Well, that is weird. I know I emailed my blog twice since being back. Sorry about that Donna and Robin! We made it to Decatur just fine. Got here about 3:30AM. I emailed the blog and then again this AM. I just hopped on to show Jetamio my blog and it doesn't show any new posts since I was in Illinois. DANG!

Sorry to worry you if I did.

We're looking up runes right now. Monday we are going to be making our own sets of runes and I am also making an amulet to quit smoking. Tomorrow we are running to the house and see what food we have and unpack some. Tomorrow night we'll stay at my mother in laws house and then we'll come back to Jetamio's house until our power is turned on. Should be a week.

I am going for now... I see deviled eggs!!! MMMMMMM!

Hello all!

Oh boy I am bad at this LOL. We're in Springfield, IL
right now. No we didn't vanish and no, I didn't forget
about this blog. LOL

We started out our trip in Quitman, MS. Then we drove
through Louisiana into Texas. We stopped at Midlothian and
Brownwood. Then we drove through New Mexico and slept
there one night before heading into Arizona. We drove
through the petrified Forest and the Painted Desert and
then camped that night. THEN the next morning we drove
through the Grand Canyon. I drove straight through to San
Diego, CA from there. We stayed there for three weeks. We
visited my hubby, my grandma in Ontario, CA and my SIL and
her family in Tehachapi. Then we drove up I-5 into Oregon.
That was fun. We drove through Oregon into Washington,
across the panhandle of Idaho and into Montana. We stayed
with Daddy David and Carol and visited for a week. Then we
headed out and drove through Montana, Wyoming, South
Dakota, Iowa, Missouri and into Illnois. We'll be here
until the 22nd or 23rd and we'll be heading through
Kentucky back into Tennessee.

When I get back home, I'll have to have the power turned
back on and clean the house, but then I'll be able to post
on here all the exciting stuff we saw and did along the
way. I'll be back. Keep checking back. I promise I will
update.

We are at the rest

We are at the rest area near Delhi, LA.

We r in Quitman MS.

We r in Quitman MS. Enjoying a visit with Molly!

We r in Quitman MS.

We r in Quitman MS. Enjoying a visit with Molly!

HEY!

I just hopped on the blog to check it out and see how it looked. I noticed that my last two posts didn't go through! SO, here is the run down, very briefly:

 

Miles has pimples and a peach fuzz beard... My baby's growing up! *sniffle*

 

Mendel 2.0 is reading better and starting to notice words outside of his lessons.

 

I am still packing. Cleaned the van and all.

 

Can't wait to leave.

 

They were longer, but that's the short of it. Scroll down on this page to read the last blog entry :)

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

 

http://dotchi.blogspot.com A blog for our life

I am blogging!

I received an email from someone known only as "Mumsy" and it stated that I get blogging. Okay, Mumsy! :)

 

We are packed for the most part. Everything except for food, socks and paperwork is in the van. And I still need to get a hold of Mendel 1.0 to get his list packed.

 

Tomorrow we will head out to the Reserve Center in Knoxville to get our updated Dependant ID cards and then we will be heading to Mississippi! I am so excited! Here are all the places we will be stopping:

 

1. Quitman, MS to see Molly and family (and friends LOL)

 

2. Midlothian, TX to see family.

 

3. Early, TX to see family (and a new baby!) and to eat fried pickles at Underwood's.

 

4. Lawton, OK to see family.

 

5. Grand Canyon, AZ... and if you can't figure that one out... LOL

 

6. I'd like to step foot into Mexico if we can.

 

7. San Diego, CA to see hubby, see family, go to Sea World, Disney Land!!!, A Science museum and Imax theater, a veterans celebration, a doctors appointment for dh, the beach and a whole bunch of other stuff!

 

8. Ontario, CA to visit Grandma.

 

9. San Francisco to see a friend and the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

10. Libby, MT to see family and hopefully step foot in Canada.

 

11. Springfield, IL to see a friend.

 

and I know there is more b/c dh has plans for while we are out there, I just can't remember it all LOL.

 

I am hoping to be able to have access to email while I am out. I can find libraries if nothing else. I will send txt messages of where we are to the blog and if they go through, this will be so COOL!

 

I bought .50 magnetic games for the boys in the van plus art stuff to make there scrapbooks of the trip. I will be sending a post card to two friends here, my mother in law, Mumsy... I mean, my mom, and also collecting postcards along the way, plus if I send them to work, they'll post them in the break room!

 

Well Mom, I mean, Mumsy, I have blogged. I will blog once more tonight. The rest of the blogging will be short messages from my phone until I can get to a computer and fill you in on the fun we are having. Off I go for last minute cleaning of the house and packing of things.

 

Dotchi (totally PSYCHED)
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

The Fast Begins!

I know it is early for this time of year, but I am starting my brown rice fast! This time, I will give up cigarettes. Not hard to do since I have no money to buy anymore and I am not messing up the budget!

The boys are doing great this morning! Mendel finished lesson 7 in his Primer math book and moved onto lesson 8 (lesson 8 WAS planned for next week), he did his reading review and learned a new sound! Short O. Miles finished lesson 7 in Math Alpha and we're skipping ahead to review on #8.
If he can do it, then we'll find the test book and let him take those.
He's reading better with speed but tends to run over the words and just
guesses at them at times. He's on lesson 3 of Sequential Spelling for
Homeschool. He still has trouble hearing the difference between short i
and o but I think that has more to do with the culture he is living in and
the lack of enunciating words he experiences. He is getting it though! He
does correct his spelling faster now.

Today we'll make the quadrant since I couldn't find the stick we were going to use... I found it last night. So that will be math theme for the week! And we're going to read about forest fires AND make a homemade fire extinguisher! We're going to have FUN today!

I downloaded a program called My Checkbook to help me keep up with the bank accounts and I already figured out a budget of sorts for next paycheck so I am on a roll!

Need to go for now. I have to wash the china... I got it out for the fast.
The boys think I am nuts now Mwhahahaha!

Dotchi!

Good morning

I woke up feeling like a fog had settled in my head. The boys are playing
on http://classbrain.com right now. I made eggs for Mendel Latham and
tested my glucose while my egg cooked. It was 105. so that is fine. I
guess I just have some sinus issues again.

Miles thanked for the story on puberty and said he is felling less nervous
now that he knows what is going on. I guess hearing it from a story and
not just MOM telling him made the whole conversation a lot easier.

Well, Mendel Latham wants the computer!

--
Dotchi
http://dotchi.blogspot.com Still blogging along!
I'm not talking to myself, I'm having a parent-teacher conference.

Next Week in Homeschooling

Our Unit Studies are Fire Safety (FS) and Healthy Eating (HE).

Monday-
FS- How long does a candle burn... how hot does fire get? Working with
temperatures
and measurements.
HE- Measuring food serving sizes. Counting carbs, fat, protein, sodium, and
measuring cups/ Tablespoon teaspoon conversions.

