MAKING YOUR HOME SING: SCHOOL DAZE

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

Tomorrow we start homeschooling again. Wow, the summer went fast! I can hardly believe it.

The first week of school is usually an adjustment as we go from the carefree (?) days of summer back into the school routine again.

For my son it's an adjustment as he is back into school again. Back to getting up a bit earlier, back to school work, back to a bit more scheduled day.

For me it's an adjustment as I now have less time in my day, so I usually spend the first week "tweaking" my schedule and figuring out what works and doesn't work in our homeschool schedule.

Each year I make up a new schedule. Some of it remains the same, but it's always a bit different as each year we drop a class and/or add a new one.

I like having a routine for my homeschooling day, as well as the rest of the day. It keeps me on track, and it makes sure that my priorities are in line with what I'm doing.

After all, if I say that homeschooling is a priority, but I put everything else ahead of it, then it isn't much of a priority is it?

A schedule helps me to get in all the little things that need doing around here, homeschooling, dishes, laundry, meals, cleaning, etc. The nice thing is that a schedule works for you, you don't work for the schedule. If it doesn't work, adjust it!

I have a block of time in the afternoon in which I schedule all sorts of things. I can rotate those things through that block of time, as I don't necessarily do the same thing every day. That way, I can have a bit of freedom in my schedule, but the block of time remains constant. It's what I do with it that changes.

So this week I will be making my home sing by getting back into the school routine again, and figuring it out. That also means that I will have less time on the computer, which means I may not be visiting your blog as much, or if I do, I may not be commenting as much.

Just know that y'all are much appreciated and please forgive me if I don't get around as much. It's time to go back to the school daze!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own Making Your Home Sing Monday Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

OF COURSE I'M AWAKE! ARE YOU?

Figured I'd ramble today. Not that that is different from any other day. Notice how I have two "thats" in a row? That's because I used them twice in a row, not because I typed it twice. I'm smart like that. Just a little English lesson for ya.

So yesterday my neighbor woke me up because she was locked out of her house. Yes, I said woke me up. I am sooooo glad she doesn't read this blog or she'd find out. Anybody ever oversleep and are to embarrassed to admit it and hope that noone notices? Anybody then admit it on their blog? Oh, and I'm not telling you what time it was so don't ask. I'm not telling.

I never like to tell people that they woke me up if they woke me up. For one thing, it just makes them feel bad. So if you call me at 3:00 in the morning and ask if you woke me up, I am going to tell you "No, of course not! I am always up at 3 a.m. Isn't everybody?"

O.k., not really. I am soooo going to say "Well, um.....well.....yeah......sorry" and I will then apologize profusely to you for waking me up.

Do you think she noticed that I was still in my jammies? Do you think she noticed that my hair was sticking out in 5,000 directions, like I stuck my finger in a light socket? Has anybody noticed that whenever I choose some random big number, it's usually 5,000 or 50,000? Anybody know why I do that? Huh, me neither.

Since I forgot to take my little dog outside she then did her business on my floor right in front of the neighbor. Fortunately, the neighbor was talking on the phone and her back was turned so she didn't see it.

However, I imagine there is nothing wrong with her nose so I don't even want to know where she thought that smell was coming from.

Later, my mom went shopping and her car died. So she called me and I told her I'd come and pick her right up. Then my friend called and we were chatting about this big thing that's coming up in her life......and I totally forgot about my poor mom. Whose car died. In the hot sun. Did I mention her car died in the hot sun?

Fortunately, her car died in front of a store. And I really wasn't on the phone but a few minutes, but still.....

So what do you suppose happened when I made extra chicken for dinner? Well, I set them out to cool, totally forgot about them for several hours. Um, yeah. So much for the leftovers.

Don't ya love it when you get distracted and.......um......what was I saying?

Is anybody getting motion sickness from all this jumping around?

Oh, and I totally forgot it was Friday again so no pictures either. However, you can pop over and visit Alicia's blog to see everybody else's flashback pictures.

MESS, MESS, GO AWAY.....COME AGAIN ANOTHER DAY

What have you been ignoring lately? What chore is on the back burner of your mind? You know it needs to be done but you have been oh-so-carefully ignoring it? How long have you been ignoring it? Is there more than one thing that you are ignoring?

Some things you can't ignore. Babies. They come with a built in alarm system that goes off, alerting you that baby is not happy. You ignore that alarm system at the risk of your ears bleeding and your nerves being as jumpy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Bathrooms. They come with a built in nose-alarm. When yours goes off, you know that it's time to clean the bathroom or risk that you might have to rent a hazardous suit. Choose your best color, you know how bathroom lighting can wash you out.

Dishes. Some people can ignore dishes for a very long time. But even if you ignored them for a week, eventually you will get down to your last dish or pan. Unless you are rich and don't mind throwing them out and buying new ones, it will be time to break out the dishwasher and a little elbow-grease. Either that or learn how to multitask by taking the dishes into the shower with you.

Laundry can be ignored for awhile, I suppose. If you don't mind wearing the same things over and over. Of if you don't mind draping your family in plastic so that they don't get their clothes messy. Eventually though, your nose-alarm will alert you, or your friends will.

