Slacky the Slacker

Story of my life...blog, blog, blog, stop blogging for a little while, mentally compose posts but never find time to post them, get overwhelmed with all of the mentally composed posts that I haven't posted yet, continue to procrastinate. And then it ends up being a month between posts, and I feel like the worst blogger ever.


Anywho, let's see if we can get this ship back on course, shall we? Beginning with what's been going on here for the past couple of weeks. I'll just run straight through the family...


~* GENE *~


It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a month since he started his new job at Goodyear! The first two weeks were just classroom training. This week began the 12-hour days of hands-on training. I'm very grateful that he's on day shift for training. I'm pretty sure that he'll be moved to a night shift at some point - and it could be just any minute - so I'm enjoying the heck out of day shift while it lasts. For the time being, he leaves before the girls and I wake up in the morning and gets home around 8 p.m. That part stinks...but he works a swing shift, which means he works for three days and gets two off, then works two days and gets three off. Every other week, he has Friday, Saturday, and Sunday OFF. That is lovely. It'll take more adjusting to having him home during the week, though - the man really wrecks my routine when he's here. It's hard to impress upon Rachael that she must still sit at the kitchen table and do her schoolwork when Daddy is sitting on the couch watching TV. At any rate, he seems to enjoy his new job (for the most part) and it was definitely a good move for our family. The girls are already pointing out Goodyear things wherever they see them (today it was a Goodyear blimp balloon and a sample Goodyear tire in Walmart) although they still notice and point out Utz trucks too.


On his last Sunday off, he came with me to church. I was thrilled to have him there for the first Sunday in a series called MAN UP! All about being a godly husband and father...and I'm not implying that he isn't, just that we all have room for improvement. The church had rented out a local theater for the weekend showings of the new movie Courageous, and Gene went with me to that too. Talk about a powerful movie...I've never cried so much at a movie in my life. (Even at Toy Story 3, although it was probably close. DETEST that movie.) Anyway, we were both a little apprehensive about Courageous, which was made by the folks that brought us Fireproof. Fireproof having had a great message, but truly baaaaaaad acting. Courageous was so, so, so much better in every aspect - there were rough spots, but the acting was better, there were truly funny moments ("not just church-funny," said Gene), and it was touching in so many ways. Best of all, it sent a clear message to the husbands and fathers: be the man that God called you to be. Accept responsibility for your families. Do not let them down. Just my personal opinion here, but this one should be required viewing for any man that answers to "dad."


~* ME *~


I am, as usual, the least interesting member of this family. In the past two weeks, I've homeschooled, cooked, washed dishes, done laundry, attended no fewer than 68 Girl Scout functions, chauffeured Rachael back and forth to the ranch a bajillion times, swept, vacuumed, sold some Scentsy, read a lot, ate, slept, bathed, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Just seeing if you were paying attention.)

Two minor accomplishments: I started the Couch to 5K running program. I know, ME, running - it's absurd. Definitely not a pretty sight, which is why I do it on the treadmill, in the privacy of my own home.


I also sat down with a crochet hook and YouTube and started learning to crochet. Friends have attempted to teach me before, but I just didn't practice enough to let it sink in...I could make a chain from here to Tuesday, but had no idea what to do after that. I still don't, really, but I'm decent with at least three crochet stitches now. I have lots more videos to go before I'm proficient enough to read a pattern or anything, but at least I've started. It still feels so wrong to have just one hook instead of two knitting needles, and my left thumb hurts a lot (must be holding something wrong), but I'm kind of enjoying the challenge.


That's really it. I clearly need to do something exciting.


~* RACHAEL *~


The most exciting thing that happened to Rachael in the past two weeks was undoubtedly the night she got her pinky finger caught in a metal folding chair, and ripped the entire fingernail off. It was not a pretty sight. Well, I guess it wasn't - I couldn't look at it. Thank God that it happened on a night Gene was here to take care of it. (Blood usually doesn't make me terribly squeamish, by the way - but when it's one of my babies bleeding, I just can't handle it. Cut me instead, thanks.) It bled a lot, and I know it hurt...but she was far more concerned about what it looked like, and refused to be without a Band-Aid covering it for several days. Silly girl. It's now a free-range injury and healing nicely (according to a nurse friend), although it's still a vibrant shade of purple around the tiny stub of regrown fingernail.


