tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87338807106466272232024-03-13T12:52:17.009-04:00McMillan Miraclesthe diary of a housewife and homeschool momThe Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.comBlogger677125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-10175840224540233442013-07-01T09:33:00.000-04:002013-07-01T09:33:52.646-04:00Needless to say...Needless to say, I do not blog and a regular basis anymore. There is no real reason other than the fact that it doesn't seem as important as it once did. I still want and need to document the daily in and outs of our lives, but it is so much more important have a little bit of quiet time and to be more present in everything that is going on.<br />
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Homeschooling is still going well, but it takes up a few hours of hands on time each day and I still do some sort of planning nearly everyday-even if it's nothing more than scanning Pinterest for new ideas or reading through a curriculum catalog.<br />
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This blog was once a scrapbook of sorts for our family and I would never want Maggie and Ellie to think that Mommy dropped the ball when they were the ages of 7 and 4. Mommy is just busy.The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-72225310094000420882013-05-08T14:59:00.002-04:002013-05-08T15:00:14.717-04:00Disney World AgainWe had another great trip to Disney World! Maggie and Ellie have grown so much since our last visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8733880710646627223#editor/target=post;postID=5861563414306495081;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname">19 months ago</a>.<br />
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We decided to leave around 2am with hopes that the girls might sleep for the first half of the ride. No such luck! Both girls were awake a lot, but they entertained themselves and each other with the toys that I had packed, a big bag full of library books and a Nancy Drew book for Maggie. <br />
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Our first stop was in Georgia for breakfast and then we made it all the way to Florida and the welcome center. The sun was SO bright and it was already pretty hot.<br />
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We drove south a little more and found out that there was a long delay up ahead due to an accident. We were scheduled to arrive to our hotel extra early anyway, so we decided to take a scenic detour. We found ourselves in St. Augustine and we all want to go back for an extended visit! The kids were able to get up close a light house for the first time.<br />
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After lots of discussion, we made the decision to stay at the same Disney hotel again. <a href="http://mcmillanmiracles08.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-could-go-on-and-on-and-on-about.html">Our last trip</a> was so much fun, and so busy, but our hotel and the giant characters made things extra special when we were having downtime. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and checked out on Friday morning. We had four fun, full and busy days in the parks. We decided to spend three days in Magic Kingdom (because it IS magical) and to visit Epcot (during the International Flower and Garden Festival) for one day. As a family we agreed that we didn't need to go back to Animal Kingdom <strike>ever at all</strike> for a very long time.<br />
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Ellie spent her time asking to be carried (Magic Kingdom and the stroller parking lots did not take up any of my time this trip.), running from the camera, or trying to pose exactly like her big sister. Maggie was eager to pose in front of anything that I asked her to and didn't complain about being tired at all. Here are a few pictures from our vacation!<br />
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We made our own autograph books at home and opted NOT to spend $12.99 each to buy them at Disney World. The girls were able to meet Mulan, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse, Tiana, Mary Poppins and Jessie. There were a few other characters that had long lines and we always let Maggie decide if having their autographs and meeting them was worth the wait. Maggie likes to make the most of her time, so we didn't meet Aladdin and Jasmine, Merida or Snow White. We accidentally had an optimal view of one of the afternoon parades and were able to see ALL of the characters as they rode by on their floats.<br />
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I will try to post a few helpful hints and details about our trip later this week.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-37522672610793711892013-04-14T15:40:00.000-04:002013-04-14T15:40:07.529-04:00Busy, Busy!I cannot believe it has been so long since I have written anything! We have been busy and it's seems that there has been very little free time lately.<br />
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Homeschooling takes a chunk of time every day and of course, keeping the house running smoothly too. Sometimes I fantisize about sending the kids to school just so that I can have FREE days. It is NOT going to happen though.<br />
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Maggie is about to finish up this school year's semester of homeschool elective classes- sign language and American History. She has an end of the year performance for sign language this week. Next week she will turn seven, which i can hardly believe! We also have our homeschool Field Day that week. The day after that we will be leaving for...Disney World!<br />
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We hadn't planned to go to Disney World again only 18 months after our first family trip there. We had SO much fun before and Big Daddy is going to have a busy travel schedule for most of the summer. A week at Disney World may be our only family trip for the summer.<br />
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We are looking forward to a slower pace as we finish our homeschool electives. AWANA will break at the end of May and we will have even more free time. Our only planned activities for the summer are Tumbling for Maggie and Ellie will be going to a special Storytime at the library for preschoolers.<br />
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I have a few things that I want to do around the house this summer and we hope to have lots of play dates with some of our homeschool friends. I really feel like we need some down time and more time to do unplanned fun things together. Of course, riding bikes and playing outside will be on our schedule every single day.The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-24465559693579579422013-03-06T06:28:00.001-05:002013-03-06T16:42:56.901-05:00Is it March already?As always, I am amazed at how quickly time passes between blog posts. I cannot believe that it is March!<br />
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We have a busy schedule this Spring with some extra activities and big Daddy will be traveling quite a bit. We have birthdays, field trips and Easter celebrations to attend. We now have two "free" days each week! Maggie's Tumbling class has been moved to Thursday, so our Monday schedule is completely clear. I may actually have time to homeschool and go to the grocery store on Monday. I have been trying to do my shopping on Saturdays so that I can go alone. It makes it easier to go to multiple stores, get everything on my meal planning list and spend an hour or so alone-all in one shot!<br />
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Maggie will be turning seven in April and Ellie will be four in June. Both girls are happy and content to have small parties at home with just family attending, but I think next year may be the year for Maggie to have a friend party. To make things a little easier on me, I asked the girls if they could have a party to celebrate both of their birthdays in mid-May. After assuring Maggie that they could each pick their own theme and decorations, she agreed. We have a BIG surprise that we will be sharing with them soon and that will be a part of their birthday celebrations. Of course, on their actual birthday there will be some kind of celebration, just the four of us. I want to start the tradition of letting them pick a favorite meal or restaurant as a way for us to have a celebration on their actual birthday and with just our little family.<br />