Tuesday-
FS- Making a homemade fire extinguisher!
HE- What is a carbohydrate? What is
diabetes? And what is the food pyramid. We'll also build our own food
pyramid for each person.

Wednesday-
FS- We'll read about fire safety and practice a fire drill.
HE- We'll read more
baout diabetes, and I printed off a story about Vegetarian diets. We'll
read it and discuss
it.

Thursday-
FS- The Chicago Fire! I found a website about it. We'll also look at
different fire
trucks throughout history and the history of fire as a tool.
HE- We'll study the history of the food timeline.

Friday-
FS- We'll make a diagram of a fire station and what needs to be in it and
one of a
fire truck (still looking for a website)
HE- We might do this one on Monday... We'll go
through a store discussing healthy foods and reading labels for the foods
we buy.

Saturday-
FS- Not sure what we are going to do... But I thought of making a sign for
RACE
(Rescue, Alert, Confine, and extinguish) and PASS (Pull the pin, Aim,
Spray, Spread)
HE- We'll make a healthy dish and dessert to share. We'll even make REAL
butter!

Sunday- The Fast of Ramadan. What is a fast. Why do people fast, etc.

--
Dotchi
http://dotchi.blogspot.com Still blogging along!
I'm not talking to myself, I'm having a parent-teacher conference.

Healthy foods unti study

This week we are exploring Healthy eating and Nutrition through a unit
study. Instead of just doing the food pyramid, we are going to study it to
see if it is the healthiest thing for each person and how we would feel if
we really ate that way.

I printed out an activity for the boys that gives ideas for eating
healthy, explains eating healthy and gives ideas for activities. I also
found a site for healthy recipes for kids with diabetes!
http://ww2.lifescan.com/club/recipes/index.html so We'll be studying
diabetes as well.

Now I need to get in the swing of things with Math-U-See, reading lessons
and spelling (which aren't going to badly)

--
Dotchi
http://dotchi.blogspot.com Still blogging along!
I'm not talking to myself, I'm having a parent-teacher conference.

Maybe it is the rain

But I am kind of bla today. I slept good last night but I woke up with a
hideous back ache from sleeping funny. Today we are going to work on the
house again and get teh truck to the shop AGAIN. Dh thinks it is the
U-joint again. Which means I won't be going to work b/c it is WAY too much
for me to drive the van there. I am still waiting to see how much I am
going to make for my paycheck. Probably not much. I dread it. We restarted
the Majical Money Jar! It doesn't have a lot in it, but it will still work.

I am working very hard on being frugal again and watching my pennies. I am
trying to get into a routine, which would be easier if I didn't work, but
I know I can do it with practice.

I am off to eat something for breakfast.

--
Dotchi
http://dotchi.blogspot.com Still blogging along!
I'm not talking to myself, I'm having a parent-teacher conference.

$3 in the jar!

I have successfully added $3 to the jar towards quitting smoking. :)
WOOHOO!

We are back from Florida and I will post some tonight and figure out the
picture posting.

I am very proud of myself. We've done our House conquer Zone for today:
Outside the house and entry way. Next we'll get to the livingroom. I've
done all my sticky notes too! Woohoo! Way to go ME!

--
Dotchi

In GA below Macon. On

In GA below Macon. On our way home. Stopped 4 lunch & museum tour.

Work this weekend

Tammy called from TSH and said she doesn't have an opening this weekend.
Bummer! So I will be leaving this Saturday for Florida instead. My next
paycheck is going to be rediculously small but I really NEED this income.
So I am going to call back and see if I can work Friday also. I called and
she said she has enough. So I'll just wing it. This week, when I get back
from Florida, my major project will be getting the house decluttered
again. Major Spring cleaning... erm, fall cleaning. Then I won't be so
worried about leaving at the end of October. Today we are attacking the
yard and packing. I will be getting the livingroom back in order this
evening also. That has been my main battle this week. Once it's back
together the won't look too bad. My biggest issue is that we ahve been
going through the camp gear and the winter clothes and it seems to be
consuming the livingroom LOL. Even though we are doing it slowly, it is
still becoming a problem and that is why I am stopping it tonight before
it gets out of hand!

--
Dotchi

Email and cell phone

My email doesn't want to check email. It keeps saying that my server has not responded. So I got the same 3 emails about 5 times. Very annoying.

 

My cell phone doesn't want to charge either. Or at least, it doesn't want to stay charged very long. Agh!

 

I am working on cleaning house right now. Borrowed mil's lawn mower so we can get some of the yard done. I'll try to get a trash run down tomorrow before we leave for Chattanooga.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

 

http://dotchi.blogspot.com A blog for our life

Waiting

Done with my dry round. Got beat up. Lol. Now I am waiting 2 clock out.

Seeing if i can post pics too

The bet is on!

I already have my pack list. Girls @ work are betting how far i get b4 i break down. LOL

Sitting here at work. Done

Sitting here at work. Done for now. Curious how long these msgs can be. This is not a bad length. I can leave a good bit of info.

From my phone

Trying out a txt msg 4 our trip. Hi all!

Support

I found this great yahoogroup for support. They are so real. Not the fake people type. I am so happy!

 

I talked to dh about the tape drive (did I post that?) and found it in the office. I'll get that to neighbor Tom sometime soon. I have to finish packing.

 

OH! I called Monroe Auto and I feel like a dolt now. They said that it was only low on trannie fluid. *blush* I feel like an idiot.

 

Today the boys are experimenting with water force and then we;re cleaning up the yard before we head out to Nana's house. I am taking the change jar to see how much extra cash we have. Not sure if we are camping out yet since I forgot about the autowithdraw and sent our account into the hole... oops. Might just do that starting this weekend.

 

Hey, hubby, call me tonight about the house payment. I need to schedule that with them and wasn't sure what day would be best. They'll call me back tomorrow.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

 

http://dotchi.blogspot.com A blog for our life

Quick road trip soon

The boys and I will be driving Auntie V to Florida soon. I think next Friday or maybe the Monday after that. We'll stay a day or two (depending on accommodations) and then drive back. We're looking into renting a car so it will probably be 3 days instead. V is excited to get back to her hubby and is glad she will be able to keep her dog with her. We looked into airplane rides but there is still the chance we'd get there and they wouldn't let her take the dog and she doesn't want to risk that because she'd just lose her money or her dog.

Tuesday I will go to my mother in law's house early and we'll start working on the details and making plans more definite. Will keep you all updated.

From the Mail Bag

how did Mendel break his ankle? 

 

He was moving furniture and stepped off a piece of concrete... I think. At least that is th eway I understood it.

 

Did you get to see your Mom?

 

YES! We had a blast! We took oodles of pictures. The weird part was that we kept getting orbs in the pictures she was taking and at one point, none of the pictures would show my face... it was a glowing blur. Very Weird! I took pictures too and one day soon I will figure out how to post them to my blog. How fun! Anyway, she looks so different. Much healthier, I think. She does look just like me! *AGH* I finally got to give her the plaque I bought her. It says:

 

    I smile because you are my mother. I laugh b/c there is nothing you can do about it!

