My Favorite Blogs - Part 2

I hope you checked out the Pioneer Woman's blog yesterday. I check in with her every morning while I eat my cereal. Actually that's the time I check in with all of my favorite blogs!
Today I want to introduce you to Way Out West. This blog is written by my dear friend Heather. We've known each other since elementary school and our blogs are how we keep up with each other! Heather is a Maine native who now lives in beautiful Idaho with her husband and two young boys. After a few years as a working (outside the home) mom, Heather now stays home with her sweet boys. Her blog is funny, inspiring, real, and relevant. It's refreshing to read about the struggles she experiences in raising her family as well as the joys. This upbeat blog is also the place to find fantastic recipes, with photos I might add. Way Out West is full of fun ideas to share with your children like, Muffin Tin Monday, a new regular feature that Heather has done for a few weeks now. If you want to spend time reading about things you can totally relate to then head on over to Way Out West!

The Northeast is experiencing the most balmy November weather! It's a bit drizzly today but WARM! We'll take it! It won't be long before we're up to our EYEBALLS in snow - which I love! We're off to Barrington, Rhode Island tomorrow for our last soccer tournament of the season. I'm so thankful that the weather will be so much warmer than last year. We all froze our bee-hinds off!

Some of you may remember my rotten luck with all of my kitchen appliances. Basically they all ceased to function - one at a time. All except the dishwasher, that is...until recently. About three weeks ago it also stopped working. Actually, it worked fine until it was time for it to drain the filthy, nasty, water. So now, I own a pretty, new, stainless steel dishwasher! My old one was white, which was fine since it matched the cabinets. But since we found this one on clearance at Sears, at my other appliances are stainless, we figured we'd go with the shiny silver model. I like it just fine. I don't think I'm particularly attached to any of my kitchen appliances. They're all nice enough but if I'm going to be excited about an appliance it's going to be my DYSON vacuum!! I do love that machine...

I think I'll take old Lucy girl for a walk before the girlies come home from school. I hope the humidity doesn't frizz my hair all out like I stuck my finger in a socket!!!

Let Me Clarify

I don't want to defend my opinions or keep hashing this out, but I feel that my comments about many voters not doing their homework needs some clarification. I really hesitate to even do this but I want to be sure that you see my meaning. And for the record I'd have most definitely voted for Obama if I thought he represented my views better than McCain. This excerpt from Howard Stern's radio program demonstrates the ignorance with which some people went to the polls. It clearly shows what I meant about "doing their homework". SalInHarlem.mp3 (3256.5 KB) Please, check it out. It doesn't really matter at this point but it is interesting none the less. Now, that's enough political stuff. This blog is hereby a politic free zone!

My Favorite Blogs - Part 1

I went to work yesterday for the first time in nearly 14 years! For three hours I got to color, read books, play math bingo, and listen to calendar time and classroom election relsults! I was working one on one with a little girl in first grade. She was a sweet girl with chubby, freckled cheek who liked to hold my hand. It was a good first day of work.

Of course the big news at school, and everywhere for that matter, was the election. Allison has a competitive spirit. It was difficult for her to be bantered about her choice for president. She held firm though and defended her choice. At home she was glued to Fox News as we watched the election results trickle in, no I'm not kidding! She kept saying, "I want to watch the voting Mommy!" So we did. You may see her on Fox News one day as a political analyst! Of course I'm disappointed in the results. I really feel that many voters didn't do their homework on the president elect before they voted. With great restraint I will leave it at that...

For the next few posts I thought I'd highlight the awesome blogs I read. There are tons of bloggers in bloggerland and I only read a handful but they are GOOD! Today I want to introduce you to The Pioneer Woman. Ree Drummond is the blogger. She and her husband are raising their four children on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma. Her blog is chalk full of fabulous photography, recipes, and anecdotes from her life on the ranch. Currently, her husband and two daughters are visiting the Dominican Republic with Compassion International. Compassion is close to my family's heart and reading Ree's updates from her family's visit is truly inspiring. Read about Compassion International here and then go to Ree's blog and read the first hand account of what Compassion does and the impact the visit is having on Ree's family. Spend some time perusing older posts from the different areas of the site. You'll love getting to know this modern day Pioneer Woman!

The Week in Review

Been a whole week since I posted. Oops. Been kinda busy around here. Big decisions. Business trips. Halloween. 'Nuf said.

So. Katie is going back to school full time. Now don't go assuming it's because I'm incapable of teaching her or that she's difficult to teach. Fact of the matter is she's an awesome kid with a sweet spirit. It was not an easy decision but I truly feel that she is supposed to be in school. God doesn't seem to want my children in a private christian school or at home. He's made it clear to me that I need to stop fighting Him on this point and just trust that He knows best. That may sound like a bunch of crazy talk to some of you, but for me it's the truth. I'm glad to have help in this journey of raising children and living my life!

I've got me a new job. A paying job. The kind where you go in and work and then leave and then get a paycheck. An actual, for real, paycheck. The kind that can be put in the bank or spent at the mall. I haven't had this kind of a job in 14 years!! I'm now a substitute paraprofessional at Becky and Allison's school. I'll work one on one with special needs learners, help in a classroom, or fill in at lunch and recess duty. Funny that I've done some of this as a volunteer but now I can actually get paid for it. Cool. Being a substitute is right up my alley because I'll still have plenty of time to volunteer in the girls' classes, write, and do my regular errands, and be home with my girls! I'm excited to start.

Ed was gone again all week. I don't like it too much when he's gone. I miss him. The girls miss him. It's too quiet around here. I have to take the trash out and I don't like that too much. The week goes by slowly for all of us. But we love when he gets home! The girls fight for his attention and he bops around the house saying things like, "I love my girls!" He enjoys being the center of attention among his adoring fans!

It snowed this week. Can you even believe that! I'm not talking flurries in the sky but actual, stick to the ground, build a snowman snow!! The girls loved it! I love snow too but in October?- not so much!

Yesterday (Halloween) Katie and Becky both had parties in their classrooms and I volunteered to make cupcakes for both. Then I talked Katie into making the cupcakes. She made over 70 cupcakes! I was so glad that she was willing to do it! The parties were lots of fun. The school does Character Dress Up day where the kids dress as a book character. I loved seeing all the kids dressed up! Allison was Hannah Montana - I know she isn't technically a book character but try telling that to a five year old! Becky was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. They both looked adorable! Then of course last night was trick or treating. They got dressed up in different costumes! Katie handed out candy and Lucy tried to devour a chihuahua dressed as a bumble bee. A fun time was had by all...

Becky the Clown ready for some trick or treating!
Allison the Princess in her princess pose!

Today we are getting a couple of house projects done and then heading to Albany. Our house is still officially 'on the market' but no one has looked at it in a couple of months. We figured it was no big deal and we'll just stay here. We like our house. Well, the realtor called and asked if she could show the house on Monday. The listing contract expires this weekend but I told her to go ahead and show it...whatever, right? She'll take the sign with her when their done looking at the house. And if they don't want the house that's fine - it will be off the market and we won't be showing it to anyone else. Still, there are a couple of small projects that should be done before people come traipsing through here. I'm so glad Ed is here to do them!! I'm sure that right about now, he is too!
No soccer this weekend! This is the first time since Labor Day! Next weekend is a tournament in Rhode Island and then we are officially done with the fall soccer season! The tournament is fun - we get to stay in a beautiful hotel, in a beautiful spot, close to Providence, and with a pool! Not a shabby way to spend a weekend!

And finally...a video that demonstrates Katie's evil tendencies!