Simple Woman's Daybook

I know I haven't posted for nearly two months.
Yes, we are still alive!
I think!?!

It has been a whirlwind around here lately. Spring has come and as much as I hoped to settle down and relax, I have once again made sure our plates were full, too full. Oh well, that's what makes life interesting.

I saw this Simple Woman's Daybook post on another blog, and decided to borrow it.
I want to fill you all in on life these last few months, but my brain is on overload and other than answering a few questions, I don't think I can come up with too many coherent thoughts at the moment.
So here ya go...

Simple Woman's Daybook  April 29th

Outside my window...
I see the trees blowing in the wind, and I'm thinking I should get outside and pick up the kids' toys that just may end up in the neighbors yard. I also see my small patch of grass trying to turn green, as the rest of the yard holds fast to the light brown color it loves so much.

I see my garden in desperate need of some attention, and my trees that have somehow survived the winter, no thanks to me!

I also see my compost pile that, at the moment, is a breakfast buffet to the squirrels and rabbits who dare to enter the yard with our ferocious little doggie.

I am thinking...
that I have once again filled my plate to overflowing! I love being busy and having many projects or commitments to keep my attention, yet, I'm feeling the strain of having spread myself a bit too thin and constantly taking on more and more. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a million and two things going at all times. I just might find out how to relax.
One of these days I will learn to say, "NO" and leave some room on my plate for downtime, but until then, I'll enjoy this busy lifestyle and work to make sure I am keeping my priorities in order within all this mess.
Busy bee me, that's who I am.

Hi, my name is Amber and I'm a busy bee.

I am thankful...
for my family, my health (what's left of it), and my friends.
I'm also thankful that as so many are affected by the tornadoes, we are safe in our home.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected.

In the kitchen...
I'm wishing I had a cook! I hate cooking, but I like to eat. My family also likes to eat, and they insist on doing so three times a day! Three times...Every day!

 I know, as a stay-at-home-mom, I'm supposed to be super mom and make wonderful meals, healthy meals, and all from scratch with only the best ingredients and yada, yada, yada. Well, not this mom, not right now anyway. Unfortunately, this last few months I have made very few "good" meals and we have had way too much fast food, which is not only terrible for your health but extremely expensive! We've had too many late evenings when we haven't made it home until well after 6 or 6:30pm. At that point, trying to come up with a meal, cook and serve it in time for kids to eat, bathe and get to bed by a decent time, is just not happening. I'm embarrassed by how often we have fallen back on frozen pizza or a quick run through the drive through.

I am wearing...
As it's still early, and kiddos are sleeping, I'm enjoying the morning in my pj's! Sweats and a sweater. It is spring and we have enjoyed some beautiful days, but this is Colorado and today I am reminded of that by the cooler temps. At least the sun is out and shining bright!

I am creating...
a mess! Actually, I haven't had any time to get much (any) sewing done. My poor daughter is going to get upset if we make it to June and she still has no shorts! My hope to set some time aside in the next few weeks to make summer shorts for the kiddos.
It's very difficult for me to find shorts that fit my daughter well and that are appropriate, as she is nearly as tall as I am but very thin, and all leg! I'm not too picky on what she wears as long as it's modest and clean. With that said, trying to find shorts that fit her well and are decent, is next to impossible, so for the last 6 or 7 years I have been making shorts for her each summer.
I enjoy making something she likes to wear, and she enjoys picking out material and patterns. I laugh at the psychedelic material and patches she picks out, and think how well she would have fit in back in the 70's!
I love that she feels comfortable enough to keep with her own style and not care what others think, or what's "cool" or in "style" at the moment.
This is one of my favorite benefits of homeschooling; each child/teen is free to be exactly who they wish to be without feeling the need to hide any part of themselves!

I am going...
insane, crazy, loco, nuts, to the funny farm. Name it and I've been there or headed there quickly!
That's the joy of my life. It's so much easier when you stop trying to be "normal" and just embrace the craziness and uniqueness that is you!
I have officially given up trying to blend in or do as others do, now I'm allowing myself to enjoy being me, even with my many, many flaws!
God loves me, my family loves me, my friends love me, and to my surprise they all keep admitting they know me or are related. I'm taking that as a compliment!

