%. Next month, I intend to cut the budget in half, only buying the Super Deals and milk and produce. I should have enough toiletries and cleaning products until fall. This week's CVS deal on Purex (50 oz. for $.98) took care of that!
Being creative with the deals I find is part of the fun. I'll share a few things we did with this week's bounty already. Monday morning early is a great time to hit the clearance bins in meat and dairy so I make that my first stop after our workout at the Y. This week was a lucky one. The meat bin was full of turkey products: turkey breakfast links and turkey cutlets. I picked up some salmon filets and a pound of stew meat that I vacuum packed and stashed in the freezer immediately. All of that was 50% off. When I got over to the dairy bin, there was lots of yogurt and some lowfat buttermilk, also 50% off. I immediately sent Bethany to pick up some Ritz crackers for our favorite homemade chicken nuggets (with the turkey cutlets - guess they were turkey nuggets). I'll share that recipe below. We also picked up 5 cans of Grands refrigerated biscuits half off and Becca turned two of those into homemade donuts as soon as we got home, too. We had been to workout, remember? :) Edited to add: I forgot all about the BUTTER I found for $1.50/lb. I got about 8-10 of those in the freezer as well! That was a super surprise.
Dinner last night was grilled sliders and turkey burgers, both from the meat bin. Today for lunch we ate the leftover sliders on biscuits. That was good! Then tonight's dinner was Red Beans and rice, a B1G1 deal from HEB last week, and since I had two boxes, I prepared one with chicken/chipotle sausage from the meat bin, and the other without since I have two vegetarian girls. I sauteed some red cabbage and sweet onions to have with that and it made a colorful and flavorful dinner. The thing about the meat bin is that I don't always find quantities to feed all of us, but if I mix and match I can usually stretch it. The stew meat in the freezer will wait until more is found in the bin and then I'll make some kind of meat dish with it.
We are eating well and still able to put lots of stash away for later. I am anxious to see if I can cut it in half next month. Then in July, I plan to see just how low I can go living totally off the stockpile. I'll keep my statistics going and share.
As promised, here is the chicken/turkey recipe:
Boneless skinless chicken cut into strips, or turkey cutlets
buttermilk
crushed Ritz crackers
Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for several hours to overnight. The acid in the buttermilk will tenderize the meat. Drain. Coat with crushed crackers and lay on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once to crisp both sides. We had very thin cutlets so they only took 12-15 minutes.
That's it. The crackers are buttery and salty so it makes a delicious coating.
Being creative with the deals I find is part of the fun. I'll share a few things we did with this week's bounty already. Monday morning early is a great time to hit the clearance bins in meat and dairy so I make that my first stop after our workout at the Y. This week was a lucky one. The meat bin was full of turkey products: turkey breakfast links and turkey cutlets. I picked up some salmon filets and a pound of stew meat that I vacuum packed and stashed in the freezer immediately. All of that was 50% off. When I got over to the dairy bin, there was lots of yogurt and some lowfat buttermilk, also 50% off. I immediately sent Bethany to pick up some Ritz crackers for our favorite homemade chicken nuggets (with the turkey cutlets - guess they were turkey nuggets). I'll share that recipe below. We also picked up 5 cans of Grands refrigerated biscuits half off and Becca turned two of those into homemade donuts as soon as we got home, too. We had been to workout, remember? :) Edited to add: I forgot all about the BUTTER I found for $1.50/lb. I got about 8-10 of those in the freezer as well! That was a super surprise.
Dinner last night was grilled sliders and turkey burgers, both from the meat bin. Today for lunch we ate the leftover sliders on biscuits. That was good! Then tonight's dinner was Red Beans and rice, a B1G1 deal from HEB last week, and since I had two boxes, I prepared one with chicken/chipotle sausage from the meat bin, and the other without since I have two vegetarian girls. I sauteed some red cabbage and sweet onions to have with that and it made a colorful and flavorful dinner. The thing about the meat bin is that I don't always find quantities to feed all of us, but if I mix and match I can usually stretch it. The stew meat in the freezer will wait until more is found in the bin and then I'll make some kind of meat dish with it.
We are eating well and still able to put lots of stash away for later. I am anxious to see if I can cut it in half next month. Then in July, I plan to see just how low I can go living totally off the stockpile. I'll keep my statistics going and share.
As promised, here is the chicken/turkey recipe:
Boneless skinless chicken cut into strips, or turkey cutlets
buttermilk
crushed Ritz crackers
Marinate the chicken in buttermilk for several hours to overnight. The acid in the buttermilk will tenderize the meat. Drain. Coat with crushed crackers and lay on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once to crisp both sides. We had very thin cutlets so they only took 12-15 minutes.
That's it. The crackers are buttery and salty so it makes a delicious coating.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Why I Have the Best Job in the World
Please know that this is not a brag alert; but rather a time to reflect on how blessed I am. Someone asked a group of people this week, "what do you love most about your job?" This is a good time to ask me this, as I finished a last day of school yesterday. I had the most wonderful cards, comments from both students and parents. Many of them tell me about how I have inspired their son or daughter to love science. I may not be the most knowledgeable science teacher ever but I love my subject and I love my students. I heard from parents of college students who told me how successful their kids had been in their college Bio and Chem classes. I had hugs from graduating seniors whom I have had 4 or 5 years. I have whole families that become friends through the years. I am probably one of the only teachers who regularly stands at the door at the end of class and says, "You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome" ! How many high schoolers thank their teachers for class every week???
All that and I only teach 2 days a week, still making more money than I ever did in the public school system! I am not only merely blessed, must really most sincerely blessed.
All that and I only teach 2 days a week, still making more money than I ever did in the public school system! I am not only merely blessed, must really most sincerely blessed.
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Good Day for Couponing
Well, I think every day is a good one for couponing, but this one held some great deals. And also opportunities to USE those deals. Our whole day we ate well off the bounty of coupons.
In the morning, W and B got up early to go to the YMCA with me, so we all had a Fiber Plus granola bar before we went. I took all my stuff and my coupon binder for a trip to Randall's after we were done. Early Monday morning is my favorite time to shop. The clearance bins are full from the weekend and I can get meat, yogurt, and other things at 30-50% off BEFORE coupons. This morning I got a dozen yogurts all almost free. There were hot dogs (uncured healthy ones) in the clearance bin ($3.99 - 50% off, and with a $2 coupon) that were free. Buying them also scored me another coupon for the same product next time. We bought the seasonal sale cucumbers and tomatoes and mushrooms.
So here were the lunch and dinner I made from today and the past coupon trips. Lunch - veal tenderized steaks from the clearance meat with sauteed mushrooms, rolls and stuffing from the freezer and pantry. Then dinner was a Stouffer's Lasagna (dirt cheap AND a coupon!) with asparagus and a homemade cucumber and tomato salad. We had yogurts for desserts through the day. I think that was pretty balanced and took minimal effort to be able to put a semi-homemade dinner on the table.
Monday, May 02, 2011
All Things in Moderation Couponing
I have been inspired by the TLC show to really do this couponing thing the right way. It is good timing, too. I am very blessed to be able to do something for a living that I love - teaching. And God has blessed my business over the last 7 yrs, growing it to support me and the kids while allowing us to stay together most of the time. As an aside, I consider this a testimony to tithing - a commitment I made the day I opened the business checking account. The only down side is that I do not get paid in the summer months. In past years, I have been really good about setting aside money through the year to get us through the summer. This school year has been filled with unexpected expenses and there is less set aside. But now that I have rejuvenated my coupon efforts, I am building a stockpile and also able to eat off of the weekly deals, adding fresh veges, affordable meats, and milk... and milk... and milk. These kids drink a LOT of milk. Through the last few weeks of the school year, I will be adding to this and much of it will last us well through the summer months until tuition payments start coming in again. Let me be clear, we NEVER lack for anything and God has provided richly so I do not worry. But I do believe I need to be as frugal with the blessings as possible.
So here are some pictures of my meager stockpile. I have disbursed most of the toiletries to the kids' bathrooms and I'm too lazy to gather them again just for a picture, but there were plenty!
