Zooming through

My head is swimming with the to-do list today, so I'm just going to make it here so I can reference it all day.

XMake hostess packets for Uppercase show tonight

XLabel catalogs

XCall Home Depot

Call Uppercase referral

Mail Coupons

Make Deposit/Pick up UL check

Make Peach Jam

Cut out Valance

School

Okay, I'm the queen of overdone, so I'm going to stop there, and call anything else bonus! More later. I have Momma bird updates!

School Days, School Days...

...Dear old golden rule days. The plan is to start some sort of school routine in the morning. That may be just a joke. It will depend on how much I can prepare before the kids wake up in the morning. I'll study a little tonight after they go to bed (which I hope will be soon). I'm not going to start Math and Language yet. We are going to take a little more break from them. I'm thinking a couple more weeks. I want to continue our History, begin Science, begin a new Bible routine (Bible Reading in the morning and character study in the evening), begin handwriting. Is there anything I am missing? I'll find out soon enough.

This is what is lined up:

Bible- the Vos Children's Story Bible (a.m.)
Character Building for Families (p.m.)

History - Mystery of History

Science - Apologia Astronomy

Handwriting - A Reason for Handwriting

Jadon may start his Letters & Sounds so I can have some time to get the hang of his routine before I add the girls. Then we can start his handwriting too. They go hand in hand.

That's probably it right now. I got the girls testing scores back. I am thrilled with their listening and reading comprehension scores. Their math and spelling scores were the lowest. They are still in their grade level, but I could tell where I was slacking off. I'm going to do some homework for the other two subjects and make sure that they don't need some extra exercise in math and then we'll get back into those subjects.

I have high hopes for tomorrow. Stay tuned... ;)

Ouch, my toes!

There has been a little red flag waving in the back of my mind recently. It has to do with the behavior of my children. I know that kids will be kids, but I don't think that is an excuse to let bad behavior go on. In a general way, they are just flat out mean to each other. They snap and bark at each other. They do not want to help each other. They are worried about whom is treated fairly. It wears a mother out. Really, one of the main things I want among my children is a love of family and each other. Every mother just wants her children to grow up to be close. I know that it is important that we train for that now. As I've been pondering this, I get a devotional email from Nancy Campbell, auther of Above Rubies, a magazine I love. I'll add her ministry to the links. She highlighted the verse:

"As is the mother, so is her daughter." - Ezekial 16:44 (KJV)

Ouch! I was telling a friend yesterday, that I do believe that they learn how to treat each other from me. I tend to snap and bark at them to get them to move and obey. I don't think I realize how much I do it though.

My prayer is that I will be a reflection of Christ. Isn't that what we should be striving for anyway? Now, I want to apply that to my parenting - or focus on applying that. I need to be a gentle shepherd, not a tyrant. My Saviour is definitely that gentle, loving Father to me. He only thumps me on the head when I truly stray. He doesn't thump me to make me go in the right direction in the first place. His guidance is gentle, yet firm.

I could go on and on, but I am going rest on babbling about this and work on applying it to my heart. The main steps for me to execute will be for me to lower my voice, relax my face, and speak matter of factly. Then, I want to make sure they know why they shouldn't act/react the way they have and how TO act/react instead. I appreciate the action of making them repeat, word for word, the right thing they should've said. That, I believe, is the best training and practice. The main thing is that they will apply it to THEIR hearts, and I think that will come with the attitude in which it is presented.

Pray for the mommies around you. Motherhood is a physical job, true, but that is not the hard part. Motherhood is an extremely emotional job. Mommies are emotional people in general anyway, and the emotional aspects of the job is what makes it physically hard, to me. "As is the mother, so is the daughter." That's a big line to swallow.

Well, the closet is in. Minus the 4 pieces on order, of course. When it is complete, I will definitely post pics. We have great space and everything fits. Now to find homes for the non-clothes things that probably shouldn't have been in the closet anyway! Most of it is home information/paperwork and scrapbook stuff. I have the wardrobe/closet outside for the scrapbook stuff, but I can't help but worry that some of it should not go out in the heat.