I am wondering...
how the homeschool project fair is going to turn out.
A few months back, I decided to organize, and run a local homeschool project fair for local homeschoolers.
I set the date. I reserved a large meeting room at the local library. I made flyers and placed them at local libraries and homeschool events. I've talked with the local newspaper and they have ad for the fair in the weekly paper. I have shared our flyer and information with multiple local homeschool organizations, web sites, and Facebook groups. I have poured much of myself  these last few months into getting this project fair planned and set to go.
The fair is open to all ages and projects. We have entries as simple as a piece of artwork from a 6 year old, to books that have been written by teens. We have a model of the human body, photographs, possibly even a few Lego creations, and much more.  For our project, the kids, my mom, and I, have worked on a model of an old mining town to display at the fair. (I will share photos soon)
I wanted this fair to be a fun way for homeschoolers of all ages and skill levels to display and share their homeschool projects.
So far, it's looking like it will be a great time and a great turn out.

I am reading...
I just started this, so I can't say much about the book yet.
So far it seems promising, but we'll see.




I am hoping...

that May goes well. We have so many things going on in May, and I am hoping we can accomplish everything we have planned and still make time to relax and enjoy the spring!

I'm also hoping that we can keep everyone healthy! We have spent far too much time sick these past few weeks, despite my frenzied cleaning trying to kill any cold and flu germs that chose to invade our home.

I am looking forward to...
a possible mini-vacation. We had hopes to head to sunny California this spring, but with finances and hubby's job changing we are not able to make it work this time.
We are planning (hoping) to take a short trip to the Sand Dunes this summer. A couple hour drive, easy camping, and lot's of outdoor time, it should be enjoyed by all .

I am learning...
I can not do everything and take proper care of myself and my family. I am learning to make time to get away ,and recharge even if it's just for a few hours. I'm also learning, or being reminded,  how important it is for hubby and I to get some time away with each other.
We did manage to get out for dinner and a night out with friends a few weekends ago. It was a much needed night out, and helped us re-connect. We are hoping to get out once a month, even is it's just out to the dollar theatre or a to enjoy a walk somewhere together.
 As busy as life is with kids, parents must make sure  to invest in their marriage!

Around the house...
I see too many toys, too much clutter, too many things that need attention, but that's ok. This is our life. One day and one project at a time, right? Someday, I'll look back and miss all this craziness! Even the toys all over the floor.

Quote for the day...
“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders

Photo for the day...

This is from our field trip to the Cripple Creek & Victor mine, to go along with out unit study of mining. It was amazing to see the monster machines in action. I'm sure you can guess what job my boys both now plan to have when they grow up!



If you made it though all that, I hope you are doing well and have a wonderful week!

 

Enjoy life, and let it be caught on camera!

For those of you who are like me, always stepping aside, quickly standing up straight, or hiding your flaws when a camera points your way, read this!
For as long as I can remember, I have made sure to capture those I love on camera so that I will always have those memories forever. Yet, with all the memories I have caught on camera of my family and friends, I have not allowed for memories of me in this life to be caught on camera. Which means that I have only a few photos of myself and my kiddos or of my husband and I, and maybe a handful with my extended family and friends.

Choosing a hobby of photography has made it easy to hide behind the camera instead of ending up in front of it! As much as I felt I was doing something great by capturing others in moments we will never have again, I was allowing time to pass with little or no proof of my presence and love for my family, friends, and life!

This article/post has reminded me how important something such as a photo can mean to another, when a loved one is gone. And my thoughts were, "If I passed tomorrow, did I leave enough to remember me by?"

 From now on, I will be working on allowing myself to be caught on camera, enjoying this life that I do love! I would love for others later to "see" how much I did enjoy and how much I truly love my family and friends!  Knowing how much I treasure the photos I have of lost loved ones, I need to allow myself to be caught, flaws and all, on camera so that someday,  I too may be remembered by those I hold dear. And maybe even some great-great-great grandchildren, many years from now.

