SPT- because of a blogger...

I am considered a crafty person. I never was much of a crafty person, until I got married and started learning how to at Homemaking. Ok, is Homemaking so much easier to say then Personal, Family and Home enrichment. Whoever came up with that name? Way too long! Anyway, it was still called Homemaking when I first got married. Besides wanting to make my house look nice with a minimal of income, I love to learn new things and craftying was very new to me. Since I started blogging, I have found a wealth of knowledge and creative people out there, who actually put tutorials and everything on their blogs. They are saying, "please, steal my ideas!" So I do! I have a whole folder of downloaded crafts and such to make- sometime! The only one that I have actually finished, though, is this- our chore charts.I got the idea off of the last Pink Christmas. It was to Amanda H. from Liz H. Hers turned out so much cuter. I couldn't find the bigger boards and of course 3 of them were for boys, so I couldn't make them as cute.

How people come up with these amazing ideas is beyond me, but I love getting inspired by them!

Staying about the same

Our garden ended up not doing a whole lot of growing after the first picture I posted. We got a couple of tomatoes, 1 zucchini, this half grown watermelon and an infestation of white flies that killed and ate everything else. It was our first attempt. We will do better next time!

After a week of school, things are still about the same. Our average for missing the bus is 4 out of 10 times- not so good. We made it today, though! And that was with everyone's hair done, bedrooms cleaned up, scriptures read and lunches packed, besides a 5 mile run for Mom!
Max still has to have his lunch box packed like everyone else and he still has to bring his backpack with, but he has stopped having a fit about the fact that we are going home after we drop off all the kids- that he is not getting dropped off somewhere also. I always thought we would hold him back like we did the other boys. Their birthday's are in July and they weren't socially ready to go to school. His birthday is the very end of May. I wondered for awhile, but I didn't want him to be the youngest, so I figured I would hold him back, also. But that boy really wants to go to school. For him to be home with Mom for 3 more years, might be more than he can stand! I think we may even have to think about Preschool next year.

I went back to work on Friday night. I used to work until 1, now I work until 3 am. I was actually able to get home and go to bed around 4 and get up at 7:45 am to start the usual soccer game routine. Both kid's teams won. Only this year it is Joseph and Emma playing, not Emma and Sam.

Sunday we had people over for dinner, even though there was no Rob. The man brought his woodshop magazine, but I think we got him engaged every once in a while. It is hard when there is no man talk. I even let him watch some football. Now that wasn't extra good of me, because I like football, too, but I don't seem to watch much of it when Rob's not around. We don't watch a ton when he is around, but we do watch some.

3 is the New two someone told me and as far as my children are concerned, I agree. I love my 2 year olds. Besides the whole potty training thing, which is a pain, 2 year olds are a lot of fun. Three year olds are another story completely! Way too many tantrums. Max has not been an exception to this rule. He threw a grand one today right as it was time to go. So I had to just pick him up and cart him to the car, so we weren't late. Of course, then the fit turned into the fact that I hadn't brought his lunch box with us. I thought, "Kid, you have just cried from the time you got up today. What a miserable day!" He is doing fine, right now, though.

Rob is in Bagdad and things are staying about the same there, too. There is no change in the days. On Sunday he does get to make it to an 1 1/2 hour of church, other than that, he is at work all the time. There isn't much else for them to do over there, so they tend to stay at work until it's time for bed. He says it is hot and dusty and everyone carries a gun- it's like being in an old west show.He was going to ride shotgun- literally- on Sunday, but that fell through. This is actually a picture from him while he was in training at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Life is getting into a routine and maybe staying the same isn't too bad. We have little differences now and again to shake things up and make mom pull her hair out, but otherwise things are good and normal. Are you getting into a routine, too? How's normal for you?

SPT- Because of a blogger...

Entertaining!



Me entertain? Ok, so I do entertain a little, but it stresses me out. I find this is true with a lot of people. It is not so much the state of the house, or my children's behavior or my dishes or anything like that- I just worry that no one will show up. I guess that is why I hate last minute cancelers the most. They make me feel like it's all true- I'm not good enough for their company. Terrible lack of self confidence, I know. I must remedy that sometime.

Ok, because of a blogger, I have thrown a party recently that I wouldn't have otherwised thrown. Kristi of everything pink inspired me with how she always celebrates all the holidays, so I decided to have a leap year party this last year. We had breakfast for dinner and played volleyball. I had games for the kids and frog cupcakes and little party favors that I gave out at the end.


I also found this lady's blog in a drive-by. She had some amazing parties that she has thrown on there, so I periodically check back and see what other ideas she has. I haven't put any of them to use, yet, but they were amazing.

In a Week...

I have learned...

1. The bus is on time, this year! No five minute leeways.

2. They definitely will not let a kindergartener off the bus without seeing your face.

3. Schools are among the many places now $5-10 dollaring you to death. ("nickle and diming" just doesn't cut it as an expression anymore.)

4. I am a grand choke artist when it comes to bowling. Ok, I already knew that. Everytime I get a strike or a spare, I gutter the ball right afterwards.

5. All about our finances and bills- scary!

We have...

1. Been late and missed the bus once.

2. had to put money on the kids accounts for lunch, because of Joseph getting chocolate milk the first day. The teacher had a card that she just magically got his milk with! Besides, it was useful for days like today, when I have no bread, no fruit and only expired meat.

