College Quilts are a labor of love

Anyone who knows me knows that sewing is not my forte. I would rather touch a gross dead fish more than sew a piece of clothing. However, with my skill set I can sew a relatively straight line, so blankets, stockings and aprons are all I've successfully made.

I made this tree skirt that my goofy daughter is wearing--from a panel and that even took me more than 10 years to get to! I once tried to make a maternity dress with a friend...she did more of the project than I did and the dress still fit 3 pregnant Tiffany's in it. No lie!

So....7 years ago when I made Kara a quilt that the whole family help tie together, I failed to consider that the other kids may want a college comforter from mom. ( can't find a picture of my first college comforter but here are the other 2.

Natalie leaves for college in 6 days and I just started her quilt today.

My big last labor of love for each kid has been their college comforter. I take the kids shopping to choose their material, I put it together (which takes a bit of sewing to start), then put on quilt frames Jim made for me (ions ago), and then we all tie it. I will post more about quilt making in a bit...stay tuned...if ya want...it's a sweet memory I have of my great grandma Wetzel. We make memories, as we share memories. It's how we find joy in the adventure of life.

Wisdom discovered at Pentatonix Concert

My goal is to have this blog post be as inspiring as I found Rachel Platten at the Pentatonix concert last night. I was fortunate to be able to take my 2 youngest girls to their first concert.

 It was so fun to see the concert through their eyes. Both girls are  huge "music nerds." (honestly, all 6 of our  kids are.) So an A Capella concert was the perfect first concert for them. (Big thanks to Jim who heard they were coming to town before I did and scored some great seats!) It was a huge surprise when Rachel Platten's name showed up on the big screen because she wasn't listed as a performer. Naturally my girls freaked out because...well who doesn't love the messages she writes and shares with all who listen. Be Brave. Fight for--YOU. You Belong.

This was taken seconds after PTX took the stage. Natalie smiled the whole time.
I think Becca forgot to breathe for a minute or two. 

I love hearing backstories....of movies, books and songs. Rachel was my favorite part of the concert because while I realize she is a performer, she has mastered the ability to make you  feel like she is talking to you in a private setting. Sharing her struggles as a working mom, her struggles with self doubt and feeling like she was less than with 10,000 people that in the arena was one of the coolest things I've experienced.  She shared the story of her new release You Belong, written while she was still pregnant. How she wondered who's smile her daughter would have, who's hands would she have, and singing to her that no matter the mistakes she makes, "You Belong." As I sat there with my 2 youngest girls, one turning 16 that day, my eyes got a bit moist...it might be that as I age, I'm losing control of my tear ducts a bit or maybe because I loved that how she wrote what every mom and parent feels about their babies.

Though my favorite song she talked about and sang was Perfect For You. She said that it was a low point in her life when she was trying to get her career going and had multiple failed attempts and was low on money. All she heard were the negative things and started to believe those and the little voice in her head that told her she wasn't enough and  why keep trying. Then how one day she decided she'd had enough and that she had the ability to change her attitude and what she believed. She had talked about social media and how it's a staged perfect life everyone shares, we need to be vulnerable and show vulnerabitility to have real relationships/friendships and to get big love. This hit me hard because as an adult social media affects how I feel sometimes, I cannot imagine how hard it would be to deal with adolescent or  teenage stuff and then add social media pressures too.  Last spring I saw all these posts my friends were showing about softball games and crazy schedules, it made me feel sad and lonely because we are no longer in that season and our evenings are a bit calmer.   I see the posts about people who have lost so much weight and are now modeling, I see posts about a perfectly finished bedroom, lawn, or house and I found that those do affect my heart, my mood, my energy level. If it affects me, an adult that should be past peer pressure, self doubt, listening to that voice in our heads...how is it affecting our kids?

Why is it so hard to put real stuff out there? Why do we feel the need to share only the great, amazing stuff we do?  At my son's graduation party he made a poster board display of all his fails and labeled it, "Wall of Shame." It had things like a speeding ticket, a failed test, a bad hair color choice, pictures scars or scabs from bike wrecks, injuries from being so "out there" when playing a sport or just being a kid outside.  I will never forget his response when I asked why he felt the need to share this stuff. "Because at graduation parties everyone always shows their successes, their awards, honors cords and never the mistakes they made along the way. I find it refreshing and like I'm normal when I see that others had struggles too. So why not show mine?"  At 17, he was wide beyond his years.

So, in an effort to follow what I learned while listening to Rachel Platten at a PTX concert I will be living a more present, "real life" sharing all the good, bad and ugly my life has to offer. My social media viewing has been diminishing anyway, but after the concert, it will be dropping a lot more. My posts will be more positive, real and hopefully inspiring to others. I try to be positive and inspiring to those around me in general and I hope that on social media this effort will also shine through.

Find joy in your life adventure.

Ellen

Today is Easter and it's the perfect day for this post. As Christ was resurrected on the first Easter, He brought with him, along with so many amazing gifts, is eternal life and hope. Today I want to focus on hope. Hope that we too can be resurrected like Christ was, hope in the future, hope in our Savior and Heavenly Father, hope that we will one day be reunited with our loved ones that have passed from this life on earth, hope that we can go on and keep memories alive of those loved ones that have passed on.

I'm a lucky girl to have had 3 very best friends in my life. Of course, Jim is my first best best friend, but the one I'm writing about today is Ellen.  My best friend of nearly 26 years, will soon lose her 3rd battle with cancer.  It has been heartbreaking to hear and read weekly updates her husband and mom text me. Today Adam texted  that she will probably die today or tomorrow.  As I tried to text him words of comfort and send him my love via text, which felt so inadequate, I was so grateful I was texting because I don't think I could've used my voice at that point.

I don't have a sister but I imagine our relationship is similar to what it would be to have a sister. Ellen has taught me so much about life, faith, strength, love, compassion, determination, service and charity. The world is brighter, happier....better with her in it. She says I've helped her in so many ways, but I really think I got the better end of the friendship deal.  While I was visiting with her and her sweet family in late January, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "I have faith in my Heavenly Father and in His plan for me and my family." I couldn't speak, tears rolled down my face as I realized my dear dear friend has accepted the fact that her time on earth is nearing it's end. Until that time, I was in denial. I kept thinking, "you kicked cancer before, you can do it again."

She won't beat cancer again. Cancer is winning. I'm mad and sad about it but knowing that our separation from Ellen will not be forever, gives me so much peace.  So, as the Easter season rolls to a close, I hope that you will find peace in your life, hope in the future and know that life is eternal and we will see our loved ones again one day.

God gave you a good brain...use it.

I started my 2nd year of college mom life and this week has been challenging.  I've been doubting myself, my mental capacity to recall ANYthing I learned in high school when it comes to algebra and quantitative reasoning. I'm feeling behind because I hadn't gotten my stuff gathered to be ready for the semester to start. Being a wife and mom come first. Always has, always will. Doing something for me is hard. Putting myself first is a challenge but one I need to learn to do because, the biggest reason I'm doing this is for my husband and kids.  

