Well,

Well what you ask? I don’t know really but thought I should let you all know that I am alive and surviving this semester. We have been steadily working on school but I did slack with the littles this week and they won’t do school with their father. So now I will have to crack the proverbial whip but am wondering who should be whipped: the children who aren’t listening or the father who isn’t helping me out here. Probably the father, he is supposed to be the adult after all

I sent off an email this week to the professor who helps run the Honors Program in Psychology. To talk about applying for the program. I met with him on Thursday. I thought it went ok, but had a few hesitations on it but my friend from UA, said that because he walked me down the hall still talking and asking questions, he liked me. So that is a good thing. So now I wait until I get an email asking me to apply. Probably late February….I hate waiting……

I took two exams this week, got an 81% on my latin exam but that is ok for the moment and better than I thought I would do since we covered most of the information last semester. I am hoping I did as well on my Clinical 2 exam as I think I might have, it seemed fairly straight forward and that made me happy. I also picked my topic for my paper I have to write by Spring Break: Sensory Integration Theory, a treatment for Autism. I started pulling articles so I can work on the bibliography as well. I have a quiz in Suicidology on Monday and 3 articles to read and write a discussion question for. I need to study my latin as well so I don’t get behind. I did all of chapter 18 exercises but need to do a worksheet and write some third declension neuter nouns down by Monday as well. Not to mention the studying I need to do for Clinical 2. Oh the joys of being a homeschooling college going mom.

On a side note: a friend of mine is over stepping her boundaries and I would love to blast her but it would take too much energy and I seriously have not time for that kind of thing right now. She can be so draining and then can be nasty when she is angry.

Oh yes, I forgot to tell you all the ceiling story from Sunday night……

Remember when we bought the house? It was a bank repo and needed work which we have been doing as we have the money. The kitchen ceiling needs to be replaced but I’ve held off since I was hoping to replace the plumbing and the one section of the roof over the kitchen leaks if ice builds up in the winter. So long story short we haven’t replaced it…..

here’s a photo from when we moved in for you

Over the last 3 years the ceiling has been steadily coming down in bits and pieces due to the leaking roof. So some of it was just being held up by a couple of nails. Well, those nails gave away Sunday night and came crashing to the floor. It scared the heck out of us.

So now I”m hoping the husband will get a bit motivated to take the rest of it down before it comes crashing, do the minor plumbing ourselves and then get the ceiling up. I told Tristan I needed help getting the new drywall up and he said he would get a couple of his friends over when we are ready since he just helped one of them do his basement ceiling. We won’t be able to fix the one section yet, but getting most of the ceiling up would be great, because then I could tear down the ugly wallpaper and then paint my kitchen. Making our house look a whole heck of a lot better and easier to consider selling if we need to for grad school.

On the note of grad school, someone recently asked me about it and I panicked when I realized that I will be applying to schools THIS FALL!!!! Oh my gosh, I am almost done with my bachelor’s and grad school!!!! Do you know how terrified I am? What if I don’t get in? What if I do? Holy cow!!! So much stress for me. It is so much easier not thinking about the future.

Ok, I’m beyond tired, so I’m going to close this for now.

 

One week down~ 15 to go!!!!

So I made it through the first week of Spring semester!!! School went ok at home as well!!! We will have a few things to do tomorrow but all in all~ I’m pleased with our week~

I’m so very happy though that I”m off on Monday for MLK day!!!! One less day that I have to drive to UA is always a great thing!!! Plus it is the Princess birthday that day, I love that every few years I get to celebrate her birthday and be home!!!! It makes my schooling a bit easier to bear!!!

We got our first real winter snowfall today~ along with cold temps and messy roads ;-( I’m still wondering why the powers that be wait so long to get moving on the snowplowing? It seems as if the plan is to wait until the snow stops and then dig out…..this is not the best use of snowplows.

I have been managing to remember to take my photo of the day every day so far…..Project 366, I haven’t loaded today’s photo yet…..but it is of snow, nothing that interesting.

I have no idea now of what I planned to write about   If I get a chance I will post pictures of the Princess’ birthday!

