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Sunday, January 15.2006
Not too much going on here. I went to Wal-mart today while Mark did his study with Jeff. It takes awhile to do the study, so we wandered around and found several things we didn't really need to buy. Actually I got groceries, so I guess we did need those. Matthew always goes with Mark to play with Jeff's kids, which oddly enough keeps them occupied and from causing trouble. You would think that would add to the confusion. So, Julia and I went down the toy aisles and looked at the little girl things. She likes babies alot, so we had to stay there for awhile. She also enjoys all the little accesories like diapers and bottles that the milk disappears in. It's so funny because she gets all excited and starts breathing faster when the pink ruffles come into sight. We also found the Cinderella doll with the light up skirt to be rather impressive. The beauty of window shopping is that you just leave it all behind and there's no more clutter in the house. Some people might argue that you really shouldn't play with the toys in the store, but I say then why do they put stickers that say "Try me!" and holes in the packaging to stick your fingers through. I know, I know, there's that whole thing of not letting your kids touch anything in the store too...ahh...another one of those perplexing dilemmas of raising children I suppose. Not that it's all that important.
That's another thing, people are so different in what they require of their kids. I know mothers that consider getting your clothes dirty an act of disobedience. I personally think that kids are kids and messes are part of that equation. Kids don't care that the white shirt for meeting is meant for looking cute and the grungy sweatshirt for everyday is just that. They probably couldn't care less if they even had clothes! Unless of course it's that favorite shirt that really should have been tossed a year ago. Direct disobedience to an order is a problem and needs to be dealt with, but the carelessness of childhood is just a part of growing up. Not that you don't work on responsibility, but you don't expect a one year to eat spaghetti in a white dress and come out spotless. Sometimes I think children would be trained better if we weren't so selfish. Not only would we deal with things instead of letting them slide, but we would also not worry about the things that don't matter so much. Like impressing people with sparkling spotless perfectly behaved children. After all is making them behave something we do because it's the right thing for them, or so we aren't embarassed in public? (I'm not at all implying that they should be r
Not too much going on here. I went to Wal-mart today while Mark did his study with Jeff. It takes awhile to do the study, so we wandered around and found several things we didn't really need to buy. Actually I got groceries, so I guess we did need those. Matthew always goes with Mark to play with Jeff's kids, which oddly enough keeps them occupied and from causing trouble. You would think that would add to the confusion. So, Julia and I went down the toy aisles and looked at the little girl things. She likes babies alot, so we had to stay there for awhile. She also enjoys all the little accesories like diapers and bottles that the milk disappears in. It's so funny because she gets all excited and starts breathing faster when the pink ruffles come into sight. We also found the Cinderella doll with the light up skirt to be rather impressive. The beauty of window shopping is that you just leave it all behind and there's no more clutter in the house. Some people might argue that you really shouldn't play with the toys in the store, but I say then why do they put stickers that say "Try me!" and holes in the packaging to stick your fingers through. I know, I know, there's that whole thing of not letting your kids touch anything in the store too...ahh...another one of those perplexing dilemmas of raising children I suppose. Not that it's all that important.
That's another thing, people are so different in what they require of their kids. I know mothers that consider getting your clothes dirty an act of disobedience. I personally think that kids are kids and messes are part of that equation. Kids don't care that the white shirt for meeting is meant for looking cute and the grungy sweatshirt for everyday is just that. They probably couldn't care less if they even had clothes! Unless of course it's that favorite shirt that really should have been tossed a year ago. Direct disobedience to an order is a problem and needs to be dealt with, but the carelessness of childhood is just a part of growing up. Not that you don't work on responsibility, but you don't expect a one year to eat spaghetti in a white dress and come out spotless. Sometimes I think children would be trained better if we weren't so selfish. Not only would we deal with things instead of letting them slide, but we would also not worry about the things that don't matter so much. Like impressing people with sparkling spotless perfectly behaved children. After all is making them behave something we do because it's the right thing for them, or so we aren't embarassed in public? (I'm not at all implying that they should be rude or thoughtless of others or unpleasant to be around)
Now you didn't really want to read all that did you?
It seems like January is a good time to dejunk and clean-up so I'm hoping to get some of that done. It's supposed to be getting colder tomorrow, so maybe I won't be tempted to spend the day outside. Today was beautiful. If anyone has an inclination to clean attics, I'll house and feed you for as long as you want to stay!