I called my sweet, patient husband a few times the past few days near tears....okay I was in tears this morning when I called for help. I've learned that I don't take his correction and advice as well as I should. I've learned that  believing the negative thoughts I have are easier than believing the positive things he tells me. I've learned that I need to follow my advice to my kids about tough times and "SIU," Suck It Up. After trying three times to solve a basic algabraic equation all my answers were wrong, I sent a text to my husband saying, "I wanna quit and it's only day TWO!" Then I texted, "I won't quit. I don't quit stuff, but I sure do want to." 

Why have I gone back to school? Why don't I give up, even when I want to? Because of my dad.  Not going to college was never an option when I was a kid. "God gave you a good brain and I expect you to use." My dad worked several jobs so my brother and I could attend college. My first go 'round, my grades weren't what they should be, I enjoyed college life...sometimes a bit too much. After two years of school,  with no Associates Degree earned, I decided to go home and work to save money to transfer to BYU in Provo. I was working 2 jobs when I met Jim. After a year of dating we got married and had a baby...and I put my education on hold to help Jim earn his degree and to be a mom full time.

As I prepared to start this school year, my parents have been on my mind a lot. I wish they were here to see what our lives have turned into. I wish they were here to enjoy all of their grandbabies. But since they aren't here, I find myself more determined to not give up and not quit school this go 'round in honor of them. My mom was a high school drop out, who later earned her GED. My dad was a high school trouble maker, who did graduate but didn't have the money or desire to go to college when he was younger. He did attend a community college after I had left home but he never earned his degree. He expected me to get a college education. I failed at that the first time. This time I'm going because I want to. I need to. I'm determined to get a degree. I will do it in honor of my mom and dad. 

While my dad isn't here to encourage me, tell me how great I am, how much I'm loved, how proud he is of me or that I'm his girl; Jim is and took that  spot 27 years ago. I wil improve to be more humble in asking for help and  will continue to improve in my acceptance of his help, his encouragement and belief in the positive things he says to me-about me. College isn't the only way to learn. Life offers an education too and I've got plenty of that to learn from while I pay for  BYU to teach me the book stuff. 

Being Grateful

We write for several reasons and today my reason for writing is to release stress and count my blessings.  This week...well actually, this whole month has been stressful and this post is for me. If anyone else can learn from this experience or be inspired in any way,  then I'm glad I wrote it for you to read. 

At Christmas we had three working cars. Starting the first week in January we went down one car per week. Our savings for a new kid's car also went down with each repair, until that savings account had very little left. The second week of January, college started for three of us.  The mom guilt I have had for me going back to school on top of these expenses was weighing so heavy on my heart and mind.

I'm a religious lady, not a fanatic by any means,  but I do have faith that our prayers are answered in a way we need them to be. I also believe the purpose of life is to learn, grow and do good until our time on earth is done.  Once I realized all I could learn from this situation I started to see a more clear picture and all the blessings or "luck" we were having. Being aware of  all the blessings I've seen in our lives makes these stresses seem so much easier to handle and manage. 

Every car that has or had issues could've had issues while we were going 80 miles per hour down the freeway. Our fairly new teenage driver could've been driving when some of these things happened. No car or people were injured through any situation. We easily found a car to replace Jim's old car. It wasn't the car we were going in to look at but this one is better and it's one that fits every need that we didn't even consider. We had no trouble getting financing or negotiating the price we needed to stay within....and we negotiated down $800 below blue book value even!  When I told Jim I'd been thinking about skipping a semester of school because the family needs me, my time, more acceptance of subbing jobs at school and our money. He said, "We had our own babies and you babysat, sold candles, avon and did a ton of other things to make ends meet while I was in school. It's my turn to do that for you. You will NOT put your education on hold again." I love his support and encouragement.    

I am a firm believer that if we are aware of our blessings and the good in our lives then the hard times we go through seem easier to handle or manage.  If I stop and think about all the money we've spent on cars that are either now dead or still needing repaired, I still feel overwhelmed. Though seeing all the good that's going on around me makes it seem manageable and I can enjoy the life I have. 

 I like the word adventure more than the word journey. Adventures are always fun things go on and a journey seems long and drawn out to me. So, find the good in life, be happy and enjoy your  adventure. 

Where has my silverware gone?

My mom had this drawer full of silverware. It was a long, skinny drawer that was so heavy sometimes it was a struggle to open it with one hand. This drawer had no silverware sorter and nothing in this drawer matched...ever. No fork had a match but she had 30 of them. It was the same for the spoons and knives. This drove me crazy every time I set the table. However, putting the clean silverware away was a breeze. Just open the drawer, dump it all in there and close it back up.

 When I was a kid I remember thinking, "when I grow up I will have all matching silverware and they'll be in a nice sorter thingy too."  For 25 years of marriage, I've managed to have all matching silverware. It's not fancy, it's just regular Oneida stuff but they don't make this design anymore.  So, now I have a dilemma. Do I go buy some to make up the number I need and have mixed silverware in the drawer OR do I go buy all new in the amount I want and have all new matching silverware in the drawer? My kids would say go buy new because they know they will get my hand me downs for college apartment living.

Two thoughts come to my mind. 1. How did we go from 12 forks to 7, 12 spoons to 4, yet the knives keep multiplying? I swear I have 20 or more butter knives. I wouldn't wonder where they've gone if my kids were still at the age that they were taking spoons to the sandbox or the forks to dig in dirt. But the youngest is now 10 and he doesn't have a sandbox anymore. Er, I mean, the neighborhood cats don't have a litterbox anymore, and 2. Why did mom's silverware drawer bug me so much, even as a kid?

When my mom was a single mom, she worked 2 jobs, she'd walk to both jobs so she could save money on gas and use it for food. I imagine my mom thought having a reason to even  have silverware was more important that what the designs looked like.  I'm sure she'd see forks at a yard sale and think, "3 forks for 50 cents! SCORE!"

I'm sure I'll drive my kids crazy with some things I do, but I haven't decided yet if I'll be driving them crazy with my silverware drawer. 

My parents ruined me.....for the better

As I sit at my computer, reading reviews of mechanics, crunching numbers to see the most econimical way to get the Suburban towed someplace I saw the date on my computer and tears started to flow. I realize now how badly my parents ruined me. (Keep reading, it's not a negative post! I promise!) I miss my parents every day and I think about them often. Days like today I really miss them. 

9 years ago today my dad died, 19 years and 4 days ago my mom died. Doesn't seem like it was that long ago for either one. I think about all the memories I have with them and then all the memories they've missed and the grandbabies they've missed seeing grow up. It strengthens my resolve to live a healthy life so I can hopefully be around to see my grandbabies and even great grandbabies grow. I was a daddy's girl and he made being the flashlight holder seem like the most important job to any mechanic. My mom made me feel like I could change the world and taught me that humor was the best medicine in any situation.(her viewing at the funeral home was proof of that. There was more laughter there than I've heard at some comedy clubs) I'd do anything to make her laugh. I loved to hear her contagious, loud, cackley laugh. 

