Trying to lose weight makes me crazy. I wish I could say I just mean that figuratively. I don't.
I've been trying to lose weight for ages. I've been working really hard since March. Unfortunately, I haven't lost much more than my mind. It's like I'm on a roller coaster ride...
Sometimes I'm upbeat, excited and positive about the whole thing. A great "I can do this" attitude.
Other times, I feel like I can't do anything. I work out and I feel like I'm going to die. I look at myself in the mirror and feel like it's hopeless. It seems to come so easily for other people and not for me. Well meaning people have all sorts of suggestions that just don't work- for me, anyway.
I wish I just didn't care. *Sigh*
Monday, September 12, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12
I can relate this to many things in my life. Being falsely accused. Struggles with family harmony. Grandparents who interfere in the upbringing of our children. Government. Work. Etc.
What a great reminder that when we are having problems with things in life, there is more to it than just the problem itself.
There are people in our lives that we dearly love, but due to their behavior, we have decided to start spending less time with them. I know it's the right decision for now. But this verse helps me see that the struggle we are having with them isn't just with them. It's bigger than that. This verse helps the situation feel less painful.
I can relate this to many things in my life. Being falsely accused. Struggles with family harmony. Grandparents who interfere in the upbringing of our children. Government. Work. Etc.
What a great reminder that when we are having problems with things in life, there is more to it than just the problem itself.
There are people in our lives that we dearly love, but due to their behavior, we have decided to start spending less time with them. I know it's the right decision for now. But this verse helps me see that the struggle we are having with them isn't just with them. It's bigger than that. This verse helps the situation feel less painful.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Stinky People
Why do so many people stink?
I can't even tell you the number of times that we have had customers in our office stinking up the place- several times. every. single. day.
When the customer finally leaves, the secretary and I will bid them farewell with a friendly smile. We wait for the door to latch behind them. Then we look at each other to see who is going to grab the Febreze air freshener first. Let's not ever forget to buy that stuff when we order office supplies- it is super important!
How can so many people not know that they stink?
We were discussing whether it is body odor or a dirty clothes smell. I can understand that there are some cases where those living in poverty may not be able to wash their clothes on a regular basis (launder mats get expensive!). But what about those who just don't bother to clean themselves? A bar of soap is cheap! But guess what? We have seen where some tenants prefer to use their bathtub as a storage area. Can you imagine?!
There was a tenant who mentioned- after living in her place for over a year- that her shower wasn't working right. So we send someone over there to take a look, and they find that the tub is packed full of boxes. Then she mentioned that she has never been able to use it, ever since she moved there (it was a different landlord when she moved in, BTW). It seems that her inability to take a bath or shower just wasn't a big enough deal for her to bother mentioning to anyone during the first year. I hear that her apartment smelled just like you would imagine. She no longer lives there. And the house is for sale now...LOL. Apparently, Febreze just isn't going to solve that particular smell.
Why do so many people stink?
I can't even tell you the number of times that we have had customers in our office stinking up the place- several times. every. single. day.
When the customer finally leaves, the secretary and I will bid them farewell with a friendly smile. We wait for the door to latch behind them. Then we look at each other to see who is going to grab the Febreze air freshener first. Let's not ever forget to buy that stuff when we order office supplies- it is super important!
How can so many people not know that they stink?
We were discussing whether it is body odor or a dirty clothes smell. I can understand that there are some cases where those living in poverty may not be able to wash their clothes on a regular basis (launder mats get expensive!). But what about those who just don't bother to clean themselves? A bar of soap is cheap! But guess what? We have seen where some tenants prefer to use their bathtub as a storage area. Can you imagine?!
There was a tenant who mentioned- after living in her place for over a year- that her shower wasn't working right. So we send someone over there to take a look, and they find that the tub is packed full of boxes. Then she mentioned that she has never been able to use it, ever since she moved there (it was a different landlord when she moved in, BTW). It seems that her inability to take a bath or shower just wasn't a big enough deal for her to bother mentioning to anyone during the first year. I hear that her apartment smelled just like you would imagine. She no longer lives there. And the house is for sale now...LOL. Apparently, Febreze just isn't going to solve that particular smell.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
(names in this story may have been changed to protect identity...)