Scripture and A Snapshot

Genesis 8: 21,22

And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil form his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.”
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”

Today I need the promise of the coming spring after winter. I can’t put into words yet, why I need the comfort. I pray I’m just being anxious for no reason but truthfully, I believe the the Lord is preparing me for something that may be coming my way and I’m not sure right now I will survive. Sorry to be so cryptic but I dislike putting fears into words. Right now, my heart is saying “if you can just make it to spring it will be ok!” Perhaps it is good that it is winter as I wait to see what the Lord has in mind…..perhaps it is just the darkness of winter that is making me sad, but whether it is or not, I know that the Lord is here and He will be strong enough for me to get through it.

Jan 04? Already?

I feel as if I should be getting ready to go celebrate New Year’s eve with my daughter * shakes head* So in the first four days of 2012~ I have been sick with a high fever, my leg still hurts and it seems as if everyone has hit it daily *ouch. I started cleaning off my desk but have stalled due to tiredness and inability to breathe. I am trying once again to take a photo a day, I really want a photo book of our lives, even though I know I will only do it once…..I’m having a rough time with my kids growing up. I found a photo of the Peanut who was not even 4 yet and wanted to cry…..for the missed time with all of the kids, for not always being the most patient mom, for having to be gone so much, for all the things that keep me so busy every damn day!!!!!

I know that I’m doing what the Lord wants by going to school, there is no doubt about that but I never realized just how hard it would be on me, the kids seem to be ok. Although I can’t tell you how many days I’ve cried on the way to UA. I truly believe that I must finish my degree(s) I will be the first person in my family to ever get a BA and that is one big accomplishment, setting I hope an example for not only my younger children but also my older ones that it is never to late to turn your life around and get a degree. Plus, I know that the Lord has plans for me for when my babies are grown and gone, He knows that I would fall apart quickly into depression were it not for having a life apart from being a mother.

I’m almost done planning the kids school from next Monday, Jan. 09. until my Spring break, we are hoping to go to Fl to visit Jasmine and Matthew in Sarasota. I’m praying that it happens and that we have a safe trip and no problems.

I still have no clear cut goals for this year other than:

1. eating better and trying to save money on groceries
2. finding time to exercise, I always feel so much better than but it is hard to keep up
3. trying to cut back on my computer time but that is hard when one is on it for school so much of the time it becomes a habit
4. family game night, and trying to not let my mood affect my interactions with my children : and that is hard, many days I’m in pain, exhausted or sick.
5. trying to remember to live in the moment I’m in, not the sad past or the uncertain future while still acknowledging my past that helped shape me and get ready for my future…..the supreme balancing act
6. I have to get good grades this semester while preparing for the GRE, I want to score at least 1200 or higher on the exam….it will help me get into grad school
7. I have to narrow done my grad school list, so far the leader is Ohio University and I’m praying that the Lord sends us there.
8. I want to try to spend a bit more time with the Princess, she has no little girls here to play with and is often lonely

Well, I guess this is a good start for the year…..

The Princess will be 9!!!!! on Jan. 16th!!!! Oh my gosh, I’m gonna not survive. Today she said that Ivette the granddaughter her age said that she dresses like a two year old, because I don’t let her wear trendy clothes…..my poor baby. I might take her shopping for a new outfit and see if she likes that idea…..

The Ark only has to make it to the beginning of May to be confirmed, his report from the not liked Pastor, only complained about him needing to do more sermon notes, but if the Pastor would have noticed, the Ark missed 5 sundays due to illness or being away, and two sundays the sermons weren’t posted online for him. Grrrr, but soon it will be over……and I can’t wait.

Which leads me to contemplating getting the Ark and Ace tested for their LD’s so that we have it in writing for them for college….especially with the Ark’s dyslexia, he could apply for his texts to be on cd which is how he learns the best but to get help you must have proof that there is a problem. I won’t be able to put it into action until summer but it needs to be a priority then

Somewhere along the way I need that quiet time with Lord, mornings don’t work for me since I’m rushing to get ready to leave while setting up the kids for school and I’m grouchy then. Night’s don’t work because I’m exhausted~ right now, I load up on Christian music and pray while driving to UA, that seems to work well for me for the moment but would like a bit more, just not sure how……

I also need time to draw or scrapbook or something crafty……I’m at my best when doing those things but again, time is an issue…..oh the stress of being as the Husband puts it “a psychologist artist” apparently i”m very methodical in my artwork and when it is done is a piece of art with a science beginning.