 

She loved it! She gave the boys Kennedy space center bears and books and puzzles and TONS of pictures... surprised we didn't blind them LOL. It was so good to see her again. If all goes planned, I'll be visiting her in November!

 

Why aren't you answering your phone?

 

I forgot to pack the charger to my cell phone. So when it died, that was it. No more phone. Don't worry, I am home now and will charge it up just fine and you can call me tomorrow.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

I Quit

I have decided that I am going to quit smoking. I am NOT going cold turkey though. I am going to cut down one cigarette at a time. My plan is to stop the social smoking, find other ways to deal with stress and stop smoking just because I feel like it.

At night, my night time smoke will be enjoying the outside. After meals, I'll figure something out. And at work, I will limit the number of cigarettes I take to work with me.

I am just so tired of the headaches and sinus problems, the coughing, the chest pain, the tiredness and the crankiness.

I already talked to the boys about this and told them I might be cranky sometimes but we'll work through it day by day. They are cool with this and will remind me how bad it makes me feel each time they see me light a cigarette.

I know I can do this! I am going to do this! And the money I save will go towards the trip to California. Every time I would have been buying a pack of cigarettes, I'll set the $3 in a jar instead. That should be motivation! LOL

Oh how exciting!

My Mom just called and she and a friend are on their way to Chattanooga from Georgia. We'll be going down there tonight to visit them. I am going online to check out KOA and Harrison Bay State Park camping prices and see which one is cheaper. This is so exciting! I am going to take the camera and take LOTS of pictures! WOOHOO!

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Blogging along

I have decided that 3 blogs are too much to keep up with. I've decided to just blog everything on The Baker's Acres Blog. After all, the blog is about my life. Education is life and life is education... while food is not life, food is fuel for life... and chocolate cake has to be the highest octane fuel I can think of. But it's all still part of us and it's not like there is anything to differentiate the 3 things in our daily lives so why do I have 3 blogs for it?

 

I am tired of trying to separate my life into categories. So I am going to do away with the other two blogs and just keep the main blog.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

The Upper Room

One of my residents was transferred to the upper room last night. He went peacefully in his sleep. It was still hard on me though. I was one of the few that could communicate with him since he was deaf and I know enough sign language to get by. There was a while that he would not eat. We couldn't get him to eat anything! I went to the store and bought birthday cake ice cream made by Mayfield. I had just opened it when he seemed to spring to life, sat up on the bed and signed "Bring me some. And a spoon." I did! He sat up and ate the entire bowl. Nearly half a pint. The next night he crawling out of bed and sneaking off again like his old self :) I swore from that day forward I would eat more ice cream to keep myself healthy! LOL

 

Last night S* came back from loading her linen cart and said that his name popped into her head and she felt compelled to go check on him. She came out a bit flustered and said "Uh, guys, he's dead." We thought she was playing a cruel joke, but when we went into the room, he was really gone. We got the nurse and he confirmed. C* went to get the supplies for death care while I went to smoke a quit cigarette to calm my nerves. Once I had composed myself, I went back in and S* and I cleaned him up, washed him, got him looking good, and covered him with his blanket that has his favorite team. I got teary eyed but I did okay...

 

And them his family came. I was sent outside to smoke again because they were afraid I would just lose it and start bawling my eyes out. Once the funeral home came to get his body, I helped fold the favorite blanket and then move him to the stretcher. When his daughter came in she praised our work and dedication and how much we genuinely cared for him. My eyes welled up and it was quite emotional for me. After the funeral home and the family left I sat on the bench out in the hall and put his white bear to my face and cried.

 

I know that C* was trying to be helpful when she started saying that I shouldn't cry, that he is in a better place, etc. BUT I am allowed to mourn a life that is gone. I will celebrate it also, but golly, let me mourn too!

 

After work I went to my mother in law's house and slept for a couple hours. I was so drained. Dh called while I was on my home. He said his ankle IS broken and they have him in a cast for 4 weeks. I am going to get a care package together for him and send it off... if he would ever send me the address. He's on pain killers right now so I am not expecting him to remember that today. Poor guy! I sort of hope I can head out to California sooner. I found out that we can camp in Wal-Mart parking lots! Pretty cool! I'll have to take that up. At least I'll be right there if I need anything. I am going to check and see if I can find other free places to camp also.

 

I am so busy planning the trip! I can't wait. Instead of planning day by day (like I was doing) I am planning step by step... Before we leave, Packing, When we get to MS, TX, OK, etc. That way I don't set myself up to feel bad when we don't make the set schedule of (day 1- leave, day 2- arrive in MS in early AM).

 

I am off to help clean out the van now. I will post my progress on preparations as I have time. I can't WAIT!

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

The acetone update!

I didn't drive the entire trip with acetone in the gas tank. I only drove from my mother in law's house to work and back, then to a gas station where I filled the tank again. My original gas mileage was 12.89 MPG. Today I filled it up and the gas mileage is 13.41 MPG. A small improvement but an improvement nonetheless! I am going to add 2 more ounces and will report back on the next fill up.

I am so happy! This morning I got off work and went to the van. The windows were rather fogged so I spent a few minutes trying to wipe them down and ran the windshield wipers but, it was still hard to see through them. I looked down at the heater controls (which are broken) and thought "Gee, I wish this worked". I reached down and tried to seat the control panel better because it was slouching again. When I did that, the panel lights came on and it let out a whining, then went quiet. I thought, "This is too good to be true". Afterall, the man that owned it before us couldn't get it to work and the auto-mechanic was going to have to replace the entire panel and some other parts before he could even figure out what was wrong.

I decided to give it a try anyway since it seemed to come to life by me merely touching it. I turned it on defrost, full blast, hot. It worked! My heater actually worked! Not only did it work but I was ready to die of heatstroke half way home. I was ecstatic! I don't know if the A/C works or not... I haven't messed with it yet, but the heater and defrost work now. I am sososososo happy!

Last night Miles figured out where the bolts were to remove the seat. This week, when I have a few days off, we are going to take the seat out and clean the carpet and make a plan of the layout.

I am going to enjoy this cross country trip too much! LOL I am going to map out my route using mapquest and then find theme units for each state we are going through. I am planning other things to make the trip less boring during boring times. If I can find a pole then I can make a table for the van too which will really make it easier for the boys to have a place to eat, draw, etc without losing everything. I know what you are thinking and I am right on top of that. I am going to get a strip of velcro for the table that wraps around it and then have the crayon box velcro to it. Should they be eating, I am going to find suction bowls and plates to set on the table or maybe justteach them how to eat like sailors hunched over the plate with one arm wrapped around the plate :) My hubby should enjoy that. Heeheehee

Gas Mileage

After the initial MPG shock wore off and the reality of only 12.89 MPG finally sank in, I started looking into acetone. From what I have read, people are reporting 10 MPG more with acetone in their gasoline. I think I'll give it a try just to see if it works. Afterall, 12.89 MPG is REALLY low. If I can get a few more MPG then when we finally head to California we can save a little bit of money.

