A long time coming. Big Prayers and Big Decisions.

4 years ago, on August 31, 2007, I knew I would have a decision to make.

My first son, Braxton, was born on August 20, 2003. I was 37 weeks 6 days pregnant when he decided to make an appearance. My second son, Rogan, was born June 19, 2005. I was 37 weeks 6 days pregnant when he decided to join us. So, here I am, August 31, 2007. I am 37 weeks 6 days pregnant and I know in my heart that this little guy is going to make me wait.

It isn't a huge deal waiting. It isn't like I was overdue. At this point I had never even made it to 38 weeks. My issue was more a minor detail. If this child was not born by September 1st then he would have to wait an entire year before starting kindergarten. I know. Petty. It just wasn't part of my plan. I didn't mind that he would be home a year longer but it really bugged me that he would be 2 years behind Rogan. Instead of 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades, they would be Kindergarten, 3rd and 5th. Instead of spending two years together in high school Parker and Rogan would only be together for one. I didn't want my child to be a full year older than everyone else in the class although I didn't even have a good supporting argument.

I really had an issue with this. I researched it and there isn't anything you can really do. Not to mention, I haven't even given birth yet and I was consumed with an issue that was years away.

Fast Forward.

(I understand that I am the mom. Of course I think my children are uber geniuses. I am writing this as non biased as possible.)

For the past few years, any time the subject of Parker and school is brought up, I have simply prayed about it. All things happen for a reason in God's time. I was going to let nature run it's course, so to speak. We had done a little more research and there are not a whole lot of options. It is a state law that requires the child to be a specific age by Sept. 1 and it is for Kindergarten and 1st grade. We could pay for pre-k out of pocket to the program that Braxton and Rogan attended and that would be great as far as his learning goes but when it was over we were still in the same boat.

I could home school but realistically??? We have sent emails asking if there were any tests he could take to allow him to start this year and the answer was no. I do realize that the law is there for a reason. There is always going to be someone who wants to be the exception. You have to put a cut off somewhere and someone is going to get the short end of the stick. I understand this. I had become content with not pushing things or asking for an exception until recently. I have one child in IB, one child in a gifted program and hope to have another one in the gifted program next year as well.

I cannot take any credit for this! I have been blessed with extremely smart children. Parker really seems to be following suit. I knew he would pick stuff up from his brothers but he has picked up a LOT more than I thought possible. The crazy part is, you never know what he has learned! All of a sudden, at the most random times, he starts subtracting, or writing, or spelling words. All of this leading up to a couple of days ago when I wrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY on a paper and handed him a pen. The result?



I am not saying it is perfect or that other children can't do the same thing but I do know that it is really good for a child who is 3 and hasn't had anyone teaching them other than sitting at the table with his brothers while they do homework. This was with no help at all. I didn't even realize he could do it! All of this lately though has confirmed the feeling that he needs and wants to learn. So that brings us to our other option. Private school.

I have been avoiding this for 4 years. There are so many issues.
1. Money
2. He has to go for 3 years. Well, legally 2 but I really think he needs to start school now with pre-k.
3. He will be in a different school than his brothers.
4. He will end up changing schools after first grade.
...on and on and on...

We looked at a few of the private schools in town and the one with a later birthday cut off and best price is Pensacola Christian Academy. I am not writing this to hear any negative comments about the school. It is a large private school in Pensacola and has been around for 50+ years. People seem to have strong feelings about the school. There are good, there are bad but that is not the point. Charles and I have been praying about this decision for a long time. I have been incredibly skeptical but in my heart I know that it will be the best thing for Parker.

There are still a few things that need to fall into place. One is money. Because we are just considering this option when we register we will have to pay the registration fee as well as the July tuition payment. There isn't a payment in August but in September there is a tuition payment as well and a fee for books and supplies. Fortunately this covers everything. They even provide him with a satchel with his name on it to carry back and forth. He can wear his regular clothes and the only thing she mentioned was the boys are supposed to have short hair.

I truly believe that this is going to be a good thing. Just walking into the front office has the child in awe! He begs to go to school. He always tells me about his class and what his teacher will be like and his friends. I was worried but I know that he is ready. It is such a bittersweet thing to see him so grown up but still my little boy. There are still a few things that need to fall into place but I believe it is all going to work out. I have prayed and prayed and have a peace about everything. I am not exactly sure where the money is going to come from but God provides. I feel like I would be doing something wrong if I were to keep him home another year when I know that he is more than capable of succeeding in a class room.

