school is moving along. some days are good, and some not so good.
as an example, today we started at 12:30 and were still doing reading and writing at 2:30, and taylor took until 3 to finish.
one thing i'm struggling with is they seem to be each others distractions. i can't just school 1 at a time, so i'm not sure how to fix this...
we have a friend (ok, a few of them actually), that has been been helping shaun figure out a studio design. last week, he found a bunch of pallets, and purchased them for us (shaun was NOT happy). now they are off getting the rest of the supplies to put it together. i just hope they remember to get screws. otherwise, it'll be a short build day.
my sister is coming to visit next week. she wanted to go camping in yellowstone for a few days. i'm not sure the weather will allow it. our nights have started freezing. it's that time of year where you almost need a coat in the morning, but shorts by noon.
she also had assignments for the older two. taylor is supposed to learn about geysers, and elizabeth about old faithful. the library had NO resources about either. so we are trying online.
my laundry is done. my house is semi-clean, and i have plans for about a dozen things.
wonder how many i am actually going to get done....
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
new (to us) table
a few months ago, we found a table at the DI. it was a little darker in color that i wanted, and the top needed to be refinished, BUT, it was larger than the one we had.
without the leaf, the old table is a circle. without the leaves (plural), the new table is an oval.
the old table should only fit 6 chairs (we have 7 people). the new table, with 1 leaf, fits 8 chairs. with both leaves will fit 10-12.
the old table is a darker oak. the new table, after being refinished is a beautiful light oak.
i can't wait to use the new table! (we just got it back tonight.)
now to sell the old table...if shaun will let me.
without the leaf, the old table is a circle. without the leaves (plural), the new table is an oval.
the old table should only fit 6 chairs (we have 7 people). the new table, with 1 leaf, fits 8 chairs. with both leaves will fit 10-12.
the old table is a darker oak. the new table, after being refinished is a beautiful light oak.
i can't wait to use the new table! (we just got it back tonight.)
now to sell the old table...if shaun will let me.
school begins!
the kids have been begging to start school for weeks. i haven't had things ready...or so i thought.
the other day, while stressing over how much school planning i still had left to do, the amount of house work that i needed to either do myself or guide children to do, and the fact that there's only one of me, and i just can't do it all, i realized something...
i don't have to have everything ready all at the same time for school. as long as i have the current day's stuff prepared, we'll be alright. *that realization took a HUGE load off my shoulders.
to be honest, i was mostly ready, just couldn't (and still can't) get my computer to print very well. it will print, but it's awfully slow (considering that the computer is around 4 years old, it's not all that surprising. extremely frustrating though.).
the other day, while stressing over how much school planning i still had left to do, the amount of house work that i needed to either do myself or guide children to do, and the fact that there's only one of me, and i just can't do it all, i realized something...
i don't have to have everything ready all at the same time for school. as long as i have the current day's stuff prepared, we'll be alright. *that realization took a HUGE load off my shoulders.
to be honest, i was mostly ready, just couldn't (and still can't) get my computer to print very well. it will print, but it's awfully slow (considering that the computer is around 4 years old, it's not all that surprising. extremely frustrating though.).
phone woes
i'm not sure if it's a phone issue or a computer issue, but i can no longer download my pictures off of my iphone.
it's frustrating, cause that's the only camera i use right now.
so, when i can figure out what's wrong and get it fixed, i will have pictures to upload.
on of these days...
it's frustrating, cause that's the only camera i use right now.
so, when i can figure out what's wrong and get it fixed, i will have pictures to upload.
on of these days...
Saturday, September 12, 2015
chaos
we have devolved into chaos for a bit.
i hate it.
yesterday was the first day of our co-op, but here's how things started.
wednesday, i used up all the ink in the printer, and was still trying to get things printed so we could start school. a friend offered to let me use her printer, and then her's stopped working. apparently, i wasn't supposed to start school this week.
thursday, we spent all day running errands. as i'd run out of ink, not even printing from the computer was an option. so, we ran to IF to get some.
shaun had lost an art book, and his pencil box. it's hard to teach a drawing class if you, the teacher, don't have any supplies, so we gathered him some new ones...
we had been invited to a friend's house for dinner, and didn't make it home until 8:30p. while we were there, though, i did something to my neck, and within an hour had a full blown, vertigo causing migraine. instead of getting more work done, i went to bed. every time i turned over in bed, the migraine came back, and i felt like throwing up.
friday was our mom school. i got up early so i could finish preparations, and we made it on time. but i was running from 7 in the morning, until 7 at night.
i had class rosters i needed to print off before we could leave. i needed to make sure i had something for my kids to eat...ok, that one didn't happen. we needed to have swimming clothes for our pe elective. while we were there, i had a class to teach, and kids to convince to go to their classes. shaun had a class to teach. i needed to try and track people down to make sure we had their paperwork.
michael and ashley had swimming at 11:50, BEFORE their classes were over. then i had to run shannon and elizabeth to their swimming at 12:30, get taylor some lunch, and take care of a friends baby too... then i discovered that i'd told someone some incorrect information, and needed to make that right.
at 2, taylor had tae-kwando, and i had to run and get him there.
i'd had shaun make appointments for the chiropractor for us after 3, when we would all be home... then we ended up being late anyways.
then, i ran taylor and elizabeth to a friends house for a play-date. took the little kids for ice cream cause they were upset they couldn't stay and play.
i spent the rest of the day trying to finish up co-op stuff, remember everything that needed to be done, and getting things taken care of. i'm still struggling to remember everything that needs to be done.
please tell me it will eventually slow down and i'll be able to get on top of things...? right?
i hate it.
yesterday was the first day of our co-op, but here's how things started.
wednesday, i used up all the ink in the printer, and was still trying to get things printed so we could start school. a friend offered to let me use her printer, and then her's stopped working. apparently, i wasn't supposed to start school this week.
thursday, we spent all day running errands. as i'd run out of ink, not even printing from the computer was an option. so, we ran to IF to get some.
shaun had lost an art book, and his pencil box. it's hard to teach a drawing class if you, the teacher, don't have any supplies, so we gathered him some new ones...
we had been invited to a friend's house for dinner, and didn't make it home until 8:30p. while we were there, though, i did something to my neck, and within an hour had a full blown, vertigo causing migraine. instead of getting more work done, i went to bed. every time i turned over in bed, the migraine came back, and i felt like throwing up.
friday was our mom school. i got up early so i could finish preparations, and we made it on time. but i was running from 7 in the morning, until 7 at night.
i had class rosters i needed to print off before we could leave. i needed to make sure i had something for my kids to eat...ok, that one didn't happen. we needed to have swimming clothes for our pe elective. while we were there, i had a class to teach, and kids to convince to go to their classes. shaun had a class to teach. i needed to try and track people down to make sure we had their paperwork.
michael and ashley had swimming at 11:50, BEFORE their classes were over. then i had to run shannon and elizabeth to their swimming at 12:30, get taylor some lunch, and take care of a friends baby too... then i discovered that i'd told someone some incorrect information, and needed to make that right.
at 2, taylor had tae-kwando, and i had to run and get him there.
i'd had shaun make appointments for the chiropractor for us after 3, when we would all be home... then we ended up being late anyways.
then, i ran taylor and elizabeth to a friends house for a play-date. took the little kids for ice cream cause they were upset they couldn't stay and play.
i spent the rest of the day trying to finish up co-op stuff, remember everything that needed to be done, and getting things taken care of. i'm still struggling to remember everything that needs to be done.
please tell me it will eventually slow down and i'll be able to get on top of things...? right?
Sunday, September 6, 2015
school
school plans are in full swing, and i am nearly ready to get started.
i've been struggling with math. in looking for ways to teach it, i found these, and through various sources was able to purchase them all! it was a miracle! and in one hour, i was able to get 18 lessons planned. they all still need a few things, but for the most part, they are done. i'm still waiting on the rest of the books, but it's a start, and that's what i need. still trying to figure out taylor.....
our first science unit is the solar system. for this one i utilized the library for the teaching materials, and education.com for the worksheets. i keep tons of materials on teacherspayteachers.com, but am unable to purchase them at the moment.
i've even found a few other resources that are going to be immensely useful!
i can't wait to get started! even though i still have a bunch of work to do, the basics are just about done!
i've been struggling with math. in looking for ways to teach it, i found these, and through various sources was able to purchase them all! it was a miracle! and in one hour, i was able to get 18 lessons planned. they all still need a few things, but for the most part, they are done. i'm still waiting on the rest of the books, but it's a start, and that's what i need. still trying to figure out taylor.....
our first science unit is the solar system. for this one i utilized the library for the teaching materials, and education.com for the worksheets. i keep tons of materials on teacherspayteachers.com, but am unable to purchase them at the moment.
i've even found a few other resources that are going to be immensely useful!
i can't wait to get started! even though i still have a bunch of work to do, the basics are just about done!
relaxing
last night, i was extremely frustrated. i was thinking of everything that needed to be done, and what i wasn't able to do. so, instead of doing anything, i printed off a coloring page, and colored. for hours.
it was super fun and nice.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
summer's end
we had planned on going to the zoo today. entrance was a can of food.
unfortunately, we didn't have the means to get there.
shortly before 2, a friend from the ward showed up and gave us free passes to the pool. 18 of them! i called a few friends to see who would like to use the extras, and after some quick cleaning, away we went to play!
we were there for about 3 hours and the kids had so much fun!
the 3 older ones were able to go down the slides, we all took a couple of turns around the lazy river. i took bread and pb&j so we had something to eat.
as soon as we got home, i started kids in baths. chlorine does funky things to skin and hair.