As with all kids I joke that they ruined me in some ways. I'm a guilt driven person because that's how my mom rolled when she wanted something that she knew I'd want to say no to....like giving her a foot massage. GROSS!!! I talk fast, it's annoying to some-I know. When I talk slower, or normal for most, I feel like I'm talking too slow and boring people.  My mom loved evening shows and before VCRs where you could record shows, I had the commercial break to talk. You talk fast when you have a problem and have 3 minutes to get advice.  She ruined me by teaching me to be aware of others around me...all the time. They both taught me the value of education and the ability to learn anything we want or need in so many different ways.

 My dad never trusted a mechanic, ever. That's what got me this morning. I found myself needing to find a new mechanic because the one I had for 5 years has closed. Finding a mechanic, to me, is as difficult as finding a dr. My dad ruined me by teaching me enough that I can help diagnose a car problem, find a solution but not enough that I trust myself to do the work alone. If they were alive today I'd first ask my dad for car help and would beg to be his flashlight holder again. I'd get my rubber gloves out and rub my mom's feet. (I really did do this once just to get her to laugh.) And I'd thank them for ruining me. Because of them I will find a new mechanic today, have explained the problem in proper terms and with the knowledge I gained from my dad,I am more compassionate and have a heart that wants to help anyone and I've gone back to school at 47 with plans to graduate with my bachelors before I'm 50..and I've kicked myself for years for not doing it right when I was 20. Hindsight, you know, is 20/20. 

I hope I have ruined my kids the same way my parents ruined me. if you are fortunate enough to have your parents living, tell them you love them, hug them and thank them for ruining you in all the good ways.

At what point do become bad parents?

My kids went to the pool today and I scrolled through facebook in peace and quiet. An article caught my eye, so I clicked, read it and read a few of the comments following the article. I can't remember what the article was about but what I do remember and have been thinking about are those comments.  Comments were about what mom looked like, how clean or dirty the girl was, what was in the background (it was a house with a chain linked fence) and so it went. I'm left wondering at what point do we become bad parents? 

Hang with me here....My 10 year old does not have a cell phone so when he rides his bike to a friends house he needs to use their parents phone to call or text me that he's "here." He usually does this but today I didn't realize he didn't text me until an hour after he'd been gone. We live in a subdivision in a small village. I know about 95% of the neighbors between our house and his friends house. I texted the parent asking if Nate was there. No response--he was busy playing with the kids...I was sure of it. He's a fantastic dad and my son loves going over there to play with the kids AND their dad. :) However, my mom gut still went on mild scare mode. Keeping my concern to myself, I asked my older son to run over and check on Nate and to see if he was hungry for lunch.(I checked the house while he was gone.) He was gone about 15 minutes....10 minutes too long for a 17 year with long legs. Mom mild scare mode went to mild internal panic. I busied myself in the kitchen trying to stay calm while my mind went to all those scary places they do sometimes, regardless of how much we want those thoughts to stay away. Hunter walks in laughing, "He's there, lauging and having a great time. He doens't want to eat because he doesn't miss any fun." Mom mode goes back to it's comfortable place of summer fun and no worries for the moment. 

Fast Foward...kids are at the pool and  I sat there looking at my phone but my mind was on what happened 90 minutes ago in my house and I wondered, at what point would the world have thought I was a bad parent. For 10 whole minutes, (said with a mild touch of sarcasm) I wasn't 100% positive where my son was. I was pretty sure, but he's a kid and he could've forgotten and bounced to someone else's house and didn't text me. The world and especially social media would've thougth my mother was an awful, horrible mom because I'd leave 10 minutes after I woke up and didn't come home until the siren rang at 6:00, unless it rang throughout the the day at which point I had to run home to yell in the door, "it's not for me! I'm okay. See ya!" I don't do the helicopter mom thing. I believe in letting kids have wings and flying, with supervision at first.  I want them to have a carefree childhood like I did. 

Our rules are few but are enforced if broken. New drivers are expected to text me when they get or leave a destination in case something happens and they don't know where they are. We can take the path we think they would take to get to them. New 'freedom bike riders" have to call me when they get to their friends house or if they  leave alone to go someplace else. Other than that, I want my kids to experience childhood the way I did. Go! Run! Have fun with friends...all summer! Have friends over here. Make some noise....But have you done your chores first?  

Had my scary thoughts really happened today, how long would it be before the world  judged me and said I was an awful mom? 10 minutes? An hour? A second? Keep that in mind when you watch the news or read those articles we scroll by.  I choose to believe that  most of us are doing the best we can and try our hardest while letting our kids have the fun, carefree childhoods we had.  I think of Baby Jessica in 1980's...was it? Baby fell in a pipe and got stuck. The nation didn't judge mom for not being by her side every moment. We prayed for her, for her family, for the rescuers pulling her out. Let's go back to that. Judge less. Love a LOT more.  

Now I'm off to go find my dog. I think he's in the garage wiith my husband....but I don't even hear the tablesaw anymore. Where's my husband?!!... 

If stairs could talk....

I was  watching the news and saw an  aeria view of Kirkersville, my hometown. It spurred this blog post. We write for ourselves or for someone else. I don't know if this is for me or someone else but it was fun to think about the steps in that house and the steps in my current home. I wonder if my kids will feel the same way when they're all gone and think back to the house they grew up in. 

This is Kirkersville, a very small village in central Ohio. The day I left for college the population sign said 601. I remember this because as I excitedly drove away toward the airport, I thought, "Not anymore! Now it's an even 700!" 

We called this "In town"

The local news showed my childhood home and said a bullet had been found in the siding from a shooting  that happened in a nursing home a block away. "A family with 4 children were inside and are fine." My first thought, how scary and sad for the whole village. Then my second thought was, "it makes me happy to hear a family with kiddos is living there making happy memories." I found myself wishing I could tell the kids a few things about the house...like the quirky steps that often got me busted trying to sneak in after curfew. I'd always make it past the 2nd step that squeaked and the next to last step was an inch higher than the rest. I would often miscount in the dark, in my not so graceful way, would trip over that one waking my mom. She'd come check on me and would say, through her laughter, "wait until your dad hears about this again." I never knew if she'd tell him so I'd be punished or so they could laugh at me together....because both happened....a lot. 

Some of my favorite memories happened on those stairs. My foster sister and I would race down those stairs all the time resulting in yells from about how we need to stop because we're going to "break our butts" one day.   My brother would "fall" down the stairs upside down and backwards to make me laugh so I'd forget I was mad about how he babysat me. We'd race down the stairs Christmas morning to get our stockings that were hung along the banister. We had to watch our fingers for a month after Christmas or else we'd catch them on the nails we all forgot to take out.

