The Week In Review

It's been a week of ups and downs. That's fine if you like roller coasters. Me, not so much.

Monday we were awaken at 5:35 am to the police at my front door. Apparently, they'd received an "anonymous" call stating that there was furniture being moved around in my house and the sounds of a domestic disturbance. Both my son E and I were asleep and there was absolutely no sound coming from my home. I had to explain that my neighbor continuously accuses me falsely of making noises when in fact he is the one making all the noise. Thankfully, one of the officers has come on several occasions whenever my neighbor has called, and said the complaints have been determined to be unfounded. Nevertheless it was unnerving, especially considering what was coming up later that day. 

My son E had his dental appointment to remove his wisdom teeth that afternoon at 2:00. I am so incredibly thankful for the group of women in my Bible study class who prayed for my son's surgery. Everything went well, and while he was in a tremendous amount of pain that first day, it has lessened to the point where he is no longer in any pain. There is still some swelling inside his mouth which prevents him from chewing anything too hard, but he is able to eat. Good thing too - the medicines he is on (antibiotics and anti-inflammatory) make him sick to his stomach if he doesn't have any food in his system.

Sadly, just before we left for the dentist, I received a frantic call from my ex-husband J. His mother is dying. Back in October, J's brother succumbed to a brain tumor that was first detected in December of last year. Surgery, chemo, radiation, all tried but none worked.  He was a month shy of his 49th birthday. It was an extremely painful time for the family, but none suffered more than his mother. She had been told just a couple of months before that her kidneys were starting to fail (she is diabetic) and she would have to start dialysis. She refused. Her children begged her to reconsider, but she said if her son died she wanted to die as well. I believe that, having lost her husband in September of last year and finding out her son was dying of cancer, while her daughter had a double mastectomy in July, was too much for her and she was suffering from severe depression. At 77, her body can only take so much. Late last week she was vomiting and couldn't hold any food down. Her oldest daughter took her to the doctor, who told them her liver was only working at about 4% and she needed to go to the emergency room. Once in the hospital she was put on dialysis, but within a couple of days she suffered two strokes and a mini heart attack. As of today she is on a respirator, her vitals are stable but she is in a coma, and doctors don't know how much brain damage she's suffered or if there is any brain activity at all. She has been completely unresponsive since the strokes. The family is devastated. It's easy to say that the cause is her kidneys or the diabetes or the strokes or heart attack, but I believe she is dying of a broken heart. It has broken my own heart; no one can understand her pain unless they've experienced it themselves. We are all praying for a miracle, or for the Lord to take her away from her suffering. 

I did some more Christmas shopping on Friday, just last minute items and stocking stuffers. I was happy to go out. My neighbor left his tv set blasting from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm in his bedroom (which is directly below my master bedroom). While it's easy enough for me to close the bedroom door and not have to listen to it, I knew it would be the prelude to more harassment. I was right.

Saturday he got up at 10:30 am and began randomly punching the walls. I ignored it. Then around noon, he began blasting the tv set in his bedroom again while punching the walls. I was able to record him on my phone, then I called the police. My son needed to take his math test and he needed a quiet room to take the test in. My bedroom usually fits the bill, but with all that racket it was impossible. The police came, heard the noise and the recording, then tried to talk to him. Again he blamed me, said I was the one making all the noise, then told them I'm attacking him because he's Jewish. I had no idea he was Jewish. The man has a life size Buddha outside his front door; why would I think he was Jewish? Even his last name isn't Jewish. Once again, the Lord opened the eyes of the police and the sergeant recognized that the man is suffering from mental illness. He told me they would be investigating him to see why there are so many reports and complaints against him.

I'm so thankful for the gift my son R gave me for my birthday.

Monday morning I installed the Ring video doorbell beside my front door. It's been working like a charm. It allows me to see what is going on without having to run downstairs which is a huge blessing. 

And that brings us to today. We got home just a little while ago from having lunch with my daughter and son-in-law. They took me out today because tomorrow is my birthday. I didn't want my daughter to rush home from work to take me out to dinner, so instead we went out today. We had a lovely and pleasant afternoon walking around the mall after lunch and enjoying the gorgeous weather that December brings to South Florida. I am thankful that the Lord has seen fit to grant me another year with my loved ones. I pray that this next year I can live even more for Him, glorifying the Savior for all that He has done.

Have a blessed week y'all!

Another Month In Review

I'm kind of embarrassed at the fact that another month has gone by and I haven't put up a blog post.  I've thought about it several times, but always had something that needed to get done first.  Isn't life funny like that?

Let me see, what has happened in June?  For starters, my son E finished ninth grade with straight A's.  There are no words to describe how happy I am with how well he did.  I quickly signed him up for tenth grade and all the classes he'd need to take in August.  About a week after he'd finished, I got a call from the Florida Virtual School office saying that they aren't doing full-time online school anymore.  I felt my heart hit the floor.  No, don't do this!  Then the woman explained that I had to sign up for part-time homeschooling, which in essence is the same as full-time virtual school, except that I set the schedule instead of the online school.  I had to re-register him, which took a while but I was able to finish it.  We won't be using the same program as we did for ninth grade, which is kind of sad since my son enjoyed it.  But I'm relieved that we will still be doing homeschool.  My son did so much better and learned so much this year; I don't want him to have to go back to a school system he hated.

A week after E finished school, I had a week off from work.  Well, almost a week off.  My boss MM had explained that, while the tutors would have the week off, we would still have to come in and set up for summer tutoring.  I didn't mind, but she did.  She wanted a week off as much as the teachers.  So, we got to work early the previous week and did all the paperwork for the new session.  The only thing that couldn't be done was reminders - calls to the parents to remind them when their kids would start the summer session.  My bosses went out of town for the week, so I was "nominated" to make the calls.  I figured it would take me a couple of hours at most.  It took almost four hours, but it was one day and I rested that week, so I can't complain.

The following week, however, was pure insanity.  I signed up to serve at our church's vacation bible school (or VBS) in the mornings.  I had to be at the church before 8:30 in the morning to help with registration and sign ins, then I was off to the snack room, where I helped prepare snacks and clean up for the four age groups.  I was on my feet from 9am till noon.  Then I ran home, changed my clothes, ate quickly, prepared my dinner, and went to work from 1:30 till 7:30.  I'd get home, prepare the crockpot for the next day, go to bed and start the whole thing all over again the next day.  Add to that the fact that my monthly friend paid a visit on Thursday morning, and you can well imagine what my week was like.  I was thankful that I don't work Fridays, but we had our women's bible group prayer night that night.  It was close to home, which is great, but I was exhausted.  I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep during prayer time!  Actually, it was beautiful, such a lovely time with these wonderful women, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  In fact, if I had to do it again, I would do it all in a heartbeat.  Serving the kids was the highlight of my day, and I'm thankful I have the health and energy to still get it all done.

I went to NY & Co for some shopping because I had some City Cash that was about to expire.  It allowed me to get a couple of pretty necklaces that were on sale.  The original price was $25 for each; they had a buy one get one for $5 deal going on, and with my $20 in City Cash I spent $10 for the two.  I also picked up some pants for work.  I'd wanted to get some jeans but all they had was bootcut and I prefer straight leg jeans.  I also got some purses at Target.  One purse, in a pretty mint color, was $29.99; more than I usually pay for a purse but it's a lovely color and the perfect size for my wallet, umbrella, and bible.  I used it today for church and it's so springtime, I just love it.  Then my daughter and I went to Target today to return some makeup she'd bought that she didn't like, and I found a couple of purses on clearance.  One is black, the other is light green, and they were $7.48 each, reduced from $24.99.  Yeah, more my style!  I got a couple of tank tops too, at $6 each.  I like wearing a tank top with a cardigan for work because it's professional but still light.  One tank top is red and the other is purple.  I think I'll save the red one for July 4th, which is just a few days away.  Wow, the year is halfway gone!  Can you believe it?!

I also purchased some stuff from Bare Escentuals during their Friends and Family sale.  I had a $20 off coupon and they were offering 20% off and free shipping.  Works for me!  I got a cream concealer which I'd been wanting to get, a neutral eye kit with a 5 in 1 cream eye shadow primer, an eye shadow duo in brown and champagne (love!!) and a brown eye liner pencil (double love!!), and a sample Mineralixers kit.  Mineralixers is Bare Escentuals oil skincare line.  This kit brings the oil based cleanser, an eye balm and the 5 in 1 oil/moisturizer.  The 5 in 1 is my favorite; my dry skin appreciates it greatly.  It's not a greasy oil by any means.  I can use it in place of my moisturizer and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and silky.  The cleanser is good as a makeup remover - it melts the makeup off my face - but I don't feel like my skin is completely cleaned after I use it.  The eye balm is very nourishing to the delicate skin under my eyes, but so is their eye cream.  I'm not sure I like the balm more than the cream.  I'm glad I got the kit, though.  I've used it and my skin has responded well to it, which is good considering I'm struggling with adult acne.  It comes and goes; I can have days when my skin is perfectly clear, then all of a sudden I start breaking out.  It might be hormonal.  It might be my age.  Or... It might be that I've been having chocolate, which has always made me break out.  Which is terribly unfair.

I've been watching Poirot on Netflix.  A few seasons that hadn't been on Netflix before are on now, and I have been enjoying my favorite Agatha Christie sleuth.  I try to watch one episode a day.  It's about all I have time for.  It's a struggle not to fall asleep because it's late at night when I finally can sit down to watch.

