4th of July

Sorry I'm so late updating this blog. I've been really busy getting ready for the holiday weekend and I haven't been feeling well the last couple of days. I tried to do an update last night but the website was acting up and I didn't have the patience to give it another shot. We had a wonderful weekend though it was a bit hot for our tastes. Dianne and Terry came up Friday and we spent the day doing as much precooking and prepping for the BBQ as we could so we could enjoy ourselves on Saturday. Dwayne was able to have Friday off as well so it was nice to have him around for 3 days.

Saturday, Dave and Charlene and their boys came up to visit and stay the night. We spent time just trying to stay cool and watched a couple movies. We BBQ'd some hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixins and I made a huge potato salad. I always plan too much food but that is ok because now I won't need to cook for a couple of nights. I just have to find a couple new ways to serve leftovers. I tried to have Sam take a nap in the afternoon and he stayed in his room but I'm not convinced he actually napped. He gave those up a long time ago. But at least he relaxed for a little bit. We let them stay up extra late to see a few fireworks for us. We didn't do anything special. Just some snakes, sparklers, and groundblooms. Sam wasn't sure about this whole thing. He thought they were exciting but you could tell he was a little nervous about them. Especially when one of the groundblooms shot straight towards where he was sitting. He asked to be held pretty much from then on. I was going to try and keep them up even later so they could see all the big ones being shot in the sky but they (and Mom) were pretty much done after our little bit. So into a bath and bed. They went straight to sleep and didn't even move most of the night even when all the other fireworks were going off around us.

Watching the fireworks from the sidelines.

Sunday, I got up and made everyone a large stack of pancakes and then everyone took off pretty quickly after that. They wanted to hit the road while it was a little early and before the worst of the holiday traffic hit. We all had a great time and I am grateful they stopped by to come and see us. Hopefully, next year we will have a little more money and take advantage of living in Washington with some cool fireworks we can shoot in the air.

Nice Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend. We spent Saturday doing a mixture of things that needed to be done and just relaxing around the house. We have 3 trees in front of our house that had branches hanging really really low. Dwayne kept getting annoyed because they made it difficult to mow around. We finally grabbed the ladder and a hand saw and went out and trimmed back the trees. It has made a huge difference. We still get the shade because the trees are so large but we can finally move around freely underneith them without feeling like our head is going to get taken off at any moment. The kids frequently play around them also and I like being able to see out the kitchen window and seeing them much easier. Saturday night we went to church and I spent my first official week as one of the Sunday school volunteers. I've been procrastinating and not wanting to do it. I love my own kids to death but I am not always fond of other peoples kids. I feel horrible saying that but it is what it is. I've been feeling a desire to serve at our church but I'm haven't been able to figure out what ministry I've been wanting to help in. It has been especially hard because the kids were still so little and needy. The children's ministry always needed help and I finally decided to bite the bullet and do it. Sometimes the best personal growth comes from doing something you don't necessarily want to do. Besides, I'll get to hang out with my kids and husband as Dwayne has already been helping out for a year now.

Sunday we mostly just hung out around the house. Dwayne did break out the sprinkler and let the kids get wet but it wasn't all that warm out (only about 70) and Sam especially wasn't very fond of the cold water. They then spent some time in the sandbox while Dwayne sat outside reading. I also finally got around to attempting making pretzels again. They turned out so much better! I can't say they look very professional but they tasted wonderful. We even bought a can of Campbell's Nacho Cheese Soup to use as a cheese dip for them. Everyone thought they were great.

This coming 4th of July weekend will be very busy for us. We have Dwayne's core family coming up to visit and I'm so looking forward to it. We are planning a BBQ and I'm going to let the kids stay up for the first time to see some fireworks if they don't fall asleep first in the meantime. I'll be spending most of the week trying to catch up on housework and making the place ready for overnight visitors.

Small Update

I finally heard back from the doctor yesterday regarding my MRI results. Good news is my brain looks normal and the last bloodwork came back normal. So the only thing that is unusual is I do have high levels of testosterone. Usually they combat that by giving estrogen in birth control form. But I did have a small period on my own last month. It only lasted about 2 days and was very light but the doctor says it counts. So he wants to wait before assigning me any drugs. I am to wait until November and then I will go in for another ultrasound to take a look at my uterus again. If I have any more periods in the meantime, I am supposed to report it. So we are pretty much just in a wait and see mode before he gives me any kind of diagnosis, etc. I'll keep everyone updated as I learn more but at this point I don't think they really know. I will just try to continue upping my activity level and stay as healthy as I can in the mean time.

Sold the Crib

Yesterday, I managed to sell Sam's old crib/toddler bed on Craig's List. I have had it listed for the last 3 weeks with a couple people interested but no one actually taking it. Well, I got an email the night before last and the people came and picked it up yesterday. I managed to sell it for $100. The people who bought it got a great deal! We paid $300-400 for it brand new when Sam was born. It gave me a little heartache to see it go but they had brought their little girl who was getting it and she was cute as a button. I'm glad to see that it will be well-used again. I would have kept it if we had the storage space but that is just impossible with our current house. I just can't keep things that aren't needed at the moment. I don't want to be so surrounded by stuff that I start feeling like many of my pack-rat relatives. (I'm not talking about anyone who reads this, of course. LOL)

So, of course, we immediately went and spent the money. I picked Dwayne up from work, we had a light dinner, and then visited Walmart. We bought a set of cheap bookshelves and got a few more groceries. Dwayne stayed up late putting up the bookshelves last night and unpacking his entire Star Wars collection. It has been a very long time since we have been able to display the whole thing for him and he is so delighted. I keep teasing him that his geekiness is shining through this morning. He has been so nice in making other books a priority any time we get extra space and keeping his collection in boxes. I'm glad I decided to let him unpack his books rather than the rest of our other books because he is so happy.

Father's Day

Mom and Melody came up to visit us this weekend. We were very excited to see them as Sam had been asking a lot lately where Aiden, Auntie, and Grandma were. We spent Saturday playing a little Maplestory and then spending the afternoon at WalMart. Dwayne went to go get the brakes fixed on the van and the guy asked us who told us we needed brakes? It turns out that in his opinion we don't need brakes for at least 4 months of solid use and we don't use the van all that much anyway. So we got to spend money on things I had on my list. I was very excited and we spent the afternoon shopping.

Today we all woke up and decided we wanted to spend some time outside and get out of the house a little. There is a State Park near by that I have been wanting to visit and it turns out there are a couple Geocache finds in the park. So I loaded up the coordinates, a picnic lunch, and the strollers and off we went. We ended up only finding one as it had two parts and by the time we were done the kids were really tired. We ended up hiking a little bit but it was a lot of fun and we got to explore the park a little. Even though it is close to our house we will probably end up camping there in the future as the park is gorgeous and there are swimming holes, hiking trails, boat rentals, fishing, and picknicking. We had a wonderful time and came home with that drowsy feeling of an active productive day. We ended the day with a pizza dinner for Dad and some chilling out.

Sam and Aiden loved the water and the lake was so pretty and calm in the morning.

Melody was the one who spotted the first part of our cache hunt.

After 10 minutes or more of hunting, Melody was the one who found the final cache as well. Here she is posing with her find. This part of the hiking trail was so pretty and the kids had fun tramping through all the dirt and bushes "helping" us find our hidden treasure.

Busy Weekend Ahead

Today was payday and the nice part was a little extra bonus too. I've been making a priority list for weeks now on all those extra odds and ends that you want to buy but never have the money for. On the top of the list was a sandbox for the kids because I can't seem to keep them out of the dirt. Every time I turn around they are playing in it. Since I don't know what kind of creepy crawlys or poo or fertilizer, etc, etc is in it, I would much rather they play in sand. I've been checking Craig's list and no such luck for sandboxes. I also needed to have the tires rotated and breaks checked anyway. What do you know? Les Schwab is conveniently located next to ToysRUs. So off we went shopping while they were working on our van. I found the sandbox, bags of sand, and a bigger slide for them too. I managed to get it all home and set up............just in time for it to start raining. Sigh. Evie had a borderline tantrum when I told her she couldn't play in it. I also have this big beautiful slide set up for them but they could care less. They are all about that sandbox. At least I know it was worth the money spent. I think we will get many many years of use out of it.

Les Schwab told us that our rear breaks are at 10%. Since I'm letting Mom and Melody borrow the van for a few weeks so they can use it to travel to Idaho over the holidays, I figured we better get them fixed. Besides, I don't know when I'll have a large chunk of money again to take care of them. But it means putting my fun list aside. Oh well, most of it can probably wait for the next bonus. (But I'm selfishly and sorely disappointed.) And I know Mom and Melody will be safe. Our appt. is tomorrow so that will be taken care of in time for them when they come up this weekend for a visit and to take the van. Since they are coming up, we will be busy running around with them and I probably won't have time to post. I'll try to give everyone an update on all our fun happenings on Monday.