I have been ignoring a few things around here. My floors need mopping again. I am supposed to be mopping them every week.... on Friday. It's even written on my weekly schedule. I used to be so good at doing them weekly.....until lately.

I have a few things lying around here that need to be put away, but I am ignoring those too. Isn't it amazing how, if you ignore something long enough, eventually you won't even notice it? It becomes part of the decor. Like the dust bunnies in the corner. I am thinking of naming them.

So what has become part of your decor that doesn't belong there? What are you ignoring today?

THE SCREAM HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD

It all started with the corn. We love corn, yummy! Corn on the cob, kernel corn, and some of us (not me) even like cornbread! We like corn. Got it? We heart corn. We named our first child Corn. (Not really) We have corns on our toes (not really). But, despite our best efforts, apparently corn does not like us.


See the bowl on the left? That was leftover beef stroganoff, waiting to be labeled. Well, ground turkey stroganoff actually, as I don't use ground beef. The one on the left doesn't really matter, so pay no attention to the bowl behind the curtain.

"Waiting to be labeled," this part is crucial to the story, so study the picture for say, five or ten years and then read on. Ready? O.k. I use masking tape to label my leftovers. I just tape it on the lid and use a black marker and write the date and what's in the container. How hard could that be?

See the bowl on the right? That bowl used to contain leftover corn. After dinner I had put all the leftover corn in there (without putting the lid on yet) and was attempting to tear off some masking tape for the label when it happened. The scream heard 'round the world. Are you wondering why the bowl is now empty of all the corn I poured in there? Would you like to see where the corn went to? Do you even care and are you sorry you started reading this post?


Yeah.

Two family members, who shall remain nameless, asked why I left the tupperware slideout drawer open while I was attempting to label the corn. Hmmmm. I dunno. Maybe I just like the lovely yellow color and was hoping to redecorate a little.

Maybe I felt that storing leftovers in the fridge isn't all it's cracked up to be, and I was considering branching out into the tupperware drawer.

Or maybe it's because I didn't expect the masking tape to leap out of my hand and attack me and cause me to knock over the container of corn.

I didn't expect the corn to spill over the edge and down into my messy tupperware drawer (see, I said it's messy so now you don't have to tell me it's messy) and all over the floor and even splash onto the side of the cupboard door.

I didn't expect that my hollerin' wouldn't help any. Somehow, you think if you holler "Oh! Oh!" that time will somehow back up, like you see on t.v., and everything will reverse itself. Nope. Didn't happen. The only thing that reversed itself were my toes as they went to get a towel.....or two.....or 2,000.

I didn't expect that my dogs would like corn. Who knew?


I also didn't expect to add to the dinner dishes. However, I got a blog post out of it so the moral of this story is don't count your corn until it's hatched.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN......

Tonight we were driving home from somewhere. I noticed that the road had grooves in it. Being the highly observant person that I am, I had driven on it several times but never noticed it before now.

So I asked my husband, "Why does the road have grooves in it?"

Hubby, who would rather have his teeth pulled out with pliers than talk while driving, replied, "They grind it down, then they repave it."

Now, rest assured that I know as much about cars, trucks, and building roads as I do about building a nuclear reactor.

Again, I stated "So why does it look like that?"

Hubby again patiently repeated "They grind it down, then they repave it." Because after all, if I didn't get it the first time, I will certainly get it if he repeats it again. In exactly the same way. Word for word. What is he, Mr. Instant Replay?

So, I said to him, "Look. Ask me something about my uterus and I will tell you about it. Otherwise, tell me again."

This earned me a smile. Then he explained that they were redoing the roads and were going to repave them.

Since I thought they were already finished with the roads the light finally dawned and I "got" it.

Anytime you want to know about building a road, go talk to my husband. If you want to know about a uterus.....go talk to your doctor. I lied, I can't tell you. And I can't believe I typed the word uterus on my blog. Three times. I may never recover.

Please visit me over at the Five Mom's blog as well, it's my day to post!

MAKING YOUR HOME SING: IT'S ABOUT TIME

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

This last week went fast. August is nearly over and Fall is on its way. Another school year is beginning and come January another new year will begin. Where does the time go?

Every year about this time, it strikes me that this is a good time to do some prayerful planning for the next year. I look at our homeschool schedule and any new classes, and make any changes that need doing. I also take a look at my own household schedule to make sure that it's still working for me. As the school year begins I get a lot busier with ministry things too.

Then I think about how nice it would be to learn to sew. It occurs to me that if I had wanted to learn to sew I could have started last September and come this September I would have had a whole year of learning under my belt. Who knows, I might even have made that belt!

Are there things you want to learn? Are there things you want to do? What is stopping you?

Sometimes it's money, and that's a good one. Yes, I'd love to learn to sew, I think, but I don't have a sewing machine and I don't want to buy one or to pay for lessons to relearn how (I took it in junior high and forgot everything I learned).

Sometimes it's ambition. I don't have the desire to grab a book and teach myself, even if I had a sewing machine. I don't have the desire to sew by hand either. So I guess I just don't want to learn to sew that much, do I? I like the idea of it, but just can't seem to wrap my mind around the actual doing of it.