I recently met a man with a touching and heart breaking real life story. He was applying to rent one of our homes, and explained that he was looking for a place for himself and his four kids- 2 teens and 2 toddlers. I started asking specific questions about his living situation, trying to determine if he needed a 2 or a 3 bedroom unit (if he has all 4 kids full time, etc). He explained that he does in fact have all the kids full time because his wife is in CA dealing with some problems in becoming a citizen.
I asked him if there was a reason she couldn't deal with those issues from Michigan? Unfortunately, yes there is...
Her name is Maria. She came to California before her first child was born. She was here legally with a work visa (?). She has spent most of her adult life here working and trying to make a good life for here and her kids. She paid a lawyer to help get her citizenship, and thought everything was all set. Soon, she met my new friend Anthony, fell in love, got married and started a family with him. She wanted to make sure that everything really was legal with her citizenship. That's when everything went wrong. Apparently, that lawyer who helped her didn't really help her. He did what many lawyers helping immigrants do, took the money and did nothing. So it turns out that there was a couple months of lapse between when her visa expired and when she got married, meaning that she was unknowingly here illegally during that time. An investigation started and now she is having all sorts of problems becoming a citizen, even though she is married to an American, and all four of her kids are citizens. Last year she was detained in a prison camp while our government decides if she can stay or if she will be deported. Her youngest would have been about 6 months old at the time.
Anthony tells me that they were allowed to go see here once per week. The older toddler would cry the whole time they were there. Can you imagine how that must feel to the mother who has been taken away from her children? The one time per week that she sees them, he is so distraught by the situation that he just cries.
As the legal battle continued to drag on, Anthony decided that he needed to move back to Michigan to have the support of his family. I'm sure it is difficult to afford the cost of living in CA on one income, and on top of that he was suddenly raising 2 teens and 2 toddlers on his own.
He told me about how much he loves all of the kids, and about how difficult it is to raise them all on his own. He told me how much more he respects all that Maria had done- working, caring for the kids all day, keeping the house clean. He said he knows now that she worked much harder than he ever gave her credit for.
I asked him how much longer until this might get resolved. The soonest that it could happen is in March. that's the next court date. If it goes well, she could get out and come back to be with her family again as a citizen. Or, it could keep getting delayed with more court dates and more waiting periods. All while her kids keep growing up without her and keep needing a mom. It could go on for 5 years, or she could just get deported at any time if that's what they decide.
Maria cries a lot. How could she not? I can't even imagine being able to handle such an awful situation. It's like a nightmare come true. All because she wanted to check and make sure that everything was done correctly and legally.
I told Anthony that I would be praying for this situation. Please join me in praying...
-for Maria and her sadness in not being with the kids, and also that this will all come to an end in March and she will be released as a citizen to come live with her family again.
-for Anthony as he struggles to raise all the kids on his own for now, and for the difficulties he faces both financially and emotionally.
-for the kids as they struggle to live a stable life without their mother. for fear of the unknown. For teenagers who may really need their mother's influence in their lives right now, and who have had to adjust to their step dad as the only parent. For toddlers who may be too young to even remember their mom right now, that they will adjust to having her back with open arms with minimal emotional scarring.
I recently met a man with a touching and heart breaking real life story. He was applying to rent one of our homes, and explained that he was looking for a place for himself and his four kids- 2 teens and 2 toddlers. I started asking specific questions about his living situation, trying to determine if he needed a 2 or a 3 bedroom unit (if he has all 4 kids full time, etc). He explained that he does in fact have all the kids full time because his wife is in CA dealing with some problems in becoming a citizen.
I asked him if there was a reason she couldn't deal with those issues from Michigan? Unfortunately, yes there is...
Her name is Maria. She came to California before her first child was born. She was here legally with a work visa (?). She has spent most of her adult life here working and trying to make a good life for here and her kids. She paid a lawyer to help get her citizenship, and thought everything was all set. Soon, she met my new friend Anthony, fell in love, got married and started a family with him. She wanted to make sure that everything really was legal with her citizenship. That's when everything went wrong. Apparently, that lawyer who helped her didn't really help her. He did what many lawyers helping immigrants do, took the money and did nothing. So it turns out that there was a couple months of lapse between when her visa expired and when she got married, meaning that she was unknowingly here illegally during that time. An investigation started and now she is having all sorts of problems becoming a citizen, even though she is married to an American, and all four of her kids are citizens. Last year she was detained in a prison camp while our government decides if she can stay or if she will be deported. Her youngest would have been about 6 months old at the time.