She's spent a lot of time at the ranch doing the 4-H thing, and is super excited for the show coming up in November. It's about time to start incorporating the 4-H handbook into our school day, actually, so she'll be well-versed when it's time to be quizzed by the judges. There have been two brand new baby alpacas (a baby alpaca is called a cria - see, I'm learning things too!) in the past few weeks, and she's gotten to love on them both - as well as baby sugar gliders (soooo precious!) The ranch has lost a few more animals, though - something (presumably a coyote or similar) attacked their poultry last weekend. One rooster and several chickens were killed, along with everyone's favorite duck, Noel. Noel was a duck with personality - he'd follow people around and if you stopped, he'd peck at your shoes. We loved him, but (thankfully) she didn't take it as hard as she did Bluebell's departure. RIP, Noel, I'll miss the little guy.


It's just amazing to me to watch her at the ranch - handling the alpacas and llamas so comfortably, teaching me how to do "critter care," even shoveling poop - which they call "poop-lates" (think "pilates.") She's always been a princess that didn't mind getting a little dirty, but I just couldn't have imagined her being a little farm girl. (Note to self: get picture of her in the barn in her boots and braids!)


She's doing so well in school...she's memorized the first 18 books of the Old Testament and most of the New Testament books, and she can rattle off the names of Jacob's twelve sons like they were personal friends. English, spelling, vocabulary...well, we're very much alike in that she doesn't struggle with those. She's loving her new math curriculum and thinks that multiplication is FUN (!!!), knows the sound that each Latin letter makes (with and without macrons), and still adores history more than just about anything. I am a lucky, lucky homeschooling mama to have such a good, willing student. But I will surely pay my dues plus interest with Milly when she's a bit older.


~* MILLY *~


She is a little more dramatic, but truth be told, she hasn't been doing badly with school either. She LOVES her Explode the Code workbooks, and will happily sit and race through a dozen pages at a time if I let her. We started with the first book in the series, and I just bought the other two in the preschool series, lest she run out and go ballistic. I have a strong feeling that I'll be starting kindergarten books with her before this school year is over! She's doing well with her first year of Bible lessons too - she knows the same "Sons of Jacob" song as her sister, and she can name the New Testament books through 2nd Corinthians. Not too shabby for a 3.5-year-old! The thing with her is, she does school on her terms. When she's ready, you'd better not tell her that you don't have anything for her to do. And when she's done, her school day is over.


In spite of her being demon possessed temperament, something remarkable has happened in the past week... Before Goodyear, Gene would usually take Milly to church with him. On the rare occasion that we attempted to bring her to my church, she would not - and I mean would not - go to her Sunday school class. Epic tantrums ensued. Much clinging and screaming, tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth. In the end, it wasn't worth it to make her stay - I hated to leave her in such a state, and hated it doubly for the hapless volunteer who would have to deal with her.


But with Gene working every other Sunday now, something had to change. If she didn't go to her own class, she would have to sit through the worship service with me (distracting me) and then through my Sunday school class as well (distracting everyone.) So I talked to other parents in the church. Emailed the preschool director. Emailed the Sunday school teacher. Worried a lot and prayed a lot. And when Sunday morning came...she stayed in her class. The whole time. I'm talking 9:30 until a few minutes past 12 - this was major. We had talked it up and told her what to expect, and she was excited about it...until we got into the room. Then she started edging behind me and whispering that she'd changed her mind. And the tears started, but no howling. That's when her teacher, Miss Melissa, let her know that *ahem* MOMMY NEEDED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM...so I ducked into the bathroom that connected the two four-year-old classrooms (yep, they promoted her to the four-year-old room!) and exited through the other classroom. Startling the other teacher a bit, but it was worth it. Milly stayed and had a great time, and I've heard of little else but Miss Melissa all week.  :)


Wednesday night was a little harder - she threw a full-fledged tantrum and preschool director quite literally pried her off of my leg...I felt horrible once again, for leaving someone else to deal with a Milly tantrum. But again, I found out later that she cut it out almost immediately, and had a great time in class. She even got to play the hand bells - and if she keeps going and practicing, she'll get to play them in the Christmas program this year. (I am quite opposed to this; my BABY is not big enough to be in a Christmas program!! But I digress.)