I know that this has been a novel and if you have made it this far, BLESS YOU! Please just be keeping us in your prayers. This is an adjustment for the whole family. Any questions or comments are welcome but please be respectful of the school itself. Thanks so much for the support!

"Sand" Art

This craft cost me about 38 cents per child. It took a little while and was a little messy but not bad. We will definitely be adding this to our list of things to do over the summer or on rainy days!

What you need:
Baby food jars with lids(or a similar seal-able jar)
Salt
Colored Chalk

Other stuff:
Plastic containers to mix in
Scrapbook paper
scissors
glue or tape
funnel


Here we go:


The first time I tried this we poured the salt onto paper towels and rubbed the chalk on it but it was hard for the little ones to keep the chalk on the towel so we switched to bowls.





Mix the chalk with the salt until the salt has reached the color you want.






Next add the salt in small layers to the jar using a funnel, or in my case a piece of paper rolled up and held together with painters tape.






Make sure to fill the jars up to the very top so that when you close them up and move them around the salt doesn't move and the colors mix together.



You can super glue the lids on to keep for a while or not so that you can reuse the jars. We glued them down and then made some cut outs with scrapbook paper to give for Father's Day.

We made a Hawaiian shirt, a tie, a dress shirt and tie and a guitar. You could do anything your dad is interested in or it would be cute to do little people with interchangeable shirt and hats. Just have fun!!!

Rant: Things people say about my kids and me.

So, I just need to get all this out.

1. I am telling someone that I plan on taking the kids to the beach this summer.
Their response? You're going to take all of them? By yourself?

Ok genius. What does this even mean??? No, I just thought I would take the bigger ones and leave the little ones fending for themselves at the house. I mean really. Yes I am going to take all of them. By myself. They are my kids. Why wouldn't I be able to take them somewhere by myself. I get that I am outnumbered by a decent amount but unless there is a mouse in my pocket, it is just me. Do you suggest I sit at home all day, everyday? Because I have more than your typical 2.whatever children I am not capable of going places with them?!

On to the next.

2. Breastfeeding. Do I even need to go here? First of all, it's not any of your business. Second, my baby is 13 months. She isn't 13. Unfortunately I will more than likely have to give it up soon since I will be out of town for a week in July. I don't have a problem with anyone who formula feeds their baby. All I ask is that you return the favor. I don't say anything when I see a mom put a bottle in bed with her baby until they are 2 so I really don't appreciate when I get put down for nursing as long as I have. She will quit when she is ready. There is a limit with this that I understand. I do not feel it's appropriate for me if she can sit up and ask for it but until that time comes we will go with what she needs from me. There is a LOT more to be said on this but you get the idea...

3. When are you going to put her in a bigger, forward facing, car seat?

I'm not. Is that an ok answer? If you have seen my child then you know she is the size of a 6 month old. There is absolutely no reason at all to take her out of an infant carrier. The law is one year and 20 pounds. My carrier is for children up to 35 pounds and if she is comfortable in it then I have no plans to change. More children are injured in wrecks in forward facing car seats than rear facing ones for many reasons. If you want statistics, look them up.

4. Babies having babies. REALLY?! Ok, RUDE!!! and not your business. Then you want to be all nice and sweet when I tell you that I am (almost) 30. And who on earth thinks it is ok to ask someone their age?! Not your business! Yes, I know, when I get to be your age I will appreciate it.

5. How do you stay so skinny? I have no flippin' clue. I get it. I am super skinny. I am 95 pounds. BUT I am also 4'11". I would like to gain weight. Really I would. I know, I know, you will be happy to give me yours but I am looking for an actual answer. I get extremely uncomfortable in conversations about weight. People always stare at me. Believe it or not, being underweight has just as many issues as being overweight but don't worry, I won't say any of those for fear of the lovely comments everyone so willingly spout out.

6. Are all of these kids yours? Yes. And I really do get where this question is coming from. I look 10. I have 4 children. Makes sense. It's the fact that people act like 4 kids is such a freakishly large number. I know it is a lot but my goodness. Whatever happened to children being a blessing? My kids are pretty awesome.