Anthony tells me that they were allowed to go see here once per week. The older toddler would cry the whole time they were there. Can you imagine how that must feel to the mother who has been taken away from her children? The one time per week that she sees them, he is so distraught by the situation that he just cries.
As the legal battle continued to drag on, Anthony decided that he needed to move back to Michigan to have the support of his family. I'm sure it is difficult to afford the cost of living in CA on one income, and on top of that he was suddenly raising 2 teens and 2 toddlers on his own.
He told me about how much he loves all of the kids, and about how difficult it is to raise them all on his own. He told me how much more he respects all that Maria had done- working, caring for the kids all day, keeping the house clean. He said he knows now that she worked much harder than he ever gave her credit for.
I asked him how much longer until this might get resolved. The soonest that it could happen is in March. that's the next court date. If it goes well, she could get out and come back to be with her family again as a citizen. Or, it could keep getting delayed with more court dates and more waiting periods. All while her kids keep growing up without her and keep needing a mom. It could go on for 5 years, or she could just get deported at any time if that's what they decide.
Maria cries a lot. How could she not? I can't even imagine being able to handle such an awful situation. It's like a nightmare come true. All because she wanted to check and make sure that everything was done correctly and legally.
I told Anthony that I would be praying for this situation. Please join me in praying...
-for Maria and her sadness in not being with the kids, and also that this will all come to an end in March and she will be released as a citizen to come live with her family again.
-for Anthony as he struggles to raise all the kids on his own for now, and for the difficulties he faces both financially and emotionally.
-for the kids as they struggle to live a stable life without their mother. for fear of the unknown. For teenagers who may really need their mother's influence in their lives right now, and who have had to adjust to their step dad as the only parent. For toddlers who may be too young to even remember their mom right now, that they will adjust to having her back with open arms with minimal emotional scarring.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
A while back, there was a tenant that decided she no longer needed to pay rent. She kept living there, but she wouldn't return calls or answer her door, etc. During an inspection, the apartment was found to be extremely unkept with food out all over the kitchen rotting, complete with maggots. Nice.
A few days later, the collection worker was in the neighborhood and noticed that the tenant was home. As usual, she did not answer the door when he knocked. The downstairs tenant came out and confirmed that she was in fact home, but suddenly got quiet and stopped moving around as soon as our worker came to her door. At that point, he noticed that the dead beat tenant had a vehicle from the car lot he used to work for. Logical reasoning told him that if she wasn't paying her rent, she probably wasn't paying her car payment either. So he made a quick call to his former coworker to inquire about the vehicle in question. Sure enough, payments were very past due, and they did not have any current contact info.
In just a short time, the collection person watched the vehicle being repossessed. The tenant continued to hide.
A few days later, the collection worker was in the neighborhood and noticed that the tenant was home. As usual, she did not answer the door when he knocked. The downstairs tenant came out and confirmed that she was in fact home, but suddenly got quiet and stopped moving around as soon as our worker came to her door. At that point, he noticed that the dead beat tenant had a vehicle from the car lot he used to work for. Logical reasoning told him that if she wasn't paying her rent, she probably wasn't paying her car payment either. So he made a quick call to his former coworker to inquire about the vehicle in question. Sure enough, payments were very past due, and they did not have any current contact info.
In just a short time, the collection person watched the vehicle being repossessed. The tenant continued to hide.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
A BAT!
We have an especially needy tenant at work. She calls nearly every day for any thing she can think of, whether it is real or imaginary. She is the type who can't figure out how to screw in her own light bulbs.
On Saturday, she started calling the emergency maintenance line at 6:48 a.m. She needed someone to come over immediately to take care of her emergency. Turns out there was a bat in her house.
Granted, it's no fun to have a bat in your house, but I don't think it qualifies as an emergency for your landlord rush over either.
