Company Coffee 3.26

It has sure been a crazy month or so around here.

We went to visit my MIL nearly two weeks ago. One of those, Hubbs is getting off work at a decent time on Saturday and we just needed to get away for a few days. I was cleaning the house the day before and I pivoted on my left foot and felt it pop and it was sore for the rest of the day. It was kind of stiff to start out the next morning, but it felt better so I thought nothing of it as I am always doing this sort of stuff to myself. Well, this past Monday, after a trip to the salvage grocery store and Lamberts (took the girls for the first time, they loved it.) Hubbs and I sat down to watch Where the Wild Things Are in our room for a date night thing and after the movie was over, I got up for a drink of water and my ankle hurt the second it touched the floor. I figured it would be fine, but the next day it was worse so I wore my old ankle brace. I finally get it checked out yesterday (Thursday) night as it wasn't feeling much better. Turns out, I must have started a tear in at least two ligaments two weeks ago and they finished themselves off on Monday. I'm in my moon boot indefinitely. I get to go back next Tuesday for it. Trust me, it isn't easy chasing kids around in one of those boots.

Our car decided to have issues too. We were told at first it was a crack in the manifold. However, it was so tiny they had to find it with a stethoscope. Being leery of the diagnosis, we took it to another shop and were told the same thing and the same price. Then, the vacuum house decided to break too. So, we take it in on Tuesday and they take it apart to fix, decide that the manifold is "salvageable" that the catalytic converter is egg shaped, a bunch of tubes are bent and the tube that hold the freon for the a/c is broken and rubbing on the serpentine belt and they had ordered the wrong sized of vacuum hose, so they put it all back together. We are going to have a friend look at it over Easter and see what he thinks, and if he can get us the parts from a junk yard, or possibly end up trading in the Focus and getting a minivan. Which, wold be more practical for us anyway. We do want more kids eventually, and we can't fit another car seat in the Focus. We'll see.

Hubbs applied for a job as a music minister in IL. Praying we get called for an interview in the next few weeks. We are getting so tired of retail. The crazy hours and days off are driving us all crazy. The girls never really know what days Daddy will be home consistently, if he goes in to work in the morning, or afternoon and all that. Having more stable hours will really help the family. I know the perfect place for us is out there, and in the right time, God will show us.

My MIL gave me the money to order my preschool curriculum for next year for Bugs. We got Sonlight Core P 4/5. It came in on Tuesday. I love it. We are starting the language arts with Bugs after Easter as I had also ordered the readers 1 and LA 1 for the school year. I'm keeping most of the stuff for the "official" start of school in the fall.

We got new sandals for the kids today. Fasted trip to shop for shoes for them ever. They both spotted something they liked right away and that was in their size. I was happy. However, the price wasn't happy. We spent thirty dollars on new sandals for both of the kids. I don't like spending that kind of money on shoes that will probably be outgrown before the end of summer. I don't spend that much money on shoes for me! They sure are cute though. Bugs chose some neon slip ons, and Beans got metallic flowers in nearly a gladiator style.

That's it for us. Just been crazy.

Busy Mom's Bible Review and Contest Entry

It was nothing like what I expected. I opened the mailbox last Monday, and inside a small purple box was the Busy Mom's Bible. I was expecting a paperback copy with the picture of the mom and child laying in the grass that was shown on the website. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was an actual leather duo-tone in hot pink. I was elated. I had been thinking that I wanted a new Bible for a while. The one that got me through Bible college has been taped back together countless times, and the last time, I ended up using clear contact paper on it (it was a hardback Textbook bound Bible). However, I couldn't find a Bible that I liked. That was formatted in an easy to read and flip to manner for me. This Bible is as close to what I want as any I have ever seen. It has pages of small one to ten minute thoughts to read and then ponder about. In the back is a list of study topics and passages of where to go to get started on them, and it even gives you the page numbers to find them easier! However, my favorite part of this NIV Bible is the maps in the back. Not only are they the standard maps found in the backs of most Bibles, they also have markers on them telling where the events actually happened. In the map of Jesus' ministry, it shows where the Last Supper took place, where He was tried and where He was hung on the cross. It helps seeing where these events were located and how far from each other and in relation to other places in the area. The Bible isn't a thinline Bible, but it is small enough to be easily taken to church in my purse if need be with juggling two very young children. It the type font is in an easy to read size, unlike some other Bibles of the same size. This Bible is now my personal Bible. In fact, I'm thinking of asking that my husband gets my name embossed on it for Mother's Day.

I was given a copy of the Busy Mom's Bible by Zondervan to read and review. They are also giving away a personal assistant's service to one person who writes a review and posts it on their blog which will be awarded to a random entrant. All opinions are mine within this review.

Sorry it's been so long....again.

Sorry I haven't been on in so long. We have been battling colds, gone out of town, babysat for friends and been just busy. You know, the life of a mom stuff.

Thankfully my cold seems to be leaving finally, the girls have been fine for several days, today was the last day of babysitting for a few weeks and life can resume to it's semblance of normal. Well, as normal as it ever gets.

Tomorrow, in honor of the first day of spring, we are supposed to get a snow storm. Doesn't that sound like fun? Personally, not really. We got to play outside this afternoon in short sleeves. I liked that. Also, tomorrow, we are going to plant lollipop seeds. What we are doing is make dirt pudding (the only stuff the seeds will grow in ;) and "plant" the "seeds" (small hard candies). Then, the next morning, lollipops will be "growing" in the "special dirt." It is going to be great fun. You can only get this to work on the first day of spring (or, if you choose to do this, on the particular day or occasion that works for you...)