Oh!  One more thing!  I've booked our hotel for our mini vacation in September!  We will be going to Night of Joy again this year, my son E, my daughter A and myself.  My oldest son R has to work, so he stays behind and takes care of Molly.  We will be staying at the Pop Century resort at Disney World, which is so cool because we've never stayed there before!  We got a great deal, $108 a night, which for Disney is a steal.  Just 2 days after I'd booked the room the prices had gone up to $114, so I'm glad I got it when I did.  We are soooo looking forward to Night of Joy - Skillet will be performing again, along with several bands we're eager to see.  I'm so excited!!

I think that's all the updates for this month.  I could say that I'm going to post more often, but...I'll say that I will try.  I really do enjoy recording our days and weeks.  I have to make an effort to keep my blog up to date.  Here's to hoping!  God bless.

Week...No, Wait, Month In Review

I've stayed away from my blog all this month, not by choice but by life.  It seems the minute I sit down something needs to get done, someone needs to talk, I remember something I was supposed to do...it's a never-ending cycle.

Let's get a quick recap of what's happened in May.  For one thing, my son E is almost finished with school.  He has taken 3 of his 6 finals and passed each one.  He ended up with an A in algebra (92%), an A in leadership (98%), and an A in music history (96%).  All his work has been turned in, and now he has to take his Hope, English, and Science finals so he can be done.  We are both looking forward to being done, though I suppose he's looking forward to it more.

The church where my daughter works has finally moved into their new building, which has been under construction for the past year.  There were issues these past couple of months, including a break-in to the construction site in which materials and tools were stolen.  Inspections were probably the biggest delay; they never happen when they're supposed to.  Still, God came through as He always does, and this Sunday is the grand opening celebration.  There was a soft opening last Sunday, and I was excited to go because my daughter was singing!  She has sung before, but only for children's and youth ministries.  This time she was on main stage, and yes, mama was proud!  She is also blessed to be singing tomorrow for the grand opening, which mama will not miss!

Molly is doing so much better.  It's hard to believe she is suffering from cancer; honestly, she doesn't appear to be suffering at all.  She still has a bit of a limp, though not as pronounced as it was before the surgery.  She has recovered from the surgery remarkably well.  Our Molly is acting like a puppy once again.  We hope it will last.

As for my oldest son, I don't see him much.  He's been working quite a few hours, covering for people who are out.  When he's home he's on his computer or playing a video game.  Otherwise, he's out with his friends.

I enjoyed my very simple, very quiet Mother's day, though my oldest son was gone the whole day (he forgot what day it was.  Mama was not happy).  My daughter cooked for me - shrimp and steak sandwiches, absolutely delicious!  My gift from my kids was, what else, makeup!  I got some eye makeup and a really nice brush from Bare Minerals.  My cousin came over with her 3 kids and they brought me flowers.  She isn't technically my cousin; she's J's cousin, but I've known her since she was a toddler, and I babysat her for years.  When she was older she babysat my kids, so they're like siblings more than cousins.  It was sweet of them to bring me flowers and spend some time with me.

For Mother's day I wore a beautiful dress that I got from New York and Company.  The dress is black lace, but unlike most lace dresses that have a white underlay, this one has a two-toned pink underlay.  It has stripes in light and bright pink, and the way it comes through the lace makes the dress so unique, I've gotten multiple compliments!  I felt really pretty in the dress too, which is what every woman wants.

I got a few items from that trip to NY&Co, since I had City Cash and a coupon.  I got several tops and a cardigan - I wear cardigans a lot at work.  They look professional without being heavy, which is good because it has been H-O-T here in South Florida!  Thankfully it hasn't been very humid, though we have had some rainy days, but the temps are already in the upper 80's and low 90's.  I can't imagine what our summer will be like if our spring is so hot.

I also took advantage of a Bare Minerals Beauty Rush sale and got some skincare at a super discounted price.  Cleanser, eye cream, and two anti-aging creams for $39.  Just the wrinkle repair cream is normally $50, so I got a really nice deal!  I also got some mini lip sticks and lip glosses.  All in all a nice stash of makeup.  I had to get myself another organizer because it was getting a bit out of hand - there was makeup piling up and makeup bags filling up, and I can't stand a mess.  It all looks much neater now, and my makeup is more accessible.

That's gonna be it for now.  There's plenty more I can add but laundry needs to get folded, my bed needs to get made, and my daughter wants to go to the mall later on.  Not to mention that J is coming to pick up E in a little while and I'm hoping to get some studying done before that.  Yes, plenty to do, but thankful God gives me the energy to do it!  Have a blessed weekend.

Recapping the Past Week

It's been a long and busy past week...but thankfully, a less stressed one.  Not completely stress-free, but let's be honest, does such a day exist when there is absolutely, positively, no stress?  Only after we die.

Molly is healing nicely.  She's in her normal mood again, cheerful, playful, happy.  Since she isn't a complainer, it's hard to determine when she's in pain or distress; now that we see her so full of pep we realize she was not comfortable with the tumor.  At all.  There was never any whimpering or crying, just lack of energy and no desire to play, though her appetite was never affected.  She is so totally different from Tobey, our first dog, who let us know when he was not feeling well.  I guess the male of the species aren't so different, one creature from another.

My son E, on the other hand (or should I say on the left hand?), had me running from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what in the world was that nasty rash on his hand.  The rash was first detected by his doctor around his left eye.  She said it looked like eczema and gave him medicine for it which took care of the problem.  Then a similar rash took over his left hand.  It looked awful; first it started as a slight rash, then as it got more intense I had him put the medicine from his eye on his hand.  It didn't do much of anything.  Since E has had eczema before, I was able to recognize similarities in this rash, though he'd never gotten it on his hand.  It was always on his elbows or behind his knees.  Still, I thought that's what it looked like, so I went to the pharmacy and got him some Neosporin for eczema.  The itching stopped, but the rash got worse - I mean really bad.  I took him to the doctor (his doctor wasn't in so an associate saw him), who determined it must be a fungus, since the eczema medicine wasn't working.  The doctor honestly admitted he didn't know for sure what it was.  He gave E another cream, and said if it didn't get better we should see a dermatologist.  The cream seemed to work for the first couple of days, but soon after it started making matters worse.  E complained every time he put the on medicine because it burned.  That was not good.

His father showed up that Saturday after not having seen or spoken to his son in two weeks.  All of a sudden he decided he needed to be a dad and take care of the situation because I hadn't done enough.  He wasn't around when the rash started, nor did he know what I'd done, but he started putting on a show, telling me I should have taken him to see a dermatologist from the start, and taking pictures of E's hand to "figure out" what it was.  I was angry and annoyed for hours.  How can one human being disrupt a household the way he does?!  He doesn't fool anyone; we all see through his act, including E.

As I saw the rash not improving, I went ahead and made the appointment with the dermatologist for the following Friday (this past Friday).  Tuesday I got a call from J asking how E was doing, and that he'd been trying to get in touch with the dermatologist to make an appointment for him but was unable to get through.  He claimed he was extremely concerned because the rash looked "dangerous". I told him I'd already made an appointment, and had gotten through to the dermatologist just fine.  Once again, I was convinced he was just putting on a show.  E spoke to his dad on Wednesday because it was his dad's birthday, and once again his father asked for a picture of his hand to see how it was doing.  Friday couldn't come fast enough, as far as I was concerned.  I wanted to get this thing over with once and for all.

Finally the dermatologist was able to see him, and guess what?  It's eczema.  No fungus, no "dangerous condition", just eczema.  The medicines I had weren't strong enough to take care of the problem, so the doctor prescribed a stronger hydrocortisone cream and told us that, just as in the past, this would eventually go away on its own.  In the meantime we would treat it, and there was nothing to worry about.  After the doctor, I took E home and went to do some grocery shopping.  I was at Walmart when J called asking what it was E had because E had told him but he didn't understand.  When I told him it was eczema, he didn't know how to respond.  His first comment was, "But that's just dry skin."  Which of course it isn't, but I just said uh-huh.  Then he asked about the blisters on E's hand.  What blisters?  E didn't have any blisters at any time.  His skin was dry and cracked, but it never blistered.  He claimed there were blisters in the pictures E sent him.  I know there were no blisters, and he was being a drama queen as usual.  Here's the interesting part: we haven't heard from him since.  He didn't show up on Saturday to see his son or take him out, he didn't even call to ask if his hand was better.  Once he realized the show was over, he disappeared.  And then he wonders why his kids don't ever reach out to him.  

The rest of the week went by fine.  E finished his schoolwork a day early, which was great since he had to be at the doctor's on Friday.  He's got straight A's so far, and we are praying that continues, since finals are going to be coming up in the next few weeks.  His hand, by the way, has improved dramatically.  I expect the skin to be back to normal before weeks end.  Thank You Jesus!  Weather-wise, it has been scorching.  Yesterday we were in the 90's.  Thankfully the humidity hasn't been as high as in the summer, but still, it felt like we were in the 100's.  I don't even want to think about what the summer will be like.  Praise God for air conditioning!!!