Sometimes it's priorities. There are things I'd rather do, or learn, than sewing. So I put my time and effort into that.

Sometimes it's time. It's always about time. There's not enough time to talk about time. We don't have the time.

I have several things that I keep saying that I want to do (or need to do) but I'm not doing them. That's because I'm to busy blogging, or reading, or cleaning, or organizing or cooking, or whatever other choices I make with my time.

If I want to do the things that I want to do, then I need to make the time to do them. Whether I blog less, or read less, or do-something-less. I can't get more time so I have to make more time. I have to make more time to do some of the things I've been wanting to do but putting off.

I can't do everything so I have to choose some things that I want to do. That's time management. Setting priorities and using your time wisely.

So one of the things that I am going to make time for is meal planning. I haven't been doing that lately. Yet it's definitely a time saver and a budget saver. I also want to get back in the habit of trying out a few new recipes. I haven't been doing that lately either.

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own Making Your Home Sing Monday Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK

Yup, it's time for Friday Photo Flashback, hosted by Alicia. So dig up your old photos, scan 'em and post 'em!

This isn't "technically" a picture, as pictures go. It's a picture of a video that I shot many years ago. My oldest was around five or six at the time, and he is holding something in his hand and talking to his daddy about it. Judging from the sweet expression on my husband's face, it might have been something that my son made.

Maybe it was my husband's birthday. Maybe not. There were many times like this. My hubby coming home from work and our children sitting on his lap, telling him about their day and showing him things.

This shot is proof that you won't remember everything. Neither my husband nor myself remember the exact moment that this was taken. Of course we have the dvd. But we don't remember this exact "snapshot" in time.

The funny thing is, there are some pictures that I can tell you exactly when they happened, and what was going on at the time. But some pictures, like this, I can't. Many times you treasure the moment, so sure you'll remember it forever....and sometimes you do, and sometimes you don't. The feelings, the love, those you'll remember.

What I love about this shot is that my son is sitting on his daddy's lap, my husband is holding him and I can see the love and pride on his face while he listens to our son.

These are moments that we treasure. You may not remember the exact moment of the picture, but the feelings it evokes is what you treasure. Here, he is a little boy forever. Our son is 20 now, and he doesn't sit on his daddy's lap anymore. But the pride, the love that they share, it's still there. The moment is frozen but the love goes on forever.



Please go here for more photo flashbacks!

THE BEETLE AND THE SURGEON

Recently, Kat from Mommie Daze (don't you absolutely adore the name of her blog?) did a post about a conversation she had with her son about Japanese beetles. You can read it here.

Anyway, this reminded me of something that happened when I began homeschooling. By the way, congratulate yourselves. I am not sure but I believe this may be the first "official" homeschooling post I have ever done. Makes you want to weep with joy, doesn't it? This is funny because I've been doing it for fifteen years (homeschooling, not posting). I'll be starting my 16th year very soon.

When my oldest was in first or second grade, I thought that I might be brave enough to have him examine an already dead beetle. I mean, it already died of natural causes and it had no relatives to claim the body so I figured hey, what harm could there be? Besides if it's dead it's not about to go crawling up my arm or taking over my home. Still, I was cautious.

So I went outside and wondered how I was going to get the beetle into the house. Politely asking it to come into the house wouldn't work, and I certainly was not going to touch it. After all, I would never touch it if it were alive so you know I am not touching it when it's dead. Hello!

So finally, I used a stick to lift the dead beetle into a sandwich bag. And no, I did not wash and reuse the bag later. I am not that frugal, folks.

I then put about 50,000 layers of newspaper on the kitchen table. Because after all, the beetle was dead, you know, and I have a thing about bugs and cleanliness and stuff. We eat off that thing (the table, not the dead beetle). Can't have it touching the table, the chair, the counter, or anything that I might touch. It's dead, for pete's sake!

As you know beetles have a hard exoskeleton, and as my "surgeon" son attempted to open the hard forewings I guess he exerted a little to much pressure because the beetle went flying, which was totally unexpected because, as I said before, it's dead. (I somehow feel that I can't state that it was dead to many times because, well, it was dead!)

Well, the dead beetle "flew" one way, my oldest son flew another way, my youngest son flew still another way, and I flew yet another. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Apparently, I am not alone in my dislike of, dare I say it yet again? Dead beetles.

Might I also add that loud sounds were coming out of my mouth......something like "Aaaaaaah!" or "Eeeeeeeew!" which were accompanied by wild waving of my hands and arms.

Now I had a dead beetle on my floor. Eeeewwww. Did I mention that dogs love insects? Fortunately, I was able to head off our dog and we were able to get Mr. Bug back where he belonged before something reallllly disgusting happened. And that was the end of my son's surgical career and my dreams of financial freedom.

FAMILY VALUES

Kristen of We Are That Family is hosting Works-For-Me-Wednesday again!

Did I ever tell you that I am writing not one but two books? One of them is nearly finished, but the other one needs a few more years. Writing a book is not as easy as it sounds. O.k., it doesn't sound easy at all but it is very exciting and rewarding. Would you like to see the covers? Well, here is a picture of both of the covers side by side.