(turns out we only had 2 clean towels, so i ended up taking some of the old baby blankets we've used as "towels" before. and in order to bathe kids, we had to do shifts while we waited for towels to dry...i'd started a load before we left.)
unfortunately, we didn't have the means to get there.
shortly before 2, a friend from the ward showed up and gave us free passes to the pool. 18 of them! i called a few friends to see who would like to use the extras, and after some quick cleaning, away we went to play!
we were there for about 3 hours and the kids had so much fun!
the 3 older ones were able to go down the slides, we all took a couple of turns around the lazy river. i took bread and pb&j so we had something to eat.
as soon as we got home, i started kids in baths. chlorine does funky things to skin and hair.
(turns out we only had 2 clean towels, so i ended up taking some of the old baby blankets we've used as "towels" before. and in order to bathe kids, we had to do shifts while we waited for towels to dry...i'd started a load before we left.)
Thursday, August 27, 2015
OUCH!
i have tendinitis in my wrists. usually, it doesn't bother me. unless i over agitate it.
i over did it the other day.
my scrap box from the tshirt yarn was overflowing. as there was still a lot of useful scraps in there, i decided to cut them into small pieces for "stuffing." it was a lot of little movements for a long time.
i did okay the first 2 days afterwards, but something i did today made it worse.
the BIG problem is that it's my dominant hand this time. which means that writing is out (lesson plans), crocheting (rugs), cutting anything (food, tshirts, etc), even typing is difficult.
i have it wrapped with an ace bandage and popsicle sticks for stability. i'm hoping a couple of days and i'll be able to use it without as much pain.
i over did it the other day.
my scrap box from the tshirt yarn was overflowing. as there was still a lot of useful scraps in there, i decided to cut them into small pieces for "stuffing." it was a lot of little movements for a long time.
i did okay the first 2 days afterwards, but something i did today made it worse.
the BIG problem is that it's my dominant hand this time. which means that writing is out (lesson plans), crocheting (rugs), cutting anything (food, tshirts, etc), even typing is difficult.
i have it wrapped with an ace bandage and popsicle sticks for stability. i'm hoping a couple of days and i'll be able to use it without as much pain.
Monday, August 24, 2015
i can't keep silent
i know that no one except family really reads my blog, and that's ok, cause they are the reason that i blog anyway. but, i need to get this out of my system.
all the drama with the duggars from 19 and counting, is getting old. one of the kids molested his sisters and a few other girls when they were younger. the duggars are upset that everyone is making such a big deal out of it. the girls have "moved on, and forgiven him." the dad is upset that the authorities released the records. their show was cancelled, and now they have to figure out how to live in the real world again.
the world holds a pretty dim view of child molesters, even if they were also children (as i don't know how old he was when it occurred). the type of "life" they have when imprisoned is not kind. and it doesn't matter if you are truly guilty or not, even the most violent murderer will still make your life "hell."
it's true that people make mistakes. but, when your mistakes affect the innocent, you are far from being free. even the Savior, in the scriptures said that any found harming a child would wish to be thrown into the sea with a rock tied around their necks, rather than have to face their eternal judgement at the last day. i also believe, that they can change. with work and conscious effort, they can move away from their sins, and no longer have that urge.
here's what really bothers me.
1. the girls have "moved on and forgiven him." that's awesome! i'm glad you've been able to put it behind you and forgive him. but, do you truly trust him with your children? would you state him as their guardian in your will in the event that something happened to you? considering whatever happened, are you really all that surprised that when it came to light, your "world" imploded?
2. that dad is upset. you can't tell me that you weren't livid when you discovered what he had been doing. you can't tell me that your heart didn't break for those little girls, two of whom were your own. you can't tell me that one of your first reactions wasn't the desire to throttle him. you can't tell me that you never had to wonder that he might do it again. (as a mother whose been there, you can't tell me that at least one of those didn't happen.)
he's mad at the authorities for releasing the records...welcome to the real world. where you have to pay your dues. just because you are a "celebrity" doesn't mean that you get out of the consequences.
he's mad that it disturbed his christian philosophy. you know what, it doesn't change what you believe, or what you try to put across to the world. all it shows is that you and your family are human. you struggle with "real-world" issues, and everything that comes with them. show the world that you are better than what is being portrayed right now. yes, he was young. yes, he was stupid. he paid his dues, great! but, that doesn't excuse his actions, or the fact that you tried to hide it. man up, take responsibility for what happened, don't sweep it under the rug and pretend it never occurred.
3. their show was cancelled. um, why? the kid made a mistake, he paid his dues. the family was trying to show the world what living life a christian was like. keep the show on, part of being christian is forgiving those that have wronged you, and moving on. i personally think that it would have "blown over" faster, had they been allowed to express and show how they have moved on. now all we get are little snippets from rag magazines (which are always accurate and completely to be believed), or what the media decides to invent.
welcome to the real world, duggars.
where people really do care about this kind of thing.
where people alienate those that are perpetrators, and, unfortunately, those that are victimized.
where this behavior is not tolerated, and those that try to hide it are also guilty.
i'm sorry that the past came back to bite you in the butt.
all the drama with the duggars from 19 and counting, is getting old. one of the kids molested his sisters and a few other girls when they were younger. the duggars are upset that everyone is making such a big deal out of it. the girls have "moved on, and forgiven him." the dad is upset that the authorities released the records. their show was cancelled, and now they have to figure out how to live in the real world again.
the world holds a pretty dim view of child molesters, even if they were also children (as i don't know how old he was when it occurred). the type of "life" they have when imprisoned is not kind. and it doesn't matter if you are truly guilty or not, even the most violent murderer will still make your life "hell."
it's true that people make mistakes. but, when your mistakes affect the innocent, you are far from being free. even the Savior, in the scriptures said that any found harming a child would wish to be thrown into the sea with a rock tied around their necks, rather than have to face their eternal judgement at the last day. i also believe, that they can change. with work and conscious effort, they can move away from their sins, and no longer have that urge.
here's what really bothers me.
1. the girls have "moved on and forgiven him." that's awesome! i'm glad you've been able to put it behind you and forgive him. but, do you truly trust him with your children? would you state him as their guardian in your will in the event that something happened to you? considering whatever happened, are you really all that surprised that when it came to light, your "world" imploded?
2. that dad is upset. you can't tell me that you weren't livid when you discovered what he had been doing. you can't tell me that your heart didn't break for those little girls, two of whom were your own. you can't tell me that one of your first reactions wasn't the desire to throttle him. you can't tell me that you never had to wonder that he might do it again. (as a mother whose been there, you can't tell me that at least one of those didn't happen.)
he's mad at the authorities for releasing the records...welcome to the real world. where you have to pay your dues. just because you are a "celebrity" doesn't mean that you get out of the consequences.
he's mad that it disturbed his christian philosophy. you know what, it doesn't change what you believe, or what you try to put across to the world. all it shows is that you and your family are human. you struggle with "real-world" issues, and everything that comes with them. show the world that you are better than what is being portrayed right now. yes, he was young. yes, he was stupid. he paid his dues, great! but, that doesn't excuse his actions, or the fact that you tried to hide it. man up, take responsibility for what happened, don't sweep it under the rug and pretend it never occurred.
3. their show was cancelled. um, why? the kid made a mistake, he paid his dues. the family was trying to show the world what living life a christian was like. keep the show on, part of being christian is forgiving those that have wronged you, and moving on. i personally think that it would have "blown over" faster, had they been allowed to express and show how they have moved on. now all we get are little snippets from rag magazines (which are always accurate and completely to be believed), or what the media decides to invent.
welcome to the real world, duggars.
where people really do care about this kind of thing.
where people alienate those that are perpetrators, and, unfortunately, those that are victimized.
where this behavior is not tolerated, and those that try to hide it are also guilty.
i'm sorry that the past came back to bite you in the butt.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
school
i've been trying to do lesson plans. some days it works, some days it doesn't.
i'm doing a pretty loose plan. we're going to try it until christmas, and then reevaluate what's working and what's not.
right now, the only subject i'm unsure on is math. i have an idea, unfortunately, it's going to cost quite a bit. i MIGHT be able to make it work, but most likely not. only time will tell. (i need to see if my public library has any of what i'm looking for.)
week in review...briefly
i've been busy, and unable to stay on task... not the best of combinations.
i've been periodically helping out a friend who had an emergency appendectomy on monday. pain management has been rough on her. her hubby has been working and unable to take her in, so i've been playing chauffeur.
i'll go to do something, get halfway there, and totally lose track of what i'm trying to do. my house is semi-clean, but only because the kids are halfway doing their jobs.
i've been trying to work on lesson plans, but can't focus well.
today, i was thinking of everything that needs to be done, but not able to do any of it. the list was so long, that i couldn't sit down to do it.
lesson plans
rugs and other items for Revivd
laundry
cleaning
purging (which i always get in trouble for. "we can't replace it")
fhe kits
cooking (it was cool today, so i really should have made goodies)
i've been periodically helping out a friend who had an emergency appendectomy on monday. pain management has been rough on her. her hubby has been working and unable to take her in, so i've been playing chauffeur.
