Whoa! Thankful Thursday

I'm not entirely sure why, but this here blog is blowing up with views.  I'm thinking it has to do with the St. Francis wolf cookies that were made for Logan's Cub Scout Wolf Den.  Here is the link to the proper credit for these cookies.  No stealing done here!  Now onto Thankful Thursday.

-for so many people viewing the blog
-the three littles on the mend from various illnesses
-catching up on some much needed cleaning
-slowing down
-lesson plans done for tomorrow
-our co-op
-new and old friends
-daily gift giving

There's always more, but this is right now.  Enjoy your weekend!

Our art wall getting plenty of action from a bunch of sickies.

Cub Scout Cake Night

Last year was our first cake night.  We had no notice remembered late and had to make a themed cake.  Last year it was citizenship.  This year it was what I love about scouts.  Logan liked fishing and spending time with daddy best.  This cake night happened during Hell-o week last Friday.  We baked the cake Thursday and Nana helped him decorate it Friday.  I was at the vendor event and Kevin was on THE work call.  

I had seen something on a blog for the feast day of St. Francis.  They were wolf cookies.  Logan's in the wolf den this year.  Nana was a lifesaver for this project.  Sometimes I tend to be a little *whispering* controlling.  I know.  It might come as a shock to some of you.  You can bet I was on my way to the vendor fair trying not to call and see how things were going, or to add another idea or thought to make sure they were on the right track...my track.  Then, I would take a breath and let it go.  I had to.  I was already running on empty and I had to let go of something.  My 7yo's cake was it.

Apparently, Kevin couldn't get off the phone with a lot of time to help.  I texted Kevin and asked him to take a pic if he could and send it to me.  I was so pleasantly surprised.  Thank you Nana and everyone else who helped.  It sure took a load off my worry radar.  

The Cub Scouts run it so that each kid gets something.  The big prize is some measuring cups.  Everyone else gets a wooden spoon.  Last year Logan got the measuring cups.  This year he got a wooden spoon.  I don't know the rhyme or reason, but I love a wooden spoon as much as the next person.  Here's all this in film.

These wolf cookies are Pepperidge Farm lemon cookies, dipped in chocolate with white chocolate chips.  You don't have to use the lemon cookies, but the design is what you're looking for.  So..what do you think?  Rice krispie boat, gingerbread men cookies, swedish fish...wonderful!

Re-evaluating

I made it.  I am alive (don't know about well) after this weekend.  I'll do a quick run through.

*Friday noon - left school to take Rory to the dentist by 1245p.
*330p - left for vendor fair
*9p - left vendor fair
*10p - arrived home
*Saturday 645a - left to go back to vendor fair
*345p - left vendor fair
*6p - left for Light the Night walk
*930p - home from Light the Night walk
*Sunday morning 830a - left for church
*1230p - left for Thirty-One party in West Virginia
*515p - arrived at in-laws to join family for dinner
*630p - home and vegging

On top of it all, Kevin was on the phone almost the entire weekend...starting Friday morning.  While he didn't have to be in front of the computer the whole time, he was still on the phone.  

I can't begin to describe how I'm feeling.  Worn out and exhausted just don't seem to suffice.  I would venture to say that I am bone tired.  It's making me rethink some things.  While the kids are in their extra curricular activities, I think I need to tread lightly on other things I am adding to the week.  I just can't hang.  I'm not getting to the gym, and I'm starting to see just how much things are slipping.  The gym isn't about just working off the calories, as ridiculous as it sounds, there's something therapeutic for me (mentally) about the gym.

So here's my line of thinking.  I'm going to look at the week and fill in the kids' activities.  Then I'm going to add two family dinners.  Kevin and I normally eat with the three youngers, but these are dinners that include Kaelyn.  I'm going to make sure Mass has a slot, and confession has been on the back burner.  My prayer life?  Let's not talk about that because honestly there might not be that much to talk about.  I feel like when my relationship with God is not strong, then my life is not strong, like everything is out of whack.  I'm trying to get to the bottom of it because normally there's something else I can blame it on.  Know what I mean?  Right now I've got nothing else other than my own fault.  

I think I'm also extremely lacking in sleep.  There was a week there somewhere that Kevin and I were going to bed around 9p every night.  I think that week went really well.  That might be the link to it all.  Maybe I'll try that first rather than reconfigure everything, but that's never been my style.  ;)  It's all in or go home.

I think the Thirty-One journey is over.  I'm not quitting, but I'm not striving to make my leadership numbers anymore.  It's going to have to be ok.  I can't put into it what I once did.  It's not "paying" off. So right now I'm just going to stand.  (Ephesians 6:13)

Did you notice I changed my picture?  Meghan took an awesome one of the fam at the walk.  They came to the walk with us again.  It's nice to have friends supporting us.  There's something about our kids getting together.  It's like a perfect storm.  It was a wild and crazy night at the cancer walk.  

We got to the walk late.  There was no edible food left, no shirts for the kids, and no more balloons.  Next year, we go earlier.  When we were going to leave Saturday evening, Marley ate a taffy and ended up with half of it in her hair.  I had to do the peanut butter trick and a shower.  Good times!