Well, I added pictures, but it has been so long since I've used blogger, I can't make it move them down below the text. So, you get to see the pictures first :)
One thing I want to point out is that I do not need 53 bottles of mustard. We will use all 4 of those bottles of Ranch dressing (bought at $.50 each) and even all 30 boxes of cereal in the next few months. With all the kids home for the summer, we will eat lots of snack foods. I would not buy them without a coupon and a deal so they are treats, but we will eat them nonetheless. There is also lots of yogurt and dried fruit, so we have balance. I do have a problem with the people I have seen on the show that stockpile vast quantities of things they will not need (who really needs 113 boxes of pain medicine?). In their greed, they have cleared the shelf for the next person who comes along. And if you but large quantities of Maalox for $.49 each, that's still money tied up in a product of little use.
The summer will allow me time for the organization and deal-hunting that is needed to save the most money. And I will also have more time for scratch cooking to take advantage of some of the ingredients I get on sale. Homemade banana bread is still a better breakfast than cold cereal .
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Dad's Legacy
I did not sleep at all last night. I couldn't go to sleep as it got later and later, so I decided to check Facebook once again. in that visit I learned that a precious family that is both my friend and my student has received a crushing diagnosis. Their infant son has a degenerative, terminal genetic disease that is already reeking havoc on his little body and will take him in a matter of years. I laid here all night worrying and praying and just hurting for all of them. Baby K, his sisters and brother, his parents and grandparents, and the list goes on. We all have moments when we are reminded of the preciousness of life and this was one of them for me.
Not only that, but we are just a few days away from my father's birthday. I have been thinking of him all week. It has been less than 2 yrs since that horrible morning when we got the call about the accident. Some days, it seems like yesterday the pain is so intense. Others, I worry I may forget his voice, or his laugh... okay well, NOT his laugh! As I lay here last night, my mind got carried away with anxiety. And I remembered the words I wrote but could not read at his memorial service. They were shared by the pastor and now I want to share them again... mostly for me, but also for anyone who needs to be reminded of all his life meant to so many. He is missed sorely, as is my mother. My brother, sister and I felt the pain of being "orphans" - parentless in the world, even as 2 of us were parents ourselves. It is a very lonely feeling.
We love you and miss you, Daddy!
Here are the words I wrote In Sept of 2009:
Eulogy for Dad September 16, 2009
First of all, on behalf of Cal, Heather, and myself, thank you for being here today and making time in your day to help us remember our father. Many of you were here 6 years ago when we gathered to mourn the similarly sudden death of our mother. This is only compounding the pain of Daddy’s death but does offer the opportunity to rejoice that they are reunited, this time in the presence of our Lord and Savior. May he also be our Comforter in the weeks, months, and years to come.
As you can imagine, we haven’t slept much this week. As I write this in the wee hours of the morning, the most quiet and painful time of my day, I am reminded of one of my most precious childhood memories of my father. During my formative years, Daddy worked in the restaurant business, which meant long hours, often late into the night. I remember as a teenager, I would go through periods of stress, as all teens do, and that stress kept me awake at night. I would lay there, awake, and begin to worry not only about the primary issue, but then also about the fact that I would not be rested and that would make the next day more difficult. This would spiral until I would be very anxious and it was impossible to sleep. But I could go out into the livingroom, and there Dad would be in his Wendy’s uniform, watching Johnny Carson and snacking to try to unwind from his day. He would take me into his lap and we would talk about the day, or issues at hand. It was enough for me to relax and go back to bed to try again.
One time in particular stands out in my mind. I was in high school Biology and we were studying the organelles within a cell. I was overwhelmed at the amount of information to memorize with that topic. I went to him and he said, “Go get your Biology book”. When I brought it back to him he took out a sheet of paper and began to draw a cell using the analogy of a prison cell. He gave each organelle a job that corresponded to a job that might be in a prison. There was the “powerhouse” of the cell. There were parts that made food, parts that created things to go out of the cell/prison, there was a waste management system. He made a very elaborate drawing to help teach me those parts. My dad was a smart man and a good teacher. Dad had actually taught school in his young adult years. This was enough to not only help me reinforce the school concepts, but also to calm me enough to go back to bed. And now many years later, I am a high school science teacher who teaches cytology ( the study of the cell) to a new group of Biology students each year and I tell them that story.
In closing I want to share Daddy’s rules for life. These were Jerry’s Rules:
Rule #1 – Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Rule #2 – It’s ALL small stuff!
Those of you who knew our father’s contagious smile knew he lived by those rules. He knew our Lord and Savior and that reflected to all who came in contact with him. I hope you too can know that comfort and joy that only comes through Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Grocery Savings
Today I want to talk about saving on groceries. In particular, couponing. I think the new TLC show Extreme Couponing will cause an upsurge in this once people realize the savings that are to be had if you play the game right. This is just one tool in the arsenal of savings techniques but it is a good one and fairly easy once you get started and learn the ropes.
The basics of being successful at couponing involve combining a store sale with a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon whenever possible. This works best at the higher end stores (like Randall's in our area) because their overall prices are higher but they have good sales to lure you into the store to spend on their higher priced items. These terrific sales are called "loss leaders" because the store takes a loss on that product to lead you into the store and spend MORE. These deals are usually on the front and back of the weekly grocery flier (in our Wednesday paper with the Food/Life section and also in Sunday's paper). In order to get the best coupons and deals, I always save both of those sections. The store coupons are printed in there as well. Manufacturer's coupons are in the Sunday paper in inserts. Our other store, the lower priced overall, offers in store coupons, but as I learned last night, does NOT allow them to be combined with a manufacturer's coupon (a practice called stacking) for the double savings. Nor do they double or triple coupons. At Randall's, they routinely triple any coupon up to $.35 and double those up to $.50. So the first thing you need to do is find out the policies at the store(s) where you'll likely be shopping.
So let's talk about the practical steps. To get the most savings, you'll need a backstock of coupons. Frequently a store will have a sale 2-3 weeks AFTER the coupon has been published. So having at least 2-3 months worth of the Sunday inserts will get the most bang for your buck. Different weeks have different paper inserts. The first Sunday of the month in our area has a Procter and Gamble insert. All of their most popular products will be represented but those coupons will only be good for that month. The other two main inserts are called Red Plum and Smart Source. Most weeks there will be one of each in the paper. Sometimes we get lucky and there are 2 of each. Most holiday weekends there are none. This past Sunday was a double day. On those days especially, it pays to buy extra papers just for the coupons. I bought 4 extra papers at a cost of $8 this time and had a savings of $119 in just coupons from that and past weeks.
When you save all these coupons, you'll need a way to organize them. I do not take the inserts apart. I write the date on the front in big marker (it's printed in tiny print in the outside edge, but that's very hard to read). Then I keep them sorted by month in an accordion file. About once a quarter, I sort through and toss the expired ones and ones I know I'll never use. If there's only one or two that I want to keep, then I cut those out and put them in one of the traditional coupon sorters I picked up at the Target dollar spot years ago. It's easy to look for a category when I know I have one but don't know when it was in the paper.
Now, once you have all your stash of organized coupons, you'll need to make a plan. There are several ways to do this. You can use the flier to see what's already on sale. But there are services, both free and subscription, that do all that legwork for you. I use The Grocery Game and it is well worth the small fee. I log in and check to see the new list on Sundays. These prices are good through Tuesdays here, so I have to shop Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday for most deals. They tell me the product, the price, the sale price, where to find the coupons (2/13 RP would mean Feb 13th's Red Plum insert), and the percent saved. I check the deals I am interested in and then there is a list of the coupons to collect. Last, I print the list sorted in any order I want. I rely on this for most of the deals but I also check the fliers for any not already listed.
Other sources are free. For instance Coupon Mom has two features that are wonderful. One is a listing of the deals just like above but for drug stores and discount stores rather than grocery stores. I use this for Walgreen's and CVS. I do not routinely shop at Wal Mart but if you do, they're represented as well. The other feature is a searchable database for the coupons. If I need something that week, but it's not already a special deal, I can find out if a coupon has been issued recently without sorting through every single insert I have in the collection.
Many people protest that coupons are for highly processed foods. Or that they are for brand names that will still be more expensive than the store brand equivalent. Both of these can be true. but you just have to look at the options for a while to see if they are products you will use. The nice thing about the Grocery Game is that it also lists the good deals on produce and meat. These are things we all can afford to save on. I always compare the store brand in the store and if it's not a savings, I pass on it and often leave the name brand coupon on the shelf for the next shopper to use.