 

I'll report back as soon as I have acetone and will let you all know how it goes.

 

Currently, I am driving a 1986 Dodge Ram Van.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

The van saga continues

I tried calling Leslie, Christine, and Tom. None of them were available. We tried jumping the van with the yellow jumper. It has no charge... or not enough to start the van. So I decided to jump it with green car... someone left the glove box open and now it's dead too. So I decided to try the trans am but it's dead too. So I figured we could see if the battery in the blue car had any juice but it doesn't have a battery. So I tried to jump it off the lawn tractor which probably would have worked if the jumper cables weren't bad. I called the store about 3 miles away and asked if they sold booster cables. Yes, for $9.59. So I asked the boys if they wanted to go for a walk for an hour. Miles didn't want to because he is afraid we'll get run over. So I called Leslie back and she answered. She'll be up here in an hour or so and will boost the van off and I'll follow her to the gas station and give her gas for coming up here.

 

Thank Goodness! I wasn't looking forward to walking 3 miles in the country. Last time I walked anywhere in the country the people driving by called the cops on us. Their complaint? We were walking on the side of the road in the country.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Today is not my day

I lost my cell phone in the van last night. It was turned off and dead so calling it was out. We finally found it today and I charged it enough to call dh and tell him that the van was dead. I tried to start the green car so I could jump the van... it's dead. I tried to start the Trans Am... dead. I tried to use the yellow jumper box... Not enough juice. I called Christine and she is on her way to work. I can't reach Tom, I can't reach Leslie (she has company anyway, so I am patient). I guess I'll just sit here at the house and clean for awhile. Maybe I'll work on the yard too.

 

I am making lunch right now. We organized the back of the van. I am going to try to figure out how to get the bench out and move it so that we can swivel the chairs around in the front seat (Neat feature that Miles figured out) and I am trying to decide what I want to do about the back area. What goes where, etc. I have an idea but nothing definite yet.

 

Well, off I go to finish making tortellini for lunch.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Feeling better and house stuff

A friend of mine noted that this blog doesn't show up correctly on Firefox web browsers. Sorry guys! I'll ask Blogger why that is, but I have nothing to do with that. Wish I could help you all though.

 

I talked to Hubby last night and we sang Jimmy Buffet songs together. He's sounding pretty good! I felt better after talking to him. He always cheers me up!

 

Last night I scrubbed down the boys bathroom. I am not sure what to do with their toilet though. It does take long for an orange hard water stain to form in their toilet bowl. It's such a chore to get it scrubbed off. Then I cleaned the hallway and vacuumed it. It looks much better now. Next week, on my days off, I'll start conquering the bedrooms and then I'll move into organizing the office. I am going to buy boxes for that, sort everything carefully and label the boxes. I sort of have a plan for the labeling. Not sure if it will work in reality though. While I wanted to get banker boxes because they look so neat and tidy, I priced then the other day, laughed and looked at regular cardboard boxes. They'll do just fine. They won't be as strong as banker boxes but at least I can find them that are just plain, boring boxes instead of having boxes of "adult diapers" from work sitting in the office.

 

They couldn't find any seatbelts for the van. So that is my next big vehicle project. We'll be picking up the van in about 1 /2 hours. I am SO excited!!! We're going to clean it out, pack up and go to Nana's house tonight. Since the house is coming along nicely, I don't dread coming back home each time now. I am going to mount vesuvius the master bedroom and work on it little by little. The hardest part is the sorting and boxing (you messies
know what I am talking about) I am also on a hunt for things I can ebay to make extra money for our road trip in November. Hubby was talking about ebaying some of the computer stuff. I'll wait for his direction on that one. I would hate to find out I ebayed something that I wasn't supposed to ebay.

 

Well, as much fun as this blogging is, I really need to get ready to go. It's a busy day from here on out.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Needing to vent a minute

Tonight I am feeling a touch bummed out. I am trying to prep for tomorrow. Shenika should be over for breakfast, I need to pick up the van and then I need to pack for mother in law's house. I can't wait until I go part time and can work 2 or 3 days a week.  The house is getting there so that makes me feel better. The boys are helping keep the house clean, so that helps too. But I am really missing my hubby. I wish I could be in San Diego with him. I know I will be soon, but sometimes I just wish I be there with him and go to the places he is telling me about and visit everyone and see my family again. It's been 18 years since I have seen my dad and his side of the family. The boys keep counting out how many days dad has been gone and that doesn't really cheer me up any.

 

On another note, Miles and Mendel are learning the colours in Spanish. We had a fun day. We all woke up late in the afternoon. Had breakfast for dinner and raked in the Zen garden. We read about enthusiasm and teamwork and then sat chit chatting about different stuff. I think the whole running back and forth is starting to get to Miles and Mendel too. They keep saying they want to be home more. I am thinking of just picking them up from Nana's and going home during the day. Granted, it will suck gas, but they will be happier I think. Nana has started voicing her concern about me sleeping, about the boys riding bikes, about the locks on the house, and everything else she can think of when it comes to us staying. I am sure she does worry, but it is wearing me and the boys down. She also said that Mendel Latham got in the tools. He said he didn't. She just assumed that because a boy was there and the drill bits were out, that it was him. Miles said he used a screwdriver, but not drill bits or anything else. But she still thinks it was Mendel Latham. I understand her concern though, but the boys don't go in the garage without my permission and they haven't been in the tools except for a screwdriver. She keeps telling to not let Mendel Latham drop things on the floor, but we clean up after ourselves. What was dropped? What is she talking about.

 

Between the stress from her and the stress at work, I am not sure it is worth it. Then I remind myself that I am doing this for gas money!Soon I'll be singing "I'm LEAVING in a conversion van..." Ah! I can't wait. I don't think I can handle this mentally if I thought I wasn't going. I'd have to plan to hitch-hike or something.

 

Tomorrow I am making a big breakfast, so I better go so I can get ready for tomorrow. I am sure that after I spend some time with V that I will feel better. Maybe we can get each other laughing again.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Another night off

I have tonight off (well, actually it's this morning off) and I have been cleaning. I think I need to turn on the A/C a bit more cooler. 80 is WAY to warm for me.

 

Shenika is planning on coming over in the morning. I already have the table set. I am planning on making biscuits, eggs, gravy, bacon and sausage. I am not tired yet even after all that cleaning. Maybe it is just insomnia, but my sleep schedule is all messed up! I need to start going to bed in the afternoon again. At least I stayed on a regular sleep schedule then. But staying at my mother in law's for work... that isn't going to happen. I tried sleeping until about 8 pm, then driving to her house, dropping off the boys, getting them in bed and then heading out the door. But she wanted us there earlier... so we showed up at 8 pm (that's only about 4 hours sleep for me) and then she STILL wanted us to get there earlier. That is too much as it is. What am I supposed to do? Show up at dinner time? No. Wouldn't work.

