Last Day of Break

Here we are, on our last day of fall break already.  I just cannot believe the way time flies.  It seems to always be slipping away from me; the flight of time motivates and challenges me to avoid letting idle moments pass by, to make each moment count for something: to get things done, to spend time with my kids, to teach, to learn, to accomplish, to love.

Anyway, it was a nice break.  We made cookies and homemade apple cider, shopped for Daddy's birthday and made him a giant Packer cookie (complete with green and gold frosting!), played games and watched movies, painted fingernails (okay, girls only), and went grocery shopping.  

On Friday, we woke up semi-early and made cinnamon rolls and coffee and surprised Randy with his birthday gifts.  Then, Hunter and Kaleigh spent the day with their great grandma and grandpa while Randy and I enjoyed a day out and about for Randy's birthday.  We had lots of fun just bumming around, and even used up the rest of our Flex-spend dollars (since it's getting near the end of the year, I was afraid we were going to lose some of our money!): Randy got some much needed inserts at the Good Feet store, and I was able to get new glasses, which will be nice since my current pair is over 4 years old.  We also enjoyed good coffee and good food and just plain old good time together.  I love spending time with my best friend, to whom I am just lucky enough to be married! 

Just before supper time, we picked up the kids and took them to Grandma and Grandpa's house, where they spent the night and all day Saturday.  Randy and I had a nice dinner Friday night at Olive Garden, then enjoyed a lazy cozy day snuggling on the couch with movies and yummy snacks.  At the end of the day, we joined our children at my mom and dad's for the family birthday celebration.  My mom made fried chicken and mashed potatoes and a Bailey's marble cheesecake.  There were football, and wine, and a game of Trivial Pursuit; and a good time was had by all.

And so on this, our last day of fall break, we celebrate our happy weekend like this:

WE CLEAN.

Yes, I am a mean Mommy and mean Teacher.  I make my children/students choose between schoolwork and house cleaning.  Muahahahahaha.  

In all seriousness, our weekends have been so packed for the last couple of weeks, that the house has become a bit of a disaster.  My dreams of always maintaining a perfectly neat and tidy house have been shattered.  They must be restored ASAP!  

So today we will do dishes and laundry, vacuum and dust and mop floors, make beds, and put away clutter.  We also have a couple of errands to run.  Then perhaps there will be time for a bit of relaxation this afternoon, before we jump back into school work tomorrow morning bright and early.

Happy Monday!

Week Two

Our second week of school was MUCH less stressful than our first week!  I can't even begin to describe how much of a relief this is to me. 

Of course at the end of last week, I was giving myself pep talks: "It's just the first week.  We're still getting into the swing of things.  It will get better."  But there was still that little nagging... concern... at the back of my mind that we were starting the year off with a struggle and it was only going to go downhill from there.

I'm so glad my louder "voice" was right.

Hunter got an 'A' on his first spelling test!  He worked really hard on his first week of words.  He begrudgingly learned some new things in math (he strongly dislikes new concepts in math - he only wants to do things he already knows how to do).  He struggled through science, but that was basically because he wasn't paying attention to the questions; he often gets into the habit of reading the first few words of a question, guessing at the rest of the question, and then answering the imaginary question instead of the real one!  The second time through, he did much better :).  He is still enjoying Black Beauty, and is almost finished with it, at which point he will prepare his first book report!  We started the new reading comprehension book this week, and I really like it.  It's much more in-depth and creative than the one we used last year.

Kaleigh's main schooling right now comprises learning to read, memorizing verses for Sparks, and growing her comprehension of numbers.  I am taking a "play" approach to Kindergarten; most of her "work" is done through games that we play together, or observations as we go through our day-to-day life.

We are still waiting for another foster placement.  I'm ready (or at least, I *think* I'm ready) for more kids in the house, but I know God's timing is perfect; so whenever I'm tempted to start getting impatient or anxious about it, I just pray and ask God to give me peace and keep His hands on our future little ones, wherever they may be right now.

The cooler weather has been such a blessing this week.  I just love fall!  This segue from summer into winter, when the temps are hovering in the 50s and 60s, is my absolute favorite time of year.  I need to find the battery charger for my camera, so that we can get outside and take our school pics while the weather is so perfectly crisp!

