Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Whew!

This week has been the toughest we've had in a while. It's always hard to get back into the swing of things. I am physically and mentally exhausted. I don't think I've yelled this much in months!
Not to mention the mammoth homework sessions that I have to plan and do with JB every night. I'm having some major issues with school this year. Having been on the other side of the whiteboard once, I know that navigating the parent/teacher relationship can be very tricky.
I'm just exhausted! My to do list is so long, it seems like I'm only putting a dent in it!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Memories

As a child, I spent lots of time with my paternal grandmother. I spent endless hours playing in her yard. It truly was a fantasy land!
One of my favorite things about her yard was the abundance of plants and flowers.
She was a gardener who grew all types of food including peaches, which she used to make a killer peach cobbler. In fall her beds were full of mums. In spring, there were beautiful roses and tiger lilies.
Both the front and back yards were towered by pecan trees. In their midst was the most gorgeous magnolia tree ever. The branches billowed to give an 8' (or so) clearance. When the magnolias bloomed, it was absolutely breathtaking!
My mother once took clippings from the tree to decorate a wedding. Magnolias and candles...how elegant!
I've always wanted a magnolia tree of my own. And this summer I finally got one! It is a dwarf variety that will only grow about 15-20 feet, but I know it will bring such joy and fond remembrance every time I look out of my window.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Lately I've had to ask myself, Do I really trust God? I mean I say that I do, but do I really trust Him in every aspect of my life. Naturally I turn to Him for help/guidance with big things. However, it's the day to day...mundane stuff that usually gets under my skin and festers. If I really trusted Him, wouldn't I just pray and relinquish these burdens? The answer is yes!
I struggle so hard with control. I know that I'm ultimately not in control of anything, but there's a delicate balance between being responsible and micro-managing. For me, micro-managing feeds my controlling nature.
In my quiet time, I must resolve this issue because if left to the flesh...we're going to have serious problems!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Who's the Student?

 
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School is well underway and here's a shot of my new sidekick (blue). Last year (green), I found that the most valuable tool to navigate the sea of paperwork, handouts and assignments, was a three ring binder. Not just any binder, but a clearly divided binder with a vinyl, hole punched portfolio for keeping report card copies and a spiral tablet for documentation.
Every afternoon, I hole punch all documents and file them in my binder. I even include lunch menus. Although it seems very anal retentive, it keeps everything at my fingertips. If only I could organize the other areas of my life this well!

Look, Mom!

 
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This weekend JB came running in the house screaming, "Mommy, Mommy, come and see this!"I scramble out in my pajamas with my camera, because his excitement suggests that this will be a camera worthy event.
My big boy was riding his bike without training wheels. His dad followed closely behind, but he was doing it! We tried at the end of the summer, but he wasn't quite ready. A few days ago, my hubby took the wheels off again and they practiced a bit in the backyard. He was still a bit shaky, but eager to learn.
Today he rode in the street and even made a few turns. Of course, he fell off a few times ( I pretended not to see), but he just hopped up and got back on. He's still learning to use the brakes. I am so proud! What a milestone...a real rite of passage!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Keep it Simple, Stupid!

 





Yesterday after school, JB and I sat down to do our daily homework. We did a phonics lesson and reviewed math skills that they've been working on in class. For the math review, we used the button box to combine several skills: sorting & classifying, ordering numbers, comparing groups...
All of a sudden MC began gradually taking off with buttons from the button box. I heard him mumble something about his plan, but I was more focused on finishing the lesson. Later that night, my hubby and I were having a long philosophical conversation when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught something strange on the window sill. Our house seems to be the hot spot for critters of all kind, so I was curious to know what in the world could be growing, crawling or otherwise stuck under the window. Finally I got up to check it out. Lo and behold, I discovered what MC had been doing earlier.
Apparently he was much more interested in lining up the buttons than doing more sophisticated math. How appropriate for a four year old!
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

What a Day!

Today was a day unlike any other! I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I started the day at a Bible Yoga class with a friend. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the instructor incorporated scripture with the yoga poses and meditation. I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn't look like a beached whale striking some of the aforementioned poses.

We picked JB up early from school because we had an appointment with the ENT specialist to check MC's hearing. After failing two previous hearing exams, we wanted to rule out hearing loss. (Especially since he's been playing drums since he was two years old!) After an hour long consultation and being sequestered in a sound proof booth, we were given the all clear. MC is suffering from allergies. We're to continue the pediatrician's course of treatment. Whew! Our resident musician will have two fully functioning ears to use for his future compositions!

We got home in time for the boys to have some outdoor time, homework, bathe, eat dinner and get dressed for Wednesday night church service. Anyone who knows me knows that we start getting ready for bed at 6pm. Lights are out at 8! Today I decided to go with the flow. Yes, things were hairy. Very hairy! But, we survived.

In my quiet time, God spoke. What if, I stop trying to keep everything together and just let him do that. Perhaps everything will run more smoothly. Since my boys came out of the womb, I've been adamant about having structure and routine. I wanted them to always know what to expect. As they've gotten older, I've discovered that this makes them (and everyone) more crazy when plans change. I'm also questioning whether or not this is practical in the long run. I have criticized and even condemned others for driving through fast food chains to get dinner on the way to another commitment. So, being so loosey goosey gives me the heebie jeebies. (Forgive the gibberish, I'm delirious!) I really do need to re-evaluate things, but I will definitely be taking baby steps.

Bottom line, I don't think that God will punish me or allow undue stress in my life because we took the boys out after bedtime to attend church. As the pastor said during benediction tonight, I hope he will bless us for our commitment of time.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Disappointments

Life is full of disappointments! The sooner we all come to that realization, the better off we will all be. Whether it's a friend or loved one's shortcomings or just circumstancial...we're certain to have plenty of them.

I gave this very speech to JB a few weeks ago when he was let down several times over the couse of the day. It doesn't take much for a six-yr-old's world to be turned upside-down. Nevertheless, I assured him that we all experience plenty of disappointments. Then I proceeded to name a few of mine :)!

Oh, well enough rambling, just had to unload.

P.S. I've been talking politics so much lately, I think everyone in my inner circle (all 3 of them) is totally fed up! I'm considering starting a blog just to rant about that! Geesh!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Life's Many Phases

It's been a while since my last post. We've been busy as usual. With endless projects at home, readjusting to the "school schedule"...being a grown up never gets boring!
I'm desperately in need of some "mommy motivation"! I'm even re-reading some of my parenting books. The boys are moving into a very sweet stage. They're becoming more independent (which is great!) The tough part is increasing my patience and tolerance so that I can re-direct and guide them through making decisions. They're able to communicate much better, but at times they'd much rather whine and cry. This definitely requires more patience on my part!! I've got to find that balance between guiding with tolerance and ruling with the iron fist. I know what I need to do and the result that I'm striving for....I just need the strength!
Life really gets interesting when the kids are talking and out of diapers!

Personally, I'm getting used to socializing with the school crowd again. It's both sad and funny to witness the moms reliving high school days with their cliques. I can tell that most of the busy bodies WERE NOT the cool girls in high school. I guess they're fulfilling their dreams of being cool. Funny! I didn't really care much about being a part of all that in high school or college so, I guess nothing has changed!

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