Headaches

On of my least favorite things in the world is to wake up with a headache. I get migranes and sinus headaches and sincerely dispise them both. UGH. Makes it very hard for me to get motivated.

Anyhow...we had a nice weekend. Baseball season kicked off on Saturday so we spend about 4 hours at the ballfield. For the most part, I love the days sitting outside, watching our children play ball. This early in the season though, it is downright cold sitting out there for hours on end. Saturday night I had on a heavy coat, wrapped up in a blanket and was STILL shivering. Doesn't make for a lot of fun.

Keep in mind....in another month I will probably be complaining about HOW HOT it is sitting out there for their games. Can't make me happy, I suppose.

Well, after years of hemming and hawing we have finally committed to a church. It is the one we've been visiting on and off for about a year now. After a good deal of prayer and thought, we felt led to call them our church home. I am really excited and can't wait to get more involved!

Which somehow reminds me......my stepdaughter, Chelsea, will be starting high school this fall. Friday, I just had this overwhelming feeling that she does not need to go to that school. Call it women's intuition or God speaking to me....I just KNOW it will be trouble. Part of it is the environment. In her 8th grade class they already have 4 girls pregnant..that we know about. I'm sure there is more. One girl just turned 14 and has already had 2 abortions. At the high school they have a special section for "the gays to go make out". They aren't allowed to even SAY the word Christmas.

Tim and I looked online at a lot of private schools in our area. And I think there are several worth looking into. However, the cost is a big factor. And convincing Chelsea's mother is another huge undertaking. For her...in is all about convenience. And having to pay for Chelsea to go to another school and have to go out of her way to drop her off every day would be a very large inconvenience.

Nothing is ever simple, is it?

Hodgepodge of stuff

This past weekend my stepdaughter brought home the "think it over" baby. For those of you not familiar with this teen program, it is a doll with an interactive computer. The doll cries to be fed, rocked, changed, or burped and random intervals during the day. The student has 2 minutes to respond to the crying. And boy did it cry. From 3:30 Friday afternoon to 7:30 Monday morning it cried 87 times. I told her the only thing that would have made it more realistic would be for it to spit up, actually have DIRTY diapers, and to cry for 4 hours straight once a day.

I think it was a great experience for her, and I have NO DOUBT that she wants to wait a very long time to become a mother. My only complaint was that they are doing this project in 8th grade...I think it would be more valuable in maybe 10th.

Anyhow......the sun is back out here today. It still doesn't feel like spring, but at least it isn't rainy and dreary anymore. And all the rain will helped to wash away some of the pollen, which is a bonus for those of us with allergies.

I decided on Monday that my dog is truly the most loyal friend I have ever had. We actually have 3 dogs. One is a 6 month old Boxer that is the "family dog". Another is a Chihuahua/Pekingese mix...weighs 5 pounds, and he is supposed to be my stepdaughter's dog. Truth be told, he likes everyone and I don't think he is particularly attached to one family member over another.

Then there is my dog. He is a Shih Tzu and he loves his mama. On Monday I was washing sheets, blankets etc. Our house is a split level, so 3 of the bedrooms are on the top floor, and the laundry room is on the bottom floor. I was running up and down the stairs, stopping to check email, just moving constantly. And my poor Bailey followed me every step of the way. He never left my side the whole morning....even when he was so tired I would see him swaying and falling asleep while he was sitting watching me. LOL Meanwhile, the other 2 dogs were downstairs on the couch, snoring away.

I love my Bailey!!

And he always wants to go for rides with me. Every time he hears my keys, he runs to the back door. If I tell him, "Bailey, stay," he drops his head and actually looks disappointed. But, if I don't say anything he is off like a shot as soon as I open the door...waiting to hop in the van with me.

Ok, enough about my dog already.

School is going OK this semester. We are finally winding down and I am very excited about that. I had a group presentation last night in my Edu 203 class about a book that we read: Lies My Teacher Told Me--everything your American history textbook got wrong. It was a great book. As a future teacher and a history major I really enjoyed it. The amount of history we teach our kids that is incomplete or just plain erroneous is amazing.

I hope everyone is having a good week. Happy Hump Day, Moms!!!

We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp,
some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and
all are different colors.... but they all have to learn to live in
the same box.

Our boys

Here are our boys "spring" pictures from school.

The first one is my oldest, Austin...he is 8. The next one is my baby, Bryce, who is 7. And the last one is my stepson, Cody, who is almost 10

I'm a horrible mom & the rest of my week

Whew! I sure am glad it is Friday. I really need to get some rest & unwind a bit.

OK, so Wednesday morning as I was waiting in line to drop my boys off at their school my son asked if they could be car riders that afternoon. I thought about it, and figured that wouldn't be a problem. Normally, they ride the bus home because I have to pick up my step kids in another school district. But, I can pick them up when I need to...it just really makes time tight in the afternoon.

Anyhow, I wrote them both a note that they would be car riders that afternoon. No Big Deal. I went on to work for 4 hours, met a friend for lunch, ran some errands, then went to pick up my step kids at their schools. Bear in mind this is a 90 minute process...getting the two of them from the elementary & middle school.