Meet Shadow

Well, we did it. I got a 2nd kitten! It was totally unexpected and unplanned but I'm in love with him already. He is a dark gray tabby whom we are calling Shadow. I haven't gotten a good picture of him yet but you can see profiles of him with Moon in the pictures below. He is approximately 8 weeks old so that makes him about 2 weeks older than Moon.

So how did this come about? Let me tell you. Friday, I got an email from Dwayne with a picture of a momma cat nursing some kittens. Apparently his coworker's friend sent an email around with the picture to help find homes for them and to show off the surprise of their birth. Apparently, they didn't know they had this bunch of kittens underneith her porch until she saw them all nursing in the front yard. I wrote Dwayne another email back just laughing at him and commenting that it was too late. I was already too invested emotionally and financially in Moon, unless he was interested in a 2nd one? I was totally teasing and just being silly. Well, Dwayne writes me back with a comment like whether or not you get a second kitten is not up to me. I'm staying totally out of that decision. I was like, Huh? Are you serious? Will you really let me have another one? So I called him up immediately. According to him, he was indifferent to the idea. He had no feelings one way or another. Well, you know me. You give me indecision and I'll take advantage. (Giggles with an evil grin.) I did decide in my own head that if the kitten didn't just fall into place and was going to cost us adoption fees, or was getting to complicated to meet the person, I would just bag the whole thing. Fortunately for me, they were giving the kittens away for free and as it turns out they would be ready in a few days. They also only lived about 15 min away. So after several email exchanges, we went last night to pick up our new kitten. I didn't have a lot of choice as they had found homes for everyone. There was a white female with pointed ears that looked very similar to Moon that I wanted but someone else had priority on that one. I had my choice of the last gray one or one of 3 orange tabbies. I took the gray male and now I have two!

It is already working out great! Moon was bottle-fed so he is very attached and cuddly to humans but doesn't have very good kitty habits like burying his poo or grooming himself real well because he didn't have a Momma to show him how. Shadow was raised outside and had a Momma and siblings to play with and show him how to be a cat. But he is a little shy and startles easily. They have been learning from each other and they seem to enjoy one another's company. Shadow was really shy about being held until he saw Moon hop onto my lap and start purring away. He then allowed me to hold and pet him and totally relaxed after a short amount of time. Moon has been eating exclusively soft food and still making a mess. But after seeing Shadow eat the solid kibble, this morning he started eating hard food for the first time. It is fun to see them learning from each other and even though Shadow is still a little shy, I am amazed at how much he has settled in just overnight. I think these two will be life-long buds and they will both be quite attached to us. Which is fine. I try really hard to make life-long commitments to my animal friends when I bring them into our lives.

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Untimely Interruption

Well, Dwayne and I experienced a first, and hopefully last, parent moment last night. Shortly after putting the kids to bed and taking our own showers, we decided to enjoy each other. Well, when things were getting nice and exciting, into our bedroom walks Sam. He looked a little surprised to see us "wrestling" but seemed more sheepish about the fact that he was out of bed. I don't think we scarred him for life but Mom and Dad took a little while to get over it. Once he was tucked back in and our bedroom door was firmly closed we laughed it off. But I think we might have to rethink our schedule for such things in the future.

The past few days, Evie has been fighting a major break-out in hives. You can tell they itch terribly and I have been keeping her dosed with Benadryl. They are completely covering her belly and now venturing down her left leg. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what she was exposed to and can't come up with any likely candidates. I even took her to the doctor because they were getting so bad but he wasn't much help either. He didn't even give me a cream or anything to help clear them up. Pretty much we were given the instructions to keep dosing her with Benadryl and if they don't clear up in two weeks to come back again. The nurse said that many times we don't know what causes them and it could have even been a virus she fought off that caused it. Who knows? Luckily, they seem to be starting to clear up now.

Sam is turning into mister independent. Lately, he has been wanting to do things for himself. Small things like getting himself dressed and wanting to wipe his own butt after a poo. This is a huge relief for me since he has been one of those kids who wants Mom to do everything for him because it is just easier. I'm especially excited about the bathroom issues because I'm planning on potty training Evie this summer and don't want to deal with two at the same time. Though Sam will still need help for a while. He still is reluctant to pee standing up and doesn't tuck very well when sitting on a "big" toilet without the toddler seat. But small steps. I look back at everything he is doing and realize that he has started doing a lot the past 4 or 5 months but it hasn't been as noticeable because they have happened in small steps.

Dwayne and I have been having good discussions about Creation vs Evolution. This past year I have subscribed to a magazine called Creation Magazine. http://creation.com/creation-magazine It has answered so many questions for me in regards to science, dinosaurs, how the universe was made, etc. All from a Christian perspective but with the science to back it up. Having gone to public school, I was indoctrinated in evolution and that the universe was not created. But my church and faith was telling me otherwise. I believed the Bible was true but how do you explain all the varieties of animals and the millions of years it supposedly took to create the earth. And what about dinosaurs? I even started to compromise by thinking that when Genesis said the world was created in a day that it was a metaphore and since time means something different to God that maybe a day was actually a million years? I just didn't have the Biblical or theological knowledge to know. This magazine has been a wonderful eye-opener and has given me a huge relief in regards to the Bible and my faith that I didn't even know was a worry. It presents nature articles and scientific information with the same evidence out there being used to support Evolution, but shows how it actually fits better using God as the creator. It also helped me to realize that if we can't even take Genesis at face value that God did indeed create the world in 7 days then it allows us to start to question everything in the Bible. This line of thinking would then question everything in regards to Jesus. If I can believe that Jesus did in fact die and 3 days later rose again from the dead, then why can't I believe that God is big enough to create the world in 7 days? For me, this has always just been in faith. I didn't have the knowledge to argue why I believe. This magazine has been a great tool in opening my eyes to how wonderful God really is and even in science he has proven his existence. If you have the extra money, I highly recommend you get this magazine. It has been a wonderful education for both Dwayne and I.

MRI and Vet

Yesterday I was so busy. It was one of those days where I sat down at the end of the day and asked myself, "Why am I so tired?" then sit back and realize everything that I accomplished. I started out the morning by going to my MRI appointment. It wasn't too bad but by the end whether or not you are claustrophobic you are ready to get out. It was a longer appointment too. Apparently the pituitary gland isn't the easiest to look at. They take you into the room that has a machine that looks like a giant donut with a platform sticking out that you are supposed to lay on. This place was nice because they had headphones that I could wear that piped in music and helped you pass the time much quicker. They also placed a pillow under my knees to help with the comfort of laying on a flat surface. Then they strap your head in so you don't move and with warnings to lay really still they push the button that takes you into the machine. There isn't much exciting here. You just see the inside of the white tube. Pretty boring. They then warn you that you'll start hearing bangs, whirs, humming, clicks, etc. It is pretty noisy and again I was so grateful for the music. I had a MRI 7-8 years ago and had to suffer without the earphones. This was much easier to take. After about 30 minutes I was pulled out and finally allowed to move my arms and legs just a little but not allowed to move my head yet. They had to pump me full of contrast solution first and put me back in for another 11-12 minutes. When I got out the technician was impressed because they apparently were able to get good pictures of my eyes. He tells me that even when most people close their eyes they move back and forth under their eyelids and so they don't get a good picture. Apparently, even my eyeballs were still. I thought that was funny. Luckily, I don't get claustrophobic as long as I can breathe just fine. I just chilled out and relaxed knowing I didn't have to worry about the kids for a couple hours and listened to the music. I should know the results soon and I'll let everyone know when I do.

When I got home, I immediately started taking over chores, watching kids, making lunch, etc. when Dwayne took off for work. He warned me that the kitty's eyes were looking worse and I might consider going ahead and taking him to the vet. I checked him out myself and decided yes, we did need to take him in. So I made the appointment for 3:00. I knew Evie would be awake from her nap and hopefully, I'll be home in plenty of time to make dinner. $150.00 and an hour later we finally got the medicine needed for kitty and went home. I didn't bring any snacks for the kids because I didn't think it would take that long. Evie was very upset all the way home and I was pulling my hair out by the time I got home. I got kitty and the kids settled with something to drink and then got dinner going.