Now that you have a list and your coupons, you need a plan. I highlight the deals I have a coupon for ( as opposed to the ones that are sale only). And I put all the coupons in the general order of the store in an envelope labeled with that store's name. Then as I use them, I separate the ones I do use from the ones I decide to pass on. A coupon trip will take longer since you need to make sure you have the exact product, size, and quantity listed on the coupon. A good tip is that if there is not a size requirement, go with the smallest possible package you can find. If you have multiple coupons, that can be a significant savings. Even trial sizes can sometimes qualify. If for instance the store offers 4 of something for $10 as a sale price, then you have 4 coupons for that product, you are in luck!
Cereal coupons are often $1.00 off 3 or some such. Just this week, many of our Kellogg's cereals were $1.99 for the large box if you bought 4 or more. So, I bought 6 of several brands, and used 2 - $1 off 3 coupons. That brings the cost for one box of cereal to $1.65. I got Rice Krispies, Special K, Fiber Plus, Oatmeal Squares, and Cheerios. The only junk cereal I got was Cap'n Crunch and my kids only eat that for dessert or snack, never as breakfast. The regular price for these was well over $3-4 a piece. That will last us several months until the cereal is on that great sale again.
Just a few other deals I got yesterday:
Duracell AAA 10 ct. - reg. price $6.99, sale price $5.49, store coupon $.75, manufacturer's coupon - $1.50............... final price $3.24
Brawny paper towels(6rolls) reg price $8.99, sale price $4.88, manufacturer's coupon $.50 - doubled.................. final price $3.88
Sister Schubert's frozen rolls - reg. price 3.69, sale price 2/$5 ($2.50). I had 6 coupons so I bought 6. They were MF coupons $.50 - doubled..................... final price $1.50/each
Propel Zero - reg. price $1.29, sale price $.79, $.75/2 coupon............. final price $ .42 each.
This is just a sampling of the many deals I found by using a little research and coordination. In total I saved just over $119 in actual coupons, and almost $400 overall on enough food and household to last us quite a while. I will give away some of the things that I had to buy in very large quantities to get that price. It allows me to give to charity some special things that aren't routinely found at the food bank.
The basics of being successful at couponing involve combining a store sale with a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon whenever possible. This works best at the higher end stores (like Randall's in our area) because their overall prices are higher but they have good sales to lure you into the store to spend on their higher priced items. These terrific sales are called "loss leaders" because the store takes a loss on that product to lead you into the store and spend MORE. These deals are usually on the front and back of the weekly grocery flier (in our Wednesday paper with the Food/Life section and also in Sunday's paper). In order to get the best coupons and deals, I always save both of those sections. The store coupons are printed in there as well. Manufacturer's coupons are in the Sunday paper in inserts. Our other store, the lower priced overall, offers in store coupons, but as I learned last night, does NOT allow them to be combined with a manufacturer's coupon (a practice called stacking) for the double savings. Nor do they double or triple coupons. At Randall's, they routinely triple any coupon up to $.35 and double those up to $.50. So the first thing you need to do is find out the policies at the store(s) where you'll likely be shopping.
So let's talk about the practical steps. To get the most savings, you'll need a backstock of coupons. Frequently a store will have a sale 2-3 weeks AFTER the coupon has been published. So having at least 2-3 months worth of the Sunday inserts will get the most bang for your buck. Different weeks have different paper inserts. The first Sunday of the month in our area has a Procter and Gamble insert. All of their most popular products will be represented but those coupons will only be good for that month. The other two main inserts are called Red Plum and Smart Source. Most weeks there will be one of each in the paper. Sometimes we get lucky and there are 2 of each. Most holiday weekends there are none. This past Sunday was a double day. On those days especially, it pays to buy extra papers just for the coupons. I bought 4 extra papers at a cost of $8 this time and had a savings of $119 in just coupons from that and past weeks.
When you save all these coupons, you'll need a way to organize them. I do not take the inserts apart. I write the date on the front in big marker (it's printed in tiny print in the outside edge, but that's very hard to read). Then I keep them sorted by month in an accordion file. About once a quarter, I sort through and toss the expired ones and ones I know I'll never use. If there's only one or two that I want to keep, then I cut those out and put them in one of the traditional coupon sorters I picked up at the Target dollar spot years ago. It's easy to look for a category when I know I have one but don't know when it was in the paper.
Now, once you have all your stash of organized coupons, you'll need to make a plan. There are several ways to do this. You can use the flier to see what's already on sale. But there are services, both free and subscription, that do all that legwork for you. I use The Grocery Game and it is well worth the small fee. I log in and check to see the new list on Sundays. These prices are good through Tuesdays here, so I have to shop Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday for most deals. They tell me the product, the price, the sale price, where to find the coupons (2/13 RP would mean Feb 13th's Red Plum insert), and the percent saved. I check the deals I am interested in and then there is a list of the coupons to collect. Last, I print the list sorted in any order I want. I rely on this for most of the deals but I also check the fliers for any not already listed.
Other sources are free. For instance Coupon Mom has two features that are wonderful. One is a listing of the deals just like above but for drug stores and discount stores rather than grocery stores. I use this for Walgreen's and CVS. I do not routinely shop at Wal Mart but if you do, they're represented as well. The other feature is a searchable database for the coupons. If I need something that week, but it's not already a special deal, I can find out if a coupon has been issued recently without sorting through every single insert I have in the collection.
Many people protest that coupons are for highly processed foods. Or that they are for brand names that will still be more expensive than the store brand equivalent. Both of these can be true. but you just have to look at the options for a while to see if they are products you will use. The nice thing about the Grocery Game is that it also lists the good deals on produce and meat. These are things we all can afford to save on. I always compare the store brand in the store and if it's not a savings, I pass on it and often leave the name brand coupon on the shelf for the next shopper to use.
Now that you have a list and your coupons, you need a plan. I highlight the deals I have a coupon for ( as opposed to the ones that are sale only). And I put all the coupons in the general order of the store in an envelope labeled with that store's name. Then as I use them, I separate the ones I do use from the ones I decide to pass on. A coupon trip will take longer since you need to make sure you have the exact product, size, and quantity listed on the coupon. A good tip is that if there is not a size requirement, go with the smallest possible package you can find. If you have multiple coupons, that can be a significant savings. Even trial sizes can sometimes qualify. If for instance the store offers 4 of something for $10 as a sale price, then you have 4 coupons for that product, you are in luck!
Cereal coupons are often $1.00 off 3 or some such. Just this week, many of our Kellogg's cereals were $1.99 for the large box if you bought 4 or more. So, I bought 6 of several brands, and used 2 - $1 off 3 coupons. That brings the cost for one box of cereal to $1.65. I got Rice Krispies, Special K, Fiber Plus, Oatmeal Squares, and Cheerios. The only junk cereal I got was Cap'n Crunch and my kids only eat that for dessert or snack, never as breakfast. The regular price for these was well over $3-4 a piece. That will last us several months until the cereal is on that great sale again.
Just a few other deals I got yesterday:
Duracell AAA 10 ct. - reg. price $6.99, sale price $5.49, store coupon $.75, manufacturer's coupon - $1.50............... final price $3.24
Brawny paper towels(6rolls) reg price $8.99, sale price $4.88, manufacturer's coupon $.50 - doubled.................. final price $3.88
Sister Schubert's frozen rolls - reg. price 3.69, sale price 2/$5 ($2.50). I had 6 coupons so I bought 6. They were MF coupons $.50 - doubled..................... final price $1.50/each
Propel Zero - reg. price $1.29, sale price $.79, $.75/2 coupon............. final price $ .42 each.
This is just a sampling of the many deals I found by using a little research and coordination. In total I saved just over $119 in actual coupons, and almost $400 overall on enough food and household to last us quite a while. I will give away some of the things that I had to buy in very large quantities to get that price. It allows me to give to charity some special things that aren't routinely found at the food bank.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Yummy Snack or Lunch
Yesterday I had a plan for lunch. I was making a meat bread loaf. It was just a way to use up some browned ground beef, but it was hearty and delicious. Problem was, after I filled the bread machine with ingredients, I went up to school Wesley, and FORGOT to turn it on. SO, we ended up having it for snack. They thought it was a great snack and I may plan it that way in the winter. It was warm and yummy.
Here's what I did. Made a regular white bread dough in the machine. Rolled it out into a rectangle. Covered with about 1 pound of meat. Sprinkled all over with taco seasoning, then cheddar cheese/ I rolled it up like a jelly roll and put on a baking sheet to rise. When risen, I baked for about 40? minutes until golden brown, We could barely wait for it to cool before we ate the pretty spiral slices. It didn't last long and we'll need two for a real meal, but it was a good way to use up the meat.
