Favorite Friday... School's Finally Done and the Zoo

*Caution - This post may contain material that is not appropriate for those who have not had some version of 'The Birds & the Bees'  talk already. ;-)

We are done!! We are finally finished! I can hardly believe we made it a year together. Homeschooling has been such a challenge for me. I don't mean that in a negative way. Rather, I feel like I was really stretched out of my comfort zone and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I feel so blessed to have spent so much time with my kids this year. And let me say what how grateful I am to see that both E and Sis are happy and have accomplished so much. We did our "end-of-year" testing this week and both kids did amazingly well. (To be honest, I was more than a little worried that I had failed to teach them enough or that they had not retained anything.) The two things I was most worried about ended up being just fine. Esther came through her L. Arts with a +95% average. Et got in the high 80's in science and 90's in Math. Why do I worry so much?!? Worrying is such a monumental waste of time and energy.

This has been such a great week. It has still had its share of bumps and stresses, but they are so small in comparison to all the goodness we've had. Our goals for the summer are simple. We want to have fun exploring and imagining and learn something in the process.  Moving on...

*Being Friday, today was zoo day. It was hot, hitting 90 by noon. It was crowded. It seems every school, daycare and youth group schedules their zoo trip for the last three weeks in May. No worries. It was still great. The animals don't to anything terribly exciting in this kind of heat, but there is still so much to see and learn. So the one exception to the animals not doing anything was at the Polar Bear Watch. LOL! 

All spring they have kept Magnet, the male, and Anoki, the female separated. We have spent so many Fridays watching Magnet moan and cry and pace and pace until he is frothing at the mouth and the ground is worn away because he could see and smell Anoki but he could not get to her. (She was on the other side of the enclosure, separated by a fence while she healed from a leg wound.) Today when we got there we discovered they had drained the tank, visible to the public, on one side and put the two back together. And finally Magnet got his girl. It was too funny. We were there for AWHILE and they looked pretty much the same the whole time. Sis had so many questions. I had to try so hard to keep a straight face. She was mortified. I wish I could have gotten a picture. E wasn't too interested in watching and the other kids around him were terrible. It was one of those times that I appreciated not having him hang around so many other 11-yr. old boys. We finally left because of the things they were saying and the language they were using. Anyway, it was interesting to say the least. 

I am certain the zoo keepers were thrilled with their behavior as they have been trying to breed Magnet with either of the females at the zoo. Magnet is the second most "eligible" bachelor in the country for his genes and Anoki the female is the most sought after female, so successful breeding with them would be amazing. (E tells me I have it backward, that Magnet is the top dog and Anoki is #2, but who knows. It really doesn't matter much.)

This was the highlight of E's day. Right off the trail near the elephant enclosure we spotted a Black Rat Snake. This just happens to be E's favorite snake in the reptiles area. It was nearly as long as E is tall and very nervous. All said, a great - albeit hot and crowded - day at the zoo.

The Window's of Heaven...

Today we were surprised with a great blessing. It was nothing we were looking for, but it was so welcome. Our neighbors (three single girls) are moving out this month. They have been unloading their apartment all week. Mostly they put stuff out in the alley and people come by and pick it up. (We live near MICA campus and therefore, many poor students.) Today they had a pile of stretcher bars and an easel sitting outside and I promptly called my sweetie to see if he was interested. When of course he was, I tracked down the girls and asked if everything was for the taking. Which, of course, it was. Score!! We hiked ten canvases worth of stretcher bars and a couple of stretched canvases up the back stairs. There were bags of goodies sitting out - which of course were all free too. I scored another yoga mat, hot pink towels for Sis, rubbermaid containers, dishes and bedding from IKEA, a 20" TV/DVD w/stand and more. The mom of one of the girls came out and asked if I was looking for any furniture and when I asked "like what?" she had me follow her inside. Apparently its cheaper for her to buy ALL new furniture in NY and leave everything behind because she wasn't taking anything with her. She gave us all the furniture that is pictured above plus another wardrobe, a huge bookcase, a lamp and the mattress for the bed. We already have the matching dresser for the one she gave us and the bookcase is the same type we bought at IKEA last year. Everything matches what we already have!! It couldn't have been more perfect if I had planned it myself. I don't know why God blesses us in the ways He does, but I am grateful for His goodness and His generosity.  Some of my favorite blessings are the ones I don't necessarily need, they are just a little (or a lot of) something that puts a smile on my face and lets me know God loves me and is aware of me and wants me to be happy. I couldn't ask for more than that.