I guess that is it. Just had to get a couple of things off of my chest. I am sure everyone has a few things that really irk them and I am probably guilty of being the person delivering those aggravating comments. It happens but at least now I feel better.

Ice Cream Cone Shirt

Of course for my baby's first birthday I felt the need for her to have something special to wear. I found a couple of shirts on the best site in the world, a.k.a. ETSY, but I couldn't get the one I really wanted in time for her party. I could have tried to make it but it seemed a little above my skill level, not to mention, I like to see quick results! I came across an idea I liked online and decided to duplicate that instead.

I have a habit of picking up plain white or colored shirts when I can find them on clearance. I usually pay $2-$3 for them and then can add whatever I want and it ends up being a small portion of the price of one you would find already made. I didn't have a white shirt though and so I found this one at Walmart for $6.50. The buttons were less than $2 per pack and I only ended up using 2. The red ones I found on clearance for 50 cents. The glue I bought at JoAnn's and I think it was around $3. All total was a little more than I had hoped but I have buttons and glue left for next time.

Here are my supplies:


The glue I used (I wasn't sure when I bought it how it would work because it was a little cheaper and not a brand I'm familiar with but I was pretty happy with it):


The first step is to just lay out the buttons where you want them. It's that simple. I tried to center the design as best I could by just looking at it.




Then just glue them down. I found that using tweezers helped grab them without messing up the design too much. Mine ended up being not as close together as I would have liked but I think it still turned out ok. After they were all glued I picked up the shirt to make sure none fell off.





Then I grabbed a needle and thread and added a stitch to each button. I used a quilting needle because it is what I could find easily but I think a regular length needle would have been better for this.



I really like the look the thread added to the shirt.



And that was it. Took just a couple hours and less than $15.

Tutorial: "Tie" Dyed Eggs!

A few weeks or so ago I was browsing online and came across a site that I have fallen in love with. It's is called Our Best Bites. It is run by a couple of ladies and I promise if you spend 5 minutes there you will be in love too!

I came across this unique idea for dying eggs using silk ties. The eggs turned out AMAZING and I knew this was something I would have to duplicate. When I read the instructions I was incredibly relieved to find out just how easy and kid friendly this would be. You can read the blog on the website here and I will share my families experience as well.

What you need:

Raw Eggs
A (non-aluminum) Pot
Pieces of Silk large enough to cover an egg (tie, scarf, etc.)
Pieces of Old Fabric large enough to cover an egg (pillow case, sheet, etc.)
String
Vinegar
Vegetable Oil

We didn't have anything silk at the house so the boys and I loaded up and made a trip to the local Goodwill store. They had quite a few ties to choose from and they ranged from $0.99 to $3.00. We picked out 4 and I tried to make sure we had a range of colors. We also picked up a white cotton pillow case for $1.00. I took them home, washed them and used my seam ripper to open up the ties and remove any tags or other material.




Next, we cut up our ties into pieces large enough to wrap around our eggs.
After that we decided what part of our tie we want printed on the egg. It wouldn't be a bad idea, if you have a tie with an odd design, to figure out what you want on your egg and then cut the fabric with it centered around the design. Once you have your egg placed over the design you want transferred then wrap the fabric tightly around the egg. I pulled up the two sides followed by the two ends like you would a bindle. Then you take your string, I used a white cotton yarn, and tie it around the top of the silk tie tightly.









Getting their eggs just right!


Our little egg pouches:


I didn't get a picture of the next step but basically you do the same thing again wrapping the eggs in a plain fabric and tying them up tight. Put the eggs in a pot and add enough water to cover the eggs.




After that add your "Magic Potion" (4 TBS white vinegar), put your pot on the stove and boil. Once your water gets to a good boil, turn the heat down and simmer 20 minutes. When time is up, remove the egg pouches and let cool. When you are able to hold them without losing your fingerprints open up those little bundles and check out the eggs.







Final Results:



Mine :)




Braxton's
He wanted a diagonal line on one and to make sure the "V" showed up on the other. I think he did a great job!



Rogan's
He wanted the tie with the "eyeballs".



Parker's
His didn't turn out quite as well but I love the textured look his eggs have.