Milly is enjoying some time at the ranch too. This past Saturday was Oktoberfest, and they took several alpacas, a llama, the donkey, chickens, goats, an angora rabbit, a tortoise, a snake, and a sugar glider...and set up a little petting zoo uptown. Naturally, Rachael stayed with them rather than accompanying me to my boring old Girl Scout table...but once I was relieved and Milly and I headed back to the critters, Milly was eager to get right in the middle of it. One of the younger alpacas, a handsome solid white dude named Russell, is just a little taller than Milly - she promptly claimed his lead line and led him all over the place for other people to pat. Looks like I have another 4-H'er on my hands...once she turns seven. No rush.


Both girls are excited about Halloween...and Thanksgiving...and Milly's birthday...and Christmas. They have the remainder of 2011 planned out quite nicely. Wish I were so organized.

So, that's what's been going on with us. I have more thoughts to share later, now that the dreaded update is finished. And I have three - yes, three - giveaways to post later! Perhaps I'll get around to that tonight, now that I'm done procrastinating. For now.

My Big, Whiny Comeback Post

When I blow a New Year's resolution - or rather, goal - I do it completely. One of my goals for this year was to blog regularly, and yet here I am on April 18, having not blogged in more than two months.

There are several reasons that I've been MIA from blogdom:

1. busy
2. busy
3. busy
4. fear of writing the dreaded big, whiny comeback post when I finally decided it was time to start blogging again.

The biggest reason, for the past couple of weeks, has been #4. So much has happened in the past two months - where in the world do I begin...again?

My last post detailed Rachael's 7th birthday, back in February. Gene had just started his new job with Utz, and was enjoying it, despite the crazy hours that were sure to get better soon.

Thing is, they haven't gotten better. The poor man leaves home at 4 a.m. and we don't usually see him again until 6-ish. The spring semester hasn't yet ended, which means that he doesn't get home until around 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, and the girls don't see him at all that day. Once or twice, he's gotten incredibly lucky on one of his "short" days and gotten home around 3:30 or 4. There's no day off mid-week as he was told when he signed on. And I've learned that his having to work every single Saturday sucks about a million times more than I expected it to.

In theory, we should still see him from about 6-10 (his new bedtime) four nights a week, slightly longer on Saturday, and all day on Sunday. But since he is still in school, and taking two online classes in addition to his Tuesday night class, he has to devote at least a night or two per week to studying, taking quizzes online, and going to the college to take tests. On Sundays, our routine is church-lunch-nap (because he doesn't get enough sleep now, ever, and he's a beast if you insinuate that something could be planned that would maybe interfere with his Sunday afternoon nap.) Sunday evenings usually include his doing more schoolwork and my doing the grocery shopping. We truly see each other in passing most days.

This has meant that I've had to pick up more slack at home than I was previously used to. When it was still cold - through February and March - the job of building a fire in our outdoor furnace and keeping it going through the day fell to me. Learning to build a fire wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. In fact, I've learned to embrace my teensy inner pyromaniac and actually rather enjoy seeing things go up in flames now...within the confines of the furnace, of course. What stunk was never having enough kindling to get the stupid fire started, or enough wood cut that was smallish enough for me to chunk into the furnace, since he didn't have time to cut anything in the evenings. This resulted in our having to buy two loads of already-cut firewood - which really irked our chickens since we have 27 wooded acres from which to find firewood.

He no longer has time to take out the trash. Or check the mail. Or several other menial tasks that I'm quite capable of handling myself. The thing is, when you add any menial task to the kazillion things that a mom already does on a daily basis, it's kind of a pain in the butt. As is never knowing when he may finally get to come home, which makes timing a hot evening meal practically impossible.

Of course, I still have it better than he does...I still get to stay at home with my children, and I don't have to drag my carcass out of bed when it's still dark outside. I don't have to deal with other people all day long unless I choose to do so. I don't get even one day off per week, but even my "work" time is more leisurely.

Still, I hate this. HATE it. Loathe, detest, despise and abhor this. I knew that this job was going to be such a blessing to our family, after years and years of trying to get out of the sawmill where he worked before. I had no idea that it would mean never seeing him, that our children would be sad that Daddy is never home. I don't know how women manage whose husbands are gone - really gone - all the time. I would lose my mind.

But hey...free chips.

