New pictures....

I took a few pictures before we left for ballet today....Katie just looked so cute in her outfit, and of course Noah wanted some taken of him too. The first one is him smiling, the second one was done by request "Now take one like this mommy!"

They are so cute!

Busy business...this two blog thing

I hope I can keep up!



New Year's Resolution Check in:

1. Get out of debt! I will support this cause by being very frugile with groceries and "needs." Though it may not be feasible to get completely out of debt by the end of the year, hopefully a large portion will be gone! Yay!

Well.....we are starting our class in February, and have also planned a trip to Disney that month! LOL....Well, we will be saving an emergency fund too, so we are getting a start...I have done my part so far though, with keeping our grocery bill at a minimum! I have been proud of getting out of the grocery store for less than $100 a week for the past few weeks! yay!

2. Keep the house out of CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome*). My goal is that anyone can ring the doorbell and I will not have to barely open the door to talk through the crack or pretend I am not home. Also...if someone does come over I won't have to tell them the toilet is broken...I will not be embarrassed to allow them to use our restroom! *CHAOS taken from "flylady.com"

So, I did perfect for about 2 weeks. Then, the first day the living room was in a wreck the neighbor rang the doorbell! AGH!!! It is much better though. The laundry is caught up, and a 15 minute rush through at any given time will bring it back to almost perfection, so that is an improvement definitely! Also, our sink has been shiny all day almost every day!!!

3. Eat dinner at home 6 out of 7 days per week! As opposed to buying stuff for 5 meals per week then eating at the most 4 at home. This could save tons of money thus supporting goal number one!

Success every day but the past two days! I claim Corey being gone syndrome!!!!!

4. Stop biting my fingernails. I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. My mom put the bitter stuff on my nails when I was little....it still didn't work.

I did great at this....till a couple of days ago. They were splitting really badly, not growing strong, so it was so hard to keep them from getting torn which greatly impaired my ability to do ANYTHING! BUT, I didn't bite them off, I clipped them! Improvement, will be trying again soon!

5. Eat healthy. I am not putting "lose weight" as a goal, but if I do this, surely the weight thing will follow. Can't gain too much weight by cutting out all that fat and sugar right?

Ehhhhh....not so much. We buy skim milk?!

6. Make an effort to be joyful about household chores. In other words that prayer I have seen that talks about thanking God while you do the dishes because we have food to eat, and thanking God for the clothes to wash because we have an abundance of things to wear, etc. I am so much happier when my house is clean. It is like the state of the house sets my mood for the day, so this will help with so many other things!

I have to say this is improving. I am taking joy in things more around the house. It really makes a difference!

7. Do a Bible study devotion with Corey 5 days every week. We have ordered a book that I think will be good. It is by Beth Moore. This will be good hopefully!

The books are great. We have done 1 day. I did some while Corey was gone. We need to work on this one still....

8. Finish the scarves I started knitting for Katie and Noah. I have 3/4 of one done for Katie, and Noah's is still completely in the skein. (sp?). I need to get going on this one to get them done for next winter lol!

Haven't touched them....yet.

9. Learn to sew and make a curtain for Noah's toy shelf. I have a free sewing machine waiting for me, just gotta get going on it!

Still on the list!!!!

10. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! (The most difficult one to keep of all I do believe!) The only way I see to accomplish this is to just NOT be around certain people, or to come prepared with plenty of things to daydream about while I am around them so that I don't pay attention to anything they are saying. Or perhaps I can work on my attitude.

I have successfully avoided certain persons for the most of the month, but I really have to work on the being around them and still not saying anything...we will see how it goes!


#11: Recycle. I had to add this one today when I filled a trash bag with boxes and plastic bottles from water and cleaning supplies. Maybe by the end of the year we can be recycling at least cardboard and plastic...the main trash fillers around here.

I think this one is the biggest success...but probably the easiest to do! We have a trash can on our back porch and we are collecting things quite nicely. I have to say it has GREATLY improved the overloaded trashcan situation. We only make 2 bags of "garbage" this week, where usually we had one every day! Those cereal boxes and milk jugs really fill up a bag quickly! We haven't taken our first load to the recycling place yet, but it is ready!!