We went to half price books after Christmas and I found a few books for the kids, while snapping up 4 Catherine Coulter books for myself. Two were the FBI series and the others were her Bride series. I love her writing.

We are slowly putting away some of the Christmas stuff but the tree will stay until the Princess birthday per her request~ which works out great since trash day is the next day.

Ok I guess this should keep you all busy reading for a bit.

My Birthday~

I had a perfect birthday yesterday~ two cakes, two beautiful cards and one cute one. cuddle time with the grandbaby and no fighting amongst kids. I keep the two older granddaughters for the night to give Renee a break. Today~ I’m going to half-price books to see what I can find, would like some royal diary books for the Princess and G.A. Henty books for the boys. Then I get to finish doing some school planning for the next 6 weeks for the kids, i have finished history and science. I will be adding in a few things for the Ark as he needs more to do. I’m thinking Building Thinking Skills Verbal, Vocabulary from Classical Roots, and Student Intensive Writing Level A. I know I have a book he is supposed to do for a computer application class but have no idea where it is at the moment. *shakes head, this is the story of my life lately, nothing is where it is supposed to be.
Ok, I’m going to get ready to go, if I find anything good I’ll come back and edit.

Christmas Photos~

This is the typical after Christmas post~ lots of photos!!!!

 

Four of the men in my life~

My Princess with her Daddy,

This was the surprise gift, The Ark wanted StarWars Monopoly, but we didn’t want him to know he got it. He was so funny trying to guess what was in that present: a coat, boots????? You will see on Christmas was the reply…..he didn’t like that.

A very happy Princess with her Calico Critter House, with real lights!!!! Now maybe I can get a few minutes of peace and quiet?

I love catching the boys talking to each other, it warms my mommy heart…

Yes, that is a staged smile, but at least I have one…..Ace seldom smiles for pictures.

There was very little drama for the holidays so far, hoping to make it through one more week with none. The trip to the inlaw’s went ok, but the kids were tired so we left earlier than planned. Then yesterday we went to Renee’s and after dinner we played Michael Jackson on the Wii…..it was fun to dance with 3 of my daughters~ Renee, Jasmine and Kendra….I even beat them a couple of times, surprising them. Then we came home and opened the gift from Darius: a Vizio Blu-ray dvd player…..so we watched the only blu-ray movie we had: Alice in Wonderland….the color was amazing as was the clarity.

Well that is all for now, the husband had the day off from the church, so he is cleaning, I’m going to start planning our school year of Jan~June…..

Scenes of Christmas

Our Christmas Tree this year…..

My tiny village, The Ark didnt’ want it in their room this year * sniff, that made me a bit sad.

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies~

Working the bake sale at church, this is a terrible photo of me, I was exhausted and tired of smiling already.

Today is our 15th Anniversary~ this is the card that the Husband bought me~ the inside says “After all this time, I’ve still got the biggest crush on you”

I drew this in just a couple of minutes to show the Princess how to draw flowers and the Husband loves this drawing. I am going to print it for him and put it on a keychain for him, but he would like it in black and white, not red. The Ark and I saw an Austrian glass flower that looked similar to my drawing.

These cheap Christmas cookies, were the ones that my grandmother bought every year….this year we found some for my kids to try and to remind me that I do have a few (very few) pleasant memories from my childhood.

No post would be complete without a photo of my precious new grandbaby……

This photo is actually upside down but it is so pretty and the Princess latest on her own design.

the inside of the card….I love this drawing and the bright colors.

I”m 2/3 of the way done with the mil’s second knitted dishcloth, the Ark wrapped most of the gifts for me, we are still doing a bit of cookie baking and plan on making at least 2 pumpkin pies.