After dealing with this frantic tenant on the phone on and off all weekend, we did send a maintenance person over to try to locate the bat on Monday morning. Of course, it isn't easy to locate a bat during the day. You can't just call for it to come out and expect it to appear, you know? After looking for it without any luck, the maintenance man was ready to go on to his next appointment. But NO, this lady would not let him leave until he found the bat.
At this point, the other maintenance man calls to check on the progress. After hearing that Ms. Crazy won't let our guy leave until the bat is found, he heads over to "help".
Ms. Crazy insists the bat is behind the fridge where they have already looked to no avail. So they go ahead and pull the fridge out again to look. Guy 1 takes out his wallet and tosses it on the floor without her noticing. Guy 2 dives on the floor with a bag and captures the wallet. "I got it!" he announces. They put the fridge back and quickly exit with the "bat" in the bag, and Ms. Crazy is happy.
Sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do...LOL.
We have an especially needy tenant at work. She calls nearly every day for any thing she can think of, whether it is real or imaginary. She is the type who can't figure out how to screw in her own light bulbs.
On Saturday, she started calling the emergency maintenance line at 6:48 a.m. She needed someone to come over immediately to take care of her emergency. Turns out there was a bat in her house.
Granted, it's no fun to have a bat in your house, but I don't think it qualifies as an emergency for your landlord rush over either.
After dealing with this frantic tenant on the phone on and off all weekend, we did send a maintenance person over to try to locate the bat on Monday morning. Of course, it isn't easy to locate a bat during the day. You can't just call for it to come out and expect it to appear, you know? After looking for it without any luck, the maintenance man was ready to go on to his next appointment. But NO, this lady would not let him leave until he found the bat.
At this point, the other maintenance man calls to check on the progress. After hearing that Ms. Crazy won't let our guy leave until the bat is found, he heads over to "help".
Ms. Crazy insists the bat is behind the fridge where they have already looked to no avail. So they go ahead and pull the fridge out again to look. Guy 1 takes out his wallet and tosses it on the floor without her noticing. Guy 2 dives on the floor with a bag and captures the wallet. "I got it!" he announces. They put the fridge back and quickly exit with the "bat" in the bag, and Ms. Crazy is happy.
Sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do...LOL.
Friday, September 18, 2009
These pictures are a little over due. We went blueberry picking for the first time ever in August. We had a blast. We picked about 22 pounds of blueberries. That should last us a few months, at least...
Once Kaden found out that he was allowed to eat them, he was hooked. I'm sure he weighed more when we left.
Kaylee enjoyed the berries as well. She seemed to want to sample berries from every bush. She wasn't super focused on actually filling the bucket.
Rae Ann did a better job. She spent a lot of time going from bush to bush, but she did manage to get a fair amount of berries into the bucket. Andrew did a great job. Poor kid doesn't even like blueberries. Maybe that helped him fill his bucket- he wasn't wasting time eating them like the rest of us were...LOL. 
I found that all the berries on each bush tasted the same. So, if you find a spot where you like the taste of the berries, stay in that spot.
Tony made blueberry pancakes for us the next morning. Yummy!
Once Kaden found out that he was allowed to eat them, he was hooked. I'm sure he weighed more when we left.Kaylee enjoyed the berries as well. She seemed to want to sample berries from every bush. She wasn't super focused on actually filling the bucket. Rae Ann did a better job. She spent a lot of time going from bush to bush, but she did manage to get a fair amount of berries into the bucket. Andrew did a great job. Poor kid doesn't even like blueberries. Maybe that helped him fill his bucket- he wasn't wasting time eating them like the rest of us were...LOL. I found that all the berries on each bush tasted the same. So, if you find a spot where you like the taste of the berries, stay in that spot.Tony made blueberry pancakes for us the next morning. Yummy!After we got done picking the berries, we got to go visit with a couple of horses. I forgot to get pictures of them.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Camping!
Here is a picture of our new trailer, and our tent. 
We had a great time camping last weekend. On Saturday, we went out on the boat to a sand bar where the kids could play on Saturday.