 I thought my mom was magic because she somehow always knew when I wasn't in bed.  I would sneak out of my bedroom and sit with my legs hung between the spindles of the railing that went around the landing.  I had no idea that my 10 year old legs were long enough to be seen above the stairs. It was also then that I realized how music affects how we feel. I will never forget how scared I was to go to sleep the night my parents were watching JAWS and I'd simply heard the music as the sharks would go to attack someone. I've never seen the movie but I can tell you it must be a very scary movie. :)   It was quite a dilemma for me.  Should I go downstairs and tell them I'm scared and can't sleep, totally ratting myself out OR do I just stay there and hope I don't hear anymore scary music and fall asleep on the floor? I don't remember what I chose to do but I do know that was the last time I sat on the landing listening to "the party" that went on after I went to bed.  That was also the same spot my brother  would stand to drop this terrifying rubber alligator above my head. I'd start up the stairs and down would come this rubber alligator tied to a string. I'd scream and race back to mom and dad. My brother would fall over laughing, my mom would hug me and my dad would join in the laughter. Years later I was told this alligator had been a soap dish in the bathroom. I don't remember every grabbing soap from that scary thing!  

Those stairs were built for us to simply get to the top floor of the house. Tho they gave me magic carpet rides, caught me when fell--up or down, both happened a lot, they caught tears I'd shed over boys, teenage angst, friends gone too soon.   Those 13 steps hold the memories of my childhood, my brothers teenage years and at least 15 foster children have raced up and down those stairs too. It makes me happy to know another family is enjoying those same steps. If only stairs could talk and share the things we learned there. ...on second thought, maybe it's good that they can't talk!

The joy of the game

Here is our Jonathan Alder Varsity soccer team. The seniors are standing, their head coach is next to our tallest boy on the team. 

These boys have had an amazing season and fought so hard until the very last second. They play every game with class and grace and they lost last night's Districts semi-final game with that same class and grace. Hunter calls this team his "brothers." These brothers and head coach have taught each other how to stand up for one another, love each other, support each other and how to strengthen one another. After the clock buzzed last night with the scoreboard reading 1-0 Hamilton, it was silent for a few seconds as we watched our boys come to grips with the end of the game and for many their high school soccer career. Then we parents/fan clapped for our boys one last time. I blinked away some tears, not because we lost, but because I knew that moment was the last time this family would be all together in the stands doing what we do for our boys and their coach...cheering, supporting, loving and, at times, defending them. Over the years we've received an occasional email from the coach asking us to tone it down a bit and to leave the Ref disputes to him, (sometimes it's difficult not to defend our boys.) :) Then the boys turned facing us, as is tradition, and clapped for us-thanking the fans for being there. Seeing their faces may have made a few of those tears run down my cheek.

 The pride and love I have for these boys was overflowing last night. I wish the senior boys the very best life has to offer them and am excited to see what they do with all they've learned from one another, from the coach and from the game. I wish the upcoming team all the luck in their next years of soccer. I hope they carry the JA pride and class into every game they play, just as they have this year. 

As one of the players, who left this world way too soon, used to say; "Play for something than yourself."  I think the boys played with this in mind all season. Good job Alder boys! You make Pioneer Country proud.

WHY I'M READY FOR SCHOOL TO START

As I'm reading all these back to school "letters" to kindergarten moms, senior moms, Jr. High moms etc. and I must say I'm kinda feeling like a bad mom. I do love summer vacation so much and I'm always sad to give my kids back to school and for all of us to start back into the crazy schedules, grade conversations, homework stresses, etc. However, I'm okay with all my kids staring their new years of school. I'll have one entering his (and my) last day of elementary school, "baby #3" starts his senior year, the other 2 are continuing in their same schools. I'm not near tears and I'm not wishing for "just one more day." Though I'm also not counting the days until they go back to school. Maybe I'm not a bad mom just an experienced mom that's  ready to watch the next season of everyone's life unfold. While I know I will have sad moments throughout the year, I'm excited for them to start their new year and am excited to watch them grow--academically and personally. I'm sure the last Halloween and Christmas room party I plan will be one of my "leaky eye" moments and their last High School choir concert always, always gets me...(I'm stocking up on tissues before October 30.)

     So, as we all read these "letters" and blog posts also remember it's okay to look forward with excitement and enthusiasm. After having 2 kids go off to college (1 recently graduated), I've learned a few things. 1. It's amazing to watch your babies spread their wings and fly so much higher than they thought they could...but just as you expected. 2. It's okay to want to hold on, but it's even better to let go (a little bit more every year) and let them stretch their wings, and 3. The current "season" we are in should be our favorite. Capture those moments and hold them close to your heart. They are fleeting and really do go by so quickly.  I remember hearing people tell me to "enjoy this time" as I'm struggling to get 5 or 6 kids to pick out library books while remaining quiet, or trying to safely get a toddler, a baby and several little kiddos to the car so I can unload 2 grocery carts of food. I thought, "yeah, I'll really miss this moment in time." You know what...I see other moms doing what I once did and smile every time as I remember the many times I did that...and survived, regardless of how many times I was sure those moments would do me in. 

     Moms, as school starts don't beat yourself up if you cry the first day of the school year. Your tears will dry by the end of the end of the day and your heart will be filled with joy at seeing their happy faces as they tell you all about the adventures. And if you're like me and not crying (yet), it's okay. Enjoy the freedoms your children have and that you now have. Watching your babies take advantage of their independence is a fantastic thing. And you get to be there at the end of the day ready to hear their stories of the new adventures and plans they have. 

I picture myself  looking like our dog after we've been gone for 15 minutes. ...excitedly waiting by the door ready to hear all about their days.  Have a happy back to school week and month. 

Inspired by a 1950's meme

 I recently saw a meme about how life has changed in the past decades that inspired this blog post. The meme was about how 60 years ago ONE income was enough, 40 hours a week at work was enough, retirement was at 60 and you got a pension. Last summer our family did a Decade Study. It  was fascinating for me as the kids' presentations were so informative and visual as we saw the changes happen right before our eyes. One comment under that meme was about the physical appearance of the people in the side by side pictures. In the 50's there weren't as many overweight people as there are now. My guess is in large part because fast food restaurants weren't as abundant as now a days, processed food wasn't as easily and as readily available and "back then" people had  or took the time to cook and sit down to eat dinner. It's been proven that slower eating helps you eat less and digest food better. We are all so busy now a days we  often inhale dinner as we run to a ball game, meeting, event, etc. or we are eating in the car as we go.