Coming to UT

Hey, hey, hey! We are on the countdown to our UT trip. We arrive in SLC on the 30th of May, only 11 more days! Jon actually gets to come with us for a small part of the time. It's the first time we've flown as a family since Italy, almost two years ago. Its a shorter trip than before, so we don't have as much time to visit everyone individually, but we still want to see as many friends as possible. One of the things we're looking forward to the most, besides chillin' with the fam, is a BBQ we have planned. I FB'ed it already, but for those of you not on FB here are the details:  On the 31st, Sunday, we're going to be at my parents' house in Orem (478 East 400 North). All you need to do is bring something for yourself for the grill and something to share with everyone else. We are going to supply drinks and paper goods. My parents' yard is beautiful and there is much to do . Bring the fam. There are three treehouses and a trampoline to play on. Hope you can make it as we will not be in UT again until the holidays and we want very much to see you all. Spread the word!

Favorite Friday... Deals, deals, deals

(Phone pics don't always turn out as well as one would hope.)

I am all about the hunt lately. Money is tight and that makes it even more important for me to be on the lookout for a deal. I have been finding the best deals as of late. Coupons are the only way I grocery shop anymore. Its a pain in the neck sometimes and it tries my kids' patience as I go from store to store, but it is all worth it. My food storage is filling up again and I am staying within my budget. I love getting a receipt three feet long with my savings detailed at the bottom. I feel robbed when I don't have a savings of over 50% and I am usually shooting for much higher than that. In fact, I am all about the free thing. Yesterday I got 7 bottles of hot sauce and six jars of meat marinades for free. I paid .04 for 100 cal snack paks and actually made .18 back on deodorants. I am headed to Target today to get Bliss candy bars and Crystal Light on the free. Its the little things in life that bring me joy. Dark chocolate for free is definitely bliss.
Its not just about groceries either. We have been shopping thrift stores lately for summer items. I am currently on the hunt for used sports equipment. Craigslist has a lot of things for sale, but often the items are too far away to make it a great deal. When I go into a clothing store I find myself going to the clearance rack now. For summer, I love - LOVE- skirts. They are my absolute fav! I got a couple of summer skirts at a store I have never been to before (and won't frequent) but they were a great deal. Saturdays at the thrift store are the best. Everything in the store is 1/2 price. It takes a bit of hunting sometimes, but its worth the time. Books ending up being nearly free. We have added scads of Newberry's to our library this way. Books and chocolate are tops on my list for creating true joy.
Since writing the above, I made a trip to Shoppers for triple cpn weekend. (I have to do trips like this alone as they can be painfully tedious.) I spent $77 oop, but my savings were over $180. The cashier was fabulous and the fellow behind me actually called his wife to tell her about my transaction. He was awesome, cheering me on and being so patient. My receipt was hilariously long, over eight feet in length(see pic above). By the time I was finished, I had the guy behind me telling his wife they had to start using coupons and even the cashier was asking where to find the coupons I used. 
*I recognize that this post is embarrassingly mundane in nature. However, it's my life and my blog. ;-) I feel blessed to have had such great success in this aspect of my life. I'm doing all I can to stretch the small budget we have and I am so grateful it works as well as it does. 

They Teach Us

Last Sunday after church, I was talking to Sis about what she had learned in Primary. She mentioned that a boy in her class had not been coming for a long while now. (Like many kids in our area, his mother is a single mom and she has a heavy work schedule that often prevents her from coming on Sundays.) I suggested that she pray for this boy during the week that he might come next Sunday. All week long she remembered to include him in her prayers without any reminding from me. It was such a simple and sweet gesture. To be honest, I had forgotten about it this morning until we got to church and Sis recognized his mother in the chapel. She searched the room to find J and when her eyes fixed upon him, she was so happy. He had made it! He came to church. She turned to me with the brightest eyes. I whispered to her that her prayers had been answered. My heart was filled as I recognized the truth in that. God hears our prayers. We have such power within us to harness the forces of heaven for such miracles as these. 

As I entered VT reports later in the day, I felt impressed to write some things down as I saw them. There were sisters who were struggling financially, emotionally, or spiritually or who's work schedules, health or other circumstances were preventing them from attending. As I read their names, I knew that even if I could do nothing to relieve their immediate hardship, I could pray for them. That is something we all can do. 

Listening to my daughters' prayers all week reminded me of that. By exercising our faith and asking God for strength, wisdom, patience, relief or whatever we or others around us stand in need of, we all can lift each others burdens and help to make our lives and the lives of those we know better.

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

I finished the twohundredsitups challenge tonight. I was all too happy to finish that one up as I don't love crunches on the flat ol' floor. I would much rather be on my ball. I did the final test after I finished my round of pushups (which I had put off from yesterday) so I wasn't hoping for a single one passed 200 but I had the right tunes going and I just kept on crunching. I am happy to say I did 275 total! Yippee! I am going to keep at my routine on the ball which I find to be more effective and challenging anyway.

