Why does it have to be one in the morning? Better question - why does it have to be one in the morning and I'm still wide awake?! Brendon and Brenna have the right idea and are in bed right now, fast asleep. I've been having a bit of insomnia lately and I'm not sure why. Never really had a problem going to bed at night. This week my bedtime has shifted from midnight to about 2 am. I've always been a bit of a night-owl but this is ridiculous!
The other night I finally turned off the TV at about 1:30 and just sat there, my mind going 100 miles per hour. I just could not shut it off. It was actually very annoying. I was thinking of everything from making laundry soap to how I am going to get rid of those damn ants that have invaded my garden boxes. I hate those ants. They have caused me a lot of headache these past few days. That's all I want to do is plant my stupid seeds and they are completely in my way! It's not like I can just spray them with poison (oh and I want to soooo bad!!!) and go on my merry little way - that poison will end up getting into my nice veggies that I try so hard to grow organically. If I want pesticide ridden veggies, I'll buy them at the grocery store.
I guess I've just had so many things on my mind and on my plate recently. I've made a lot of changes in our life in very little time and I wonder sometimes if I am just overwhelming myself a tad bit too much. I was pretty good there for a while doing small changes and getting used to those before taking on anything else.
The first thing was completely changing our eating habits - that did take a while to do and I still have some room to work. THAT right there is a huge feat. I took us from a 'Hamburger Helper and hot dogs once a week family' to a family who eats fresh vegetables and fruit every day and cooking purely from scratch. You will not find boxed, frozen or processed dinners in my house at all anymore. You come to my house on any given day and we will be having green smoothies and fruit for a snack! I am really loving it though and it has made a big difference in what we all eat, Brenna especially. Like I said before, I still need to work on some things but it's a big change from what we were doing a year ago.
Next thing I did was change the way I clean my house. I do not buy nasty chemicals for cleaning anymore. I have incorporated vinegar and baking soda for pretty much everything. Ever since I read that cleaning chemicals have caused childhood cancers, they are gone. The smell of clean for me is not bleach and 409 anymore - I have learned to loooove the smell of vinegar. LOL
But there's still so much to do!!
I am obsessed with green and healthy living and to be honest, it's driving me freakin' crazy!!! No wonder I stay up till all hours of the night not being able to shut my brain off! Why do I do these things to myself??? The things I have read literally make me lose sleep at night. Most people, like Brendon, say that ignorance is bliss but I am tired of being ignorant. Especially when it comes to my family and our health. Most of this stuff that is in our everyday products are dangerous for our health and should not be used at all. I am not a sheep anymore and I definitely do not believe most of what I hear. Look up some of this stuff online and get some books from the library - you will be very surprised at what you find.
My next big project --- making laundry soap, bar soap and getting rid of all the terrible, chemical ridden beauty and personal care things we use right now.
So far I have found a really great natural tooth paste that Brenna likes (most I bought were way too spicy) that is fluoride free (btw, fluoride is terrible for you!!! and actually causes cavities!! Stop using it!) and I only use natural stuff on my face. Coconut oil is wonderful as a moisturizer and I also use a olive oil/salt mixture as an exfoliator. I am looking into shampoos and conditioners right now.
But I need to not focus on so many things at one time. What I really need to do is stop reading so much stuff!! LOL But I do love educating myself on things like this. It really is very interesting to me and I just can't get enough.
Oh! Another thing I am getting into...... natural medicine. Essential oils and herbal medicine is very intriguing to me. In fact, I have been sick with a nasty sinus infection this past week and am getting better everyday with no meds at all. I've been taking Oil of Oregano and using my NetiPot a few times a day. I could go on but I don't have enough time tonight - that will have to be a whole other post.
Okay, it's already 2 AM. I'm sure most of you reading already think I'm a complete nut - LOL - so I'm going to end it here. Believe me tho, there will be more on all this very soon!
Till fingers and keyboard meet again......
Monday, March 08, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Been Busy!