Alright. I fooled you. But not really. I am writing a book, two of them, and here they are. My children. We have raised one book almost to completion, and the other book still has a couple of more years left. (And no, my oldest on the left is not wearing a floral hat, it's a decoration behind him)

When you are raising a child you are writing your values, your beliefs, and making an imprint on their hearts. You are raising little books of your own. Your thoughts, your words, what you teach them, is all being soaked up and taken in.

What do you want to write on the book of your child? What do you want them to know? What is important to you?

If you value God's word, do they see that? If you value fellowshipping together with other believers at church, are you doing it? If you value the commitment of marriage, are you honoring and respecting their dad? If you value communication, are you open to it?

Or do they see how much you value the t.v., or the computer, or the telephone?

Little children are an open book, just waiting to be written on. What will you write on those pages?

I am still writing the book on the pages of my children's lives. And I fail every day somewhere. I drop the ball. To often I am so wrapped up in what I think is important that I fail to stop and see what is really important. What God thinks is important. I get so caught up in doing and "git 'er done" that I don't take the time to stop. To slow down. To let the ink dry.

Do you have a plan? Do you have any idea of the things you'd like them to know? If you were to die today, is there anything that you wished you would have taught them or spoken to them about? Do you keep thinking I'll get around to that tomorrow? Start today, my friend.

I would encourage you to sit down, with your spouse, and write down the values and things that are important to you both that you want your children to learn. My husband and I did that before our children ever came along. Just wrote down what we hoped to instill in our children some day.

If you don't have any children or perhaps your children are grown already, well then, what plans do you have for your own future? What is important to you now? What values do you hope to hold in your marriage, in your relationship, in your life?

Then make a plan and check on your progress. If it's important that the children have some quality time with daddy, are you making it happen? If family fun is a value, are you making plans for some? If forgiveness is a value, are you showing them how by not only teaching them that value, but demonstrating it yourself by asking them for forgiveness when you need to?

If a relationship with the Lord is a value (and I hope it is) are you nuturing them in their walk, and are you growing in your own walk? We can't lead our children any closer to the Lord than we are ourselves.

If treating one another with respect is important, how are you doing on that? Are you treating them or their dad with respect in not only your actions but your words?

Like I said, I fail every day in some area. But God never fails us. He is faithful, and I won't give up because He won't give up! Enjoy your precious little "books" today, for tomorrow you may have a novel!

Please go here for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday!

YOU EVER AGONIZE OVER A TITLE FOR YOUR POST?

Ever so often I discover things about myself that shakes me to the core.

Like last night I discovered that I can't eat popcorn with my left hand. I can't. Not well, anyway. I am definitely going to need therapy after that one.

If you knew my family's history with popcorn you would totally "get" what I was talking about. If you don't, don't tell anybody. That way, you can pretend you know something that noone else does. The feelings of superiority will definitely be worth it. You can just laugh and smirk and nod your head with as much gloating as you can....just don't hurt yourself.

You ever lift popcorn to your mouth and......miss? Seriously, how can that happen? I mean, your mouth is open, your hand is coordinated, you've been feeding yourself for at least a year or two, and then that happens. How could we miss a big target like that?

You ever wonder why white is a dirt magnet? Hmmmm? Why not black or navy? I can wear black or navy and it will stay clean forever.

I wear white and am accosted by every fuzz, fur ball, and chocolate smear that ever saw a white shirt and yearned to leave it's mark on it.

You ever wipe your greasy, messy hands on your jeans, only to remember that you changed your clothes and are now wearing your nice, light colored slacks?

You ever wish that you could eat just one potato chip?

You ever wonder why I'm saying "You ever..." instead of "Did you ever?"

You ever bothered about that?

You ever agonize over a title for your blog post?

You ever smell a shirt to see if it "smells" clean? If it belongs to a member of the male species don't smell it. Don't! Just say no and toss it in the wash. Your nasal passages will thank you.

You ever pass by a mirror and smile at your reflection? Yeah, me neither.

You ever visited us over at Five Moms and a Blog? I'm blogging there today as well so pop over and pull up a computer and stay awhile!

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY: NAGGING

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines nagging as "to annoy by constant scolding, complaining or urging...to scold, complain or find fault constantly."

The Bible says "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife" in Proverbs 25:24. It also says "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife" in Prov. 21:19.

You're welcome.

Have you ever started a sentence with "I hate to nag but....." or "Sorry about nagging but...." You know, I don't like to nag either. But sometimes I think we train ourselves to nag.

To nag or not to nag, that is the question. Do I let something go, and let it pile up and pile up, and then I blow up? Do I get in little "digs" that begin with "you never...." or "you always...."

Do I passively/aggressively walk around slamming cupboards and doors, until somebody finally comes out and sweetly asks "Are you upset?" or "What's wrong?"

Do I blow up at them if they do come out? Thereby teaching them not to ask ever again or suffer the consequences?

Have I adequately communicated my expectations to my children? Have I adequately trained them on the things that I expect them to do? Have I followed through on consequences if they don't meet those expectations (acting), or do I just get mad instead (reacting)? What is my response, am I acting or reacting?

