A Better Day

Today is a better day. We are finally on the mend. The sun was back and it wasn't as bitterly cold. The kids & I still have coughs but I'm praying they will be healed soon. We went to piano and though it was tough to get everyone ready & out the door it felt good to get out of the house. We even did a bit of school today! The girls & I did a lesson on taxonomy. They started making flashcards for the Kingdom Animalia. I will take pictures and post them later. We will definitely be staying home tomorrow as we are expecting a big ice storm.

'Please' & 'Thank You'?

Hearts, like doors, open with ease

When we say thank you and if you please!

I posted some items to give away on our local Freecycle this morning. I have had 3 requests so far. What happened to please and thank you? So far it's been, "I want these. Where can I pick them up?" Maybe it's my mood today but I think common courtesy is becoming a thing of the past. I've decided that the first person to say "please" & politely request these items will get them. What do you think?

Gloomy Day

It's raining
It's cloudy & dark.
Suits my mood.
Gloomy.
Exhausted.
Tired of being sick.
Tired of January.
Just plain t-i-r-e-d.

Tackling the Mountain

LOOK!

It's my back porch! I thought I'd never be able to see it again! Hooray!

The Laundry Side

It may not be perfect but it's a BIG step up from what it was earlier today. My tall basket holds laundry to hang up in the basement & the basket on the dryer is waiting for it's turn to take a spin. I'm saving my empty detergent bottles so when I make my own detergent I have toddler-safe containers for it. I LOVE my wire cubbies!

My Goal for Today

My goal is to have all of this washed before I retire tonight. Am I crazy? Probably. Anyone want to take a guess on how many loads this will be?

Skein of Yarn

My project for this morning.

Untangling this web the kids & kitties created. I'm halfway there!

Watching & Waiting

I have been saving a Borders gift card that Dave gave me for quite awhile now. Care to guess how long? Ummmm............I believe we hit 3 years this Christmas. Yep. It was when they were primarily called, "WaldenBooks". Why did I wait so long? I don't really know. I AM a saver. That's true. At first I wanted to save it to make sure I spent it on a book I really really wanted. I am a true blue book lover and would not want to "waste" treat of $20 on a book I would only read once. So I saved it. Then several times I was going to use it only to find I had left it at home. And one doesn't make very many unscheduled trips to the mall when one has 4 young kids, KWIM? Time passed. This past week I decided enough was enough and was determined to buy some books. For ME. Well, since silly me waited so long our Borders store has closed and moved away. Such things happen when you live in a small town. So no going in to browse. Then it finally dawned on me that I could order online! Welcome to technology, Kristine! Lol!

Anyway, I finally put my order in tonight. What a treat to add to my personal library! Yay! Now look out UPS guys & gals cause I will have my eye on you. Watching to see if you will be the angel in brown that delivers my long awaited treasures. I'm going to be like a kid waiting for Christmas. I can hardly wait!

Want to see what I ordered?

This is the one at the top of my list. I ADORE this series!



I liked the CBD reviews of this book & author.

Okay, this one isn't for me. I bought this for our homeschool. I had a choice of spending $3.60 towards a book or to get free shipping. I decided I would much rather invest my $ in another book than in shipping costs. That decision took about 2 seconds.

THANK YOU DAVEY!!!!!!!

Craft Deals!

I found some neat deals at Michael's over the past 2 weeks. The girls & I went Saturday before last and found fantastic clearance deals. We bought some miniature candy canes for 20cents each. I am going to pop them in the freezer for later. I also found several beautiful ornaments for only 50cents a piece. Yay! I have some other deals pictured below. I love clearance!

My Mom told me about the sale on these scrapbook scissors this past week. They were on sale for 50 cents each!!!!! WOW! Regular price is $1.99. My kids LOVE these for crafts. I think they would be great for lapbooks too. I bought 10 of them in different designs.

Mom picked up 6 pairs for the kids. I was amazed to find that only 1 pair matched out of the 10 I bought. Yay! Now we have 15 different pairs of design scissors. What fun!

I got these for 39 cents each. Normally they are $2.00 each. I picked up 7. I am going to tuck them away for next year when I make more candy wreaths. I am happy that I won't have to buy or hunt for them next year. Yahoo!

These were marked down to 30 cents! I had bought the kids their calendars at the Dollar Tree but forgot to get one for Dave and one for myself. We even had designs to choose from. I'm thrilled with my rose calendar. Even if you had a calendar for this low of a price it would be worth it for the beautiful photos.

Down for the Count

I can't believe we are all sick.............again. This horrible cold has knocked us all down like pins in a bowling lane. Symptoms = Hacking cough; watery, bloodshot eyes; fever; chills; deep muscle aches; congestion; headaches; sore throat; swollen glands; runny nose & constant, from-the-toes sneezing. By ribs hurt terribly from all the coughing. Poor E-boy can hardly stay awake or stand up he is so drained, Boo is looking like a poor Basset hound with her big, brown, watery & droopy eyes, and Bugs is oh, so cranky. Sweet Pea is doing a little bit better as he cold started on Wed. She is still coughing a lot though. Poor girl. Everyone is trying their best but are miserable.