Updated for Fall

Yay for a new fall look!  It was chilly today.  Isn't that lovely?  It's supposed to be colder tomorrow, but it's going to rain.  I don't like cold rain, but beggars can't be choosers.  Tomorrow is a VERY busy day.  Please pray for me.  I just have to get through this weekend.  

Here's a pic of one of the beautiful sunsets we've been having.  Maybe this is God's promise that we'll all be ok even if the U.S. is being fedexed to hell.  That's how I'm taking it!  Wish me luck!

On The Mend - Daybook

Outside my window...
It rained and winded today.  Fall temperatures are arriving tomorrow.  I can't lie.  I'm squealing with excitement.

I am thankful...
For this past weekend.  I canceled everything and just got stuff done around here.  It's not exactly "restful" but I didn't have to rush to get to the next thing.  That was relaxing.

I am thinking about...
This week.  I'm calling it hell week.  There's a lot to be done, and I'm feeling overwhelmed.  I tried to get a head start this weekend, and I got a lot done, but there's so much more.  I just have to make it through this weekend.  ;)

In the schoolroom...
I've shown you the Roman projects.  We have gotten into a groove with schoolwork from our co-op.  Rory even had to write a persuasive speech, and she tried to persuade her teacher to give less homework.  I think it worked a bit.  There's a definite change to the amount.  We were even able to do a fall craft project. The kids want to buy decorations.  I told them we're making them instead.  I'm sure I'll regret it later.

From the kitchen...
We went gluten free for two days last week.  Then I took Marley to the doc and she told me not to go gluten free.  Apparently Marley is "failing to thrive" like Rory.  I asked if it was possible that I have tall skinny kids.  She admitted it's possible, but she wanted blood work.  We got that done today.  Poor Mars did great.  FOUR TUBES WITH FASTING.  I think I was more stressed than she was.  The doc said that if we go gluten free then I'll have to count their calories.  I have NO TIME for that.We're trying something else instead.  Pray for good test results.

I am creating...
Christmas lists;  Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.

I am working on...
My prayer life.  We did two novenas to Saint Therese.  I'm asking for miracles.  I'm begging for miracles.

I am reading...
Nothing right now, but I have books in waiting.

I am praying...
MIRACLES!

I am hearing...
Downton Abbey.  Yay!

Around the house...
I have implemented chores.  I just can't remember to have them do them.  Instead when they start fighting, I give them each a chore.  I think my house will be cleaner this way than assigning chores and a specific time to do them.  

One of my favorite things...
Apple TV.  All our shows play and the next day we watch them.  It's lovely.  There's no commercials.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
You don't want to know.  Seriously, it'll tire me out just to type it.  

Photodump...

On My Political Soapbox

Politics is NOT my strong suit.  My knowledge consists of plugging my ears and singing," Aaaaaa-men.  Aaaaaa-men.  Aaaaa-A-men. A-men. A-men."  That's what I would do when I was little and my sisters made me watch Children of the Corn.  Let me back up.

I've been reading a blog that talks a lot about Moral Imagination.  This is loosely translated, but it goes something like this.  Children these days are missing the inherent right and wrong, good and evil message that most of us got when we were young.  It involves the books we read, movies watched (or didn't watch) and so on.  For example, dragons are evil.  Period.  The end.  Yet, in today's society, we have movies that turn them into nice creatures such as How To Train Your Dragon.  Vampires are evil, fictional, characters but we personify them and have them fall in love in movies and books today.  The message is being lost. The teaching of good and evil may still be happening, but it isn't being reinforced through examples, stories, etc.  Think Disney.  

I have a strong sense of good and evil.  All bad I've done in my life, I knew was bad.  This is why some things are so blatantly clear to me in politics because duh, it's just bad.  There doesn't have to be a reason or an example, one just KNOWS it's bad.  This is how I feel about politics.  Don't explain to me what's happening because it makes me mad because someone is always doing something bad.  It's as plain sight as common sense most times.  

I get what little information I know from Kevin.  He launches into the whole story and nitty gritty on something, and I instantly feel like plugging my ears and having some gospel music singing time.  People are doing bad things.  People that we are supposed to trust to look after us and take care of us.  It's sad.  It's dragons and vampires trying to be good.  It's looks normal because we're seeing it everywhere.  

(climbing off soapbox)

I'm done.  But since I decided to go and get all serious on ya, I'll leave you with a funny.  This is in honor of my geek husband.

And one more...This was a tweet from Robin Williams about Canada in honor of my seester.

I couldn't agree more.

Roman School

I got pictures for you today.  Today was the day I had to get through.  You know how you talk to yourself, "You just gotta get through the 1st.  Just get through the 1st."  Well, it's here and ending and I survived.  We even made it to Mass on time for Ms. Saint Therese.  :)  

The day wasn't too bad except that I'm still not feeling well.  Rory and Logan are studying the same time period in History.  This means they do a lot of the same work.  They had to do an end of the unit project on the Roman Empire.  They had a list of suggestions.  Logan decided to do a roman bridge out of lego, and we steered Rory toward a roman armor outfit.  I take full blame.  I thought she'd be really interested in it.  It's done now.

We had to borrow Nana and Papa's legos for this bridge.  Daddy and Logan worked hard on it.

Kevin worked hard on this project too.  Now...onto the next month.