I survived the xmas party, but had to socialize much more than my norm, which is always taxing. Then had to do it all over again last sunday at the bake sale~ The Ark and Peanut were sick, so we didn’t get to take a xmas photo like I had planned, hoping to get one still maybe xmas eve.

I have to put poinsettias on the alter tomorrow morning and then go out and finish shopping. I would so love to be done already, but hopefully I will be tomorrow.

I will close now and get back to knitting that dishcloth….

Have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Not much to say

Because I’m on FaceBook and Twitter, there are times that I have little to share here as all the important things like : getting all A’s this semester and having a 3.83 GPA have already been said in both places so that all of my friends know. Some friends are on both, some are either in one or the other. So it seems redundant to write about it here.
I was in such a Christmassy happy mood but that has flown out the proverbial window in dealing with ungrateful adult children who feel entitled. So now I”m grouchy during my favorite season. I told a couple of classmates that to me Christmas is more of a new beginning than January…..Christmas means hope….but it is hard to keep that hope alive when being criticized all the time.

Perhaps it will come back, but truly right now I just want to bury myself in schoolwork and forget that Christmas is here. At least with school, I know who I am and where I am going, or at least somewhat…..

Speaking of school….I only have 3 semesters before I graduate with my BA in Psychology. So I’m starting to look at grad schools and study for the GRE, look at field work and thinking about my personal statement essay that I need to write. I think I’m going to specialize in health psychology and focus on women’s health….I think that will make me the happiest and it has the most potential for future growth. Plus my previous work/volunteer experience is all focused on women’s health.

The kids are hooked on the original Legend of Zelda game, I downloaded it to our wii, and they enjoy it….although they laugh at the graphics…..so we have been doing some bonding while playing. I’m also reading 3 chapters a day out of christmas books, our current book is the Magic Tree House series: Christmas in Camelot, I have the Gift of the Magi, but I can’t remember where I put it *shakes head, but we have a few others that I will probably read to the kids over the next couple of weeks.
I”m hoping to get a bit of money for some more games for us to play….the kids are finally getting into playing family games. I did buy the Ark Star Wars Monopoly for xmas and I have u build it monopoly as well. I would like to get Bananagrams and Scrabble, as well as a couple of the Lego games. The Ark also wants Risk….

After this weekend life will slow down a bit, we have a Christmas party tonight, I have to bake cookies tomorrow for the Youth bake sale, I made the flyers for it and have already made white chocolate peppermint fudge, just need to cut it up and package it tomorrow as well. Then the cookies~ I’m making white chocolate cherry shortbread cookies. I wanted to make cookies that look pretty since pretty cookies sell the best. Of course I will be working the bake sale on Sunday. We are also doing the Advent reading Sunday morning.

Next week, the kids have to do school on Monday since this week they have been sick off and on. But the rest of the week will be spent baking cookies, wrapping gifts and cleaning….I have no idea what we are eating for Christmas yet, I do know that this is the first year that the husband will not have to work the church on xmas eve, so we are going to his mother’s that night after the 5pm service. I was looking forward to it until she made the comment “just what we need 6 more people in my house”.  But now I’m committed to being there, although I’m thinking we won’t be staying very long.I guess I will have to go to Renee’s for a bit on Christmas day, but would so rather just stay home.

I still have quite a few things to check off on my reminder’s list on my iPhone, I love that app! I just jot my lists down there and then check them off as I get them done. It seems to help me stay focused in all the chaos….

I need to plan out the kids schoolwork for the next quarter, I’m dreading it but it needs to be done. keeping us on track = planning. So planning I will be probably starting after Christmas day…..the kids will be busy playing and I will have free time.

I have two school related items that I’m trading back into Amazon, so if they give me full credit I’m going to order the Holocaust movie for the Ark, we borrowed it from the library but it was horribly scratched and we missed a great deal of it. So we will get it. He loves studying the WW2 era…..so much like me at that age. Although I love all history era’s equally now, well with the exception of the Revolutionary…..I suffer through that one

Oh yes, I spend lots of time on Pinterest~ I love that site!!! I’ve made a few recipes I found there and so far they have been great!!! I love being able to pin things that I find on the web and then can go back to them whenever I have the time to cook/make/buy it. I did that for the xmas outfits I wanted us to wear this Christmas and it worked out great!!! I use it as my wish list of things.