On the way home I stopped at the grocery store. Then thought to myself, Austin & Bryce get off the bus in about 20 minutes...we need to hurry home.


AUSTIN AND BRYCE


Car Riders.


Holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we FLY all the way to my kid's school. When we got there all the car riders had been picked up. Except my 2 boys. Oh my gosh....I felt SOOOOO horrible. I had to pick them up at the office. And of course, they were asking a million questions. I told them I had run into complications & I'd talk to them about it when we got home.

So, we all piled back into the Blazer and started home. Before we were even out of the parking lot, I heard my stepson lean over and whisper to my children, "Your mom forgot all about you."

Well, ladies, I now know why stepmothers are considered evil and wicked. It is because they have stepsons that drive them crazy!!!! I was furious....and I did over react.

When we got home, I grabbed my stepson by the ear and told him (OK, no I yelled at him) that he had NO RIGHT to say anything like that to my kids and that if he ever stuck his nose in where it didn't belong again that he would loose things that he wanted to keep.......

I had to go for a walk to cool off before I even went in the house. I know that I over reacted...and I assume it was because I was already upset that, yes, well, I did forget about my kids. I am SUCH a creature of habit that when I have a change in schedule I have to have flashing neon lights to remind me of it.

So, I was a bad mom & stepmom on Wednesday. Go ahead and hand me the award.

I was a bad wife yesterday. (sigh) I won't bore you with the whole story, but let's just say I was a complete Bit** about something...when there really was no reason to be. Once again, I lost my temper, but this time over really nothing.

It seems like every time I experience spiritual growth, I seem to go backwards in another area. Almost like I am being challenged. One step forward, two steps back, as they say.

Well, enough of my boring week. I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!! Enjoy, be safe, and God Bless!

"If you are strangers to prayers you are strangers to power." ~ Billy Sunday

I'm a horrible mom & the rest of my week

Whew! I sure am glad it is Friday. I really need to get some rest & unwind a bit.

OK, so Wednesday morning as I was waiting in line to drop my boys off at their school my son asked if they could be car riders that afternoon. I thought about it, and figured that wouldn't be a problem. Normally, they ride the bus home because I have to pick up my step kids in another school district. But, I can pick them up when I need to...it just really makes time tight in the afternoon.

Anyhow, I wrote them both a note that they would be car riders that afternoon. No Big Deal. I went on to work for 4 hours, met a friend for lunch, ran some errands, then went to pick up my step kids at their schools. Bear in mind this is a 90 minute process...getting the two of them from the elementary & middle school.

On the way home I stopped at the grocery store. Then thought to myself, Austin & Bryce get off the bus in about 20 minutes...we need to hurry home.


AUSTIN AND BRYCE


Car Riders.


Holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we FLY all the way to my kid's school. When we got there all the car riders had been picked up. Except my 2 boys. Oh my gosh....I felt SOOOOO horrible. I had to pick them up at the office. And of course, they were asking a million questions. I told them I had run into complications & I'd talk to them about it when we got home.

So, we all piled back into the Blazer and started home. Before we were even out of the parking lot, I heard my stepson lean over and whisper to my children, "Your mom forgot all about you."

Well, ladies, I now know why stepmothers are considered evil and wicked. It is because they have stepsons that drive them crazy!!!! I was furious....and I did over react.

When we got home, I grabbed my stepson by the ear and told him (OK, no I yelled at him) that he had NO RIGHT to say anything like that to my kids and that if he ever stuck his nose in where it didn't belong again that he would loose things that he wanted to keep.......

I had to go for a walk to cool off before I even went in the house. I know that I over reacted...and I assume it was because I was already upset that, yes, well, I did forget about my kids. I am SUCH a creature of habit that when I have a change in schedule I have to have flashing neon lights to remind me of it.

So, I was a bad mom & stepmom on Wednesday. Go ahead and hand me the award.

I was a bad wife yesterday. (sigh) I won't bore you with the whole story, but let's just say I was a complete Bit** about something...when there really was no reason to be. Once again, I lost my temper, but this time over really nothing.

It seems like every time I experience spiritual growth, I seem to go backwards in another area. Almost like I am being challenged. One step forward, two steps back, as they say.

Well, enough of my boring week. I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!! Enjoy, be safe, and God Bless!

"If you are strangers to prayers you are strangers to power." ~ Billy Sunday

Little things we take for granted

Sometimes little things happen to remind us just how blessed we are.

Last night my husband was in the front yard pitching baseball with our boys. He stuck his head in to tell me the lady across the street locked herself out of the house & he was going to go help her get in.

Fine, no problem.

A few minutes later, he showed up with who turned out to be our neighbor’s babysitter who moved here from Russia about a year ago. She was taking the 3 year old daughter for a walk and accidentally locked them out of the house. She speaks very little English, and what she does speak is difficult to understand.

After a failed attempt to unlock the house, hubby brought the sitter and little girl to our house for them to use the phone. However, she could not remember any of the parent’s phone numbers.