Thursday, January 05, 2006
The house needs cleaning. My big project for the week was fixing the ceiling in the dining room. I ended up painting the whole room, not just the ceiling, because I needed to texture the ceiling and it got on the walls, plus there were a few cracks I wanted to fix while I was at it. They didn't all exactly look like brand new sheetrock when I got done, but at least the crack is better. The walls are green. A fresh almost, minty green. It's not exactly minty, but that's the closest word I can think of at this time of night. So, anyway that explains why the house needs cleaning. I haven't hung anything on the walls yet, but I'm thinking of maybe getting some little molding type shelves to put up some pics of the kids on. Maybe wedding pictures too. I'm not sure yet.
I volunteered to take the youngest class so Ruth wouldn't have to do it again this quarter, since Nancy is not up to it. I think I will be able to find enough interesting ideas to keep them occupied and teach some Bible stories at the same time. I would like to make a trip to Hobby Lobby to see if I can find some stickers and craft things. I think they may also have some Bible story themed things that would work well. A trip to Hobby Lobby is always fun, at least for me. Mark seems less enthused about it than appropriate.



Monday, December 26, 2005
Whew! What a whirlwind of activity we've been these last few weeks. Matthew's birthday party went well, and all the kids had a great time playing together. My house seemed to be sufficient on the child-proofed end of things, which is something I worry about a little when other kids come over. The mouse cake ended up turning out fine, and Matthew really liked it.
My birthday was rather uneventful, although we did go Christmas shopping which was fun. I wasn't really in the mood for cake, so we didn't have it. We went to Arby's for lunch, which in my opinion is the best fast food place.
We had a great Christmas with my family, in spite of the fact that Joey and Abi didn't make it. Joey had to work and couldn't get out of it. Mom put together a great treasure hunt for the kids. They came in from being outside a little chilled, but we warmed up fast. We did our gift exchange, and every one seemed to be pleased with their gifts. Julia especially liked the doll crib made by Grandpa and the blanket to go with it from Grandma. Matthew is well stocked on guns now, so if you want some entertainment you can come down and he will have a battle with you. You might want to bring your own rubber bands and caps though. We also got them a couple of DVD's that are supposed to teach letters and numbers. I wasn't sure if they would be loved or not, but Matthew thinks they're great.
One of the things in the treasure hunt was some pencils with fun patterns, so as soon as we went back in Matthew wanted paper to use his new pencil. He then wrote his name with absolutely no coaching or even encouragement. It was really clear and pretty impressive.
It's beginning to dawn on me that I'd better start working on my plan for home schooling. I feel a little intimidated, in spite of the fact that I've been through it myself. I guess it has to do with the fact that this is my responsibility, and I want to do a good job. I feel like I got a great education, but there are some things I don't know as well as I should. History is one area that I have been thinking alot about. I would love to figure a good way to teach, so that you see cause and effect and understand why things happened, etc. I'm not sure how to accomplish that, but I would love to go beyond the usual memorizing of dates and the text book way of learning. Actually, I would like to pursue that type of learning for all subjects. Just to get a grasp of the bigger picture. Having said that, I don't plan to teach without textbooks. I just haven't figured it all out yet.


Monday, December 05, 2005
What a frigid day! This morning when I first got up it was only 5 degrees, but fortunately it is getting warmer. It seems a little early for it to be this cold, although I guess it is December.
Matthew turns four on Wednesday, so we are going to have a few kids over to play. I'm planning on making him a mouse cake, hopefully it looks more like a mouse than a blob.
The wedding on Saturday went pretty well. We were all pretty tired afterwards. The weather kept alot of people away.
Matthew has been thinking alot about growing up a getting married, He said to Julia yesterday, "When we grow up we will have children, but first you have to find a good man to marry, because you can't marry me."
Matthew has a cold, but it seems to be getting a little better. It's the worst at night. So far, the rest of us don't seem to bad, although Mark isn't feeling 100%. I think it may be partly to much driving and staying up late this weekend.
Julia is starting to show signs of liking little girl things like dresses, princesses, babies, and frills. Great Grandma Hitt gave her some tiny pampers from Braden (my cousin, that was born very premature) that she can use on her dollies. She knew right away what they were for. Matthew commented that those weren't diapers for a baby, because no person is that small.