Saturday I stayed home all day getting the house cleaned up.  We were all suffering the effects of allergy season this week, and I was finally feeling better, so I didn't want to go out and provoke my sinuses to shut down.  Yesterday we went to church, then my daughter and I went to the outlet mall for a little shopping.  There's a Bare Minerals outlet there, and since I had a $20 off coupon I decided to get some concealer.  The small sample I got back in November is finally running out.  I also picked up a neutral lip liner and a gorgeous blue eyeliner.  Then we went to the CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet) and I picked up a Mac Face And Body foundation for $19.  It usually goes for almost $30 so I was thrilled to get it so cheap.  My daughter got some too.  Can't wait to try it out!  She had gotten a Forever 21 gift certificate back in December for her birthday, so she decided to bring it along and see if she could find something she liked.  She got a really cute handbag that was on sale, so of course she was excited - I thought she'd start dancing in the store!  We also stopped at Teavana for some herbal teas.  She got a ginger coconut tea that is delicious!  We had some last night, and while it doesn't say it's relaxing, I can tell you I slept like a baby.  I could get used to that stuff!

That's my recap for the week.  I'm hoping and praying we have a stress-free week, but if not, it's okay.  God's got my back.  Blessings to everyone!

Monday, Monday

How quickly our time off ends, how slowly our work week progresses...

It's back to school today, and no, my son isn't looking forward to it.  While he much prefers homeschooling, he hates the fact that his friends are off from school this week for spring break.  I'm sure it won't be as bad as he thinks; thanks to technology, he's able to play games and chat with his buddies without having to leave the house.  Boy, it sure was different when I was growing up!  The most I could do was talk on the phone, and since there was only one line (no call waiting back then) my dad would get mad if we were on the phone more than 10 minutes.  His logic was, phones should only be used in emergencies.  If you want to talk to people, go see them in person.  I don't think my dad would approve of the texting generation.

My face was still broken out on Saturday despite taking Benadryl the night before, which was weird, but it wasn't spreading or getting worse, so I did my normal morning routine.  The only thing I left out was the Mineralixer oil from Bare Minerals I've been trying out; I figured it was the newest thing I'd added to my skincare regimen so I should leave it out.

I woke up with a ton of energy.  I started cleaning the hallway bathroom and looked at the walls.  When we remodeled the bathrooms back in 2009, I'd painted the hall bathroom in an olive-y kind of green.  I love color, and I'm not afraid to use darker tones on the walls.  It looked pretty when I first did it, but after 6 years the paint was looking dull and dirty.  Add to that the fact that this is the room where my daughter does her makeup, and she complains that there isn't enough light in the bathroom.  I tried doing my makeup in there, and I had to agree.  So I looked through the paints I had in the garage, and found some leftover tan color paint from my bedroom.  It's a color I like to call "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk).  While it isn't necessarily a light color, it is lighter than the green, and any amount of lightness would help.  It's a tiny bathroom, so it neither needed much paint nor time, but it's hard to paint because it is so small a space.  Getting the ladder around was tricky, and the paint tray had to stay in the hallway because it wouldn't fit in the bathroom.  Still, it got done in about an hour, and it looks nice and clean.  The color isn't bold like the green was, but I think my daughter will appreciate the brightness a lighter color brings.

I got both bathrooms cleaned, then went back to Pep Boys to get my tires balanced.  I'd gotten new tires last Sunday, and when I got on the expressway Thursday for my hair appointment, the car was shaking like there was an earthquake.  Scared me a bit, I've got to say.  So I had that taken care of, then headed over to Payless Shoe Source.  I had a 15% off coupon so I figured it wouldn't hurt to see what they had.  Lately I'd been disappointed with the selection at Payless; the shoes were overpriced knock-offs that weren't comfortable or even pretty.  This time I had a much better experience.  They've got their summer sandals and shoes, and I found two pairs of wedges that are not only cute but very comfy to walk around in!  The selection at this particular Payless was slim - I don't know if they haven't received the newer stock or if they sold out - but I got a pair in black with brown straps and a pair in a nice cream color with espadrille heels.

  
I especially love the black ones!  I wore them to church yesterday and they are super comfortable to walk in!

Sunday morning, very first thing in the morning, I got a visit from my monthly friend.  There went my energy level, down the drain.  I was dragging my feet all day yesterday.  My stomach felt like it had rocks in it, my back was achy and I sat around doing nothing - well no, not exactly nothing; I did a bunch of laundry.  I still have to fold it, though.  But at least the day wasn't a total waste.

One thing I did notice this morning - the breakout on my face has almost completely disappeared, which means it wasn't an allergy like I'd thought.  It was purely hormonal.  It's rough being a girl, let me tell you.

It's just about time to start school, so I say farewell for now, and to all, have a blessed week.

What's Been Going On

I really did want to post about my wildly wonderful weekend, but it was nonstop every minute of every day, and I just wasn't able to sit down long enough to post.  Even yesterday and today have been busy, but I figured if I didn't post now I might forget everything I want to include.

Thursday night our church started its yearly carnival, but none of us went.  It was in the 30's - yes, here in South Florida! - with winds making it even colder.  Floridians don't do well in 35 degree weather.  We weren't even going to take a chance.

Friday morning I went to the women's bible study group at church.  I'd been attending on Thursday nights, but with my new job there's no way I can make it there on time.  Thankfully there's a group that meets Friday mornings, but they're a week ahead of the Thursday group, which means I missed chapter 6!  I'm hoping there will be a makeup class like they've done before, so I can watch the classes I missed.  My youngest son went to the carnival that night while my daughter, best friend and I headed to the Chris Tomlin concert.  It was the first stop on the Love Ran Red tour, and we were excited to be there!  Unfortunately we missed the first act, Rend Collective, thanks to the insane traffic (which is why I make it a point to never go into Miami).  When we finally made it to the venue, Tenth Avenue North was on.  They're a local band, from West Palm Beach, so they're always enthusiastically welcomed back home to South Florida!  We had floor seats so we were able to watch up close and personal.  It was totally amazing!  I love the idea of spending eternity in heaven worshiping God with Chris Tomlin leading worship!

My son went back to the carnival on Saturday, but I took that time to get some housework caught up and run some errands.  I went to Target to find myself a belt for my jeans, and some ballet flats like a pair I'd gotten a couple weeks ago that were really comfortable.  I got 3 belts, 2 pairs of shoes, 4 tops that were on sale, a wallet, and a nail polish.  That's the problem with Target.  It's like Lay's Potato Chips: you can't get just one (item).

Then Sunday, after church, we ran home and got ready to see Tim Hawkins.  He is my all-time favorite comedian, the funniest man on earth in my opinion.  I would highly recommend anyone who hasn't heard Tim Hawkins to check him out on YouTube.  I love the fact that he's a Christian so none of his comedy is raunchy or inappropriate.  My son was happy to miss the last day of the carnival for Tim Hawkins!  I'm thankful that I can cross that off my bucket list - though I wouldn't hesitate to see him live again!

Work is going really well.  I'm slowly getting the hang of how everything works, though I still get some of the teacher's names confused and I don't know most of the students.  Everyone is being patient and helpful, which helps me feel more relaxed.  Today I was brought in to see a couple of students being tested.  The school director/owner wants me to become familiarized with the testing procedure so that I can administer tests in the future.  Tests are given to new students to determine their grade levels and choose the appropriate curriculum to work with.  There's reading and math tests; the reading test shows whether the child can read and what their level of comprehension is, while the math test is very detailed and intricate.  Most kids who come into the center are having trouble with math, so that is a big focus.  There are students as young as kindergarteners, all the way up to college and everything in between.  I'm enjoying the kids as well as the environment.

My dress arrived today!  I ordered a gorgeous little black velvet dress from New York and Company last week for a wedding my daughter and I are attending on Saturday.  I wasn't sure how it would fit, even though all the dresses I've bought from NY&Co. lately have been size 10.  I don't like ordering clothes online because I hate the hassle of having to ship it back if it doesn't fit, especially after waiting a week for it to arrive, but this dress was only available online.  It was on clearance too - originally $79.99, I paid $23.98 for it, a deal I wasn't going to find at the actual store.  I nervously tried it on, and I'm thrilled to say it fits perfectly!  It's the right length, right on the knee.  It's also my favorite style, fit and flare.  I'm so relieved it fits, because I couldn't find anything at the stores, and there's no time to go out looking for another dress.  This one worked out splendidly!

Homeschooling is also going well.  My son is working on polynomials, ocean currents, and learning all about classical music.  It's diverse and interesting.  He's also working on his community project hours by preparing plastic eggs for the church's Easter Egg Hunt.  They put out thousands of eggs, some with prizes inside, and they also give out candy to all the children.  We're probably going to help with the candy bags as well, when Easter gets a bit closer.

That's my recap for the weekend.  Tomorrow I'm teaching at Awana.  I'm kind of nervous, because I don't feel like I've prepared enough, but Lord willing everything will go smoothly.  I've been keeping to my schedule and managing my time wisely, so that, even though I'm busy, I'm able to get everything done.  Until next time, good night and God bless.

Happy Singles Awareness Day!

Nothing like a holiday to remind you of how unattached you are.  The first year of my separation was difficult, and days like these only emphasized it.  Especially since a week later, on the 21st, is my wedding anniversary.  But you know what?  I'm not letting a holiday ruin my day.  No sir, I was determined to focus on the positive, not the negative.  Easier said than done, huh?