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In spite of being under the weather, Maggie started her new school year this past Monday. She had a fever, sore throat and cough starting on the Thursday. Even though she wasn't back to normal, she was eager to see what my plans were for the new season. So far, she loves it, but we have only had two days if work! She was a little stressed out over a writing assignment yesterday because she was worried that she would "get it wrong". She loves to be right and to please, so having a real assignment that asks her to narrate a story, inspired by a classic painting stressed her out a bit. She is very creative and sites and tells imaginative stories all the time, but the thought of doing this as a part of her school work upset her. She likes for things to be black or white, right or wrong. We are doing several things this year to help her to tap into her creativity and be able to put some of it down on paper. We will be doing journal entries, book reports and reading high quality books to assist her with her writing skills.<br />
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As always, I continue to struggle with "doing it all" and wonder how in the world some women are able to do so much. I like to think I do a little less that those women, but I do it all better!!<br />
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<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-8626927738226290802013-02-11T05:01:00.000-05:002013-02-11T20:43:33.496-05:00Learning Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So...I am finally sharing the room where we do most of our school work. We learn everywhere, though. I promise. One of the things that I have learned from hanging out with homeschooling families is that we often over-explain things in an effort to teach our children <i>something</i>.</div>
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This is the view when you get to the top of the stairs. We moved the <strike>most comfortable piece of furniture we own</strike> love seat up here, shortly after we moved in and bought new living room furniture. To the left is our desk and to the right is our "preschool center". Big Daddy's desk is behind the love seat and holds his laptop, any project that he is working on and our printer. He has the option to work from home at times, so he needs to have a space to keep work stuff that is NOT close to our things. The bookshelf to the right of the window was my grandmother's. It is FULL of Big Daddy's books. My little desk area is on the other side of the easel.</div>
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I had picked out a super economical desk option and then we got to IKEA and Big Daddy decided that this would be better. This was on my original idea board, but I nixed it in favor of something cheaper. I like that there is a big work surface with two separate seating areas. It's actually from the dining collection, is real wood and could be painted in the future. We picked out the red folding chairs, so that we could easily store them or carry them downstairs for extra seating. I need one more for my desk and maybe another just because. Right now, I move Ellie's chair across from Maggie or Maggie's chair beside of Ellie when we are working. The child that is NOT doing school work can play, read or draw in another area. We have our calendar board and some magnetic boards that we can display current art on. The bookshelf holds some of our curriculum and manipulatives are stored in the wooden crate on the floor.</div>
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This is our "preschool center". We have a kitchen, doll house, bench with books and pillows to create a comfy reading spot. This area is out of view from Maggie's seat. Ellie can play quietly and it doesn't distract our learning. The giant easel to the left, was a Christmas gift from 2011. It was in the living room for nearly a year because it is much bigger than it was in the store! :) The toys that we moved upstairs are a little more special, since they are sort of out of the way. Going upstairs just to play is such a reward.</div>
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My "desk" is a kidney-shaped vanity table that I bought at my aunt's yard sale at least 15 years ago. I used it as my nightstand and it has been used as a sofa table upstairs. It's perfect for using my iPad/laptop, writing out my lesson plans or keeping a few papers that I need to file away or any of our school paperwork that needs to be sent in. I have around 15 binders of different colors and sizes that are used for organizing supplies. After two weeks, I am still putting things in their place.</div>
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I can only imagine how we may change this room as time passes. Right now, it is a fun place to learn, play and create and we are finding that it serves our homeschool well!!</div>
The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-16863007068394570352013-02-07T04:58:00.000-05:002013-02-11T20:44:13.169-05:00Ikea and Pinterest Love<div>
I feel like Pinterest is such a blessing to our homeschool. It is so nice to be able to find people to "follow" that you have things in common with. Even though I need to (and I am working on) organizing my Pinterest boards so that I know where things are a little better. Of course, it's not just helpful for our homeschool! We have lots of things around the house that were inspired by Pinterest or that I found out about because of Pinterest. We also have lots of little Ikea things around! We have been to Ikea three times and have purchased things two times. We haven't been disappointed and love the price and quality of all of our purchases.</div>
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<b>IKEA</b>-We recently bought this step stool. We haven't painted it yet, but Ellie uses it when helping me in the kitchen and Rainbow likes to use it to see outside.</div>
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<b>IKEA</b>-The lantern on the left was purchased on our most recent trip. I have an obsession with lanterns. (You will see!)<br />
<b>Pinterest</b>-The window above the table was in the house that my dad was raised in. I have had it hanging somewhere for the past 10 or so years. I saw Looking Glass spray paint on Pinterest and decided to try it out. It turns glass into a mirrored surface or you can spray it with water/water and vinegar for an antique or mercury glass look. (The hymn page wreath was made by my aunt and she probably got the idea from Pinterest.) The "frames" on the table are cheap wooden plaques from Hob Lob and I painted them and then used Modge Podge to affix and seal the pictures on them.<br />
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<b> Pinterest</b>- I got the idea to make silhouettes from Pinterest. It started out with the Maggie & Ellie (at 9 months old) and I added the one of Big Daddy holding each of their hands from a photo I had taken on one of our beach trips. Just last week, I added a silhouette of Rainbow!<br />
<b>IKEA</b>- The lantern on the left is from Ikea, but I painted it on the outside and used Looking Glass spray paint to create a mercury glass look. I have had this one for about a year.<br />
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<b>Pinterest</b>- I saw this idea on Pinterest, but changed it up a bit. Of course, I used Maggie and Ellie's hand and footprints for this.<br />
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<b>Pinterest-</b> I started wanting a kitchen island because of Pinterest. We have plenty of cabinets and plenty of counter space. We have a small section of cabinet on each side of the stove and sometimes I have helpers or need a little extra room without going across to the longer section of counter. We looked at lots of options and Big Daddy decided that we needed it to be somewhat portable. Most of the things that I wanted in an island were not going to work for our space, so I have filed them away in case we design a house someday.<br />