We caught some crayfish, 
and skipped lots of rocks
On our way back, it started raining on us. We stopped and had some pizza, hoping it would stop raining, but it didn't. Once we made it back to the campground, the kids spent time watching movies and taking naps. By dinner time, we decided that we needed to go into town to give the kids something to do. We successfully avoided multiple toddler meltdowns. We ate dinner at a restaurant, and by the time we got back, it had stopped raining for a little while.
On Sunday, it was a beautiful day, and we were able to spend the day out on the river. 
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Last night, as it was nearing bedtime, Kaylee was engrossed in a magazine. When we told her it was time to go to bed, she reluctantly closed the magazine, looked up at us and said "I counted 27 pillows so far".
Oh to be a kid. Wouldn't it be nice if the biggest task you needed to do was to count pillows in a magazine? I wonder why she chose pillows? It's so neat to see what goes on in a kids mind.
This morning, after she got dressed, Kaylee came right back out to the couch with the magazine, I saw that she was right back to counting pillows. I wonder how many she will count today?
Oh to be a kid. Wouldn't it be nice if the biggest task you needed to do was to count pillows in a magazine? I wonder why she chose pillows? It's so neat to see what goes on in a kids mind.
This morning, after she got dressed, Kaylee came right back out to the couch with the magazine, I saw that she was right back to counting pillows. I wonder how many she will count today?
Monday, July 06, 2009
fireworks
on the 4th, we went downtown to see the fireworks. there is a parking shortage downtown, so we were happy when we found a sandy/grassy field near the post office. as Tony started to drive into the area, he noticed that there was a PT cruiser stuck in the sand. This is an area where only SUVs should attempt to park. But Tony decided to be nice and pull the car out of the sand with our Expedition and a tow strap. Afterwards, as we were parking we saw a 2wd van coming into the sandy entrance to get stuck. I guess vehicles are going to just keep getting stuck in that spot as soon as there is an opening...LOL.
the fireworks 'show' was pretty short this year. Budget cuts, I guess. We used to have 3 shows during the course of the Summer Celebration. Now we only have one, so I was hoping it would be pretty cool. Next year we will go to a cottage with our neighbors- the fireworks went for an hour and a half there.
As we got back to our truck after the fireworks, we saw that there was another car stuck in the sand.Tony shook his head and said he wasn't going to keep towing people out of the sand. The car was a Honda Accord. A guy in a Chevy truck drove by and yelled to the driver that he should have bought "American". I guess the genius didn't know that his truck was made in Mexico/Canada, while the "foreign" car was made in Texas. Go figure (of course, I don't know these things either until Tony tell me...LOL). That dumb comment changed Tony's mind, and he decided that he did want to help the stuck car. When he walked over to the car, he saw that it was stuck up to the frame in the front of the car. There were people trying to push the car out that direction. Do you think that was going to work?? About that time, a guy in a Dodge truck backed up towards the car as though he was going to use his truck to help get the car out. Then he looked over towards us. I was pulling the tow strap out of the back and he said in a surprised tone "oh, you have a strap?!" and then he turned and left. I have to wonder WHAT DID HE THINK HE WAS GOING TO DO?? In what way is his truck helpful if he has no strap or chain? AND even if he did, since the car was in the sand up to its frame in the front, what would he have even hooked a chain to from the front? So, Tony hooked the car up, and towed the car out of the sand (from the back) without any problem. AS SOON as the spot in the sand was vacant, we saw ANOTHER car heading towards the same spot where all the cars kept getting stuck...LOL.
on the 4th, we went downtown to see the fireworks. there is a parking shortage downtown, so we were happy when we found a sandy/grassy field near the post office. as Tony started to drive into the area, he noticed that there was a PT cruiser stuck in the sand. This is an area where only SUVs should attempt to park. But Tony decided to be nice and pull the car out of the sand with our Expedition and a tow strap. Afterwards, as we were parking we saw a 2wd van coming into the sandy entrance to get stuck. I guess vehicles are going to just keep getting stuck in that spot as soon as there is an opening...LOL.
the fireworks 'show' was pretty short this year. Budget cuts, I guess. We used to have 3 shows during the course of the Summer Celebration. Now we only have one, so I was hoping it would be pretty cool. Next year we will go to a cottage with our neighbors- the fireworks went for an hour and a half there.