i'll go to do something, get halfway there, and totally lose track of what i'm trying to do. my house is semi-clean, but only because the kids are halfway doing their jobs.
i've been trying to work on lesson plans, but can't focus well.
today, i was thinking of everything that needs to be done, but not able to do any of it. the list was so long, that i couldn't sit down to do it.
lesson plans
rugs and other items for Revivd
laundry
cleaning
purging (which i always get in trouble for. "we can't replace it")
fhe kits
cooking (it was cool today, so i really should have made goodies)
Thursday, August 20, 2015
planning
lesson plans for school are coming along. i was able to get a pdf form of a planner for free (it was on sale)! i printed off just the lesson planning pages. one set for each of my kids. i spent four hours last saturday, and barely made a dent. it didn't help that i was still waiting on some books.
today, i realized that the library will be a HUGE resource i can utilize, so i better make sure i don't have any fines.
shaun and i are both working on a class for momschool. as they are both kind of specific, there is only so much preplanning we can do.
i am teaching a service class. i want the kids to be excited about the projects, so they are going to pick them.
shaun is teaching an art class. as he doesn't know where the kids are skill-wise, specific plans will come after the first day.
the plan for today was to do more lesson plans, grab a few more supplies, and try to not go crazy doing it!
today, i realized that the library will be a HUGE resource i can utilize, so i better make sure i don't have any fines.
shaun and i are both working on a class for momschool. as they are both kind of specific, there is only so much preplanning we can do.
i am teaching a service class. i want the kids to be excited about the projects, so they are going to pick them.
shaun is teaching an art class. as he doesn't know where the kids are skill-wise, specific plans will come after the first day.
the plan for today was to do more lesson plans, grab a few more supplies, and try to not go crazy doing it!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
trip pictures
boys
on the way home from the lunch at the park one day, it started raining. not a lot, but michael wasn't thrilled. taylor put the blanket over the both of them, and it was funny watching them trying to walk!
Thursday, July 30, 2015
trip continued
on the way to ogden, we came across a dead skunk.
upon smelling the skunk, dad said, "someone farted!" shannon, age 6, responded, "no one farted, that's bird poop!"
road signs seen on trip:
headlights on when wipers are needed. (i thought that was common sense, apparently not.)
construction fines higher when workers are present. (that one makes a ton of sense!)
other random funnies...
shaun, "when you put it (the cellphone) on airplane mode..."
nadia, "it charges faster."
taylor, " that's because a plane is faster than a car."
shaun on seeing a random pond in wyoming, "look, it's wyomings version of a humidifier
a massive bus-like motorhome in front of us was burning oil. nadia, "hello, burny."
we saw a shooting star at 5:30 am. (that was WAY cool!)
strange thoughts i had on the trip...
*when it comes to cheetos, name brand really is the to go... (the off brand ones tasted stale, and nasty)
*nebraska is dreary no matter the time of day you cross it.
*retread (tires from a semi) look an awful lot like a beached whale
*contrary to the movie red2, i'm not sure ANY car can fit under a semi truck while driving.
*i wonder what roadkill stew would taste like, using the skunk, possum, deer, porcupine, and raccoon we saw
*seeing llamas and cows in the same pasture, i wonder what you would call a cow llama mix?
*i wonder what it would be like to witness a gully washer (not be in one, just see it)?
*i'm so glad the freeway in wyoming is not free range!
other random funnies...
shaun, "when you put it (the cellphone) on airplane mode..."
nadia, "it charges faster."
taylor, " that's because a plane is faster than a car."
shaun on seeing a random pond in wyoming, "look, it's wyomings version of a humidifier
a massive bus-like motorhome in front of us was burning oil. nadia, "hello, burny."
we saw a shooting star at 5:30 am. (that was WAY cool!)
strange thoughts i had on the trip...
*when it comes to cheetos, name brand really is the to go... (the off brand ones tasted stale, and nasty)
*nebraska is dreary no matter the time of day you cross it.
*retread (tires from a semi) look an awful lot like a beached whale
*contrary to the movie red2, i'm not sure ANY car can fit under a semi truck while driving.
*i wonder what roadkill stew would taste like, using the skunk, possum, deer, porcupine, and raccoon we saw
*seeing llamas and cows in the same pasture, i wonder what you would call a cow llama mix?
*i wonder what it would be like to witness a gully washer (not be in one, just see it)?
*i'm so glad the freeway in wyoming is not free range!
revivd
i have opened an etsy shop that is all about taking something old and making it into something new. at the moment, all i have are t-shirt rugs, but i will be adding things over time. i'm looking at a denim/t-shirt hot pad, old necktie phone purses, and old bed frame benches. i might look at jean bags as well.
here are some of the rugs i've done...
random rug made for mom.
second random rug made for mom.
shades of pink made to sell.
rainbow image of all rugs possible.
here are some of the rugs i've done...
trip story
last december, when my parents were here, mom said she wanted to have a few of the kids spend some time out with them (kansas city) during the summer. things happened, other trips were necessary, and they couldn't get kids out there for a reasonable price. we had recently been gifted a suburban (more on that later), and it was in better shape than the other cars we have. if was more cost effective to fix the few problems the suburban had, and pay for gas, than it was to get just the older 2 kids out there. so, we fixed the front doors, attempted to fix the cargo door, and headed to kansas city for a couple of weeks.
the trip out there was extremely uneventful. the suburban worked beautifully, and the kids were amazing! we thought we could miss most of the heat by driving all night, but we ended up hitting nebraska during the day, with 100+ temps. even with the spray bottle, and windows open (cause the a/c doesn't work), it was a hot and miserable drive.
while we were out there, we did a few more things to the suburban. some was needed, some were problems that popped up while we were there. **the joke was that we only had to drive 1300 miles to get it fixed.**
as we knew that it is old, and had quirks, we did some basic maintenance on it. checks on the air filter, old, but clean; found a hose connector that was severely damaged, replaced it and now it runs MUCH better; changed the oil, put in some fuel and oil system cleaners, tightened up the mirrors (they would end up pushed into the car from the wind of just driving), added more transmission fluid when we started having issues with that system. my brother got the broken key out of the ignition, and dad got copies made.
i have an old roommate who lives in the area, and we met up at a park and let her girls and the 3 little ones play. much fun was had by all!
nathan, my 12-year-old brother tried to set up a conference call for my sisters and i. apparently, i missed the memo, cause i wasn't part of it.
we had some friends stop by for a few minutes on their way through to tennessee (now they might leave us permanently for tennessee. i might have to disable their cars somehow...).
we had sick kids, and sick parents, and sick grandparents part of the time. we extended our trip a few days to try and make up for that, but we still didn't do a whole lot.
the trip out there was extremely uneventful. the suburban worked beautifully, and the kids were amazing! we thought we could miss most of the heat by driving all night, but we ended up hitting nebraska during the day, with 100+ temps. even with the spray bottle, and windows open (cause the a/c doesn't work), it was a hot and miserable drive.
while we were out there, we did a few more things to the suburban. some was needed, some were problems that popped up while we were there. **the joke was that we only had to drive 1300 miles to get it fixed.**
as we knew that it is old, and had quirks, we did some basic maintenance on it. checks on the air filter, old, but clean; found a hose connector that was severely damaged, replaced it and now it runs MUCH better; changed the oil, put in some fuel and oil system cleaners, tightened up the mirrors (they would end up pushed into the car from the wind of just driving), added more transmission fluid when we started having issues with that system. my brother got the broken key out of the ignition, and dad got copies made.
i have an old roommate who lives in the area, and we met up at a park and let her girls and the 3 little ones play. much fun was had by all!
nathan, my 12-year-old brother tried to set up a conference call for my sisters and i. apparently, i missed the memo, cause i wasn't part of it.
we had some friends stop by for a few minutes on their way through to tennessee (now they might leave us permanently for tennessee. i might have to disable their cars somehow...).
we had sick kids, and sick parents, and sick grandparents part of the time. we extended our trip a few days to try and make up for that, but we still didn't do a whole lot.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
preparations
today is prep day.
i refuse to go on vacation if the house is a mess. the lawn is done, we have started on the family room, and need to make sure bathrooms are done at least.
i'd like the kitchen clean too, but that might be asking too much
elizabeth is getting the suburban cleaned out.
tonight, we are getting the doors fixed on the suburban so we can go.
tomorrow we pack, and make sure we have everything else ready.
i refuse to go on vacation if the house is a mess. the lawn is done, we have started on the family room, and need to make sure bathrooms are done at least.
i'd like the kitchen clean too, but that might be asking too much
elizabeth is getting the suburban cleaned out.
tonight, we are getting the doors fixed on the suburban so we can go.
tomorrow we pack, and make sure we have everything else ready.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
crazy week!
this morning, i was able to get shaun's counseling changed, and then headed to IF to get some tshirts for my new projects (more on that later).
on the way down, the doctors office called me and said they had a cancellation tomorrow, and could get me in. i said yes (heck, yes. another day to make sure i'm recovered enough to help drive...YES!). so my second d&c (that's a depressing thing to write) is tomorrow instead.
i called a friend to watch the kids, i arranged for a meal to be brought in.
i am on top of things! (i only wish!!)
oh, i still need to find someone to bring in mail, and water my garden....
on the way down, the doctors office called me and said they had a cancellation tomorrow, and could get me in. i said yes (heck, yes. another day to make sure i'm recovered enough to help drive...YES!). so my second d&c (that's a depressing thing to write) is tomorrow instead.
i called a friend to watch the kids, i arranged for a meal to be brought in.
i am on top of things! (i only wish!!)
oh, i still need to find someone to bring in mail, and water my garden....