I got the idea for the Decade Study a little later in summer. We started at the 40s and ended the with the 90's. Tho my husband and I started  it out with a quick history of the 30's and the Big Depression. That was the BEST Idea I may have had in years when it comes to making education fun for the kids. The knowledge each kid learned is still being brought up in conversations often.  They all had to present it to us and know their topic for questions to be asked, my then 8 year old learned to make an awesome PowerPoint Presentation.  In the first few months of school they all studied artists, people in history, musicians, historical events and even "where are they now" kind of things. The kids would come home all excited and tell me they already have their assignment done it just needs tweaked from summer. This year, they're studying the states and will share fun facts as we travel through the state we're driving in as we go out west to attend our oldest daughter's college graduation. I don't think it's as nearly as fun as last year's study. :)


When we did the  decade  study I had written topics on a piece of paper--1 for each person in our family, 8 was a lot of topics to come up with!-and they had to research that topic and make a presentation of some kind for our  Friday night fun. I always had food. We ate some great stuff and some not so great stuff and watched a show or commercials from that decade. LOVED that!!  Other topics I chose were: Music, Media, American History, World History, Games & toys, tv/movies, entertainment & fashion.

We started in the 40's. I forgot what I made for dinner that week but when we got to the 50's the history was so interesting and how health, diet, and family connections started changing. Women started working during WWII to help the men that were fighting for our country. When the men returned, lots of women decided they were doing fine working and wanted to continue to work and Women's equality debates and platforms started. Some men struggled to find jobs because women were doing those jobs they were doing before they left for war. My favorite thing I noticed--because I was doing the food was in the 50's TV dinners were introduced. More women were working, didn't have as much time as they had the decade earlier to make fresh healthy meals for their families. Because of war, things started costing more. Grocery bills rose, clothing prices rose, etc. Kids needed to start doing more stuff for themselves...This isn't a "history is bad" or "women working is bad" blog post. I just found it so interesting as to how life has changed and how we saw it change--on paper and on the computer. Kids learning to do more for themselves and not being coddled  is  almost always a good thing, I think.

Anyway...I've had several people recently ask me or message me about the decade study and how I had organized it for our family. So now ya know! We have fun memories of doing that on vacation, at home, at a park, and the kids will still randomly share "Fun Facts" of what they learned last summer. The benefit of doing this has been huge for our family. We have 3 new family favorite meals (Chicken a la King-from the 60s- is the most requested meal I've had all year), they understand politics and why certain things happened in history, our kids music interests have broadened so much. How many 13-16 year olds do you know that go around singing Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel or Carole King?....or who even know who Rosemary Clooney is.....or James Dean? They appreciate a gas powered lawn mower, a computer and the internet, a cell phone. How many of us had a boy or girl call and our siblings or parents teased us because they answered the phone when we got THAT call from that cute boy or girl? AND they know why the tab on a soda can has a hole on one side...it's not for your finger to pull it up. :)

Find something to study and put your own twist on it to make it fun for your family. Those memories you make will be held near to all your hearts for a long time to come....AND think of all the cool stuff they'll learn with you!

Who's the Enforcer here?

I hope people will respond to this blog post because I really would love to hear what others do because we can all learn from one another. How do you set rules in your family? How do you enforce those rules in your family?

We learn as we go and when we find a new "rule" that needs implemented, we involve the kids. I am a firm believer that if kids feel like they're involved and can own part of a decision they will honor it a bit better. We have the kids help plan vacation, they'll enjoy it more, we all do stuff we want to do and no one complains. Win-Win-Win!  Rules work kind of the same way here, we set rules and have kids help find a consequence that they feel is fair and fits the "crime". My problem is the enforcing of those rules. I really really really hate being the bad cop. My oldest son tells me there are two things I say that he "hates" to hear, "Don't make me be this mom" after I enforce an unpleasant rule. The other will be saved for another post...maybe. :)  We have had conversations with our kids about who they think is the softer parent or who do they go to if they want to do something. Those are always interesting and usually funny conversations.

Here's how it works in our house, though it doesn't always go the way we plan.
We have a rule for grades that needs to be enforced with some kids more than others. The rule is: If you're truly doing the very best you can in each class and a C or D is the very BEST you can do, then we will accept that. However, if you have a  C or D and it's because of missing homework assignments, because you're not paying attention in class or not studying for tests, then that's not okay.  If you get an F, you lose all privileges until that comes up. We meet with each child that may need help and some encouragement keeping grades up. We have different consequences for each child. Each child is different and one consequence may mean something to one and nothing to another. Taking TV away from a child that doesn't watch TV is a wasted consequence.

Last night is the reason for this blog post and question. I was talking to our 16 yr old son about school and told him I'd not been on Progressbook in awhile, would he mind if I checked his grades now. (In other words, now is the time to tell me if you know of any bad grades) He says, Nope. Go ahead. I'm expecting As and Bs but I saw two high Ds. uh-oh! Every grade the teachers had entered were 87 or higher EXCEPT for two missing assignments in both classes. ouch! Those few missing assignments really do hurt a grade. Remember, THIS was no okay.  I reminded him of the rule he helped come up with: For every class that drops below a B he loses one thing per class. If he has D or F he flat out loses driving privileges (which I hate because it ends up being my punishment too). I tell him, absolutely NO Netflix until these things are turned in. Period. (We are currently watching Blue Bloods together.) You can drive to and from school and that's it. If they're not turned in by Friday, you lose the car all weekend. "Aw seriously?" Yep. I then send him to his dad, aka my sweet, wise husband, for back up.  Our son bounces back into the kitchen and announces, "Dad said I was okay to watch one episode tonight as long as he sees me writing up my current event I missed."  I not but think, "Houston, we have a problem!" Son runs off to get ready to do homework and my husband comes in the kitchen. "Hey babe. I love you."  Seeing the humor in this, I can't resist messing with him. "I love you too.  So my big strong man how'd your chat with our son go?"  My husband, "uh, yeah...I think I messed up a little. Can we fix it?" By this he meant, can I fix it.  I teased him about caving and being a big softie and went back to what we were doing. A bit later, our son walks back in the kitchen and I start fixing it, "Your dad and I agree (united front, right?), that you can watch ONE episode while you write up your current event HOWEVER, if those 2 missing assignments are not turned tomorrow and grades aren't up by Friday, you lose everything over the weekend...every.thing. phone, tv, car...got it? Then I say the first thing he hates to hear, "And please do it so I don't have to be mean. I hate being that mom."  He stops what he's doing, smiles and says, "It's okay mom. I think you're a Superhero." Awww... (my heart melted a little) So, he gets it. I hate enforcing the rules we all set but he also knows I'm doing it because that's my job and I love him. 

So, back to my question...How do you set rules in your family and bigger question...how do you enforce those rules? Who do you think is the enforcer in your family?  And my hat goes off to all the single parents that are the good cop and bad cop. Being just one of those is tough, but to do both and at the same time......you're amazing! 

It takes a lot of effort to appear to do nothing.

This is a post with a follow up from a conversation I had with my 9 year old son, aka the baby of the family. While getting ready for school yesterday he says, "I think it'd be fun to have a switcharoo day once a week." I assumed he was talking about switching with his dad because he's a Civil Engineer and gets to go on job sites to solve problems. What little boy wouldn't want to go watch cool trucks in action and watch bridges be built? No...he wanted to switcharoo with me, "because you do nothing all day. I'd like to do nothing sometimes." My first reaction was laughter and then I thought, "hmmmm...I think I've failed him a little." 