The pushups thing is killing me. I know I keep saying this, but it is entirely true. I have got to add more intense weight training to my arms on my days off if I am going to get any stronger. I have to say, I am able to crank out the number on each set but just barely and with shaking arms. Still, I am making progress. Tonights' set called for 113 total pushups and did exactly that. Some days, I do more than the required, but lately I am doing just what it says and then setting myself down gently so as not to collapse on my face. On the bright side, I still have two weeks to go and even then I have given myself a deadline of Friday May 29th (the day before we come to UT) as my true final. I want to be able to do more than the 100 at my final test. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to do a pullup at that point. Night all!

Days Like Today...

It's days like today that I am grateful for my life, my routine or lack thereof, my situation, etc. 

7:30 - This morning I woke up to my alarm playing For Good from Wicked. Mingled with that was the sound of the rain coming through my open bedroom window. It was glorious. I laid there for almost an hour listening to both and feeling perfectly content with my sweetheart sleeping beside me. Those random moments in the morning are when I feel most centered. I can talk with my Maker and gain strength for the day. My mind swims between conscious and unconscious thought. Often Esther will crawl into bed with me and we'll talk about our dreams and just be silly. And I'm pretty sure I've mentioned the love affair I have with my sheets...

8:30 - After stepping out of my warm covers into the cool room, I feel ready to tackle the day. I realize the kind of life I have now will not always be, but I love that Jon doesn't have to race off every morning. Some days, like this morning, he didn't have to be on campus until after lunch. To be able to spend time all together in the morning is rare and precious. We can read our scriptures as a family and eat breakfast together.

9:00 - After doing sit-ups and push-ups (getting stronger every time) I showered and actually did my hair - guaranteeing two good hair days. School day begins for the kids. Jon works on projects for school. 

12:00 - We went to a thrift store down the road and found some great deals. I got a denim jacket for three bucks! The kids added more than a dozen books to their library. Two shirts and two pair of jeans for Jon bringing the total to $15! I love 1/2 price days.

1:00 - Next, Jon to school and then home for lunch. A promised trip to the library was preceded by a wonderful email from an old friend. With only a hour on the meter, we raced through the library picking up our reserved books and did a spot of VT to a great lady who, as luck would have it, lives across the street from the library. 

4:00 - Home again, dishwasher loaded, W/D both going, finishing up schoolwork with the kids, I sit down to do agendas for pres. mtg, plan out tomorrow's shopping trip and write this post.

The rest of the day will go something like this:

5:30 - Make dinner. Feed the kids; kids feed the pets. Walk the dog. Then tidy up the house.

6:45 - Pres. mtg and Scouts for E.

8:45 - Mtgs. finished, home again. Kids bedtime routine and in bed by 9:00.

9:00-10:30 - My time! Jon is at school until late most nights which leaves me a spot of time at night to unwind, plan school for the next day, watch a movie, read one of the many books I am trying to finish, or chat with a friend. I love this time of day. It is my time.  

10:30 - Jon is home. We are all safe and sound under the same roof. We talk, watch Seinfeld, eat the goodies the kids never know exist, fool-around :). What?! Just being together is the best way to finish my day. Some days I am so tired I fall into bed. Others nights I putter through my night-time ritual (as Jon calls it) and read in bed until I can't keep my eyes open. 

This is my life. It is a full, sometimes crazy life. Today my perspective is good. I feel blessed for the things I get to do each day. I feel blessed to be able to spend so much time with my kids. I complain sometimes about this life of mine, but I love it. I love that it is mine. (Remind me of that the next time you hear me complain about it).

Finding Balance

I am happy to be alive. I am happy to be where I am in my life. My family is my greatest blessing. As you might guess, they are often my greatest source of stress as well. I am trying to be a better mom, wife, teacher, friend, example, sister, daughter, and really just a better me. I feel like I am falling flat on my face some days, but no matter that's just the way it is sometimes. I get to wake up every morning and give it another shot.

I think the thing that has been on my mind lately is finding balance and recognizing what I expect from myself and then determining if that is realistic. It usually isn't and that's why I am searching for that elusive balance I'm talking about. :) That's me though. I expect more out of myself than is usually possible and I think I do that to the people around me too. I need to take it easy on all of us. 