This was a really fun and simple craft to do with little hands. Not too mention, NO DYE!!! We learned the darker the print or the busier the pattern makes a better egg. I think that next year we will have a contest to see who can pick the best fabric and make the best egg. I am going to have to start hitting the thrift stores now to get ahead of the competition!

An FYI for stains

As you all know, kids are messy! Clothes are expensive. We go through a ton of stain remover. With boys and baseball it seems like I do nothing but spray clothes. Finally my hand just got too tired with pumping the trigger over and over and over. Here is what I came up with.

Remember this stuff that we all bought with coupons for about 70 cents?


Well, after you finish cleaning your bathroom, clean out the bottle really well.

Then open it up and pull the plastic bit out of the top gently so it doesn't break. I had to use a butter knife to pry it off. Then just fill it up with whatever stain remover you choose. I use:


This stuff helps take red clay out of white pants.

Now just put the bottle back together and spray away! You may go through it a little bit faster but I think it is well worth it for the time and energy saved!

Publix Shopping

This is just a recap of my trip to Publix today. I am really enjoying this whole couponing thing but it can be really time consuming. I mainly go to Winn Dixie and Publix and sometimes I grab a few things at Target. My goal would be to coupon at CVS as well for the outrageous deals that people find there. One thing at a time though. Like I said, time consuming and time is one of the things I am running incredibly low on.

Here is my trip today.

4 bags of Lay's potato chips
Publix brand animal crackers (free for honor roll)
Strawberry Newtons
Fig Newtons
2 Sorrento Mozzarella cheese
2 Chinet plates
2 Alexia frozen rolls
Baby Carrots
3 Pillsbury Crescents
2 Keebler Club Crackers
package of asparagus
2 boxes Barilla Pasta
3 packs Kraft shredded cheese
1 pound Boar's Head turkey
large container of strawberries
4 Yoplait Yo-plus yogurt
2 Stonyfield Yo Baby yogurt
Publix butter (4 sticks)
Sorrento Ricotta cheese (large)
pint of grape tomatoes
3 Buddy Fruit things (Parker wanted to try them, has to be better than cookies, right?)
Basil herb blend (they were out of fresh basil)
4 boxes Idahoan Scalloped Potatoes
2 boxes Uncle Ben's wild rice
2 cans sliced carrots
2 cans green beans
2 cans corn
2 large jars Mt. Olive dill pickles
2 boxes Honey Bunches of Oats
Peter Pan large honey roasted peanut butter
2 Schick Intuition razors
Gerber fruit snacks
6 boxes Kellogg's Special K granola bars
10 12 packs of coke products
$5 donation to the March of Dimes

Total : $248.91

Paid : $125.82

There it is. I saved about 50% which is my goal. If I can do that then I am happy. I promptly went and spent all of that saved $ at Target on random stuff. Not sure if that defeats the whole point or not. :)

I can't feel my legs!

**Before I start I just want to say how proud I am of ALL my amazing friends who ran 5 and 15k's this morning!!! So inspiring! One of my goals is to start running this year so we will see!!!**

My hubs and kids had this wonderful idea to start working out. They normally do a few exercises here and there before bed like sit ups, push ups and leg lifts. I haven't done any of these things since high school yet here we go!

We found a website hundredpushups.com and have begun!

We are doing push ups, sit ups and squats. Not sure if we are going to try the pull ups or not since it is dark when we get around to the work out. I think the goal is to be able to do 100 push ups in 6 weeks. CRAZY! I cannot believe I am actually going to admit how out of shape I am. When I say I sit around all day.... I really do!

Week 1, Day 1


Push Ups - Set 1 - 10
Set 2 - 12
Set 3 - 7
Set 4 - 7
Set 5 - MAX of 9 (I had a little help)

Sit Ups - Set 1 - 9
Set 2 - 9
Set 3 - 6
Set 4 - 6 (with a little help)
Set 5 - MAX of 10 (with a little help)

Squats - Set 1 - 13
Set 2 - 16
Set 3 - 9
Set 4 - 9
Set 5 - MAX of 35

I didn't have a real problem with the squats. I may have been leaning to far forward though. When all is said and done... LAME! I did need some help but I am hoping to improve! My arms and legs are completely numb!

When you see me hobbling around church in the morning this new adventure is why. I will update again soon so wish me luck!