<b>IKEA</b>- I saw some cute island/cart option on Ikea's sight. Big Daddy couldn't get on board with my idea until I saw the cart that I had picked out painted a very similar color to what our kitchen table already is. So...I showed Big Daddy the picture and he finally understood what I had in mind. I stained the top and drawers and painted the rest with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Duck Egg, dark wax) to match our table and chairs in the breakfast area. We can also roll this into the dining room if we are having a party to put food or drinks on. <br />
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I am also using Pinterest to help with picking out paint colors, as well. We have lived here 3.5 years and our walls have taken a beating...thanks to two sweet kids! We chose a light neutral for the common areas of the house. It matched one of the rooms in our old house and was a safe option since I picked out paint colors 48 hours after giving birth and while still in the hospital. We chose Sherwin Williams Stucco. We like it, but I want something...with a little more pigment. (Suggestions appreciated!!)<br />
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Next up, a quick tour of the homeschool room!<br />
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The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-21198470365893470312013-02-06T10:35:00.001-05:002013-02-11T20:44:35.442-05:00Long time, no blogI feel like it has been forever since I have posted anything and then I realize it has been nearly a month! As much as I want this to be our virtual scrapbook, I feel like it is hard to keep up.<br />
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As soon as Christmas was over, I started planning for our next school year. Since we choose to school year round and take days off as we need them, our curriculum is running out. Maggie would be in first grade (based oher age) if she were in traditional school. We are currently finishing up first grade math, but everything else is second grade. So...most of what we will be doing when we finish our current work will be third grade. It has never been our intention to be ahead. We are much more interested in following her lead and doing what we need to do. Which explains why we/I decided that doing another year of first grade math would be best. Maggie was getting so frustrated with math, so I went with my gut and decided to try another curriculum. She still gets frustrated, but the different curriculum is a much better fit for us. I ordered ALL of our curriculum last night, so I feel like I get a little vacation from planning. Once all of it arrives I have to decide how many days a week we will have each subject, with the core subjects being daily. I also have a list of different things that I want to implement from journals and book reports, to art studies and manners lessons.<br />
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Once we made the decision to be a homeschooling family, we knew that our upstairs bonus room would be our future classroom. I had thought we would wait a couple of years, but we found that we were outgrowing our kitchen table. Our kitchen table has an unfinished wooden top (due to the fact that i stripped the finish off) and we feel completely comfortable with getting markers, glue or paint on it. I thought about moving us into the dining room, but I try to keep that table looking nice. Big Daddy always tells me that we will do what I need to make things better. I shopped around online and picked out several different desk options, created a secret board on Pinterest with everything that I wanted, made a ton of lists and then we set off for Ikea. We LOVE that place! It's about an hour and a half away and the weather was not in our favor, but we made it there in back in snow and freezing rain and my sweet husband bought everything on my list. We are extremely happy with our purchases!<br />
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I will share pictures of our classroom tomorrow! Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-45132945786114061672013-01-09T13:56:00.003-05:002013-01-09T13:56:43.757-05:00Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside I have been doing lots of <strike>internet searches </strike>research on bringing an outdoor cat inside, what cats do at night and lots of other cat related things. Big Daddy and I both grew up with outside cats that were strays that had wondered up and stayed around because they were fed and given attention to. Once we realized that Rainbow was getting injured in fights, we wanted to keep him safe. Research states that having a male cat neutered should reduce fighting and wandering by about 90%. Of course, it also helps control the pet population and it breaks my heart to see stray animals. The best way to protect them from predators, is by having them inside. Since I saw a fairly large coyote right across the street from our house last Friday, Big Daddy and I decided that we HAD to keep him inside at night. <br />
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When we took Rainbow to the vet for his shots, we scheduled the appointment to have him neutered. He would have to be at the office around 7am and would need to be inside ALL the time for a minimum of 48 hours. We gave him the litter box a week before surgery and hoped that he would sleep well in the house on the night before surgery. We wanted to make sure that Rainbow didn't have anything to eat after midnight and decided that bringing him in for the night would be the easiest way. He went to sleep well and then was up meowing at all of the bedroom doors around 4am. I sat up with him and he was happy just having one of his people around! Big Daddy left for work around 7am and took Rainbow by the vet on his way. The doctor called around 12:00 to let me know that he tolerated the procedure well, but had an upset tummy. I went to pick him up around 4:00 and he seemed excited to see his family. The tech warned me that he had been a little aggressive and even growling at them.<br />
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I decided to have Maggie and Ellie play in their rooms while I took Rainbow, still in his crate, into the laundry room. When I opened the door he went straight to the litter box. After that, he prowled around the house like a tiger looking for a person to eat. He jumped on everything! The kitchen table, the dining room table, all of the beds and the couch. After a couple of hours, he crashed! Sweet boy went to sleep and woke up around 4am. He was once again, meowing at the bedroom doors. Big Daddy and I decided that we would try to leave our bedroom door opened the next night. He seems to enjoy just being in the room with us, even if we're asleep. <br />
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And things have been great ever since!<br />
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Rainbow sleeps most of the night. We do not hear him meow, but can sometimes hear the kuh-thump of him chasing his toys in the living room on the hardwood floors. I have gotten up during the night to use the bathroom and he will be asleep in our bedroom floor. We are super- thrilled with how well things have been going. On Monday, we decided to let him out in the morning and he has been staying out for a few hours before coming home...to nap. He loves looking outside during the day and has several perches that we have given him so that he can enjoy the views.<br />
