A day in the life: laundry

I hate laundry.  It is never done. EVER.

Sigh......

Ok, Well I have done laundry almost every way:

One load a day.
One day a week.
When I don't have any clean undies.

But, this is the plan:

I am now off on Fridays.  So, I try to get the laundry done then.  It is that simple.

I tried having the family do it, and I am a control freak and they did not do it when I wanted it done and it was not great for anyone.

So, at this point it is Fridays.  I do the loads.  They put them away.

*Except for Slick....he got a hamper this week.  A gift from us to him so he will now have his very own place to keep his own dirty clothes.  He was not taking care of his clothes and had a week to prove it to us that he would/could.  He did not.  So, now he gets to do his own laundry.  I am so very excited about this!!  ****

Not a very exciting entry, huh.  Well, you should have known......the title was laundry.

*I do not have a cute laundry room.
*I do have extra socks at the end of every load.
*I do want t-shirts folded MY way.
*Mr. likes his socks folded different than me, and that is ok.

I do not iron.  Really, almost never.  When I do my boys are so confused by what I am doing...it is very comical.  Sorry Nana!

Oh, to make this more fun, Happy Halloween!!!!!!

The Harry Potter Year: Herminie, Hagrid, Malfoy, and Harry
(the Mr. is not Moses, or any other biblical character...he is Hagrid.....)

A day in the life: Morning routine….how do we leave on time? Or do we?

A day in the life: Morning routine….how do we leave on time?  Or do we?

Ok, so this is what happens on Sunday/a school night: (or what I plan to happen)

- check back packs so they are ready for Monday
- put snack in back pack (they boys are in charge of this if they forget TBSS (To Bad So Sad)
- pick out clothes for school M-F (Sunday only- or other days if we don't do it on Sunday)
- pack lunches as needed

The morning:
The boys have alarms in their room.  It is set for 6:30.  You need to know I have early birds and most days they get up.  So, I have no real advice for kids who don't wake up......sorry. But, before you want to stone me:  They wake up at 6:00-6:30AM EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR....so when you kid is still sleeping mine is NOT.

*Perfect world below*

6:30- They get up and make their bed.  (The bed making almost never happens)
6:40- They get dressed. (happens- but never the feet...I always have to ask to put socks and shoes on)
6:50- They start breakfast.  (cereal, or some wonderful frozen waffle and fruit or yogurt, or a smoothie)
7:00- They brush their teeth.

7:05-  I say, you need to make your bed....have you brushed your teeth?  Why don't you have shoes on?

Our neighbors come over about 7:10 so they need to be ready by then if they want to color, read books with them.

We gather in the kitchen to hang until about 7:25 clean up (all are getting great at that - it just took one morning where there was nothing to do on the table to understand we clean up we get stuff, we don't clean up, we won't).  The cool thing is that the older kids have started reading the devotion in the mornings.  This does not happen every day, but it makes my heart happy when it does!

7:30- Lunch and Back pack check and out the door.

I have found that planning before hand is the key.  Everything must be ready to go for us in the morning.  Then all we have to do is get ready, eat, and go.



Perspective: Some days it all works, some days I find myself taking deep breaths, sometimes I just loose my mind.  But, most the time it works.  It is just like most everything in my life.  :-)

A day in the life:Cooking:

Don’t you wonder how people run their house?  How do they do laundry? Do they cook every night?  How do they clean?  How do they balance the kids homework/and extra curricular activities?  What is the morning routine so you are not tardy every day to school/work.

So, this week is going to be "A day in the life..."   I do not have it all figured out by any means, some weeks are better than others, but this is how we do it.   So this week's perspective is family life and how we do it.  Please leave comments on how you do it.  That way we can all learn from each other.

Cooking:

Ok, so I do try to cook almost every night.  That means Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.  Saturdays we do it together, Dan or I, the kids and Dan, the kids and I.  Whatever works.  (Wednesday I am in class and I usually do a crock pot meal that night.) 

I don’t cook on Sunday.  This is not some fancy religions practice, it is because I work on Sunday and I don’t want to cook. J

So, I use the planning website  http://www.emeals.com/.   I like this one for many reasons…..

• it plans 7 meals and I usually only cook 4-5 so we can pick
• it comes with a grocery list (it plans with what is on sale at Kroger or whatever store you choose)
• FYI- it does cost $ to subscribe, but if I follow it I feel like I save $$ at Kroger.