Monday, November 28, 2005
Thanksgiving is over and a fun time was had by all. (At least, I hope so.) Mark, Matthew, Julia and I did anyway. Everything turned out well for our feast, and we all felt rather stuffed when it was over. Lynn and Marcella came out as well, and I think they enjoyed it.
Janis and I decided that the purchase of a food processor might be necessary for next year, after grinding all the ingredients for the cranberry salad by hand in my old grinder that turns really hard.
We always celebrate Christmas with Mark's family at this time as well. Matthew's presents were quite an excitement to him and he has put every one to good use since the moment he opened them. Janis made him the cutest cowboy outfit with a vest, chaps, rope, and cowboy hat. Extremely well thought out and fitting for him. The Moffitt's gift of a tiger and tiger poncho was also received with delight.The tiger has slept in Matthew's bed every night since, has been taken to town, and carried about the house. He even bit Matthew, however in his words "he's safe, because he's stuffed". The stamps from the Browns have written a half a dozen words on each of the pages of about a half a ream of paper, and are especially well liked because they are red. Of course the balls from Uncle Randy and Aunt Kim are a favorite, especially since he has been asking if he might be able to get a football for Christmas every day, probably five times a day.
Julia likes her poncho as well, and doesn't like it when I pick it up to put it away. She always wants it with in reach, because she says "it's mine." She is enjoying Tigger, although I fear his bouncing at the dinner table could get out of hand. We have already had enough practice with the bricks from the Browns, to start building our own Great Wall. And, the piano from Uncle Randy and Aunt Kim has Julia well on her way to becoming a classical genius or something like that.
All in all it was a wonderful time to be together, and I'm thankful for this family I have married into. It's such a blessing to have not only a relationship through marriage, but also as brothers and sisters in Christ. Sweet fellowship indeed.
Joyce and I were able to spend a day at the Scrapyard (literally), and hopefully she now has enough elements, to see her though the end of the year with her card making. I sure enjoyed the time we could spend together, there and otherwise. (Even if you do make me more spendy, Joyce! LOL)
I also ended the weekend with a sizzix, which I will probably write more about later, because I won't have anymore scrapbooking stuff to write about for awhile.



Saturday, November 19, 2005
It seems like the last week and a half have been very busy. Our living room has morphed to tan, the fireplace is white, and we have aquired a new piece of furniture. We ended up getting an amoire for our computer. I think it will be nice to be able to close the doors and cover the mess, plus it's a lot more attractive than the desk was. ( I think) We saw an ad in the Spokesman and called about it, so it's used, but in very good condition.
The painting was fun, and I'm happy with the results, although it's not extremely different. I patched a few cracks in the process, so that makes everything look a little better. I did notice a place on the ceiling I somehow missed, inspite of the "magic" paint. (It's purple when you put it on, but dries to white) It's supposed to help you do a better job getting things covered. So, I guess I need to get a brush out a touch up.
Thanksgiving week is coming up, so we've been working on getting things ready. It will be alot of fun, if a fair bit of work. I'm looking forward to getting to spend time with all Mark's family. Matthew is looking forward to seeing the cousins, too. He talks about it almost non-stop.
Julia has been very interested in her doll lately. She puts her to bed, gives her a bath, takes her potty, and feeds her often. She's quite the little mommy.
Matthew is looking forward to getting his four wheeler (electric-type with low speeds) with every penny he can find going into his bank. We told him he had to save 10% and he's getting pretty close. We also said he has to work on being more responsible, not fussy etc. It has been a great motivation. We have used it also as a penalty when he wastes by taking a quarter or something. It's just devastating to him, so he's stopped unrolling paper towels for the fun of it, things like that. The other night in the van he reminded us that he only needs three dollars, and was hopeful that he might get it for Thanksgiving. (Grandma usually gives him money for his Christmas that we celebrate with Mark's family at Thanksgiving.)
My class is tonight, so that should be interesting. I've not really done a demo type thing before. I'm not really nervous, but I think I've get everything pretty well planned out, so it should go smoothly.