Have I adequately communicated my thoughts to my husband? Do I expect him to read my mind?

Am I treating my husband as if he were one of the children? Do I expect obedience from him, as well? Am I constantly nagging him and are we fighting about it? Am I getting more and more frustrated and he's getting more and more annoyed?

The thing is, we can't make our husbands do what we want them to do. We can't make them "obey" us. We can't force them to pick up after themselves, fix the leaking faucet, or change the baby's diaper. But sometimes, we get so used to being mommy to the kids that we forget and try to be mommy to our husbands too.

I could do a whole Ephesians 5 thing here, but I couldn't do it justice, and besides, I don't have time. The thing is, we are to love and honor our husbands. We are to give them our respect and to live in submission to them.

As I've said before in a previous post on submission (here), the word "submissive" can often be misunderstood. That does not mean that a woman is not as important as a man. That does not mean that she has less value than a man. Men and women are of equal worth in God's eyes. They have different roles but equal worth. However, there can only be one head in a home, and God has designated the man as head of the home.

It works best that way. There can't be two heads of the family. Somebody has to lead, and somebody has to follow, and God has called the husband to lead.

My hubby and I are not alike. My hubby looks at things differently than I do. That's how God made him. At any given moment, he may have a different priority than I do.

While, at that moment, I may feel that having him nail something to the wall is about as important as world peace, my hubby may feel differently. While I may feel that there is nothing more important than him putting the mail away instead of leaving it out, he may feel that peace and happiness lie elsewhere at that moment.

(This can go both ways, you know. While he may feel that nothing is more important than clean socks or clean towels, I may have other priorities that day.....such as blogging. So he may be running out because I was busy goofing off and didn't notice.)

I can choose to follow him around and nag him, and cause tension in our marriage, or I can choose to accept that some things may not get done when I want (or not at all) and let it go. I can choose to appreciate and be thankful for the things that my husband does do, instead of dwelling on the things that he doesn't.

I can take things to the Lord in prayer, and ask him to change me, not my husband. To make me more patient, more forgiving. I can choose to love the things about my husband that make him such a good husband and father, and prayerfully ignore the "little" things that may or may not get done.

Or I can choose to nag, and to tear my marriage down with my own hands. Hmmmm, what will I choose this week? What will you choose?

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own Making Your Home Sing Monday Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

THINGS TO DO AND PEOPLE TO ALIENATE

Hey, it's Friday already! Who knew? Thursday is often a very busy day for me, so when Thursday night rolls around and Alicia comes out with her photo meme......I am usually scrambling to find a picture.

Today I have been busy. I got my hair cut. No, not just one hair (as I stated on facebook) but several of them. It's a little shorter and a little perkier but I still look like me (sorry, lol!). My friend comes to my house and cuts my hair.

Then, God bless her, she even trimmed the hair around my poodle's feet. Now that is friendship! I would kiss the feet she walks on but then I'd get dog hair all over my mouth. She makes my hair happy.

Today I have been in a cleaning mood. I tried to lie down until it went away but it didn't work. I drive my family nuts when I'm like this.

That's because the "usual" stuff isn't good enough. When I get like that it means take no prisoners. I can no longer tolerate papers left out, shoes left on the floor instead of in the basket, or electrical-thingys left out, etc. I have had enough and everything has to go back to where it belongs. Now. And if it doesn't belong anywhere, it better find a home fast or I will "help" you find a home for it....perhaps outside in that big plastic thingy we call a garbage can, or the thrift store!

I don't get loud or mean, or anything. I just want action now. So I constantly annoy people with questions. Is this yours? Is it your brother's? What is it? Where does it belong? Why was it left here? Are you going to put it away? When? Isn't that what you said the last time I asked you to put it away???? Why don't you go put it away now?

Don't plan on trying to get anything done. I will hunt you down and find you and force you to face your stuff. I am not above begging. After all, I am a romantic at heart and would love to reunite you with your long lost-electrical cord, or your sweetheart of a paper you left lying around.

So I have been cleaning, and doing laundry (as I didn't do it yesterday), and folding, and straightening and even a little, dare I say, decluttering.

I just can't stand the things left out anymore. It's not like huge amounts of things are left out on a daily basis. They're pretty good about that. But it's the little things. The visual reminder things: I will leave this out to remind me to do such and such. The project things: I am working on this project so will leave this out. The in-process things: I am just taking a break and then I'll finish. The "doesn't have a home" things: I'm not sure where to put this yet so just setting it here "for now."

The dreaded "for now." I wonder what the record is "for now." I wonder how long someone has left something, intending on just making it "for now" and then it becomes permanent. What is the record?

I wonder how many pieces of furniture are placed in "for now" places and are still there? How many decorating knick-knacks were put there "for now." How many stacks of books, papers, keys, shoes, purses, etc. are sitting in a "for now" spot somewhere. Poor homeless little items. Nobody loves them enough to give them a permanent home....sniff. It just breaks your heart.

Just so you know, I have my own little forlorn items that I have been ignoring around here too. It's time that I face up to my past, and have it out with these items that are stalking me.

Well, I have things to do and people to alienate, so I will catch up with you later!