I am proud of the list so far...it gives me goals...and besides, its still January!!!!

Yay!

We're going to Disney World! This will be my only post about it because I am a dork and I created a blog JUST FOR the trip! lol!

Check it out, I will be posting more often on it between now and then I am sure!!!

http://thompsonsgotodisney.blogspot.com/

I have to tell this story before I forget....

Tonight we were playing a game together.....a "match the opposite" puzzle game. Well, Noah's gum kept falling out of his mouth while he was leaned over looking at the pieces. He would also grab it and put it back in his mouth really quickly before I could stop him. How many times in a row can you use the 15 second rule? Is it cumulative?
After about the third time, I said, "Go throw that away, it keeps falling out of your mouth......and HOW did you get such a big piece anyway?" I usually split a piece between them, but today they had a whole piece of the really tiny sugar free kind.
"My sister gave me her gum," he replied.
*sigh* "Katie....you shouldn't share your gum, you are spreading germs and you have just been sick!" To which Noah offered his three-year-old logic."
"OH! I can take it apart!" and he took the big piece of gum in his hand and started to pull it apart, thus taking Katie's "germy" piece back out!!!!
What a change from a few days ago when I told Katie to stop putting her hands in Noah's face because she was sick. Well, Noah proceeded to go on a germ freak out session which involved washing everything that Katie touched, him, his fork, his plate, etc. He was SO worried about getting her germs!!!
"Nooooooo....it doesn't work like that Noah, just go throw it away!"
"Katie, why did you give Noah your gum?"
"We were playing tooth fairy give, and I thought of it and when I said it, he said, okay."

?!?!?!?!?!?

Weather and etc...

I had to move the snow show down, so that's why it says jan 19th. There wasn't snow to play in today, just some to watch fall and melt...

So I am super excited that our family may make their first treck to Disney World next weekend/week. It is sort of a last minute decision, but the rates are AWESOME right now. And the weather??? ?Beautiful! Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 50s! Could it get any more perfect than that? YES it can! It can be the least busy time of the year and we won't have to wait in lines!!! WOO HOO!!! Yay for Disney in January and homeschooling so we don't have to wait till spring break or summer break to go with the crowds and the heat!

That's all I can think about right now. Other than the fact that I filled up my car LAST Sunday and it is still almost full because I haven't gone ANYWHERE this week because the weather has been so yucky! We are so ready to get out of the house....so....FL sounds like a pretty good choice!

My blog: My opinion

I have something to say that has been stewing in my mind for a while now. I want to share it with you with the disclaimer that this is my opinion, so read it or not.

What is so wrong with a woman being a "stay at home mom?" It just baffles me that this has become such an "abnormal" occupation.

Two years ago, due to a lack of child-care, we decided as a family that I would become a "stay at home mom." What we thought would be a tremendous sacrifice has actually turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to our family! Those two years that I worked outside the home are a blur of events, sicknesses, tired days and night, and these two years I have been home are full of memorable family dinners, evenings spent playing together, and family celebrations that we weren't too stressed or tired to enjoy.

It is sad to me that all girls are expected to choose a career and earn a degree before they consider marrying or having children. There is a reason that some girls have the desire to marry and have a family early....it is because it is the natural order of life on earth. Some girls even attend college, and just choose a career because it is what they are "expected" to do and what their parents want for them. They will "lose any support" if they get married before they walk that stage and get their degree. Why? The parents want her to have a "backup plan" or to be "financially independent?" This raises several questions. Did the parents not raise their daughter with the intelligence and know-how of choosing a husband? That then falls on the shoulders of the parents...they should have addressed that before college! As far as being financially independent, unless the daughter happens to make it all the way through a very high paying degree program, (mostly likely requiring overwork and overstress), then I wouldn't count on the "financially independent" thing to pan out. Have you ever tried to balance a family's budget on a teacher's salary? If something bad happens in the marriage or to the husband some years down the road, she is probably going to need your help anyway...so what's the big deal about financial independence? It is feasible to make as much working as a fast food manager as it is working as a teacher or social worker, or even a nurse in some cases.
So...if a woman does not feel called to any particular degree program....why push away the thought that she could be best in her field of calling: motherhood!
It could be that all those years spent in college will take her past the best years for her "creating" a family for herself...thus all the reproductive woes that afflict many families.
Back to our situation. My husband's work brings him in contact with many people across the country. They usually end up "small talking" it a little. On more than one occassion he has been given responses of "pity" for me when he says I am a stay at home mom.
They wonder if I feel like I am "missing out" by not being able to work, use my degree, "contribute financially" What has caused the shift here? I think probably many years ago that the same response would have been given if he had shared that his wife worked outside the home. It would have been seen as if he was unable to provide for his family for some reason.
Why is it that women who stay at home are still looked down upon? Does there need to be a "women's lib" movement to "liberate" women to be able to stay home without criticism?