Our language is limited when it comes to the word "love".  We expect it to explain the feeling we have towards our family, our friends, our spouse, our children, and our favorite food.  In the Greek language, there are several words that are used in reference to love.  Phileo love is affection towards friends, people that aren't related but who feel a sort of unity in brotherhood.  It's where we get Philadelphia from, the city of brotherly love.  It also denotes those things that we prefer or cherish, like foods, movies, clothes, styles of music, etc.  There is Agape love, which is unconditional.  It's the kind of love parents have for their children, the kind of love God has for us.  And then there's Eros, which is where we get the word erotic.  It's romantic love, love between a husband and wife.  It's the one we immediately associate with Valentine's Day.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  Valentine's Day can be a day about any type of love.  There's no reason to limit ourselves.  I kept that in mind for today.

First thing this morning I prepared a menu plan for the next couple of weeks.  It was important that I pick meals that are quick to make, or that can be made in the crock pot.  That way I wouldn't be stuck in the kitchen cooking, then rushing to get out the door.  I think I came up with a good variety that we all love and I can whip up in less than 45 minutes.  I then got dressed in a long sleeved shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a white denim jacket.  Not the typical South Florida type outfit, but it's been mighty cold here!  We got some rain a few days ago, and since then the temps have taken a dip: it was 46 degrees this morning, but it felt like 41 thanks to the wind chill.  For a Floridian, that's downright freezing!  The temperatures got up to the mid 60's in the afternoon, but it still felt pretty chilly, even with the sun out.  I bundled up accordingly.  I also used my Complexion Rescue as foundation, and I am loving it!  At first I wasn't sure I was impressed with it; it worked nicely under my liquid foundation but I couldn't see myself using it alone.  With some experimenting I found the secret to making it look like a flawless face - mineral veil.  Mineral veil is Bare Mineral's loose translucent powder.  I set the Complexion Rescue with mineral veil, then add a little bronzer, blush, quick eye shadow and liner, mascara and lip gloss, and in less than 10 minutes I'm heading out the door looking amazing!

I'm still trying to shop for groceries every two weeks instead of weekly, and keeping to a budget of $300 or under for the whole two weeks.  I know, not an easy feat with prices being what they are.  I'd already gone to Winn Dixie yesterday and gotten my meats, along with a bunch of produce and canned goods.  I'd spent $104.58, so I had about $200 left to spend.  I went to Walmart first.  I had to buy a few food items, including Molly's dog food which includes both wet and dry, and I needed some toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc).  Despite getting a few items not typically on the grocery list, I spent $104.92, which I thought was eerily close to what I'd spent the day before.  From there I went to Costco for the bigger items: toilet paper, olive oil, dog biscuits, bacon (yes, we eat a lot of bacon.  Don't judge me).  The total spent there was $58.99.  So all in all I spent $268.49, $31.51 under budget.  Yay me!

Of course I was quickly going to spend my savings :P.  I wanted to take advantage of the pants sale at NY and Company to get some work appropriate pants.  I once owned a large amount of dress pants which I used for work; being a purchasing manager meant I had to meet with vendors on a weekly basis, and while jeans were allowed, they weren't a professional look for me, so I dressed in skirts and pants most days.  About a year after I stopped working, I got rid of all but two pairs of dress pants.  It made no sense to keep a bunch of clothes that I wasn't wearing, and I was not wearing dress pants at all.  The two pairs I kept in case it got cold out (like this winter) so I wouldn't have to go to church in a dress or jeans.  Now, however, I'll be in an office where pretty much everyone is in dress pants or Docker style pants - no jeans allowed.  Yes, I can wear a skirt, and I may occasionally, but the school gives us button down shirts with the school logo, and I don't know that those will look very nice with skirts.  I got a couple pairs, one in navy blue that almost looks like dressy jeans but they aren't denim, and the other pair in brown.  Nice neutral colors that'll go with anything.  Then I looked for a dress.  My daughter's college roommate's brother (did you get all that?) is getting married at the end of the month, and I need a dress that is dressy but not formal (that's what her mom said).  So I'm looking for something that is pretty and wearable, classic and wedding appropriate.  There's a catch, though: it can't look like the dress my daughter will be wearing, a navy blue lace dress.  Okay, not a problem.  I figured I'd find something I liked, since NY & Company is my favorite store.  And I did find a dress I liked.  It's a lace dress, very similar in style to my daughter's dress, except it's in teal, which means it isn't the same.  That's what I told her, anyway.  She ain't buying it.

We went to several other stores, and I quickly spotted a trend.  Lace dresses are all the rave.  They are everywhere, and most of them are navy blue or orange.  Orange is a lovely color, just not on me.  I can wear peach, but bright orange washes me out and makes my skin look yellow.  Jaundice is not an attractive look, let me tell you.  I left the mall with just the pants.  I'm wondering if I'll find anything I like.  I have a dress that's been in my closet for, oh, I'd say at maybe 8 years?  It's tight up on top but I can manage to get it on.  If I can't find anything else, that's what I'll have to wear.  I'll just eat very light, and breathe minimally.

As a Valentine's Day gift, my daughter bought Domino's pizza.  I know many people like Domino's pizza.  Not me.  I'm a native New Yorker.  I know what pizza is supposed to taste like, and it's not supposed to taste like Domino's pizza.  I've told my children plenty of times that Domino's sauce is the worst I've ever tasted.  They know I can't stand it, but my daughter had a coupon, and it was a sweet gesture, so I said okay, and I ate the faux pizza for my daughter's sake.  I know I make it hard for her.  She was saying how I won't eat Pizza Hut pizza because it's too greasy (it gives me a stomachache it's so bad), and I won't eat Papa John's either (seriously, the box it comes in probably tastes better).  The only pizza I can stomach is Little Caesars, because it's only $5 so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.  There's not much I miss from my days in New York, but New York style pizza is definitely at the top of that short list.

So that's it for my day.  Maybe not the most "romantic" Valentine's Day, but still filled with love, and that's what matters, right?  Hope everyone's day was filled with love.  God bless ya'll.

Weekend Recap

Since I spent the weekend running around like a madwoman with a mission, I decided one post to recap everything would be enough.  It's easier for me, I think.  As long as I remember where I've been and what I've done ;-).

Saturday started off early.  We were attending a baby shower for a sweet friend who is visiting from Sweden.  She's almost 5 months pregnant with her first child, a little boy, and my daughter and I were excited to share in this special time with her.  The baby shower was a brunch, which started at 11:00.  That meant I had to have breakfast, get ready, and leave something for my son to eat so he wouldn't burn down the house while we were gone.  I wore an outfit that I consider to be casual and trendy: a white sweater with a light grey hot air balloon motif all over, a burgundy tank top underneath, a pair of "boyfriend" jeans (skinny jeans slightly rolled up at the hem) and tan high heeled sandals.  I'm the type that likes to get dressed up, but my daughter said everyone would be wearing jeans because it was a very casual get together, so I dressed accordingly.  My daughter and I both got the baby a couple of outfits, but when we went to pack the gifts we found only Christmas themed boxes and gift bags.  So we stopped off at CVS and bought one bag for everything, then headed over to the shower, which wasn't far from our house.  We were among the first to get there; the pregnant girl's mom and grandma were there, along with a cousin and a friend from church.  Everyone was dressed up.  I felt like an oddball.  Yes, the hostess was wearing jeans, but she's a mom of a toddler and was cooking up a storm, so she doesn't count.  As more people started coming in, I noticed more ladies in dresses or dress pants.  I mentioned it to my daughter, but she insisted it was still "casual".  I'm not buying it.

We did have a really good time, playing the standard baby shower games and eating delicious food.  The menu was chicken and waffles.  The waffles were made fresh right there, and there were all kinds of toppings: whipped cream, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, and of course syrup.  I didn't have any of it.  Instead, I went directly to the shrimp and pasta salad.  Oh.my.word.  It was out of this world!  I had me two servings, along with chicken and pastries.  I didn't want to overdo it with the carbs, and having pasta as well as waffles would have meant rolling me out the door.  I'm glad I stuck with just one.

While we were gone E got picked up by his dad, so when A and I got home we decided to go to Target.  I needed a belt for my jeans; even though I'd bought a size 6 they were still big at the waist.  I also needed to buy towels.  Ours are old and worn, and they get stinky really fast which is annoying.  I found some nice towels, some on sale and some not, then we passed by the shoe section.  My daughter saw that they had boots for 70% off so of course she had to stop and check them out, because we all know how vital it is to have boots in South Florida :P.  I looked around and found a cute pair of ballet flats in a beige and black stripe design for $16.99.  They are so comfy!  I also went to the makeup section and got a few nail polishes that were on sale, and a brow pencil/gel.  I've been wanting a brow pencil because lately I've noticed that some of my eyebrows are turning bright white, and against my black brows it isn't attractive.  I got brunette, since my hair is dyed auburn, to help the brows match my hair.  My daughter didn't find any boots she liked, but she did find a comforter set in white that she fell in love with.  Her bedroom is pretty dark; dark wood floors, deep purple and grey walls, dark wood furniture.  The white bedding brightens up the room and makes it look luxurious, like she's in a 5 star hotel.  While we were at the store E texted me that he was back home, so we quickly paid for our goods and left.  As soon as we were on the expressway, I realized I'd forgotten to buy the belt, which was the primary reason for going to Target in the first place.  Don't you just love it when that happens?