Then, Monday we are planning a trip over to Bass Pro to see the ducks in the store and then a trip down to Lambert's for lunch as a special treat with the girls before going to our favorite salvage/discount grocery store to do the monthly stock-up. Then on Tuesday, it is back to the daily grind of school and chores.

Oh, and I got to order my homeschooling curriculum for next year (a HUGE thank you goes to my MIL who gave us most of the cost for it) and it should be here on Tuesday (got to love the tracking numbers...). I can't wait. Though, I'll probably have to open it up after the Bugs goes to bed for the night. I can imagine her wanting to read everything right away. I'm going to do the language arts this summer with her as I also ordered her the Readers 1 package and the corresponding LA book for it (figured she's already learning to read and I don't want to bore her to tears with LA that she has already mastered).

And now for a simple housekeeping note. I have gotten some anonymous comments. For the sake of transparency, I chose not to publish them. If you can not sign your name (or identity) to a comment, then please don't leave one. If you are so ashamed of what you have to say, then don't say it please. One of those, play nice rules, if you will.

Excuse me for cutting this short. My husband has finally returned home from work.

Teaching Reading

We started teaching the Bugs to read last week. It is quite an adventure. We are using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It is the SRA/DISTAR method. She's eating up this school thing. Begs to do school from the time she wakes up until we put her to bed at night. We do her lesson for reading (we are up to lesson 8) and then we do some pages from a tracing workbook, a Precious Moments counting workbook and a few other skills books. She loves the workbook pages and is excited to be learning to read.

So far, I think the reading lessons are going well. The book is laid out clearly and is designed so anyone can teach it. So, if you have been thinking of trying to teach your child, I suggest trying this. Another good book for teaching reading is Barbara Curtis' Mommy Teach Me to Read. I borrowed that one from our public library and if the 100 Easy Lessons ends up not working, that is what I am going to go to. My MIL bought me a copy of it and I figure it was free, and everyone I know who has tried it, has had it work for their children.

Bugs isn't wanting to nap today. She's crawled into her sister's bed and I think stood on it twice now as I have heard two thunks that resulted in crying and having to be investigated. She is currently sitting next to me in the recliner. I pray she isn't trying to give up naps yet. I'm not ready for it. Bugs gave them up before she was this age.

I've got a child begging for more school and a cranky toddler on my hands, one who keeps trying to open the cd rom drive on the laptop. Have to get going. Hope you are having a good week.

Book Review for Book Sneeze 3.09.2010

Lies the Government Told You
by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

I was curious about this book title when I first saw it. I have always been leery about trusting everything the government does and tells us is for our own good. Judge Napolitano takes a literal view of the Constitution of the United States and shows how during numerous times in the past, it has been trampled on by the government and even by the Supreme Court. He sites numerous court cases dealing with many topics from eminent domain, the right to bear arms (and how hard that is to do anymore) to even the ban on trans fats. He claims that the government has gotten too large and is trying to do way more than what it was established to do by the constitution.

While reading this book, I felt like Judge Napolitano was rather disrespectful towards the majority of United States Presidents. He was extremely harsh on them, mostly towards President George H. Bush. He went so far as to call President Lincoln a murderer and was extremely harsh towards many others. I was raised to believe and still do, that no matter what the politics of the President, he is still deserving of respect because he is the President. He was elected to that office by the people, and no matter what the policies he endorses or what he does he still demands respect. If a country can not show respect to it's leader, than how in the world would we expect other countries to give him and even us respect? I did not appreciate the tone of disrespect used towards the office of the president and because of that, I do not plan on reading any more of Judge Napolitano's books.

This book is an all right read. I am sure there are better books out there about the erosion of our Constitutional Rights. I do can not personally reccomend it for an introduction to our Constitutional rights. Or on the basis of disrespect towards the current and previous Presidents.

I was given the book Lies the Government Told You by Thomas Nelson as part of their Book Sneeze program. I was not compensated in any form other than a free copy of the book. All views in this review are mine and mine alone.

I Want a Banana

Yesterday morning, Bugs climbed into bed with us to wake us up. She was in a horrible mood. Just grouchy and whiny and frankly, it wasn't even close to time to get up yet. It was such a mood that if she were an adult, you would have found the fastest way to be shed of her company. Yes, it was that bad.

I get her to cuddle up next to me and we start to talk. We talk about getting up, that we are going to get to go to church in a few hours. We discuss why we go to church and what a privilege it is to be able to do so. It was a great talk, and she started to adjust her attitude. When winding down this teachable moment, I ask her if she can finish finding her "happy and cheerful spirit" to take to church with her. She turns, looks at me and says "I want a banana." I literally slap my forhead. Hubbs was lying next to me and just busts up laughing and says "and yet another teachable moment lost by the ADD of a three-year-old." I have no idea if she got anything out of it. We were having a fairly good give and take of conversation until that point.

I love being able to have these moments with the girls. I'm so thankful that I do. And I'm reminded how often God tries to teach us something, and we come back with "I want a banana?" How many lessons have we missed that God was trying to teach, all because we are so focused on ourselves? Probably more than we care to admit. More than I want to admit. Too many times we (I) fall into the trap of thinking of myself and not focusing on God and what He wants me to do and learn. Let's all work more on watching for those moments when God wants us to learn something this week. Be open and willing to listen. Sometimes the lessons are hard, and we don't want to learn them, but believe me, it makes it easier for you if you do. So, this week, let's be more teachable, shall we?