Report Card Time (and boy stuff)

Rogan:

I am so proud of this kid! I know you all think Rogan is the sweetest, most innocent child that ever lived BUT for the few of you who have seen his temper tantrums you would disagree. He can be the sweetest of all the boys but he has a little OCD that can turn him into a monster at the drop of a hat. He is STUBBORN! I thought Braxton was until Rogan came along. BUT...

He has totally impressed me this year at school! He is making all S's and E's on his report cards as well as green lights for behavior everyday! He seems to be picking things up a lot faster than Braxton did when he was in Kindergarten. I am not trying to compare or say he is smarter. I think having an older sibling at home helps him pick things up quicker. He knows his letters, numbers, can read, count, add, subtract. His writing needs to be a little better and most of his numbers are backward but we are practicing. He amazes me in math. He can count by 3's to an extent, by 5's and 10's and really whatever he wants if he thinks about it. His newest thing is multiplication. Really?! He will tell me small problems like 4x2 or 3x3. He has a writing test coming up and I think this is where we need to be spending more time. All in all I would say he is having an excellent first year! I know that his amazing teacher is owed a lot of thanks for that!

Braxton:

Oh Brax. He has to by my most frustrating child. He's smart. Really smart. This also means he tries to get away with things and schemes. Not to mention he at the age where he isn't a little kid so he is trying to test boundaries. It is nice to be able to depend on him more and not have to constantly be checking up on him. Our conversations are changing from dinosaurs and construction trucks to people and what's going on around us. It is good.

He is doing really well in school this year. The past couple of years I felt have been really easy for him. He has had great teachers and I'm not saying he didn't ever have times where he struggled but mostly he didn't have to put forth a lot of effort to be at the top of the class. This year has been different. Not only for him but for me as well. I have had to be more disciplined in his homework and assignments as well. It takes longer than 5 minutes and we have had to stay up late a few nights going over things. Braxton is in a 2nd/3rd grade gifted class. While I think he would have done great in a regular class and not had any grade or discipline problems I am so thankful that he was able to get into this program. It really has been good helping him think outside the box. He reads really well. Last year he was reading at a 5th grade level but the problem has been finding books that are a challenge to read as well as appropriate for his age. He is great in spelling. He somehow brought home the 3rd grade list last week, studied once, and still made a 100. He is having some trouble in Language Arts. The first report card he made his first B-. It takes him a long time to grasp concepts in that subject. Right now we are going over subject and predicate and we have spent hours on the same thing. That being said, he did bring his grade up to an A on this last report card. I am so proud of that kid! There are very few kids in his class who make A honor roll and I wasn't sure if he was going to! I kinda promised him a new toy if he did since I didn't really expect it so I guess I need to make a trip to the store!

If anyone else has a child who needs help in that subject I have a lot of resources I would love to share with you!

Parker:

Well, Park doesn't really get a report card but since I was updating on all the others I figured I would include him. I feel awful because I do not work with him like I did the others. He counts some and knows most of his ABC's but not the way he could if I would do it with him. He has a wild imagination and loves to make up stories and songs. If he is breathing, he is talking. I call him my little Tasmanian devil. Or destructo-man. As soon as his feet hit the floor he is going, everywhere as fast as he can. He eats all the time. For example, yesterday he gets up, eats a bowl of cereal. 10 minutes later, goldfish, then string cheese, then an orange, then some pudding, then some yogurt. This is all before 10 am. At noon he eats lunch and he wants to take a snack to the school and have one at home with the boys and then we eat dinner. ALL DAY LONG! Despite being a raging ball of madness he is my love. He cuddles and hugs and kisses. He tells me thank you for little things all day long. He blesses me. I love his confidence. He tells me he is strong, he is a good dancer, good at coloring and puzzles. He is my puds. The best one there is.

Ryleigh is 9 months old!

{ignore the fact that I should be doing laundry}

I can't believe it!!! Well, first I STILL can't believe she is a girl and then I can't believe she is just 3 months away from being 1!

We had to stop by the peds office to check her weight since I have yet to buy a scale but she weighed in at a whopping 16 pounds! I have no clue how tall she is at the moment but I may break out the tape measure later.

When people see her and comment on how big she has gotten I kinda want to laugh. She hasn't gotten bigger she has just gotten older. I love that she is my little peanut. As small as she is though she wears age appropriate clothes. This makes absolutely no sense to me.