Here's what I did. Made a regular white bread dough in the machine. Rolled it out into a rectangle. Covered with about 1 pound of meat. Sprinkled all over with taco seasoning, then cheddar cheese/ I rolled it up like a jelly roll and put on a baking sheet to rise. When risen, I baked for about 40? minutes until golden brown, We could barely wait for it to cool before we ate the pretty spiral slices. It didn't last long and we'll need two for a real meal, but it was a good way to use up the meat.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
School year 09-10
This may well be our easiest year yet. For the past 5 years I have been teaching 2 or 3 days a week, including Monday morning. It has been tough to get much done without a good start day to the week. Things like spelling and handwriting fell through the cracks without due diligence. But this year I will be home at least for Monday mornings. I moved the Monday classes to afternoons, but at this point it doesn't look like they will fill. That location is struggling. But I still have two days that I trust will support us.
There are other factors that will be different this year. First, Rebecca is going to public school. That is a post in and of itself, but suffice it to say this is a one year adventure for both of us and we expect her to come back home next year. Also, Bethany is graduating so we will be doing all the Senior year/college stuff for the first time this year. I am full of trepidation and excitement for her.
Well, for the nuts and bolts. I will start with the youngest since he is schooling at my feet this very minute, writing his letters in the correct spaces. Wesley is in 3rd grade. He is an eager learner and loves to read. Writing, not so much. But we need to work on writing this year, so there are several items to help us do that. His curriculum includes Singapore Math 3, ACSI Spelling, A Reason for Writing handwriting, First Language Lessons -Level 3, Building Thinking Skills -Book 1 (logic), Apologia Elementary Zoology-Flying Creatures, Egermeier Story Bible, and Sonlight's Core 4 for American History and Literature. We stopped last year just after the Civil War so we are only covering the 20th Century portion. Sonlight is very intense, so if we spread the 12 or so weeks that covers into our 36 weeks, it works for us. I have used Sonlight with all of them at various times and we love it.
In addition to these things at home, Wesley is taking Spanish and Art where I teach.
Honour is my next student. She is 8th grade now and quite the learner. She will be doing a balanced mix of home and out classes. She'll be in my Physical Science class where I teach. Also, her second year of Latin, English, and a theatre class. At home, we'll be doing PreAlgebra with Teaching Textbooks, our first time to use this program. Also a first for us will be Texas history with Switched on Schoolhouse. Both of these will allow her to use the computer to help learn things when I am not immediately available. We will continue reading through the Fallacy Detective for her logic.
Bethany and Bill are my two oldest and have very different paths. Most of their school career, they have been schooled together, being only 14 months apart. But now only about 50% of their curriculum is common. We will do Economics (Uncle Eric books and guides) and History (Sonlight's 20th century core for high school) together. Bethany will also do Speech with an Alpha Omega LifePac. I like those for electives or stand alone courses. Both will also be taking my Advanced Biology course, which is Anatomy and Physiology.
Bill will be taking Physics where I teach and Calculus and Spanish at the local junior college. Bethany will be taking Spanish and Creative Writing at the same junior college and a second year of Computer where I teach. In our district, students can take up to 6 hours per semester free during their last two years of high school. I hope to let them have a good amount of college under their belt by the time they graduate high school....... ALL free! Well, books are not free, but all the other stuff will save college dollars in the long run.
So this is a summary of our year. It will also include baseball for Wesley, Tai Chi for Bethany (her PE credit), Scouts for both boys, lots of church youth activities all year, and driving progress for both older kids. Bill drove us home from church today and we all survived quite nicely.
I'll be checking in periodically to see how the school year is going. I expect there will be some additions and revisions along the way; there always are. But this is the game plan as of August.
There are other factors that will be different this year. First, Rebecca is going to public school. That is a post in and of itself, but suffice it to say this is a one year adventure for both of us and we expect her to come back home next year. Also, Bethany is graduating so we will be doing all the Senior year/college stuff for the first time this year. I am full of trepidation and excitement for her.
Well, for the nuts and bolts. I will start with the youngest since he is schooling at my feet this very minute, writing his letters in the correct spaces. Wesley is in 3rd grade. He is an eager learner and loves to read. Writing, not so much. But we need to work on writing this year, so there are several items to help us do that. His curriculum includes Singapore Math 3, ACSI Spelling, A Reason for Writing handwriting, First Language Lessons -Level 3, Building Thinking Skills -Book 1 (logic), Apologia Elementary Zoology-Flying Creatures, Egermeier Story Bible, and Sonlight's Core 4 for American History and Literature. We stopped last year just after the Civil War so we are only covering the 20th Century portion. Sonlight is very intense, so if we spread the 12 or so weeks that covers into our 36 weeks, it works for us. I have used Sonlight with all of them at various times and we love it.
In addition to these things at home, Wesley is taking Spanish and Art where I teach.
Honour is my next student. She is 8th grade now and quite the learner. She will be doing a balanced mix of home and out classes. She'll be in my Physical Science class where I teach. Also, her second year of Latin, English, and a theatre class. At home, we'll be doing PreAlgebra with Teaching Textbooks, our first time to use this program. Also a first for us will be Texas history with Switched on Schoolhouse. Both of these will allow her to use the computer to help learn things when I am not immediately available. We will continue reading through the Fallacy Detective for her logic.
Bethany and Bill are my two oldest and have very different paths. Most of their school career, they have been schooled together, being only 14 months apart. But now only about 50% of their curriculum is common. We will do Economics (Uncle Eric books and guides) and History (Sonlight's 20th century core for high school) together. Bethany will also do Speech with an Alpha Omega LifePac. I like those for electives or stand alone courses. Both will also be taking my Advanced Biology course, which is Anatomy and Physiology.
Bill will be taking Physics where I teach and Calculus and Spanish at the local junior college. Bethany will be taking Spanish and Creative Writing at the same junior college and a second year of Computer where I teach. In our district, students can take up to 6 hours per semester free during their last two years of high school. I hope to let them have a good amount of college under their belt by the time they graduate high school....... ALL free! Well, books are not free, but all the other stuff will save college dollars in the long run.
So this is a summary of our year. It will also include baseball for Wesley, Tai Chi for Bethany (her PE credit), Scouts for both boys, lots of church youth activities all year, and driving progress for both older kids. Bill drove us home from church today and we all survived quite nicely.
I'll be checking in periodically to see how the school year is going. I expect there will be some additions and revisions along the way; there always are. But this is the game plan as of August.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Oh, Wow!
Man, I am astonished at how quickly this summer has gone by and is essentially OVER. I am sad and frustrated at the list of things I wanted to accomplish which did NOT get done. Looking back we did get a few things done in the house. New floors in the bathrooms upstairs. I painted the trim, but I had wanted to strip the wallpaper and paint the walls. No time----
I did sort through all the papers from my classes last year and get them filed, did get all grades final and reported. Have been able to keep up with new registrations as they come in. But I have not compiled all the notes for all classes and gotten them all typed up like I wanted to. Just today I began reading the new course I'll be teaching this year, Anatomy and Physiology. That will be an ongoing project I'm sure.
I did get all the planning done for my own kids' school. I'll do a separate post about all those plans since I like to have it all in one place. I thought I already had but,... I'll search that, too.
This week Wesley started school because he has to go to camp next week while the others are starting. Bill had his ACC (local jr college) orientation yesterday and Rebecca had hers at the public school for 6th graders this morning.
I have spent 3 weeks in a row fixing something on the van - 2 new tired, then a new battery, and today, new calipers for the brake system that has given me fits for two years.
I am not strictly following my Spent routine, although I am continuing to work out when I can 2 or 3 times a week, and drinking smoothies on some days for breakfast.
Now I am off to drive kids to yet another youth function. It is the final Poolside Parables summer Bible study meeting. Then, I'm coming home to relax in my massage chair with a foot massage and maybe a glass of wine. What a week!
I did sort through all the papers from my classes last year and get them filed, did get all grades final and reported. Have been able to keep up with new registrations as they come in. But I have not compiled all the notes for all classes and gotten them all typed up like I wanted to. Just today I began reading the new course I'll be teaching this year, Anatomy and Physiology. That will be an ongoing project I'm sure.
I did get all the planning done for my own kids' school. I'll do a separate post about all those plans since I like to have it all in one place. I thought I already had but,... I'll search that, too.