 

I finally started leaving when I had sleep. I get there between 8 and 9 pm. I am so tired still. And now I sleep in the morning just because I am so worn out with all the craziness.

 

4 more days until I go part time! Then maybe I can get some rest. All this sleep deprivation/ exhaustion does things to the body and I'm starting to feel all of them again. 3 weeks of vacation was not enough.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Vigilante Vegetarians

I have been searching vegetarian sites to paruse because
of my health issues. Not because I think eating meat is
bad, but because I have reasons I can eat it, drink milk,
eat too much cheese, ar too much yogurt. I do on
occasions, and sometimes I crave meat like crazy and
justhave to have my chicken! But for the most part, I try
to stay with the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. Yes, I think
animals should not be treated with cruelty and all that,
but I want a website that isn't vegetarian for animal
rights. I want a website that is vegetarian for health
reasons... not because all meat is bad and horrible and
evil. Why can't I find just ONE website that is
"Vegetarian because it makes me feel good" and leave all
the PETA people out of it.

ARGH! That is frustrating!

I am ready for bed

I just finished all the dishes. I started the crockpot oatmeal, made popcorn for tomorrows snack and got the peanuts in containers for snack. The knob on the crockpot broke off completely so I had to use pliers to turn it on low. All I really need to do is find some clothes for tomorrow. I have some but I was hoping to take more outfits. I am feeling better now and the kitchen is clean so I am off to sleep after I plug in the cell phone to charge for the night.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

I feel better now...

Hubby called and I broke down in tears. It was just too much for me. Too much stress all at once. After three weeks of vacation time, having to go back to work and deal with real life just got to me. He talked to both of the boys and they both have much better attitudes now. Still aren't allowed TV when we go to Nana's house though. And no eating out ANYWHERE. They can eat what I make and be happy or go hungry. It may sound mean but they have to learn that I am not going to buckle under just because of their behavior.

 

They are acting much better. Finished their chores in half the time after they got off the phone. Tomorrow is the dentist appointment at 11 am so we need to get to bed. We'll get up at 8am to get ready. All I have to do is finish the kitchen and prep breakfast (oatmeal in the crockpot) and make lunch plans. Mendel Latham already packed toys and on Saturday they will have to finish the weekly plans for homeschooling.

 

I'll call my mother in law tomorrow to see how she is doing. She was on bedrest today. She'll be fine, but I am still going to see how she is doing.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

A moment at home!

We spent the last few days at Nana's house. Turns out I don't work tonight. I work Friday and Saturday and that is just fine with me. I need the time at home to unwind. The boys have overdosed on cartoons and TV. While I slept they asked V if they could watch cartoons and suddenly felt they had control of the remote and could do what they wanted. I had to set down my foot (all size 11 of it!) when I woke up and they weren't too happy about it.

 

They blamed me for them being bored and then Miles refused to eat anything at the house. He wanted restaurant food and refused to eat anything in the bin, anything at the house and wouldn't even eat crackers and peanut butter. When we finally packed and got ready to leave, he complained that he was "starving". I told him to grab something and he still refused. I guess he kept thinking that I'd finally go "oh golly! My poor starving son! I must rush you to the nearest McDonald's for nourishment!" and when it didn't happen he got an even worst attitude. So now he isn't allowed to watch TV at Nana's when we go back unless it is something *I* choose for him. And I am NOT going to run him out for fast food just because he thinks if he holds out I will go to McD's or Central Park. Won't work. I still have crackers and pnut butter in the truck waiting for the next starving stunt. My philosophy... If he is REALLY starving then he will eat those crackers and pnut butter with pride. Until then, I am not playing wishy washy.

 

His attitude has improved since we got home. He is playing on his computer while dinner cooks (still hasn't eaten) and helping out with little things here and there. Hopefully this was just a phase and he is testing all my buttons to see if they work. They do! Last night they tried EVERYTHING to get away with stuff they know better about. Like eating things with food dye, junk food for dinner and lunch, etc.

 

Today was just stressful for me and the boys acted like I was mean old mom! Well, they'll get over it!

 

And btw, I noticed on the cartoons last night that there are a TON of cartoons about kids living at school. They live in dorms at their school and they are in middle school. When did this become a fashionable thing? They don't even acknowledge that they have parents in the shows. It's just them and the school and their teachers. I found it eerie. I guess with year round schooling, longer school years, shorter summers this is just going to be the thing. I am just wondering when they are going to build a dorm near our schools around here and take over parenting for the masses. I am sure it would be touted as something that is "good" for the kids since they wouldn't have all those dysfunctional families to deal with.

 

Off my soap box for now.

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Making meals

I am making meals for the week. With the short amount of prep time for the procrastinator extraordinaire, I changed some of the menu. Breakfast will have sausage one morning with eggs, Pancakes, Cereal and orange glazed biscuits.

 

Dinner will have two meatloaves this week, chicken salsa funky and hamburgers.

 

Lunches will stay the same though.

 

That'll learn me to wait for last minute LOL

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

We're packing up for the week

My vacation is officially over. We're packing the clothes and food for the week. I have all the theme units printed and ready to go. Plus I found some on the American revolution for Little Mendel. YEA! We'll be packing the Math-U-See and reading material along with the units. We still have to clean out the truck before we go. I got the kitchen all cleaned up and I'm working on the dining right now. The livingroom is okay. I think I'll pack a box of toys for the boys to play with plus their bikes are still there for them to ride once I am up and around during the day. I need to pack for 4 breakfast, lunches and dinners and then snacks. At least they'll have TV while there for all the educational shows they love and all the cartoons in the morning. I packed coffee this time too. All I need to do is buy bread and milk on the way and I am set.

 

Dh called last night and we chatted for awhile. It was nice to hear his voice again. I sure do miss him. We'll be working on a care package this week. I'd say what, but that would spoil the surprise (and he reads this blog :))

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

It worked!

Okay, now that I know it works, I can email my blogs from my mother in laws house. I can't post from Internet Explorer b/c of cookies or something. I tried all their tips and it still doesn't work. No big deal, I can use Opera at home and email from anywhere else.

 

I have to do another load of dishes for the large stuff now. So I better go.

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

This is a test

This is a test to see if I can email my blogs. Here's hoping it works!

 

 

Dotchi
I am not talking to myself, I am having a parent-teacher conference

Saturday we had a blast! First we cleaned up the house. That didn't take long. Then we tried to get the couch in the house. It wouldn't fit in through the back door and after an hour of sweating to death and fighting with the beast, we gave up and it's still sitting in the yard.