So, I get the email on Sunday for the next week.  I look at what will work/won’t work with our family.   I then write what we are having on the fridge and call it done .   

I got this item at Target.

In a perfect world I go grocery shopping Monday morning after I drop off the kids at school.  But, some weeks work/school is too busy so we just go when we can.   I find the more often we go to the story, the more money we spend.  So, it is best when we go once a week.  I try to stick to the list!  If I start grabbing things that I think we need it usually adds $30+ to the bill and I get home and see that we already have it.

So, that is how we eat.  Some days I get home and just don’t want to do it…so we have cereal.    When I have exams….I take the boys to the frozen food and cereal isles and let them go crazy.  J   It is not a perfect plan but it works just fine for us.  

Oh, and I am a big fan of the "bad meat bin"....it is not bad...just gotta sell before it goes bad.   I ALWAYS visit that section.   It is the one thing I will allow myself to by that is not on the grocery list.  I just throw it in the freezer when I get home.  

Tomorrow: A day in the life: Morning routine….how do we leave on time?  Or do we?

Your Pictures

This made me smile all week.  Enjoy!

 Silly girls.

Where the get it from.....

Parents on their 45 wedding anniversary.

Perfect shot of her personality.

Sleeping with his pumpkin and firetruck.  

Family Fun

The face I wish she would show the rest of the world. 

All Smiles

I have to get one of these!

A truley blessed day after our baptism.

This has Kim Meyer's name all over it.

Fun with the family cat.

Me, enjoying the great chairs that ICU waiting rooms have .  

We call this poodle chicken.

Mini Golf with Grandma.  This was April.
She's in hospice care now.

Somtimes you just have to laugh!

Walking life with Faith

WARNING....THIS ONE IS DEEPER THAN USUAL..... PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

So, faith is a very important thing to me.  It is the connector between me and my relationship with God.

I do have to say, that sometimes listening to the things that God puts on my heart is not always easy.   Some days I just have to hit the ignore button.   But, we all know, that does me no good. I then have this pit in my stomach knowing that I need to listen.  I need to respond.

A good friend told me that God does not usually talk in codes.   So, just listen.

That sounds so very easy.   But we all know that sometimes it is so hard.

The past few months my devotion time (I am reading Jesus Calling) has been very important to me.  I believe this devotion book was written just for me.  I can not tell you a day where it did not speak to a joy, a worry, a fear, an anxiety, that I was/am dealing with.  

I think that is the point of this book.  The author wrote to the things that most people deal with and gives it a focus that helps me in my faith journey.  This time has become as important as my 1st cup of coffee!

So, I ask you what helps you keep connected to God?   What makes your faith strong?  

I know that in times of need faith has brought me through when I could not stand on my own two feet.  But, here is the kicker- on my good days am I as faithful?  or do I take the credit for the good and only rely on faith in times of need?!?!?  This is a flaw that I am working on: To remember my faith journey EVERY day.

Happy Thursday!

Pity Party

Ok, you have seen through this blog that 2012 has been a very challenging year.  We have dealt with heath issues, house issues, car issues, which leads to finical issues.  I don’t want you all to think that with each thing that happens in my life I look and see the good at first glance.  In all honesty, I usually get mad/annoyed/sad first, and that is ok!  The point of perspective is to allow yourself to feel it all, to live in the moment fully.  I just don’t want to stay in that angry place for long.   It takes to much emotional energy; it wears me out physically and emotionally.

So, I have my pity party.  Sometimes I pity party alone, and sometimes I invite my hubby or a friend to join in.  But, I have it.   Then I just move on.   I will say that when I was dealing with Mr.’s illness and recovery I did seek a counselor to help me through it.  Some things are just better left to a professional.

This was just a personal profession that I do get mad, I do cry, I do have a pity party.   But, I don’t want to stay there; it is a dark place that brings me no joy.  So, today again, I choose to look focus on the good, not the bad, but I see it all.

Happy Wednesday!

Just Help....

So, last week I was on the side of the road.  I smashed my car into the curb, the curb won!!!

I was with my oldest, we were driving home from the doctor.  This was also the day of a sweet friends funeral,  so i was dressed for that.  (A dress and heals)

Well, we were there for a just a moment, and I had Slick get out of the car and start to help me with, at the time, I thought was just a flat tire.