**This article hit me hard the day I read it. To be honest, it brought me to tears when I wrote the note above and shared the link on facebook.

Read it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teresa-s-porter/so-youre-feeling-too-fat-to-be-photographed_b_4351360.html

Sunday Savers...

 Save yourself!
Run away, far, far, away. Build a cozy little log cabin, live off the land, and don't get eaten by the bears!

Yep, that's my Sunday Savers advice for the week! Enjoy!

No, this has nothing to do with the so called zombie apocalypse, it's this mama's way of venting her frustration and needing a good long vacation...alone preferably!
Every mom/wife has those days, or weeks, when they feel like the entire world is out to make their life more difficult. Though this will pass, and I will once again love being home with my family and being the one who does everything!
Until then, I'm running away deep into the mountains, to find an already built log cabin with indoor plumbing!
I just might return...maybe!
Have a great week!

An ADHD Adventure...





ADD and ADHD, each can be seen as a curse, a disability, a blessing, or simply an adventure.
Our family has decided to see it as an adventure. Yes, this adventure often resembles a de-railing  freight train, but still, it's an adventure! And like all families with children, we have our good days and our not-so-good days.

I won't go into the long details, but a few years ago we, I, finally admitted, (hubby knew for a long time, I just took awhile longer to admit that he was right) that we have a child who has been blessed with ADHD. Yes, I say blessed, because I don't believe God curses anyone. I believe that we are given the opportunity to take our life and all the baggage, and make something of it, and to show others just what God sent us here for!

I know that each child with ADD or ADHD has a very different life. Some children are much more affected by their add/adhd than other children, and some are far more limited in their abilities than others due to add/adhd or other.

In our case, we have a wonderful young boy, who at 9 years old is incredibly busy, smart, very compassionate, and has an amazing imagination. On the other hand, he has a difficult time sitting still or focusing on school work. He is often distracted by noise, light, movement, or the thought that he might me missing something. He also has struggled with reading and writing for a long time.
Though this last few months he has improved greatly in his reading ability, and now will read...for fun! Previously, it was like pulling teeth to get him to read, and he could only get a few lines in before he was so frustrated that he'd give up. But slowly, we found ways to help him focus and to not have to work so hard to read. We worked, and worked, and worked together to read more and more, until finally he was comfortable reading on his own. Now, after his hard work, and finding a book that interested him, he is reading a large, for him, book and his confidence has soared.

Another area of struggle for him, is writing. He is able to write but has a very difficult time getting thoughts from his brain onto paper, he also has a hard time with spelling which adds frustration. What we have done to help, is when he is going to write something, I often will write, in his words, what he is to write on a small dry erase board. He then will copy that onto his paper. It really helps him get everything onto the paper. Otherwise, his mind is so busy that what he wanted to say, is long gone before he gets it written on the paper.

Today, he surprised me and reminded me just why I love homeschooling. His handwriting has always been rough, another struggle for him. Yet, today he was beginning a letter to his new pen-pal, and he worked so hard to make his writing neat and uniform. His letter looked wonderful! I was so proud of how hard he worked and how neat his handwriting was! I made sure to let him know how great he did. The best part was watching him smile at his own work, and show me each letter that he felt he wrote well. It was nice to see him have such pride in his work.

When children struggle with things like reading and writing, it's incredibly important to point out that which they do well, and to help them see how their hard work has paid off!

In our home, we have re-named ADHD from

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to:

 

          A- amazing ability to  

D- do, see, learn, and

 H- handle all things

 D- differently

 

 



Sunday Savers...on Tuesday

 So my Sunday Savers post is a wee bit late. Story of my wonderfully crazy life!
As I have not planned this post, I'm going to just wing it. Wish me luck!

So here we go...

Save on the Grocery Bill

Best tip I ever had for shopping was to work on a CASH ONLY basis! When I have things planned out well and the cash set aside, I have a great month. If not, well let's just not talk about that.

After paying the bills, (even some of those are paid in cash and not by check or online, I pull out cash and put the money into the proper envelope, similar to the "Dave Ramsey" way. Which means that when I go to the grocery store with my envelope containing what ever I budgeted for, I know that I ONLY have that cash to get what I need. It makes it hard to over spend when you have no buffer! It also makes you pay more attention to each item, the cost, and if it's truly needed!