She kept repeating Hanes Mall, so we guessed the parents must have gone shopping there. We only live about 2 miles from the mall so I offered to drive her there. I have to be honest and admit, I was getting a little bit irritate. I had literally just finished dinner, so my plate was on the table waiting for me. And I was having a great deal of difficulty understanding a word this lady was saying. But, we obviously couldn’t just leave her and the 3 year old sitting in the driveway until the parents got home.

So, without a car seat, we loaded up the sitter & the little one and headed to the mall. Keep in mind that Hanes Mall is the largest mall in the Southeast. It is enormous. Between home and the mall, I was able to figure out that the mom was at school and the dad worked at night at the mall. But, she didn’t know where. She kept saying, “Near Belk.”

Ok, so we parked at Belk and went into the mall. As we wandered around Belk, she became very animated at a “Fur Salon” section and I was able to deduce that the dad worked at a hair salon. NOW we were getting somewhere.

Belk doesn’t have a hair salon, but JC Penny does. This, of course, was the opposite direction. Fine, we walked down to JC Penny. The sitter went into the salon and just started wandering around looking for the dad. All the hair stylist were looking at her like she was some kind of freak. I approached the front desk and asked for their help. The sitter said she was looking for “Temodee”..which I finally figured out was Tim or Timothy. Of course, no one worked there by that name. They did tell me where all the other salons were in the mall, so we set off on an adventure to find Temodee.

We walked all thru the mall, with the 3 year old happily trudging along with us, until we came to the very last salon on the far end of the mall. Yes, a Tim works there! But, he didn’t come in that night. But, thank the Lord; the manager had his cell phone number. He called the dad; sitter spoke with him, and ALAS! We had a winner. Dad said he’d be at the mall in just a few minutes to pick them up and take them home.

I offered to stay until Dad arrived, but the sitter insisted I go on home…he was only a mile away and should be there soon. She thanked me profusely and I finally went home to my dinner.

We’ve all been in situations like that. Locked ourselves out of the house, locked our keys in the car, had a flat tire. Situations where we really have to rely on the kindness of strangers. But, at least we can communicate our needs to other people. We are familiar with the area and how to resolve the problem. This poor lady had never stepped foot in the mall and couldn’t clearly communicate who she was nor who she was looking for. I can not even imagine how frustrating the whole experience must have been for her.

As I lay in bed last night I thought about how blessed I really am.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves

Let the fun begin!

I am so happy next week is Spring Break. I still have some assignments that are due the day we go back, but at least I will be home every night next week and can work on school work at my “leisure”.

On Spring, Winter, and Summer break, I treat myself to one book “for pleasure”. I am so used to HAVING to read things for school, it is a real joy to pick a book I just want to read. This time I am reading Ted Dekker’s “Obession”. I have read a few other of his books and really liked them.

Tomorrow we are heading to Raleigh to see Casting Crowns and Nichole Nordman in concert. I am really excited about it. It will be my stepson’s first concert, so it will be neat to see what he thinks about the whole experience. Chelsea and I saw Casting Crowns with Steven Curtis Chapman last April and just loved them. They are so awesome! It should be a night to remember.

I started a new Beth Moore Bible Study yesterday with the church we may be joining. I think I am really going to enjoy it. The study itself is fascinating, but the fellowship with other ladies is wonderful, too. I am the only person in the class from NC…everyone else if from out of state, which I thought was unusual. I am also the only one the does not either have preschoolers or grown children. I guess most moms available on Thursday mornings are either Stay at home or retirees.

Have a blessed weekend everyone! I hope the weekend is restful, relaxing, and full of wonderful surprises!

Artist: Casting crowns
Song: Who am I lyrics

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt,
Who am I?
That the Bright and Morning Star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart,

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done,
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are,

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Spring has Sprung!

Alright, so it is a Pseudo-Spring, but I am still enjoying it immensely. Old Man Winter will probably rear his ugly head again, but for now it is so beautiful outside. It is supposed to be 75 today and 80 tomorrow. At the beginning of March!!! Yesterday, on my commute to and from school I had the sun roof open, radio blaring, and just singing praises at the top of my lungs. What an awesome feeling!

The Cherry trees, Bradford pears, daffodils, and Phlox are all blooming. They are a beautiful site!

My husband and his partner just decided to take the afternoon off to go play golf. He stopped by my office and was down right giddy. They are like school boys who just snuck away from school to go fishing for the afternoon.

Ahhhh, all is right in the world.

As most of you know, our family has been searching for a church home for quite a while. There is one church in particular that we have been visiting on and off for about a year now. We will decide to keep looking, but end up going back there. Must be a reason for that, right? A few nights ago my husband (who is searching for his own spirituality) suggested we make an appointment with the pastor to sit down and chat with him for a bit.

There are several issues we feel strongly about and want to know the church’s stance on them before we become more involved. We also want to get a feel for the pastor to see if he fits the needs of our family as a spiritual leader. I am really excited though. Despite the fact that I have been a Christian since I was 18, I have never been a part of a church family. I need that fellowship so badly. And so do our children. I have often said the biggest mistake my parents made raising me was not having me in a church family. And here I am making the same mistake.

But, that is going to change very soon. HURRAY!