There wasn't anything particular that was making me so tired. I think it was just one small stress after another. I was dealing with things out of the ordinary for our routines that they just piled on each other and stressed me out by the end of the day. To top it off, I got a call from the vet this morning telling me kitty has a bug they detected in his fecal and I have to run in and get another medicine. So a medicine they gave me yesterday that cost $20.00 is completely useless and can't be returned. I forgot about the initial costs of getting cats and making them healthy. Once he is better though it won't be too bad. It just seems to be happening all at once. I hope to have the energy to try pretzels again today but we'll see.

Family Visits and Moon

Dianne and Terry, Dwayne's parents came to visit us this weekend. They came up Friday and left Sunday. Friday, Dwayne still had to work so they spent the day with us at our house and played with the kids. We had an easy dinner by having pizza and I left early to go and get our new kitten. (More on that later.) Saturday we started early by all piling into the van and going to a garage sale that was raising money for Relay For Life. I got a couple more VeggieTales movies for the kids and found for myself a couple more quilting books. (Not that I need any more.) Dianne found kid-size folding chairs of different colors for the kids. They like them a lot and are the perfect size for their little bodies. We then swung by the Farmer's Market in Olympia since we were only a few blocks away. I didn't find any fantastic deals but we did come away with a homemade triple berry pie and cinnamon swirl bread. I also walked by some shellfish and decided that oysters sounded good for some reason. I'm not a big fan of oysters but I like to have them once or twice a year. Especially when they are grilled on the BBQ and eaten immediately out of the shell with garlic butter. Terry bought a pound of buffalo jerkey so all of us were quite happy. When we got home that night, we BBQ'd steak, oysters, and I also grilled some fresh asparagus. For dessert, we munched on the pie and cinnamon bread. Sunday was spent just hanging out at the house a bit. We did take a walk to the store and grabbed some fried chicken and JoJos from the deli for lunch. Around 2:00 they took off for home. It was a great visit and it is such a delight to see Sam and Evie start to recognize and enjoy all their relatives.

Since Bubba died, I have been waffling back and forth on if I wanted another cat or not. Especially knowing that Dwayne has a small allergy to them. After my grief had mostly passed, I decided that yes, I did want another cat. Now how to convince Dwayne? He didn't seem too opposed to the idea at all which surprised me. I promised to take care of all the cat's needs including the litter box this time and I also figured that it was only fair that if I get a cat, then he is allowed to have a dog. (Though it will mostly be my dog since I'm the one home all day.... LOL) I have been scouring Craigslist trying to find animals that need new homes since we don't have hundreds of dollars to dish out for a new puppy. We also have to consider our children's ages and what we are allowed to have in our community. We are still looking at this point and we may just have to wait a while to get our perfect companion. But I'll keep looking since I did promise.

I found a posting on kittens from a lady who takes in orphaned kittens and with her own time and expense, bottle feeds them and finds them new homes. If she didn't do this, all those kittens would be euthanized as the shelter she lives near does not have the funding or facilities to take them in. I really liked what she was doing and even though I wasn't necessarily looking for a kitten (I was considering adopting an older cat) I decided I would support her and take in one of her kittens. We emailed back and forth and I waited another week for the babies to get old enough to be eating solid foods. Friday night, I drove out and looked at the kitties. She wasn't going to let me have the one I want because he was still being bottle-fed and she didn't think he was ready. I finally convinced her that I had experience with the little ones and because she was starting to get overwhelmed with all the rescues she had, that I would be helping by taking this one off her hands. So I am happy to say I was able to get the kitten I wanted.

We have decided to call him Moon for now but we might change that as we get to know his personality. He is a little rough around the edges and really needs some tender care. He has caked on food on his feet, belly, and mouth which is causing hair loss which is making him look even worse and he has slightly weapy eyes. I'm going to have to keep an eye on those cause he may be getting a respitory infection. The good news is that once he was away from the competition of his littermates, he is eating like a champ and doing fine on that front. We've also given him a couple of baths which has helped his appearance (and smell.) He still needs some work but I think he will be gorgeous once his hair fills back in and he grows a little. I have a soft heart for kittens and I was able to give him a good home and clean him up so I couldn't say no once I saw the situation he was in. It breaks my heart that I couldn't rescue them all. I'll post more pictures once he grows a little and his hair fills in.

His coloring is known as a sealpoint snowshoe and once it fills back in and he loses his baby fuzz, he is going to be soooo pretty.

Moon is 5 weeks old and barely a handfull!

New Bed

Well, I have been really busy the last couple of days. Sam has officially outgrown his toddler bed so I felt it was time to track down a twin for him. Wednesday, I checked Craig's list and found a twin bed frame including a trundle bed for $40.00. I jumped all over it. I called the people and they wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible so I had to pick it up that evening. It is an old Ikea bed so it is pretty nice looking and I was surprised at how good a shape it was in. We felt it needed a little reinforcement, especially on the corners so I spent yesterday finding the different screws and L-brackets needed. We also decided to dip into our son's savings to get him a brand new mattress set. Now no matter what frame we have, I can feel confident that he has a nice bed to last him till he is a teen. (Hopefully.) Before finding the bed we went to Target and spent way too much money on some new summer clothes for the kids and spent time letting Sam pick out some new bedding. He saw a blue polka-dot bedding set that he just had to have and the good news for Momma was that it was on clearance. We walked up the kids bedding aisle and I dutifully pointed out all the spiderman, Thomas the train, and Cars bedding but Sam insisted that he wanted the polka-dots. I was thrilled! (I liked the polka-dots best too.) We then went to the mattress store and while I was talking to the salesman, the children dutifully tried out every mattress in the store to make sure they were all comfortable. I loaded the van with the mattresses and the kids and all our shopping stuff, including doing the "manly" job of using bungie cords to keep the van door from popping up.

I managed to unload the mattresses myself and spent the afternoon reinforcing the bed all by myself. I was pretty proud of what I managed on my own without Dwayne's help. He did come home and do the last bit though because I was so tired. I can definately tell I don't do those kind of things often. But before the evening was through, Sam had his new bed and he slept through the night without any problems.

Terry and Dianne are up today and tomorrow for a visit so I will update everyone on what we did soon.

This and That

Wow. I just looked at my post from the other night. I was really on a soapbox. Sorry about that. Can you tell I'm starting to feel strongly about the issue? Oh well, on to more mundane things.

Sunday I woke up in a crabby mood. And when I start to get depressed or in a bad mood there is nothing like spending money to make me feel better. (Maybe that is why we have such debt issues? But let's not go there.) Anyways, I scrounged up the last $30.00 in savings and thought we should go look at garage sales again. Dwayne was up for it and I know the kids were ready to get out of the house a little. These are the pictures of the great finds we found. (Not counting the fish.) The fish picture isn't that great but you can kind of see the 3 male guppies we got to replace all the fish we lost in our last tank fiasco.

Found a kids size table which is perfect for their coloring projects.

We also found a play tent that the kids can't get enough of. What is great is that it collapses really easy into a skinny circle to make storage a breeze.

We also need bookshelves sooooo bad. We need much more than one but even though it is ugly it helped us rearrange things and got rid of 4 more boxes that were sitting unpacked for a while. I also came home with another armload of clothes but this time was lucky enough to find a few things for Sam.

In medical news, I got my blood test results back. My estrogen levels are fine but I do have elevated levels of testosterone. He did say it wasn't high enough to indicate tumors. (I didn't even know that was a concern!) But it sounds like he still isn't satisfied yet what exactly is going on. So I have to get more bloodwork to test my levels of something called Estrodial (which I believe is a stress hormone) and he wants me to have an MRI done of my pituitary gland. I have an appointment for that on June 9th. I'll let everyone know what is happening when I know more myself.

Yes, I Am Going to Homeschool

Well, I ended a wonderful day reading an article that just put me up in arms about my education choices for my kids. If you are interested to see the article and all the counter-responses you can read it at http://teacherrevised.org/2009/05/30/the-case-against-homeschooling/ I totally believe the person wrote such controversal and biggoted statements on purpose to get the reaction that he did. Homeschooling parents have responded in force. Some to our detriment and some with good arguments. It makes me mad that in a country with so many so-called "freedoms" that our choice to believe in God, be a average american "white" family, and wanting the best education for our children is questioned. I have absolutely no intention of insulating my children from "real-world" issues and subjects and I can't believe that people still think that socialization is even an issue anymore. Since when is forcing children in a box filled with 30 other children their own age for over 6 hours a day preparing them for the variety of people and age ranges they will meet in workplaces, colleges, grocery stores, and every other place in the world except for school? The only thing I learned in public school was how bored I was, how mean other people are, and that being "average" and part of the norm will get you nowhere. I was not part of any major social group. I had good grades but didn't stand out and I wasn't a trouble-maker and so did not stand out that way. Because of this, even though I could have attended college and fulfilled any dream I had, nobody helped me or even pointed me in the right direction. Some would say "Well, then where were your parents?" But I thought the whole argument was that public schools knew better than parents on what was right for their kids?