Monday, July 6, 2015
i'm done
i've had it with my body today.
it's been nearly 6 weeks since we discovered sprout would not be joining us. almost 6 weeks since i had the d&c. and i'm still bleeding. not a ton, but enough to know that something wasn't right. and all 3 pregnancy tests have come back positive. (they've wanted to make sure the "surgery" took. i've had one every other week since the d&c)
today, i finally decided that i was done, and needed to find out why things weren't back to "normal." i made an appointment to see the ob.
the third test came back positive.
we did a sonogram to see if something might have gotten missed.
it's been nearly 6 weeks since we discovered sprout would not be joining us. almost 6 weeks since i had the d&c. and i'm still bleeding. not a ton, but enough to know that something wasn't right. and all 3 pregnancy tests have come back positive. (they've wanted to make sure the "surgery" took. i've had one every other week since the d&c)
today, i finally decided that i was done, and needed to find out why things weren't back to "normal." i made an appointment to see the ob.
the third test came back positive.
we did a sonogram to see if something might have gotten missed.
a square inch of tissue was missed. it might not seem like a huge deal, but when there's only about 6 square inches or so to begin with...
we scheduled a second d&c for thursday afternoon.
...24 hours before we are supposed to leave for 2 weeks to kansas city...
...the exact same time as shaun's counseling...
i've had it!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
relationships
in the last 6 months, i have seen the relationships between my kids just blossom. on their own, taylor and elizabeth will step in and decide to do something for and with the little kids. sometimes it's reading, sometimes it's playing.
i remember one day that my heart just about burst with joy, cause they were being so kind and wonderful with each other. (for the life of me, now i can't remember what they did, but i was so grateful.
every now and then, someone asks me if i plan on putting them back into public school. i remember the days that they are awesome with each other, and i can't stand to think about bringing that all to a screeching halt. let alone all of the other chaos that we've managed to escape because we homeschool.
yes, i would have more freedom and there would be less stress in my life if i put them back into public school. but, if my kids lose their friendships and their cohesion as a family because i decided i was more important, i'm not okay with that.
i WANT my kids to be good friends. i WANT to have a strong family unit. any sacrifice on my part, is worth it.
i remember one day that my heart just about burst with joy, cause they were being so kind and wonderful with each other. (for the life of me, now i can't remember what they did, but i was so grateful.
every now and then, someone asks me if i plan on putting them back into public school. i remember the days that they are awesome with each other, and i can't stand to think about bringing that all to a screeching halt. let alone all of the other chaos that we've managed to escape because we homeschool.
yes, i would have more freedom and there would be less stress in my life if i put them back into public school. but, if my kids lose their friendships and their cohesion as a family because i decided i was more important, i'm not okay with that.
i WANT my kids to be good friends. i WANT to have a strong family unit. any sacrifice on my part, is worth it.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
goodies from kids
WARM!
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
summer
GAH! they are predicting 89 degrees for thursday! (we will probably be hiding in the basement)
i've wanted to make a "sprinkler" from a 2-liter pop bottle for a few years. the problem is that we never had the correct end on the hose to hook it up.
remember how last year, something at a hole in my heavy duty hose? well, i tried to fix it using duct tape. that didn't work too well. this year, i got fed up, and decided to go get a piece to fix it. i was pretty sure i knew what i needed, and fairly certain i knew how to put it on (i did double check with the associate at ace to make sure i had things right). when i got home and showed it to shaun, he decided to fix it for me.
now, i have a two-piece hose, and the correct end on one of them.
here is my red-neck sprinkler. not sure if you can see the water spraying.
i can make anything!
we acquired a new vehicle (well, new to us). some friends gifted us a suburban. (more on that later)
seat belts always cut into my neck. i'm not short, but i'm not extremely tall either, so i don't know why. i had purchased a cover for the belt in the van. but, we are still using the van, so i didn't want to remove the cover.
one day while i was at the dollar store, i started looking at what they had that i could turn into a cover. i found some dish drying mats, that are feel very similar to the cover i bought for $10.
i cut it in half, attached some velcro to it, and now we have a cover for each front belt!
(i feel really clever)
growing
this little boy is growing up, and it makes me sad... he's no longer a baby, but a running and talking preschooler!
just look at how tall this kid is getting!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
changes
(not the best picture, i know!)
my hair grows pretty fast, and it's gotten to the point that if it touches my neck, i get overly warm. (see how long it was!)so, i called my friend in desperation (i was nearly desperate enough to take my clippers to it...).i told her i wanted it all gone. last time we did a long pixie, but it was still not quite as short as i wanted it. here's what we ended up doing.
and as is the struggle with curly hair, every day your hair does something different. some days, i really like what it does, some days i don't. and honestly, most days i don't even look at it after it's dry.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
gardening
getting a garden in this year was a trial. i was still pregnant and very sick with little energy when it was time to till a spot out back. and i wasn't going to have shaun do it, cause he's so allergic to weed and such, that it wouldn't have been fair. not the he really had the time for it either.
about a week before we found out we'd lost sprout, i tried getting the front flower bed cleaned out so we could plant a few things. this is about as far as i got. starting a border.
shaun finished cleaning it out, and we discovered that it was FULL of ants. so for 2 weeks, i made sure they had big piles of cornmeal and oatmeal to harvest from. (ants can't expell the gas that it causes, and they end up exploding) then a friend offered to let us use the diatomaceous earth they had. i re-dug the dirt, and spread it all around. yesterday, i got tired of waiting, and decided to just get going with it.
i planted carrots, kale, chard, and spinach. basically the greens for our smoothies. granted, it will be mid august when i can start harvesting them, but i'm ok with that. anything to help offset the cost of groceries.
in the right corner, ashley has some sunflowers. they are struggling, and something is starting to eat the leaves, but they are there.
my labeling "sticks," are old wooden spoons that i painted and then shellaced.
maori warrior
it started as an attempt at a tiger. it ended up looking more like a maori warrior to me.
crayons, crayons, crayons
so, i'm the ward librarian at church. at the beginning of the year, someone purchased and replaced all the crayons in the boxes. then they placed the old ones in a bag, and dumped them on a shelf to be forgotten.
i decided to bring them home and recycle them.
here's what the garbage can looked like after we were done peeling all the papers off.
we ended up with 7 or 8 trays worth of "new" crayons. i put similar colors together. so, all the purple colors are mixed, all the blue colors are mixed and so forth. the blacks and grays are mixed. and in each "new" crayon, there is a small white section.
this pan got a little bent out of shape, and ended up spilling everywhere, including all over the inside of my oven.
my poor floor after the spilling accident.
the kids thought it was so cool to be able to make "new" crayons that they wanted to help. it got to the point that they finished them up. although, i continued to run the oven.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
sickos
last sunday, i finally broke down and took shannon into the doctor (as it was sunday, the only thing open was community care, but that's ok.). she'd been running a pretty high fever for about 5 days (like 102-103).
the previous night, elizabeth started feeling sick, and running a fever as well.
i was thinking strep, cause they didn't have any other complaints, other than a semi-sore throat.
the tests came back negative, but they had all the clinical signs, so we treated them as though it was strep. 24 hours later, shannon was great, 12 hours after that, elizabeth was great.
last night, ashley came down with a high fever (103). everything but the er was closed, and i didn't want to go there, so i called in first thing this morning. physical exam didn't show anything (surprise, surprise), but as we'd had strep already, we are going to treat it like it is strep.
i'm ready for everyone to be healthy!!!
the previous night, elizabeth started feeling sick, and running a fever as well.
i was thinking strep, cause they didn't have any other complaints, other than a semi-sore throat.
the tests came back negative, but they had all the clinical signs, so we treated them as though it was strep. 24 hours later, shannon was great, 12 hours after that, elizabeth was great.
last night, ashley came down with a high fever (103). everything but the er was closed, and i didn't want to go there, so i called in first thing this morning. physical exam didn't show anything (surprise, surprise), but as we'd had strep already, we are going to treat it like it is strep.
i'm ready for everyone to be healthy!!!