Then we packed the truck and headed to Coolidge Park for the Eclectic Homeschoolers of Chattanooga's Not Back To School Picnic! We had so much fun! I took a lot of pictures and need to get them to Maddie or figure out how to get the posted. The boys played in the fountains and ran all over having so much fun. It took a couple (HA) of people to help unload the truck. I met newcomers and oldtimers. There was jazz music playing across the park and we could hear it all the way over where we were. There was a lot of food too! I was quite happy that there was vegetarian food too. I sort of behaved. The only meat dish I ate was my enchilada casserole. It was gone by the time we left. It must have been a hit!

After we loaded up (with more help LOL) we drove to my work so I could fill out vacation papers. Then we headed for the gas station. Gas was $2.99 a gallon. Gee, ONLY $2.99 a gallon. It took $30 to drive home from the gas station, drive to Coolidge Park, to The Straford House, and then to the gas station. On an up note, the truck is getting 22 MPG. Or would that be a down note? I was so tired when we got home that I fell asleep in no time. Lil Man fell asleep coming up the interstate and Miles fell asleep around Calhoun.

Today we'll be be cleaning the house, running to get a lawn mower belt (broke again!) and then cleaning some more. We'll work on math this evening with lego's and Decimal street game. Then we'll practice some reading for Mendel and Miles and then we'll read about Labor day. I have two stories printed out. I need more toner but I forgot where we keep it so I'll wait for hubby to call me and let me know where it is.

My mission for this week is to survive LOL. We'll be in Chattanooga from Tuesday to Friday at my mother in laws house. I am making up a ton of food to take with us and trying to plan for healthy eating. I'll post on the Baker's Chef what we are eating for the week. I forgot to do that last week. Oh well... we ate good.

Well, I am off to get the breakfast dishes done. Have a wonderful day, I plan on it!

We have been busy today. We kept up the livingroom and diningroom and did math for a bit. Practiced reading and then read A MidSummers Nights Dream by Shakespeare. As a treat we watched the movie afterwards! We had fun pointing out the lines that were in the story and which scenes we think they added and why.

I'm remembering to fill out the journal in the homeschool tracker. Then I can just print out a month at a time and mail it to my huney to read and see what we have done.

The boys both have dentist appointments on September 9th at 11. That means no sleep for me since we'll be at my mother in law's house and the appointment is in the AM so no sleep. Who needs it anyway?

We're working down the hallway and into the guest bathroom and the boys bedroom today. That should not take long at all. They haven't done GREAT at their bedroom but it isn't bad either. The bathroom just needs a good scrub down. Then we'll mop floors before we go to bed tonight.

I guess I'll go start again. I'll blog soon.

Aaaaaaaah! The sight of email checking :) I finally got the internet to work again. The first number worked this time.

We finally got the treadmill in the house at 3 AM this morning. Miles moved it into the livingroom this morning as a surprise while I slept. And then he made breakfast! WOW! And Coffee! What a great kid! He even turned off the alarm so I wouldn't wake up while he was cooking. At least he woke me up with breakfast in bed :) Two pieces of toast and some bacon and a HUGE cup of coffee sweet enough to rot teeth LOL. It was GOOOOD!

I called Molly, they are fine. I am still waiting to hear from Flo though. I figured they are probably without power still.

I need to go clean some more today. Yesterday we worked on the kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms (just a quick tidy) and did a 10 minute room rescue in the masterbedroom. This morning we'll start with the morning routine again and work from there. We're doing the livingroom, diningroom and boys bathroom (top to bottom) today. Ah! I love get-ready-for-fall cleaning! It makes me feel so organized and decluttered. Tomorrow we'll do any pretty-up-the-place cleaning and do the boys bedroom (which should take about an hour) and then work on my bedroom starting with the closet for storage.

My hubby won't recognize the place when he comes home LOL

The Baker's Chef! (Sorry, I took the blog down. But you can find recipes here.)

This is my new blog for menu's so my wonderful hubby can see what we are eating at home while he is away.

Today we are finishing the bathroom, livingroom and kitchen. We'll hopefully get the diningroom done too. Then all we have to do is pull out the stove and fridge and clean very well! And conquer the bedrooms (the boy's shouldn't be too bad, mine will be a chore!) and then work on the office and guest bathroom.

Tuesday we'll need to run trash and work on the yard. Miles is working on the weedeating right now. I'll go outside when it cools down and start picking up any trash, organizing the toys, and tossing the dogs dishes that look just awful!

Well, my 10 minutes is up so I am going to be good and go for now.

The Baker's Acres

I've been trying out the features here. So far, I sent an email to the blog and I haven't seen it since. I updated my profile, added links, played around with the design and figured out how to make a link.

The boys are taking a bath together. They made submarines for their bears. This should be interesting LOL. I am thinking of doing a blog for what we eat each day so dh can see a list and not worry too much. I know he does b/c my diet is so limited.

Hmmmm, you know, I think I'll go start on that and see how this Blogthis! works.

Til later.

I just spent two days at my mother in laws house so I can continue to work. I am not sure it is worth it to me though. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother in law. I took a few years but we get along great now. We do have our disagreements though. Like, I like to sleep. She likes to wake me up every 20 minutes to ask me a question. "Do you care if the boys watch blablabla?" "Did you eat today?" "Did the boys eat today?" and other questions of normal concern for a mother in law. The concern isn't bothering me... the lack of sleep is!

I work third shift at a nursing home. I NEED to be able to function to do my job. Usually the first night is okay until about 3 AM. I start feeling the effects of no sleep in 24 hours or more. I start yawning so much that I might as well just keep my mouth open. My feet start dragging and I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. I make sure to guzzle of few cups of Octavia coffee. That has me wired for sound and ready to go... and ready to GO! It works wonders. Once at my mother in laws house, I can sleep for about 1 or 2 hours until the boys get up. Once they are up, I try to stay awake. By the time mother in law gets home, I am exhausted from nearly 36 hours with 1 hour of sleep. I hit the couch because if I curl up in a bed, I will not get back up!

That's when every 20 minutes I get woke up... I try to be polite and conscious and but sometimes it is hard to do. And then the kids ask me questions, "Mom, can I have cookies?" no. "Mom, can I have a burrito?" Sure. "Mom, can I go outside?" sure. "MOM! He looked at me funny and said 'nah nah' and hurt my feelings!" *grrrr* By the time 9pm rolls around, I maybe have 3-4 hours of sleep. I make sure the boys are ready for bed, eat a little something, grab coffee, kiss the boys good-night and head out the door for work running on not much more than fumes.