Back in February, Rachael participated in the Missoula Children's Theatre production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She was so excited and nervous to audition this year, since she auditioned last year and didn't get a part. We were all thrilled when she had a great audition and was cast as one of the evil queen's pet bats (clearly, this was not your traditional telling of the story!) Auditions were held on Valentine's Day - a Monday evening - and the children rehearsed all week before performing in two shows on Saturday. Thankfully, Gene was able to finish up in time to catch the second performance. I couldn't miss either one. :)

I survived my first Girl Scout cookie season...with much encouragement from my troop co-leader and the moms in our troop. I thought it would be so much fun to do the whole thing myself, being my first year as a leader, but I'll definitely be recruiting more help next year. Gene and Rachael attended their second Girl Scout daddy/daughter dance, and she looked just like a little princess. And our troop attended a lock-in at a nearby mall - a dozen girls from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. No one slept until 4 a.m. I didn't sleep at all. And I hope we get to do it again next year. We only have three meetings left before breaking off for summer - as well as a service project, a yard sale, and a trip to a farm with a ropes course and zip line. Our last meeting of the year will be a fairly big to-do, with pizza, sundaes, games, awards for the girls, and the ceremonial "bridging" of some up to the next level of Scouting. I'll cry, but I'll also be happy for the reprieve of summer. Being a troop leader has been so much more time-consuming than I imagined it would be, but also so much more rewarding. I love "my" girls - all 18 of them. 18! After we worried that we may not have the five we needed to start our troop last fall! We just keep growing and growing, and are actually holding two spaces for next fall, which will make us a troop of 20.

In March, I celebrated my first anniversary with Scentsy...with a BIG promotion, thanks to a fundraiser that I landed with an area high school band. They did so well that I was able to write them a check for $1400, and I was promoted two levels, to SuperStar Consultant. The next step up is Director, and I want it. It may take me a while, but that's my goal. I have a great little team of eight going, I still love the products, and the company is one that I'm proud to be associated with...so I'm still "the Scentsy lady."

That wasn't the biggest deal in March, though - I loved celebrating my friend Cathy's 30th birthday with her! I wish I could have made just a huge, spectacular deal out of it, but her party was a lot of fun. (Turning 30 made her even again, while I'm still odd...but I'll be even again before long!) She's such an amazing friend, and such a blessing to me...I've never had a friend quite like her, and I hope to celebrate many more milestone birthdays with her.

And on April 7th, another reason for celebration - our 10th anniversary! That sounds like such a long time, and then like no time at all. I told him when we celebrated our 5th anniversary that if I put up with him for five more years, I'd be needing more diamonds for our 10th anniversary. He didn't disappoint - I got a beautiful new wrap for my engagement ring, and I definitely don't want any more ring on that finger now. Hmm, what idea should I start planting in his head for our 20th...?!

So to recap - I'm tired. Gene isn't here. Rachael is sweet, when she's not being sassy. Milly is still mean, with a side of cuddly. I still need a housekeeper, I spend way too much on gas, and our church conflict has yet to be resolved. Life goes on, even though I'm a little overwhelmed with it.

There's so much more that I could share, but the update will suffice for now. I'll be back soon, with randomness rather than an overview. I miss Pink Saturdays and the Saturday 9, and although the idea of the Wednesday Weigh-in makes me a bit queasy, it's something that I should be doing as well. There was also a giveaway that was left hanging when blogging disappeared entirely from my stream of consciousness...I'll be emailing the store owner soon to see if we can resume that. My apologies to those who entered already.

The Official 2010 Wrap-Up Post

Another year is coming to a close - it seems like 2010 was just beginning, and now there are only hours left until 2011. How does this keep happening? My dad always told me that time just goes by faster as you get older, but I thought I'd have to be a good bit older before it started happening to me. Instead, time started ticking by faster and faster back in February 2004, right about the time that Rachael was born. Wow, that was nearly seven years ago now...and it feels like just a few days ago.

So, where does the end of this year leave our little family?

- Gene is getting ready to start a new semester - he still has a while to go, maybe two years, depending on the scheduling of the classes he needs. It's a lot harder to do everything at night, but he's managing it, and with a 4.0 GPA to boot. (Honestly, I think his being in school is harder on the rest of us than it is on him - he gets two nights out per week, followed by tacos with a friend after class, while I have two looooong days with the girls with barely a sight of him in between work and school. But, I can't complain - there are so many men that wouldn't submit to such an undertaking in order to better provide for their families.)

Nothing has changed with his job - he still hates it, his boss is still a treasure to work for (might want to wipe off that sarcasm dripping down your screen), and he still doesn't know from day to day when he'll be working and when the next layoff might occur. The frustration has prompted him to take a full load at school this semester, so he'll have his hands full...but we're rooting for him.