I had a couple of wonderful conversations with two dear friends yesterday. These are great women trying to do it all in life and still have time for themselves. They are women who love life and love being moms. Talking with them gave me strength to finish out a tough day. They helped me to see that I am doing a good job with my kids and that some things can wait. The greatest thing they did most for me was to help me feel normal; to know that feeling a tad bit crazy was okay. I & R, I love you both. You are great women - kindred spirits. 

I am really looking for things that have helped any of you to find a better balance in life. I love sharing ideas and hearing about things that have been successful for others. So please share with the rest of us crazies out there. What do you do that keeps you a little crazy but not yet certifiable?

Not Earthy, but Inspiring all the Same

A friend posted this on FB and I stole it to share on my profile too. I wanted to get it out there to people who aren't on FB, namely my sis L in OH. I thought of her immediately. I think its beautiful and I love the passion and excitement the musicians exude while they are playing. Take a look... Makes me smile everytime!

Earth Week Kick-off

Saturday the 25th is Earth Day and we are getting involved this year. For our school week I decided to add a bunch of eco-conscious projects to the kids' routine. We are going to be sewing, crafting and recycling old into new. I'll be sure to post all week to show you our progress. There are a few I am really excited about.

I am loving that tomorrow is a rain-day - 100% forecast. My first hurdle of the day will be to get out of jammies before lunch. (I always struggle with that on days when I have no intention of leaving the house. I'll let you know how it goes.)

First Sunburn of the Season and Hopefully the Last

Oh what a beautiful morning!... Oh what a beautiful day! And it was has been exactly that.

It is currently 76 outside and I have been loving it. This morning as I was dressing to run, Sis decided she wanted to come along. How do I tell an excited little person she can't come? I don't. We went up to the reservoir to exercise. (The Druid Hill Reservoir is a favorite place for people to bike, run or walk around. They have stations around the reservoir with exercise equipment like rowing machines, ellipticals, leg presses, pull-up bars, sit-up inclines, and more - permanently installed there. It is on the edge of Druid Hill Park which has trails and baseball diamonds and playgrounds scattered throughout. The Baltimore Zoo is in the middle of the park as is the Rawlings Botanical Gardens and the Conservatory. It is one of my favorite places to run, in large part because it is safe and close to home.) Much to our surprise, Eco Fair 2009 was setting up for the day so we had a small change of plans. They had these beautiful beach cruisers that you could "borrow" if you left some collateral. Esther got on a smaller bike and I got a gorgeous little blue number to zoom around on. We were out for an hour zipping through the adjacent park and along the trails. I haven't been on a bike since we moved and I forgot how free I feel on a comfy two-wheeler. Sis was fabulous. She didn't complain a bit and wanted to "race" every minute possible. I was in a long-sleeve tee at the beginning but it got deliciously warm so I shed it for the tank underneath. No sunscreen. None. Not a drop. What can I say, I didn't intend to find a shiny beach cruiser with my name on it for an hour. To make a long story a bit longer, I got cooked. Or as Kramer would say it... "Put a fork in me. I'm done". 

Favorite Friday... Springtime!

I love springtime!! I love everything about it. I love the chaotic weather. I love the trees in bloom and the flowers. I love not knowing whether to wear flip-flops and a skirt or jeans and a sweater. I love being able to make chicken soup and rolls one day and the next only wanting popsicles. I love flying kites and having picnics and leaving the doors and windows wide open. And the very next day making sure to pack an umbrella when I go to market because of the torrential downpour I will inevitably encounter. For a girl who doesn't love chaos, I am a little surprised at myself with how much I love the chaotic nature of spring. I think part of me loves the little bit of extra time I feel spring gives me before summer is on my back porch knocking.
During the summer I want to give myself over to the freedom of season. I want to swim and run and bike and play. I want to read more books in the park, drink slushies from the Sev (7-11) and only wear flip-flops. I want to swim until I am too tired to move my arms and then crash in glorious air-conditioning. I want to eat dinner on the patio and watch the sun go down behind the trees. The things I don't want to do are as follows: dishes, laundry, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, baking (I know crazy right?!) etc. Instead I want to take my kids to the beach and visit family and friends and roadtrip and go to the farmers' market and swim and eat fruit in-season and swim and get tan and swim. Let me just say it again.... I love spring!!

(Sis took this pic and the angle is a bit skewed, but I thought the colors were lovely and I am tired, so you get just what she took. :)
Springtime is in full swing here in Baltimore. Everything is in bloom! I knew Baltimore wouldn't disappoint me. It is more beautiful than I thought it would be. As we walked home from the market today I had to stopped and plunge my face into these lilacs. They were intoxicating! I just couldn't help myself, I swiped two little branches with blossoms just beginning to open and brought them home where I could indulge in their fragrance all week long.
The fountain on the parkway in front of our apartment was magically spouting today like it couldn't wait another minute to herald in springtime. It was one of the first things I fell in love with in Baltimore. This fountain was surrounded by flowers when we first moved here - as you can see in the next pic. 