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Much to my surprise, I have done surprisingly well with both the cleanliness issues and my asthma and allergies. I have found more of my hair (and our new American Girl, Caroline) on the floors than I have cat hairs. I dust mop daily (except for Sunday) and generally keep the house quite clean. From what I've read this is probably why my allergy to cats seems to be under control. If I carry him or rub my eyes before I have washed my hands, I will get itchy and watery eyes and a little sniffle. I comb Rainbow (which he loves) daily, but that doesn't seem to pull off a lot of hair. I guess we'll see how much he sheds when warm weather comes! I clean out the litter box daily and we haven't had any odor issues except for<i> right</i> after he potties.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-18673129327007952112013-01-02T16:50:00.002-05:002013-01-09T13:16:36.641-05:002012- The Year I Became A Crazy Cat Lady<br />
I couldn't think of a better title for this post! Of all the things that happened in 2012, one of the most unexpected (and happiest) things was that we became cat "owners".<br />
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When our hamster Olivia died (somewhat prematurely) I never planned on getting a cat or dog. We had thought about it, but didn't want an indoor pet because of my asthma, allergies and the fact that I like a clean house and didn't need anyone else to clean up after. For the past 12 years I have had horrible asthma issues and most pets just didn't seem like a possibility. I have always thought indoor pets were fine for other people, but that it wouldn't happen for us.<br />
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And then Rainbow happened.<br />
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I need a shirt that says "Let me tell you about my cat". I LOVE this boy. I say at least three times a day, "You really are an exceptional cat". He is well-behaved, loves the girls and just seems so happy here with us. Of course, he adopted us, so I like to think that he loves the people that he lives with.<br />
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The first week of December we started having issues with Rainbow having injuries. Our boy was getting in fights. We discussed his place in our family and decided that we would talk about having him "fixed" and we discussed the idea of him living inside. I admit, I panicked. I would wake up at night and worry about everything that comes with having an indoor pet and I prayed a lot.<br />
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One morning when I went out to feed him, he didn't come. After a few minutes, I realized he was in his (dog) house and he was hurt. I saw a few drops of blood and realized that he had a deep gash all the way to the bone in his tail. It broke my heart. A couple of days later, he was waiting on me with a bloody ear that had a little rip in it. Big Daddy and I decided to take him to the vet for his shots and to discuss having him neutered.<br />
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So...Rainbow took his shots like a big boy and the vet examined his injuries. She said that something (another cat or possibly a coyote) had grabbed his tail and that it had been ripped while he was running away. The doctor cleaned his injured ear and gave him a shot of antibiotics. She also examined his crooked smile and said that earlier in his life...his jaw had been broken. I think Big Daddy and I both gasped when she said that he had most likely been hit by a car. I had <strike>thought</strike> hoped that his tooth was just one of those sweet things that made him special. The doctor estimated his age at much older than we had expected. she said that he was probably so small and had grown so much in the past three months because he was suffering from being malnourished when he came to our house.<br />
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Anyway...Rainbow will go to the doctor tomorrow to be neutered. He has been spending LOTS of time in the house in preparation for his recovery period. He stays in all day and goes to the door when he wants out to potty or prowl. He has also used the litter box that I placed in the laundry room. (HUGE step for me!) We are planning to let him be an indoor/outdoor cat. We only let him stay in the house when we are home and we do not let him get on any of the furniture. He will be sleeping inside at night while he recovers from his surgery and we'll see what <strike> he wants to do</strike> we decide after that.<br />
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My heart has changed and I do not want to imagine our house without Rainbow around. He is a nice addition to our family.<br />
I pet him and wash my hands immediately and haven't had anything more than watery eyes for a few minutes- even after holding him on the way to and from the vet. Several of my friends have told me that he probably won't bother my allergies since I keep the house so clean. We'll see,<br />
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<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-19436559137038359902012-12-12T13:38:00.001-05:002013-01-09T13:17:23.424-05:00This Christmas<br />
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I feel like things have been so busy since Thanksgiving!<br />
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We put our tree up on Thanksgiving evening. Maggie and Ellie helped decorate it and went to bed a little late. I stayed up until 2am getting everything decorated and all of the glitter and tree needles cleaned up.</div>
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Stairway</div>
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Foyer</div>
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Mantle (Ellie wanted "rainbow" lights somewhere, so we opted for the mantle)</div>
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Living Room Tree</div>
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Our Jesse Tree in the kitchen</div>
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Rainbow comes in a couple of times a day and likes to sneak under the tree because the girls can't bother him there!</div>
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Maggie's Tree</div>
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Ellie's Tree</div>
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The tree in the kitchen <i>was</i> my favorite! My mom had an extra tree and I decided it would be nice in our kitchen. I put brown balls, brown glittery snowflakes and chartreuse balls on it. Then...I decided that we should do a Jesse Tree. I went shopping for a little tree to use and couldn't find anything I liked, so the kitchen tree is now our Jesse Tree. We really love it and it's fun to see the kids get excited over eating that little piece of chocolate from their Adven calendars while finding out what the Bible verse for that day is. They color the symbol on their ornament and we discuss the story and how it leads up to the birth of Christ. Maggie knows most of the stories so well because of our great love for The Jesus Storybook Bible.</div>
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We also decorated gingerbread houses this year. Big Daddy and I each bought one on the same day, so we had an extra. My mom, sister and Cousin Callie came over we listened to Christmas music, had coffee and decorated.</div>
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We have had lots of holiday parties that we have skipped, just because I do not want to feel any busier than I have to be. We did enjoy a fun party with our homeschool group and we have some special services that we will be attending at church. The parties that we didn't/aren't attending- Preschool Birthday Party for Jesus at a children's museum, K-5 Birthday Party for Jesus at BounceU, a Homeschool Baby Shower for Jesus at a skating rink with all gifts going to a local pregnancy crisis center and the children's Christmas play at church. We will be going to the choir and drama team's concert on Sunday and next Sunday we will have a candle light Lord's Supper.</div>
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I was able to go to Sanford to meet my best friends for a Christmas/birthday dinner celebration. We went to an "adult" restaurant! It was a little too quiet for us, so we may have to go to a different place for our next night out. The food, service and fellowship was wonderful! We had one of those waiters that just knew exactly what to do...and he was nice enough to take a picture of us (he warned us that the lighting would ve awful) with three different devices. I also did a little shopping with K before our dinner. I am taking Maggie and Ellie to Sanford next week so that they can see Gammy Gladys, so I'll get to visit A and her kids a little then too.</div>
