Weekly Preview

Monday - Writing
Tuesday - Writing & David turns 15!
Wednesday - Writing
Thursday - Writing, New Year's Eve (no plans right now!)
Friday - New Year's Day - thrift store sale!? & More Writing
Saturday - No plans! except Writing. lol
Sunday - Church

I've got a LOT of writing to do, since I've been procrastinating my work. I work best under pressure anyway, right?

The annual half-off clothing sale at my favorite thrift store should happen once again on New Year's Day. I plan to go and buy some new "skinny" clothes, in a size smaller. Some of them may be a little tight, but they ought to fit great within 5 lbs and they'll be good incentive. Plus I need an interview outfit.

Bob is working M, W, Th and F this week. I think it's 9-5:30 each day except once it is 11-7:30

Last week's workouts:
M - Tae-bo (30 min)
W - 3 mile run (hilly course)
Sat - 3 mile run

Tuesday I attempted a "Barbie" workout tape with Suzy. It was HER idea, but she had a little whiny fit in the middle of it and gave up, so I quit too. Got about 10 minutes into it.

I have been averaging only 3 workouts a week since the weather got cold. Once the New Year starts, I will work harder at getting 4 sessions in per week. If I have to do more Tae-bo or aerobics, so be it. I can only run outside if the weather cooperates. I won't endanger myself by running if it is icy.

Christmas Eve Photos

From 2009-12-24

It was HARD to get a satisfactory photo of all four of my goofy offspring! They weren't particularly co-operative and I ended up having to be satisfied with everyone looking at the camera and not making a silly face. Not sure what David was doing with the ornament. lol

I was much happier with the individual photos!

Do you like the shirts? I had given up on the idea of new PJ's for Christmas Eve since we have no money for stuff like that right now. Even though it's a tradition, we were going to have to let it go.....

Then I unpacked the Christmas craft tote and realized I had bought these shirts last year on clearance after Christmas. $2.25 each! Awesome, eh? They all wore PJ pants they already had.

Yeah, I know. We don't even "DO" Santa. LOL Makes it funnier, doncha agree?

Weekly Preview

Monday - Lessons & Writing & Baking
Tuesday - Lessons & Writing & Baking
Wednesday - Lessons & Writing & Baking
Thursday - Lessons, Christmas Eve Service
Friday - Christmas!
Saturday - Clearance Shopping?
Sunday - Church

The kids want to make card houses this week. We don't have anywhere really to go this week, but our plans could change at any moment. I don't have any shopping really to do, since we aren't really buying anything.

Bob is working M, T and Sat this week. I think it's 10-6:30 each day

Last week's workouts:
T - 3 mile jog
Th - Tae-bo (30 min)
F - 2.5 mile run

Gotta step the workouts back up to at least 4 per week.

Hump Day Update

Quick update.

Monday, we did some lessons and then headed out to spend the day at a friend's. She was hosting a scrapbooking day and the kids were going to have their SOCIALIZATION PRACTICE. Every homeschooled child needs this, you know. So, the moms socialized and the kids socialized. People came and people went. We stayed. All night. LOL We haven't seen these particular friends in way too long and the night was so fun! We laughed and laughed. She introduced me and another friend to Tyler Perry, whose movies I'd never seen. We also watched Scrooged. You know, for holiday spirit. Then we talked religion into the wee hours. We are all Christians, but go to vastly different churches.

Daylight came way too early and WHAT? This friend doesn't drink COFFEE! So I was bleary. Headed out late morning, stopping at Meijer on the way for gingerbread house supplies. Mid-afternoon I went for a 3 mile run outside. I took a new route. More hills. Ow. Had to walk some. Plus having only 5 hours of restless sleep probably didn't help too much. lol

The rest of Tuesday was spent in listing books on Amazon and job searching on the internet. OK, I may have played a LITTLE Bejeweled on facebook. So, that was Tuesday.

Oh yeah, and Bob got the big fridge moved into the kitchen! YAY He had Tuesday off. It's not hooked up to water yet. That will be a bigger job since that hookup doesn't even exist yet.

Today, I never even left the house. LOVE that when it's cold and windy. It was Gingerbread House Day here today and pictures will be up eventually at Cornerstone. We watched some Mr. Bean on DVD and had a long lecture (ahem) on expectations and how they would change if anyone here were to be enrolled in public school. Did you know they would have to be at the jr/sr high school around SEVEN AM? Ungodly hour, isn't it? They thought so too.

I did push the kids outside for a while today, but I didn't even do Tae-bo. Tomorrow is another day. If it is sunny and not too awfully windy, I will run 3 miles outside again. If the weather is icky, it will be a Tae-bo day.

Tomorrow I also have to get everything ready for Family Christmas on Saturday - gather all the white elephants together and make sure I have all the goodies made.

Friday we are going to the rec center for a swim party with the homeschool group. The kids are excited about that. They love swimming there and it's expensive so we don't go too often. Read that as Almost Never. We'll stop at the store after for any last-minute stuff and make sure we get a good night's sleep so we can head out bright and early Saturday for the celebration!

Weekly Preview

Monday - Lessons, Scrapbooking with friends
Tuesday - Lessons
Wednesday - Lessons
Thursday - Lessons
Friday - Christmas Pool Party for SOF
Saturday - Family Christmas in GR
Sunday - GR

The kids want to make card houses this week and I want to be sure to get gingerbread houses done sometime before Christmas.

I started selling on amazon.com. Created an account and listed some movies. Going to list books too - a few each day.

