Monthly Archives: November 2015

Two Words

Posted on November 21, 2015 | 3 comments

Me and Today. Those, according to one of the fun little quiz apps, are my most used words on Facebook. Lots of other words find their way in there too, but those are the biggest right near the center.

I am kind of embarrassed about the Me. I have no way to explain that away. Sigh.

But the Today, I am glad to see that one.

Being sick with the bipolar and then with the nausea from a new med, I was reminded that today is important. I can not guarantee tomorrow, but I can give my best today. I don’t know what I will be able to do in a week, but I can give my all today; it may not be the same all I gave yesterday or will give tomorrow, but it is what I have.

I can only share, or give, what I have today.

3 Comments

Posted in #nablopomo

A Rough Week

Posted on November 20, 2015 | 3 comments

This happened last Saturday when a jerk rear ended our camper. We are all okay, but as you can see, the camper rolled and did not fair well.Hubby was able to find all my meds expect one, so I abruptly came off that one. I was in the process of starting another one, so have done alright, but the nausea from the new medication is really kicking my butt.

Are you hitting any rough patches in these days of thankfulness?

3 Comments

Posted in #nablopomo, Thanksgiving

Gift Giving

Posted on November 10, 2015 | Leave a comment

It feels weird this year not doing ShoeBoxes through Samaritans Purse with the girls this year. But they are excited to be doing them at Awana Bible Club, so they take in their items and I sit here thinking how strange this all is.

We have always headed to the dollar store with our list of suggested items and get what we need to fill our boxes. And before you worry that I am giving them junk I wouldn’t give my kids–we do plenty of shopping for our own family at the dollar store.

There are other ways to give through Samaritan’s Purse, including their gift catalog. You can help others while shopping for the person who has everything. You can buy a cow, or a share or a cow, to help a village. You can choose refugee relief, sewing machines, any one of 42 items in their catalog.

And if Samaritan’s Purse is not your first choice of an organization, there are many others, World Vision, Heifers International, so many places where you can give in honor of someone while blessing someone else.

Won’t you consider these options this year?

Allowances

Posted on November 9, 2015 | 9 comments

The girls have started asking me for an allowance. I tend to agree at age almost 8 (as in this month) and 9, they are old enough to get an allowance.

But I have a few questions.

When did you start giving your kids allowances? Was it a set amount? Did they get it no matter what or did they get it based on doing their chores? (I kind of like the idea of putting the chores on a bulletin board with a dollar each and if they do the chore, they get the dollar–ownership in the process). Can I be so nosey to ask how much your kids get? Did/does it go up as they age?

I would love to hear your thoughts on allowances.

Thank you,

9 Comments

Posted in #nablopomo, kidlets, Life Lessons, random thoughts

Friday Nights

Posted on November 6, 2015 | 1 comment

We get to Friday night. We survived another week. Daddy and I are both tired. Silly kids are unfortunately not interested in being parked in front of the tv. Well two of them are…the third one is glued to me as I read my book, look at my phone, whatever it is I want to do for a few minutes.

Stop leaning on my head.

Stop leaning on my shoulder.

Stop leaning on my leg.

One thing after another. I just want space. She just wants mom.

Are you coming back downstairs?

Are you done with your book?

What are you doing?

How old are you when you’re a tween?

What about when you are a teenager?

Finally, she gets the hint and goes downstairs. I finally have my space. I want to sit and enjoy it. I want to read my book.

Sigh.

I walk downstairs.

“Where’s your Uno deck Caitlyn?

1 Comment

Posted in #nablopomo, Caitlyn

Frozen Fever

Posted on November 5, 2015 | Leave a comment

So according to my inside sources there is to be a sequel to Frozen and it will be called Frozen Fever. Which is the perfect name for it.

My girls have been bit again. They watched Frozen yesterday and sang it today. Caitlyn is already hoping it doesn’t take too long to come out. I’ve seen toys for it in the stores. The rest of the world probably knows when it is coming out, but I don’t. I am right there with Caitlyn in hoping it doesn’t take long.