Save on the Clothes

Last Sunday Savers post was ideas on saving money by shopping thrift stores and recycling by sewing or creatively reusing worn clothing. This time it's about ways to save the life of clothing. Just a little CPR and...ok, just kidding. Couldn't help but run with it!

For those with boys, the simplest way to save the wear and tear on clothing...
...is to have them enjoy life in their birthday suit! Honestly, that's just about the only thing that will save clothing from some children. My middle son can wear through a pair of jeans in such a way, I would have expected an entire herd of wild animals to have taken a turn attacking the jeans.  It's a gift my boy has! Oh my!

For everyone else, there are a few little things that can and will save some wear and tear on clothing.

For jeans, pants, shorts, skirts, and house pants, there is not always a need to wash them every time you wear them. No, I'm not saying wear dirty clothes, but I know there are many times when we simply run an errand or two and the kids have done nothing but do school work and sit in the car in the clothes they had on. That's when I tell them to set the pants aside and wear them again before I wash them. Believe it or not, that will add a little life to each pair of pants or skirt. It also saves on the laundry loads! Yet, shirts, socks and undies are a wash each time for us!

Also, when washing clothing, use a gentle or a homemade detergent! Many of the store bought detergents are quite harsh on the clothing as well as your skin! Make sure you use bleach sparingly, too much too often and clothes will become noticeably thinner and worn.

Here is my post with the recipe we use for homemade laundry soap. It's gentle on the clothing but cleans it well, and has been wonderful for our sensitive skin kiddos!
Hint: to make it a bit stronger but still gentle enough for our skin, I add two cups of powder laundry soap (Costco, Kirkland brand) to the 5 gallon mixture. The batch I make usually lasts us, a family of five, six months. I can't tell you the exact cost per load, but it's pennies, I assure you!

Another small tip is to either only partly dry some clothing in the dryer and hang up to finish drying or to line dry any clothing you can. In the summer I enjoy being able to hang clothing, blankets, and bedding outside to dry! It saves energy as well as wear and tear on clothing. You can always hang items to dry on a shower curtain rod in the laundry room, or a bathroom.


 Save Time

I said it last time and I'm going to say it again...

TURN IT OFF!

Turn off the computer!
Turn off the TV!
Turn off the iPad!
Turn off the phone! (yes, you will survive)
Turn off the tablet!
Turn off the kids' video games! (they too will survive, even if they don't think so)
Even if you keep tech time to a set limit each day, or have a no-tech day each weekend, that time will add up and you will find just how much time you really spend away from your family and your "off screen" life!

Talking with friends and family, technology is the biggest problem for those who complain of not having enough time. Just stop and think for a moment about how much time you spend on or in front of these devices. Now, what could you accomplish if that same amount of time was focused elsewhere, say on your family? Think about it!

Another time saver is to prioritize! For some that may include making a daily check list, in order of importance, or keeping a planner with daily tasks and chores written down. Others may simply need to stop and pick two or three things they want to accomplish in a day and focus on those!
It doesn't take planning your day down to the minute, but having an idea of what you'd like your day to look like, within reason, will help to stay on track and complete tasks.


Saving Your Sanity

Ok, so many of us are fighting a losing battle to keep what sanity we may have. Yet, if we don't try we can't possibly win, right?

We all need that "me" time, but we so often neglect our own needs so that we can keep up with whatever else we feel is more important at the time.  If you stop to look at how much you do each day, how much you care for others, and how much time you spend on household chores or work, you might realize that you really do need and deserve to have a little time to yourself. Everyone does! Those who take the time to care for themselves are far better equipped to care for their family and efficiently carryout the tasks that need to be done.

For those morning people:
Time reading the Bible and in prayer is the best way to start the day.
An early morning walk or run is a great way to get going and start your day in a peaceful and healthy way.
My favorite, when I can, is to swim. There is something about being in the water and watching the sun rise through the large windows at the pool that just starts the day well for me.