Bob is working M, W, Th 10-6:30 and Fri 11-7:30.

Last week's workouts:
S - 3 mile jog
T - Tae-bo (30 min)
F - Tae-bo (60 min)
Sa - 3 mile race (5K)

I had hoped to get one more running day in, but the weather was rather uncooperative.

I've decided to train for a 10K, with my sights set on the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival in June. That ought to be motivating, right?

Blessings

Whining about having no money? No, probably not.

More lists of jobs I didn't get? Boring.

Whining about the cold weather? Gets old.

Excuses about staying up too late? No one wants to hear that.

All the things that are breaking or falling apart? Even I don't want to think about that.

So, because I'm not writing about THOSE things, I haven't been writing much here. I am sure you're tired of clicking here and finding nothing new though. Pictures of James on his TENTH birthday are nice, but they don't really tell you anything NEW, do they?

Yes, my little boy has hit the double digits! My oldest will be FIFTEEN quite soon - amazing, eh? And my second born will be a teen in the spring, making me the mom of TWO of those exasperating and inspiring creatures known as teenagers.

I'm really glad Bob is working and he's adjusting to it pretty well, I think. I wish he had more hours since 32 hours at minimum wage just isn't enough. We continue looking for work. That reminds me, I have a phone call to make.

Have I ever mentioned I hate making phone calls? Well, this phone call is for a telemarketing job. Are those the only people HIRING nowadays?? I can't even get the local grocery store to call me. I even applied at Walmart, for gosh sake. Oops.... Ventured into boring territory there.

Got the tree up Saturday and we decorated on Sunday. Looks Christmas-y around here, although we don't do a LOT of frou-frou. I admire it in other people's homes though. My kids are all excited - snow, pretty tree, stockings hanging. They've been making presents and wrapping them. At least the girls have.

I'm going to try listing some books on amazon.com for sale. Maybe that will bring in a little money. I have three Spanish classes starting in January, and I thought about calling the enrichment program I used to teach for and seeing if we could get that on the schedule again there. Another phone call. Hate making phone calls.

I sorted out our medical insurance. (Bob and I finally qualified for Medicaid again. Thankfully!) Bob really needed to go to the doctor. He hasn't been in a year or so. He was off all his meds since we couldn't afford them. The kids and I changed health plans and hopefully I can get new glasses. I need bifocals, I think. Sigh. We are all going to try new doctors (except Bob). I had enough of the run-around that we got at the old practice. I need to call the new place and get the records transferred over.

Dentist needs a call too. Kids are overdue for 6 month checkups. Sadly neither Bob nor I can go to the dentist. Kids out there? TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR TEETH!

It takes a huge effort to stop thinking about money problems and focus on the kids. They need me to be directing my energy at their education and well-being. It's hard when there is so much stress.

Im not even going to mention the hot water heater.

Let's try counting blessings. That always helps!

• A friend just dropped off a box of goodies. I need to go poke through that. It'll make me feel loved.
• A local ministry is buying some gifts for the kids for Christmas. VERY thankful for that.
• Christmas money came in the mail from a couple different places. THANK YOU!
• I won a prize in that writer's contest I entered a couple weeks ago (and posted about on Cornerstone). When it arrives, I will blog about that.
• Everyone is healthy.
• The medical insurance finally came through.
  
• I'm still losing weight.
• I love having hot water whenever it decides to cooperate.
• We are not (very far) behind in any bills.
• I have book club tomorrow! That's always a bundle of laughs!
• I can find lots of good books and DVD's at the library.
• I'm still homeschooling. (That IS a plus, I keep reminding myself.)
• Bob's remodeling the kitchen to fit the "new" fridge Maryann gave us (was that 2 years ago?! lol)
• Christmas cards are rolling in from loved ones near and far.
• I have internet access in my home.
  
• We are warm and fed and loved.

There, I feel better. I'm going to go make some yummy potato soup.

James Turns TEN!

Weekly Preview

Sunday - Church, Decorate Tree, Make Cookies, Youth Group (E,D)
Monday - Lessons, Teach 2 Spanish classes, ERRANDS!
Tuesday - Lessons, Young Marines?? (J)
Wednesday - Lessons
Thursday - Lessons
Friday - Lessons, Science Club (J)
Saturday - Santa Shuffle 5K, Book Club

Bob is working M, T, W 10-6:30 and Sa Fri 11-7:30. [UPDATE - Bob asked to work Fri instead of Sat and his boss agreed with no problem. This makes things much easier for us on Sat.]

Still haven't figured out James' birthday. Maybe we'll just be doing a sleepover. I can't figure out a good night either, though! [UPDATE - I think it'll be after Christmas as I think our available weekend dates are all filled.]

I am not sure if we will keep doing Young Marines. Neither of the friends James thought was going to do it with him has done so, and I hate the every-week commitment. Especially in Lapeer. And he hasn't LOVED it.

And Emily is hoping to have a gathering of her friends too, before Christmas, so we have to decide on a time to do that too. [UPDATE - I think we'll end up doing something between Christmas and New Year's for her, too. That changes her plans a little, but I think we can make it work.]

Last week's workouts:
M - 3 mile jog
W - 3 mile jog
Sa - Tae-Bo (60 min)

Yeah, I didn't manage as many workouts as usual. The TV didn't co-operate and life was a little busier. This week I hope to get in 3 jogs (including the 5K on Sat) and 2 Tae-Bo workouts (one long, one short). I'm going to run on the best weather days. I already started out with a 3 mile jog today (Sunday).