It was a new car.  I was looking through the book to even figure out where the spare tire was.

I knew I could do this, but I did call my Dad to see what he was doing.  My Dad was on his way.

Ok, then comes the RANDOM stranger.  I am getting out the tire when he says, " I know you can do this, but I am willing to help."

This stopped me. "I will take your help!"   Thank God!   I had no clue what I was doing.  I knew I could do it, and wanted to get it going before my Dad arrived.  But, I was in a dress and heals, and my kiddo was sitting on the side of a busy street.

He did help, he changed the tire (and had to look at the book just like me) and when it was put on said "I don't know if I would drive this".
He had taken 30 minutes of his life to get dirty and help a compete stranger.........for nothing.   I ended up calling a tow truck.

Here is what bothers me.....he was very hesitant to help...like he would offend me.

I needed help, I took the help.  Could I have done it on my own, the answer is YES, but was it nice to have help....YES!

I think we worry to much about offending others this day and age that we just drive by.   I could have come to the own conclusion to call the tow truck, but 2 other people with me saying the same thing made that conclusion better.

Perspective: Help each other...it makes us all better for it.

Why Perspective is important....

So, the picture above was on Saturday night.  My then 8 year old went to bed with all his normal bed time routines.  Then about 45 minutes later we hear crying.......it is Slick. He is saying that he does not feel good.   We calm him down and put him back to bed (after taking his temp, after laughing, etc.).   He went to bed fine with attempt #2.  

Then I got to my computer and find the message above, "I am 8 for the last day :-(, Oct. 20, 2012, last day of even 1 digit numbers.  :-) bye 8." 

Ok, in all honesty, I responded to the notes as,"Really Kid".  Not to his face, he was back asleep.   But, it got me thinking.  Wow, perspective really does make a difference.  He went to bed morning the the year of 8.  I would have gone to bed excited about the birthday of 9.  

The lives we lead are busy and full of things.   Some are good, some are not so good.  But, to focus on the negative leads us to negative every where.

What if my boy went to bed excited about being 9?   (Which is what we had just talked about, he just took a different perspective)

When I wrecked my car last week....guess what I had a random stranger stop to help and my own Dad on the way.   So, I could focus on the wreck or I could focus on the good.  I choose the good.

This is just one example of perspective, but you get the point.

I hope for my kids they learn that life is what you choose it to be.  You can be sad about what has passed, or you can focus on the future. *** Now we can also say, cherish every moment, but that is a different blog entry.****

So, Today, MONDAY, I will look that this week will be good, full of blessings, and moments that are not so great.  I will choose to focus on the blessings.  The good comes with the bad.   What is your focus?  I am working on my kiddos seeing the good and not the bad.     It makes life so much easier to live.

Pictures

So, when I am looking for something on my phone and I find my self in the photo sections....I find wonderful snapshots of my life.   Here you go....

My loves (before braces and with out teeth)

Dragonville.   Oh how this game drives me crazy!

A goat in the back of a truck.

Mr. Bunny.  We have loved him forever. 

Spider Man and Police Man.  

I have tons of these.  

My sleeping boy.

I have no clue what this is....I am guessing a power ranger.

Love this picture of us.

What is on your phone?  
Share your best picture with me through email or text me and I will happily make a post full of fun pictures.

Random Acts of Kindness

What make a terrible, horrible, very bad day better?   Random acts of kindness.

When I walked into my home from the funeral of a dear friend I saw this:

I looked at Mr. with thanks, and he said, not me!  The Card read:, The Title of this Bouquet is "Happy Thoughts" I know this is a hard day for you already, and saw you had car problems.  Here's to better things in 2013!"

You know what, that is the kind of stuff Dana did.  I love seeing her personality in my new friends.    These flowers did not come from a life long friend, but from a new friend who took the time to show that on a bad day you can have "Happy Thoughts".

So, today....who's day are you going to make better?   What can you do for a dear friend, a new friend or a stranger to help them think Happy Thoughts?   That is my goal today.  Be happy and share the laughter and smiles.   Life is much better when you are laughing.

Luke 10  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind.  Do this and you shall live."

Focus…..