As we got back to our truck after the fireworks, we saw that there was another car stuck in the sand.Tony shook his head and said he wasn't going to keep towing people out of the sand. The car was a Honda Accord. A guy in a Chevy truck drove by and yelled to the driver that he should have bought "American". I guess the genius didn't know that his truck was made in Mexico/Canada, while the "foreign" car was made in Texas. Go figure (of course, I don't know these things either until Tony tell me...LOL). That dumb comment changed Tony's mind, and he decided that he did want to help the stuck car. When he walked over to the car, he saw that it was stuck up to the frame in the front of the car. There were people trying to push the car out that direction. Do you think that was going to work?? About that time, a guy in a Dodge truck backed up towards the car as though he was going to use his truck to help get the car out. Then he looked over towards us. I was pulling the tow strap out of the back and he said in a surprised tone "oh, you have a strap?!" and then he turned and left. I have to wonder WHAT DID HE THINK HE WAS GOING TO DO?? In what way is his truck helpful if he has no strap or chain? AND even if he did, since the car was in the sand up to its frame in the front, what would he have even hooked a chain to from the front? So, Tony hooked the car up, and towed the car out of the sand (from the back) without any problem. AS SOON as the spot in the sand was vacant, we saw ANOTHER car heading towards the same spot where all the cars kept getting stuck...LOL.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
TAGGED!!!
Liz tagged me to do this.
The rules of the game:Mention the person that tagged you. Complete the lists of 8. Tag 8 of your blog friends.
Eight Things I am Looking Forward To:
1. the weekend
2. buying a camping trailer
3. going camping with friends this summer
4. finishing my class
5. getting my real estate license
6. eating Fricano's pizza for dinner (stole this from Liz. sounds great!)
7. going golfing with Tony. (he golfs, I drive the cart)
8. getting organized
Eight Things I did Yesterday
1. ate breakfast
2. played on the computer
3. went to work
4. went to a soccer game
5. watered the garden
6. went to field day at the kids' school
7. stalked craigslist for a trailer
8. watched TV with Tony
Eight Things I wish I could do:
1. know the future
2. lose 20 pounds
3. finish daily tasks before I run out of 'day'
4. get my kids to stop arguing
5. be more successful
6. see without contacts/glasses
7. fly
8. convince my dog that it's OK to be calm and lazy in the house
Eight TV Shows I watch (this is the easiest one!):
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Private Practice
3. All My Children
4. Here Come The Newlyweds
5. Desperate Housewives
6. News
7. Food Detectives
8. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
Now I'll tag 8 people that I think look at my blog at times:
1. Amy
2. Angela
3. Janelle
4. Jamie
5. Jenn
6. Erin
7. Jerry
8. Linda
Liz tagged me to do this.
The rules of the game:Mention the person that tagged you. Complete the lists of 8. Tag 8 of your blog friends.
Eight Things I am Looking Forward To:
1. the weekend
2. buying a camping trailer
3. going camping with friends this summer
4. finishing my class
5. getting my real estate license
6. eating Fricano's pizza for dinner (stole this from Liz. sounds great!)
7. going golfing with Tony. (he golfs, I drive the cart)
8. getting organized
Eight Things I did Yesterday
1. ate breakfast
2. played on the computer
3. went to work
4. went to a soccer game
5. watered the garden
6. went to field day at the kids' school
7. stalked craigslist for a trailer
8. watched TV with Tony
Eight Things I wish I could do:
1. know the future
2. lose 20 pounds
3. finish daily tasks before I run out of 'day'
4. get my kids to stop arguing
5. be more successful
6. see without contacts/glasses
7. fly
8. convince my dog that it's OK to be calm and lazy in the house
Eight TV Shows I watch (this is the easiest one!):
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Private Practice
3. All My Children
4. Here Come The Newlyweds
5. Desperate Housewives
6. News
7. Food Detectives
8. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
Now I'll tag 8 people that I think look at my blog at times:
1. Amy
2. Angela
3. Janelle
4. Jamie
5. Jenn
6. Erin
7. Jerry
8. Linda
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
School Choices
Last summer, I really wanted to put the kids into private school. Some people said that if we just had faith, God would provide a way for my kids to go to the Christian school. Unfortunately, even with the income-based discounts, there was just no way we could come up with the extra money. Wanting something and having faith doesn't make money appear, and it's not like I could just cut other expenses- there was nothing left to cut. In the end, we decided that having electricity and heat was more important than sending the kids to a school that we can't afford ;-)
Now, I am back to wondering what school to send the kids to in the fall. I've been mostly happy with the charter school that they attend. But I'm not so sure that "mostly happy" is good enough. There are some influences there that I would like to avoid. But is there any guarantee that I would avoid those influences in a Christian school? And even if I could, would we just find a new set of problems?