Now don't get me wrong. I think there are many good things that can come from public schools and I have seen good kids come out of public schools with their faith intact. (My husband and I are good examples.) But in my opinion, I think it is much much harder. And much has changed in the public school system in just the 10+ years since I graduated and I thought it was bad then. If I have the ability and desire to keep my kids from some of those struggles, then why not? Well, then some would come back and argue that my kids would not be able to take insults or deal with these tough situations. They would be "insulated" from the real world. I would argue that I would prefer my children be children as long as possible. That they gain the maturity only gained from age and introduce them to those situations when they are physically and mentally mature enough to handle them. I do not feel that they need to be insulted, put-down, or exposed to unfair prejudices at an early age in order to function successfully in our society.

I fully intend to homeschool my children for as long as the Lord puts the desire in our hearts and we are able to. If at some future point that is no longer a viable option, then I am grateful we live in a country that values education and has provided parents several alternatives and choices. I intend to expose my children to many different cultures, opinions, and alternative life styles including all the so-called "dirty" ones; homosexuality, evolution, magic, witches, fantasy, sex education and belief in other gods. I will offer all sides and opinions on a subject, grateful that we have the time and ability to actually offer both sides unlike the public system that will only give you the popular or "left" opinion, and then, yes, I will give the biblical truth regarding these subjects. I hope to have open, honest discussions with my children and that no subject will be taboo. How many other "average" American parents and families can say the same? I believe in the Bible and that Jesus is the only way to salvation and will pass those values on to my children. But last I looked, freedom of religion was still part of what makes America so great.

I intend to involve my children in sports and music activities provided by the local communities, YMCA's, and private lessons that will expose them to all kinds of people of different ages, colors, and creeds. We will visit museums, zoos, aquariums, ponds, rivers, lakes, and plains to learn about our wonderful world and ecosystems hands on. If I was a child, I would much prefer this then the one or two field trips that might happen a year where adults are so busy sheperding kids from one place to another and keeping the trouble-makers in line that I didn't really get a chance to learn anything or stay at something that caught my interest. They will be able to "socialize" and know how to deal with many different kinds of people. Then I hear people argue, "It is good for kids to know how to socialize with their own age group." Since when is hanging out and learning from people your own age all the time considered socialization? I believe you are starting to argue yourself in circles.

I'm so grateful that the Lord put the wisdom in my husband's heart to ask me the question shortly after Sam was born, "What do you think about homeschooling our kids?" To be honest, it had never crossed my mind until then. I went to public school and just assumed that is what was going to happen with our children. Sure, I had cousins and knew people that were home-schooled but to be perfectly honest, I had some prejudiced opinions about it and didn't really know all that much. So instead of shutting the whole idea down. I did my research. I googled like crazy about homeschooling and met with some mom's at our church who homeschooled. I started asking questions. I have had 3 years to research curriculum, learning styles, and teaching styles. I've learned about reasons for homeschooling and some reasons why it might not be a good idea to homeschool. If you are unsure, start to do research yourself. You will find a huge community of homeschoolers of varied backgrounds and beliefs. And I can guarantee that a good majority of them are not isolated Christian fundamentalists.

Well, as you can see, my reading today has put me on the defensive and I could argue on and on and on. I will undoubtably make mistakes along the way as a parent and as a teacher. I'm just grateful that I believe in a Lord that has already forgiven me and I can move forward confident in that knowledge. I am so excited to get started with them in schooling that I sometimes wish that they were a little older so we can get started. Then I remind myself that these years will go by fast and I'm sure I'll be wishing they were little again. I have found a curriculum that I hope to be using for many years to come that has me so excited. It is a literature-based curriculum that is very different from the typical textbook learning called Sonlight. You can find their website at http://www.sonlight.com I didn't even know that you could teach using other methods besides the textbook way. I even thought homeschooling was pretty much doing the same textbook way of public schools but the freedom of doing it in your own home. Please do your research! Their are so many more options available now and homeschooling has branched out considerably since the time of our mothers. Email me if you have questions and I can point you to several resources that I've picked up along the way to help you get started.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I will stop now.

Garage Sales and Failed Pretzels

We started out this beautiful morning by going to garage sales in town. Tenino is a really small town though so we visited the only 4 in town. I was really hoping to find a twin bed because we want to upgrade Sam this summer to a big boy bed. He's getting tall enough already that he is rapidly outgrowing his todder bed and the toddler bed is definately getting a suspicious squeak from all the times he has ignored my instructions to not jump on the bed. I keep checking Craigs list too but just haven't been lucky yet. I'm hoping we'll run into something soon. I did walk away with 2 boxes of unused jelly canning jars for $2.00 each and a small pile of gently used clothes for Evie for $4.00. I plan on going garage saleing (yes it is too a word!....lol) a lot this summer. I forget all the good stuff you can find if you are diligent. I just wish our town was slightly bigger or I didn't have to drive 20 minutes to get to anything more significant in times like these.

When we got back and got the house straightened out I decided to try and make pretzels using Noelle's recipe. They failed miserably. The dough was a bit sticky so I had to add a little flour, I forgot to spray the cookie sheet so they stuck and I obviously didn't roll them out thin enough because they turned out as braided rolls rather than pretzels. But they tasted wonderful so I'll just have to work harder to get that perfect pretzel shape next time. Well, we are off to church this evening so we can have all of tomorrow off.

It's starting to feel like Summer

Yesterday was a wonderful day. The sun was shining but wasn't too hot. I woke up feeling slightly industrious so after the morning routine of breakfast and dishes, I decided to try out Noelle's wheat bread recipe. I have been unsatisfied with the bread recipes that come with the machine but had not been adventurous enough to look for something different. Let me tell you that it turned out wonderful! Thank you Noelle for that recipe and please pass on any more you come across. I look forward to trying to make Pretzels soon too.

The rest of the day, I ended up wandering from project to project. Nothing was really catching my interest. I made roasted chicken in the crockpot so I didn't even have dinner to prep towards evening. It was just one of those weird days where nothing was really interesting. When Dwayne came home and we had dinner we went out back to work on a few of the weeds that dominate our little garden patch. It is so funny to me that I have a son who can't stand to get dirty and wet and a daughter who I can't seem to keep out of the dirt. Isn't it supposed to be the opposite? After snapping a couple pictures, I decided to get in a long bath and enjoy a book. I finished the night cross-stitching while watching the new season of So You Think You Can Dance. Hopefully today I will have some interest in something particular and be a little more industrious.

Evie helping Daddy in the garden.

Sam not helping Daddy in the garden.

Memorial Day Weekend

We have had a wonderful weekend. The original plan was to have Dwayne's parents come up and stay with us for the weekend. However, that didn't work out so we had the whole long weekend to ourselves. Saturday we woke up and Dwayne helped me clean up the house a little and promptly went out and mowed the lawn so it wouldn't be pressing on him all weekend to get it done. After Evie's nap we went out and got our groceries. When we got home the sun was shining and it was really warm. Dwayne had dressed them a little heavy so I had Sam take off his shirt. He thought that it was pretty funny that he could run around outside without a shirt. Evie took one look at him though and came up to me demanding that her shirt come off too. I started laughing and went ahead and obliged her. She is still young and I figure societies expectations will hit us soon enough in regards to dress.

Sunday, we were pretty lazy around the house all day. I spent the morning making potato salad and getting food ready to go. Even though we didn't have company we decided to break out the grill and have a BBQ for dinner. The afternoon, of course, included some time gaming but the rest of the evening Dwayne hung out with the kids while I was inside surfing the internet. We are thinking that if our tax return is big enough next year then we might take a trip to Disneyland. So I spent some time researching price options, etc. After a wonderful dinner of BBQ steak Dwayne then let me go take a leisurly bath while he put the kids down for bed. I ended up staying up late though because I had to finish my book. And then I didn't sleep well because the house was just too warm.