Families are so busy. They don't have time for dinner together, or time to keep the laundry clean, or the house tidy, or to sit down and talk to their kids when discipline is needed. They don't have "time" to create routines or to create memorable traditions in their family. This is what is accomplished through the simple of act of my staying at home. Not to say that it needs to be me...it is just that in our particular marriage, this is what works for us. A women shouldn't be considered to be wasting her time or talents doing these jobs. It is rewarding. It makes for a happy home. What is your life all about anyway?

Now here is where I have a real problem and I may really light some fires if anyone ever reads this...I mean no offense, but I take offense greatly at this statement: "I couldn't stay at home with my kids all day, I would go crazy! It is good you can do that."
WHAT??!?!? If that is your opinion, then you shouldn't be having kids. If they are so annoying that you would rather be at work than spending every moment you can raising them, then please don't have kids! It could be that they annoy these people so badly because of the lack of time they actually spend with them. Maybe they behave badly or have all these annoying habits because someone else raises them while both parents have their careers and paychecks. I would rather have my family than a paycheck any day! If a parent will give it more than a week during school break, or more than a summer vacation, they could learn that they could be happy spending time with their children. It just takes time to establish the routines and relationships that make time together enjoyable!

Here's another excuse given for both parents working: we need the money, we couldn't make it on one paycheck.
I call that "crap." Anyone can make it on whatever budget they have with enough discipline. Maybe they couldn't support their "current" lifestyle with one paycheck, or afford the two nice cars, the expensive meals, etc. But, I believe that if a family is determined to have one parent at home to keep the family sane, then it can be done. It may take a bite out of their pride, but it CAN BE DONE. Now, debt is a major issue here. Some families may be so far in debt that they have themselves in a trap that requires both parents to work. I am not a financial advisor, so there.

I guess I should get back to the topic at hand: women being pushed too far. Why are there so many broken homes? Well, my opinion is that the family was broken far before it became official. Both parents are tired, the kids are crazy, there is no unity in the home, the kids allegiance is to school and their peers not to the parents and home, etc etc. The marriage is weak because the parents don't get any "time" together because they are so stressed, busy, and they never see their kids so they don't want to sacrifice that obligatory family time to actually have a date night.....
I strongly believe that if more families would "sacrifice" that career or paycheck for a while to actually raise their children and support their homelife, then there would be a lot more happy people in the world! Maybe there would be less angry teachers because they aren't giving up their families to raise other people's kids. Maybe there would be less mistakes made in hospital rooms because the nurses wouldn't be too tired from juggling too many responsibilities. Maybe there would be less children with stress related illnesses because their mom or dad is present during the formative years of their lives. Maybe there would be less teenage rebellion because the children have had support from parents, involved parents who have taken the time to form a relationship with them rather than "provide" for them in ways that aren't as important as they think. Maybe there would be less abortion because the girl wouldn't feel like it would ruin her life or her family would reject her as being a "mom" instead of a doctor, lawyer, etc. Maybe there would be less divorce because one mate would be in the position to support the other rather than play the "who does more around here" game. Maybe there would be less infidelity because the parents actually have time to nurture their marriage. Maybe there would be less debt because people would live in their means because they HAVE to. Maybe there would be more moral people in the world because someone in the family actually has the time to teach it, and live it for their kids.
I am not an expert. I do not claim to be 100% fool-proof. I do not claim to have the answers. As I said, this is my blog, my opinion.
Just think about all this the next time you meet a stay at home mom. Or, if one of your child's goals is to have a family and children, but to not go to college. Which would make a bigger difference in the world? Another underpaid teacher, overworked nurse, overstressed doctor? OR how about some well adjusted families? Now THAT is something the world definitely needs more of!