I can scrape together the money for the school this year, but I don't want to spend such a large chunk of money on the school if it isn't really going to make a difference, you know? I know people who say that the school made a big difference in their kids's lives. But how can you measure that? I think the biggest influence is the home that the kids are raised in. But on the other hand, I don't like that the kids go to school and get exposed to things I don't like. decisions, decisions...
Anyone care to weigh in?
Last summer, I really wanted to put the kids into private school. Some people said that if we just had faith, God would provide a way for my kids to go to the Christian school. Unfortunately, even with the income-based discounts, there was just no way we could come up with the extra money. Wanting something and having faith doesn't make money appear, and it's not like I could just cut other expenses- there was nothing left to cut. In the end, we decided that having electricity and heat was more important than sending the kids to a school that we can't afford ;-)
Now, I am back to wondering what school to send the kids to in the fall. I've been mostly happy with the charter school that they attend. But I'm not so sure that "mostly happy" is good enough. There are some influences there that I would like to avoid. But is there any guarantee that I would avoid those influences in a Christian school? And even if I could, would we just find a new set of problems?
I can scrape together the money for the school this year, but I don't want to spend such a large chunk of money on the school if it isn't really going to make a difference, you know? I know people who say that the school made a big difference in their kids's lives. But how can you measure that? I think the biggest influence is the home that the kids are raised in. But on the other hand, I don't like that the kids go to school and get exposed to things I don't like. decisions, decisions...
Anyone care to weigh in?
Thursday, April 02, 2009
I was talking with another mom today. She was telling me about how she recently went from part-time work to full time work. She hasn't gotten the hang of balancing work and family yet. She is trying to let some things go, such as whether or not the kids' clothes match. Some days, she feels like she's not doing a great job as a mom...
I can relate.
I'm overwhelmed. I am so blessed and thankful to have a great job, especially with the economy the way it is. I even like my job. But I feel like I'm letting my family down. I'm so busy that I'm starting to miss out on some things. *sigh*
I can relate.
I'm overwhelmed. I am so blessed and thankful to have a great job, especially with the economy the way it is. I even like my job. But I feel like I'm letting my family down. I'm so busy that I'm starting to miss out on some things. *sigh*
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The following is a paper that Rae Ann wrote as an assignment in her 3rd grade class:
MY BROTHER'S FIRST STEPS
It was late afternoon in the middle of summer when my baby brother finally did it! He walked for the first time! It was so awesome. When he came up to me, he fell because it was so hard to come all the way to me from across the yard. I was so excited for his success, but at the same time, I was sad because it made me realize that Kaden is growing up faster than I thought.
It makes me realize that my family has to baby proof my house a LOT more! For instance, we could put gates on the stairs, or we can get cabinet latches for the kitchen so we can even get into the kitchen!
Now I can play lots more games with my baby- or should I say my big boy! We could dance, watch TV, play with pretend kitchen, or listen to music. It is so fun!
Now that I know that Kaden is walking, he will also be climbing soon. It scares me because he could fall down the stairs and get hurt really badly, or he could fall off the couch! That is really scary! We need to really watch now. Not that we didn't before, but just way more!
As you can see, Kaden is growing up faster than I thought. Now he is getting to be a big boy.
by Rae Ann Evans
MY BROTHER'S FIRST STEPS
It was late afternoon in the middle of summer when my baby brother finally did it! He walked for the first time! It was so awesome. When he came up to me, he fell because it was so hard to come all the way to me from across the yard. I was so excited for his success, but at the same time, I was sad because it made me realize that Kaden is growing up faster than I thought.
It makes me realize that my family has to baby proof my house a LOT more! For instance, we could put gates on the stairs, or we can get cabinet latches for the kitchen so we can even get into the kitchen!