Saturday, November 05, 2005

Harvest is done, gone, over....Hooray! Mark finished up yesterday. The one wagon gave a little trouble, but we made it to the end. It's a big relief, even though there is still alot of stuff that needs finished up, that will take alot of the pressure off.
Last night we went up to see the new Bass Pro. It's a nice place although it's not as large as the one in Springfield. They don't have a museum, but they do have mounted animals throughout the store.
We also took the kids to see a little of the zoo, but it was a little late when we got there, so we just went to the dessert dome and to see the gazelles and the zebra. That's one nice thing about a pass. You can go and see one thing even if you are short on time. Julia really thought it was neat.
I've been feeling the urge to do some painting, but I'm not sure if I'll do it or not. I got a bunch of fliers from different paint companies with color ideas. I read a book called Colors for Your Every Mood, which made me want to do something a little more. It's kind of a neat book that goes through different color families, and what associations they have, things like that. It was interesting.
Mark went to help Duane Brown work on his siding today, so I went with him and then on up to Michelle's. We had alot of fun taking pictures. She really has a nice set-up. Julia wasn't too cooperative, but I think we got some good shots.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Ah, November is here. I can hardly believe we are getting to the end of the year. Mark is getting close to the end of harvest and we are making plans for Thanksgiving. The temperature is in the 70's though, so it doesn't seem much like November.
I usually work on Christmas cards during harvest and have most of them done by the end, but I've only gotten one done this year. I guess I'm going to have to get on it. Harvest has been a little different this year. Most years I'm very productive and accomplish alot. I'm not sure why not.
The owner of the Scrapyard asked me to do a demo for a crop on the 19-20th. It should be interesting. It's my first time to do something like that. I need to work on some samples so I can take them down to show her. I'm looking forward to it. I'm planning to use a Christmas theme. I really love that store and the friendly atmosphere. I can go in there and chat with them like any old friend, besides the fact that they have die cut machines I can use and great products. So foil tape here I come!
Julia and Matthew are into changing their clothes right now. I wouldn't mind if it weren't for the clothes part. Laundry, laundry, laundry. I did get a sorter to help me keep up and it has made a big difference. If I grab everything in the morning and throw it all into the proper slots, and starta load whenever bag is full, I never get behind.

Saturday, October 29, 2005
Randy and Kim are here, so we are having a nice time and enjoying Katie. Matthew is loving it too. He was getting Katie to laugh this afternoon. They seem to be quite charmed with each other. She loves his funny noises.
For lunch we tried a couple of recipes out of an Emeril kids cookbook I got from the library. The main dish was sloppy joes, and we also made cheesy oven fries. The sloppy joes were really good, and the cheesy fries were good. They were a little crispier than we really liked, but the melted cheese on the top was sure yummy.
For supper we made a casserole out of Food and Family magazine that is pretty simple. Then I mixed up some cream puffs. I personally prefer instant pudding to homemade, and it's quicker, so we used that to fill them. We have to keep the bellies of these hard working men filled.
Julia and Matthew had pretty good days today. They generally enjoy each other these days, although they have fights too. I think that's pretty normal though.
I've been working on getting the desk and paper clutter around here cleaned up. I have basically conquered the big pile I had, so maybe now I'll be able to keep up. There are always things to deal with when the mail comes, but it's not much if you stay on top of it.
I printed out the Flylady's holiday control journal, so I'm hoping it simplifies preparation for the Christmas/Thanksgiving for both sides of the family. I think it will help to have somewhere to put gift ideas, because I get that deer in the headlights feeling when I get to the store to do my shopping. I always have great ideas when I'm home, but they immediately fly out of my head when I get to the store. I guess it's ferret shock as Jay would say.



Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Harvest is still going full speed ahead here. Loyd got quite a bit of corn hauled to town, so it looks like we will be able to get that finished up with one more days work. He went to combine for another guy for awhile though.
Mark's birthday was yesterday, so I made him an angel food cake. He had also been wanting coffee cake, so I made that for breakfast. So we got too much sugar yesterday. So no more baking for the rest of the week. At least not any sweet stuff. I try to keep away from that anyway.
I've only done three scrapbook pages this month. That's less than usual, but I guess winter is coming and I will have alot of blustery days to spend working on it. I made Mark a birthday card yesterday. Matthew did too and wrote Daddy as well as signing his name. He chose red and sequins for his card.
This morning we went to Red Oak to get some groceries, and see Lynn and Marcella. They were doing okay. The International dealer in R.O. went out of business, which is inconvenient. We haven't been to impressed with the quality of the town, the more we see of it. It seems a little run down. The grocery stores produce is often a few days past prime and still you pay a prime price, at both of the two in town. They also don't have the selection that you usually find in Shenandoah.
Matthew observed this morning that fish don't have eyelids and can't blink. I'm not exactly sure where he learned that, because neither Mark nor I told him. He was a little bit troublesome on the way home, but I think it was mostly because he was hungry. He seems to have alot of trouble staying nice when he's hungry. Not that that's an acceptable excuse for bad behavior.
This morning when we got ready to leave the leaves were falling off the big mulberry tree in the backyard. Matthew and Julia were delighted by it, and had a great time scuffling around and playing in them. The cats were also enjoying chasing them. I didn't have the camera, but it would have made a nice picture. Maybe we'll try later on today to get one, when the sun isn't quite as bright.


Thursday, October 20, 2005
It sure seems like I'm not getting much done these days. My house is rather messy and I don't even have any projects to show for it. I guess I do have a girl that's pretty much potty trained, so maybe it's a bigger accomplishment than it looks like. I need to get some things cleaned up though. Hopefully I can get some progress made today.
It rained last night, so Mark isn't combining today, but he's hauling corn to town. He sold this earlier in the year for October delivery. At least he gets to come in when he gets the cart filled until Loyd gets back. He pretty tired, so I need to think of some things to keep the kids quiet this afternoon.
It's turned off cold, but Matthew still thinks he can go out barefoot and coatless. I told him to put on a coat, so he got a sweatshirt and his shoes on. He was back in shortly to get his hat and look for his gloves. He loves being outside so much.



Tuesday, October 18, 2005
I've been working on getting my digital pics organized. I have the majority of CD's with some sort of order, but I decided I need to get some sort of index, so that I would be able to find a picture if I was looking for it. I decided to print index prints. Thirty-five fit on a page, so it does mean alot of pages, but I am just printing one or two photos to represent a group of similar photos. Then I am labeling those with the same name as the Cd's and putting them in a three ring binder. I would like to figure out a way to store the Cd's in the binder, but I need to find some sort of sleeves that will work. If anyone knows of anything like that let me know. I haven't been shopping to look yet.
The kids were busy today, so I was too. I'm feeling a little more worn out than usual, but I guess I did do a fair bit of work and walked on the treadmill.
The kids are sure growing it seems. They just change and learn new things all the time. Some of them aren't as good as others. Julia learned to climb to the top of the piano yesterday. I heard her saying, " Get me, Mommy" and went to the living room to find her standing on the very top of the piano. We also learned today that if two kids both stand on the dishwasher door that it will tip over. Fortunately I was right there and caught them before it totally tipped. Matthew's response was, "But we didn't break any dishes, Mommy!" He was scared though and said he wouldn't do it again. Julia thought it was a great adventure, to see the plates go flying, but at least her weight alone won't tip it. Not that I'm going to be allowing her to climb on there, but you never know what will happen while your just around the corner.



Monday, October 17, 2005
We went down to the nursing home this morning. The Dr. for Lynn was supposed to be there, but he didn't show. The nursing home knew he wasn't coming, but they didn't bother to tell us. This is the second time this has happened. It's pretty frustrating considering Mark is trying to get harvest done. It's not like we don't have anything to do, but run to the nursing home. Ugh...
We had a few things to do in Shen, so we made a triangle. I took my page to the Scrapyard and bought a few sheets of paper to use. I'm trying to get some of the things I have used up before I buy more, but I also don't get there as often as I'd like, so I couldn't resist buying a few things to finish up the Brazil album.
One of the wagons' wheel bearings apparently went out, so Mark had to switch wagons. Not a terrible problem, since we have another, but not really good either.