At work, after my eyes are bloodshot from no sleep, after all the coffee in the world stops helping and after my head starts aching from no sleep... that is when I REALLY feel it. My feet and ankles start hurting, my knees throb, my shoulders ache, my back kills me and I just hurt all over. But I still have to do it. And now with more people to get up on the get up list, I am dying when 5:30 AM hits. By the time I leave, I look like crap, I am walking around in a daze, not much makes sense to me anymore and coffee becomes a laxative. I make it to my mother in laws house in time for her to leave. I collapse on the couch after setting up the breakfast for the boys. I sleep until 11am... a whole 3 hours of sleep. Then we usually pack up, clean the house and drive home. By the time I get home, I am on autopilot. I am too tired to think and do anything... yet, I have to start laundry, dinner, cleaning, homeschooling books, etc. That night we usually have movie night with popcorn and I never make it past the first couple of names that run across the screen. That's even if I make it past the movie makers logo.

It gets better the next day. I am groggy all day but I can function. It'd be so much easier if I could just take the boys to work with me. I could sleep normal while at home, get up, drive to work. Lay little Man in a chair to sleep and Miles would push a barrel or cart and find something to do all night. He'd fall asleep on the way home while Little Man and I had breakfast and chatted. Once home, we'd all take a nap, get up to find Little Man playing quietly in the play area of my room and I wouldn't feel like my head was going to float to the clouds by days end.

I really wish that I didn't have to work. If it were up to me, I wouldn't. I love my job! I really do, but the money is almost not worth the paycheck that doesn't cover a thing now that the gas prices are so high that it costs me 1/3 of what I earn to drive to work.

I'd rather stay home and ENJOY my life rather than just managing to make it through without collapsing from exhaustion.

I am packed and ready to go to MIL's house for the weekend. We have 3 meals plus 2 snacks packed for each day. I have my uniforms and shoes packed, the boys have 2 changes of clothes packed, plus all the homeschool stuff to kill time while waiting for me to go to work again. After Monday, I have vacation for TEN DAYS! Fifteen if I can stretch it the right way. So I am off for now.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend.

I ended up working 60 hours last week thinking dh would be leaving the first few days of September. Dh found out Monday night that he was leaving Thursday. Tuesday we spent the day getting his uniforms ready, Wednesday we spent the day doing the spouse checklist and packing and then went to the family get together b/c dh is leaving for a few months, his sister and her hubby are moving to Florida and everyone wanted to see each before they all left.

Yesterday we went to the Reserve center and got our ID cards. Since Miles is 10, he got his first dependent ID! (That's a huge thing to Navy brats... at least it was when I was young and lived on bases.) We went to lunch together, checked out the AFB exchange and gas prices, and then went to the airport. We waited until dh went to his gate and then went outside on the sidewalk that runs in front of the unloading area, went down to the end where we could see the windows near the gate and we all signed "I love you" to him across the way. We were going to go to the AFB and watch his plane take off (It's right next to the run way) but the traffic was SO horrible that we sat waiting to turn for 10 minutes. There are no traffic lights through Alcoa HWY and during rush hour, you might as well not even try. I kept going straight looking for a spot to turn around but in the rain, it was too much for my nerves. We hit the interstate and headed home. At least now I know to go to McC's and just watch the planes from there.

Dh made it to San Diego last night at 12:30 our time. The boys and I sat up doing a light show in the dark (with a glow stick tied to a string) until dh called. Then we went to bed (and boy did I need the sleep by then!)

This morning I talked to dh... they did all that rushrushrushing to get him out to San Diego and he has a three day weekend! So now he's hanging out waiting until Monday. *grrr* We discussed all the stuff we didn't before. When to call and when not to call, what the truck needs and what computer equipment needs to be sent where. This is not how I envisioned being "prepared" for the next leave LOL. It was stressful but I made it through it alive. I can't call dh during the week until WAY late at night. We decided to email during the week. I can call him on the weekend though. He can't answer his cellphone in public while in uniform... that's frowned upon. I told him if there was an emergency, I'd text message him, call the command, call his office or call the ombudsmen or the captain in Knoxville. They can get things rolling.

I am going down to 4 days a week work, then 3 and 2. 3 one week, 2 the next. Then I can spend more time concentrating on what I need to do at the house and with the boys. The down point is that half of my paychecks are going to gas and now my mother in law will keep the boys while I work. I am going to pay her $50 a week to keep the boys for me (to help her out as well) so my checks are going to be very small! I am thinking of not working much at all. With gas prices, it's no longer worth it for me to work except for medical care.

We plan on driving out to California in October or November. I am going to plan the trip so we can stop and visit family along the way. That is really my favorite part!

For the short term, I am planning out meals for 5 weeks. I am going to make them ahead of time and store them in the deep freezer. So far I have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks all planned out. I'll need about $100 in groceries and then I'll be set for the next month and a half to feed us. I'll post more later. The boys want to buy pizza with their allowance and I am really needing to go to Save*A*Lot for groceries.

One friend of mine has five kids. Her kids are in public school. Her 3-year-old twins are in Headstart. She is very organized when it comes to school issues. Each child has a cubby, each child is color coded (pink back pack, pink dishes, etc) each child has their own responsibilities, etc. She is very involved in her kids schooling, education, discipline, and still she has time to spend with them, help with homework and her family is functional as well. Although I would never be able to do it, she couldn't homeschool either. We see our differences and marvel at how we function differently in different situations. If I had to do the public school thing, I'd have a nervous breakdown about 1 week into the experience.

The other night I went to her house and I watched (and helped) as she loaded each backpack with paper, folders, pencils, glue, crayons, colored pencils, wipes, tissue and a plethora of other things. She meticulously labeled each item with the child's name and marked off each item she finished labeling. We talked about "school clothes". Most schools have gone to uniforms. The ones here just have the dress code still. Each of her kids have a new pair of school shoes, new outfits, new back packs... all the new stuff for a new school year. I am amazed at how she can handle it all. And I know the financial burden of starting school is high.

I noted how different we are, yet we are in the parenthood for the same reasons and agree on a lot of the things about it. But in the morning her children will wake before dawn, dress, eat, get on a bus and go to school. She handles it well. I'd be a nervous wreck. Not because I have skirt strings wrapped around my children’s necks, but because of our lifestyle. Of course, if all her kids were homeschooled, she'd go crazy and have herself committed. If I had to deal with all the hassle of a government schedule, I'd go crazy and have myself committed.

I can't see getting up at 6:30 am... period. I need my sleep. My kids would malfunction going to bed at 8pm. They stay up with me on nights I am off. We're usually up until 11 pm or later. Plus, I work 65 miles from here and at times we stay at my mother in laws house to ease the trauma of gas prices ($2.54 a gallon here). We stay for 2-4 days at a time. We leave town often for fairs and trips. Soon dh will be in San Diego and we'll be traveling there too. I can sleep when I can, we can go when we want, I spend time with my kids when I am off and hubby sees them when he is home. It works for us and we can homeschool at any hour we need, any day, any month. I buy shoes when we need them, clothes when we need them, buy our books when we need them. I can stretch my budget this way while she prefers to plan for the beginning of the school year, buy everything all at once and be done with it, only replacing what needs replacing or buying what comes up and planning for it.