After being sick all last week, and spending all of this week trying to dig out from under the pile of laundry and cleaning and shopping and dishes, I was glad to be able to get a little more organizing and unpacking done in the office today.  I still have TONS to get done, but every little bit helps, and the office is where the majority of the unpacking is left to be done.  Getting that area organized has been a daunting task, but I think once I'm through it, a big part of the remaining unpacking will go fairly quickly.

I had more I wanted to include in this post, but my head is pounding like crazy, so I think it's time to stop typing and give my eyes a break from the computer.

Last Day!!

Today is our last day actually living in our little house! 

Tomorrow morning we have our final walkthrough and then our closing.  Then we will come back here, load up our cars with things we are not sending with movers - TVs, food, etc. - and suitcases with clothes for a few days, and head down to the house.  I will begin cleaning, and Randy will come back for another load or two plus Ryan, and we will stay at the new house tomorrow night.  Thursday morning Randy will bring Ryan back for school.  I may or may not follow him up here, depending on what is left to be done up here - I'm betting that I will be coming.  If we have a lot of the non-mover stuff out of here by then, we will do some cleaning here - the bathroom, the floors, etc.  I'm hoping to get as much done on Thursday as possible so we have less to do on Saturday.

Friday the movers come, so we'll only be without furniture for two days.  Today I bought an air mattress so Randy and I wouldn't throw our backs out sleeping on the floor.  The seller is leaving us a daybed, because he doesn't need it, so Kaleigh will sleep on that.  The boys will sleep on the floor with blankets and sheets and the GIANT pillows I am almost done making them. 

Well, off to continue packing.  I have pretty much had my fill of packing tape and bubble wrap!

ONE WEEK TO GO!!!!

Well - if you aren't keeping track (or just didn't bother to read the title) - we are down to one week until closing.

Needless to say, I am a *teensy* bit frazzled.

I have been stockpiling individual sized homemade freezer meals for a couple of weeks, and this week I am supplementing that with family sized freezer meals, so today I made a lasagna.  I figure for at least a week after the movers leave, I won't have the time or energy to cook, so I'm trying to prepare ahead for that.  Tomorrow I'll make a family sized chicken and broccoli pasta.  Friday I'll make a family sized baked mac and cheese.  That will probably be all I can manage for family sized, but I will also have plenty of individual meals, as well as sandwich stuff, and a freezer full of roasts and hamburger.  So I think we will be good while we settle in.

Our closing has been moved back 2 hours (originally scheduled at 9) to accommodate a final walkthrough in the morning.  Apparently the seller has actually PLANNED to finish moving out the morning of closing.  I can only shake my head, because I cannot imagine planning to finish at the last minute.  I am the kind of person who plans to finish something several days ahead, so that even if it takes me an extra day, I am still ahead of the game.  I just don't get it.

After a couple of challenging days with the kids, they are both having a very good day today.  I hesitate to write that and hex the whole thing, but I figure I have a responsibility to put it in print, since there is a strong likelihood that no one will believe me later!

I have been going through the tedious process of getting homeowner's insurance rates.  It looks like we will be very likely staying with our current insurance company, because all the quotes I have gotten back so far have been really high.  Like, speck-in-the-upper-stratosphere high.  I don't understand how companies like that stay in business, but I guess it's not my problem. :)

Well, I guess I need to get back to work :).  Later!

9 Days / Packing Update

Well, we are down to the single digits!  It is hard to believe we are one week and two days away from handing over a large portion of our savings account and moving into our new house!  I think I am into the pinching phase now - this house is our realistic/moderate dream home.  That is, I know we could not have found a home we loved more that was in our price range.  It's hard to grasp the idea that we will soon be moving out of "postage stamp" and into "practically perfect in every way."  We have been squeezed into this tiny home (that again, we have been SO grateful for!) for over three years now (ever since we got our first foster kids), and it feels wonderful and indescribable and nearly inconceivable that we will finally have all the space our family needs.  I remember last summer when I was really beginning to feel desperate to move, and the Holy Spirit spoke quietly to me and reminded me that God is in control and would bring us to the home for us when the time was right.  I then began to pray every day that He would do just that, and help us to be content and patient while waiting.  Now that those prayers are coming to fruition, I add the prayer that God will help me to never ever take for granted the blessings He has given and is giving us every day.