I've been a mom for 22 years and know not to be offended by this innocent comment or take what a child says personally, but it did get me thinking about his perspective on life.  He comes home from school to a clean house, full refrigerator, full pantry, the lights come on, house is warm and we have hot water for showers, the cars always run safely, etc. These things happen because I take care of them during the day, when he's at school or playing with friends. Our kids do have chores every day, However, the big stuff is always magically done when he needs it to be. 

After he left I decided to intentionally "do nothing" but mom life took care of that for me all by itself. I got asked by other kids to run a few emergency errands and then to go help out at one of the schools.  It was perfect for my "teaching moment". Nate is a sensitive boy when it comes to others' feelings. I had to be careful not to let him think he'd hurt my feelings because he really didn't. I didn't want him to apologize or feel bad for saying what he thought. That's one of the qualities I love about him! As soon as he realizes someone is sad he'll go to them and do whatever it takes to make them laugh or feel better, especially when it comes to his mom. Mom experience has taught me that this window is a pretty small one and  I'm loving that for a short while longer, I'm still a pretty big deal to him. 

When Nate finished his homework, I asked him to look around the house and tell me what he sees. "Dishes a kid forgot to do are still in the sink. Trash that I forgot to take out is very full. The cat's litter box has stuff in it." this list went on for a few minutes. I told him those are things I usually take care of during the day but I didn't today. Then I told him a few other things I do, "I pay the bills so everything works when it needs to, I take cars to the shop, I make sure everyone has clean towels every day, I clean the house and do the stuff I don't ask you to do"...and then named a few. Nate looked at me, around the room and then says, "You do stuff I don't even know about. That's a LOT. You should take some naps every day too!"  :)

Lately I've had mixed feelings about still being a Stay At Home Mom.  I love being here when they get home so we can celebrate the great days, help the bad days improve and eat ice cream together when big disappointments come. Though during the day the kids are in school, I could and would like to get a job (I've tried a few times in the past few months and for whatever reason, I'm still a SAHM), so I've needed to readjust my attitude and thinking about "What am I doing now?" This is where I need to be right now and when the time is right, I'll be hired for that job that is waiting for me to be ready.  Until then, I'll happily spend time with my 9 year old son who within the next year or so will move on from being a mama's boy to whatever fills his time and heart at that point. I'll happily be the mom that can always be available to talk to my college girls whenever they need or want to call, even just to say Hi. I'll happily be the mom that listens to angst and woes of teenage life, and help guide them through their ever changing  and challenging lives they're leading. I will happily be the mom that watches Netflix with my kids while they lay their heads on my shoulder or hold my hand. I will do all of this while I continue doing "nothing" every day for my family. 

Kudos goes out to all the parents that appear to do nothing. It's not easy to do nothing. It's not always fun to do nothing. But it is so very worth every effort and amount of energy we spend doing nothing. I admire working moms and single parents so very much. I honestly am in awe of you. It takes me all day to "do nothing" so I can be ready for the evening of dinner inhaling, taxi service, homework help, etc.  I'm sure I would not look aa put together, as prepared or as calm as so many of you. 


It takes a lot of effort to appear to do nothing.  It makes me happy to "do nothing" every day for the seven people I love more than anything in this world. 

Happy New Year! Twenty SLIMteen

I love New Year's Eve! Almost as much as I do Christmas. It brings excitement, hope for change and a renewed spirit. I set goals...not crazy goals but things I want to do better or to learn. I set several goals to reach by years' end and then smaller goals to reach each month. I usually do okay following these until about August when life starts to get so crazy I go on "Survival Mode" for a few months, then regroup again around New Years.

This year my husband and I decided it's the year we will do some big things for us and our family. Others may not think they're big things but to us they're huge...hopefully we'll feel much relief and happiness in our new found "freedom" and joy of giving more.  I was talking to my kiddos about finding a catch phrase or name for the year that fits our line of thinking and goals. After many ideas that brought giggles from some and groans from others, we decided this will the year Twenty SLIMteen. We are slimming our wallet, budget and debt by following the Dave Ramsey Plan to get out of debt with more focus and stronger intensity. We've done okay with this the past year but there's always room for improvement. We hope to be able to do more with our family and to give more to others.

We are also planning to slim our clutter in hopes of finishing the basement for more kid parties and fun. We have a hopping house on a normal day, but when kids come over the happy noise increases and our unfinished basement would be even more fun and warm to hang out in with some carpet on the floor. :)

Most importantly, we are slimming our waistlines to just be healthier so we can  continue to keep up with our busy, involved kids. This was my idea so I told my sweet husband that this is what we're doing. Since I do most of the cooking, he pretty much has to go along with it anyway, right? The whole family will benefit from this one! 

I want to learn so much and I get so excited to do it all! I want to learn to spin pottery, how to tap dance...I'll do this one in my garage with all doors closed though. :)  No one wants to see that-or maybe I don't want anyone to watch me trip over my own two feet all the time.
 
Set goals, make it fun. Set fun goals....after you reach a small goal...go have some fun and enjoy your accomplishment!

One of my favorite quotes about goals is this; "An unwritten goal is just wishful thinking."  Write those goals or hopes down so it won't just be wishful thinking!

Have a Happy New Year doing exciting, fun things and bringing joy to your life. 

6 THINGS RUNNING FOR MAYOR TAUGHT US

In early June my husband, Jim, received a couple phone calls and emails asking him to run for mayor of our village. After a month of research, talking to the people that know what it entails and talking with our family, he decided to get his name on the ballot. With the election behind us by a week, I thought I'd write about what we learned along the way. Some stuff we expected to learn, some we knew and some surprised us.

1.  WE HAVE FRIENDS WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
     You think you know who your friends are but after putting our necks out there you find you have more than you know. (I say "our necks" and not just Jim's neck. You'll see why later.) There are days I need to work at/from home and not leave; as everyone does at times I sometimes feel lonely, like I don't have a friend I can call and say, "hey! You wanna go grab lunch with me?"  Have your husband run for Mayor and you'll find you have so many more friends that you ever thought.  I've been stopped in our town shops, in neighboring towns and stores, I've gotten more calls, emails from people asking how we're doing or how we're holding up through a very busy season. 
     As a way to get out to meet other people Jim decided to have a bbq in other neighborhoods.  Food always brings people together, right? At one of these bbqs one new friend came up to me, introduced himself and asked with all sincerity, "Are people being nice to you and your family?" This gentleman hadn't met me in person yet and was genuinely concerned for our family's well being. This kind of thing happened often and every time it touched my heart. The kindness and friendship our family was shown was at times overwhelming (in a very good way).

2. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT ENJOYS "PEOPLE WATCHING."  
     When my kids were little we'd go to the mall and while my kids would spend energy in the play area, I'd watch people walk around,talk to others, help others. It's not like a creepy stalker  stare :)  I just enjoy watching people in different seasons of life and either remember "those days" or look forward to our next season. So many times I would be having a conversation with someone I knew and a new friend would walk up to us. I'd introduce myself and the one I was talking to would say, "her kids are so...." they'd always say something good. WHEW! Or they'd say, "she does...." "her husband is...." again..more good stuff. People do watch and are aware  of what we do, say and the choices we make. As you watch people, I promise at some point someone will watch you and the choices you make. Always be kind. Always have compassion for those around you. Long ago, I saw a poster on a teacher's wall that read, "Character is defined by the choices you make when you think no one is watching." Jim's whole family put their necks out there. People let us know they saw choices the kids, Jim or myself we made. It was a great thing for the kids to learn and realize that people watch them, they take notice when a 16 yr old boy holds the door for older ladies. It was great for all of us to learn and realize we can make a difference simply by the choices we make.

3. THE NEWS ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT
We knew this, I think we all do. They want to be the first to report "Breaking News." Well, even during an election the news can and does get it wrong. Our Village is divided  between two counties. Jim won the race in one county and lost in the other. Combined numbers numbers show that "unofficially" Jim lost by 45 votes. Every news channel and one local newspaper got it wrong. They checked only one county. They don't care, it's reported, over and done. However, it's a week later and we're still explaining that the news screwed up. They got it reported fast-maybe even first, but they failed to check all their sources and information. We would never be angry, hurt or upset at anyone for asking or saying Congratulations. Though, we do feel bad for them when we explain the situation and they immediately apologize for saying anything. It's really no big deal and no one should feel bad. This isn't the end of the world. It's the end of one adventure before another new, fun adventure starts. I've thought a lot this week of my dad's advice he shared with me the night before I started high school,(he was a man of few words and what he said was always worth listening to) "Believe half you hear and half you see, a better person you will be." So...don't believe everything you hear on the news. There's a  chance they don't have all the info. This was not something that we learned, but it was the first time we've experienced it first hand.

4. ABSENTEE AND PROVISIONAL BALLOTS--who knew??!
     When Jim saw the poll results on the Board of Elections websites, he noticed that Absentee and Provisional ballots hadn't been tallied. This caused us to do some research. This was interesting and exciting research! Our oldest daughter is working in Texas and submitted an Absentee ballot. We called her to see what her instruction letter said with her ballot. "Absentee ballots must be post marked the day before the election (Nov 2, 2015) and delivered to the BOE by Nov 13." We then checked the website and googled when they'd be counted. We learned that the final count will be shared by November 24. We had no idea what a Provisional ballot was. It's a ballot that needs verified...someone moved, driver's license wasn't updated, need to show proof of residence or there was an error in locating their name in the voter sign in. They have 10 days to prove they live where they said they did. This year our precincts used Ipads to sign in. A few friends told me they couldn't be found electronically and then submitted a Provisional ballot. They haven't moved, have voted for years, etc. So..what's this mean for the Mayor race? The results say, "unofficial results" because all ballots haven't been received or counted. Jim can still win the election, we need to wait until Nov 24 for the "official results" to be posted. We don't know how great or slim his chances are because we have no idea how many ballots were submitted absentee or provisional. Though Jim was told last night that our Police Department Levy won by Provisional ballots a couple years ago. It's not over until every vote is counted and every voice is heard and when the website says, "Official results."  

5. PEOPLE WILL SURPRISE YOU...ALWAYS!
     I don't want to expand on this very much but it's true. People will surprise you...even if you think people can't surprise you...yes they will.  Sometimes in good ways and sometimes in surprising or shocking ways. Win or lose (in life, a game or even an election), be classy, be kind, be respectful. 


6. ENJOY THE RIDE
     My brother has a motto for his band and their followers, "Enjoy The Ride." This too has been my motto for most of my life, though not in those exact words. I would often reevaluate where I was in life...Am I enjoying my journey? Is this a fun adventure? Am I on MY right journey, path or "ride"? Jim and I were talking before  Election day and I asked him if he had fun running his campaign. He smiled and said, "I really did! It was fun meeting so many folks in our community. We made new friends, we learned a lot and we kept it clean and positive. Yes...I had a great time." I did too. I waited for his answer before I shared mine. Was it stressful at times? yes. Was it expensive? yes. Was it a waste of time? No. Did we do good? Yes! Did we enjoy the ride? Two thumbs up YES! Jim said, "whether or not the official results show a win or loss for me, I think I won." Yes. Yes he did!  ....we all did.

 

Until we meet again.

This morning the world lost a very kind man that always put his family first and taught them by example. Heaven, I'm sure got even happier.
       My grandpa was a good man that I always knew loved me. My mom was married, had 2 kids, after 13 years divorced our biological father and a few years later married the man that adopted us and raised us as his own. He was 21, my mom 32. I'm sure, as his dad, it wasn't easy to accept this and to welcome 2 grandkids that were older than his other grandkids he'd known since their birth. I've been thinking a lot about grandpa the past few weeks, not knowing of his declining health and kept brushing away the thoughts to call him and say hi. What I've been thinking about is the way he loved his family and how devoted he was to my grandma and the similarities between my grandpa and my dad. There are so many and I'm so touched by many of these similarities.
       My grandpa told me yesterday between pained breaths and a very weak, quiet voice that grandma is 88 and he was 83. I'd forgotten he was younger than she was. A few similarites are these: Grandpa married a divorced woman with 3 children, he was younger than she was, he adopted those 3 kids and raised them as his own, he worked hard to provide for his family. My dad married mom, adopted us, raised us and worked hard for us and fearlessly protected us. I think those are the similarities that struck me the hardest as I sat holding my grandpa's hand yesterday.
I believe I have the life I have in large part due to my grandpa. My mom had a very different social life than she did before she met my dad and grandparents. He raised a boy that would follow his example and do his best to give us a good life and make sure we did better than he did. He raised a boy that valued education so much so that attending college was an expectation, not a choice. He taught my dad how to treat his wife, love her children, work hard and to always put his family first. He helped my mom and dad find God.
       My dad loved my grandpa so much that when he was little, he once put ketchup on his hair to try to dye it red so he could be just like grandpa. The red didn't stay very long but it did give him his life long nickname of "Rusty."
Because of my grandpa I married a man that feels, loves, protects and works just like he did and like his son did. Because of my grandpa (and several others in our family) I have a respect for our military service men and women. Because of grandpa my family and extended family is better for having him in our lives.
       Grandpa is the 4th close relative I've lost in October. (mom, dad, my Uncle Jim and now grandpa Bell) I still love the month of October. My mom hated it because it was a reminder of people she'd lost. I choose to stay positive and happy about this season...season in nature and season in life.
As the trees lose their leaves this month, I'm reminded of the loved ones I've lost. However, I'm also reminded as I hear kids' laughter fill the air while they jump in those fallen leaves, that each fallen leaf is a blessing and adds to the joy they've given both on the trees and off, just as all those that have gone before me. Their lives and those memories are a blessing to be celebrated and remembered.