It bothers me that this came on the heels of the stomach virus. We were still recovering from that when this hit and our energy stores & immune systems were scraping the bottom of the barrel. I hate that we are missing out on so many activities too. I AM thankful though for Dave's help in taking care of all of us this weekend. I am also thankful that we have the flexibility to stay home since we homeschool.

If you would please keep us in prayer we would be extremely grateful. I'm hoping with my whole heart that February arrives germ-free & full of good health & energy!

A Little Humor

Why did the chicken cross the road?

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems. OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told. ERNEST HEMINGWAY : To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL : Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

BARBARA WALTERS : Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road. JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ......... reboot.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one? DICK CHENEY : Where's my gun? AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

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Thanks Uncle Joe!

Friday's Ramblings

Bugs & I have caught a bad cold. It seems to be running the same course as Sweet Pea's did. She still has her cold but is MUCH better compared to how she felt &looked on Wednesday. I'm hoping by Monday at the latest we will feel much better too. Bugs is cuddling with Daddy tonight. The olders are at my parents' house. Bugs is enjoying having all the attention though he was sad to see sisters and brothers leave without him. They will be back tomorrow so he won't have to be without them for long. =)

Tomorrow I'm going to try to catch the last day of the Educator's Sale at Barnes & Noble. I wanted to go earlier in the week but we've been so busy. I also need to swing by Michael's for some 50-cent pattern scissors and to the YMCA to sign the children up for swimming lessons. We have the $ that Nana gave the children last Christmas. We were unable to use it b/c of all the van problems we had, (read - no transportation due to a moose encounter & a failed transmission), but I tucked it away and now I'm so glad I did. God is good! We wouldn't be able to afford the lessons right now if it weren't for that gift from Nana. Thank you, Nana-Banana! The kids are looking forward to the lessons beginning next month. They will be taking them with other homeschool friends. I am also eager to start as Bugs & I will be allowed to go in the pool as well. Yay! Thank you again, Melissa for arranging all of this!

Toasty Warm

Dave in his new scarf I knit for him. Isn't he cute? LOL!

Mosaic

On Monday, January 28th the acapella group, 'Mosaic' will be on the Early Show (CBS). My Aunt Elaine's nephew is a member of the group. I checked them out online tonight and WOW! It's amazing what they can do with their voices. They also recently won a contest sponsored by CBS and judged by Boyz to Men. If you have a moment check them out.

http://www.myspace.com/vocalmosaic

Wouldn't This Be Fantastic?

Taxpayers would get checks under economic stimulus plan
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/24/economic.stimulus/index.html

9 Lives

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_fe_st/odd_missing_cat

I like the quote by Rob regarding finding his "surprise". LOL!


http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=4226712&cl=6051073&src=news

The news reporters at the end were funny. The kitty, adorable.

Daddy Day!

Today was Daddy's, (Dave's), birthday. The kids were excited to make him cards & gifts. With Christmas, a furnace repair, oil bills and prices going up we don't have any extra $ for a gift right now. Dave was fine with that and actually it was his idea to forgo a bought gift. I felt badly and didn't want him to have to skip it entirely so we have made a deal that when the tax return $ arrives we will buy him a birthday gift then. He was very happy with his homemade gifts & cards. He told the kids he would be taking them to work and putting them up on his wall. What big smiles that statement brought on!

The kids & I went to Bible study this morning, (they did schoolwork while I was in Bible study), and then later this afternoon we worked on Daddy's special supper. Boo helped peel potatoes and Sweet Pea gathered items for me. She rested after that as she wasn't feeling 100%. I made one of Dave's favorite meals (at his request) - Herbed Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and green beans. Usually we would have corn but we had it the night before. For dessert I made him a cake with butter cream frosting from scratch. It was a new recipe. Boy was that cake light! Yum! Everyone enjoyed the meal. Sweet Pea was a great help after dinner helping me by drying dishes & putting food away. Boo helped too after cake by emptying and refilling the dishwasher. There were lots of dishes! =0 ) Dave is a happy boy tonight and I'm sure he will enjoy lots of leftovers tomorrow.

Mashed Potato Mountain

Birthday Meal

Bugs Digs In!

Daddy blows out his candle. It was the only one we could find! LOL!

Presenting.............THE CAKE!

E-boy enjoyed it so much he had seconds.

YUMMY!

Daddy's turn for cake.

His present from E-boy.

Showing off his presents

Little Blue Penguin

Boo made this for Daddy because he loves penguins. She even sewed "DAD" at the top.