When the whole discussion of homeschool vs. public school comes up and people start bashing public school, I have to remind myself of my friend and her five children. What works for my family and me doesn't always work for someone else. While public schools work for some, it won't for others. And then I think a little further. It's not just the public schools. The parents that are involved, like my friend, are what makes it work. The parents that are involved are what make it happen for that family. The same as homeschooling. It works when the parents are involved. It still amazes me that the two lifestyles work so well in the different families but would fall apart if reversed.

I am still happy we homeschool and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love the freedom I have, but then too, I am not one who handles schedules too well :) I love the relaxed homeschool style we have. My kids would not flourish in public school (BTDT- brought them home) and her kids would not flourish if homeschooled. It still amazes me... and all 7 kids are pretty well behaved. I think we've both done great jobs at raising our kids in different environments and still we are able to see our differences and support each other without making the other feel awful for their decision.

Why can't we all be like that? After all, we're all reaching for the same goal... good, well-rounded kids.

Stepping off the soapbox now.

I've been playing around with the settings. I think it just takes time to make the changes stick. They are still in the template but they don't show up on the blog yet. I've spent too much time trying to get it to function correctly. I am going to go clean the house now. We're buying pizza so we don't have to cook for right now. The boys will have pizza and I will have my brown rice so I don't hurt myself.

My Hubby finally got his ADSW orders to San Diego. He'll be leaving on Thursday. So that leaves me with 2 days to prepare for his leaving. We still have to pack everything, go down the huge check list for me and the homeschooling stuff, the house stuff, the vehicles, etc. Oh, I am so not looking forward to this.

Miles Alpha book for review has come in. This will be a breeze. One month of that and one month of beta math will get him to gamma where I think he will be. One of his reading books came in. Paddle to the sea. It's about an indian boy who builds a canoe and travels from a cabin down the great lakes out to the sea.

Mendel is still in Primer math. I think that in no time he'll be ready for alpha. He's reading on lesson 18 (or something) in his 100 easy lessons book. He wants to read Charolette's Web (sp?) and The chocolate Factory. So I have those on his list for free reading.

I still need to print out 6 weeks of reading and lessons... I think I'll do that after my hubby leaves. I am still looking for a few books. I can't remember which ones.

The next few days will be crisis cleaning so the house is perfect for hubby's departure. After that, I can go back to normal cleaning. There is just so much I need to do and I am stressing over it. Luckily I can take my vacation days. That's 2 weeks of vacation right there! WOOHOO!!

I got a raise at work! WOOHOO... a whole .28! But it is better than nothing. I am working on the house today and then going to Jetamio's house to hang out and stuff. I'll catch up on blogging later.

Saturday Morning after work we 3rd shifters went to Shoney's for the breakfast buffet. It was me, Nika, Mika and Mary. Then Mika's boyfriend. We had so much fun! It was nice to get out with some adults. I ate everything I shouldn't eat and enjoyed every minute of it. Well, until I got home and the pain in my side set in. Then I was doubling over and in horrible pain. I took an ultram and went to bed. I left the house and boys in hubbies hands. He woke me at 7pm for dinner and a movie. We watched the incredibles. That is SO funny! I loved it! After the show I went to work. I was 5 minutes late... oops!


Last night at work went okay. There were two of us until 2am. Then 3 until 3am, then back to 2 CNAs. One of our men is dying. I don't expect he'll be there tonight. His family is all there sitting with him in turns. It's very hard to watch someone you've cared for slowly die. It's the most taxing part of the job. My friend brought her son to work and I brought him home with me for the weekend. I got a lawn mower battery so we can actually cut the grass... It's about 3 feet tall now. Not that anyone cares, we're in the country. We have about 8 acres... half that needs mowing. Especially down near the creek in the meadow so we can go swimming!


I finished my weekly plan in my flylady notebook. I need to go do my morning routine though. And today I am doing missions that I made up and decluttering my zone and about 15 minutes in each room. Eventually this will look like a house again!


Today is Sunday so I am changing sheets, hanging the curtains (that I made from indian blankets... they look cool) Wish I knew how to pst a picture... I'd post before and afters of my house. Of course, AFTER it is clean LOL.


I better go for now. I have a lot to do and I still need to sleep. I'll get in bed around 3pm tonight and get up about 9pm to get ready for work.


Until next time, Dotchi.

I got called into work last night. I clocked in around 1 AM. We did a dry round and then played spades. We have new residents too. Some of our wing was moved to the other wing. That's good b/c that means they aren't in need of skilled care now. One new lady kept pressing her call button thinking it was her TV, her light cord, or just trying to figure out what it does. It was amusing. We had a good night though. Almost everyone stayed in bed and slept well. There were a few that sat up with us. They mostly watched TV and kept telling us that we were cheating at cards LOL. I got through early this morning.

I was going to stay and help out first shift but it is going to be very hot today and I can't handle this Tennessee heat. It's too much on my allergies so I decided to get home early. As I was leaving the building the back alarm system went off. I turned it off and when I went to go back outside, the door locked. One of the girls I work with had put a wanderguard bracelet in my purse. It locks the door so the residents can't wander off and get lost, especially our alzhiemers patients. They got a good laugh and I finally found it at the bottom of my purse :)

On my way home, after I got off my exit, they skies looked very bad. So bad that I was starting to worry. They looked like tornado clouds. There haven't been any warnings though. They were dark and thick and hung low in the sky. At some points it looked like they could touch the ground. The rolling hills made it look even eerier. The wind got high at one point and I had to slow down to keep it on the road. I was quite nervous until I got my highway and it seemed like I drove out of the night and into the day. I am missing a few fingernails now b/c I chewed them all off. It was just too much on my nerves!

Now I am going to go drink some coffee and wait for the rest of the house to wake up. Then I'll sort my orders and check them.

Til then,
Dotchi

I forgot I had this blog. I set up a blog at homeschoolblogger.com and then realized I had this one too. I guess I should try to keep up with it now. I've done well with keeping up with the homeschool blog.

My hubby is home after a month in San Diego. They plan to send him back August 8th to October 1st... or later. In January or February he will be going to Iraq or Afghanistan. I am not really looking to it at all, but at least we'll be better off financially when he comes back and this is something he wants to do. Who am I to stand in his way?

I still work part/ full time at the nursing home. Depending on the week, of course. This week I'll have 4 or 5 shifts, next week I'll have 5. I am planning a vacation during the first two weeks of August. If I have enough vacation time, then I can do it. During that time, I will be prepping for his leave and then once he is gone, I will print out the homeschool material for 10-12 weeks.

I got my business started. Silver Moon Company. I've made a small profit. I need to make a website now. I'll be setting up in consignment shops and flea markets. I got my first order in today! I sorted it already. I need to look over the merchandise now. I got more catalogs too!

I need to go work on my flylady notebook for now and work on my organizational skills.

Off for now,

Dotchi from the Baker's Acres.