ANTI-FLAME CLAIM: I am sure there are plenty of examples of families in which both parents work and their kids are fine. They eat together every night, blah blah etc. Well, I would be willing to bet this is not the majority. If you think it is, then you have not been out of your house in a while.....

Time: 5:30pm

Place: Our driveway
Action: Me digging through a bag to find a prescription bag from Rite-Aid.
Result: Found my ATM card!
Feeling: RELIEF!

Flashback to 3 hours earlier:
I was headed to the ATM to get some cash for my gym payment (HA HA!). I pull up to the window and take out my wallet and NO CARD! I look through my entire wallet and my purse and cannot find my card. I am going to be late for Noah's tumbling class if I don't leave right then, so here I go.
I get home from tumbling and then procede to look all around my seats in the car, the console, anywhere it could have dropped.
I DISTINCTLY remember complaining to Corey Friday night after the last time I used it. How I get so annoyed by Wal-Mart, for many reasons but among them this: They bag all your stuff in that carousel thingee and then they are already ringing up the next person while you try to get all your stuff from around the thing and juggle getting your card back in your wallet and make sure you don't forget any bags...anyway...it is just a pain. So I remember putting it BACK IN MY WALLET and that's the last place I used it besides the pharmacy. You don't have to be a detective here to see that the wires just didn't connect about that phrase I just stated.
We ate an early lunch today so Noah could get a nap in before his class, so on top of being stressed about my card not being where it was supposed to be, I am also starving and have a headache from the crazy weather as well as the long time since food.
When we got in the house I immediately check the top of the tv where we sometimes put things we need to keep up with, I checked the coat I wore Friday night to Walmart (the last place I used it besides the pharmacy), the pants I wore, the pants I wore Saturday, the crevice down in the dryer lint trap thing, the washing machine, folded all the clothes to see if it was in there, looked through the coat pockets again.
THEN I finally decided I had to call Corey. I asked "When you got your card out of my wallet the other day did you happen to get my check card out too?"
"No" was his reply.
Okay, we hung up.
I thought, "hmmmm....he sounded very unalarmed" And I immediately got suspicious. He would likely find my card somewhere like the floor of the bedroom after it fell out of my pants and then put it away to see how long it would take me to discover it missing.
So I called him back.
No, he hasn't seen the card, he was just being nice about it.
So...I look ALL the previous places I looked before then resort to asking the kids. This method HAS worked before, that they know where some random thing that I have misplaced happens to be (or where they swiped and put it to be funny I guess).
"Have you seen mommy's blue card I use to buy things?"
Noah says "YES I sawed it!"
WHERE!??!?!?!? I say.
In my closet!
?!?!?! What? where?
We go to his closet. He points to his drum. He said it was right there on his drum and then it got hided over here...he points to his big stuffed animal container.
Well, stranger things have happened around here, so I question him further. Where did you see the card? "On that drum" Where was it before you put it there? "It was hiding" Okay, I guess it could have been hiding if it was lost somewhere in the house.
We pull everything out of the closet, all the stuffed animals: NO CARD!
Who knows what in the world he thought I was talking about...I can just say it was another thing to raise the frustration level for me!
And I left out several lines worth of questioning between us. It went on for quite a while.
So, now I am in tears, still hungry, headache in full swing, in the meantime Noah decides he wants to color so he pulled out all the markers, they are all over the floor, lids off, paper torn in floor of the living room....this was just NOT a pretty picture.
Then, I began to look through our mail container on the kitchen counter. For some reason this action triggered a thought: THE PHARMACY! I remember the lady putting my card down in the prescription bag. When I got the bag I looked to verify the medicine because I didn't want to get home with the wrong thing, but I didn't get the card out.
I looked everywhere in the kitchen even though I knew I had already thrown the bag away.
I even weighed the choices: dig through the trash or report the card and wait for a new one.
So....that's where you find me digging through the garbage can to find the prescription bag. The card was there! YAY!
I don't know what triggered that "remembrance" in my mind. I guess God was just looking out for me, watching and knowing that I had just about as much as I could take, especially after last week.
I can't complain though. I was talking to my friend about what a week we had last week, and even though it seems like everything has been piling up the past week or so, I can't complain. It usually isn't us. Usually I am on the listening end thinking "wow, poor you, you just can't get a break!" And besides....I won't say it...but you know the end of this statement: It could be......