Today also started early, with Sunday school at 9:30 (except I got there at 10:00.  Running late this morning again).  After service - which was awesome - we had a meet and greet with our new youth pastor.  He's been the youth pastor at our sister church for the past 9 years, and now he's taking over the youth ministry at our location as well.  I was so impressed by his philosophy and his goals, and very encouraged by the lessons he's teaching the next few weeks.  He's doing a series called King, in which the youth group is studying several of Jesus's attributes: His sovereignty, His holiness, His goodness, His justice and His love.  This pastor is all about bible teaching, which is what I wanted to hear.  I'm looking forward to helping out in the youth ministry once Awana is done and summer rolls around.

There was a pizza lunch served, but my son E, who was hanging around with his friends and got there late, didn't get to eat anything, so we left after the meeting and ran home.  I made him a quick lunch, then we headed to the bowling alley for his best friend's birthday celebration.  I had to change out of my church clothes; there was no way I was going bowling in a dress and high heels.  I wore the skinny jeans I got on Friday along with a hunter green tank top, a long black sweater and my new ballet flats.  Casual and comfy!  My daughter also went, and so did my Tuesday night running buddy.  The three of us played a couple of games; it was clear that I hadn't played in a while.  I was pretty rusty, though I didn't do quite so bad on my first game as on the second.  I scored a 70 for the first game; the second game I got a 14.  We only got to play 6 frames before we ran out of time, but still, a 14?!  I had 3 gutter balls in a row!  My running buddy did terrible for the first game, then did much better for the second game.  I guess that evened things out ;-).  Another lady that I've met previously at IV's house (it was IV's son's birthday) was also there.  She's a real spit-fire, and I love talking to her!  We all had a really nice time bowling, eating, talking, laughing, and just plain fellowshipping.  It's the perfect way to end a weekend.

And so, that's pretty much it.  I'm gonna wash my face (my makeup was on point, by the way), change out of these clothes, and relax before studying for my Thursday night bible study.  I'm studying chapter 4 of Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind.  So much to learn!  Tomorrow starts the new school week.  Back to the old grind!  But I'm thankful for my life and all the blessings God bestows upon me each day.  God bless ya'll, and good night.

The Week In Review

I had every intention of posting yesterday.  I really did.  But we don't always do what we want, do we?  We plan, but God commands.  I decided to give more of a recap, instead of posting separately for yesterday and today.

Yesterday was a pretty busy, non-stop type of day again.  We woke up to rain, and went to bed with rain.  It rained on and off all day long.  Thunderstorms woke us up in the morning, but thankfully the rest of the day was quiet.  It was hot, muggy, and dreary.  School was good; my son got caught up on all his assignments.  Unfortunately, his cold was making it difficult to focus, so he did 4 hours worth of work and left it at that.  Since he'd done an extra hour of work earlier in the week he was able to finish early and rest, which is what the body needs with a cold or flu.  He's feeling much better today; not 100%, but certainly not as bad as yesterday.

After school I threw a load of laundry into the wash, then got ready for bible study.  I look forward to our Thursday night study because Beth Moore teaches like no one I know.  I wore a pair of dress pants because, with weather as yucky as we had, I didn't feel like getting dressed up.  That was my thought process, anyway.  I ended up looking pretty dressed up in my navy blue pants, navy blue long sleeved v-neck, and cream colored scarf.  I wore a pretty pair of cream colored heels too, because I don't have many closed shoes.  Living in Florida means sandals, flip-flops, open-toe shoes, that sort of thing.  I also have sneakers, but I wasn't about to wear dress pants with tennis shoes.  I did my makeup pretty quick, and it turned out lovely.  I got there on time (I'm always on time everywhere, which is unlike the South Florida culture), and enjoyed some fellowship with the ladies.  Then we sat down to our study.  Once again, the teaching rocked my world.  Honestly, we here in the US take prosperity for granted.  We complain about what we don't have, when there are people in this world who lack the basic essentials.  We're so busy trying to keep up with the Joneses, that we don't appreciate the fact that, compared to most nations of this world, even the poorest American is wealthy.  It cut me to the core.  I am so blessed - how dare I complain and whine about what I don't have?!  God reminded me that we're to show compassion, not feel it.  It doesn't do anyone any good if all I do is have pity, then turn and walk away.  I have to be willing to do something!  It gave me a lot to think about, and plenty to repent from.

After I got home, my daughter wanted to tell me all about her day.  She literally followed me around the house talking away, which is why I didn't get to post.  I was exhausted by the time she was done.  Besides, I wanted to get to bed early.  My cousin asked me to babysit her youngest son, so I had to be up and ready when he got here the next day.

Unlike yesterday, today was chilly and cool all day, without a cloud in the sky.  Those who live in Florida know, the weather changes in the blink of an eye!  I'm kinda hoping the whole weekend is as beautiful as today - it was gorgeous the entire day!

I thought I was up pretty early, but I was finishing up getting dressed when the little guy showed up at the door.  He's in pre-k, but he wasn't able to go to school.  He has eczema.  When the school teacher saw it she said the school needs verification that it's eczema and not impetigo.  His mom made a doctor's appointment, but the doctor can't see him till tomorrow and he won't be allowed in school till he gets medical clearance.  He's a sweet little 5 year old boy, and I'm always happy to have him here.  As long as he can watch his favorite TV program, Super Why, he will behave like a little angel.

E did his one assignment for English (and got a 90%) and attended his Hope live lesson, then he watched documentaries on Netflix because he was all done for the week.  It was a much easier day for him, which he totally appreciated.

After school was done and our little guy was picked up, my daughter and I headed to the mall.  We have a baby shower to attend tomorrow.  It's a brunch style shower, so the ladies will most likely be dressed very casual.  My clothes are mostly dressy, or around the house type of clothes.  I have 2 pairs of jeans that I wear occasionally, which are hand-me-downs from my daughter.  I wanted some jeans of my own, something more appropriate and dressier than what I have but still casual-looking, and New York and Company had a sale going on, so that's where I headed.  I found two pairs of jeans, one pair a dark indigo and the other a very dark grey.  I wasn't sure what size would fit, so I got a size 8 and a size 10.  On top they fit fine, the 8 better than the 10, but the length...either I'm shrinking or these things were excessively long.  I mean like, even with a pair of stilettos they would be too long.  I was sure I hadn't pulled any jeans from the tall section, so I didn't understand why they were so long.  Then my daughter heard one of the sales associates say that this particular style came in one length.  Obviously that length was extra long :P.  I didn't want to get something that I'd have to hem or get altered, so I went back and got a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of ankle length "boyfriend jeans" (why any woman would want to wear her boyfriend's jeans is beyond me).  I picked up both in size 10 and headed to the dressing room.  I tried on the ankle length jeans first; they were enormous on me.  I was afraid they were going to fall off!  Well, maybe not that big, but they were really big.  So I asked my daughter to get me a pair in a size 8, and she went ahead and got the skinny jeans in a size 8 as well.  I tried the ankle length in size 8; still too big.  I could say right now that I was frustrated, but what woman gets mad because she's smaller than a size 8?  My daughter went back for a size 6, and in the meantime I tried on the size 8 skinny jeans.  Perfect fit.  She brought back the size 6 ankle length jeans.  Another perfect fit.  Which is why I always try on clothes before buying them.  You never can tell what's going to fit, and it's better than making another trip to the mall.  I didn't get anything else, because I didn't find anything else I liked.  NY & Co has always been a favorite store of mine because I find clothes that are stylish while still age appropriate for me, but what I saw today was a lot of clothes geared towards a more youthful demographic.  Even my daughter said, "Sorry mom, but it looks like NY & Co is trying to bring appeal to a younger crowd."  Not what I wanted to hear, but I had to agree.  My store is a-changin'.  :'(

We got some really cute baby outfits for tomorrow.  Our friend is Puertorican like me, but she lives in Sweden with her husband.  She's visiting family, and a quick baby shower has been organized so she can take stuff back with her.  She specifically asked for baby clothes, because she says they're really expensive in Sweden.  We found some adorable outfits at The Children's Place that were super discounted, and which I think she's gonna love.  We are so happy for her, and happy to be able to share in this joyous celebration of new life with her.

So now we're back home, I just finished having dinner (fried chicken, shells with white cheddar cheese, and mixed veggies), and now I'm gonna do my nails.  I haven't figured out what I'm gonna wear to this baby shower tomorrow, but of course I want to look as pretty as I can!  Good night ya'll, be beautiful!

Another Birthday Celebration

I think every mom remembers the day her babies were born.  God made it easy for me; He gave me 2 sweet children who share a birthday so my memories would be even more delightful.

Today my daughter A turns 25, and my son E turns 15.  I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that my baby is halfway through his teenage years, and my daughter has lived a quarter of a century.  Then again, I can't believe I've lived over half a century, but let's not focus on that.  Both of them were Christmas presents, but they are not twins.  They came 10 years apart.  I worried when my daughter was growing up that she would resent having to share her birthday with her brother, but she never did.  Her brother would tell the world the story of how he and his sister have the same birthday, so it was never an issue with him either.  I'm so glad; I didn't want my kids to be mad about having to share their birthday, and they've always been so mature and loving about it.  I really do have great kids.