In unrelated news, he has now realized the importance of cutting wood even during the summer, so that he's not outside busting wood for the furnace in the freezing cold. He'll be celebrating another birthday in just a couple of weeks, at which time he'll be six years older than me (for half of the year), and I kind of love that. Makes me feel younger.

- Rachael will be seven in just over a month and, now that Christmas is over, is making plans for her birthday party. Looks like an iCarly theme this time, but that's okay - lots of ideas I can work with on that one. She looooves all things iCarly, and the whole family enjoys the show, so this current fascination is far less annoying than it could be.

She's still my little bookworm, and is already trying to steal my Kindle, but she can just forget about that one. It's getting hard to find books that written at her reading level but still appropriate for her age...which is a nice problem to have, just frustrating at times.

School is mostly going well...her aptitude is amazing, but her attitude has been a little less amazing of late. She's got a bit of a lazy streak, I think, and it's reflected in her sloppy handwriting and carelessness with her math - which she is good at, but still professes to despise. I really need to plan out our January "classes" - including dusting off the astronomy book and making good use of the awesome new telescope that her Aunt Annette and Uncle Eric gave her for Christmas. She is very much like me in that she prefers English, history and languages to math and science...I'll have to work extra hard to make those fun for her.

She's been taking piano lessons for several months now and is doing quite well - she's finished her first book and moved on to the second, and can play several simple tunes that require the use of both hands. She'll be catching up to me before long, and that's quite alright with me - I hope she's playing circles around me in a couple of years!

Girl Scouts has been a BIG thing for us this fall, given that I'm her troop leader and she's the only girl in our troop (out of thirteen) who has ever been a Girl Scout before. She's a great help to me, teaching the other girls how to do the friendship circle at the end, singing songs so I don't have to, etc. She offers a ton of great suggestions too, and is a wonderful little cheerleader after every meeting, telling me how much fun it was. We're looking forward to filling up her Brownie vest with patches, and have lots of fun things planned with the troop in 2011...starting with the cookie sale, which kicks off on January 1st. (Would YOU like some cookies?! LOL)

- Milly is still my little spitfire. You just never know what kind of mood she's going to be in from one moment to the next, which can be difficult to deal with on a daily basis. Whereas Rachael was always gentle, sweet and eager to please, Milly doesn't give a toss about what anyone else wants. Pick up her toys? "I don't want to." Be nice to your sister? "No way!" Share? "But it's MINE!" I assure you, I try and try to teach her common niceties, but she just plain doesn't care. It's a little scary - is she going to be a bully? That weird homeschooled kid that somebody talks about years now? A serial killer? (Hey, it seems likely sometimes.)

She's been doing a little bit of "pre-pre-school" this year, but is mostly uninterested. She loves her (short) Bible devotion, recognizes most of the letters, and knows the sounds that most of them make. Once in a while she'll request a coloring page, but for the most part, she's content to just do her own thing while Rachael and I do schoolwork.

She has recently decided that she's in love with all things Strawberry Shortcake, and has also decided to commandeer Rachael's Leapster. We were also surprised to discover earlier this week that the child is a pro with a computer - she's much more adept with the mouse than we'd have ever suspected, given that neither of us have sat down to try and teach her to use it yet. Thanks to her big sister, though, she can go to StrawberryShortcake.com and play the games all by herself!

Needless to say, she considers herself "all grown up", and I suppose it has been a big year for her. All in the space of one year, she learned to use the potty, stopped nursing and had her carseat turned forward-facing - yes, in that order. It was October before we turned her seat around, and I hated to do it even then - don't forget, moms of little ones, the AAP actually recommends rear-facing until age two now, and it's so much safer to leave them rear-facing until they reach the weight limit for their seat!

- And what about me? Well...I suppose I've had a pretty dull year, nothing much has changed. Every day is much like the next, just trying to get the children taught, the house clean enough, the errands done, the troop meetings planned. Yes, I get a little mired up in the drudgery sometimes, but I know full well that I am blessed to be able to stay at home with my children, to be the one who teaches them, to miss very little where they're concerned. I can't imagine being away from them every day, and wouldn't want to try.

I've spent the entirety of 2010 bouncing between churches, still caught at an impasse between going where I feel best "fed" (as a precious new friend would say) and guiltily slinking back to our "home church", so as not to feel like an utter traitor to the congregation in which I grew up. That, more than anything else, has been a source of tension in our home this year, and especially for me - one that needs to be rectified as quickly as possible.