Sorry for that ramble, but apparently I just needed to get it out!

Randy and I were able to get LOTS more packing done this past weekend.  I have a list of things to do this week - besides packing I also have several school assignments to do, some filing to catch up on, and some freezer meals to make for our first week or so in the new house.

Next week Monday and Tuesday I will be packing the last of the dishes and all of the nonperishable food items from my "pantry" shelves and the kitchen.  Tuesday I have to go get the cashier's check for the closing; Wednesday morning we close; and then we will be loading up our cars with stuff we don't want the movers to take, and heading down to the new house.  I plan to do some cleaning there, starting with the fridge, freezer, dishwasher, and pantry; and Randy will be making another run or two from the old house to bring more items that we don't want the movers bringing.  If I get my first cleaning things done, those runs will include frozen and refrigerated food, and in between stocking the fridge and freezer, I will work on cleaning the floors and carpets.  If there's any time left in the day - and if I'm not totally exhausted! - I'll work on unpacking the other items.  Thursday morning my mom will come watch Middle and Little, while Randy and I take Ryan to school and come to the old house to do some cleaning and bring more items, if there are any left.  Friday morning my mom will come get Middle and Little and take them back to her house, while Randy and I take Ryan to school and meet the movers at the old place.  If there is still anything left for us to take, we will load up the car and follow (lead?) the movers down to the new house, where I - um, I mean WE (bahaha!) will direct the movers to the appropriate places with the boxes and furniture.  I love to be bossy in charge the ORGANIZER.

Sorry - that run-through of my future schedule was probably sort of boring, but it helps me feel less chaotic if I list out the plan and can refer back to it later :). 

If you are so inclined, please pray for us during this crazy time!  Lots going on, some general and some specific.  There is a specific situation that I would appreciate prayer for, but can't give details here.  God knows, so please just pray that He will work out the details smoothly and without unnecessary... processes.

Thanks!

Off to file!

15 Days / Packing Update

Hard to believe there are only 15 days left until we close.  Packing is coming along, but I still feel very far behind.  This past weekend, I was able to get a bunch more done in the basement, and Randy and Hunter went through the garage and packed and sorted everything.  They also found a ton of boxes, which was great, because packing supplies are so expensive.

Today I got another box of kitchen stuff packed and started on another; I cleaned off the dishwasher and fridge and threw a bunch of stuff away; I packed the rest of our winter outwear and accessories (now we will get a big snowstorm); and I packed a box of the kids' school stuff.  I took a break to fold some laundry before I got behind on that.  Now I need to run to the bank and then get back on packing.  

I also have several school assignments that are due the week after we move.  Not sure when those are going to get done.

I just keep thinking about being in the new house.  That should keep me going for the next couple of weeks.  Continued prayers are welcomed and appreciated :).

Rambly Update

Well, I made some progress with packing yesterday, although it didn't really feel like it.  I packed three more boxes of books - all of our books are now packed with the exception of Kaleigh's books, and a few of Hunter's and my books because we will definitely need something to read in the next few months.  I also bubble wrapped some breakables which I had taken down and set carefully in boxes.  I'm getting rid of any knick-knacks that don't have sentimental value, but that still leaves a fair number of items that are purely ornamental.  Well, a few of them also play music.  Some of them will go nicely in Kaleigh's new pastel yellow and lavender room, but I haven't decided where the others will go; perhaps the library.

Hunter is on a quarter break right now.  It was actually supposed to be the week before last, but I lost track of time, and it worked out well because he got to start with the blizzard last week; so he didn't feel left out when all the other kids in the neighborhood had a snow day!

My husband just called as I was typing.  He was just surrounded by a car accident caused by the guy behind him reading a message on his phone when the rest of traffic came to a screeching halt.  The cars behind and next to Randy were in a collision; Randy was completely protected and was not even touched by any part of the accident.  I am simultaneously thanking God for keeping him safe and praying that those who were hit are all safe and not injured.