I was in the dining room enjoying a cup of coffee when my son woke up.  There were birthday presents waiting for him on the kitchen counter, but he wouldn't open them until his sister and brother got up.  My daughter didn't take very long to follow.  She was a little less patient than her younger brother - she wanted to tear into her presents right away!  I had to issue a disclaimer before she opened my gift to her:  after we'd visited Ulta and I saw what makeup products she really liked, I went ahead and placed an order for them for her birthday.  I got her the Naked Eyeshadow Palette by Urban Decay and the Starter Kit by Bare Minerals in medium beige.  That was back in November.  In December, her dad took her to the mall so she could pick out her Christmas gifts because he didn't know what to get her.  He likes shopping at Macy's; she doesn't care for the clothes there, but she did know they have makeup, so she went to the Sephora section, where she asked her dad to get her the Naked 2 Basics palette.  She also got the consultant to color match her for Bare Minerals powder foundation, and asked her dad to get that for her, too.  The color the consultant matched her with was golden medium.  Her dad immediately complied, and she brought the products home for me to wrap for her.  I kept my cool and wrapped her gifts, knowing full well she would want to exchange whatever I'd gotten her that were duplicates.  The eyeshadow palette I'd bought her wasn't the same one but it was similar enough that I figured she wouldn't want it, and the Bare Minerals starter kit was definitely the wrong color so she wouldn't want to keep that either.  I thought about going to the store and exchanging it myself, but I started second guessing what she would want and if she would want to keep part of her present, so I left it alone.  I figured she could decide what she would keep and what she would exchange.  I told her as much before letting her open up her gift.  The gift bag contained several different items.  I'd gotten her some lip pencils/lip stains that came in the cutest dark purple clutch.  The colors are just what she likes, neutrals and reds.  She also found an Urban Decay eye lid primer and eye liner pencil which she loved.  Then she opened the box with the Naked palette.  Her smile went from big to gynormous.  She wanted that palette and had intended to get it for herself; now she didn't have to because Mama had gotten it for her.  Score!  Then she opened the Starter Kit.  We both agreed, there was no reason to keep it.  The products were either wrong, or she already had purchased them herself.  I told her she could take it to Ulta for an exchange, and she immediately started planning what she could get.  She also asked if we could go to the Bare Minerals store that we have locally, and I told her that we could, which made her even happier.  I felt so much better after that.

My son then opened his present from his sister:  a book with all kinds of trivia about his favorite show, Doctor Who.  He loved it!  Then he opened Mom's gift.  From the moment he knew his dad had bought him the Wii U for Christmas, all he kept asking for was the new Super Smash Brothers game.  Of course I was going to get it for him, but I also got him a Pacman game, and I wrapped both of them together, so when he picked up the package it didn't feel like a video game, it felt like a book.  He opened it and just about exploded when he saw he got the game he wanted so badly.  When R woke up he opened his gift: a set of pins based on the Pokemon video games.  What was funny, was that R put them inside a box of crackers and wrapped the box, so when E opened it he wondered why his brother was giving him crackers for his birthday!  Once he realized it couldn't be crackers, he found the pins and was absolutely surprised and excited!  His sister opened her present from R next.  It was a video game called Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box.  She likes those sorts of solving games so it was perfect.

Their dad had called the day before inviting the whole family to breakfast.  He called bright and early to wish them a happy birthday and ask where they wanted to go.  Living in the South, the answer to that is easy:  Cracker Barrel.  I don't know of any other place in our area that makes down home Southern cooking in a casual country environment.  My daughter hung up and we started getting ready.  I wasn't enthused about going, but I'll do anything for my kids, so I got dressed and was putting on my makeup when my daughter said, "Dad just called; he's already at the restaurant waiting for us, and he says it's packed."  We had to quickly get ready so we could be there and try to find parking which he said took him forever to find.  As soon as we drove up into the parking lot, two cars pulled out.  No waiting for us!  Better yet, I parked the car, we got out, and my son got a call from his dad:  they'd just seated him.  He waited 40 minutes for the table, we waited nothing.  God's gift to my children!  We sat down and their dad gave them their presents:  A got a lovely pen and a Michael Kors bag, and E got new headphones and a coin bank with over $180 in it.  They both loved their gifts!  We were so glad that the service was fast and the food delicious - we were starving!  We had a really nice, relaxing time, for which I'm very grateful.

Once we got out of the restaurant, we went to the mall for our Bare Minerals excursion.  Our Bare Minerals store is in an outlet mall that's fairly large, so the boys could go look at stuff while the girls looked at makeup.  My son E is wanting to get a longboard so his brother took him to see some.  A and I went into the Bare Minerals store and had a field day!  They were having an incredible sale!  I'm not even joking, I got stuff so cheap I'm still pinching myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming!

The first item we saw when we walked in was the Hot List.

The original price on this kit was $49, and it had been reduced to $24.50.  At half price this was a good deal.

The 5-in-1 eyeshadow primer alone costs $18.  This kit brought a bronzer, eyeshadow duo, highlighter and lipstick as well.  I was thinking about it when the sales clerk said that everything on the tables in the aisle were 50% off the last sticker price.  I was like, Excuse Me?!  That meant all these products were just $12.25!  She said yes, and I immediately grabbed one and told my daughter she needed to do the same!  I then proceeded to go kind of nuts.

The Eye Color Trio contains two high shine eyeshadows and a small eyeliner.  The eyeshadows are on sale on the website for $9.50 each.  I got this set for $9.75.

The Finishing Touches kit brings a mini mascara, mini lip gloss and mini hydrating mineral veil.  I paid $4.75.  I've been wanting a hydrating mineral veil, and the rest is just bonus.  But the best was the last item I got.

This deluxe size original foundation is twice the size of a regular jar of product.  The regular size is $27.  The deluxe is normally $39.50, but they had it for $29.50.  My main intention for going to the Bare Minerals store was to get foundation, because the one I have is getting low (it was a small trial size).  I could get the regular size for $27, or pay $2.50 more and get double the amount, which should easily last me a year.  The decision was simple - I had to have this foundation!  Everything else I got was icing on the cake, and I couldn't be happier!  I have to admit, there were more things in my basket that I eventually put back because I realized I was getting carried away.  I'm thoroughly pleased with my purchases, though.  I think I got some great items at dirt cheap prices!

From there my daughter wanted to go to Old Navy, which was right by where the boys were.  Since it was her birthday I said okay, though I'm honestly not a huge fan of Old Navy.  I've found a couple of things there but most of the clothes are, in my opinion, a bit too young for me.  That quickly changed when I saw the cutest plaid pencil skirt in hunter green and dark blue, reduced from $29 to $17.  I also found a tank top that matched the green perfectly, for $3.99.  I tried the skirt on and couldn't believe how perfectly it fit - you'd have thought I was the model they used for it!  I can't wait to wear my new outfit tomorrow for church!

We came home after that because E wanted to have some time with his best friend CS.  CS is IV's son, and the boys have been close buddies for a couple of years.  My son wanted to play Super Smash Brothers with his best friend more than anything else on his birthday, so we got home as quick as we could so they could have some time together.  They laughed so much, I couldn't help but laugh with them, even though I don't have any idea what they were laughing about!  While they had their fun, my daughter played with all her new goodies and I folded and put away laundry.  Afterwards A, R and myself played the Logo Game.  It's a funny sort of trivia game and I knew R would enjoy it.

My daughter wanted to go to Ulta today to get her starter kit exchanged, but by the time we realized it, it was almost 6:00 and we hadn't even had dinner yet.  We decided to leave it for tomorrow and went to pick up dinner, and each got to pick what they wanted:  A wanted Chipotle and E wanted KFC.  I had Chipotle as well; I like their bowls.  The meat was spicy and the food was filling.  I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast so I was pretty hungry!

I think that's enough excitement for today.  I'm gonna get my makeup off and get my face exfoliated, then I'm gonna spend the rest of the night with my precious gifts, my kiddos.  I am so thankful to God each and every day for giving me such wonderful children.  I know I'm truly blessed.  Good night everyone.

Monday Musings

It's the day after my birthday, and life is back to normal.  Yesterday I was a celebrity, today I'm just an ordinary mom.  Fame is so fleeting...

After eating out yesterday my stomach needed to get back to normal, too.  We don't eat out very much; Little Caesar's pizza is about the only thing we ever have, and that's maybe once a month.  Our digestive systems don't do well eating restaurant food (well, except for R.  That boy could eat rock soup and be just fine).  For breakfast I had cereal and toast along with my morning coffee.  My son E had an upset stomach last night, and today he was still not completely himself.  He ate quite a few chicken wings and drank a whole lotta Coke.  Ramen noodle soup is the remedy for that in my house; that, and a little bicarb.  My daughter was also complaining that she didn't feel well, and since they were the ones eating the chicken wings I have to suspect it was that.  We've had Buffalo Wild Wings before and been okay.  It may just be the amount they had - probably 10 wings apiece.  Lesson learned.