RIP Grandpa Bell. We love you and thank you for being the man you were.

Beginnings of our Decade Nights

I'm finally making the time to blog again and after many requests I'm blogging about our Decade Nights we did over the summer.  This whole idea started as a rainy day activity and laugh with the kids, I had no idea it'd be such a hit and the fun stuff the kids learned is being used in school now and will be used later this year too. Major Mom Win!!! 

HOW IT STARTED
I'm sure I'm outnumbered in my thinking this but I think 12 weeks is a long time for kids not be learning something. I love having my kids home but so much can be lost or forgotten in that time. I always find something for us to do, road trips, fun books to read together, map/states/capital study, etc. I find fun ways to do these things but this year I was having trouble thinking of something fun do and with crazy schedules it made it more difficult to figure something out what to do with the  4 kids still at home. 

Thanks to my kids choir teacher..my "lightbulb moment" finally came! My son came home during the last week of school in May and told me about this hilarious 60's movie he was watching in Show Choir titled "What's Up Doc?" As he told me about this movie I kept thinking of other cheesy/funny shows he might like. Elvis' Blue Hawaii was the first that came to mind. We got on Netflix, looked up Elvis and other 60s's beach movies and watched a few trailers of hits from that era. He thought James Dean in A Rebel Without a Cause was the funniest. (Whatever!) We had a good time laughing at obvious differences in film making and the cheesiness that many of these films had. This was when summer fun lightbulb lit up. "Hey! How would you like to have a 50's night with everyone? We can watch an old tv show, have dinner and listen to 50s music." He loves "retro" stuff so I didn't have to twist his arm too much. I ran the idea by my husband, Jim, to see what he thought and I extended it to be a decade night once a week throughout summer. He was in and said it was a "fabulous" idea. We then took it to the rest of the kids, who were sold on the idea immediately.  They really are an easy bunch to excite and impress.

Our two oldest girls were still away at school when they heard about this. They too got excited and asked...no they begged...to have us time it so they would be home for 80's night. June was insane for our kids with camps, sports, work, etc, so we delayed the start until July. This limited the decades we could do before school started but we still got some decade fun in...even on vacation! I had no idea how educational it would end up being, how much fun and how genuinely excited everyone was about this.

GETTING IT TOGETHER
I figured out when everyone was back home together and started with the 80's and counted backwards to find our start week and decade. After finding one night everyone was home, we put it on the calendar. In our house, if it doesn't get put on the calendar, there's no guarantee it will get done or that I'll remember.  Jim and I thought of 6 topics (we added 2 when the girls got home from school.) The topics were put on paper and tossed in a bowl. We were off!  The kids chose their topics to research and ran away to learn everything they could. 

TOPICS

• food-I always got this one since I make dinner most nights. 
• TV shows/Movies
• Media (books & magazines)
• Games/Toys
• Music
• Fashion
• History & famous people
•     Add ons: technology

Twelve year old, Becca,thought we should have a Family topic too. What a wonderful idea!! Jim and I gathered family info and would add "What's new with our family".  


WHAT WAS LEARNED
Not only did the kids learn their topic from that decade, they learned how to research--on internet, at library, interviewing neighbors. They learned how to make a powerpoint presentation, improved public speaking skills and family history.  


Here are a few of my fav pictures from the 50's. I'll post pictures and some info they were most excited about tomorrow.  I'll post more starting tomorrow. Each decade will have it's own entry and pictures.

60's treat

80's night. Kara, in the brown skirt, was the fashion consultant this week.

My fav! Kara's laughing at Hunter's 80's technology presentation. "were there Ipods in the 80s?" 

They kids got so into this that they dressed up for each decade night. 

Go back to school, stress free

I've been working on so many new blog ideas but none of them are "perfect" yet. In trying to take my own advice I am letting go of the some of the perfectionist in me and getting things done. I think if I wait for them to be perfect, they won't be completed.  

Back to school time is fun, exciting, bittersweet and can be incredibly busy time. It takes time to get ready for the craziness but it's so worth it. When school days and sports hit we're ready for smooth sailing...or at least ready to handle the last minute crisis with more patience and ease. :) 

School Supply Shopping: 
I have a shelf in my basement that holds all supplies from each year, you know...the stuff that gets dumped out of backpacks every June and left until August? We go through backpacks after school's out and decide then what can be reused/recyled or tossed out. After we've done that, they get put on the shelf until time to start "shopping" there first. 

Inside the first few binders I have sheet protectors, loose leaf paper (one binder for college ruled and one for wide ruled) and tabbed dividers.  Buckets are broken down with pens, pencils, colored pencils; another one with paper stuff (post it notes/flags and index cards); last one markers, sharpies and highlighters.

When it's time to get school supplies I first download all lists from each student and send the kids to the supply shelf with their list. They get what we have, cross it off, put in their pile and give me the marked off list. I then take each list and compile ONE shopping list. This takes time to set up but every year I'm so happy I did. This year the kids kept running to ask me what's next on the list, they'd go grab it, dump in the cart and go for more. We were done shopping in 15 minutes. Fastest time yet! They all loved racing each other...even the 16 year old was happy to help get stuff. Maybe that was because I'd promised them lunch after shopping, though. He's all about food. HA! 

One list is so much easier to take to the store than 1.

This list used to have 6 lists

to combine! It's gets smaller every 2 years.

 

School Lunch Time
We like the kids to pack school lunches for several reasons: saves the budget,  healthier (sometimes) and they will eat what they pack. The kids like to because they have more time to chat with friends by not waiting in line at the cafeteria. To help with ease of morning rush I have 2 shelves in our "extra pantry" (converted catch-all closet). One way we choose to teach them to budget is to have them choose one day a week to buy. Our schools have a lunch account we can put money into whenever we want, so every month the kids get enough money for 5 lunches and milk every day, when that money is gone, they're done buying stuff...unless they want to pay for it out of their own pocket. 

The bottom shelf buckets came from our local Dollar General for $1.50. Top shelf buckets were recycled from someplace in the house. 

 

 

 

 

The top shelf is for after school practices, rehearsals or games. And who doesn't always lose their water bottles? Now they have a place to put them. The bottom shelf bucket labels are: fruit, applesauce, pudding, snack/treat. They kids know my rule is one fruit or applesauce plus a yogurt or fruit from the refrigerator and one treat/snack item. The treat bucket is usually filled with granola bars, pretzel packs, goldfish, etc. 

Anyone who comes to my house knows that I don't stress about cleaning the house the last 2 weeks so summer. It's tidy but certainly not "company clean".  My kids will gone for 6 hours a day and I'll have plenty of time to get it cleaned after they're back in school...unless I'm subbing in one of the schools. (I love subbing! Best paid job ever!)

I hope you enjoy the last few weeks of summer and that the start of your school year is a fun, easy transition.