3. gone bowling and to a movie during a hurricane.

4. skipped church and got a phone call immediately afterwards asking if we were Ok.

5. video conferenced with Rob's sister. Very cool.

6. talked to Hawaii several times.

7. Almost missed getting Joseph from the bus, because the Older kids bus didn't get there when it was suppose to.

I have heard...

1. I don't think I want to go to school today. The teacher said it wouldn't be any fun today.

2. The bus doesn't have any seatbelts. I don't want to ride that bus. It's not safe.

3. Bless Dad as he is away from us for 4 months! said with just that emphasis.

4. I don't want to go to soccer practice today.

5. Where do I go now? (home with Mom) NO, I want to go to school!

6. How was your day- fun. What did you do?- colored a picture. What else did you do? I can't remember.

7. There is no good one liner for saying good-bye, but I hope you know how much I love you by the way I have lived up to this point.

8. where's dad? On the airplane. Oh.

It's been quite the week!

Because of a blogger- Sept SPT

Because of a blogger is our theme for the Sept SPT. This week is Home decor. I wish I was a little better about the home decor thing. It just seems that so many other things take precedence and although I can tell when things look good, I can't repeat it in my own home.

Around Halloween last year, I found Candice Stringham's blog. I love her photography. This was a such a great display that I used parts of it at Thanksgiving to put in an alcove. Ignore the pilgrims headdress- it had to be glued back on and he was getting his head squeeze right then. I found the jars at Michael's and bought one every time I got a 40% off coupon. I love great decorating ideas with great pictures!

1st Day of School

Yeah! Schools back in.I thought I would have so much time, but today was anything but time-filled. It was a whirlwind. I got up at 6:10 and went running, then I was doing hair, writing checks and making sandwiches, until it was past time to leave. We flew to two different school to drop off three kids, all the while trying to comfort the one that wasn't going, because he wanted to go to school, too. I told him that he got to go to school at home with Mom, but that wasn't cool. We had to run to Joseph's school to bring in the medical form we forgot and to Target, then Walmart to find the folders that we forgot to get for Emma. Then we came home to do lunch and school. School ended up being watching Leap Frogs, The Letter Factory while Mom slept. When the show was over, I woke up long enough to tel Max to turn it off. Then I told him to play with some toys. He never did get those toys. When I woke up, I found he had gone to sleep right there, also. He slept for 3 hours. We really aren't used to this schedule, after our summer laziness! Then the picking up of all the kids started, the homework (mostly for Mom) and soccer practice. A quick clean-up and dinner and then off to bed. Whew! What a day! Luckily, everyone did well- Even little Joe. When I went in to take his papers in, I had them bring me to his class and I spied on him. He was looking pretty cute. Hopefully, he will continue to enjoy it and hopefully Mom and Max's school will turn out to be more productive!

Weekend fun

Saturday, after Rob left we had nothing to do, except sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. Instead, I got up, took Emma to get her hair cut in a long layer bob with side swept bangs (very cute), then loaded all the kids up and went to the Ribbon Outlet in Hagerstown Maryland. I had heard of it a few times before and had always wanted to go, but didn't want to make the drive- a little on the far-ish side. I printed directions and called them to make sure they were open beforehand and then headed out. It is amazing! So much ribbon, such good prices and so little time! Look at this stash. I got bags of ribbon- grocery type plastic bags filled with ribbon for $0.35 and some for $0.99- that was the blue polka dot and the red polka dot grosgrain. Amazing! I stuffed a whole bag full of the little package bows with the sticky tape on them for $0.10. I am totally addicted. Good thing for me, it is way too far away to go that often!

Today, for Labor day, we made lots of people labor for us. We went to two different parties where we ate hamburgers. First we went to our end of season pool party. The pool took a little getting used to, but then it was fun. Then we went to one of our friends birthday parties. He turned 3, today. Happy Birthday, Ethan! Afterwards, I took the kids home and then hurried to buy a little food and something fun for each of the kids to find in their lunch boxes tomorrow- The first day of school- yea! No matter how hard I tried the kids just didn't get to bed on time and I didn't buy all the right stuff. I even took the papers with me of their school supplies needed and still missed a few folders for Emma. Oh, well, she will just have to be a little late in bringing them in. And the kids will just have to rely on adrenaline to get them through the day! Good thing they are young.

During all the hectic time of last week, I bought a bushel of peaches. I know, not the smartest thing ever. I did get most of them eaten or frozen (no time to can or make jam! I'm a little smarter than that). But I had about 25 peaches that were just going bad, so I made this wonderful peach pie on Sunday. Poor Rob missed it. The recipe actually called it a peach cobbler, but you used pastry dough to make it. I used my No-fail Pie Crust recipe, which I really must share. I got it from an older lady in our ward when we were very first married. She shared it in Homemaking one night. I have used it and used it, because it is so good! I keep loosing it, though,so I thought I would have it somewhere else- like on the web.

No-Fail Pie crust

2 1/2 cups flour plus extra for rolling

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup very cold butter

1/2 cup very cold water

Mix flour, sugar and salt together then add teh butter in little chopped up pieces. The best way to do this is with your hands! Add the water last, just until you have moist crumbs. Ball the dough up- don't knead. Divide in half and wrap the halves in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes before you work with the dough. You should have enough for a double pie crust pie. Then you can make yummy peach pie, too!