This morning felt a little strange at first because Dwayne was still in bed with me. I'm used to him being up and about already getting ready for work. Sam crawled into bed with us around 6:30 and proceeded to snuggle, twitch, and squirm for half an hour pressed up next to my body that I gave up trying to sleep anymore and got up. I took one look at the sunshine outside and decided to try geocaching again. After all, we spent money on this device and there are so many places to discover and it is too lovely a day to spend inside. So while I researched some nearby coordinates, Dwayne got the cache bag, snacks, and diaper bag ready to go. I found 4 promising spots that shouldn't be too hard for the kids. I am excited to say that we have officially found one and it wasn't very hard. That made me so excited so we went back to the first place where we couldn't find it before and was still unsuccessful. I really don't think that one is there anymore. I had found some coordinates along a bike trail near a river and thought that would be a fun place to discover and have a nice walk. The first one was easy to find and we swapped out a trinket. The next one was further up the trail about a 1/2 mile. I figured that wasn't too far of a walk and decided to leave the stroller behind. Big mistake! The kids did fine all the way there but the walk back was a little troublesome. And to top it off we couldn't find the cache. So the high of the morning was a little letdown with an unsuccesful find and whiny tired kids walking all the way back to the van. However, once we got home, had some lunch, and put Evie down for her nap, I can honestly say that I am happy that we went. It was a beautiful morning and it gave us a good excuse to get outside. We also have the added benefit of finding a nice trail to bike or hike in the future that isn't far from our house that we didn't even know was there. Overall, I think it was a very successful and nice weekend.

Daddy was lucky enough to find the first cache.

But Mom found the 3rd (and prettier) one.

Medical Update

Yesterday was one of those fun days where I got to visit the gynecologist. Luckily, it was just a follow-up to some tests I've had done recently. As many of you are aware, several years ago I was diagnosed with polycycstic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. It is an endocrine disorder that cause several different things in me including infertility, hair growth in the wrong places, hair loss in other wrong places, running on high insulin (though not diabetic yet), and difficulty in weight loss among other things. I have been extremely fortunate in having a doctor diagnose me correctly and early and I have been able to control several of the risk factors and through God's wonderful works, had two beautiful children. Well, since moving to Washington I have not been as good about going to the doctor and establishing regular check-ups, etc. I hate finding a new doctor and rehashing all the bad stuff that has happened over the last several years including what decisions were made and why. Now that I am through having babies, I decided that I needed to get a hold on my syndrome again but for different reasons. My entire focus before was getting healthy enough to have children. Now that is no longer the case and need to find another reason to stay and get healthy. This was really pressing to me after aunt Sheri had been diagnosed with uterine cancer. I do not have regular periods, if at all, and I know that can be a risk factor for developing cancer later on in life.

After talking to my family doctor about some things going on that would be too detailed and too long to write in this blog, he suggested I go see a gynecologist about a procedure called uterine ablasion. Basically, they burn off the lining of the uterus so I will have no lining to grow and slough off. That would resolve worries about future cancer and the heavy bleeding I do have when I finally have a period. After several tests and talking to gynecologist, he really strongly felt that that would not be the best solution and suggested a birth control method called Mirena. Since birth control is not an issue for me (tubal ligation) I would have the birth control for the hormones it released. It would do the same thing as the surgical procedure but hormonally rather than physically with added benefits of controlling hair growth, etc. However, before we proceeded, he wanted me to go in for an ultrasound and confirm that I still in fact have PCOS and check out the lining of the uterus.

Yesterday's appt. was to discuss those ultrasound findings. Apparently, he feels that my ovaries are not cystic enough for him to be comfortable calling it PCOS. I still have some PCOS traits and characteristics but they are pretty minor and he isn't sure that PCOS is the cause of some of the problems I may be having. So I have pretty mixed feelings. Praise the Lord that the PCOS has backed off (because I am fairly confident that I did in fact have PCOS at one point) but then what is going on? Something obviously is wrong because things aren't functioning the way they should. So off to the lab for another panel of bloodwork. This time we are specifically testing my estrogen and testosterone levels along with a few others. What is funny, is I don't think those levels have ever been tested. The doctors were always checking my thyroid and progesterone levels because those were key numbers for getting pregnant but I don't remember ever getting my estrogen checked. You would think that would be important. The doctor also indicated that the lining of my uterus was not built up very well at all for not having a period in a while. To him, it almost looks like someone entering menopause. But that is good news also, because it means that my uterus isn't getting stimulated at all and so it isn't a risk factor for uterine cancer. So the Mirena or ablation would not do me any good for the reasons I had originally seen the doctors.

So we are in a holding pattern at this point until I can get more results from the bloodwork. In a crazy way I hope they come back with a definitave answer that we can treat and deal with instead of all these unanswered questions. Then we can move forward with a plan instead of the rote "change your lifestyle, eat better, and lose weight." I do need to do those things and it would probably help many things but I have a feeling in my heart that it isn't the cause of many factors going on in my body. And obviously I have been doing some things right if my PCOS has backed off so dramatically. In either case, it makes me so extremely grateful for my two children. They truly are a miracle if the test indications are true and I shouldn't have been ovulating or conceiving. Luckily, nothing is going on that is life-threatening at this point. It is just one of those things that if I don't get some stuff under control now while I'm young then the chances of a heart-attack, cancers, diabetes, and other things when I'm older rise dramatically. So pass a prayer thought my way when you think about it and I'll post more updates as I learn more.

Busy Fun Weekend

We went down to Oregon for a night this past weekend. I figured it was time to visit all the family again and made sure we had a full tank of gas in the van this past paycheck so we could visit everyone. It was a great weekend to travel because the sun was out but of course everyone else thought so too. So we didn't make great time traveling but it wasn't too bad. Saturday we slept in as long as the kids would let us which turned out to be around 7:30, finished packing up the last stuff we would need, ate a quick breakfast, and was out the door and on the road by 8:30. Our forcast said it would be sunny and in the 70s so that is what I planned for. I forget that Oregon tends to be 10-15 degrees hotter than what we have so I was unprepared for how hot and miserable we all got. After a quick trip to Target I picked up a couple pairs of shorts for Sam to ease his misery.

We spent most of Saturday at my mom's house, letting the kids run around the backyard, enjoying the sun. Us adults spent most of the afternoon playing Maplestory together. Mom got back from her obligations at school and we all had burgers grilled on the BBQ. The kids were roasting hot by this point and covered head to toe in dirt from all the adventures outside. Dwayne gave them all a cool bath and a scrubdown. Then Dwayne and I headed off to see a movie. We were very grateful to Mom and Melody for offering their baby-sitting skills since we still don't have friends or neighbors we feel comfortable enough with to leave our kids with in WA. We hadn't had a date in a long time. Dave and Charlene joined us at the movie theater and we all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly watching the new Star Trek. We chatted a bit outside the theater when we were done and then headed back home. It was about 11:00 when we finally got to Mom's and I still needed a shower. Of course, Evie was sharing a room with us and heard us come in so it took a while to calm her down and fall asleep. The house also absorbed all the heat so it was extremely hot. Then Dwayne started to snore which then woke up Evie again. It was a horrible cycle and needless to say, I did not get much sleep that night.

Sunday, after breakfast and saying our goodbyes to Mom and Melody we were off to visit Dwayne's side of the family. Once a month they have a potluck so we were able to get say hello to everyone in one fell swoop. It turns out they were having Burgers too plus all the extras and sides that go with it. We were well fed after this visit. The potluck didn't start until 1:30 so we got there early to allow the grandparents time to see the kids before all the rest of the relatives showed up and compromised our time. When Evie went down for her nap, Dianne, Stephanie, Sam, and I went down the block to the park. The slides were already way too hot and Sam was pretty dissapointed. So Grandma volunteered to have him ride in her lap. He enjoyed that a lot and thought it was pretty funny. We then went to the other side of the park and found the swings. Those were his favorite and we spent most of our time their just letting him swing away. There was something blooming that was causing my eyes to itch really bad. To Sam (and Grandma's :) dissapointment I called a halt to the swings. We made our way back and had a lovely visit with all the family. Around 3:30 we made our way home. I wish we had remembered to take pictures. I'll get some more new ones soon posted here for everyone to see.

Funny Story

I ran across this funny story that I had to share with everyone. I cracked up. I hope you like it too.


"Dear Lord," the preacher began with arms extended and a rapturous look on his upturned face, "without you we are but dust..." He would have continued, but at that moment one very obedient little girl (who was listening carefully) leaned over to her mother and asked quite audi-bly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mommy, WHAT is butt dust?" Church was pretty much over at that point...

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful weekend. At first I wasn't sure what kind of weekend it was going to be. Friday night as I was reading Sam his bedtime story and the sun was shining through the window right on us while sitting on the couch. Sam takes a look at me and smile and I smile back. Then he looks at me more closely and starts giggling. I looked at him and smiled and asked him what he was giggling at. He looks more closely at my face and says, "You've got a mustache!" and starts giggling again. Well, at first I was horrified and then started giggling myself because he was taking such great delight in the fact that I have a mustache. Needless to say, after putting him to bed I visited the bathroom and promptly took care of that issue.