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The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-1967778022258868412012-11-21T08:52:00.000-05:002013-01-09T13:17:38.049-05:00ThankfulI often feel overwhelmed with all that I have to be thankful for. I think making a list is always a great way to really see the big and little blessings in your life. I'll be working on thankful lists with Maggie and Ellie later today and I'm looking forward to seeing what they want on their lists.<br />
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<li>I'm thankful for my people. They drive may crazy, cause me trouble and are probably giving me gray hairs, but I wouldn't want to live without my husband and my girls.</li>
<li>I'm thankful that I can be a stay at home mom and I'm so thankful that we have the option to homeschool our girls.</li>
<li>I am thankful for our house. We are so wealthy compared to so many.</li>
<li>I am thankful for my homeschool mom friends. There are certain parts of homeschooling that only another homeschooler can understand. Knowing that someone else has the same worries, insecurities, fears and feels pressured the same way that I do is so comforting.</li>
<li>I'm thankful for our church. I have talked to so many people lately that have left their church or want to leave their church to go somewhere that meets their needs better. I am so thankful that we found "our" church in Sanford and that it helped us to know what we wanted for ourselves and our children. It would have been so easy when we moved here if we had started going to the church that I grew up in, but we went out of our comfort zone and visited churches. We knew what we wanted for our children and we feel so blessed to be where we are. </li>
<li>I am thankful for my family. I have wonderful parents and an awesome sister. I could eat my niece and nephew up, too.</li>
<li>I am thankful that Maggie and Ellie know so many things about the Bible and different characters in the Bible. Another proof that we are in an amazing church.</li>
<li>I am thankful for Rainbow. When this sweet cat came up, we had no idea if he would stay. He has brought so much happiness and joy to our home. I tell Big Daddy almost daily that I truly believe this is an exceptional kitty cat. We bought an extra small dog house for him and he walked right in and loves sleeping there. He can fetch toys and Maggie has taught him a little sign language...or so she says.</li>
<li>I am thankful that our church has a heart for missions and there are so many ways to serve. From the homeless shelter that they run in the winter to the numerous mission trips that are organized throughout the year. I am so thankful that Maggie and Ellie are learning that they are more than just a light in the church and that they really are and can be a light for the whole world.</li>
<li>I am thankful that I have the courage to answer Maggie's questions with as much honesty as I can. She has always thought that the idea of Santa seemed silly. This year I had the courage to tell her the story of St. Nick and admit hat we had been lying to her.</li>
<li>I am thankful for my friends. I would be lost without my best mommy friends, A & K. I love the vasa previa moms that I am able to be friends with because of the internet. Even though we are separated by miles and oceans and we have something so big in common. </li>
<li>I am thankful that Ellie has finally started showing an interest in writing her name. It sounds small, but it's so big to me. I often compare Ellie to what Maggie was like at this age and every child learns in such different ways. Ellie works in her preschool binder almost an hour (or however long she wants to) every school day, so she has an interest in learning. She loves to trace letters, but until the past week or two, she wouldn't try to make any letters on her own. When she brought me a piece of paper with the letters of her name on it, my heart soared.</li>
<li>I am thankful that is so easy to keep in touch with people. Facebook and the internet are often used in negative ways, but they can be huge blessings to a stay at home mom.</li>
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Of course, I could go on. The clock always seems to be ticking and someone needs me. It's good to be needed and I am so thankful for that!</div>
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Happy Thanksgiving!!</div>
The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-78043092995261666172012-11-02T08:23:00.003-04:002013-01-09T13:17:08.132-05:00It's A Boy!<div style="text-align: center;">
I haven't mentioned this before, but for a little over a month we have had a cat!! Of course, it was not something that we planned. We lost Olivia the second week of September and I was still sort of missing her and still sort of enjoying having one less thing to worry about. A Maggie would say, this is the cat that God gave us.</div>
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We were outside playing and this sweet cat just walked up. He was obviously hungry and thirsty and seemed extremely affectionate. We gave him some leftovers and a little water and he just didn't want to leave. Within a couple of minutes, Ellie had given him the name "Rainbow". Maggie had saved a plastic tray from our trip to the greenhouse that day and she immediately created a bed for him. We put it on our back porch with a bowl of milk and decided that if he managed to stick around until morning we would buy food, a food and water dish and a flea collar for him. Rainbow had on a decorative collar that was too small and very worn, so we removed it and replaced it with a purple collar. I talked to our neighbor and Rainbow had visited their house for a couple of days earlier in the week. We aren't sure why he left his other home, but I told Maggie that we would love him for as long as he was here.</div>
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Maggie has spent many hours playing with him and he happily lets her do all sorts of stuff with him. He runs through the door every morning when we go out to feed him and really seems to want to be where we are. He has brought lots of happiness to our family and Maggie says that he is the pet she has always dreamed of.<img src="webkit-fake-url://68A93E02-C64E-4A6C-A6F9-911B06768E83/imagejpeg" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);" /></div>
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And I am sort of in love with his crooked smile.</div>
<img src="webkit-fake-url://68A93E02-C64E-4A6C-A6F9-911B06768E83/imagejpeg" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);" />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-36990970815365516492012-10-26T15:36:00.000-04:002012-10-26T15:36:29.199-04:00Fall FunWe have visited a pumpkin patch with our homeschool group and jumped in lots of leaves!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-45127695847172418802012-10-08T14:10:00.000-04:002012-10-08T14:10:33.823-04:00Fall and Friends Fall has definitely arrived here in North Carolina and I am loving all that it brings to our house- the cooler weather and even the shortened days.<br />
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Our fall activities are in full swing. Maggie, Ellie and I are all participating in AWANA at our church again this year. Ellie is enjoying her first year of Cubbies, Maggie her second year of Sparks and I am teaching three year old Cubbies for the third year in a row.<br />
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Maggie is taking Sign Language Through Song and American History through our homeschool co-op. Ellie and I have an hour of playtime and then an hour of Kindermusik together while Maggie is in class. Maggie is also LOVING her Beginners Tumbling class. It seems to suit her a little better than dance did.<br />