Well, I guess I should go do something productive but I so don’t want to~ probably just a bit of lingering burn-out from the rough semester. Hoping that I feel rested and relaxed by January 09, when it starts again.

Now I wait….

For my grades that is, i hate this part of school, I know that I should have an A in Latin, but Clinical & Counseling 1 could be anything from a B+ to an A, same for my experimental class……although it is most likely I will end up with A- at the very least (well, I hope so anyways).

The Ark is going on a retreat this weekend, the purpose is for him to start bonding with the youth that are going to New Orleans, next summer with him. I’m really excited for him, he needs a weekend away and it is coming at a great time for him. He has been a trooper except for once or twice about babysitting the littles for me this semester. We went out today and had some Mom and son time, so he is happy.

We bought the Princess her gift: The Calico Critter Luxury Townhome plus the store we were at gave us the Sugar Bear Family and the Sugar Bear Twins for free!!! Which makes me a happy mom. Still need to get the Peanut his present, and the three granddaughters!!! but it is almost done, Oh yes, Ace needs a new pair of pajama’s, this year I bought the kids a new pair of pj’s for xmas as well, primarily for the Christmas picture taking that I hope to do.

I’m swamped with fundraising stuff for the kids: one is going to camp next year and one is going to New Orleans, lots of work for the husband and I to get the funds up. This month I will bake and help out at the bake sale and set up the poinsettias on the alter on Dec. 23. Then every month after that there will be a major fundraiser until July…..

On my Christmas want list is the Kindle Fire, I have the kindle app on my iPhone and love reading books on it when I can’t make it to the library! I doubt I will buy too many books for it, mostly download from the library. Even The Ark is excited to have a chance to read on it, and he is not my likes to read teen. So anything that encourages him to read more is great in my world. (PS~ I would really love to get the iPad but there is no way that I can afford one of them, therefore the Kindle Fire is a great substitute.)

Oh yes, I insanely added in another class to my Spring semester, so now I’m taking: Clinical & Counseling 2, Latin 2, Intro to Suicidology and Psychology of Hate. The husband and the kids are going to have to pull together and get school done, although I will be home, by 1pm on MWF and 5 on TTH. Yes, this all stresses me out, but this is what homeschooling can be about, and my kids need to learn to be a bit more independent from me and more responsible for their own learning. Plus, there are always weekends, right? No, I”m not taking this lightly, and will be revising our schedule during my break to make sure I know where we are and get the husband on board with what has to be done. I think this might make me a bit neurotic …ok, well maybe more than a bit.

Did I tell you we are reading for Advent on Dec. 18? We are going to all be wearing gray and navy blue, except for the husband who has a royal blue dress shirt, although I might make him wear his gray one. I’m hoping that Renee makes it to the service so that she can take pictures for me. We have such a busy week coming up~ I’m hoping to meet my friend Robin for lunch on Monday, Wednesday the Princess is back to the chiro, Friday is the annual xmas party that the husband and I always go to and then he has to work Saturday night, Then Sunday we will be in church and working the bake sale.

I’ve been home for 3 days and feel like I’ve done nothing, although I have taken the 4 kids to see the chiro, finished the take home final from hell, that took me 2 days of working on it off and on. Shopped for the Ark for his retreat, bought a gift, done some school with the kids, gone to a meeting, and tried to catch up on my sleep, which I so desperately have needed, Oh yes, I’ve tried to do some bonding with the kids. Even looking at  this makes me sad that I’ve not done more. I am working on math the with two youngest as I type this and going to work on my mil’s christmas dishcloths I’m knitting for her for xmas. so that is something I guess. Tomorrow had better be more productive…..

Ok, I need to find a way to unstress and do some knitting……..I’m frustrated right now.

Home Educating Family Publishing

Home Educating Family Publishing.

I’ve been wanting this program for the kids, I really like it and think he explains it so well and with the handouts, it will be easier for me to teach them with my limited spare time.