Monday, June 8, 2015
2015 summer reading lists
taylor books
rikki tikki tavi
trumpet of the swan
hardy boys
call it courage
tale of despereaux
hobbit
my father's dragon
bridge to terabithia
elizabeth books
pippi longstocking
heidi
mary poppins
matilda
anne of green gables
little princess
wizard of oz
harriet the spy
shannon books
if you give a mouse a cookie
corduroy
princess and the pea
rainbow fish
blueberries for sal
ashley books
harold and the purple crayon
seven silly eaters
corduroy
caps for sale
chicka, chicka, boom, boom
hand, hand, fingers, thumb
blueberries for sal
michael books
curious george
mike mulligan and his steam shovel
caps for sale
harold and the purple crayon
harry the dirty dog
chicka, chicka, boom, boom
hand, hand, fingers, thumb
i had to make sure either we had them, or the library had them available. shannon is missing a few, but that's because i was unable to find a copy.
summer plans
our summer is in full swing now. although we are still trying to work out some kinks.
although, school is over for the year, we don't want to slide, so we will continue doing some math, and reading.
our math is mainly going to be through tenmarks.com. they offer a free summer program to help children avoid the summer slide. because elizabeth struggles with math, she will have a little more to do.
our reading is mainly going to be doing the summer reading program through the library. however, the kids all have about 8 assigned books that i requiring them to read. (i'll put those in another post) i've told the other kids that if they read to the younger kids, they can both count those minutes for the library program.
taylor and elizabeth still have their reading for info (this requires to pay attention to what they have read so they can answer some questions), and shannon is working on the next book of explode the code.
ashley and michael will be working on their letters and numbers.
the school district does free lunches in the park every week day until the end of july. we have going to those, and will continue to do so.
i'm trying to find a way to put the kids in swimming lessons, but haven't had much luck so far. (any funds that come in have to go to bills...)
we have a family reunion scheduled for july, but don't know if we'll be able to go yet.
although, school is over for the year, we don't want to slide, so we will continue doing some math, and reading.
our math is mainly going to be through tenmarks.com. they offer a free summer program to help children avoid the summer slide. because elizabeth struggles with math, she will have a little more to do.
our reading is mainly going to be doing the summer reading program through the library. however, the kids all have about 8 assigned books that i requiring them to read. (i'll put those in another post) i've told the other kids that if they read to the younger kids, they can both count those minutes for the library program.
taylor and elizabeth still have their reading for info (this requires to pay attention to what they have read so they can answer some questions), and shannon is working on the next book of explode the code.
ashley and michael will be working on their letters and numbers.
the school district does free lunches in the park every week day until the end of july. we have going to those, and will continue to do so.
i'm trying to find a way to put the kids in swimming lessons, but haven't had much luck so far. (any funds that come in have to go to bills...)
we have a family reunion scheduled for july, but don't know if we'll be able to go yet.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
plans
i woke up with a list of things that needed to be done; and knowing that there was no way to get it all done today. even if i had a good day and felt well.
the entire house needs to be cleaned. front room, living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms. the lawn needed mowed, the weeds chopped. the front flower bed prepared for some veggies, and planted. laundry done and put away, including sheets. making dinner, and getting a few groceries.
that doesn't even include the things i would LIKE to do. like the baking, and sewing, and crafts. it's so frustrating to never know how i'm going to feel each day so i can plan things.
the entire house needs to be cleaned. front room, living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms. the lawn needed mowed, the weeds chopped. the front flower bed prepared for some veggies, and planted. laundry done and put away, including sheets. making dinner, and getting a few groceries.
that doesn't even include the things i would LIKE to do. like the baking, and sewing, and crafts. it's so frustrating to never know how i'm going to feel each day so i can plan things.
Friday, May 29, 2015
processing
yesterday was a rough day. i woke up feeling odd, and was never really able to figure out why. i'm inclined to say that it was mostly emotional (with the clinical depression, anything that affects my hormones, sends the depression spiraling. whether up or down, i can never guess). i tried to get some things done, but it was difficult.
then, last night, we went and visited some friends. we had apple pie a la mode, and played games and talked. it was really nice. they had been through a difficult miscarriage in the past and completely understood how hard it was for me. she let me talk, and didn't make me feel like i was being ungrateful because i already have 5 healthy kids.
last night, the insomnia hit again. even though we didn't get home until after 12 last night, it was nearly 3 before i fell asleep. michael woke up about 1:30 with charlie horses, and i laid with him for a bit, he joined me in my bed around 6 this morning though.
shannon didn't feel well yesterday. she lounged around and pretty much "vanished" (this is the child that is always running and doing SOMETHING). in the afternoon she complained that her head hurt, i told her she could go finish the movie they were watching or go to bed. she went to bed...! when she woke up, shaun discovered that she had a fever! 102.5... i was surprised; especially since she said the only thing wrong was that her head hurt. gave her some tylenol, and she rebounded after it kicked in.
this morning, she was warm again, but so was taylor... i still haven't figured out what they had, but they both seem to be doing better now.
i'm hoping that things will just continue to get better and that i won't have any really bad days. but only time will tell.
then, last night, we went and visited some friends. we had apple pie a la mode, and played games and talked. it was really nice. they had been through a difficult miscarriage in the past and completely understood how hard it was for me. she let me talk, and didn't make me feel like i was being ungrateful because i already have 5 healthy kids.
last night, the insomnia hit again. even though we didn't get home until after 12 last night, it was nearly 3 before i fell asleep. michael woke up about 1:30 with charlie horses, and i laid with him for a bit, he joined me in my bed around 6 this morning though.
shannon didn't feel well yesterday. she lounged around and pretty much "vanished" (this is the child that is always running and doing SOMETHING). in the afternoon she complained that her head hurt, i told her she could go finish the movie they were watching or go to bed. she went to bed...! when she woke up, shaun discovered that she had a fever! 102.5... i was surprised; especially since she said the only thing wrong was that her head hurt. gave her some tylenol, and she rebounded after it kicked in.
this morning, she was warm again, but so was taylor... i still haven't figured out what they had, but they both seem to be doing better now.
i'm hoping that things will just continue to get better and that i won't have any really bad days. but only time will tell.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
tonight, my heart hurts.
went to the doctor today for a sprout check. we couldn't find a heartbeat (12 weeks is a difficult time to find one). so, we slipped into the sonogram room real quick to catch it. there was no heartbeat. in fact, sprout hadn't grown a single day since the first appointment we had.
i'm also confused. i got a blessing about 6 weeks ago, and was told that i would have the energy i needed for the pregnancy and delivery. and that this baby would be strong and healthy.
i'm unsure how that fits now.
since my body likes to hoard things, we are heading in first thing in the morning for a d&c.
(i'm not even sure how to voice what i'm feeling..
went to the doctor today for a sprout check. we couldn't find a heartbeat (12 weeks is a difficult time to find one). so, we slipped into the sonogram room real quick to catch it. there was no heartbeat. in fact, sprout hadn't grown a single day since the first appointment we had.
i'm also confused. i got a blessing about 6 weeks ago, and was told that i would have the energy i needed for the pregnancy and delivery. and that this baby would be strong and healthy.
i'm unsure how that fits now.
since my body likes to hoard things, we are heading in first thing in the morning for a d&c.
(i'm not even sure how to voice what i'm feeling..
Monday, May 25, 2015
productive
even though i woke up late this morning, after a restless night, i was able to get some things done. in fact, i got some things done that i haven't for weeks.
i made banana bread!
i cooked some chicken for meal prep!
i washed pans!
i made dinner! (ok, this was a remake. we were invited to dinner at some friends last night, after i'd already put the roast in the crockpot) but, i made REAL mashed potatoes today!
i got a couple of loads of laundry done!
i worked on some school stuff!
i'm really hoping that this is the beginning of me starting to feel better.
i made banana bread!
i cooked some chicken for meal prep!
i washed pans!
i made dinner! (ok, this was a remake. we were invited to dinner at some friends last night, after i'd already put the roast in the crockpot) but, i made REAL mashed potatoes today!
i got a couple of loads of laundry done!
i worked on some school stuff!
i'm really hoping that this is the beginning of me starting to feel better.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
good daddy
poor shaun spent half the night up with sick kids.
ashley threw up just before we sent her to bed, and kept going until about 2.
taylor started at 4, and finished out the night.
ashley once again threw up this morning. even though i was right there, the smell of the stomach acid made me want to barf.
looks like we'll have a lazy day instead of getting the house cleaned...
ashley threw up just before we sent her to bed, and kept going until about 2.
taylor started at 4, and finished out the night.
ashley once again threw up this morning. even though i was right there, the smell of the stomach acid made me want to barf.
looks like we'll have a lazy day instead of getting the house cleaned...
Friday, May 22, 2015
reading
about 3 weeks ago, shaun decided that something needed to change, or things were going to get drastic. he started us reading the scriptures as a family. (no, we hadn't been very good at this.)
we've made it through chapter 15 of 1 nephi.
but the biggest change i've seen is in my children's reading abilities. taylor, who was doing well to begin with, just got better. elizabeth, who struggled a little bit, has gotten much more fluent. shannon, who was barely reading (like a total of 6 words), now reads more than 50, on her own!
i had been meaning to start shannon on reading the book of mormon, but with being sick with sprout, i haven't gotten around to it yet.
we've made it through chapter 15 of 1 nephi.
but the biggest change i've seen is in my children's reading abilities. taylor, who was doing well to begin with, just got better. elizabeth, who struggled a little bit, has gotten much more fluent. shannon, who was barely reading (like a total of 6 words), now reads more than 50, on her own!
i had been meaning to start shannon on reading the book of mormon, but with being sick with sprout, i haven't gotten around to it yet.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
water
i'm starting to feel better. not always when i need it, but hey, at this point, i'll take what i can get.
yesterday, i was downstairs trying to get some of the laundry taken care of. i walked into the family room to do something, and stepped in a puddle. as i backed away, i stepped in another one. i gave michael a dirty look, positive that i was stepping in pee, and went to get a dirty towel out of the pile in the laundry room to clean it up. it wasn't a puddle of pee.
i have nearly a 5 foot square section of my newly carpeted family room that is soaked! with the constant rain we've been having this last week, my foundation is leaking, somewhere.