As far as new stuff there is a lot going on. She finally started eating food around 7 1/2 months. She eats mostly whatever we are having but will eat some baby food. This drives my grandmother bonkers because for some reason she thinks that fresh steamed veggies aren't as good for her as baby food veggies. No clue. She will drink from a cup. It is still a little hard for her to hold it up but she does ok. She normally lays back on the bean bag chair with her cup and watches Mickey Mouse. I have never had a child interested in TV this young. She really likes Mickey.

Yes, she is still breastfeeding. She nurses about 4-5 a day times still but once is around 12-1 am. How long will she breastfeed? Well, my typical answer is however long she wants. This answer tends to shut people up when it comes to voicing their negative opinions. The truth is... I am not sure. I nursed the boys until about 1. Braxton woke up 3 days after his one year birthday and just stopped. Rogan was closer to 16 months. He was a little harder and also the only child who never had a bottle and held on to the paci a little longer. Parker stopped nursing around 10 or 11 months when he could drink milk because I was working at the time and it was just too much. Ryleigh can stop whenever is good for her. Charles is ready for that to be tomorrow! But she is my last baby and I don't want to rush things, they are flying by as it is! Do I think I will be nursing her at 2? I doubt it. I don't see anything wrong with it but 12-18 months seems to be a good time frame for me and for our family.

She is CRAWLING! Over the last week she has gone from moving a couple feet to across the house. She never really did the "army crawl" like the boys but has been up on all fours. I cannot think about her walking soon. She doesn't really stand or pull up on things just yet so I am thankful for that!

She still says DADA and BUBBA. She refuses to say MAMA. She will cry for me and is starting to reach for me to pick her up. She thinks she is supposed to be on my hip at all times and I don't mind too much. I am kinda fascinated with her. She is in LOVE with Parker. I am sure the fact that he is here with her all day helps but whenever he is around she lights up. He does so good with her most of the time! This morning he tried to shoot her in the head with a nerf gun but mostly he adores her. He calls her Ryleigh bug or baby girl and helps her and tries to teach her things. It is precious.

I can't believe time is going by so fast and before you know it that girl will be having a birthday!

In My Free Time

Along with all of the day to day there are a lot of things I have planned to accomplish this year. While I need to make sure that my priorities are in order before venturing on to accomplish this entire list, I do think it is important to have things that are "mine". I need to be my own person and not just the mom and the wife.

Here we go. This is a HUGE list so while I don't expect to get to everything, I can look at it and have some direction.

Sign.
I am taking a sign language class now and this is something I can do anytime and anywhere. I absolutely love it and am having a great time learning!

Read.
I have been keeping up with my daily bible reading! I also love to read books. Lots and lots of books. I got a kindle for Christmas and I am in love with it. I would like to make a list of books that I have read but I am too chicken that all of you people will laugh at my obsession with all things teenager and vampire related! but since the secret is out... I may just have to come up with something.

Craft.
One hand made item for each holiday. Preferably some sort of home decor. I am the world's worst decorator and I thought this would be a simple way to add some of my personality to the house. I already have something in mind for Valentine's Day. And my optimistic side is wanting to make Ry a shirt AND try making conversation hearts. We'll see how that goes. I also have a few crafts in the works for family and friends.

I know that this is all on top of kids, cleaning, husband, baseball, school, worship team, and everything else but these are the things I love. As they get accomplished I will be sure to share so that everyone else can love them too!

Back in the saddle

I have not been couponing the way I was. Or at all really. It takes time and well, I just didn't want to spend time on it. But here we go again.

Yesterday I spent a total of $221.25 and saved $120.49. Could I have done better? YES! But since we were out of a lot I had to but what was available and not what was on sale and since I have been forgetting the paper each week I didn't have some of the coupons I could have.

I won't share everything but here is my trip to Publix:


Here is what I bought:
2 YoBaby Yogurt 4 packs (found a coupon after I got home!)
2 Select Harvest soups
3 Gerber fruit puffs
4 Ragu spaghetti sauce
2 bagged salads
1 quart heavy cream (that stuff was $5!)
2 cans evaporated milk
2 small containers of Country Crock
20 jars of Beech Nut baby food
1 box Beech Nut baby oatmeal
2 Pillsbury breadsticks
2 Pillsbury cinnamon rolls
2 boxes of Capri Suns (not pictured)
10 Yoplait yogurts
2 Blue Diamond salted almonds (1 isn't in the pic because I was eating it)
eggs
20 pack of Coke (not pictured)
Cottonelle toilet paper (not pictured)

Okay, I know that is a long list. The one from Winn Dixie is longer! And when you are shopping with 2 small children you can only imagine how long it takes to get everything and make sure all your coupons are ready and for the right thing!

