"Jade is the new black"

photo to be posted later

What I'm Thinking About...

How do parents handle *teenagers* ? Do you get used to *teenage girl* late nights, drama and high-pitched screams because it happens gradually over time, or because you are older and your hearing/mind is gone?

AND, how long is it going to take me to recover from FIVE late nights, early mornings? Them??

Company's Here!

The beds are made

The dishes washed

The toilets scrubbed

The floors swept

The company has arrived

The fun has begun!

not necessarily in that order... 

It's a strange Life

I had an interesting experience today.

I don't know if I've ever shared with you all what I do?  I teach nutrition classes to low-income, fixed-income families/individuals.  Flexible with great benefits.  What could be better?  ANYWAY...

In January, I connected with a local pastor who is trying to get a non-profit organization up and running.  The organizations she wants to facilitate would help women who have been incarcerated acclimate back in to society.   She has grand plans to offer educational classes, counseling/therapy, job training, parenting classes and of course nutrition. (among other things)

She had been meeting with the women at our county jail, getting to know them, why they were there, finding out what their needs "on the outside" were, etc. And so my weekly nutrition classes in the library at the county jail started.

I was a little nervous the first week, getting past the lobby was the creepiest part.  The women are interesting, and I am learning things I never knew I didn't know.  

But TODAY, while doing some shopping (at WalMart of course)  I ran into one of the girls!

It was so strange to see her.  I guess perhaps because the only way I had ever seen her was in blue scrubs and rubber shoes.

She looked different in make-up and street clothes!

Lost & Found

Lost:  One little girl with platinum blonde hair, tall enough to get into trouble with a smile that will melt your heart.  You'll recognize her by her can-do attitude, and charming disposition.

Found.

Livin' the Life

Center of attention at Nana & Papa's

Donuts for breakfast!

A Slow, Painful Death

Homework is going to kill me.

I am beyond frustrated with William's homework.

Tonight he came home from school, had a snack then slept for four hours. Only got up then because I woke him. He's tired. I understand that, but after a four hour nap, homework should go pretty good right?

Not so. Math paper finished with me helping him with EACH problem.

Handwriting? I thought it would be fun, motivational for us to race. Wrong again. Forty five minutes to finish one page. Yes, one page.

Mind you, the entire time he is complaining-He can't do it, it's to hard, it's to much, it's bedtime. (I know, right?)

I've tried to be encouraging- You can do it, you are doing a good job, focus on your work, it'll be done before you know it.

I've tried incentives- When you get X done you can watch 30 minutes of t.v., you can have a snack, you can play the wii.... nothing works.

I've tried punishment- If you do not get X done you cannot go to soccer practice, your 4-H meeting, with Dad in the tractor.

I've tried time. You have to get X done before you eat, before your shower, before you play.

Most nights he does not have time to do anything else because he messes around instead of doing his work.

The crying. He cries. Most days I would chalk it up to being tired. Not tonight.

Last week, frustrated because he forgot to bring a project home to study, (again) I wrote his teacher a note stating that I wanted him to stay in from his ONE 20 minute recess to finish this one project so he could bring it home. Only to find out that he has not been getting his recess. She has been making him stay inside to catch up on his work.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

When was the last time he got his whole recess? Who knows. I'm upset.

A. I get so upset with him at homework time, I lose my patience.

B. Who wants to work if they are not getting any break time during the day?

It's 11:25pm, and he still has 5 pages of handwriting. (3 hours and 45 minutes worth?)

What am I going to do?

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Another family fave is on the menu for this weekend.

2 Heads broccoli raw, cut in bite size pieces

1 lb bacon fried and crumbled

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced

Toss together and cover with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vinegar

Company's Coming!

This coming weekend, Friday through Tuesday, we are having house guest.  Mostly family, but guest all the same.

Not only have I asked the guest to bring food, and took extra days off work,  I asked my mom to come help me clean.  

I know.  After 15+ years of keeping house, I still needed my mom to come help with this project.  "Help" is perhaps the wrong word to use.  It implies that I did most of the work, and she was here to support me.  In reality, she did 99% of the work while I yelled at the kids.

Not only did she drive half the night Friday to get here, work HARD all day Saturday and Sunday, she took Jackson home with her.

I am really feeling like a slacker.

I would really like to go sit at my sewing machine, or organize my scrapbooking supplies in my freshly cleaned basement, but Mom made me make a list, and I'll feel really bad if it does not get done by the weekend.  I guess I'll go fold towels.

Happy Monday....

Dee-Vine

In my ever-present quest to be the best, most on-top-of-it mother, I have started to unpack the boxes I packed over a year ago with all those things that were deemed: "un-necessary for survival". Yup. That's me. ON TOP OF IT.




I cannot tell you how many people have told me, "If you've lived without it for a year, do you really need it?" Including my husband. And yes, I would agree, if I wanted to downsize, I'm sure some of the stuff could go. But hey, it's my stuff, and I love it, and I've missed it. On the other hand, do you know how many times I wish I had a wine glass instead of a plastic cup? And the photos of my kids as sweet little babies? I need those to remind me just how much I love them when we are on hour 3 of homework. Or sitting in the rain at soccer. sorry. And my books? I need those. Sadly, some may say all those "things" really are "un-necessary for survival", maybe their survival, but not mine. And it's been long enough.