we informed the landlord, who was shocked that we had water. "are you sure you didn't leave the window open? is there a crack in the window? check the rain gutter and make sure that it's not pooling at the house. i just don't understand why you have water downstairs!"
um, this window has NEVER been opened. the walls aren't even damp. the water's not coming through the window.
when we were trying to get walls fixed and painted so the landlord would get the new carpet in, we discovered that the mold from last year's flood wasn't alone. there had already been mold and apparently the source of the problem was not corrected.
in the food storage room, there's a spot on an outside wall that isn't smooth (i don't know what else to call it). there are gaps in the cement. not that you can see the ground on the other side, but enough that if we water over there, we end up with water coming through that wall. i'm almost positive that's what's happening on the wall in the family room.
when we finally heard back from the landlord about the mold, he wanted to paint over everything, and ignore that it was there. he didn't want to make sure that the studs in the wall or the insulation were still good. his solution was to fix the immediate problem (the moldy carpet from the flood), and everything else would be fine.
now, he's paying the price. brand-new carpet that's soaked and stinks, and no idea what's causing it.
we are so fed up with everything that we are seriously considering moving.
yesterday, i was downstairs trying to get some of the laundry taken care of. i walked into the family room to do something, and stepped in a puddle. as i backed away, i stepped in another one. i gave michael a dirty look, positive that i was stepping in pee, and went to get a dirty towel out of the pile in the laundry room to clean it up. it wasn't a puddle of pee.
i have nearly a 5 foot square section of my newly carpeted family room that is soaked! with the constant rain we've been having this last week, my foundation is leaking, somewhere.
we informed the landlord, who was shocked that we had water. "are you sure you didn't leave the window open? is there a crack in the window? check the rain gutter and make sure that it's not pooling at the house. i just don't understand why you have water downstairs!"
um, this window has NEVER been opened. the walls aren't even damp. the water's not coming through the window.
when we were trying to get walls fixed and painted so the landlord would get the new carpet in, we discovered that the mold from last year's flood wasn't alone. there had already been mold and apparently the source of the problem was not corrected.
in the food storage room, there's a spot on an outside wall that isn't smooth (i don't know what else to call it). there are gaps in the cement. not that you can see the ground on the other side, but enough that if we water over there, we end up with water coming through that wall. i'm almost positive that's what's happening on the wall in the family room.
when we finally heard back from the landlord about the mold, he wanted to paint over everything, and ignore that it was there. he didn't want to make sure that the studs in the wall or the insulation were still good. his solution was to fix the immediate problem (the moldy carpet from the flood), and everything else would be fine.
now, he's paying the price. brand-new carpet that's soaked and stinks, and no idea what's causing it.
we are so fed up with everything that we are seriously considering moving.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
good day
i had a great day today! i was mentally all here, and able to reason and think and have semi-serious conversations.
if only every day could be this good....
if only every day could be this good....
housing
for the last month, our housing has kind of been up in the air. our lease was up, and idaho housing was having a difficult time getting a hold of the landlord.
10 days before everything was supposed to be in to idaho housing, he informed us that he was going to be raising rent $125 a month. (WHAT?!) needless to say, we were a little concerned. and then we discovered some things that made us first frustrated, and then upset.
by law, in idaho, a landlord must give WRITTEN notice 90 days in advance of any rent increase. appropriate causes to raise rent are tax increases, or hoa fee increases. (he was raising rent to cover the costs of the linoleum and carpet he replaced. not to mention that when he originally set rent, he didn't set it high enough to cover his mortgage...)
idaho housing wants a 60 day written notice of intent to raise rent. (and in my mind, $125 monthly, is excessive.)
he gave us a 10 day, verbal notice. and didn't run any of it through idaho housing first. as they are the the ones that currently pay the rent, that's the important part.
then, the landlord went away for a week to some medical conferences. and then refused to answer or call idaho housing back.
he had a deadline of 12 noon today to get everything in, and then we were scheduled to sign and receive a new voucher for another residence. we would have the rest of the moth to find and get another house approved. (neither of us were looking forward to moving...)
shaun camped out in the landlords doctor office this morning to try and make sure that things got taken care of.
at one, we headed down to our meeting to learn our current housing fate detailed to us. the landlord decided to use one of idaho housing's lease agreements, thereby bystepping all the other problems we were having (WHY didn't he do this in the first place?!).
assuming, (and i know that's a lot to ask) that he got them signed and faxed back, we are safe at the moment for housing. it's a month by month lease, so we or he could decide at any time to terminate, but that's far better than worrying for 3 months whether he'll get all his stuff back in.
10 days before everything was supposed to be in to idaho housing, he informed us that he was going to be raising rent $125 a month. (WHAT?!) needless to say, we were a little concerned. and then we discovered some things that made us first frustrated, and then upset.
by law, in idaho, a landlord must give WRITTEN notice 90 days in advance of any rent increase. appropriate causes to raise rent are tax increases, or hoa fee increases. (he was raising rent to cover the costs of the linoleum and carpet he replaced. not to mention that when he originally set rent, he didn't set it high enough to cover his mortgage...)
idaho housing wants a 60 day written notice of intent to raise rent. (and in my mind, $125 monthly, is excessive.)
he gave us a 10 day, verbal notice. and didn't run any of it through idaho housing first. as they are the the ones that currently pay the rent, that's the important part.
then, the landlord went away for a week to some medical conferences. and then refused to answer or call idaho housing back.
he had a deadline of 12 noon today to get everything in, and then we were scheduled to sign and receive a new voucher for another residence. we would have the rest of the moth to find and get another house approved. (neither of us were looking forward to moving...)
shaun camped out in the landlords doctor office this morning to try and make sure that things got taken care of.
at one, we headed down to our meeting to learn our current housing fate detailed to us. the landlord decided to use one of idaho housing's lease agreements, thereby bystepping all the other problems we were having (WHY didn't he do this in the first place?!).
assuming, (and i know that's a lot to ask) that he got them signed and faxed back, we are safe at the moment for housing. it's a month by month lease, so we or he could decide at any time to terminate, but that's far better than worrying for 3 months whether he'll get all his stuff back in.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
teeth
this pregnancy is going to ruin my teeth. if not the sugar, then definitely the citric acid.
even with the phenergran, i am still sick. i have discovered that one of the few things that stops me from feeling sick is lemon jollyranchers.
i've tried the other flavors, they sort of work...sort of. i tried root beer barrels, no luck.
i may not have any teeth by the time the baby comes....
even with the phenergran, i am still sick. i have discovered that one of the few things that stops me from feeling sick is lemon jollyranchers.
i've tried the other flavors, they sort of work...sort of. i tried root beer barrels, no luck.
i may not have any teeth by the time the baby comes....
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
unschooling
i'm considering altering school in the coming fall, again.
we are leaving IDEA (they are now willing to work with me, and are not flexible).
we are starting a program called a2 (acheivement accelerated). i'm excited for this. it means no outside teacher trying to tell me how or what to teach, or even that they are behind (which i already know. but when the teacher (mom) is sick, and there is so substitute to call, what do you do.).
however, i'm discovering that my kids are more encouraged to learn when they can do it the way they want to. shannon loves to play games, elizabeth loves to cook and sew, and taylor loves legos and reading.
we went to the library on monday, and elizabeth had her mind set on finding books about hawaii. she looked them up on the computer and tracked them down in the shelves all by herself. she's currently devouring them.
i'm going to do a little more research, but i have the feeling that we'll be transitioning more into unschooling than i had anticipated.
we are leaving IDEA (they are now willing to work with me, and are not flexible).
we are starting a program called a2 (acheivement accelerated). i'm excited for this. it means no outside teacher trying to tell me how or what to teach, or even that they are behind (which i already know. but when the teacher (mom) is sick, and there is so substitute to call, what do you do.).
however, i'm discovering that my kids are more encouraged to learn when they can do it the way they want to. shannon loves to play games, elizabeth loves to cook and sew, and taylor loves legos and reading.
we went to the library on monday, and elizabeth had her mind set on finding books about hawaii. she looked them up on the computer and tracked them down in the shelves all by herself. she's currently devouring them.
i'm going to do a little more research, but i have the feeling that we'll be transitioning more into unschooling than i had anticipated.
Monday, May 4, 2015
meds
there's something to be said for getting medication for illnesses.
my first ob appointment for sprout was last tuesday. i have been so nauseated that i made sure to get something for it.
turns out, i also had strep b. i wasn't aware that it could cause problems this early. however, i spent all of last wednesday and thursday on the couch. i was able to tell taylor and elizabeth to help me out with laundry (everyone was complaining they didn't have anything to wear). but that was about the extent of my abilities.
i feel better today than i have in almost 3 weeks.
hurray for penicillin!!
my first ob appointment for sprout was last tuesday. i have been so nauseated that i made sure to get something for it.
turns out, i also had strep b. i wasn't aware that it could cause problems this early. however, i spent all of last wednesday and thursday on the couch. i was able to tell taylor and elizabeth to help me out with laundry (everyone was complaining they didn't have anything to wear). but that was about the extent of my abilities.
i feel better today than i have in almost 3 weeks.
hurray for penicillin!!
announcement, announcement, announcement
i was wanting to do something super fun with the kids for this. but i can't seem to care enough to do it.
so....
our williams sprout is due dec 3, 2015
i've been super sick and tired.
so....
i've been super sick and tired.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
monkey food
michael, age 3, "i want monkey food."
mom, " no one else likes the monkey food..."
michael, "i do! but i won't turn into a monkey. i won't.