As I sat down to breakfast I went on the Bare Minerals website to see what was going on (my daughter says I'm obsessed).  It's a good thing I did - Beauty Rush!!!  I've explained this before, but:  Beauty Rush is when Bare Escentuals needs to clear their inventory, so they put all kinds of stuff at 50% - 70% off the regular price, and with many items this is the last chance to get them.  Beauty Rush is never pre-announced - they simply put it on their website the day of.  My daughter had already left for work when I realized Beauty Rush was going on today so I quickly texted her.  The sale started at 9 am PT (Bare Escentuals is in the San Francisco area) so I told her to be ready at noon.  No sooner had the clock chimed 12, we were on the site and texting back and forth!  We decided to combine our orders, since $50 is needed to get free shipping, and they were offering a free gift for orders over $65.  We both had just enough for free shipping but not the free gift; by combining our orders we got both.  I ordered a kit called Weekend Getaway, which includes a really nice rose gold train case, a well-rested eyeliner in Nude, a rich brown eyeliner, a plum brown lipliner, 2 lip glosses, a brightening mineral veil (which is a face powder with some highlight), all for $28. I also got the Bronze Affair Kit which is a bronzer/highlighter compact with brush for $12, a lip palette for $10, and my daughter and I each got the Natural Light Face Lifting Duo for $8 (regular price is $19!).  My daughter also got the Addicted to Peach collection for $25 - good thing she ordered early, since they actually ran out shortly after.  She also ordered an eyeshadow kit for $8 and a lip palette for $10.  We were trying not to go overboard but it was hard!!  Such great deals are hard to pass up.

School was pretty good today.  My son had 4 assignments to get done; two for today and two that are due by Wednesday.  He finished 3 of the 4 before laying down for a bit; his head was hurting because his stomach was still feeling queasy.  I figured he'd done pretty well under the circumstances so I didn't give him a hard time.

I had laundry to put away today - 5 baskets of laundry to be exact.  At 4:30 I went out and started picking up the branches and coconuts that had fallen from the trees in our backyard, and as I rolled the trash can to the curb I looked at my house with the backwards lights.  It's 10 days till Christmas and I hadn't been able to turn on my Christmas lights because I hadn't set them right.  I had to take care of that today, or I knew I'd never get it done.  My older kids were both at work, so it was me and my headachy son, but since he only had to hold the ladder steady (and call 911 if I fell off), I went to work righting the wrong.  I'm pleased to announce that we now have Christmas lights that are lit!  Now there's a feeling of satisfaction!

I hadn't heard from Ulta on my order placed a week ago, so I gave them a call.  They usually ship on time, so I knew it had to do with the Christmas rush, but I also wanted to be sure it would ship and arrive before Christmas.  My kids want to give their dad his gift on the right day.  They assured me that I should have a tracking number within the next couple of days, and that if the order does ship late they will expedite shipping at no extra charge.  Now that's good customer service!  I only have this order and one Amazon order that ships on Friday, and all my Christmas items will be under the tree.  It has taken longer this year because of shipping.  I usually have all my shopping done and all packages under the tree by mid-December.  

While my son took a break from school to rest, I went to see how much stuff was left from the Beauty Rush sale.  What I didn't know was that, as items run out, new items are put up.  There was stuff I hadn't seen before, that if I'd have known they were gonna have them I would have waited!  Order number 2 started to form as soon as I realized they had skin care products on Beauty Rush!  I found a 3 piece kit called Radiant and Glowing, which contains an eye serum, neck cream and toner wipes, all for $24.  These items all cost over $34 each on their own!  And they're full sized!  I also found a kit called Face Fashion, with 2 eyeshadows, blush, mascara and lip gloss, all for $12!!  I knew that wasn't there before because I'd have snatched it up in a hurry!  Add to that the Complexion Superstars kit, with 2 different mineral veils, blush, bronzer and highlighter, plus a brush, for $22.  Just one of the mineral veils costs that much!  Oh, how I love a sale!

I'm finishing up this post on my cellphone. For some unknown reason, my computer decided it didn't want to work anymore and went black. I shut it down 4 times. It came back up but could not find the internet. It was trying to find broadband. ?? We haven't had broadband in years. It also changed the date on the computer to 9/1/2007. My son E says it probably went to a past save or something. My son R is still at work; he's my computer genius. I'll have to wait till tomorrow to get that taken care of. It's pretty urgent - that's the computer with all my son's schoolwork. Never a dull moment is what I say. Well, goodnight y'all. 

Birthday Eve

The countdown is almost over - tomorrow is my birthday!  So what am I doing today to get ready?  Housework, of course :P.

I got up nice and early today because I knew my kids were meeting their dad for some more Christmas shopping.  My oldest son had to work, which probably is best since his dad and siblings were shopping for him (I think he is going to be pleasantly surprised).  I got breakfast ready for us and was enjoying Eggo waffles and bacon, when I got an alert that Shelbey had posted a new video.  As soon as I was done eating I went on youtube to watch it.  She does great makeup tutorials which I love watching, but today it was about beauty gifts for Christmas.  She had us laughing quite a bit!  I really do enjoy her videos.

After that it was time for the kids to get ready and me to start cleaning.  I had to beat a pair of my youngest son's pants; he went to get something out of his closet last night and says he saw a cockroach on his sweatpants.  That boy is terrified of cockroaches.  He didn't want to go anywhere today because he didn't want to have to think about what was in his pants :P.  He actually wanted me to take all his clothes out of the closet and wash them because the thought of a bug on his pants grossed him out so bad!  Yeah boy, that ain't happening.  So I beat the pants till he was convinced there was nothing in them, then inspected them for half an hour before putting them on.  It was quite a sight.

Because of our sweet American bulldog Molly shedding so much, I have to vacuum or sweep the floors everyday.  This week I'd swept more than vacuumed, and yesterday I didn't clean the floors at all, so this morning my floors were furry :P.  Once the kids were all gone I got to work vacuuming and mopping up her industrial strength drool.  It was on the sliding glass doors as well, and I had to scrub it to get it off.  I'm not even sure it's completely clean, but I was getting frustrated.  Every time I looked at the glass I saw another smudge of drool.  Ugh!  I love you Molly but can't you keep your saliva inside your mouth?!  And quit all the shedding, girl.  I could make a second dog with all the fur I picked up today!  So I was vacuuming the family room, and the vacuum cleaner got stuck between the two recliners.  I pulled on it to get it loose and something went wrong.  The vacuum cleaner isn't working.  Well, technically it's working, it just isn't vacuuming from the bottom portion, just from the attachment.  Which is a problem.  I'll probably have to turn the thing upside down and figure out what I did to it, or get it repaired.  Dyson vacuum cleaners don't come cheap, so replacing it isn't an option.  I'm gonna have to get it fixed.  Add that to my to do list.

Since all the kids were gone and it was just me, there was no reason to make a big meal for lunch.  I cooked up some Totino's pizza rolls and munched on those.  I also had a butter pecan ice cream bar; it's not as cold out as it's been this week so I could tolerate some ice cream.  The high today was 75 degrees.  It was breezy the whole day so I was able to keep the windows open.  The humidity was 50% which for us is pretty low.  It made the weather very pleasant and enjoyable.

It's been 5 days and my Ulta order has not shipped.  This is out of the ordinary for them, but I imagine it's because of the holiday rush.  I went ahead and emailed them anyway, just to keep them on the alert.  Wonder how long before I get an answer?

At 3:00 I went to take a shower and get ready for tonight's concert.  Last night the Christmas concert at our old church was very contemporary; tonight's concert at our church would be more traditional, with the church and school choirs coming together for a reading and singing.  This concert is a dressy event, with most folks dressed in red dresses, blouses and shirts.  I love that type of tradition, so I pulled out a long sleeved red blouse I'd gotten a couple years ago at Kohl's.  I especially like the ruching around the waist that makes me look thinner ;-).  I paired that with a black skirt with a dark pink pinstripe.  What I love about this skirt, is how the pinstripe mimics the color of the top.  With a pink top the pinstripe looks pink, with a fuschia, plum, magenta, or burgundy top, that's what the pinstripe will reflect.  With my red blouse the pinstripe looked like a light red and matched beautifully.  I had plenty of time to do my hair and makeup, get dressed and be at the church with 10 minutes to spare.  The concert started off well, and we were singing along with some of the old classics.  As Silent Night started to play, I noticed a girl in the back who was moving around, something you aren't supposed to do when you're singing in a choir.  I also saw the girls around her kind of pulling her.  I couldn't understand what was going on till the girl looked up.  She looked kind of spaced out.  I suddenly realized what was happening - she was fainting.  She went down, got back up and continued singing but went down again.  Several people went to help her up but she was in and out of consciousness.  The curtain went down, and we were left to wonder if the girl was alright.  Within a few minutes our worship pastor came out and said the young girl had been overcome apparently by the heat and lights and had passed out.  She was awake and alert but an ambulance had been called to make sure she was okay.  Thankfully the ambulance got there right away and it appears it's nothing serious.  The concert continued after 15 minutes, but it was kind of awkward after that.  Our pastor got up and spoke about the Christmas story, and about 5 people raised their hands in response to the invitation to receive the gift of salvation, the greatest gift of Christmas.  We prayed for the young girl before leaving the church.  Despite the hiccup, the concert was lovely and it was a sweet time of fellowship.

Once I got home it was time to get out of my outfit and exfoliate.  I do my facial exfoliation once a week because I have sensitive skin, and I've chosen Saturday nights so Sunday morning my skin will look radiant for church.  As I cleansed my face my daughter talked about her birthday party next Friday.  Both my daughter A and my son E were born on December 27, 10 years apart.  E will be turning 15, and A will be 25 years old.  She has decided to have a winter wonderland party, with a hot chocolate bar and desserts such as cookies and cupcakes.  That will be the main focus of the party as opposed to a big meal.  We'll have party games which is something we love, and Christmas music because it is Christmas time after all.  She has invited about 25 people so it'll be a packed house.  She's really looking forward to it.  I've got a lot of scheduling to do to make sure everything goes smoothly.  That's my type A personality working overtime.