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We are also going to Storytime at our local public library. Maggie feels a bit old for it, but there are a few other homeschooled kids her age that are there with younger siblings and she still really enjoys it. <br />
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Last week I was able to enjoy my first night out with my friends with NO kids in over five years! My last night out was when Maggie was a little over a year old and I went out with my former co-workers. This time it was a night out with my besties! We have never been alone without at least one child. "A" came to visit me in the hospital on the day after Ellie was born. When "A" gave birth to her baby 4 months later, "K" and I visited her a few hours after delivery. To be together without kids was so much fun. We ate at Cracker Barrel and then found ourselves at Walmart. We were only together for 3 hours, but it was blissful. I am SO thankful for these two special friends.<br />
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Lots of people think that "mommy bloggers" are lame, but for some of us (me included) it is one of our ties to the outside world. Even though you may not have any real interaction with the bloggers, you often feel like they are one of your friends. Reading blogs is sort of like touching base with a friend anytime that you have the time to do it. Big Daddy was watching a movie with the girls yesterday when I ran across<a href="http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2012/10/please-pray.html"> this post</a> from Kelly. (There is info at the bottom of the post if you feel led to help out.) I was heartbroken. The outpouring of love and support is reminder that sometimes these relationships that are formed are more than just on-line.<br />
<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-18549128613777938482012-09-16T21:43:00.001-04:002012-09-16T21:43:26.998-04:00Family VacationSince our June beach trip was full of rain and we decided not to go to Disney again this calendar year, we decided to go to the beach for a full week. Saturday to Saturday. Eight days and seven nights. Maggie was probably more excited than any of us!<br />
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We had lots of fun, but had a bit of bad news on Wednesday. Our hamster passed away. Olivia had been acting normal and extremely active for the past several weeks. I had found a little bit of blood in her cage a few weeks ago. Maggie saw it too and had asked if she was okay. Since she seemed fine, we hadn't thought too much about it and wondered if it was some coloring from some of her food. All of my hamsters had lived for over 2 years and we had only had Olivia for 15 months, so Maggie was especially devastated and I admit that I was too. I could write pages about the conversations that we have had about her since she left us. More than anything, Maggie wants to know what caused her to die. All of the people that Maggie has lost in her life had some sort of sickness beforehand. To the girls, Olivia was truly a member of our family. Maggie wrote her notes and both girls prayed for her every single night during their bedtime prayers.<br />
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And now...beach happiness!<br />
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WHY does blogger turn pictures the wrong way sometimes????<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-80342971068219016572012-08-30T10:29:00.000-04:002012-08-30T10:29:08.553-04:00For Better Or For WorseI feel like it's safe to say that this week has been AWESOME! It is Thursday, homeschool work is complete and we have a Park Day on the schedule for tomorrow.<br />
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Last week was a nightmare that became worse with each passing day. It's mostly attitude (Maggie's) and homeschool related, but I made changes (to my attitude) and raised my expectations and started new chore charts and became quite a bit more strict. And we have been much happier. I seem to have become a little too relaxed over the summer and certain little people were taking advantage of me and running me ragged...and I may have threatened Maggie with sending her to private school. Sometimes I show my love for Big Daddy and the kids by taking care of them when they really need to take care of themselves. <br />
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I decided that we would evaluate our decision to homeschool at least every year around the time that traditional schools get out for summer break. If there is ever a time that it truly doesn't work for us I will gladly enroll Maggie and Ellie in school. Of course, we're not going to give up with every little bump in the road, but I know that Maggie enjoys the flexibility we have and I want her to always realize that <i>this</i> is a choice and we can go a different route if we want to. When she thought it would be fun to go to daycare everyday, I also explained that I would get a job and that she would most likely spend at least 8 or 9 hours there <i>every</i> single week day. I think it's important that the girls understand that <i>this</i> is a choice. Sometimes I need to be reminded of that too. The part that is most frustrating about our homeschool-related problems is that we would have the same issues if Maggie were in a traditional school and having to do homework on a regular basis.<br />
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Our activities are about to be in full swing! Maggie is taking sign language and American History through our homeschool co-op and Ellie will be in a preschool class. During the last hour of co-op, Ellie and I will be taking a Kindermusik class together. We are both so excited since it is something that Maggie particiapted in for two years when she was little. Maggie has Tumbling on Friday evenings and as soon as we return from our week at the beach, both girls will start AWANA. Storytime at the library will also be in full swing. Our free day will be Monday for this semester. We are excited about falling into a new routine and learning lots of new things!<br />
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<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-36700185261436455352012-08-15T18:00:00.003-04:002012-08-15T18:00:49.787-04:00In the past two weeksThe last time that I posted was two weeks ago! It seems to get harder and harder to document our daily lives. Here's a recap of the past couple of weeks.<br />
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My last post was on my birthday. Big Daddy surprised us by coming home at lunch. We dropped the kids off at my parents' house and we went shopping and to dinner. Big Daddy is passionate about sunglasses, so he bought me my first pair of expensive sunglasses (Ray Bans). I like them, but I also like the Isaac Mizrahi sunglasses that I bought two years ago for $4. Unfortunately, they are scratched and new ones were in<br />
order.<br />
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Maggie has officially started Tumbling classes. She is in a beginner class and has been practicing cartwheels and bridges like crazy since her class last week. She smiled every second during her hour class and can't wait to go back!<br />
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We picked Big Daddy up at the airport last week. The girls wanted to roll his luggage to the car. As they were helping out, Ellie asked if we were going to have a pool. She was a little confused and assumed that we were going to a hotel since we had rolling luggage.<br />
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We are hoping/planning for a week-long family beach vacation in September. The month's calendar is quickly getting<i> full.</i> We are hoping to finalize everything tomorrow.<br />
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Big Daddy will be out of town a lot over the next few weeks. A trip to Brazil is the most exciting place that he'll be. Other than that, just Maryland or Pennsylvania.<br />