Saturday, Dwayne let me sleep in and when I finally rolled out of bed we worked together on getting the kids' rooms cleaned up really well. We emptied all the little cubbies, toyboxes, under the bed, etc. and put all the blocks in their correct box, put all the puzzles back together and just put all the toys back to rights. We also took the time to move the furniture and vacuum under it as we are starting to have fleas and I want to get them before they get real bad. We also weeded out the toys that are no longer played with, broken, or just no longer practical in the home. Dwayne's work has a fundraising garage sale coming up so we had a nice place to dispose of all the toys no longer wanted. Trust me, our kids are loved and even with the 2 boxes of toys going to the garage sale they are not lacking in things to play with. The children spent the rest of the day rediscovering their toys and played pretty quietly in their bedrooms.

Sunday, I got to sleep in again. I thought that was very nice of Dwayne and I soooo appreciated it. I actually slept till 8:30. That is so late for me, it was crazy. As I got up he was finishing up my eggs for me. He made me breakfast! He also did a load of dishes and switched laundry around all day, including folding and putting away. That was the best gift he could have given me. I'm pretty lucky that he helps me with these chores often enough that he knows how I like them done and where most stuff goes. There are always things that could have been done a little different or better (namely pots and pans and counters) but I just smile and try to remember the few things I don't have to do later. We spent the morning gaming and then when Evie woke up from her nap, I got to whip out my Jo-Ann's coupon and as a family went to visit the fabric store. I'm in the process of making my first quilt for Sam and needed a few more items. It cracked me up when we got there though. In the far end of the parking lot, a father and son were tossing a frisbee back and forth, and I saw no less than 4 men sitting in their vehicles waiting for wives who were obviously enjoying their Mother's Day in the fabric store too. We came home and Dwayne made dinner. We had already discussed what he was going to make and how to go about it the day before so I didn't have to worry (too much) about the process. Overall, I had a great day and it was so good that all of us were healthy again and the kids were even on good behavior.

This morning I woke up and looked at the mess in the kitchen and the laundry still left to be done, and toys scattered about and sighed. Smiling to myself, I reminded myself that I wouldn't trade it for the world because for so long I never thought I would be a mom or even a wife for that matter. Now let's see if I remember that gratitude when the kids start fighting................

MapleStory

Ok, I'll admit it. I have an addiction. It is a game called MapleStory. It is a massive multiplayer online game or MMO. About 2 years ago I would never have thought that I would like this game or any online game for that matter that would have me interact with complete strangers. I like to play games all by myself. I don't need other people to interact with. Well, my mind has been changed. It all started with my brother-in-law's family. They started telling Dwayne about this new game that they are playing online and wouldn't it be cool if we could play when they were on and all play together? Well, Dwayne checked it out and decided that he enjoyed the game and frequently played when he had some free time. I always looked over his shoulder and laughed at the "stupid game." How can he enjoy that? I hate role-playing games! Well, I succumbed to peer pressure one day and created a character. But I was going to figure it out all on my own. I didn't want any advice and in fact I didn't want to play with anybody so I created a character in my own world away from everybody I knew would be playing. After a few days of playing, I decided I was right! This game was stupid and I don't know why they liked it. (It turns out that my characters stats were way wrong making me extremely weak. But I didn't want help! LOL)

Well, about half-way through my pregnancy with Sam I was extremely bored one day and decided I would try again. Especially since Dwayne showed all the signs of someone enjoying himself. I even decided that I could ask for some advice and connect with my family in the same world. I chose a different job and followed others' advice and you know what? I was hooked. Over the last couple of years we've been able to spread our insanity to several family members and it is fun to catch them online when you least expect it. My mom even plays!

So what makes this game so special compared to other MMO's? It is hard to say. I like that it is 2-D vs 3-D. That helps extremely with some of us who get lost easily or even have trouble with motion-sickness in a 3-D environment. The characters are brightly colored and cartoonish. The graphics make me feel comfortable playing the game with my kids running around the house. No big boobs or scary monsters. In fact, my son cracks up hysterically when one of the monsters that is scary and tough in my opinion starts attacking me. I love the fact that this game is free. No monthly service fees or contracts required. They make their money by having a "cash shop" that you can purchase items to enhance your gameplay if you want. But let me tell you that you can have a wonderful gaming experience without purchasing any of those items ever. It is a high quality game. I love that you can interact as much or as little with other gamers as you want. There are a couple channels that if you are a social butterfly has tons of people and you can chat away to your heart's content. Or, if you are like me and want to just work on your quests and enjoy the game by yourself you can. Though I have made some online friends that I interact regularly with now.

Well, enough plugging of this game. I could go on and on because I love it so much. Dwayne and I are completely and totally entrenched in the game and even have our own guild of players that we lead now. If any of you want to try it out and join me in this online adventure you can find me in the Bera server under the name RoseDaughter. Here is the link to the official website. http://maplestory.nexon.net/WZ.ASPX?PART=/Main I'll be happy to walk you through and help you get started. Surprisingly it has been a good way to keep in contact with some family and friends better than when we were left on our own. And no, the makers have not paid me in any way for endorsing their product. LOL

So if you are ever calling me and I seem distracted it is probably because I have the game up and not giving you my full attention. I have gotten much better at turning away now though because I was realizing that the game was taking away time from my kids, my housework was getting neglected, and things weren't getting done. Balance is the key and I have gotten much better at finding that balance. But heaven forbid there should be a game update with new material. I get very excited.

As far as the rest of the news. Nothing much else is going on right now. We are still in recovery from being sick. The kids are doing much better too. No plans as far as I know for Mother's Day except to catch up on all the neglected housework. Well, I better go trim Sam's nails and keep a better eye on Evie and the pen she has found. She already has done some pretty artwork on her face.

Doing Better

We are doing better today. Though the weekend was a little rough. Dwayne and Evie came down sick on Saturday. Thankfully, they both seemed better by afternoon yesterday. However, Sam then had a fever and threw up all over the living room. But by bedtime he seemed 100% better and this morning has been complaining about how hungry he is. I'm glad they didn't last as long as I did with this bug. I'm still recovering though I am doing better. I still have a bit of cough and runny nose especially first thing in the morning. Needless to say, we didn't do much this weekend. Dwayne did find just enough energy to quickly mow the yard and I did a little weeding. But once that was done, we were bushed. We pretty much spent the weekend watching T.V and vegging.

Well, all the fish are dead. I have no idea what happened. But something obviously in our tank is out of balance somehow. They have been dying off one by one over the last several days. In some ways I am relieved because I really didn't want to have a breeding tank. In the next few days, I'll clean out the tank really well and set it up again. Then maybe get a couple more fish and start over next payday. The only thing I can think of is that we are reusing some old rocks from a previous tank and I didn't clean them well enough. Otherwise, everything else in the tank is new. We also don't have a heater since this is such a tiny tank. I figured the hoodlight would heat the water well enough. I think I'm going to go back to good ole reliable guppies. But no females! I know how they work, how to keep them alive for the most part and can tell boys from girls pretty easily. I think a sucker fish of some kind will help too. We'll see what happens.

Sick

Well, I have been really really sick this week. I went to bed Sunday night with a slight sore throat and woke up Monday with a raging headache, exhaustion, and sinus pressure. Luckily Dwayne was sweet and took half-days on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, I had an OB appt. (always fun) and so he took half a day again. Thursday I woke up with more energy finally but officially had a drippy nose and deep cough. But those symptoms seem to be responding better to the cold medicine so I let Dwayne go back to work. By the end of yesterday however, I can't speak. It seems I have developed laryngitis on top of everything else. It has been interesting trying to communicate to the kids what I need them to do. Let me tell you it really makes me appreciate the voice God gave me. So today I'm feeling a bit better. Still can't hardly speak but at least I'm able to get a few chores done. The house is a pig sty! As most of you moms can probably attest, the hubbies do their best but it just isn't done as well as when you do it. But I try not to complain because he has also put in a full day's work. To top it all off, Evie came down with a fever and cough yesterday too. I just hope the boy's will avoid this round of flu/cold. I feel like someone has been sick the entire winter and I'm so ready for us all to be healthy again. Hopefully, with the nicer weather expected this weekend we can kick this thing.