Speaking of heat...Good grief! It is June and it feels like mid-August. We are scheduled to get some rain this week in the evenings, and it should cool off. We got in the van on Sunday and the temp read 108 degrees. I know that is from sitting in the heat, but my seat, for sure, was that hot. Hopefully we will spend a lot of time this week in the pool or at the Gardens. Today, I hope it's the gardens!

Oh, I've got to post this great piece too. I don't have one, but I think it is the neatest thing. If you are a scrapbooker or homeschooler, this is a wonderful idea!

http://www.sdsunits.com/

I tried to copy and paste a picture, but the site wouldn't allow it. Just check it out!

When the cat's away...

...The wife will play! LOL. My hubby left town yesterday on a golf retreat, so I set the plan in motion to have our closet transformed when he got home! Doing that and keeping the house from falling down around me, and getting groceries, running errands, and doing whatever else fun I feel I should get done while he's gone, is proving to be some kind of weekend!! Right now it looks like I am fleeing the country while he is gone, because of the piles everywhere! When it is done, I will post pics because I am very excited about it.

On an arrgh! note, I am still missing 4 pieces from home depot! They are now being special ordered after 2 weeks of waiting, so I'll have some holes until they come in. It is mostly for shoes and Jason's folding stuff. I'm going on a trip to Hobby Lobby today in Auburn, so I thought I might check for the pieces that Home Depot just didn't carry. That was the superslide corner rounders. We'll see. This closet will be the bomb if I can get it done!

More soon!...

Uppercase Fever

If you know me, you know I am a demonstrator for Uppercase Living. Uppercase is a direct sales company that features expressions that you "rub-on" to your walls or other flat surfaces. I absolutely love the product! Usually if you come to a show as a customer whatever you purchase at that show (the merchandise total) is doubled when you have your own party and added to your party sales as sales credit. It's a little confusing, but exciting when you get it! If I spend $50 at my friends show and book my own show, uppercase will give me $100 in sales credit because of that order. Well, hold on to your hat! Until the end of July (31st), those points are TRIPLED!! That means you would have $150 sales credit to figure your hostess gifts from that $50 order! It's too early in the morning to start calling people, so I thought I'd put it here first! If you want to take a look at the catalog, click on the uppercase living link at the bottom of the blog and go to customer corner. Use Demonstrator ID: 755829 and Registration Token: Daniel to register. You do not get spam or junk email. Here is a picture of my first uppercase order in my bedroom:



Hope you love it as much as I do...Off to email customers!

June 3, 2008

Just a quick check in. I keep repeating "I must do laundry, I must do laundry..." The thing is repeating it doesn't get it done, so I'd better not take long. I also must sew today. Customers are going to start wondering what ever came of their fabric! I can't wait to hang the latest nursery I'm doing. The fabrics are beautiful to go in a beautiful room for a baby girl. I will be sure to include pics when done.



This is our last week of this school year. Whew! We are going to take a week or so off and start again, but with some fresh subjects and perspectives. That will be a nice change of pace. I am also planning that we will take a break from Math and Language for about a month. I want to read more and do more of the subjects that we tend to fall behind on. Breana will start Language 3 in Abeka and Gamma level in MathUSee and Caitlyn will be in Language and Letters and Sounds 2 and Beta level in Math when we resume. Jadon will also start with Kindergarten (I think).



My Uppercase Living party canceled for tonight, but that's okay because it gives me a full free day, which I always need. It is rescheduled for the 17th.



Just for fun, here is a picture of a diligent momma bird that has nested a top our gutter. We got to watch her and daddy bird build their nest from the kitchen table, and now she is sitting patiently. We've caught daddy bird even bringing her food. So sweet!

Now, I must do laundry...

Getting Started - Again

Okay, maybe this time I'll keep up! I have started blogs before, but I'm terrible at consistency, so I just keep restarting. I just want to put it out there, and keep up with some random thoughts going on in my head. My life is somewhat boring, but this is mainly for me, so enjoy if you do, and if not, that's okay.

It's 8:00 a.m. and I'm already behind. The 2 year old just woke up and is screaming...