Anyway--- Here are a few of the things that I bought and what I paid for them.

THE BAD

COKE! I try to pay between $1.50 and $2.50 at most for a 12 pack. Instead I paid $5.99 for 20.

Carnation evaporated milk. I bought this at Publix even though I knew it was on sale at Winn Dixie because of time issues. I ended up spending 70 cents more than I would have. It isn't a lot but things like that add up!

THE GOOD

20 jars of Beech Nut baby food. This isn't really my favorite but she doesn't eat a lot of it and for the price I couldn't pass it up.

20 jars at 57 cents each = $11.40
but they were BOGO = $5.70
and a $2 coupon = $3.70
which makes each jar 18.5 cents!

10 Yoplait yogurt. It amazes me how much yogurt costs! My boys eat it all the time and Ryleigh eats one every morning for breakfast. I rarely buy any for myself because of the price.

10 yogurts at 75 cents each = $7.50
on sale for 50 cents = $5.00
1 target q for 50 cents off of 10= $4.50
2 mani q's for 50 cents off of 4 = $3.50
making each one 35 cents!

And my last favorite. Blue Diamond almonds.

2 cans of almonds at $3.19 each = $6.38
on sale BOGO = $3.19
2 q's for 50 cents off = $2.19
making each can of almonds $1.09!


Not the best trip but I am not complaining! Hopefully I can stick to it this time around! I like to save money and the more I save the more we can do for others! Not to mention all the food I can donate now!!!

Operation Try New Foods: Avocado

Random conversation with Parker this morning:

Him: Momma, did you remember that fruit thing we tried. The ah-buh.... ah-buh...
Me: Avocado
Him: Yep the ah-buh-cado. It didn't like to be in my throat (or froat as he says).
Me: Oh yeah? You didn't like it?
Him: Yeah, I did but it just didn't like to be in my throat or my belly because I taste weird!
{insert incredibly cute giggle here}

I know I say this everyday but that child cracks me up! He has the craziest imagination and comes up with the most random things!

I know everyone on the planet has had avocado before. I eat guacamole occasionally but I haven't ever had just plain ol' avocado. We looked online and read a little about where it came from and if it is a fruit or veggie. I think the boys were a surprised about the answer. Charles wasn't around to try it but I have a feeling he would have been as impressed as I was.

That thing was gross! Maybe I got a bad one or it wasn't ripe or something. The boys didn't really care for it and I thought it tasted like eggs. Weird. And the texture was a little odd too. I guess I thought it would have a creamier, smoother consistency. While I am glad we tried it I doubt that is something we will be having again any time soon.

Time to grow up

I am not the best housekeeper.

I also think that is an understatement.

I know that no one actually enjoys cleaning but I just cannot make myself get up and do it some days. Call it lazy, procrastination, whatever. It's just how it is. When the house gets messy I tend to leave and when I leave I tend to spend money. See the problem?

In my daily bible reading I have been learning about Joseph. Joseph had every reason in the world to be bitter. He was sold by his brothers into slavery yet in every chapter, no matter how much worse his situation got, he prospered. As a slave he was put in charge of the entire household. In prison the bible said that the warden didn't even have to worry about anything because Joseph was in charge. I can't imagine that he was given these responsibilities because he was moping in the corner. He was noticed for the hard work and good attitude he had despite of where he was.

Now I am not saying that I am in any way in a situation similar to his. I am beyond blessed and I think that I could use a lesson in appreciating what I do have and taking care of what God has given me. Instead of complaining about all the dishes I have to wash or the time I spend in the kitchen cooking I should be thankful that I have never had to go hungry. My children get three meals and a million snacks every day. I look at the huge laundry pile and instead of counting the number of loads and hours of washing and folding I need to see that my children have clothes that fit. They aren't depending on others old clothes (not that there is anything wrong with that and I will take them if anyone wants to share!). They will never have to go barefoot and they will never have to be cold. I look around the house in general and there are toys everywhere. We have so much stuff that there is no more room to put it. There are floors to clean and a yard to mow. But at the same time this is where my kids grow. It's where they play and invite friends to play.