I have been in 2 accidents in the past 2 months.  These are the 2 car accidents I have been in my life.  What does that say?   Well it tells me that I am not focused on anything.  I am always distracted.  That is not good.

My goal for my future is to focus on the moment.  On the NOW. Live into each moment good or bad.

• When I have prayer time.  It will be only that.  My phone will be off, my email will not be answered.  I will give myself fully to that time.
• When I am in my car, my phone is usually in my purse so I cannot be distracted.  But, I have the fancy hands free device.  I will choose if this is a good time to talk or not. If I ignore you, I will call you later when I can focus on what you are talking about.
• When I am in class, I will be focused on class not emails or other distractions.  I will learn all I can in the moments that I am given in the classrooms at Perkins.
• When I am with my kids, I will be with my kids.  My phone will be away, my eyes will meet their eyes and we will do homework, we will play games, we will read books, we will watch a show, we will giggle.
• When I am with my husband, I will be with my husband.  He will be my focus.  We will talk, we will laugh.  We will be together.
• When I am working, I will work. I will not do schoolwork, I will focus on what I need to accomplish and make it my best.
• When I am with my friends, I will be with my friends.  I will not check email, I will not check FB.  I will enjoy my dear friends.

So,

If I don’t answer my phone, it is not the righttime.  I will call you back.

If I don’t answer your email within 30 minutes, it is notthe right time.  I will email you back.

If I don’t blog one day. I will do it another.

You see being busy is good for me, but such an evil in my personality.

I am going to focus on what I need to IN THAT MOMENT so that I can give my ALL to THAT MOMENT.  This new goal will make my life, and all those that I am around better.  (At least, that is my perspective)

Some Days are Harder Than Others

Do you ever feel like the world is out to get you?  I mean….really.  Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  I promised my Mom I would not move to Australia.

6:30-  Slick wakes up with a fever of 102.  Awesome

9:30- Doctor, found out it is strep, Slick got a shot in his behind (did kind of ok, I was not dripping in sweat leaving the doctor’s office, so I will consider it a win) Read Doctor History Here.

9:45- Driving home, and I hit a curb.   HARD.   I hate that I did that.  It is totally my fault.  It is really hard to blame a curb.   Random man stopped to help (THANK YOU), and Dad came to get Slick and I from the side of the road.   Finally had to have the car towed…..I did a number on it. 

12:45- Make it just in time for Book Fair with my Mr. Determined.

3:00- Funeral for a dear woman.  A dear friend.  See Cancer Sucks.

            Slick loses his mind about half way through the service.  Mr.  Determined kept winking at me so I would smile.  Mr. at one point grabs a tissue a wipes a tear from his eye.   It was a wonderful service.  I was so proud of all who lead it.   It was full of tears and of laughter.  It was a perfect tribute to her.

5:30- Get home to random flowers from a new friend.  I love random flowers!!!!

5:45- Get a rental car.

6:30- Notice dog has some kind of bite/tumor on eyelid.  That is just great. 

By the Way....Our AC is still broken.  

Dinner, clean up, etc.

7:20- Read books in bed with my boys.

8:00-Bed time.   Moments that are precious.   Prayers that are so faithful.

8:30- Phone time with neighbor, plan speech for tomorrow’s dinner, kiss my hubby before bed and feel truly blessed.

So, today was not great, but had pockets of greatness.  I did not even mention all the hugs and love that was shared before and after the service.  So, I will choose to focus on the good, because the bad, well, just sucks.  I don’t want my life to suck.  I want it to be good.   I cried today, I laughed today.  So, I just say, some days are harder than others, maybe tomorrow will be better, maybe it won’t.  But, it is another day.  It is another gift.  

Cancer sucks.

So, one of the angles of this world has gone home to heaven.  As I write this I am still in total denial.  She had a laughter that would bring joy into your soul.  She was a wife, a mom, a daughter, a friend, an aunt, a true children's advocate.  She was real.  I could get angry with her, laugh with her, get deep with her, and it was all ok.

She was a wonderful educator; she helped form both of my boys into wh othey are today.  You know in my tears,that is what I can hang on to.  Her legacy is alive in my children.  Her silly prayers and songs are alive in my house. My family’s life has been blessed by her sweet spirit and will continue to be blessed by her every day. I am sad. I am mad.