It's almost 11:00, and the bed is calling out to me.  You know what?  I haven't got anything planned for my birthday.  Unlike my daughter, I'm choosing to play it by ear.  It's my attempt at being spontaneous, which means letting go control :-).  I'll be posting about my special day tomorrow.  Come on back for a visit, won't ya?

Thursday's Thoughts

Today we are like Winnie the Pooh, starting out with a cold, blustery day.  Once again it was 47 degrees this morning, and the expected high is around 68.  For us, that's pretty chilly.  To all those Northerners out there thinking, "That's not cold at all!  That's springtime weather for us!", yeah, whatever.  Haters gonna hate.

My daughter wanted me to go with her this morning to get the ultrasound done on her leg, but the appointment was at 9:00 and I was running late.  I'm glad I didn't go; the place where the doctor sent her doesn't do the ultrasound she needs.  She spent an hour and a half there for nothing.  Thankfully, the people there were extremely helpful and not only found her another place that actually does the ultrasound she needs, they made the appointment for her.  It's too bad she didn't know this beforehand: the place she went to today is two cities north of us.  The place that she's going to tomorrow, that has the equipment to do what she needs, is in our town, about a 5 minute drive away.  That's annoying.

Once again my son's school day is light.  The biggest assignment he has today is math.  He has to do the work for the lesson that was taught yesterday.  He finished his music portfolio and did his leadership reading, so once again he's ahead of the game.  I'm hoping this trend will continue.  No one (especially not my son) wants to do schoolwork during Christmas break.

The menu for today is the quinoa turkey chili, which I will post the recipe for.  It is so simple to make, full of good stuff like veggies and lean meat, and it is so filling!  You can spice it up if you like, or keep it mild.  I don't go overboard on spicyness because my youngest son will complain, but it does have a tiny bit of a kick.

After schoolwork was done my son and I headed to Old Navy to return a hoodie.  My son had gone to Old Navy with his sister and had seen this blue hoodie that he loved.  My daughter told me he wanted it, and I told her to go ahead and get it for him and I would give her the money.  Well, somehow the message didn't get related correctly, and he was unsure of the size, so he didn't get it.  He wouldn't stop talking about this hoodie, and when I told him he could have gotten it he was upset.  He kept telling his sister he wanted to go back and get it, so she just went after work and picked it up.  Problem was, she got it in a large.  My son had tried on the medium and insisted it was too snug, so she got him the next larger size.  It was huge.  That hoodie looked like it was swallowing him up.  So of course he then kept begging to go back to Old Navy to exchange it.  We don't have any malls in our small town.  All we have is Main Street with a few shops, and a few restaurants around there.  To go to a mall we either have to go south to one city or 2 cities north.  The mall south of us doesn't have an Old Navy; it used to but for some reason it closed.  I don't particularly care for the mall south of us anyway.  It's small and always super crowded.  The good thing is, we live right off an expressway, and the Old Navy is also off the expressway, so it's normally a quick trip.  The not-so-good thing is that there's road construction going on, and the traffic to get to the expressway is ridiculous.  Honestly, it took longer to get to the store than it did to get the exchange done, and there was a line when we got to Old Navy.  I was so glad to get home.  I hate traffic, but it was nice to see my son so happy.  He hasn't taken the hoodie off since we got out the store.

It was my intention to switch out the Christmas lights today, but it was already starting to get dark by the time we got back from the mall, so it's gonna have to wait another day.  Let's just hope I get them fixed before it's time to take them down again.

My son just reminded me that my birthday is just 3 days away.  He asked me if I'm excited.  I said, "Did you get me something nice?"  He answered, "I think you'll like it."  To which I quickly responded, "Then I'm excited!"  LOL!  It made him chuckle.  Then he said he doesn't remember what he got me for Christmas.  I guess that gift isn't quite so memorable.

I watched one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies, definitely my favorite Lifetime Christmas film, Comfort and Joy with Nancy McKeon.  My oldest son got it for me for Christmas last year and I was so thrilled because I can watch it over and over.  I've gotta go clean up the kitchen now.  There's enough chili left for lunch tomorrow, so we'll have that and sandwiches.  A mini vacation from the kitchen, woohoo!  I'm gonna shower early and then maybe watch another Christmas movie.  My collection is calling out to me :-).  Have a great night!

It's Tuesday, And I'm Back!

Surprise!  Two days in a row!  I haven't done that in a while.  Shame on me.

My day started pretty early.  At 6 am I heard my oldest son get up to go to work and I wasn't going back to sleep, so I spent about 45 minutes with the Lord.  My morning routine is prayer time, devotion time, get ready for my day time.  Some days prayer time lasts 30 minutes, sometimes an hour or more.  It's my special time with God that makes the rest of my day go smoothly even when my circumstances don't.

My oldest son R left for work before I got to the kitchen.  He showed back up about 15 minutes later.  He was complaining about a stomachache and nausea, headed to the bathroom, then went to bed and slept for about 4 hours.  I thought it was a fluke, except that my youngest son E was also complaining of a stomachache.  He didn't feel as bad as his brother, thankfully, since he had plenty of schoolwork.  Maybe it was yesterday's pizza...

I checked my emails and found that my son had yet another live class to attend on top of the two already scheduled.  I wasn't too thrilled about that, since he had work from yesterday to complete.  When he went for his second class, he realized no teacher was there.  Come to find out the class had been rescheduled for next week, which was great because we got started on algebra.  He finished his  morning classes before taking a much needed break.  Doing school at home means he can make up his own schedule, so long as he does the required 25 hours per week.  He usually takes a 2 hour break for lunch; his buddies are so jealous!  He was able to do another hour and finish English, but when he tried to do his algebra work, the internet started acting up.  It tends to do that on rainy days, and today has been on and off rain all day.  I figured he could leave it till tomorrow; really, he didn't have much choice.

At breakfast I typically do an online codeword puzzle, but today I watched my favorite youtuber, Shelbey from www.loveshelbey.com.  I'd been pondering makeup products for myself and my daughter, and seeing as how my hair stylist always looks so pretty and her makeup looks fresh no matter what time of the day it is, I asked her what brand she used.  She told me she liked Bare Minerals.  I told her I was looking for something new that would be gentle since I have sensitive skin, and that my daughter with even more sensitive skin can use.  She asked the esthetician on staff and she also said she liked Bare Minerals - or Mac, of course.  I had heard of both, Mac being the expensive brand, but I was unsure about Bare Minerals, or any powder foundation.  Living in South Florida's humid weather, it would seem like powder foundations wouldn't be the best choice, but I trusted my hair stylist.  I went on Youtube looking for tutorials and product reviews and found Shelbey, a 21 year old makeup artist who works at a Bare Minerals store and who explained the step-by-step application.  She made it seem so easy, that I had to give it a try.  Once I did, I was hooked!  I still enjoy watching her videos and learning more techniques.  Just goes to show, a 50 year old mom can learn from a 21 year old girl!

Today was haircut day.  I've been cutting my boy's hair for, oh, probably the past year at least.  I'm not a hair stylist or even a barber; I'm just a lady with a machine ;-).  I bought a Wahl's haircutting system from Costco a while back, and after watching some tutorials I started cutting the boy's hair every other month.  I was mostly concerned about my youngest, but he enjoys getting his hair cut at home where he can immediately jump into the shower when I'm done.  My oldest likes the fact that he saves money; even a $20 haircut isn't as economical as mom's free one.  I don't even mind the mess much.  It's easy to clean up, and we save money.

I got some more presents in the mail today.  This year I've done about 75%, if not more, of my Christmas shopping online.  What with homeschooling and everything else I've had going on, I haven't had time to go to the stores or malls.  The internet makes shopping easy, and since we have Amazon Prime I don't pay for shipping.  By Thanksgiving I had all my Christmas shopping done, and everything I'd received I'd already wrapped.  The only thing missing was my son E's birthday present.  E and his sister share the same birthday, two days after Christmas.  I got A's present but I didn't know what to get for E.  His dad made it easy:  he took the two youngest kids Christmas shopping this past Saturday (R was at work and couldn't join them), and Dad went ahead and got E the Wii U console system from Game Stop that brings a couple of games.  I knew my son wanted some other games for the Wii U so I went ahead and ordered them on Cyber Monday, before the electricity went out (see yesterday's post for details).  Those should arrive tomorrow, and with just a few items still awaiting delivery I'm pretty much done.  Yay for no procrastination!!  We have a tradition in our home - the day after Thanksgiving we start decorating the house for Christmas.  Once everything is done inside the house, I will put one present under the tree for each of them every night.  Even the older kids go over and check to see what mama has stashed underneath the tree every morning (though R tries to play it cool, like he's not really interested.  He doesn't fool me).  I love those kinds of traditions that we look forward to each year.

I did a load of laundry this morning; it's still in the dryer.  E and I were watching A Muppet's Christmas Carol and I was dozing off.  It's been a busy day, and I think it's time I started winding down.  Today I'm thankful that my Christmas shopping is done, that I have no Christmas shopping debt, and I'm especially thankful for the relaxed schedule of homeschooling.  What are you thankful for?