THE BLOG IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE

Be afraid. Be very afraid. I don't have any idea what to blog about. I am numb from my toes down.

In desperation I thought about having a "Ask Mom's The Word" post, hehehe. But, for one thing, I pretty much have answered any questions you have emailed me or left a comment on, I think.

For another thing, I just don't lead that exciting a life that would inspire such a post anyway, lol! Oh, don't get me wrong, I am very happy and content with my life. I love it! But I really don't lead any different of a life than you do.

Also, I don't make my own yogurt, I don't bake my own bread, I don't sew my own clothes, and I'm not crafty. So you won't get any great tips about any of that on here. Sorry! However, one of these days I am determined to make my own yogurt and bread....at least once....just to say I did. There is something so homey about making your own bread.

I don't live on a cattle ranch, I don't gather eggs, I don't have a cow to milk, and I haven't done many of the things that I love reading about on other people's blogs. When I want eggs or milk I just open my fridge door. Wow. Who knew?

Don'tcha just love that about other blogs, though? While it's fun to read blogs of people who have a life similar to yours it can also be fun to read blogs about people whose lifestyles are a little different from yours. Such as living on a cattle ranch, hoo-ha!

Well, I could tell you some details about my exciting life. Let's see.......should I tell you that I went to Costco and forgot to buy laundry detergent (actually I mentioned that on the MYHSM meme). Should I tell you that the very day I ran out of laundry detergent my beagle threw up all over the bed and it soaked through the blanket and the sheets?

Now, see...that's why I don't tell you guys this stuff. Because you don't really want to know, do you?

Well, let's see......my youngest son got hurt yet again playing a game. Sigh. What else is new? He's fine, by the way. My oldest got in a car accident, not his fault, and he's fine by the way. But let me tell you, nobody wants to hear that your son has been in a car accident. Thank the Lord he is o.k. and I have yet another gray hair to add to the bunch.

My mother fell and fractured a rib (she's fine by the way). My beagle hurt his foot (he's fine, by the way). I walked across the kitchen and didn't see my poodle underfoot and practically drop kicked her across the room (she's fine, by the way). How's that for excitement? Want more?

I went to get an ingredient for dinner and we ran out but nobody told me, so I had to improvise. I am fine, by the way.

Somebody put the peanut m&ms away but didn't put the lid on tight. Then they didn't put it in the cupboard correctly. So the plastic container that holds the candy fell out of the cupboard and the peanut m&ms spilled all over the floor. Much to the delight of the dogs and much to my dismay as I was fixing dinner and trying to talk on the phone at the same time. That alone requires all of my concentration.

Our beagle decided to roll all over the sleeping bag (which for some reason was on the floor because that is what my house is like, you never know what will be left out or why. You just find it and don't bother asking anymore because noone ever does it. I live with invisible people called "Nobody" and "Not me," lol!).

So said beagle rolled on the bag and got dog hair allllll over it, which meant I had to wash it. The sleeping bag, not the beagle. Although that might not have been a bad idea.

The poodle left a lovely present behind the couch, thank you very much. At least it wasn't on the couch. The big freezer door was somehow left wide open during the heatwave and all of the food defrosted and noone was home to notice. Thank you. Hey, at least I have a freezer and I had food in it. That's more than some people have.

I live just on the edge of excitement around here.

See? My life is just like yours. Normal.

CLOTHES 'R US

I have mentioned my clothes a couple of times. I have joked that I dress somewhere between birth and death.

But looking at some pictures of fashion shows I realized something. I am not high fashion. I am not even low fashion. I am comfortable-during-the-week, dress-a-little-better-on-Sunday and occasionally-dress-up-very-little kind of fashion.

I have some cute clothes. Well, to me they're cute. They have to be comfortable though. I can't be bothered wearing five inch heels anymore. I can't be bothered wearing something that has so many buckles and zippers that I need a three-inch thick instruction manual in order to know how to put it on.

Some things just don't cut it. Especially when you have to plan three hours ahead just to go to the bathroom. Some outfits should include a tag that says "Warning: not to be worn by someone with a weak bladder."

Belts should have tags that say "Warning: not to be worn by someone who doesn't have eyes in the back of their head." You ever tried to put a belt on and missed a pant loop in the back? I'm just sayin'......

Dresses should have tags that say "Warning: not to be worn by someone who hates wearing dresses."

I missed the 90's fashion scene entirely because I waited way to long. I always want to make sure the style is going to be around awhile before I waste my money on it. So by the time I part with my hard earned money, I am in style for 59 seconds. Then it's gone. However, for those 59 seconds I look good!

Do you remember the overalls craze? Well, maybe you didn't have one but we did around here. All these gals were wearing overalls and I thought they were so cute. As usual, I waited waaaaay to long to jump on the bandwagon and I missed it. Nope, never got to buy me even one pair.

Speaking of "pair." Has anyone ever wondered why we talk about something as a "pair" of pants. You're only buying one set of pants. Sure, they have two legs (hence, a pair), but wouldn't a "pair" of pants actually be two sets of pants?