It was telling my children that I dreaded the most.  Slick sobbed quietly.  Mr. Determined said, “You know she is dancing and laughing in heaven.” with a sparkle of memory and sadness in his eye.  The angel that heaven was given today is a gift to all of us.  It is how I make sense of a situation that just sucks. 

I hold on to my Bible verse that is like myblanket of peace,  Philippians 4: Rejoicein the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known toeveryone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything byprayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known toGod. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard yourhearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whateveris honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing,whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anythingworthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that youhave learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace willbe with you."

I have not lived in the moment to have true Perspective.   Sometimes you need time for Perspective.

That Parent….

I have an issue….I never want to be that parent…

I was a teacher for 10 years.  I loved about 98% of my teaching moments.  I loved being a part of a child’s life on a daily basis.  I do miss that now.  But, the moments of teaching that always broke my heart was when the communication between home and school was broken.

 

I took my role as an educator very seriously.  I knew that I had moments during the day with the students that were priceless.  So, when I had “that parent” it was hard for me personally.  Mr.  would remind me that it was not “me” they were upset with but with a particular issue with the kiddo.   But, it was hard for me not to take it personal. 

Well, now my life has changed I am no longer a _____ISD teacher.  I work for the church.   (That being said my role of education has changed but that is another blog entry).  

I never want to be that parent.

Let it be known that my kids attend a wonderful school full of teachers and staff that I can tell are called into the profession. In fact, at assembly last Friday I found myself tearing up at the excitement that the school has. 

So, I find myself balancing carefully the role of supportive parent, and “that parent”.  I go to the default with my kids.  The teacher is always right in our home.   Again, we have been blessed with wonderful teachers. 

But, as you have read my M. D has had a difficult start to the school year.  In reflection, he does not like change.  He did not like that he graduated to a new grade.  He did not like that I am in class until 9:00 pm one night a week.  The combo was not great.

But, here in lies my issue as a mom/parent.  I default to not bothering the teacher.  I default to never wanting to be “that parent”.   That is when communication is bad.  I did not let the teacher know that I was in class until 9:00 and that was new to our family.  I did not want to bother her with such info.  She is crazy busy.  I know that.   So, I don’t want to annoy. 

I will tell you that when I did bite the bullet and call a conference it was ok.  I did take 20 minutes from the planning period of Mr. D’s teacher but I also left with a good feeling that Mr. D is good.  When he is at school he is happy and loved.  I think it gave a moment of relief to both teacher and parent. 

This being said, love your teachers, they are with our kids more than we are during the week.  Bring them a drink from Sonic or Starbucks, they can’t run out and get them.  

But, also when you feel the gut need to call them, listen.  I will benefit YOU, the TEACHER, and YOUR student.

I will end this with a prayer that I used when I was a teacher:

Teacher's Prayer

Lord, Please help me, To strengthen their voices, bodies and minds,

To express their feelings and control them sometimes,

To explore what's near and venture afar,

But most important to love who they are.

P.S.- Never do a Google image search for crazy parents.  It will disturb you greatly.  

Text Message

So, I got this text message from a good friend.  She will remain nameless, but the text is 100% true:

"In response to your blog:  My dad had a cow yesterday that they thought was having her baby, turns out she HAD her baby and her uterus has fallen out.  Her UTERUS was dragging the ground after she gave birth!  So they took her to the vet and the put it back and sewed it up.

Yeah, perspective!  At least my uterus didn't fall out today!

 It really is the little things."


I understand why she did not leave that in the comment section, but I thought it was to great not to share!

So, enjoy that perspective today!

P.S.- I love Texas!

OCD

So, this is posted above the dyson airblade in the restroom at Perkins.  Every time I dry my hands I count 12 seconds.  Sometimes it takes 14 seconds.  I think I should tell them.  

Perspective:  My OCD is at times a little annoying. Because this really does bother me. But, if I spend more than 2 seconds worrying about this than my life must be full of nothing else to worry about. So, I'll take it.   

Mammogram

So, I did it.  It was a year later than I was supposed to do it, but it is done.  I had my first mammogram.

It is really nothing to be afraid of.  I don’t really know why I put it off for a year.

Here are my observations:

The waiting room is full of women.  You can read the stories on their faces.  

• Women with fear and hope all over them (oh sweet woman sitting in the corner your eyes told your story- you will be in my prayers). 
• Women who just came in like they are supposed to.  
• The newbies, who are wondering what is about to happen to them. 