(monkey food is a type of organic cereal. the box has a picture of a monkey on the front.)
mom, " no one else likes the monkey food..."
michael, "i do! but i won't turn into a monkey. i won't.
(monkey food is a type of organic cereal. the box has a picture of a monkey on the front.)
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
driving
taylor, age 11, "mom, when can you start driving in idaho?"
"15."
taylor, "i only have 4 years left."
NOOOOO!
"15."
taylor, "i only have 4 years left."
NOOOOO!
plans
i have all these plans in my head, and i keep slipping.
dinner was going to be crockpot parmesan chicken. i was so excited, it sounded so good!! i wasn't able to roll out of bed until almost noon (i hate this fatigue!). and then i forgot about it. so, while elizabeth and i were hanging out in the library during church (because that's my calling), we decided on oh boy casserole (which also sounded delicious!).
i was going to start cleaning out the front flower beds (i've been trying to for 3 years), and by the time i'm ready, i feel like crap (i suppose i shouldn't feel too terrible that my health stops a lot of things, right?).
shaun's been trying to 2 weeks, since we got the new carpet downstairs, to get things put back together, and i've not been able to help a whole lot. headaches, school, wanting to puke...
dinner was going to be crockpot parmesan chicken. i was so excited, it sounded so good!! i wasn't able to roll out of bed until almost noon (i hate this fatigue!). and then i forgot about it. so, while elizabeth and i were hanging out in the library during church (because that's my calling), we decided on oh boy casserole (which also sounded delicious!).
i was going to start cleaning out the front flower beds (i've been trying to for 3 years), and by the time i'm ready, i feel like crap (i suppose i shouldn't feel too terrible that my health stops a lot of things, right?).
shaun's been trying to 2 weeks, since we got the new carpet downstairs, to get things put back together, and i've not been able to help a whole lot. headaches, school, wanting to puke...
Friday, April 17, 2015
no fire
roasted hot dogs sounded so good for dinner tonight.
the grill is out of gas.
last spring, i attempted to make planter boxes out of pallets. it didn't work out so well. mainly because i ran out of screws and nails...
there were a few small pieces, so i decided to make a small fire out of them.
I COULDN'T GET THEM TO BURN!!
i have never had a hard time getting a fire going. like, ever.
so, we boiled the dogs and brats instead (the brats weren't all that good either...).
it was a sad disappointing dinner.
the grill is out of gas.
last spring, i attempted to make planter boxes out of pallets. it didn't work out so well. mainly because i ran out of screws and nails...
there were a few small pieces, so i decided to make a small fire out of them.
I COULDN'T GET THEM TO BURN!!
i have never had a hard time getting a fire going. like, ever.
so, we boiled the dogs and brats instead (the brats weren't all that good either...).
it was a sad disappointing dinner.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
ickies
i hate feeling sick. i hate even more not being able to explain how i feel sick. yesterday was one of those days. even now, i'm having a hard time describing it. everything just felt off. i even went to bed early, like before the kids did.
i woke up this morning feeling better, and then i had to get out of bed. i'm trying to burp up my meds, and let me tell you, they are nasty!! my gut is trying to do contortions, and my head is still a little fuzzy.
elizabeth discovered hexaflexagons the other day. this morning, between her and taylor they finally figured out how to make them work. now all the kids are running around with their new hexaflexagons.
we have 6 weeks of school left officially, and are no where near to being done for the year. good thing i'm not too worried about it.
i woke up this morning feeling better, and then i had to get out of bed. i'm trying to burp up my meds, and let me tell you, they are nasty!! my gut is trying to do contortions, and my head is still a little fuzzy.
elizabeth discovered hexaflexagons the other day. this morning, between her and taylor they finally figured out how to make them work. now all the kids are running around with their new hexaflexagons.
we have 6 weeks of school left officially, and are no where near to being done for the year. good thing i'm not too worried about it.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
a solution, perhaps
i went almost 3 weeks without a single migraine!!
it was bliss!
as i haven't been able to get a doctor to listen to me about the possibility that i'm going through menopause, i thought i'd try an experiment. i purchased a supplement designed for that stage of a woman's life, and started taking it (this was on 3/23). i had my first migraine this last saturday. TAKE THAT YOU NAYSAYERS!!
AND that things that i've been able to accomplish when i haven't been fighting a migraine...!
it was bliss!
as i haven't been able to get a doctor to listen to me about the possibility that i'm going through menopause, i thought i'd try an experiment. i purchased a supplement designed for that stage of a woman's life, and started taking it (this was on 3/23). i had my first migraine this last saturday. TAKE THAT YOU NAYSAYERS!!
AND that things that i've been able to accomplish when i haven't been fighting a migraine...!
Saturday, April 4, 2015
easter and tooth fairy
our easter bunny almost didn't come this morning like he was supposed to. i went to bed last night, and then remembered that i needed to put everything out. i almost didn't get back up to do it. when i told shaun though, he came in and helped me get it all taken care of.
according to elizabeth and shannon though, i am the one who got everything. i'm not sure if that means they don't believe in the easter bunny, or if i just wasn't "sneaky" enough. **i'm pretty sure they went through everything that i got, so it's most likely that.**
this year, someone gave me 2 rubber band looms, and a really cool dragon. i already had 3 bracelets for the girls, so i just needed a couple more things. bubble wands, and candies rounded out the "baskets." in all our moves, and with the kids pulling things out to play with them, i can't find the easter baskets. we just put everything in piles on the table. the kids are happy.
last night, we learned that the drive-in was doing a breakfast with the easter bunny, and an egg hunt. we decided to go. taylor's alarm went off at 7 this morning... (both shaun and i slept through the first session of conference after we got back) we purchased plates for the kids, and then finished them off when they said they were done. only about 50 kids came, but that was much better than the 300 at the park down the road from the house...the main thing is they had fun...
our tooth fairy is consistently forgetful. **it's not easy having to be all the make-believe characters as well as mom.**
elizabeth lost a tooth about 2 weeks ago. every other day she would complain to me that the tooth fairy forgot to come again. last night i told her that i would call and remind the tooth fairy. she was surprised that i knew the tooth fairies phone number, i told her it was 1-800-teeth. i finally remembered last night, before i remembered about the easter bunny...
according to elizabeth and shannon though, i am the one who got everything. i'm not sure if that means they don't believe in the easter bunny, or if i just wasn't "sneaky" enough. **i'm pretty sure they went through everything that i got, so it's most likely that.**
this year, someone gave me 2 rubber band looms, and a really cool dragon. i already had 3 bracelets for the girls, so i just needed a couple more things. bubble wands, and candies rounded out the "baskets." in all our moves, and with the kids pulling things out to play with them, i can't find the easter baskets. we just put everything in piles on the table. the kids are happy.
last night, we learned that the drive-in was doing a breakfast with the easter bunny, and an egg hunt. we decided to go. taylor's alarm went off at 7 this morning... (both shaun and i slept through the first session of conference after we got back) we purchased plates for the kids, and then finished them off when they said they were done. only about 50 kids came, but that was much better than the 300 at the park down the road from the house...the main thing is they had fun...
our tooth fairy is consistently forgetful. **it's not easy having to be all the make-believe characters as well as mom.**
elizabeth lost a tooth about 2 weeks ago. every other day she would complain to me that the tooth fairy forgot to come again. last night i told her that i would call and remind the tooth fairy. she was surprised that i knew the tooth fairies phone number, i told her it was 1-800-teeth. i finally remembered last night, before i remembered about the easter bunny...
Thursday, April 2, 2015
easter prep
preparations for easter are in full swing for us.
dinner will be ham, twice baked potatoes, rolls, and rainbow jello (taylor begged for the jello!).
today i'm baking eggs so that we can color them tomorrow. i just finished getting all the jello to make the rainbow jello. i bought dinner rolls just in case i don't get around to getting them made.
i'm almost done getting basket fillers. a few more things from the dollar store, and i'll be good to go!
dinner will be ham, twice baked potatoes, rolls, and rainbow jello (taylor begged for the jello!).
today i'm baking eggs so that we can color them tomorrow. i just finished getting all the jello to make the rainbow jello. i bought dinner rolls just in case i don't get around to getting them made.
i'm almost done getting basket fillers. a few more things from the dollar store, and i'll be good to go!
Saturday, March 28, 2015
williamszoo 4 sale
i'm starting a new blog that has things for sale on it. it's going to be a slow start, cause my life is crazy! but i'm hoping to get rid of a few things, and make a little money in the process!!