What a week!

So....this has been a traumatic week for us so far....
Starting Sunday afternoon when we got home from church and Noah ran up the sidewalk and busted his nose. It bled all over the place for about 15 minutes. We are waiting out to see if we need to take him somewhere. He has acted fine, except at night. He hasn't been sleeping well, probably due to the face that his nose is still swollen a little and he sounds like he is talking with his nose pinched together. The dr. said that unless it lasts more than two weeks to not worry...so we will see.
Then yesterday AS I was posting the ballet pictures, Katie and Noah decided it would be a good idea to give Katie a haircut. So with her hair still in a bun, Noah cut into her hair and cut a big chunk out of her bangs. I won't post the before picture, it is just too pitiful, but I took her to a place here in Adairsville and they did a FANTASTIC JOB of evening it all out and making it look cute. The back was just butchered all over so with some straightening and smoothing it will look pretty good! I really like it. I told her next time she thinks she needs a haircut to just ask!

Ballet and Tumbling!

Yesterday and today marked the beginning of the winter term for our extracurricular classes! Noah started tumbling yesterday and Katie started ballet today! I didn't take any pictures of Noah's class yesterday...because I did take some in the fall when he first began tumbling. There are only three students in his particular class again...two other little girls. He was acting very silly during class yesterday, so I hope he isn't trying to be funny for the girls! It went well...he is such a natural at the "tumbling" arts! lol. I think his favorite part is where the teacher sets up a big "crash mat" (very big thick blue tumbling mat) and the kids line up at the other end of the room, then they run to the mat and do a forward roll. They put their hands up on the mat as soon as they get to it and "roll" up onto and over it. It is kind of difficult to describe tumbling moves in words! Anyway, he loves that part!

Katie went to ballet today for the first time. It was love at first class! She was so adorable in there tapping her feet during the tap portion of class, then tiptoeing down the room during the ballet portion. During the class the girls and the teacher face a mirror so they can all see the way to move and not get confused about which leg or hand to move (if the teacher faced them they would have to learn to do everything "opposite")...anyway, as you can imagine..Katie LOVED looking in the mirror and watching herself and the others in their leotards. At the end of class the teacher played this music box sounding music and they all pretended to be fairies and danced around however they wanted. I wish I had taken my camera (I will next time)...the look on Katie's face to be able to just twirl, swirl, tiptoe, hands in the air and pretend to be a fairie! It was so cute. It was definitely her favorite part as she told me in the car. When we were leaving she said, "I hope we can come again next Tuesday!" Of course!

I took these pictures before we left for class. Noah wanted me to take his picture playing the guitar since I was taking pictures....

Bragging Rights

I feel like posting tonight about my wonderful husband: Corey.

I have a really great husband....even if we did pick each other young! One of the things I admire about him the most is that he strives and succeeds at being a good person by making the best possible choices he can make for his family. I can honestly say that Corey always chooses to be with his family above anything else. He does occassionally have a "guy's" night with the church bowling (but it is CHURCH bowling for pete's sake!...not guy's night at the pub or something). If he wants to see a movie, which he does occassionally, he always chooses to go late after he has been home to see the family and tuck the kids into bed. We feel important to him.
I can say with confidence that I can always count on him to be there when I need him. When I was pregnant with Katie I was very sick. I couldn't eat and was of course hormonal and crying a lot! I called him at Mohawk where he worked at the time...I was crying, sick, just miserable! He actually left work and came home to take care of me! He got me upstairs with crackers, drinks, tucked me into bed and told me he loved me. Now, he couldn't stop the puking, but emotionally he really took care of me! That meant so much to me! What kind of guy would leave work to go tuck their sick wife into bed? MINE would and did!