Now I can play lots more games with my baby- or should I say my big boy! We could dance, watch TV, play with pretend kitchen, or listen to music. It is so fun!
Now that I know that Kaden is walking, he will also be climbing soon. It scares me because he could fall down the stairs and get hurt really badly, or he could fall off the couch! That is really scary! We need to really watch now. Not that we didn't before, but just way more!
As you can see, Kaden is growing up faster than I thought. Now he is getting to be a big boy.
by Rae Ann Evans
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A couple people who have babies around the same age as Kaden have asked Tony why we still have Kaden in a rear-facing car seat. The short answer is because it is the safest option. While it's true that we can legally put a baby into a front-facing car seat when they reach 12 months old AND 20 pounds, that doesn't mean it is safe. I didn't always know this. I made the poor decision of turning some of my other kids around in the car seat before I should have because I didn't know any better back then. Babies/toddlers should stay in the rear-facing position until they outgrow the limits of the seat they are in. For Kaden, that will probably happen between the ages of 2-3 years old.
Here's a video that can explain it better, showing the difference between front and rear facing seats. Take a look, and take a moment to reconsider whether or not your child is in the safest position.
Here's a video that can explain it better, showing the difference between front and rear facing seats. Take a look, and take a moment to reconsider whether or not your child is in the safest position.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
"Look it"
Several weeks ago, I noticed that my kids were saying "look it" whenever they wanted someone to look at something. Since that is such bad grammer, I pointed out that "lookit" isn't a word, and now we are all making an effort to use better grammer. Now that we are aware of it, we notice how much other people say it.
Kaylee is trying to educate the other students in her Kindergarten class. Everytime someone says it, she lets them know it isn't a word. Then when she comes home from school, she gives us a full report on everyone who said "lookit" in her class, and lets us know that she is trying to fix the problem....LOL.
Several weeks ago, I noticed that my kids were saying "look it" whenever they wanted someone to look at something. Since that is such bad grammer, I pointed out that "lookit" isn't a word, and now we are all making an effort to use better grammer. Now that we are aware of it, we notice how much other people say it.
Kaylee is trying to educate the other students in her Kindergarten class. Everytime someone says it, she lets them know it isn't a word. Then when she comes home from school, she gives us a full report on everyone who said "lookit" in her class, and lets us know that she is trying to fix the problem....LOL.
Stupid Old Man at Meijer
Usually when we are out shopping with Kaden people stop to say he's cute, ask how old he is, etc. Today, however, and old man came up to us to ask if we feed Kaden enough.
Sometimes people say that jokingly because Kaden eats pretty much constantly, so it funny to joke about how he's starving and we never ever feed him.
But this man was serious. He asked again if we feed him enough "because he is so skinny and pale". I try to be polite to every one, even stupid rude people. So we just kinda looked at him funny and moved on.
But first of all, he isn't "so skinny". He is in the 50th percentile for weight. None of my other kids were as big as he is at this age. The doctor always says it is obvious that he is very healthy. I'm just floored that a complete stranger thought he needed to point out that it looks like we don't know how to properly care for our baby.
Oh yeah.. and he is "so pale", huh? Have you seen his mommy??? I mean, I was right there next to him. Is it unhealthy to have light skin now?
Stupid people should talk less.
Usually when we are out shopping with Kaden people stop to say he's cute, ask how old he is, etc. Today, however, and old man came up to us to ask if we feed Kaden enough.
Sometimes people say that jokingly because Kaden eats pretty much constantly, so it funny to joke about how he's starving and we never ever feed him.
But this man was serious. He asked again if we feed him enough "because he is so skinny and pale". I try to be polite to every one, even stupid rude people. So we just kinda looked at him funny and moved on.
But first of all, he isn't "so skinny". He is in the 50th percentile for weight. None of my other kids were as big as he is at this age. The doctor always says it is obvious that he is very healthy. I'm just floored that a complete stranger thought he needed to point out that it looks like we don't know how to properly care for our baby.
Oh yeah.. and he is "so pale", huh? Have you seen his mommy??? I mean, I was right there next to him. Is it unhealthy to have light skin now?
Stupid people should talk less.
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