For those not-so-morning people:
An afternoon or evening walk or run are a great way to burn off steam and keep healthy, physically and mentally.
Take a quite drive. Sometimes just watching the trees pass on a peaceful drive can help one think and relax.
Take time each day or week to spend on a hobby you enjoy.



***“Peace begins with a smile..” Mother Teresa

**“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

*“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi  (my favorite quote)


Saving is something we can all do better with. Whether it's money, time, or sanity we can all work to save what we need.
It just takes effort and the courage to keep trying daily!

Weekly Wrap Up...

Weekly Wrap Up...

 Do you ever feel like your life is a scene from the running of the bulls in Spain?
I do, well maybe not quite so dramatic. But there are days, weeks, and months that I do wonder when the whirlwind of craziness will stop. Then, I stop and remember that this whirlwind of craziness is our life. It's our normal.

So what's been going on in our life lately? A bit of everything!

In the home:
We spent a full week doing nothing and resting due to everyone being sick. The next week was spent trying to catch up on school work, housework, and all the other little things that went undone the week before. Laundry is no fun when it hasn't been done for a week. Even now, I feel like we are still playing catch up.

In our homeschool:
We have continued to learn about Colorado and mining. Our favorite so far has been reading a fictional story about a family making their way to Colorado City during the Colorado gold rush. The kids have enjoyed hearing the names of places they know and are familiar with as well as the little stories behind them.

We had planned to make a trip to the local mining museum this past week, yet due to the snow and cold temps, we decided to post-pone the trip until the weather warms up. A good part of the museum is outdoors and we would like to enjoy the visit without freezing.

The kids are also working with their grandma on building a model of a mining town. Using cardboard and items from around the house. They just recently started but have plans for quite the little town.
Here is the bit they have started so far.

A few little buildings, and the beginning of a water tower. I love that my mom is so open and happy to help out and involve herself in our homeschool journey.

In my life this week:
It has been another off week. The temps here have been below freezing, which means no outdoor playing for the kiddos. Which in turn means that mom is just about to pull out her hair! Our house is comfy but there is no extra space for the kids to run and really play, at least not without breaking something. So when we have a week or so when it's simply too cold to get outside, we all end up with cabin fever and desperately need to get out and run!

With all this indoor time, I have been trying to go through and clean out our school stuff. We have tons and tons of  "school stuff". And, oh my goodness, the books we have could start a small library. I'm not even sure why we go to the library, we have our own private one here at home. Eight different bookshelves of different sizes overloaded with books, books, and more books!

So far all this cleaning out is resulting in a lot of moving things around and not getting rid of nearly enough! I keep telling hubby that we need to sell everything, move into an RV, and travel. He's not interested in that idea at all...yet! I'm not giving up, just working it slowly. Wish me luck!

Homeschool fun club:
Awhile back, after not finding a homeschool group that worked for us, we decided to start one of our own. This summer we had a few families that would meet with us and enjoy an afternoon together.
Simply by word-of-mouth and a table at our library homeschool resource day, our fun club now has 43 families. I figured we'd end up with a handful of homeschool families that were willing to join our group and meet for fun events or tours, but I didn't expect our group to grow the way it has.

It's been wonderful though. We usually meet two to three times a month, and we have enjoyed quite a few events with these families. In the last few months we have enjoyed nature walks, toured a police station (kids even had their finger prints done and climbed on a SWAT vehicle), had a costume Halloween party at a park, spent a few afternoons at the roller skating rink, toured a local museum, enjoyed game nights at our library in a private room just for our group, gone to the art museum, and enjoyed some very simple play dates at the park. For February, we will be enjoying another game night, a tour to the humane society, and another night roller skating.

I'm known for jumping into things a little too quickly and often saying, "yes" to far more than I should, but this is one of those things I'm glad I just jumped in and started. It has been wonderful for the kiddos and myself.

Looking forward:
At the moment, I am really trying to not look too far ahead. I am trying, though not always successfully, to focus on today. At the moment we have nothing big planned or expected in the near future, thankfully. Yet, we do have a special little boy who will be turning the 6 in just under two weeks. Yes, my baby boy is going to officially be a big boy. He says he has been a big boy for a long time, but mama is just not ready to admit it just yet.