Recently we began growing spiritually together...and I am enjoying this time so much! He is really taking the position of spiritual head of our household and I can already see the difference it is making in our family and in our children. He is going to be a great example for his son and daughter, and will be someone they can look to as an example of how a Christian man runs his house. I am so proud of him and how happy our house is because of this! Katie and Noah will have someone to be "Christ" in their home as it is supposed to be with a father...I thank God everyday for this blessing in our home.

Another great thing about Corey....he is just a fun person. We can be silly, play games together, play with our kids, be crazy...just anything...anytime. He is polite and has good manners (in public anyway lol)...and someone I am never nervous about introducing to anyone I know. It was a priviledge to introduce him to my family when we first started dating, and it has been a priviledge to see him grow into being a part of my family.

I also want to say what I great dad he is. He takes his responsibility for the raising of his children very seriously. He is always trying to be a better example, a better caretaker, and is open to my ideas and suggestions for them. To know that he respects my opinions as a mom and makes me feel so valuable! He loves that I stay at home, and he really appreciates what I do at home...I know because he tells me. He always allows me my "me" time, and he recognizes my need for that. I appreciate it so much!

I could go on more about how much I love my husband and the father of our children...but I don't want to gush anymore or it would seem fake.

I just felt like these things needed to be said. I am proud of Corey. I know he will always take care of us and that he will not sacrifice his time with us and the good of our family for anything in this world. He is a wonderful husband and dad...that's all I can say...I love my husband!

Happy New Year!

Goals for 2008:

1. Get out of debt! I will support this cause by being very frugile with groceries and "needs."
Though it may not be feasible to get completely out of debt by the end of the year, hopefully a large portion will be gone! Yay!

2. Keep the house out of CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome*). My goal is that anyone can ring the doorbell and I will not have to barely open the door to talk through the crack or pretend I am not home. Also...if someone does come over I won't have to tell them the toilet is broken...I will not be embarrassed to allow them to use our restroom! *CHAOS taken from "flylady.com"

3. Eat dinner at home 6 out of 7 days per week! As opposed to buying stuff for 5 meals per week then eating at the most 4 at home. This could save tons of money thus supporting goal number one!

4. Stop biting my fingernails. I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. My mom put the bitter stuff on my nails when I was little....it still didn't work.

5. Eat healthy. I am not putting "lose weight" as a goal, but if I do this, surely the weight thing will follow. Can't gain too much weight by cutting out all that fat and sugar right?

6. Make an effort to be joyful about household chores. In other words that prayer I have seen that talks about thanking God while you do the dishes because we have food to eat, and thanking God for the clothes to wash because we have an abundance of things to wear, etc. I am so much happier when my house is clean. It is like the state of the house sets my mood for the day, so this will help with so many other things!

7. Do a Bible study devotion with Corey 5 days every week. We have ordered a book that I think will be good. It is by Beth Moore. This will be good hopefully!

8. Finish the scarves I started knitting for Katie and Noah. I have 3/4 of one done for Katie, and Noah's is still completely in the skein. (sp?). I need to get going on this one to get them done for next winter lol!

9. Learn to sew and make a curtain for Noah's toy shelf. I have a free sewing machine waiting for me, just gotta get going on it!

10. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! (The most difficult one to keep of all I do believe!) The only way I see to accomplish this is to just NOT be around certain people, or to come prepared with plenty of things to daydream about while I am around them so that I don't pay attention to anything they are saying. Or perhaps I can work on my attitude.

#11: Recycle. I had to add this one today when I filled a trash bag with boxes and plastic bottles from water and cleaning supplies. Maybe by the end of the year we can be recycling at least cardboard and plastic...the main trash fillers around here.

I truly believe I am capable of completing all of these goals. All of them I will certainly need help with, especially #10. We will see how it goes! #4 is the one I expect most to fail in...but I will give it the old college try anyway!