In two days the form we need should be available on the IRS site and we should be able to file our taxes.  For the first time EVER, I cannot wait to file.  I also can't stop thinking about the new house.  I'm a little nervous too, because that's what change does to me; but I know God has a plan for us and will get us through it, and I keep reminding myself of that.  One thing I'm really looking forward to in relation to the area to which we are moving is that I will be able to reconnect with a couple of friends.  Being where we are now has made it difficult to get together with people; this move will make socializing - for both me and the kids - more... convenient.  And while I've been spending a lot of time thinking about how great that will be for the kids (they do get regular socialization, but they are very social beings, and would do well with a little more), I'm beginning to realize that it will probably also be good for me.  I know, it seems obvious; but try to remember that I am not at all a social being; for the most part in general I prefer being alone.

For today, I suppose I will continue to focus on the living room.  There are a bunch of loose movies and cd's in there that belong elsewhere, but that would actually be a good thing for the kids to help me with.  I can probably go ahead and start packing up cd's, too, now that I think about it.  We don't use them all that often right now, and they're not as organized as they used to be either.  Might be a good idea to just start that one fresh in the new house.

Children are stirring.  Time to go make breakfast and do Zumba!  Happy Tuesday :).

 

To Do This Week

So much to get done this week.  Classes start tonight, and our teacher already gave us reading to get started on.  My online class already has an assignment due by 5:00 p.m.  Who said online access to classes and assignments was advantageous, anyway??

For those who don't know, we are actively looking for a house.  We think we found one on Saturday, when we went to three showings with our Realtor.  It's such a perfect house for our family that it is very motivating for the cleaning/organizing/packing factor.

So, in addition to preparing for both classes, I have some organizational and cleaning goals for the week.  I was going to assign them to specific days, but I think instead I will just list them out, and check them off as I finish them.  I did get some cleaning, organizing, and purging done in the kitchen yesterday, which, though it was kind of small in the grand scheme of things, felt pretty good to get accomplished.

• Get large garbage bags for everything slated for Goodwill
• Take all bags of stuff to Goodwill
• Finish filing 2010 paperwork
• Get filing box for 2011 filing
• Get Rubber*maid or Steri*lite containers for transferring storage that is currently in cardboard boxes
• Transfer and label said storage items
• Continue packing up items that are not currently needed.  Be selective, and toss anything that is not useful/important/essential.
• Go through each person's clothes and separate for moving, storage (seasonal), or donation to Goodwill. 

I'm sure more things will come up as I work through this list and think of other things that need to be done.


In the meantime, Happy Monday!

Random Update Bits

It has been a rather rough couple of weeks with the kids as far as behavior and attitudes.  Oh, we've had a few good days in there, but looking back there have definitely been more problems than not.  I don't really know what's been causing this, and it's hard to deal with when I feel like I'm always scolding and lecturing and enforcing consequences.  I have been trying to really focus on the positive things, praising them when they do the right things, making sure they know how great it is and how happy it makes Jesus when they make the right choices.  Still, I hate it when I have to continually deal with negative behaviors and wrong choices so often in short periods of time.

I heard some very exciting news yesterday, and can't wait until it becomes public =D.

I've gotten a couple of boxes of things in the living room packed up, but general life (i.e. dishes, laundry, homeschooling, kids, etc.) has prevented me from doing as much as I originally pictured myself getting done in a couple of weeks.  However, today and tomorrow I hope to get more done in that room.  I have even more incentive now that things are beginning to move forward with the house hunt.

Hunter just came upstairs to tell me he was finished with math.  He has been struggling with memorizing his basic multiplication facts, and after several weeks of trying different strategies to help him learn them, his assignment the last two days has been to start with 3x3 and see how high he can get in 5 minutes.  Yesterday he got up to 7x7.  Today he got up to 9x3!  You have no idea how this thrills me.  I am very impressed with his dedication to his school work, much more so than last year in public school.  He also finished his fifth grade level reading comp book a couple of weeks ago.  I plan to order him the sixth grade level soon.  When he ended the fourth grade in June, his reading comprehension was at a beginning- to mid-fourth grade level.  By the time this June comes, he will be well into the sixth grade level.  He is also thriving in his Bible studies, which are comprised half of his Awana book and half of a Rod and Staff Bible book.  He has quite a bit to catch up on, in a manner of speaking, but in a way I think that starting his studies now makes him more interested in learning about God and the Bible than he might be if he had grown up in a different situation.  