The growing kiddos:
My daughter, who is still my baby girl, is nearly 13 and growing way too fast. I am not sure I'm ready for this teen stage and all the changes that are coming with it. But I am enjoying watching her grow and change into such a beautiful young lady.

She has grown, or seemed to have grown, so much in the last few weeks. She is now babysitting and volunteering at our library once a week. As hard as it is to accept that my baby girl is no longer a baby, it's pretty awesome as well. I am enjoying watching her grow and take on more responsibility and yet keep her sweet and playful personality.

Wild Thing, my busy, busy boy! I love that boy so much and wonder at times, if God really thought I could keep up with him and teach him all he needs to know. Because I'm not too sure. I have learned so much from just being his mom. He has taught me to look beyond what we see and find an adventure in everything. He has taught me to really think outside the box, and that there is no such thing as teaching kids all the same way. He has taught me that being the one that's a little different or odd, is exactly what sets us apart and makes us pretty awesome people.

 I'm supposed to be teaching him and yet, he is teaching me far more!

Praying for:
My grandma! I love her and have not been able to see her as much as I'd like. I pray for her each night and that she will be comfortable and know just how many love her!

A dear friend who is dealing with some incredibly tough stuff right now. I pray for God to guide her each day, and for her to have the strength and courage to deal with the stress and struggles. 

Weekly Wrap Up...

Weekly Wrap Up:  link up with: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Praying for this week:
Health! For the last week we have all been miserable with a winter cold. The kiddos are finally on the mend but I, for some reason, am holding on to this cold. Now, I hoping a good housecleaning, once I'm up to it, will help keep hubby from catching this cold, and from any of us catching it again!

Also, praying for those who have so little and are out in this cold weather.

Thankful for this week:
For a warm home and the items we need to care for our family when they are sick. When the kids decided to all get sick at the same time, I was happy that I had everything I needed to properly care for them. With so many struggling, and many not able to get to medicine or proper food, I am truly blessed to have all I need for my family.

In our homeschool this week:
Not much! We spent the week, just being sick. Though, Wild Thing did put in a few Magic School, and Bill Nye science tapes we had. We also, watched a few episodes of a family living "of the grid" in Alaska. Then we decided to have a little sewing lesson. Lady Bug made a hat for her great-grandma. Wild Thing made two cat nip pouches for the cats. And Little Man made two pillows, one for me and one for him. So I guess we still had some learning, just not the typical lessons.

With a sore throat and voice that is trying to leave me, I couldn't even read to the kids. Normally, when someone is sick, that's when we catch up on our reading. Not this time!

In my life this week:
I was sick. I took care of my kiddos, and kept up with dishes, mostly. That's pretty much it! I didn't even read much. I'm going to have to amp up the excitement next week to make up for lost time!

In our house this week:
Laundry is pilling up.
The dishes are only getting washed once a day, if that.
The pets are convinced we have become part cat, spending the day laying on the floor in the sun rays, watching tv all day, and napping off and on.
The toys are making their way to our living room, yet, not back to their home in the boys' room.
The floor is not vacuuming itself!
School work is sitting left undone and neglected.
Ugh, next week is going to be so much fun!

Our nature walk this week:
This is an area we have neglected terribly. I think the last nature walk we had was in late November. For nearly a month before Christmas, we had at least one of kiddos sick. Which meant we weren't able to get out in the cold. We also had a few weeks that were extremely cold. No one played outdoors! Then, Christmas came and we were so busy, we didn't make time to enjoy our nature walks. January hit and we were trying to get back into a "normal" daily routine, and now we're all sick, again.

I think I am missing our nature walks more than kids are. They don't seem to excited to get back to our weekly visits to the nature center. I may have to change things up a bit to get them all excited once again.

Just for me this week:
Not much. I really want to get back into a good workout schedule. But, as I often do, I keep putting it aside and telling myself, "tomorrow." Which of course tomorrow never comes. I'm going to just have to say, "TODAY!" But not until I'm better and can cross the room without coughing!

How was your week?