Busy Busy Weekend

Well, I haven't logged in much the last few days because I have been very very busy. Friday afternoon Dwayne called to let me know that his compensation check finally came in. So I convinced him to take a few hours off early and run around to go shopping with me and the kids. It was fun to shop for the most part but Evie is at a stage where she is not behaving very well lately. She is our stubborn girl and gets extremely upset when she can't have things her way. Which of course is just about all the time because of her age. So despite all the screaming and fussing we were able to get some new clothes for all of us at Kohls and price a small plastic shed at Home Depot. We also decided to go ahead and purchase a small refurbished lawnmower for about $100. I'm extremely happy with the $20 lawnmower we bought on Craigslist but decided that since we could afford something a little nicer we would go ahead and get it. So now I'm going to post the lawnmower on Craigslist for $40 and see if we can make a few bucks off of it. After all, it does run, it just looks bad. LOL.

Saturday we woke up and did a mad dash through the house cleaning things up as Dwayne's parents were coming up to visit. Dianne and Terry came up with all the expected gifts, we made spaghetti for lunch, and had a really nice visit overall. They left around 2:30 in the afternoon.

Dwayne was expected to work in the nursery at church that night so I convinced him to take the kids and let me go off shopping on my own. I've been eyeballing the new Nintendo Wii for a while now and decided to go to GameCrazy. I spent way too much money and bought a used Wii with extra controllers and the new Wii Fit. I'm hoping that since the exercises are done in a game format I will get up and move more. Let me tell you those mini-games on Wii Fit are tough!

Sunday, we went to the butchers and stocked up on some more meat and then I had Dwayne go to Home Depot to get the shed. I stayed home with the kids as I didn't think Evie would behave well. He came home and we put together the shed. It was a Rubbermaid thing and it went together really really easy. What is great about it is that it will pull apart again really well also so if and when we have to move we will be able to take it with us. The new lawnmower's handle folds down and it just fits in the shed. We couldn't have had it work out better if we tried. I'm grateful that it works so well. After cleaning up all the mess we still had the rest of the afternoon off so I suggested that we try to find a geocache (more on that in a second) and then go scrounge our last little bit of money for a couple games for the Wii. After unsuccessfully finding the cache we went back to GameCrazy, bought MarioCart and SuperMarioGalaxy, and finished with a nice dinner at DairyQueen. We had dinner early enough that I let the kids have some ice cream. It was pretty neat to see their faces. Evie didn't want anything to do with it unless she could feed herself and then thought it was pretty neat. I let Sam have his first official ice cream cone. (I'm not a big one for messes, so I wanted to make sure he would be coordinated enough to eat it.) He thought it was great fun. He let mom help clean up his drips (by licking em up of course....tee hee,) but really thought the "cookie" was the best part. Evie was pretty good most of the afternoon too and didn't throw half as many fits as she has been doing lately. And now, the compensation check is completely gone but it was fun while it lasted.

Now about geocaching. I read about this new trend recently called geocaching that sounded very interesting to me. It was an inexpensive way for families to get out and about on a "treasure" hunt and discover new hidden places. Using a handheld GPS unit, you punch in some coordinates for a hidden cache and try to find it. Once you find it, you write your name on the paper found there and can see who else has found the cache before you. Some caches have a little trinket in them that you can take but you are expected to leave something for the next person with the same or greater value. What is great is that when you do some research you discover that there are caches hidden all over the world! It has really turned into this global treasure hunt. They are super easy to super difficult depending on how hard you want to work to find one. The are stashed all over towns, countrysides, or even at the end of a long hike if you really want an adventure. This sounded like so much fun to me. When I was little, I loved hiking, and thought treasure hunts were great fun. I also thought that this would be a great family tradition to start. It is an inexpensive way for us to get out of the house and enjoy each other as a family. So I used some of our bonus money and bought a small GPS unit at Target. It cost about $150 and the reviews I read on this unit were that it was a great unit to start out with and good for beginners. You can, of course, spend a lot more for one that has better detailed maps, colors, and all kinds of extras. But I decided to start the simple route to see if this is even something we would do. http://www.geocaching.com is the place to find information all about this new sport and once you make an account you can easily have access to the thousands of coordinates of hidden caches, log your finds, and even post your pictures.

It turns out there was a cache just down the road from us so we set out to find it. We found where it was supposed to be but didn't have any luck finding the cache itself. We forgot to pack a flashlight because we think it is hidden in one of the dark crevices under the bridge. It could also have been hidden somewhere more deeply in the rocks but Dwayne and I didn't have time to really search as the kids thought the icky dirty runoff creek was fun to play in. Now that we know where it is supposed to be though we will be back with the right tools and hopefully have a better solution to our first attempt at a find. We are hoping to do this almost every weekend especially while the weather is nice. Even if we go down to Oregon, we will bring our "cache bag" with us because literally you can geocache anywhere. There are hundreds of coordinates all over the place. I'll keep you posted on how well we are doing on our treasure hunts.

Nothing New

The last few days have been rather boring. Nothing new and exciting. No major life changes. Just same-o same-o in the house. As a celebration for ourselves Dwayne and I decided to risk an extra $15 a month on our entertainment. He decided to up our Netflix to 2 movies at a time versus the one we've had and I've opted to expand our cable just slightly. Now I'll get Animal Planet and Disney again! (Very exciting!) I'm so excited to reintroduce the kids to Little Einsteins and Mickey again. PBS is starting to get pretty boring around here. He didn't get a raise with his job but I think we'll make it. At least we are happier and so much more stress free.

In fishy news, it looks like we had 5 babies survive the cannibalism of the other fish. They are big enough to be swimming with the big ones now. That makes our grand total of fish in our tiny 5 gallon tank to be 10. No idea what sex they are yet but they all look to be silver in color so we know who the culprit mother is. LOL

Oops, gotta go already. Need to break up the kids' fighting yet again.

Our first Craiglist Purchase?=Success!

So we have finally ventured into the world and domain of Craigslist. Since we now know that we are going to stay in this home for a while we decided that we needed to find a way to take care of our lawn. Especially since the residents were given "notice" that dandelions would not be tolerated. I looked at my poor yard and wondered if the dandelions could somehow be disguised as grass. We needed a lawnmower badly. I've checked craigslist from time to time but people haven't been doing too much yardwork apparently because I have been having a hard time finding one. Well, I checked one last time before we decided to go to HomeDepot to buy the cheapest one we could, and I saw an ad for an old lawnmower for $20.00. $20? Are you kidding me? I figured it didn't run but I had Dwayne email the guy anyway. Saturday morning right before we took off to hunt garage sales we received an email with pictures. Dwayne emailed him back with our phone number and told him that we are interested but he would need to call us as we are out and about. While out garage sailing, we got a call! He told us it even runs! (Always a plus.) The only bad thing is he did live out in Pe Ell. Well, it was a nice day and that was a part of Washington we hadn't discovered yet so decided to go out there and get it. Especially since we can't beat the price. We had a lovely drive with the kids and went to get the lawnmower.

Since I decided we were going to be doing yardwork anyway, we decided to swing by HomeDepot on the way home. I got flowers for my flowerbox, 3 types of tomatoes, and some strawberries, plus all the paraphanelia needed to have a small garden. Dwayne finally got a ladder. We got home and still had several hours left in the afternoon to get things done so Dwayne immediately tackled the lawn and I decided the vehicles really really needed to get cleaned out. 3 hours later we fell on the couch exhausted. After all, we are both couch potatoes and this is the most excercise we've had in a while. Sad but true. The lawnmower is old and ugly but it seems to be doing the job and I can't complain about the pricetag.

This morning I got up early and planted the tomatoes and strawberries. The person who lived here previously had a small garden and also did a lot of mulching so we have some perfect patches all ready to go with rich soil. The only problem? The patches have been neglected quite a while. We had some weeding to do. While I started that, Dwayne went on the roof and cleaned out the gutters and pulled some moss then came down to help me. We finished in time for lunch and I feel so productive! I'm really excited to have my own tomatoes and strawberries this year and intend on learning how to can to help with food costs. I thought I would start small and maybe add more varieties of vegetables next year but I'm thinking I might go ahead and get a couple bellpeppers too. We'll see if my excitement lasts.

Where's Evie's Cage?

Well, after the high of the last couple of days, we were hit with more bad news yesterday. Melody called and let us know that she is now going to be the one laid-off. She has until the end of July. What is really frustrating is that her position was not cut. What happened was their was a higher position that got cut and that person was given the option to boot someone out of a lower position and still retain a job. That is one thing I hate about government positions. So much is relied on your seniority and not how well you actually do your job. What sucks also, is Melody now has the opportunity to do it to someone else. The unfortunate part is the position she can boot is only a part-time position and that just won't cut it with her current living situation and financial need. I'm not sure what she is going to do. So please direct all your prayers her way now.