Friday, March 27, 2015
"normal"
i feel fairly accomplished today! and considering the week i've had, it's a pleasant surprise!
tuesday, i was so exhausted. i went to bed at 10, and 6 hours later, i was still wide awake in bed.
wednesday, i took a sleeping pill, and slept for 12 hours. i could have slept longer...
today, after 6 hours of sleep (i couldn't fall asleep until after 2...), we made it momschool, but we were late (thankfully, it's not just us!!)
after we got home, i got laundry going, i started.................
now, for the life of me, i can't remember what i managed to get done.
i suppose feeling accomplished is better than being able to check things off a to-do list
tuesday, i was so exhausted. i went to bed at 10, and 6 hours later, i was still wide awake in bed.
wednesday, i took a sleeping pill, and slept for 12 hours. i could have slept longer...
today, after 6 hours of sleep (i couldn't fall asleep until after 2...), we made it momschool, but we were late (thankfully, it's not just us!!)
after we got home, i got laundry going, i started.................
now, for the life of me, i can't remember what i managed to get done.
i suppose feeling accomplished is better than being able to check things off a to-do list
Thursday, March 26, 2015
carpet
we've been waiting about a year for the landlord to get carpet replaced in the basement. we have a large family room in the basement that is unusable. *honestly, there's also a bedroom that we shouldn't be using either.*
last july, we had a huge rainstorm come through that caused some flooding all over the city. (i forgot to make an entry about that) it was a grand time! kids playing in rivers in the streets, college kids floating and boating in the rivers in the streets. and then everyone was told that the drain systems overflowed, and there had been sewage in the roads (apparently, the drainage and sewage are not separated...).
anyway, this storm put a small waterfall into our basement family room. i was positive that i'd gotten it all cleaned up. i was wrong. we pulled up the edges of the carpet, and the paneling away from the wall, and discovered mold. we informed the landlord, and he told us that as long as it was dry, there was no problem. (what?! mold causes huge health issues!) he agreed to replace the moldy carpet, and let us repaint the room. we refused to put the moldy paneling back on the walls, and attempted to match the texturing instead (it kind of worked).
in the last week, we have discovered that the front bedroom in the basement has damp and smelly carpet.
we have gotten all the painting done, and the new baseboard installed. we are just waiting on the carpet. shaun was told that carpet was ordered. that was almost 2 weeks ago, and we haven't heard anything else. shaun called the carpet place to see if we could get an estimate on when we could expect to get it installed. they have no record of carpet being ordered (are you kidding me!?) we have just about reached the extent of our patience. so much that we have started looking at available housing. right now, there isn't a whole lot. another problem is funds...
last july, we had a huge rainstorm come through that caused some flooding all over the city. (i forgot to make an entry about that) it was a grand time! kids playing in rivers in the streets, college kids floating and boating in the rivers in the streets. and then everyone was told that the drain systems overflowed, and there had been sewage in the roads (apparently, the drainage and sewage are not separated...).
anyway, this storm put a small waterfall into our basement family room. i was positive that i'd gotten it all cleaned up. i was wrong. we pulled up the edges of the carpet, and the paneling away from the wall, and discovered mold. we informed the landlord, and he told us that as long as it was dry, there was no problem. (what?! mold causes huge health issues!) he agreed to replace the moldy carpet, and let us repaint the room. we refused to put the moldy paneling back on the walls, and attempted to match the texturing instead (it kind of worked).
in the last week, we have discovered that the front bedroom in the basement has damp and smelly carpet.
we have gotten all the painting done, and the new baseboard installed. we are just waiting on the carpet. shaun was told that carpet was ordered. that was almost 2 weeks ago, and we haven't heard anything else. shaun called the carpet place to see if we could get an estimate on when we could expect to get it installed. they have no record of carpet being ordered (are you kidding me!?) we have just about reached the extent of our patience. so much that we have started looking at available housing. right now, there isn't a whole lot. another problem is funds...
Friday, March 20, 2015
gratitude
today i am grateful for...
1. no migraine today
2. having the chance to explain my feelings about our "teacher"
3. kids who really do try to be helpful and good
4. a husband who tries so hard
5. warmer weather
6. understanding and helpful friends
7. a functioning vehicle, ok, two
8. the blessings that come from paying tithing
9. priesthood blessings
8. the blessings that come from paying tithing
9. priesthood blessings
Thursday, March 19, 2015
halloween 2014
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shannon, was a red princess. however, she didn't take off her coat the entire time. so i don't have a full picture of her costume.
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michael, was scooby doo! he LOVES scooby doo!!
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ashley, was a purple unicorn. we borrowed this costume, but it was so stinking cute!
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taylor, was the red power ranger.
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elizabeth, was katara from the avatar series. this was actually a princess costume, but it fit perfectly for katara.
homeschooling
i am so fed up with the IDEA online school. we are going to continue through the end of the school-year. but after that, we are going solo.
my contact teacher is extremely upset that taylor and shannon are not making the amount of progress that she expects them to. education is individual. they are making progress. although, it's not entirely their fault.
when the teacher is sick, and there is no sub to call, what do you do?
the migraines have made it impossible some days to make sure that school gets done.
but, she continues to NOT take that into account. that's extremely frustrating!!
a few years ago, a good friend and i were both looking into homeschooling. while i had just started doing research for it, she had done almost all of hers. she graciously shared hers. as life kind of exploded on us at that time, it wasn't a feasible move to made at the time. however, she did give me a disk for a program that she'd purchased, but wasn't going to use.
this last christmas, i was ready to put everyone back into public school, and just be done. however, the events leading to that decision were not normal. ashley was home for the break, we had family visiting, and half of us were sick. not a normal time. shaun then found this disk that had gotten lost. i decided to look at it again, and see what had excited me about it in the first place.
it was EXACTLY what i had been looking for!!!
i have already started putting some of stuff into our school day.
i need some time to get prepared, so that's why we aren't fully starting this until the fall.
my contact teacher is extremely upset that taylor and shannon are not making the amount of progress that she expects them to. education is individual. they are making progress. although, it's not entirely their fault.
when the teacher is sick, and there is no sub to call, what do you do?
the migraines have made it impossible some days to make sure that school gets done.
but, she continues to NOT take that into account. that's extremely frustrating!!
a few years ago, a good friend and i were both looking into homeschooling. while i had just started doing research for it, she had done almost all of hers. she graciously shared hers. as life kind of exploded on us at that time, it wasn't a feasible move to made at the time. however, she did give me a disk for a program that she'd purchased, but wasn't going to use.
this last christmas, i was ready to put everyone back into public school, and just be done. however, the events leading to that decision were not normal. ashley was home for the break, we had family visiting, and half of us were sick. not a normal time. shaun then found this disk that had gotten lost. i decided to look at it again, and see what had excited me about it in the first place.
it was EXACTLY what i had been looking for!!!
i have already started putting some of stuff into our school day.
i need some time to get prepared, so that's why we aren't fully starting this until the fall.
health
i wish that i could say everyone is just bouncing with health.
i suppose i could say that about everyone but me.
i'm struggling with lots of fatigue (a long on-going struggle), and debilitating migraines.
i went to the doctor
this week's (2/22/15) migraines had me nauseated, dizzy, and struggling with vertigo. i had four this week.
the following week (3/2/15)......nothing.
the week of 3/8, i had 5...! with symptoms from my ability to think being gone, to lights and sound making it worse.
this week, 3/15, so far...2. for some reason, some of them start with the back of my scalp tingling like it's falling asleep.
all of the bloodwork they did came back normal.
i'm not anemic.
as i've had gestational diabetes before, they continue to check those numbers, as the chances of me getting type 2 later in life are higher.
those numbers keep coming back normal.
with a family history of thyroid problems, i make sure they keep checking those numbers as well.
normal.
what they didn't expect to find, was a slightly fatty liver.
my father, when they were trying to discover what was wrong with him 8 years ago, discovered that he had a fatty liver. basically, he had the liver of a drinker, without ever having a drop in his life.
so, i wasn't entirely surprised when they found that.
as all the bloodwork came back normal, they decided to do an mri.
30 minutes, is just long enough for a severely exhausted person to almost completely fall asleep.
the mri came back normal.
this only means that there's nothing obvious. no tumors, no blood clots.
i've started a list of things that i think we need to look into and hopefully eliminate.
the inability to process the b vitamins, it's a real genetic disorder.
vitamin d deficiency
excess toxins
sleep apnea
hormone imbalance
lyme
lupus
the next step is seeing a specialist.
i suppose i could say that about everyone but me.
i'm struggling with lots of fatigue (a long on-going struggle), and debilitating migraines.
i went to the doctor
this week's (2/22/15) migraines had me nauseated, dizzy, and struggling with vertigo. i had four this week.
the following week (3/2/15)......nothing.
the week of 3/8, i had 5...! with symptoms from my ability to think being gone, to lights and sound making it worse.
this week, 3/15, so far...2. for some reason, some of them start with the back of my scalp tingling like it's falling asleep.
all of the bloodwork they did came back normal.
i'm not anemic.
as i've had gestational diabetes before, they continue to check those numbers, as the chances of me getting type 2 later in life are higher.
those numbers keep coming back normal.
with a family history of thyroid problems, i make sure they keep checking those numbers as well.
normal.
what they didn't expect to find, was a slightly fatty liver.
my father, when they were trying to discover what was wrong with him 8 years ago, discovered that he had a fatty liver. basically, he had the liver of a drinker, without ever having a drop in his life.
so, i wasn't entirely surprised when they found that.
as all the bloodwork came back normal, they decided to do an mri.
30 minutes, is just long enough for a severely exhausted person to almost completely fall asleep.
the mri came back normal.
this only means that there's nothing obvious. no tumors, no blood clots.
i've started a list of things that i think we need to look into and hopefully eliminate.
the inability to process the b vitamins, it's a real genetic disorder.
vitamin d deficiency
excess toxins
sleep apnea
hormone imbalance
lyme
lupus
the next step is seeing a specialist.
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