I am not comparing Charles to a prison warden but I would like him to not worry when he isn't around about the things at home. I want him to know without a doubt that his needs will be met. At this moment I am sure he has to wonder about things or ask me to make sure they are done. I want him to know that I am not out spending money recklessly. I kind of have a habit of doing that occasionally. :)

I am not trying to brag about anything or act like I have so much more than everyone. I just need to realize that I do have a lot. That God has given me a lot and it is time that I am more responsible for those things. I want my children to appreciate what they have and not take for granted how blessed we are.

Like everything else though, I can only do one day at a time.

Operation Try New Foods: Asparagus

I know it is absolutely insane that I haven't had asparagus.

I have had it once or twice but I have never bought or cooked it. There are quite a few foods that I am sure are common household items that I have never touched.

I didn't really do a lot to them. Just looked around a little online and figured out how to prep them. I bent them on the bottom until it snapped and the stem looked fresh and then cut the rest to that length. It was about 2 1/2 inches from the bottom. I coated them with olive oil, sprinkled some garlic salt and then passed them off to Charles to grill. He put them on a hot grill for about a minute or two and turned them again until they seemed ready.

They were really good!!! We have cooked them twice so far and I love it! Brax will eat a couple and Ro will eat one or two. Parker breaks down and cries but at least he tried once. I have no clue how to cook them on a stove but that will come next. :)

If Your Friends Jumped Off a Cliff...

Would you do it too???

Well, IF they lived to tell about it, then YES. I probably would.

It's a new year as everyone by now realizes and for the last 28 of those I have managed to not set any resolutions. I just don't really get it. If I'm going to do something I just start doing it. I don't need to wait for a new year or a certain day of the week or a date on the calendar. Maybe I'm weird. (HA! I said MAYBE!)

But lately I look at my life, the everyday ins and outs, and something has to change. It seems like everyone I know is making lists and so I figure I can too. I'm not trying to jump on a bandwagon or copy anyone but I do believe that if a majority of people you know are trying something there is not harm in trying it out also. If you don't try new things because it's what everyone else is doing then how are you going to find your passions and things that are just fun. (and when I say this I do not mean we should all go out and party it up without a care in the world because I knew people in that scene that didn't live to tell about it) ANYWAY. Yes. God has made me for a specific purpose. Different from any of you but for now, this is it. It's what I got and I am hoping it works.

I am going to blog.

I was aiming for once per week but... what day is this??? I don't care if I write 5 words. I have a whole lot to say and for some unknown reason I feel like everyone out there ought to read it. I'm sure it will be mostly random, I need to update on our new foods! There will be more to come. I am determined. And if you don't see one for a while, text me, call me, email me, smack me, something. Please.

I am going to read my bible DAILY.

My goal for this year is to read the bible. The WHOLE thing. This is the one thing I am on track for so far. I do not care if I understand all the words I am reading at the time but I will read every begot in that book. I will read front to back, well, as front to back as I can with an ebook. I have a daily plan and two amazing people to hold me accountable.

That's it. Really. Of course there are other things I want to do but those two above are things that are important to me and I want to be incredibly serious about.

Other things I have going on:

Learning sign language. It's simply amazing. It's time to myself.

Sing! I absolutely love it!!! Even if I'm not really that good. Me and the boys will be singing a lot. It makes the whole house happy!

I want to run a 5k. At some point. There are quite a few ladies out there right now gearing up for one and it is exciting to see! I would probably have a stroke trying to run to the mailbox. But if my 7 year old son can run 3 miles then I had better at least try. I simply want to be healthy. I want to play with my kids without needing a break every few minutes.

My very last birthday month is coming. Let's make it a good one.

Make it to level 85.

Figure out what this next chapter of our lives is going to look like. No more babies. It's time to watch them grow! I know this is a "rest of my life" kinda goal but I better get used to it at some point.

So. If you see me. Ask. I am probably the most candid person ever (although this is not always a good thing). But I need people there, behind me, with a cattle prod. Here's to 2011!!!