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Just when I think that we are used to all of the time apart and that we have adjusted to it, there is some sort of issue that comes up. So many people judge the way things are for us, but what it all comes down to is that travel is apart of the job that supports or family. I get tired of people acting like we enjoy it or that Big Daddy is off on vacation when he is really working <i>long</i> hours on different projects.<br />
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In honor of my birthday, I went out of town to meet my besties for dinner. We were at Chick-fil-A and had five kids in tow, but it was still a night out with my girls and we still had THE <i>best</i> time.<br />
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This past Sunday, we decided to take a family trip to the zoo after church. We were able to see the 6 day old baby gorilla and the giraffe that was around a month old. I'm planning on taking the girls again after the temperatures cool down a bit more.<br />
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I have decided that I want/need an iPad and I have decided to use some of the money in my savings account to buy it. Big Daddy said he would buy me one, but I want it to be <i>mine</i>. There are lots of things that I hope to use it for with homeschooling and I think it will also be neat to have during long car trips.<br />
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Speaking of long car trips, I really feel like I need to go to Disney World soon. we thought about going again this October, but decided to go to the beach for a week since our June trip had lots of rain. We may plan a trip to Disney for January. I think I would feel better just knowing <i>when</i> I would be going again.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-50796588800035925912012-08-01T11:52:00.001-04:002012-08-01T11:52:28.241-04:00Honey Glazed CarrotsI thought I'd share one of my most favorite ways to eat carrots. This happens to be one of those things that I came up with all by myself and I ate them for a lot while Big Daddy was out of town. That gave me a chance to sort of tweek the recipe and get it just right before I let him taste the yumminess! He is a little picky/critical of how things are cooked and ends lots of meals by saying " that ____ was good, but if you would _____ it would be even better". Between the two of us, we change lots of recipes!<br />
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<u>Honey Glazed Carrots</u><br />
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into sticks, placed into a crock pot<br />
just enough fat free Italian dressing to coat the carrots and then one more squirt<br />
a healthy drizzle of honey over the carrots<br />
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Turn crock pot on low and cook until carrots are tender, but not falling apart. (about 6 hours, or so) I stir these around every couple of hours or the bottom carrots will get black and really carmelized. (those are my favorites)<br />
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I always buy a 2 pound bag of carrots. It looks like a lot, but this enough for our dinner and left overs the next day, or dinner and two meals of left overs if Big Daddy is traveling. I do not buy "fat free" things very often because of all of the added junk, but I found that fat free dressing works well in these. If you use regular dressing, they are greasy. Sometimes I quarter an onion and throw in there too. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-69672382518546731732012-07-24T12:28:00.002-04:002012-07-24T12:28:27.791-04:00Homemade Goodness<br />
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If I had my way, I very well may live on a farm...or be Amish. I told Big Daddy more times than I could count that I loved the way the Amish lived and that I would love to try that life out at least for a <i>little while</i>. Our recent business <a href="http://mcmillanmiracles08.blogspot.com/2012/07/just-so-i-dont-forget.html">trip</a> with Big Daddy didn't go all that well, but the day that we spent in the Amish country was pure bliss for me. They aren't as primitive as many people think and most of them do NOT homeschool. (They have one room school houses.)<br />
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I LOVE the clotheslines that they have and I could have driven around all day looking at barns, fields of corn and clotheslines. I do LOTS of laundry, but we do not have a clothesline. The thoughts of having to carry laundry baskets full of clothes outside and then back inside is not appealing to me at all. <br />
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I DO make my own laundry detergent and cleaning supplies and I LOVE it! <br />
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<a href="http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent">This</a> is the recipe I use for laundry detergent. I started following How Does She? a long time ago on facebook and they share lots of neat things! I have a large plastic storage container that I mix this in and then I transfer some to a pretty glass canister and keep it on the shelf in my laundry room. The hardest part is grating the soap and it's not that hard! I do recommend mixing this outside because it can create quite a cloud. I do not add the Oxi Cle@n and it still cleans as good as any other detergent I have used.<br />
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<a href="http://littlemsrobinson.blogspot.com/2012/03/homemade-cleaning.html">Here</a> are a few recipes (via pinterest) that I like for homemade cleaning supplies. I am using the bleach cleaner and the window cleaner. The only pre-made cleaners that I buy are toilet cleaning gel and window cleaner for our cars that is safe for tinted windows. <br />
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I have tried two different cleaners for tubs and showers. I still like to put baking soda on a damp cloth to "exfoliate" my shower- I just do that after I have sprayed on a cleaner. The baking soda really removes soap scum so well (with mild abrasiveness) and using with a spray cleaner makes cleaning the shower nearly effortless...yet I still procrastinate about doing it. <a href="http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/06/the-best-soap-scum-remover-diy-picture-tutorial.html">This </a>is a good version and it uses less dishwashing liquid that some other cleaners and still works really well. (via pinterest)<br />
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And one of my latest obsession is the homemade goodness that is...Kale Chips! I had been interested in these and when Jo-Lynne posted <a href="http://www.musingsofahousewife.com/2012/06/kale-chips.html">her recipe</a> I felt like they were safe to try! I trust Jo-Lynne's opinions and have made several of her "Tried and True" recipes with great success. We LOVE these and I had an entire pan of them at lunch today.<br />
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Happy Homemaking!!<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-82097768732564081642012-07-16T13:14:00.001-04:002012-07-16T13:14:18.693-04:00Happy and TiredWe had a Block Party at church last night to kick off our week of VBS, which our church calls Week of Wonder. It was so hot and so crowded and we had lots of fun. Maggie and Ellie had snow cones and dinner and bounced until they couldn't bounce anymore! We went to my classroom to get everything set up a little early. The girls loved playing with "baby toys" (I teach a two year old class) and cooling off a bit before the next round of fun started. We are tired today, but excited about tonight.<br />
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We (me, Maggie & Big Daddy) are hooked on kale chips. They are yummy, healthy, crispy, cheap and delicious! I made two big batches of kale chips for 64 cents! <br />
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Big Daddy is in another season of heavy travel. It's not as hard as it once was, but we all miss each other a lot. Prayers would be appreciated.<br />
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We had special speakers at church yesterday. This is a really <a href="http://saveoursisterstoday.com/">amazing group</a> of girls and they are well spoken and wise beyond their years. They have already accomplished so much. (And three of them are homeschooled!) Our offerings from Week of Wonder will be donated to them.<br />