Everyone is very kind.  The 60ish woman who over heard that it was my first time walked me through what would happen when they called me back. 

That job is really strange.  I mean you deal with boobies all daylong.  I wonder if they ever go home and say, “If I see one more boob today I am going to scream.”

When the sentence, “Don’t be nervous, Don’t worry, etc” is used more than 3 times in 5 minutes.  I go straight to the crazy worry mode. I have gone straight into how we will deal with the diagnosis.   I have gone to crazy land.  

There were lots of floral couches they were really way to soft.

It is nice that they had snacks.  I like snacks.

The procedure was not great, but not horrible.  Defiantly worth the time. 

After my boobs were smooched I went a got a new bra.  This is going to be my new tradition.  Mammogram=new bra.  J

I got a call yesterday day that the mammogram cam back normal.    Hey, some good news this year. I'll take it!

Perspective:  Get your mammogram done.  I'll watch your kids as long as you bring me a snack. I mean,for real,  check out the picture below.  They are both all smiles! So it must be fun.

Christmas is coming…

I know, I know it is October.....But deal with it.

So, Christmas is coming. I have already been brainwashing my kids what to ask Santa for so that he has time to provide (my 3^rd grader might read this on occasion).  J but, this Christmas THIS Christmas I am so looking forward to.

Last Christmas was not great.  I say that knowing it could have been more life changing that it was.  But, Mr. was sick.  I am not talking flu, I am talking ICU sick.  He had bacterial meningitis.  That is not good.  Just google it.  This post will not get into the details, but life last year around Christmas was full of unknowns mainly:

Will my rock (husband) live?

 If he lives will he still be the same person?

This past week I have been working on the computer for different reasons and emails/FB instant messages where December was shown. 

It stopped me. 

It made me cry.  It made me thankful.  It made me humble.

I am not only thankful for the normal that my family still knows, but in rereading emails and looking through FB messages.  I am thankful for the people that surround our family. 

I don’t know about you- but Mr. and I can’t do this day to day life alone.  We need family and friends to help us get through normal day to day life. I love my family.  I love my friends that really are my family.

I can’t wait for this Christmas.  I am going to be a mess, but in a thankful, ignore my constant crying thankful.  Life is precious.  Every single moment (good and bad).  Because I have learned that it can change in a day, a second. 

This is my bible verse that I held tight through last Christmas:

Philippians 4:4-9

 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Perspective:  I am going to be a mess this holiday season. I know it.   Just avoid me around the holiday season.  I will either hug you to the point where you don’t check your mail when I am out front OR I will just be this happy joyous being that is so annoying to be around you stay indoors.

What is family?

What is family?  I found this definition:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family

In human context, a family (from Latin: familia) is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. Anthropologists most generally classify family organization as matrilocal (a mother and her children); conjugal (a wife, husband, and children, also called nuclear family); and consanguinal (also called an extended family) in which parents and children co-reside with other members of one parent's family.

There are also concepts of family that break with tradition within particular societies, or those that are transplanted via migration to flourish or else cease within their new societies.[clarification needed] As a unit of socialization the family is the object of analysis for sociologists of the family. Genealogy is a field which aims to trace family lineages through history. In science, the term "family" has come to be used as a means to classify groups of objects as being closely and exclusively related. In the study of animals it has been found that many species form groups that have similarities to human "family"—often called "packs."

Ok, so my family growing up was Mom, Dad, Sister.  Done.  I had grandparents that had some impact on my life but they did not live close.  They were not a part of my day to day family.  Our friends became family.  The Christmas table was full of 'family' with no blood relations.   We lived on a street where 3 families became one family unit.  They had quirks, they had differences, but they were there for each other every day. 

When I reflect on my family now it is much larger than what I grew up with.  My parents live close and help with our kids weekly. It is so awesome to see that relationship   Mr.’s family is 10 minutes from us.  I have sister-in-law and brother-in-laws close.  My own sister lives 20 minutes from me.  Our family is tight.  My kid's have cousins.  A gift that is so awesome.  

In a life full of family we have so much more.  Our family is blessed to have friends that ARE FAMILY.  We have neighbors that are 2^nd parents with us.  I have girl friends that will do anything for us when we need it.  I could not function as a wife, mom, student, church work, friend, etc. without my dear close friends.  They are a part of my life just as my family is.