When we say we bought a pair of pants we mean we bought one set of pants, not two, so why do we call them a pair????? I mean, it's not like you can buy pants with only one leg on them.

Boggles the mind.

DENIAL IS A RIVER SOMEWHERE

I walked into the kitchen and saw a whirlwind of fur and torn up napkins. Who do you suppose did it?

Unfortunately, nobody was 'fessin' up to the crime. Not even when caught red handed.....or red pawed, for that matter.

"You're not gonna crack me. I won't talk. I won't. I won't. You can take away my milkbones, my chew toys, and my autographed copy of Bolt. I still won't talk."

"O.k. I'll talk. I'll talk already!"

She looked me right in the eye and said........

"He did it!!!!!! It was him. Not me! Honest!"

Something tells me he is rather bored with it all. After all, he doesn't have to clean it up.

Oh, today is my day to blog at Five Moms and a Blog. There are just times, as a woman, when we do the craziest things for beauty, you know? I can't tell you the number of times I have poked myself in the eye with my mascara wand (hint: never sneeze when putting on your mascara). Please go here to read more!

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY: STAY HOME!

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

Sometimes I just stare at the beginning of my week in a blank. There is just so much to do. Errands to run, homeschooling to do (if it's during the school year), laundry to wash and fold, meals to prepare and clean up after, ministries to serve in, phone calls to make, bills, dishes, floors to wash, closets to organize, etc.

If you have little kids you have diapers to change, noses to wipe, owies to kiss, playgroups to go to. If you have older kids or teens you have events to drive them to, special clothing for these events to buy, phone calls to make, things to pay for, things to keep track of and events to attend.

If you don't have kids you still find yourself amazingly busy; either with your needs, your husband's, a neighbors.....there is always something.

If you work outside the home, you already have several hours committed a week to your outside job. Then you have to come home and try and play catch up. If you don't work outside the home you often have people calling you asking you to do this or that "because you don't work and have more time than I do."

One thing I know about myself is that I have a tendency to make myself to busy outside the home. Especially when the kids were younger. I didn't want them to miss anything so we went alot. Even if it was fun, it still ate away at my time.

I am not speaking about serving in a ministry either. After all, if I want someone to teach my child in VBS or Sunday School, then perhaps I am needed to take care of their baby in the nursery so that they can serve elsewhere. We are to use our gifts in the body of Christ!

What I am saying is that sometimes it's hard for moms to stay home. And if we don't stay home it's hard for us to get stuff done.

Lots of things are good things: having lunch with friends, shopping a sale, running errands, going to the library. Fellowshipping with friends is fun! Saving money by shopping wisely is awesome!

But we also need to organize our time. If we plan well, we won't find ourselves needing to leave the house yet again because we forgot to drop off our overdue library books or because we forgot to buy something when we were at the store yesterday.

We went to Costco on Friday. If you read my facebook status (if you didn't, aren't you glad you don't have to read my "exciting" updates?) you will know that I ran out of laundry detergent yesterday and we are running out of dog food. Guess who is going back to Costco today? Can you say "Make a list, Nan, and read it????"

You know, sometimes it's just so tempting to leave the house because it's a lot more fun to meet my friends at Costco than to stay home and fold laundry. Even if I don't really need to go to Costco (except today I do, lol!).

There's nothing wrong with having a little fun is there? But when fun begins to constantly interfere with keeping our home, then it becomes a problem. Am I to busy running around with my friends to get dinner on time? Am I to busy watching t.v. that I can't provide my family with clean clothes? Am I to busy talking on the phone or facebooking (or blogging) that I don't have time to spend with my Lord?

Sometimes the best way we can make our homes sing is to stay home and bless our homes by being in them and meeting our families needs! So, guess what I will be trying to do this week?

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own Making Your Home Sing Monday Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK

Nope, you didn't miss it. Although I almost did! Alicia is hosting Friday Photo Flashback. So break out into braces and pimples, break out into dancing, break out into hysterics, break out the old photos, folks, and join us!


When my oldest son was fifteen, he decided to make a snow creation. He diligently worked on it and then I took a picture of it for future generations, his grandchildren someday, and emotional blackmail. I wrote about it here but never posted a picture of it as I couldn't find it at the time.

My other son bravely posed with it. What is it, you ask? I said, What is it you ask? Thank you. Well, what else do you suppose a fifteen year old teenage boy would make out of snow?

A toilet. Yup. And he even put a wooden twig in it for dramatic effect. You're welcome.

Please go over here for more Friday Photo Flashback.

SNOTTY NOSES, SIPPY CUPS AND STRANGERS

My boys are no longer the little boys that they used to be.......

...Nope.... sniff......snort....sob........waaaaaaaa! They grew up overnight. Honest. Yesterday I was changing diapers and wiping snotty noses (mine included as I have allergies) and today they can both drive. Legally!!!! Do you know how wrong that is??? They shouldn't allow babies to drive. It's just not right.

By the way, my oldest (on the left) is not wearing a floral little cap on his head. I promise. They are posing in front of the fireplace and there is a little floral ummmm.....thingy...... behind his head. I knew I needed to tell you that or you wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. You're welcome.