The kids just went outside to play in the snow, which is good since it is going to be super cold again tomorrow.  The dog is barking and whining like crazy because as we all know, it is just plain WRONG for kids to go out to play without taking the dog.

Speaking of dogs, when we move we want to get another dog.  We have always agreed that once we owned our own house, we would have a second (and bigger - Madi is 25 pounds) dog.  I have been compulsively just for fun, researching different breeds of dogs. We wanted to get another Irish breed, but they are all either terriers or shed like nobody's business.  Madi is a terrier (although an atypical one), and though I love her, I don't want a second one.  The breed I have decided on and just need to convince my husband to go along with is a Norwegian Buhund.  I'll give you a minute to Google it.

I have gotten back to working out at home (our lives have not allowed us time for the Y since Thanksgiving) 3-4 times a week.  It's probably not as good as the Y, but I try to do plenty of aerobic exercises, and also some yoga, although it's hard to do more than a few poses because our basement ceiling is very low.  Between the exercise and employing willpower to avoid junk food during the week, I have finally started to lose some of the weight I have gained since getting married.  

Hunter has found a new book series: the How to Train Your Dragon series.  He is plowing through the first book, which is wonderful to see, since he hated to read when he came to us.  

We got Kaleigh a V-Tech Mobigo for Christmas, and she loves playing it.  All of the games are educational, and they teach her much better than most workbooks could.  I've been doing preschool work at home with her of course, and prior to getting the Mobigo, I did a few skill checks with her (basically a kindergarten "screening"), and she is more than ready for kindergarten.  Six months to a year ago, I was a little concerned about her cognitive abilities and readiness for preschool, which is why I have taken it slowly and pressure-free this year.  But she has come a long way in the past 6 months.  It has been awesome to watch her grow cognitively, in reasoning ability, and in fine and gross motor skills.

My classes start on Monday.  I am not overly excited about that, but the one thing I am excited about for this semester is that one of my classes is entirely online, and the other is half online, which means I only have to go to campus roughly every other week.

Kaleigh just came in so I could fix her hat, and on her way back out the door she said, "Are we going to have hot chocolate, cause my toes are trying to be cold!"  HAHA!

We are going to see 2 houses on Saturday.  I am very excited.  

Well, time for me to start hot chocolate and bring the kiddos in for lunch.

That is all.

Plans

I use the word a lot, although I use it loosely and with a grain of salt.  Because it is true that if you want to give God a good joke, you should make plans.

So the plans to which I am going to refer are made prayerfully and with a mindset of flexibility.

As most of you know, we have been outgrowing our little house for almost two years.  To be honest, the house feels smaller every day.  I am certainly not complaining - I am more than thankful that we have a home to live in and a family to live in it!  But, the fact remains that we need more room.  So the big goal we've been working toward and praying for and dreaming of for 2011 is buying a house and moving.  As soon as we get Randy's W2 and file our taxes, we can meet with our Realtor and begin looking for a house.

I am trying to do as much as I can between now and then, to make the move as smooth as possible. 

I have only moved twice in my life: once when I moved out of my parents' house and once when I got married and we moved into this house.  The first time, I had very few things of my own and was able to move them with my car and the help of a friend with a pickup truck.  The furniture I bought for that little place was delivered by the furniture company.  The second time, we moved both of our apartments on the same day into this house.  We were able to move everything in one trip, with our two cars and a Budget rental truck, plus a number of very kind friends.  We had each lived in our apartments for just a little over a year.

We have lived here for almost five years and have had six kids here.  I'm also certain that the longer you stay put in one place, the more you accumulate, so I'm convinced that this move will be bigger than the moving of the two apartments into this house.  

So, in the interest of trying to make this move less of a hassle than I fear it will be, I have made a plan.  I intend to move through the house a room at a time and pack up what we don't need right now and purge our belongings by tossing out anything that we don't need at all.  While I'm doing that, I'm also going to do some deep cleaning, so that the move-out cleaning won't be a week long process.

Sorry for the rambling and randomness of this entry.  I write this here so that I can keep myself accountable and also keep track of my progress so that I feel like I'm getting something accomplished.

Happy first week of 2011!  =)