The first box I unpacked, at the request of Brook, and because I had been really missing it, was a box of photo albums, and the book of Jackson's birth.

One of the most precious gifts I've ever received. I posted about it here.

Still makes me tear up. Until I hear him (Jackson) on the counter again. That boy. The terrible two's have started. He's 17 months, and if I remember correctly with William, things did not get better until he was four. We've got a ways to go.

The second box I unpacked was linens. Brand new ones I had purchased over a year ago at a white sale. Cream colored 610 thread count sheets. New in the package.

I immediately washed them up and put them on our bed. I will never go back. I have one word for them:

Decadent.

Can sheets be decadent? I think so!

I am having so much fun un-packing, it is so exciting to see my things again, I'd forgot about some.. it's like Christmas... in May!

I'm Earning Pennies Now!

Remember our "Behavior Incentive Program"?  Where the kids earn pennies for good behavior? 

I'm earning them now!

 When my family was here in November for "Family Fun Day", we had my friend Kimberly come and take some family photos.  After waiting for some time, my brother Ben was pretty anxious for his prints, so  he offered me 10 pennies for getting them in the mail!  He delivered!

Now.... what do I want out of the prize box....?

Last weekend, at the wedding our house guest attended, the bride had thoughtfully put basil plants at each place setting for her guest to take as a party favor along with a recipe for pesto. (how creative is that?)  Brook and Celeste, the kleptomaniacs that they are, took several.  And I was the happy recipient of some of their "plunder". 

The bride had tied each plant up with burlap and a brown ribbon.  Enjoy! we shall!!  Thank You Libby!

Today with Isabelle and Jackson I potted the basil along with a house plant that needed a more permanent home.  They had a great time digging around in the dirt.  After potting the plants, I put them on the porch for the afternoon to "toughen up", and forgot about the house plant.

While doing some picking up later in the day, I wandered into Isabelle's room to find this:

The house plant, on her tea party table.  "How sweet" I thought.  "She's taking pride in her room." "What a little decorator!"

Then I saw this:

The contents of her table. Swished onto the floor in one swoop of the hand.  Decorator? maybe.  House keeper? probably not.

And that was the good part of my day.  Jackson slept just long enough for me to eat some lunch, and then followed me around and cried for the rest of the afternoon.  Ryan had a few things he wanted me to do, and I did get those finished, but I was not near as productive as I wanted to be.  I am tired, cold and grouchy.  I think I am going to go soak in my tub.

Good night!

Mother's Day

Sunday morning I woke up to Ryan saying: "Don't get out of bed".    no problem.  A little later, the whole family came in with a homemade breakfast of dutch babies and sautéed apples.  They all were so proud of the part they took in making me breakfast in bed!

After church, we had a McDonald's lunch at the park, and then home for me to take a nap!

Could anything be better than breakfast in bed and an afternoon nap?  all in the same day??

Beyond EXCITED!

I've been crabby.  I know, hard to believe, but it's true.

I'm happy now!  Today, while catching up on my blog reading, I realized I won these:

Seven patterns from Leila & Ben.  Courtesy of grosgrain.

If you have not yet visited grosgrain, click the link on the right.  She is fabulous.  Really.  Kathleen is so very talented.  My favorite is when she takes (ugly) clothing she finds at Salvation Army/Goodwill and transforms them into stunning pieces.  You will be delighted!

He's got a bad case of the naughties.

Last night I forgot to let Jackson close the microwave after warming his bottle.  He promptly started screaming, lay down on the floor, rolled around and continued to scream.  Me, being the  kind compassionate mother that I am, let him do so.

When he finally settled down and stopped crying, I looked over to see this:

Asleep on the hard floor. 

I picked him up, smothered his little wet face in kisses and put him in his cozy bed.

We're Planning a Wedding

Our conversation before bed tonight:

Isabelle:  "Mommy?"

Me:  "hmm?"

Isabelle: "Mommy?"

Me: "yes?"

Isabelle: "Mommy?"

Me: "WHAT Isabelle?"

Isabelle: "Can we have a wedding?"

Me:  "A wedding? who's getting married?"

Isabelle: "William and me."

Isabelle: "William is the husband, and I am the life. life. life."

Cracks me up every time.

Fun Weekends!

The Spring Soccer season started Saturday here in our neck of the woods.  

Elizabeth and Williams games are at the exact same time - of course.  On one hand, it's nice because I have no idea how we are going to entertain Jackson for one hour on the sidelines every Saturday, let alone two.  On the other, Ryan and I have two switch between games.  

Elizabeth

William

In addition to soccer, we had company!

Ryan's parents stopped on their way home from wintering in Florida, and my bes-test came in from California with her friend, who is now one of my friends too.  They were in and out over the long weekend for a local wedding.  They kept me up way to late, but it was totally worth it.

They brought me this.   A reusable shopping bag for a good cause!  It is the best bag.  It has pockets on the inside!  The proceeds from the bag will feed 100 children school lunch.  Want to know more? go here:  UN Feed Project.

Which reminds me.... I need to post the winner of last week's giveaway!

...................lucky number.............. 3!   Goddess Divine!

email me your address!

I'm to old for this.

What a weekend!

After multiple nights with less than 5 hours of sleep, I realize why partying is for people who DO NOT have children and the responsibilities that they bring.

With that being said, I just got a text stating that one of my weekend guest has indeed landed home safely, so...

GOOD NIGHT!!