Like I said, my kids are not little anymore. So would someone please tell me why I keep stocking up on this stuff? Seriously. It seems like every time I go to the store and it's on sale I just can't help myself. I just gotta buy it. It is an obsession. Today I almost put a stranger's eye out and nearly cut off someone else's foot with the cart in my haste to get to the display that had the Kool-aid on it.

It's really not my fault. These people must have had the exact same shopping list as I had. They were in every place that I needed to be in the store. And they got there first too. So not fair. Don't they know that I have two babies at home that need Kool-aid?

Our children do not have to worry about an inheritance. It's being spent on Kool-aid. Hopefully that stuff will last for years because that's how long it's going to last at the rate that they're drinking it around here.

Here's another one for you. Why do I still have sippy cups. With lids. And why do I have more lids than sippy cups?????? Where did the other cups go? Did they meet a sippy friend? Did they get a sippy job? Did they decide to join their lives in sippy cup matrimony? Where are they?

Surely you can't expect me to believe that I managed to lose several cups but somehow was able to hold onto the lids? Even I am not buying that one.

Last question. Why do I still have this book? And why does it still make silly sounds and play music whenever I push a button? How long do those batteries last and why can't I get one for my flashlight?

Batteries for talking greeting cards and talking books last forever, but a flashlight battery lasts for as long as it takes to turn the flashlight on and point it at something. That's all the time you get. It is a closely guarded scientific secret.

Now if you don't mind, I am going to put the book down and drive my dogs crazy with it. They can't figure out where the sounds are coming from. Neither can I.

MY MOST BORING POST EVER.....I BLAME T.V.

I am sort of on a stay-cation. I am sleeping in, eating peanut m&ms within reason, and drinking my one can of diet pepsi a day. I love me some diet pepsi.

I am also loving reading, watching t.v., cleaning, organizing, and pretty much not on the computer much. I am feeling better too, thank you.

I vacuumed the trunk of the car today. Aren't you thrilled? Let me tell you, I live on the edge. No event is to wild for me. Nothing is to dangerous. I know how to live. Excitement is my middle name. Yup, vacuumed the trunk of the car. Not the rest of the car. Just the trunk. Oh, and the floor of the backseat on the driver's side.

After that, I decided life was to short to be vacuuming and I have children who can do that. I am sure that they would love to have some excitement like that in their lives. They aren't here right now but hey, dirt will keep.

I watched about thirty seconds of a show called "The Office" last night. I was flipping channels and stumbled upon it. I love controlling the remote and will proudly fight for my right to do so. When I do watch t.v. I want to make sure I know what's out there, and so will flit through the channels. I like to be sure before I commit. I don't want to miss anything.

Anyway, I was flipping channels and recognized the dark haired guy from my friend's fridge. Well, he's not from her fridge actually, he's from the show. I think his name is Steve and yes she has a magnet on her fridge with his picture on it.

I have never seen that show so I am not recommending it as I don't know anything about it. I did, however, ask my husband if he'd ever watched it.

He said he hadn't, but he's heard that some people really love it. Including my friend. But I already knew that.

So then I had to go to bed with a burning question in my mind.......

Why did the actors look at the camera?

O.k., I guess I don't really care.

Now you can see, by this very boring post, that there is a reason that I should not be blogging this week. My mind hath gone the way of the wind. This has got to be my most boring post ever. Frankly, I blame t.v.

TUESDAY IS MY DAY

Thank you for your sweet comments yesterday! I'm sorry but I don't have a post for today. However, it's my day to blog at Five Moms and a Blog and fortunately I had already written a post for that last week so I am good to go! Please feel free to pop over there and pay us a visit. Thank you!

MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

My heart is not in blogging today, folks. It's really not. I just can't do this meme today, I am sorry. I haven't felt well lately and today it's just to much.

I will put it up so that those of you who want to can encourage others with how you plan on making your home sing. Please feel free to link up.

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own Making Your Home Sing Monday Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

FACEBOOK GUILT

Frankly, I think Facebook is getting a little to personal, if you ask me. Earlier I was on my fb account and noticed something in the sidebar. I want you to experience exactly what I experienced, so I will make this a little interactive.

It said: "___ and a little overweight?" Please put your own age in there, so yours may read "32 and a little overweight?" or perhaps "28 and a little overweight?" I don't know how old you are so feel free to lie.

Now, what business does Facebook have of figuring out my age (I knew I shouldn't have listed my birthday) and assume that I might want to take them up on their offer of helping me lose any excess weight that I may have?

I wonder what is next: "Do you have dishes in your sink?" or "Is your washing machine full of stinky clothes?" or "When was the last time you showered?" or "Did you oversleep again this morning?" or perhaps "How many times have I told you not to stay up so late?"

When I signed up I didn't know that I was exposing myself to guilt, people! My smelly laundry is my own business, folks. Well, mine and yours now that I've told you.....

Now I suspect that every time I am on there, Facebook is going to be looking over my shoulder, nagging me "Are all your chores done? Do you have time to be on here? Couldn't you find something better to do with your time? Did you really need to eat that cookie? When was the last time you ate a vegetable?"

Nag, nag, nag.......I think I may have to delete my account if they don't get off my back.