The last few days have been gloriously warm after days of rain and supposedly tomorrow will be even nicer. Then beginning Sunday we are to get another three days of rain. It is all part of the season I love that we call spring.
And anyway I need the rain-days to catch up for the last few days of sunshine. The laundry is piling up and the vacuum is still waiting its turn. It won't hurt it to wait a few more days. I'll clean on Monday. Right now I am going out on the porch to read.

Chaotic Thoughts

It is raining again and I have been inside too long. My thoughts are so erratic. My son took the dog out for a potty break in the rain and now the house smells like wet dog. Yummy! I need to go grocery shopping today but I am still in my jammies and well... the rain. I find that when I am in the midst of organizing, it is utter chaos. That is when I want to give up and ultimately when I have to push through because the space always ends up better than how it started. (Can you tell I have not yet finished organizing the kids' room?) 

I want a house with perfect order. 

I know such a thing doesn't exist, but I still dream of it. I am not talking always tidy and spotlessly clean. What I am saying is... well, I don't quite know how to explain it. When I go to get a light bulb, I want all the light bulbs to be in the same place. When we have guests over, I want all the sheets, pillows and blankets all in one central location, not spread throughout the house in different closets and bins. I want all my winter items stored together so I know right where to get that one perfect hat out on an unusually cold day. These seem like simple no-brainer kinds of things to want and even more they should be easy to achieve. And I am achieving them, but slowly. Every time I organize, I refine my system to get rid of unnecessary items, and better store the ones I keep. It just seems like a never-ending process. Can you see the analogy I might draw from all of this? Not today. Today I am going to revel in the chaos of the situation. Living in an apartment limits what I have to work with, in that I don't want to spend money on something I can't take with me to the next place, so I have to be creative. I am good at being creative which is maybe part of why I enjoy organizing, also that I am a bit of a control freak might add to it. 

Oh and did I mention that I strongly dislike the paper factor of life? So much paper comes into our house every month. I have changed nearly every bill or statement to paperless and it still pours in. It comes in magazines, junk mail, church information, school work, etc. And we store it for years in boxes until the blessed day comes that enough time has passed to allow us to shred it. We keep papers from our childhoods and our children's childhoods. I see all of these things as valid, still in excess they are a nuisance to me. Receipts drive me crazy too! 

We just have too much stuff. I need to move to Italy and start over in a little villa somewhere.

Thing is, with everything we have I don't feel like we live an excessive life. There is just so much stuff that comes with life. If you live in a climate with different seasons you have two different wardrobes. If you have any kind of hobbies ie: camping, fishing, sewing, baking, gardening, quilting, woodworking, sports, cooking (just to name a few of ours) there is all the gear that goes with each one. Add kids to the mix and the stuff multiplies like crazy. Then if you read books, watch movies, play games, etc. there is a whole heap of new things. And finally if you are in a transitionary state, like we are, then you have things in storage for when you move to a more permanent life. It all takes up space and I am constantly trying to become mistress of my domain with exhausting results. 

I hope I am not alone on this. I know there are many of you out there who have achieved a higher state of perfection in your domains. I applaude you. It is a challenge for me, but one that enjoy trying to conquer. I figure the month that we are ready to pack-up and move, I will feel like everything is just perfect. Life is like that sometimes.

Life is Good

Today I am feeling mellow. Not to worry, it's not sadness, just contented contemplation coursing through my being. I have been thinking about gratitude lately. I have been thinking that I don't express my gratitude enough. I lead a very blessed, a very full and most importantly a very happy life. I want all of you, my friends and family out there, to know how grateful I am for you. Somewhere in the last 33 years each of you have touched my life. You've contributed to that happy life. Many of you touch my life everyday. You inspire me to see goodness, no - make that greatness, in the world around me. You help me to keep my perspective and be able to laugh at myself when all I want to do is scream, or cry, or both. You boost me up when I am feeling low, you lift me higher when I am already feeling on top. And you keep me humble when my head is in the clouds and I need to come back to earth. I miss so many of you and think of you often. Sometimes my arms ache for hugs from you and my cheeks need your kisses. I have so many "small world" moments these days. These are tender mercies from my Maker. He gives so much and then heaps more blessings on top of my overflowing cup. He has given me everything, all of you and I feel so blessed, so grateful for that gift. May you feel God's love this day. He is real. He is all around us. He loves us, every single one of us. And I love all of you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for everything. Go out and make today great!