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I <i>think</i> the polyp in my uterus took care of itself. Needless to say, I did not want to have to have surgery, but had decided that the pain was impacting my daily life too much and that it was going to be necessary. Hopefully, I'l continue to be pain free.<br />
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And that concludes what is going on right now!<br />
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<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-50669118812237007022012-07-15T22:15:00.000-04:002012-07-15T22:15:06.503-04:00A Few Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-67307507827754124462012-07-06T09:55:00.000-04:002012-07-06T09:56:54.782-04:00Just so I don't forgetTo me.<br />
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You like to go places, but you do not like hotels.<br />
You are a homebody.<br />
Business trips with your husband are just like when he's away on business trips and you are home. He works long hours, doesn't have a chance to talk very much and is on the phone until at least 11:00 every night dealing with problems at work.<br />
The kids may say that they had fun, but their behavior was horrible and they missed home. A lot.<br />
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You really do want to be Amish even if it's only for a few days.<br />
Your hair was made to wear a bonnet.<br />
Clotheslines and cornfields really do make you happy.<br />
The clip clop of the horses hooves and those piles of poop all over the roads made your kids' day.<br />
Amish Whoopie Pies, lemonade and Kettle Corn are so yummy.<br />
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<br />The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-15801076562317620332012-06-29T09:01:00.001-04:002012-06-29T09:02:32.582-04:00A Hot MessIt has been so hot here the past few days, so we decided to break our normal routine and have outside play time in the morning. I was watering flowers and Maggie decided to fill her watering can up, too. Within a couple of minutes, she was standing ankle deep in a "pool".<br />
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Neither of our girls like to get dirty unless it is their idea. We encourage this kind of play! They are happy to rub sand all over each other in the sand box at home, but not at the beach. And they are more than happy to dig a hole beside of their swing set to create a "pool". This part of North Carolina has red clay, so both girls had red clay mud covering their feet...and hands...and somehow Ellie had some on her cheeks too. Maggie said it made sense why some animals covered themselves in mud to stay cool because her feet were "just as cool as they could be". We stayed outside for a couple of hours and then came inside for baths and lunch. It was a great day! (<span style="background-color: white;">They also made pyramids out of the mud and they were thrilled to go out and look at them last night and see that they had dried and looked like they were made out of modeling clay. Can you tel that we talked about ancient Egypt last week?)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">We are going on a bit of an adventure next week. Big Daddy needs to be out of town all of next week and since July 4 is on Wednesday, we are tagging along! I'll be spending all day with the girls while he is taking care of business and it's not something that I've ever had to do in a new town. So...I'm hoping that the hotel is close to something fun, but they have a pool, a t.v. and also telephones that we will be unplugging so the girls can do their thing. They usually have the best time just playing around in the room, but we have never been in a hotel for this long with them. I would greatly appreciate your prayers that we have safe and happy travels!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-5264102068948457992012-06-25T20:42:00.001-04:002012-06-25T20:43:16.211-04:00Once again...Once again it's been a long time since I posted anything. We have been busy with homeschooling stuff and just daily life. Big Daddy has been out of town a lot, (this is the third week in a row) but he's home every weekend. We have been playing in the sprinklers, and going to Nana and Paw Paw's a lot in the evenings. It just seems like more fun to play outside when there's more people around. And my brother-in-law made these:<br />
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(pictures are sideways but I don't know why!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRFZMRpgeksU2DByIfLhUVBKdIyLguxid7nV7bidXR5tWa31eV5QJjDRPsT-wjJ7e00dMrpovIGUdzzhJmh9c7RNn2P3w2y4d9anzagtUqqb2RG3UZOrDPmLpXwnhf2IhO_v4Pe0uUOE/s1600/IMG_0628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRFZMRpgeksU2DByIfLhUVBKdIyLguxid7nV7bidXR5tWa31eV5QJjDRPsT-wjJ7e00dMrpovIGUdzzhJmh9c7RNn2P3w2y4d9anzagtUqqb2RG3UZOrDPmLpXwnhf2IhO_v4Pe0uUOE/s320/IMG_0628.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a tire swing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOuOpYDex_ysoxzMy68jglIacfNQFlEiTPDZeHi0kfH97I6dzjDiJi65YXaUPGzuk830cFgjzqv-UR_5JMUZBmfA-y0vW1jFzcO6ja75I6BfGx37Zbe_8_3dp4o2uLOS64ffsaFEAEXA/s1600/IMG_0629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOuOpYDex_ysoxzMy68jglIacfNQFlEiTPDZeHi0kfH97I6dzjDiJi65YXaUPGzuk830cFgjzqv-UR_5JMUZBmfA-y0vW1jFzcO6ja75I6BfGx37Zbe_8_3dp4o2uLOS64ffsaFEAEXA/s320/IMG_0629.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and a big 2 person swing !</td></tr>
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My parents (and sister) live on family land that once belonged to my great grandparents. The house that my dad grew up in is right next door. My grandmother passed away nearly two years ago and my dad bought the house recently. There are several old maple trees, so my brother-in-law fixed swings for the girls (Callie, Maggie & Ellie) in one of them. These swings are in the tree that my grandparents used to sit under all the time...and my dad probably played under them when he was little too. This is now our evening hangout!<br />
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Big Daddy and I celebrated our twelve year wedding anniversary this past weekend. I still can't believe that I've been married that long or that I was so young when I married! We had an all day date that lasted about eight hours. We had a light lunch, saw a movie, shopped, walked around, had dinner and then walked around before wandering home. Maggie and Ellie spent the day with my sister and my mom. Since they live next to each other, the girls just sort of float back and forth.<br />
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And that is a little bit of what's going on around here!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733880710646627223.post-67832703823499254652012-06-14T11:32:00.001-04:002012-06-14T11:32:22.173-04:00Challenges<div style="text-align: center;">
I thought being a mom was hard, but being a homeschool mom is so much harder.</div>
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Going to the beach and having it rain three out of four days was not always easy. Fortunately, I am blessed with two girls that love staying in hotels and the sun popped out long enough each day for us to enjoy the sand, water and to explore. </div>
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Being "single" again after several weeks of not being single is tough...and lonely.</div>
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Starting a diet right after a birthday party when there's left over cupcakes in the house is hard. Thankfully, I have lost two pounds in the past two days and feel slightly encouraged.</div>
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Seeing these two smiley faces makes everything seem better.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/362/BFEBF04C1E9CAB73683FC7545B774E60.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>The Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10453909200424907737noreply@blogger.com1