This week Wesley started school because he has to go to camp next week while the others are starting. Bill had his ACC (local jr college) orientation yesterday and Rebecca had hers at the public school for 6th graders this morning.
I have spent 3 weeks in a row fixing something on the van - 2 new tired, then a new battery, and today, new calipers for the brake system that has given me fits for two years.
I am not strictly following my Spent routine, although I am continuing to work out when I can 2 or 3 times a week, and drinking smoothies on some days for breakfast.
Now I am off to drive kids to yet another youth function. It is the final Poolside Parables summer Bible study meeting. Then, I'm coming home to relax in my massage chair with a foot massage and maybe a glass of wine. What a week!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Panic
Well, shortly after the last post, I realized I only have 6 more weeks of summer until we start classes. I have so much planning to do for both my science classes and our classes at home. I had also wanted to paint both upstairs bathrooms, but it's not looking like that is going to happen before school starts. I spent lots of time last week decluttering my bedroom/office and updating files so I can sit down and plan. I also input many of the new students in the gradebook/roster system. Still a few classes to do that with and Bethany has helped mostly with that.
This morning I worked out (halfway through my 30-day Wii Active challenge!) and took Wesley to swim lessons. That is dominating our mornings until Thursday. In the afternoon I went running errands with my girls. I have new office supplies, a swimsuit at 50% off for aqua fitness, and birthday presents for Eddie on Wednesday. Honour and Rebecca also needed new swimsuits and we were pleased to find them all on sale now.
This evening we have baseball practice and I must come home and make some progress with the work...Maybe I can update the calendar and rewrite the syllabi. That is the first step.
This morning I worked out (halfway through my 30-day Wii Active challenge!) and took Wesley to swim lessons. That is dominating our mornings until Thursday. In the afternoon I went running errands with my girls. I have new office supplies, a swimsuit at 50% off for aqua fitness, and birthday presents for Eddie on Wednesday. Honour and Rebecca also needed new swimsuits and we were pleased to find them all on sale now.
This evening we have baseball practice and I must come home and make some progress with the work...Maybe I can update the calendar and rewrite the syllabi. That is the first step.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Signing off
Since I have 10 minutes before I have to shut down, I thought I'd update on the day. It was a busy one. I spent the morning with my work out, then took Bethany to ACC to find out which textbooks she and Bill need for their summer classes, which begin on Wednesday. I should have done that a couple of weeks ago, to be able to order them online in time. I still did it just because it save SOOOOO much money. But they may have a class session or two before they get their books. It would have been $130 in the campus bookstore, for used... found the same used books online for only $57 total! I was pleased. And we'll find out about the fall books soon so I can order them in time.
Wesley had swim lessons, at the Y. He's in the oldest group. I just want him to learn some strokes and be proficient. He's already a good swimmer, but with limited variety. I had intended to work out while he swam but they asked all parents to stay, lucky I had a magazine. But we stayed a little longer after he was done so I could get in some time on the treadmill. TOmorrow we'll go early, and I'll take my suit so I can sit in the cool water.
Bill came home today, with lots of stories and a few blisters and bruises. I'm looking forward to hearing more about his trip when I take him to breakfast tomorrow. I finally finished up my grade reporting for the past year. If you remember, my gradebook crashed on May 1, so I have been having to put in all the grades class by class and it has been a slow process of data entry. The next step is to build a master database of the classes I teach and the assignments in each. This way I can just copy that each year and not have to build it from scratch. I have 2 of the 5 classes for next year completed in that and hope to finish the last ones tomorrow. Then I can start putting in all the new students for next year and see where that stands. I always worry about enrollment all summer and then get a flood of new students in August... but still with the recession and all.......
The evening found us scattered all over the place. Bill was at Scouts, Honour went to a movie with a friend, Rebecca was swimming, I took Wesley to baseball, and Bethany held down the fort and kept Spot company. Now, for the first time in a long time... we are all home. We enjoyed laughing and greeting Bill, then they all went off to bed. I am so blessed. And now my computer says it is 10:00 pm so I am hitting publish and shutting down for the night. Off to do devotions, relax, and breathe in my massage chair.
Have I mentioned that I LOVE Summer?????
Wesley had swim lessons, at the Y. He's in the oldest group. I just want him to learn some strokes and be proficient. He's already a good swimmer, but with limited variety. I had intended to work out while he swam but they asked all parents to stay, lucky I had a magazine. But we stayed a little longer after he was done so I could get in some time on the treadmill. TOmorrow we'll go early, and I'll take my suit so I can sit in the cool water.
Bill came home today, with lots of stories and a few blisters and bruises. I'm looking forward to hearing more about his trip when I take him to breakfast tomorrow. I finally finished up my grade reporting for the past year. If you remember, my gradebook crashed on May 1, so I have been having to put in all the grades class by class and it has been a slow process of data entry. The next step is to build a master database of the classes I teach and the assignments in each. This way I can just copy that each year and not have to build it from scratch. I have 2 of the 5 classes for next year completed in that and hope to finish the last ones tomorrow. Then I can start putting in all the new students for next year and see where that stands. I always worry about enrollment all summer and then get a flood of new students in August... but still with the recession and all.......
The evening found us scattered all over the place. Bill was at Scouts, Honour went to a movie with a friend, Rebecca was swimming, I took Wesley to baseball, and Bethany held down the fort and kept Spot company. Now, for the first time in a long time... we are all home. We enjoyed laughing and greeting Bill, then they all went off to bed. I am so blessed. And now my computer says it is 10:00 pm so I am hitting publish and shutting down for the night. Off to do devotions, relax, and breathe in my massage chair.
Have I mentioned that I LOVE Summer?????
Spent-- Day 3 and 4
So, I decided to just tread water most of the weekend, continuing the changes I made last week. Our 4th of July tradition includes Red-White-and-Blue waffles for breakfast. I had some healthy blueberry-buckwheat waffles while the kids had regular ones covered with fruit and whipped cream :) Still had my smoothie for lunch and we had a healthy meal for dinner. I had been avoiding all refined sugar but I did make some homemade limeade with white sugar and it was very refreshing. Wesley and I made Rice Krispie Treats with patriotic sprinkles and I ate a small square of that. I was feeling great and didn't want to sabotage the progress I had made.
Day 3, the new step was releasing tension. He speaks of fascia, a system of connective tissue throughout your body that is often tight and tense and the reason for many aches and soreness. He recommends a form of massage where you lay on some tennis balls. But thanks to my wonderful guy, I have a massage chair! I often sit in it to relax at night before going to bed or when I wake up achy. So, last night I made myself a little footbath at the base of my chair, and enjoyed some relaxing time there while watching a movie I had rented (Revolutionary Road). Then lights out early was easy.
So, Day 4 I haven't read yet, but it is about breathing.... will report more on that later. Today I feel so good, it just makes me want to breathe deeply. Haven't had caffeine in 4 days so that is out of my system... and minimal sugar. I do like that I can have fruit. I haven't done well in the past trying to cut 100% sugars, even fruits.
Day 3, the new step was releasing tension. He speaks of fascia, a system of connective tissue throughout your body that is often tight and tense and the reason for many aches and soreness. He recommends a form of massage where you lay on some tennis balls. But thanks to my wonderful guy, I have a massage chair! I often sit in it to relax at night before going to bed or when I wake up achy. So, last night I made myself a little footbath at the base of my chair, and enjoyed some relaxing time there while watching a movie I had rented (Revolutionary Road). Then lights out early was easy.
So, Day 4 I haven't read yet, but it is about breathing.... will report more on that later. Today I feel so good, it just makes me want to breathe deeply. Haven't had caffeine in 4 days so that is out of my system... and minimal sugar. I do like that I can have fruit. I haven't done well in the past trying to cut 100% sugars, even fruits.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Spent- Day 2
So here I am on Day 2 of my rejuvenation effort. To be clear, this is more about feeling better than actually a diet to lose weight, but if that happens in the process, so be it (she says with a big grin). I just want to have more energy again, not be achy and sore when I wake up each morning. Yesterday was not too bad. I had an almond butter on Marathon bread sandwich and fresh figs for lunch. I LOVE fresh figs! and these were especially delicious plump ones. Then for dinner we had grilled burgers and zuchinni. I know that probably wasn't purist, but I had ground beef that needed using. I had lite Swiss cheese on mine and only the squash with it, NO chips :). I felt good all day but in the late afternoon I did start to get a dull headache, probably from lack of caffeine. That lasted until bedtime, but appears to be gone this morning.