This morning I took Evelyn to the doctor for her 18 month check-up. I am so grateful that she only needed one shot this time. I actually remembered to dose her with Tylenol before we left and it made the whole difference in the world. She didn't cry at all! I'm still in shock since the last visit was such a trial. She is measuring 95th percentile for her weight (29 lbs 11 oz!), 90th percentile for her height, and 92nd percentile for her head. So she is a big girl but at least she is proportioned. Everything else was routine and she is looking good.

I had been telling Sam all morning that we would be taking Evie to the doctor. He repeated it for a while and then over breakfast looked very seriously at me and asked, "Where is Evie's cage?" I busted up laughing again because the last time we went to the doctor it was to take Bubba to the vet. I had told him we were taking kitty to the doctor at that time and had to be put into a cage. So he made the connection that if we go to the doctor then you have to have a cage. It is amazing the connections these young one's can make.

Praise the Lord!

Yesterday, Dwayne was offered the position. I am so unbelievably relieved. It has been extremely stressful not knowing what our course of action is going to be. Now I know. I get to stay here and make this new place I love our home for a while. He is going to be at the same pay rate he is now so we are still going to be living pretty tight but at least he has a job! And unfortunately, there won't be a second position so the stress level will be a little high. I think that will ease significantly once the transition is complete and he is allowed to refocus on his new job. It still feels a little unreal at the moment. We have been so keyed up about what is going to happen for so long that I think it will take a few days for reality to sink in and we can start moving forward again instead being on "pause." I still kind of feel like it is going to be taken away and I need to chill out and just accept what is. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. I really feel God's hand in this and I know that he hears our prayers.

Now to go and take care of a sick hubby. He has been fighting a cold for several days and was hit really bad today. It will be nice to have him around sick or not today.

No News and Easter

Ok, well we were supposed to find out if Dwayne has the position or not today and guess what? No news yet. Rodney told Dwayne that he is still waiting on final word regarding the other position before he releases the name(s?) of the person he is hiring. He is hoping to have an answer tomorrow. Of course, that is what he said Friday too.......



In other news, Easter was really nice. Mom, Melody, and Aiden came up to stay with us over the weekend. Melody came Friday night and Mom Saturday night as she is still taking classes. Our church was having an Easter egg hunt for the first time this year so we took the kids to that Saturday morning. The toddlers were the first group and it only started to rain at the very end of the hunt. There was also a bouncehouse, giant slide, several characters, and a schoolbus on monster wheels. The kids had a great time. Sam couldn't get enough of the slide but didn't want to have anything to do with the characters. We kept pointing out Spiderman and Elmo and he would nod that he sees them but did NOT want to get any closer or say Hi. He didn't cry or anything but would grip my hands unbelievably tight and would walk behind me everytime a character came close. He was so funny. Now Evie on the other hand couldn't get enough of them. Everytime we turned around she had disappeared and we would find her next to Elmo or the Easter Bunny giving them high fives and hugs. She interrupted many different families' photo ops with the characters. It was so funny.









Saturday night we went to Easter service. It was crammed full but nice. The pastor didn't just talk about what Easter is but also the proof beyond just blind faith that the resurrection was real. One of the best lines that I'll remember the rest of my life was in regards to the difference between Christianity and religion. "People die for their gods. My God died for me."



Handsome kids for Easter. (We can never get them to look at the camera. This was the best we could do. :)




Sunday was pretty laid back as the weather was crummy. I finally got to open my presents for my birthday. Dwayne got me a CD that I had been wanting, Sheri gave me a beautiful puzzle of a wolf, and Mom and Melody got me a sponsorship to WolfHaven International. It is a local wolf sanctuary. I would have never thought of something like that and it is perfect. My wolf that I'm sponsoring is an old fellow named BlackHawk. You can find out more about the sanctuary and my wolf at http://www.wolfhaven.org/ We then spent the rest of the day by alternating playing with the kids and having all 4 of us on MapleStory at once. Overall it was a great weekend.

Job Update

I've been a little busy at the end of this week and I'm typing this up quickly as my Mom and sister are up visiting this weekend for birthday/Easter. Dwayne's interview went well. But, of course, he just doesn't know. We are supposed to know something Monday. Rodney did tell Dwayne that he is waiting on word from corporate on his request/demand for the second position. This past week he had gotten word that he was only allowed one position. Which, of course, makes this position all the more in demand. But Rodney is saying that there is no way that two people can do what corporate wants them to do and wants the third position back. Depending on what corporate says will determine who gets the position, which of course we aren't sure about yet. We can only hope everything will be settled one way or another Monday. Anyway, off to entertain my guests. I'll post something again soon once the weekend is over.

Spider for Breakfast?

Today started out pretty well. Both Dwayne and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep knowing that the interview was today but woke up in pretty good spirits. He left for work, I got the kids up, fed, distracted with Sesame Street and sat down to have my own breakfast. About half way through my bowl of Cheerios a spider plops down in the middle of my book. Needless to say I was very startled and jumped out of my chair pretty fast. After getting the courage to take care of this menace to my breakfast, I couldn't find the little bugger. I finally found him sitting under the front flap of my book and managed to squish and dispose of him before I lost my nerve. He wasn't the biggest spider I have ever had to deal with but he interrupted my very precious quiet and alone time and so had to die.

In other news, Dwayne's interview went pretty well as far as I can tell. He is a typical man and not a big fountain of information. But he says it had good points and bad points. He sounded a little stressed when it was all said and done but was back to himself this afternoon. The position will be filled by Monday so thank goodness we don't have to wait long to find out. I'll let everyone know when we know something.

Where's My Bra?

Ok, I had to share something really funny. The last couple of days Sam has noticed that I have breasts. I'm not too concerned. I figured this would be coming some day. We were reviewing all the different body parts and naming them to each other. He spontaneously reaches out and touches my breast and says "What's that?" Well, the first thing out of my mouth is "boobs." Oops. I wish I had said breasts because now they are officially labled boobs in his head and that is what he keeps calling them. Oh well, I'll keep trying. Well, after I told him that, he promptly pulls at my shirt and touches my bra and says, "What's that?" I tell him that is a bra. He then pulls up his shirt all concerned and says, "Where's my bra?" I busted up laughing. He was so worried that he didn't have a bra. I told him that boys don't need bras and decided it was time to distract him a bit from that conversation. I can't help but laugh every time I think of that conversation though. I know this is just the beginning and hopefully all of his observations can be dealt with humor. I love my little 3-year old!

Sunshine!

This is the dress Dianne made that I absolutely love. She looked so darling in it at church Saturday night.

We had such a nice weekend. It was sunny and warm (for the NW anyway) all weekend. Saturday, we took a walk with the kids down to the gradeschool and let them play on the slides and swings. They had a great time and both kids love love love the swing. However, I couldn't seem to get Sam to figure out how to swing his legs so he could swing himself. Oh well, next time.

Evie never really had an opportunity to go on a slide before and she wasn't sure at first. But after that first time she has decided she loves to slide as well. As we were walking home, I looked up in the sky and saw a bald eagle flying over the house! That was a nice reminder that I really love living a little away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I feel so comfortable letting the kids run around in the road (with my supervision of course) and taking walks in the neighborhood without being scared of running into anyone too weird or being run over by all the traffic. When we finally got Evie down for her nap, Dwayne went outside with Sam to let him ride his tricycle around. We are going to have to adjust the seat and handlebars again. He's grown since last time we tried. He still hasn't figured out how to do it on his own. Dwayne pretty much had to push him the whole time but I don't think it will be long before he has it figured out. We then had a wonderful time at church Saturday night. We are really enjoying having a Saturday night service available. We do all our chores, errands, church etc. on Saturday and that really leaves us Sunday as a family day/day of rest. We spent all of Sunday in our PJ's and hung out as a family. It was so nice to just chill for a day. Especially since I was fighting a tremendous headache. I'm not sure where it came from but I woke up this morning feeling better and back to my old self again.

Today looks like another nice day of sunshine. Since we need milk, I think I'll take the kids for a walk this afternoon and walk to the grocery store. It is a perfect day for it and we all need to become a little more active I think.

Interview!

We have an interview scheduled folks! I'm very excited and it is a lovely birthday present. Even if it doesn't go the way we want, at least we will be moving forward. His interview is scheduled for Wednesday April 8th at 10:00 am. Your prayers are and have been appreciated. Dwayne is pretty confident but also a bit nervous as he found out that 3 certified accountants will be applying for the position too. Dwayne doesn't have a degree but has been doing the job for the last 2 years and his supervisor is finally figuring out how much Dwayne has been doing during this transition so we hope these factors will give him a "leg up." Keep your fingers, toes, and eyes crossed. :)