On top of homeschooling and troop leading and homemaking and errand running, I considered adding one more activity to my agenda in 2011: college. I went, after high school, but didn't finish and have long regretted it. So I applied and was accepted to Liberty University's psychology program - psychology being something I've long been interested in, and Liberty offers a degree with a focus on Christian counseling. I was excited about getting started in January, but unfortunately, the financial aid just wasn't enough to make it possible...so the college idea is temporarily on hold once again. If motivation holds out, I may take some classes at the local community college, just to finish up my general education degree, although I truly loathe the idea. One of the greatest attractions of Liberty - aside from being a Christian school - was that I could do everything entirely online. With the community college, however, I may have to take the odd class on campus (I'd really rather not) and would, at best, have to go to the campus for testing. I simply don't have the time or inclination to add one more place to GO to my schedule. Additionally, they don't offer any "real" degrees that interest me in the least - not that I would be using said degree immediately upon completion, anyway. I fully intend to homeschool for as long as it's beneficial to my children, which could mean fifteen more years if Milly is homeschooled through graduation. So...we'll see what happens with that one. In the meantime, getting Gene through school is ultimately more important.

I guess that really leads into plans for the new year, doesn't it?

Well, I'll begin by saying that I will not be making a single resolution this year. I always have in the past - just couldn't resist, since that's the thing to do on New Year's Eve - and I have always, without exception, broken said resolutions no later than January 3rd. So this year, no resolutions.

However. I will be setting some goals for myself for the new year. I can't resist that much - there's the feeling of a clean slate, so we might as well make the most of it. What's the difference between a goal and a resolution, you ask? Well, it may be purely psychological on my end...but the way that I see it, a resolution, once broken, is simply broken and unable to be repaired. A goal, however, can't be broken - it's something you work toward, little by little. If you happen to do something that doesn't help you toward your goal - well, it was a mistake, and people make mistakes. It's easy enough to brush it aside and try again, because nothing was broken as a result.

So here are a few of my goals for 2011, in no particular order.

• Blog more! I started blogging in the first place as a means of recording our family's history as it's made, so I wouldn't forget the firsts, the cute things that the girls say, details of special occasions. I'd like to think that I would never forget such things, but the truth is that my memory is terrible and only seems to be getting worse. If I don't write it down, it's going to fade away...but once blogged (and safely archived, of course), it's secured. I may not blog every single day, but I'll certainly try to write something most days - after all, not a day passes that my girls don't do something noteworthy.
• Scrapbook more! Oh, I'm liking these goals already - two things that I enjoy doing so far, this should be easy enough! I've slacked off on my scrapbooking lately, even though I do it all digitally, which means less mess and faster pages. My primary goal is to finish up a first-year scrapbook for my sweet little nephew in time for his birthday in February...beyond that, to knock out at least four pages a month. One page a week certainly doesn't sound unreasonable, especially when a page typically takes me an hour or less to create.
• Facebook less. Ohhh, here we go with the harder goals. My name is Kristin and I am a Facebook junkie. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step toward recovery, right? It's just so easy to check whenever I walk by the computer, to see what everyone is up to...or when I'm just sitting at the table while Rachael does her schoolwork...or while they're having lunch...or after they're in bed. And darn you, Zynga, and your evil, addicting games! Frontierville and Cityville are currently the banes of my existence...well, those and the pile of laundry that's always in need of folding. Must...step away...
• Resolve the church issue. I've already explained that one. I very much want to be actively involved in the church of my preference, but don't want to do it without the blessing of my husband. Currently, I go and participate with his acceptance (resignation?) but honestly, I would love nothing more than for my entire family to be able to worship together happily in one place where all of our needs are met. I don't know how the issue will ultimately be resolved, but I do know that I can't endure another year like this one. A compromise simply must be reached.
• FlyLady. Okay, maybe not FlyLady exactly, but I certainly need a better system of housekeeping than my current MO of "just ignore it until someone is coming over, then clean like a woman possessed until just before they arrive."
• For that matter, I need to manage my time better too. Of course, stepping away from Facebook will help immensely with that.
• And finally, the typical (and dreaded) New Year's resolution - only it's not a resolution - is to make healthier choices in 2011. Not to diet. Not to lose weight (although that would be lovely.) But to get off of the couch and onto the treadmill, to get outside and do something, to dust off the Wii Fit and to play tag with the children. To cut out the post-kid-bedtime snacks, to not buy the junk food, to eat at least as many fruits and veggies as my children do (they're such good little role models!) This one will be my hardest goal, but the one most urgently in need of attention.