Day 2: Lipman's assignment for Day 2 is about sleep. Now that sugar is out, and breakfasts are healthy smoothies (more on that in a minute), He wants to focus on better sleep. This is one area that has definitely been a tough one for me throughout the divorce and even now. For months I had such anxiety I could not sleep more than 2-3 choppy hours a night. When it was at its worst, I took 2 Benadryl at bedtime each night just to knock me out. It was desperate measures for desperate times. Now I am sleeping somewhat better, but I often stay up too late at night, just because I'm lonely and don't want to go to bed... silly I know. And I often wake about 3 or 4 and have trouble getting back to sleep. But even so, my body wakes up by about 6:30 each day,however rough the night was. And napping is hard to do in a house with 5 active children.
So, Lipman's advice is two-fold. First, don't use the bed for anything other than sleep. That is hard for me. I have my laptop... read, watch TV in bed. It's my private oasis in the household. I'll work on that. but hie second suggestion is to turn off all electronics at 10pm, to tell your body it's time to wind down. That I can do. Last month I bought a new Emilie Barnes devotional book, so at 10 pm each night at least when home... I will turn off the "noise" and have my devotional at 10, and then turnout lights and try to go to sleep. That's my plan for tonight.
Lipman has not started exercise yet, but I began a 30-day challenge with my Wii Active Personal Trainer game on Monday. I have completed 4 workouts with that, plus an aqua fitness class at the Y. I am a little sore and tired so I will enjoy the rest day that is scheduled for tomorrow!
Today I have worked out and made my smoothie, recipe as follows:
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
1 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 avocado
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. water
juice of half a lime
1 serving scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 serving of greens powder
4 ice cubes
Blend thoroughly. I really enjoyed this one, although the "greens" taste comes through just a little bit. The texture was terrific and it makes a generous portion.
Day 2: Lipman's assignment for Day 2 is about sleep. Now that sugar is out, and breakfasts are healthy smoothies (more on that in a minute), He wants to focus on better sleep. This is one area that has definitely been a tough one for me throughout the divorce and even now. For months I had such anxiety I could not sleep more than 2-3 choppy hours a night. When it was at its worst, I took 2 Benadryl at bedtime each night just to knock me out. It was desperate measures for desperate times. Now I am sleeping somewhat better, but I often stay up too late at night, just because I'm lonely and don't want to go to bed... silly I know. And I often wake about 3 or 4 and have trouble getting back to sleep. But even so, my body wakes up by about 6:30 each day,however rough the night was. And napping is hard to do in a house with 5 active children.
So, Lipman's advice is two-fold. First, don't use the bed for anything other than sleep. That is hard for me. I have my laptop... read, watch TV in bed. It's my private oasis in the household. I'll work on that. but hie second suggestion is to turn off all electronics at 10pm, to tell your body it's time to wind down. That I can do. Last month I bought a new Emilie Barnes devotional book, so at 10 pm each night at least when home... I will turn off the "noise" and have my devotional at 10, and then turnout lights and try to go to sleep. That's my plan for tonight.
Lipman has not started exercise yet, but I began a 30-day challenge with my Wii Active Personal Trainer game on Monday. I have completed 4 workouts with that, plus an aqua fitness class at the Y. I am a little sore and tired so I will enjoy the rest day that is scheduled for tomorrow!
Today I have worked out and made my smoothie, recipe as follows:
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
1 c. frozen blueberries
1/4 avocado
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. water
juice of half a lime
1 serving scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
1 serving of greens powder
4 ice cubes
Blend thoroughly. I really enjoyed this one, although the "greens" taste comes through just a little bit. The texture was terrific and it makes a generous portion.
Spent
(This is actually a post from Facebook yesterday-Thursday. I have decided to move the progress here to my real blog, since it may be lengthy, too long for Facebook) I found this book at the library when I was taking the kids yesterday. The subtitle is End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again. The last two years have been monumentally stressful and I'm left feeling Spent, as he says. I have been exercising again and eating at least some vegetables :) But I still wake feeling less than energetic, and often drag through the days. So I thought I'd try his 6 week program. It is one of those Extreme programs with NO sugar or processed foods. I will not even attempt to be 100% sugar-free. But I can significantly reduce the amount of bad stuff I put in and try to balance it with lots moe good stuff. He gives daily assignments that all focus around food, exercise, habits, stress-relief. It is a total life system. I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of girl and I give up if I'm not perfect, BUT.... I am going into this with the knowledge that I don't even want to try to be perfect at this... it's way too severe for me to do while still feeding my kids. I'm going to journal the progress here for 6 weeks. May not be daily, but I hope to check in often.
Day one: The biggest change today is that he is asking us to remove sugars in all forms from our diet. I admit to being a sugar-junkie. I will give it my best effort, but not to the point of being ill. He does offer the option of taking glutamineto reduce sugar cravings. I have not heard of this so I will see if it works. For me, the biggest change from day one will be breakfast. Instead of coffee with fancy sweetened creamers and English muffins..... I'll make smoothies. I pulled out the blender and had a strawberry/pina colada one today with coconut juice, one banana, frozen strawberries, and pina colada flavored whey protein sweetened with Stevia. Stevia is the only artificial sweetener allowed, and I have used it for a while and do like it. That's a relief. It makes terrific lemonade. Wesley and I are off today to buy a few supplements he recommends from the natural foods area at HEB,... hope they have it all.
Day one: The biggest change today is that he is asking us to remove sugars in all forms from our diet. I admit to being a sugar-junkie. I will give it my best effort, but not to the point of being ill. He does offer the option of taking glutamineto reduce sugar cravings. I have not heard of this so I will see if it works. For me, the biggest change from day one will be breakfast. Instead of coffee with fancy sweetened creamers and English muffins..... I'll make smoothies. I pulled out the blender and had a strawberry/pina colada one today with coconut juice, one banana, frozen strawberries, and pina colada flavored whey protein sweetened with Stevia. Stevia is the only artificial sweetener allowed, and I have used it for a while and do like it. That's a relief. It makes terrific lemonade. Wesley and I are off today to buy a few supplements he recommends from the natural foods area at HEB,... hope they have it all.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Catch Up Week
We have been out of school for 4 weeks and this is the first one that I do not have major commitments during. I have so very much to do and have high hopes for the week. Already this morning I have worked out with my new Wii EA Active game. I started the 30-day challenge and plan to finish that out before the end of July! It's a fun mix of cardio, strength exercises, and some fun like boxing. I was surprised how much I liked the boxing.
After that, I took my coupons to the fancy grocery and got a bundle. I also took advantage of their rock bottom meat sales and got four mega packs of round steaks, 8 lbs of ground beef, two whole chickens, and some beef chuck cross rib steaks? which are now in my crock pot with BBQ sauce. I put each of the packs of round steaks in a different marinade in the freezer, holding one for tomorrow night. I am going to make the ground beef into a meatloaf and some patties and put them in the freezer too. I'm hoping I can get Eddie to smoke the chickens for me tomorrow night when he cooks. That makes the best chicken salad!
Now I need to go paint the floor trim in the bathrooms we had floored earlier in the month. THey look pretty bad next to the pretty new floor. And I have to work on some grades to get the last few classes reported. If I get all that done, it will be a successful day :) Happy Monday!
After that, I took my coupons to the fancy grocery and got a bundle. I also took advantage of their rock bottom meat sales and got four mega packs of round steaks, 8 lbs of ground beef, two whole chickens, and some beef chuck cross rib steaks? which are now in my crock pot with BBQ sauce. I put each of the packs of round steaks in a different marinade in the freezer, holding one for tomorrow night. I am going to make the ground beef into a meatloaf and some patties and put them in the freezer too. I'm hoping I can get Eddie to smoke the chickens for me tomorrow night when he cooks. That makes the best chicken salad!
Now I need to go paint the floor trim in the bathrooms we had floored earlier in the month. THey look pretty bad next to the pretty new floor. And I have to work on some grades to get the last few classes reported. If I get all that done, it will be a successful day :) Happy Monday!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
And another Museum
For those who don't know, Dr. Pepper was first invented and bottled right here in Central Texas. About a mile from the zoo is the Dr. Pepper museum and Wesley is a HUGE Dr. Pepper fan. So we went there after lunch.
And we finished off the museum tour with a trip to the old fashioned soda fountain for ice cream.
Here is my little guy, very happy!