Perspective:  Family is a gift, but they are who you get- there is not much choice in it.  We are blessed to have great family surrounding us.  But, without our friends my family is incomplete.  They are a part of my rhythm, our lives.  Hug a friend today.  Hug a family member.  But know that blood is not always the defining moment of family. 

Living the Dream

Beat This Jonas Brothers....

This week our family:  (in no real order)

Payed bills, did home work, took showers, took out the trash, had baseball practice, had scouts,  worked on mid-term reviews, cleaned, had piano lessons, taught a bible study, went to church, took a nap, did laundry, read books, giggled, read Origen "An Exhortation to Martyrdom, Prayer and selected works", watched baseball, watched football, played baseball, had a glass of wine, went to work, had a boys weekend, had a study weekend, figured out our health insurance for next year, payed bills(again), played on the computer, went to a PTA meeting, cuddled, read, played police man on scooters, walked to school, read Them Bones, changed our sheets, folded laundry, watched The Voice, cooked dinner, ordered dinner, talked on the phone, read Diary of a Wimpy Kid, made lunches, wrote thank you notes, read Jesus Calling, colored, wrote a paper, wrote another paper, wrote an outline for a paper, cried (again), prayed, went to parent teacher conferences, had a work meetings, had work conference calls, cleaned out our ears (ewwww), did our nails, went to the gym.

So, that is the dream.  I will do it again next week, and the next, and the next, and the next, and the next..................


Perspective:  It could be go to the doctor, because we are sick.  It could be go to the counselor because we are depressed, It could be therapy b/c my child needs it.  It could be......wait....be careful when you compare yourself to others.  You will always be better than someone and someone will always be better than you.  Walk it with them.  Holding hands in the dream is so much better than walking the "high road" or "low road". Walk it together.

Bonus if you can tell me who did what. :-)

Chores

So, to "live in this house we all work."  I sound like my mother and I don't care.


About 2 weeks ago I set up an online chore chart for the kids.  So, far so good.

http://www.myjobchart.com/

We do not pay our kids to do chores, but this sight has a great system of earning point (you can do money also if that is what works for your family) and then the kids decide how to use the points. They have a section for giving, saving, and spending.  I LOVE THAT!!!  It teaches good budgeting habits now so when it really matters it might be ingrained in them!  That is my hope at least.  So, the log in and I get an email of what they did and did not do.  It is new so it is fun.  We will see how long it last.

There is a part of me that loves the job of cleaning the house.  It is an instant gratification kinda of thing.   But, it is also really depressing.  I mean you spend all day doing laundry and then put clothes in the hamper before you go to bed.  Chores are never ending.  They always need to be done.  But, you know, when my house says clean for more than 5 minutes that will mean the kids are all grown up and out of the house.   I am not quite ready for that, so I will take the never ending job of chores.

I will admit that in our budget we have money for a house keeper to come every other week.  We took it out and then I just decided that this was something that I wanted to budget for.  So, we cut cable.  My life is no busier than others, but this is just something that makes my life better and then in turn makes our family better.

Just because we have this extra does not mean that the family does not work together keeping the house together each week.

Perspective:  It is fun to work as a family.  It is also ok to save for something that you really want.

Here is a break down of how we do things:  Remember this is a list (that I got from a friend)....not what REALLY happens every day. I print this and put it on the fridge:

Make Beds

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

Load/Unload Dishwasher

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

Clean Countertops

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

Clean Table/Swiffer Kitchen

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

Load of Laundry

M

T

W

Th

F

s

Pick Up Toys/Straighten LR

S

M

T

W

T

F

S

Monday- Bathrooms

        mop floors
        clean sink/counters
        toilets/tub/shower

Tuesday- Bedrooms

        Trash

        Wash/Change Bedding

        vacuum BR

Wednesday- Kitchen

        counters

        sweep/mop

        microwave

        clean out fridge/pantry

Thursday- Floors/Dusting

        Vacuum

        Sweep

        mop

Friday- shopping

       Kroger/Aldi

Saturday-Lawn/Cars

        Mow

        Edge

        Hedges

        Vacuum/wash the car

I am a blogger newbie and can not for the life of me figure out how to upload the PDF of the file.  :-email me if it you want it.