So, there you have it. Where we are and where we're going...and right now, I'm going to wash dishes and get ready for our annual New Year's Eve Phase Ten playoff with my dad and stepmom, in which I must attempt to remain neutral, since the competition this year is really between Gene and my dad. (I'll admit, I tend to favor my dad's side...but as Gene put new tires on my van this morning, I can't completely turn on him. Although I suspect that the tires were partially intended to butter me up for tonight.)

Happy New Year to my friends and blog visitors!

Pardon my MIA-ness.

It's true - the holidays are here! How do I know this? Well, everything has suddenly become twice as busy, and 3/4 of my family has been sick on top of it all. Thus the recent lack of blogginess, and my apologies for it.

First of all - I'm days behind in going to random.com and choosing a winner for my Scentsy giveaway. Sorry about that - I'll get it to it ASAP!

For now, check out this great giveaway for a very cool nightlight over at Coupon Queen Bee's blog. (Yeah, I really want one of those for my girls! Maybe two, one for each girl. They're so stinking cute and unique...just go look.)

And while you're here - remember that post I did about Ebeanstalk.com not too long ago? Well, here's a special blog code for 20% off of your next purchase: JUSTFORFRIENDS. And just in time for Cyber Monday too. :)

I'll be back with my numerous excuses for being MIA...check back soon to read about tummy bugs, Girl Scouts in a parade, Thanksgiving, and my klutzy self backing into a motorcycle (and why we will not be paying $860 in repairs.)

Where have you BEEN?

Yep, here I go, neglecting the ol' blog again. Life sure does get in the way of my hobbies sometimes.

So, where have I been? Well, let's see.

• I've been at the kitchen table behind a pile of books and a computer screen, piecing it all together into a cohesive homeschool curriculum.
• I've been at the same kitchen table with two little girls, teaching them about the three R's and a bunch of other stuff besides. My six-year-old can read anything that I throw at her, add 3- and 4- digit numbers (carrying the one, when need be), tell you about her favorite Van Gogh painting, and introduce herself quite politely in French. Necessary? Not entirely. Fun? Oh yeah. (Milly is "doing school" at her own little pace, but she can tell you all of the letter sounds through H. Proud of her too.)
• I've been throwing together Girl Scout meetings and praying over them that the girls would think they're lots of fun and put together by a responsible adult leader who knows what she's doing, not one who's flying by the seat of her pants.
• I've been attending those same meetings and hardly breathing for the duration, there's just so much crammed into an hour, between activities with the girls and having the parents fill out forms and throw money at me and keep up with who's paid for what...AAAHHH!
• I've been driving to art co-op once a week - about a 35-minute drive each way - and waiting around for an hour while Rachael draws and paints and learns about art history (but she studied Van Gogh with me, thankyouverymuch.)
• I've been squeezing in approximately four minutes of piano practice per week, just enough that the piano teacher doesn't punch me in the face when we show up on Friday afternoons. Of course, we've missed the last two Friday afternoons because...
• I've been battling a head cold-sinus crud-mystery illness that just would not relinquish its hold on my brain, meaning that I walked around pretty much in a daze for a while.
• I've been going to church more often these days, thanks to awesome Wednesday night classes at OBC. (The Sunday morning where-to-go-to-church struggles continue, both internally and with my darling husband, who is convinced that large churches are cults, and one should steer far away from their Kool-Aid.)
• I've been working my Scentsy business, and man, it's been rocking lately! YAY for the new fall and winter scents! Scentsy is paying for Christmas this year, and I'm thankful for it.

So yeah...I've been all over, and nowhere at the same time. I'm doing so much that I'm quite overwhelmed with it all, truth be told, but I just don't know what I can cut out of my schedule. (I can't see a way to dump a single thing, actually.) This was never my intent - I quite enjoy the idea of a quiet life at home, being a bit hermit-like, venturing out only for groceries and the occasional visit with a friend - but it just isn't working out that way right now.

Another book I picked up recently stated that "motherhood abhors a vacuum" and I can only say AMEN to that. If there's a spare minute to be had, I'll fill it with something. Maybe someday that something will be housework. This place kinda needs it.

Speaking of housework...I still have another giveaway to post, and I'll try to get that up this evening. Must wash some dishes and cook some food, and then perhaps the natives will give me a few more minutes of peace.