Day at the Zoo
This week my whole family is in town from all over the place. My brother lives in Portland OR and my sister lives in SE Texas. But for this week, we all came central and are having a great time. We started the celebration with a Father's Day dinner after church here at my place. I made Italian Beef for sandwiches and bought deli sides to keep it simple. On Monday we went early and the kids went out on the lake in my Dad's boat with my brother and his lovely girlfriend.
Then yesterday we went to a nearby zoo. Despite the temps over 100, we all had a blast! Here are the highlights:
Then yesterday we went to a nearby zoo. Despite the temps over 100, we all had a blast! Here are the highlights:
Monday, June 22, 2009
Red!!
I have been wanting to play with my hair color for quite some time, but just couldn't quite get up the nerve. until today.....
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Building a Fort
This morning the kids built a giant fort wonderland in the living room... Then played Scrabble Slam in it... read in it...and just enjoyed having a private space. 
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
And it continues...
Red tape is so frustrating. I have two situations right now that are causing way more stress than they should. First, I am trying to get my two oldest in the local junior college for some dual credit courses. It is supposed to be free for us since we live in the district. All along the way, there has been one hitch after another. I thought we finally got it all straightened out. Then this morning when I went to use the phone registration system to enroll them both in fall classes. Bethany's went fine but at the end of Bill's I heard the recording say the payment balance is.........$474/ Ugggh! Now I have to go stand in that line yet again to find out why. sigh.......
The other is much more frustrating. It is a divorce issue which has now been resolved so I am editing out the anger I felt a couple of weeks ago... some things are better not left to read over and over :) But it all goes to show just how inextricably intertwined you become when you are married. Breaking that union is not easy, not God's plan, not ideal. But it happens, and sometimes interactions like this are just further reinforcement. sigh....................again.
The other is much more frustrating. It is a divorce issue which has now been resolved so I am editing out the anger I felt a couple of weeks ago... some things are better not left to read over and over :) But it all goes to show just how inextricably intertwined you become when you are married. Breaking that union is not easy, not God's plan, not ideal. But it happens, and sometimes interactions like this are just further reinforcement. sigh....................again.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Summer
Wow, it's been a month! May is such a whirlwind for me, I rarely have time to breathe. We finished out another school year. That was my 5th in this business teaching science and it was a great one! But I am so relieved that it is summer. I just get so behind during the school year and things pile up. So what have I done since we got out of school?
1- I now have 2 kids in the local junior college, so the first thing we did was spend several days working our way through the red tape of applying, testing, advising, and now registering. They will be taking one course each for summer school and two classes each in the fall. Spanish, writing, math, and creative writing. I'll leave it to those who know them to figure out who is taking which classes :)
2-I also took on a part time temporary job delivering flyers for a local paint company. For about two weeks, the younger kids and I walked thousands of steps, many including hills and stairs, putting them on doors. Still trying to decide it it was worth the pennies per flyer?
3- A while back we had a toilet overflow upstairs. In the cleanup process, we discovered that the floor upstairs was rotten from years of toilet problems. Eddie had to rebuild the whole area, and I got new flooring just last week. We had Lowe's install new vinyl, and since there was a minimum installation fee for that tiny bathroom, I went ahead and got new flooring for the boys' bathroom too. Both were in pretty bad shape after 14 yrs of this family! Still need to caulk and paint the woodwork. I also have to strip the nasty old wallpaper and paint both bathrooms. this will a be a project for July. June is full already!
4- Bethany and I helped Eddie cater a wedding reception for 100 on Memorial Day weekend. That is always a full week of shopping, prepping, cooking, and then a marathon day for the event but I think it went very well and all the food was enjoyed.
5- The next day, we had a goodbye breakfast at Denny's with Eddie and then I went to my sister's over in Southeast Tx. I took Bethany to stay for a while and she is still there! But I'm getting her back on Friday. I miss my girl. We enjoyed playing with Emmalyn who is about 2 and a half now. And I got lots of holding time with Jude, my brand new nephew. He was about 6 weeks when I was there, and just adorable. We played at the Bouncy place, went to a MOPS meeting, went to church, and went shopping. Hard to do much with 2 tiny ones in tow but we had a great time. That Emmalyn LOVES to "go see friends". Cute :)
6- This past week I was home and tried to get some things accomplished. I did get much of my room decluttered from end of the school year clutter. I took the kids to some museums on the University of Texas campus all day on Thursday. I went to school there, so I love to visit now and then, and there are some real treasures there.
7- Over the weekend, I helped Eddie cook and deliver briskets. When he cooks, it is a 2 day process, including 16-18 straight hours with meat on the pit, which has to be checked every 40 minutes. So I often just go hang out with him. We watch lots of Food Network, take mini naps.
When that was finally done on Saturday, we delivered some meat and then went to dinner. The UT baseball game was on and we wanted to find a place to see it since it was on a weird channel neither of us got. We discovered a very nice restaurant, sports bar that is owned by the son of a friend. So that was a lovely evening.
8- Sunday morning church... Bill was leaving for a mission trip all this week, and the others were with their father at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Eddie and I had eaten so much Saturday night, we just had a small lunch at Sonic. Then a nap... always a Sunday nap if I can sneak it in.
9- One of the things I had really been wanting to do was power wash my entry way and sidewalk. It was just so very dirty! Eddie did most of the hard, messy work, but I finished out the sidewalk and even Wesley took a chance. He had a "blast"!
1- I now have 2 kids in the local junior college, so the first thing we did was spend several days working our way through the red tape of applying, testing, advising, and now registering. They will be taking one course each for summer school and two classes each in the fall. Spanish, writing, math, and creative writing. I'll leave it to those who know them to figure out who is taking which classes :)
2-I also took on a part time temporary job delivering flyers for a local paint company. For about two weeks, the younger kids and I walked thousands of steps, many including hills and stairs, putting them on doors. Still trying to decide it it was worth the pennies per flyer?
3- A while back we had a toilet overflow upstairs. In the cleanup process, we discovered that the floor upstairs was rotten from years of toilet problems. Eddie had to rebuild the whole area, and I got new flooring just last week. We had Lowe's install new vinyl, and since there was a minimum installation fee for that tiny bathroom, I went ahead and got new flooring for the boys' bathroom too. Both were in pretty bad shape after 14 yrs of this family! Still need to caulk and paint the woodwork. I also have to strip the nasty old wallpaper and paint both bathrooms. this will a be a project for July. June is full already!
4- Bethany and I helped Eddie cater a wedding reception for 100 on Memorial Day weekend. That is always a full week of shopping, prepping, cooking, and then a marathon day for the event but I think it went very well and all the food was enjoyed.
5- The next day, we had a goodbye breakfast at Denny's with Eddie and then I went to my sister's over in Southeast Tx. I took Bethany to stay for a while and she is still there! But I'm getting her back on Friday. I miss my girl. We enjoyed playing with Emmalyn who is about 2 and a half now. And I got lots of holding time with Jude, my brand new nephew. He was about 6 weeks when I was there, and just adorable. We played at the Bouncy place, went to a MOPS meeting, went to church, and went shopping. Hard to do much with 2 tiny ones in tow but we had a great time. That Emmalyn LOVES to "go see friends". Cute :)
6- This past week I was home and tried to get some things accomplished. I did get much of my room decluttered from end of the school year clutter. I took the kids to some museums on the University of Texas campus all day on Thursday. I went to school there, so I love to visit now and then, and there are some real treasures there.
7- Over the weekend, I helped Eddie cook and deliver briskets. When he cooks, it is a 2 day process, including 16-18 straight hours with meat on the pit, which has to be checked every 40 minutes. So I often just go hang out with him. We watch lots of Food Network, take mini naps.
When that was finally done on Saturday, we delivered some meat and then went to dinner. The UT baseball game was on and we wanted to find a place to see it since it was on a weird channel neither of us got. We discovered a very nice restaurant, sports bar that is owned by the son of a friend. So that was a lovely evening.
8- Sunday morning church... Bill was leaving for a mission trip all this week, and the others were with their father at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Eddie and I had eaten so much Saturday night, we just had a small lunch at Sonic. Then a nap... always a Sunday nap if I can sneak it in.
9- One of the things I had really been wanting to do was power wash my entry way and sidewalk. It was just so very dirty! Eddie did most of the hard, messy work, but I finished out the sidewalk and even Wesley took a chance. He had a "blast"!