I loved the first Frozen.

I loved the story line. I adored the music. I really enjoyed everything about it. The colors, the songs, the strength and fortitude of the female characters. I loved it and I can’t wait for the next one.

We had a Flop Today

Posted on November 4, 2015 | 1 comment

Caitlyn has been reading this fun book, Pie by Sarah Weeks. Each chapter includes a pie recipe. Caitlyn has been bugging me for days to try the Chocolate Cream Pie. So, today we finallllllly did.

1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp butter

combine cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a suacepan. Beat egg yolks and milk in a separate boil then mix into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and butter. Pour mixture into bakes pie shell, cool and refrigerate. Serve with whipped topping.

All sounds great. And pretty easy, right? Dang thing won’s set up. I don’t know if we didn’t stir over heat long enough or maybe we needed to let it cool before it went in the fridge. All I do know is, I have chocolate soup pie in my fridge.

1 Comment

Posted in #nablopomo, Caitlyn

All the Pretties

Posted on November 3, 2015 | 3 comments

3 Comments

Posted in #nablopomo, Caitlyn, kidlets, Patrice, Sue

They Showed Us Up

Posted on November 2, 2015 | 3 comments

Saturday hubby and I stepped way out of our comfort zone. We volunteered to decorate our trunk and pass out candy at our churches’ inaugural trunk or treat.

We pulled out the girls stuffed animals and made a jungle. I bought three big bags of candy. Certainly that would be enough.

Alas, it was not. We, and the church, ran out of candy in the first 20 minutes. People from the planning team were immediately sent to get more candy, but what to do with the kids there now?

The girls had gone around to the trunks at the beginning of the trunk or treat and ended up with lots of candy. As you know, candy is a precious commodity for kids, but ours pulled out the candy they had collected and gave it away as we waited for candy reinforcements.

Talk about being proud of my girls! I knew they were amazing but they really showed it Saturday. I was so proud of them. I still am. I told some sweet neighbors down the street, and yesterday, they showed up with this.

They were touched by our girls too and wanted to gift them with this to show when we bless God, He blesses us.

Now, do we need all that candy? Heavens no, trust me, I’ve already eaten too much of it, but the message behind it is worth every last piece.

3 Comments

Posted in #nablopomo, giving, habits, holidays, memories

Two of My Three Daughters

Posted on November 1, 2015 | 2 comments

I know you are not supposed to compare your kids to other peoples’ or each other. But it is hard not to.

Can I get an amen?!

I have three girls, ages 9, almost 8, and 5. My nine year old is uber responsible. My third one is still the clueless, cute 5 year old. My 7 year old. My dear 7 year old. She’s just on another planet. She is clueless on how to do many things her sister was doing at her age, she is struggling in areas Caitlyn sailed through without a pause. She is still working on learning to read and Dear Lord, you can just assume she is going to lose anything you put money into and keep anything that is righteous garbage.

I am not sure what to do. Now to be fair, she did decide last week to start doing the laundry (not including folding) without prompting and did a great job. I am hoping this continues into next week. I can forgive a lot for a kid who does the laundry.

In the meantime, I feel like I am always yelling at her. Always scolding her, always correcting her. I worry she will see the difference between her and her sisters when it comes to my fussing. I hate how frustrated it makes me feel. And how frustrated it must make her.

I have to bite my tongue often to stop myself from saying, “why can’t you be more like your sisters?” I know, no matter how tempting it is, I must refrain from ever saying that to her. Not only because it would not feed her spirit, but also because I don’t want to change her spirit. I don’t want to change her. I just want to know how to get through all the glorious fun chatter, dancing, singing, and merry making that is Sue in order to teach her skills and behaviors she needs to know.

So I will keep trudging along saying,

“I will not compare.”

2 Comments

Posted in #nablopomo, Caitlyn, kidlets, Sue