10- All along the way, we've been doing the normal grocery shopping, haircuts, library visits, etc. And I feel like I am constantly driving kids one place or another. This morning, Wesley and I went to the store and saved a BUNDLE. I love using the Grocery Game and the kids like to help me, choosing some of the fun things on the list.
11- Then we came home and the 4 of us (Bethany and Bill are gone all week) cleaned up the playroom and vacuumed it. It gets a mess and I rarely get that far in my cleaning. So that felt good. Now, I am taking a break while I watch Clean Sweep on TLC. It motivates me to toss, declutter, and organize.
This afternoon I need to finish up grades and get them out. We may go to the pool. I promised Wesley a trip to Target. And tonight he starts baseball through the Y. We are trying a summer session since he may not love it and it is a small commitment. I'll keep you posted, with pictures, I'm sure...
Happy Summer!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
My Two Minutes on a Soapbox
Okay, I have a pet peeve and I know it is shared by many, but I feel like I am allowed to feel this way, since I have understanding of both sides. I went to a very nice restaurant last night. This restaurant had wine bottles all over, a very romantic decor, quiet music playing. The owners of this establishment obviously want it to be a nice restaurant, and the prices reflected that. Eddie and I had spent all day cooking for 100 for a catering job, and decided to celebrate after we dropped off the food.
All was well, until about halfway through our appetizer, two separate parties with small children came in. The first had 2 preschool age girls. They colored, ate, and looked at their picture books. They were fine! and didn't disturb anyone. But the other party had 4 small children, one of which was a toddler and another a baby about 8-10 months old. They were seated right next to us. And that ruined the rest of our relaxing dinner. The parents (two couples) were obviously enjoying themselves, laughing and talking loudly. They had wine... salads... all the while the kids whined and squirmed. They tried to shush them, but no one ever got up and carried them out so as not to bother others dining in the same dark quiet room. We finally finished up and left, but the whole evening had been tainted by that experience.
This is something I feel strongly about. Now, remember I have 5! children, all in a 9 year age span. So for many, many years, I lived that life. But I tried to do it in a way that didn't bother everyone else, or ask others to suffer because of my life stage. I took my kids out to eat occasionally. Sometimes it was fast food, but we also went to Luby's, Chili's and other family style restaurants, and maybe even to other nicer places. And I took babies out to eat when they were tiny and portable. But older infants and toddlers are not a good match for the nicest of restaurants. And if I found myself in a restaurant and my kids were misbehaving, either their father or I carried them outside to explore so as not to bother others. I see these parents over and over making no attempt to quiet or control their unruly kids, often even allowing them to run around in the restaurant when they are finished eating, but the parents are not. They act like they are oh, so cute.
There are other options for a quiet romantic evening with your spouse or friends. If you cannot afford a babysitter, trade nights out with a friend. Or order in and set up your own cozy dinner in your home after kids go to bed early. I used to be shocked at the people in our country who were blantantly and vocally anti-child. But now, I am beginning to see how some inconsiderate families can ruin it for all the rest of us. And it saddens me. I hate to be cynical, but I am beginning to dread it when small children come into a restaurant where I am eating. I used to see the looks on people's faces when we walked in with our brood. But on more than one occasion, those same people would come to us at the end of a meal and tell us how well-behaved our children had been. Now I know why!
All was well, until about halfway through our appetizer, two separate parties with small children came in. The first had 2 preschool age girls. They colored, ate, and looked at their picture books. They were fine! and didn't disturb anyone. But the other party had 4 small children, one of which was a toddler and another a baby about 8-10 months old. They were seated right next to us. And that ruined the rest of our relaxing dinner. The parents (two couples) were obviously enjoying themselves, laughing and talking loudly. They had wine... salads... all the while the kids whined and squirmed. They tried to shush them, but no one ever got up and carried them out so as not to bother others dining in the same dark quiet room. We finally finished up and left, but the whole evening had been tainted by that experience.
This is something I feel strongly about. Now, remember I have 5! children, all in a 9 year age span. So for many, many years, I lived that life. But I tried to do it in a way that didn't bother everyone else, or ask others to suffer because of my life stage. I took my kids out to eat occasionally. Sometimes it was fast food, but we also went to Luby's, Chili's and other family style restaurants, and maybe even to other nicer places. And I took babies out to eat when they were tiny and portable. But older infants and toddlers are not a good match for the nicest of restaurants. And if I found myself in a restaurant and my kids were misbehaving, either their father or I carried them outside to explore so as not to bother others. I see these parents over and over making no attempt to quiet or control their unruly kids, often even allowing them to run around in the restaurant when they are finished eating, but the parents are not. They act like they are oh, so cute.
There are other options for a quiet romantic evening with your spouse or friends. If you cannot afford a babysitter, trade nights out with a friend. Or order in and set up your own cozy dinner in your home after kids go to bed early. I used to be shocked at the people in our country who were blantantly and vocally anti-child. But now, I am beginning to see how some inconsiderate families can ruin it for all the rest of us. And it saddens me. I hate to be cynical, but I am beginning to dread it when small children come into a restaurant where I am eating. I used to see the looks on people's faces when we walked in with our brood. But on more than one occasion, those same people would come to us at the end of a meal and tell us how well-behaved our children had been. Now I know why!
Friday, May 01, 2009
Near disaster
This has been a tough week. Late last week I spilled over half a gallon of vinegar in the back of my van. I carry vinegar often for the science experiments, and the tops are just pop tabs, not screw tops. If it tips, it spills. Usually they are wedged in and might spill a tiny bit. This time, it gushed. It took days just to dry, but now it still smells like vinegar. Plus, it's 9 years old and hauls dirty kids often :) It is quite stinky. So today, I am going to get it detailed, including the upholstery cleaned.
But the real disaster happened about 10:30 Wednesday night. I was grading papers and putting the grades in my computer gradebook. I have 9 classes, over 100 students, with 30-40 assignments per student each year. I have wonderful software that helps with that, and I love it. But it has a learning curve and i still don't know everything about it. I got to thinking about Bill going to ACC this summer, and needing to finish his transcript. So I thought I'd just go over to last year's file and pull up his Chemistry grade. When that was done, I couldn't figure out how to get back to the current year. I searched and searched. I found so many duplicate files all over the place, and yet none were the current school year. I began to panic. I tried to delete old files. Somehow, and I really do not even know HOW, I must have deleted the most current version. Yes, the whole year. Database of classes, students, ALL of it. That represents HOURS upon HOURS of work. I wason the verge of tears. I tried to recreate it and couldn't even get that to work. Finally, at 2 am, I gave up, defeated. I was dreading having to start from scratch.
I went into classes Thursday morning, gathering information as i could. Now I do keep a paper gradebook, so it was really a matter of data entry. But that's a heck of a lot of data. By the time Chemistry came around, Bill was there to help me. He interns in that class with me. He searched for about 10-15 minutes and found an old saved version from about October somewhere in my documents. So, if I can't find anything else, it will at least avoid the initial set up that takes so long in the fall.
It's a good thing my kids are strong and healthy. I'm managing to make a mess of my life all by myself.
But the real disaster happened about 10:30 Wednesday night. I was grading papers and putting the grades in my computer gradebook. I have 9 classes, over 100 students, with 30-40 assignments per student each year. I have wonderful software that helps with that, and I love it. But it has a learning curve and i still don't know everything about it. I got to thinking about Bill going to ACC this summer, and needing to finish his transcript. So I thought I'd just go over to last year's file and pull up his Chemistry grade. When that was done, I couldn't figure out how to get back to the current year. I searched and searched. I found so many duplicate files all over the place, and yet none were the current school year. I began to panic. I tried to delete old files. Somehow, and I really do not even know HOW, I must have deleted the most current version. Yes, the whole year. Database of classes, students, ALL of it. That represents HOURS upon HOURS of work. I wason the verge of tears. I tried to recreate it and couldn't even get that to work. Finally, at 2 am, I gave up, defeated. I was dreading having to start from scratch.
I went into classes Thursday morning, gathering information as i could. Now I do keep a paper gradebook, so it was really a matter of data entry. But that's a heck of a lot of data. By the time Chemistry came around, Bill was there to help me. He interns in that class with me. He searched for about 10-15 minutes and found an old saved version from about October somewhere in my documents. So, if I can't find anything else, it will at least avoid the initial set up that takes so long in the fall.
It's a good thing my kids are strong and healthy. I'm managing to make a mess of my life all by myself.
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