Things are going great here! We've been super busy with basketball, Girl Scouts and just life in general. My good friend Tara emailed the other morning and after I told her how busy we've been she wrote.... "You definitely have changed my view of stay at home moms and homeschoolers! So thank you for that. Not that I had any kind of negative viewpoint or anything, it's just that I didn't realize someone who wasn't rushing off to work and school could be so darn busy!! :)" LOL - I thought that was funny. Hope you don't mind me sharing that Tara..... I just really liked that. :) It might just become one of my favorite quotes! LOL
Basketball is officially over for this season. Brenna had her awards ceremony this past Saturday and her team came in 3rd place. She did so, so good this year and I am proud to say that she made her very first basket this year! Oh we were so proud of her and I think a tear might have come to my eye --- okay, so it did. :) Last year she hardly even touched the ball, so for her to actually make a basket was a HUGE deal. She wants to continue playing so we'll be signing her up again next season. She has star potential! And her height doesn't hurt either. :) In a few weeks kickball starts so that should be fun. She's never played before but apparently it's so easy that they don't even have practices! lol They will have 2 games a week and it will be in the Spring and will be so nice to take some lawn chairs and watch a game.
Girl Scouts is going great and Brenna has made so many new friends. They just ended their cookie sales and Brenna was the top seller in her troop. She sold about 300 boxes of cookies! :) It was great filling the order form up but now that the cookies have come in and we actually have to DELIVER them, it's been quite a chore.
We're also doing co-ops right now with the homeschool group. (Told you we were busy!) It's only for 6 weeks and this Friday will be the fouth week. I volunteered in the 4 and 5 year old class again - I love that age and it is so easy to come up with stuff to do. Last time I was the 'helper' so I didn't have to plan anything. This time around I am the 'teacher' so I have to come up with activities and stuff. I was a bit nervous because my helper was somebody that I didn't know very well and for those who know me, I am not about the 'sit-at-the-table-and-let-me-teach-you' crap - a lot of homeschool Mom are. I like to have fun and play and I didn't know what kind of Mom my helper was. Some classes at co-ops are very structured and even the pre-schoolers get sat at a table and they do busy-work. I love the playground and games and art stuff. The first day of co-ops my helper came up to me and asked what we were doing and I told her flat out that we were doing playground time and an art thing. She gave me a big smile and said, "Great!" and I instantly became much more comfortable. So it has been much easier since then.
Brenna, on the other hand, isn't having that great of a time. She does not like it at all this time around. After the first day she told me, "Mom, it's sooo boring! They say the same things over and over!" This is coming from a child who has had about a total of 4 hours of "school" work in her life and is not used to the classroom setting at all. LOL Last week we were a little late and I took her to the room they were in and I opened the door and walked in and all the 2nd and 3rd grade kids were sitting at the tables and the teacher was in front holding a poster board with animal habitat stuff on it, talking in a really mono tone voice, very 'school-like', and right then and there I realized how right Brenna was. How dreadful!! Talk about making animal habitats boring as hell!
Well it's late and I am ready for bed. I have so much more to say though so hopefully it won't be as long between posts. I really do need to start being better about posting. Maybe this will be the beginning a a very long spurt. :) I do miss blogging and letting all my thougts (and opinions!) out. I'm sure a lot of people have given up on my blog -- maybe I'll have to send another email out soon.
Good night all!
Basketball is officially over for this season. Brenna had her awards ceremony this past Saturday and her team came in 3rd place. She did so, so good this year and I am proud to say that she made her very first basket this year! Oh we were so proud of her and I think a tear might have come to my eye --- okay, so it did. :) Last year she hardly even touched the ball, so for her to actually make a basket was a HUGE deal. She wants to continue playing so we'll be signing her up again next season. She has star potential! And her height doesn't hurt either. :) In a few weeks kickball starts so that should be fun. She's never played before but apparently it's so easy that they don't even have practices! lol They will have 2 games a week and it will be in the Spring and will be so nice to take some lawn chairs and watch a game.
Girl Scouts is going great and Brenna has made so many new friends. They just ended their cookie sales and Brenna was the top seller in her troop. She sold about 300 boxes of cookies! :) It was great filling the order form up but now that the cookies have come in and we actually have to DELIVER them, it's been quite a chore.
We're also doing co-ops right now with the homeschool group. (Told you we were busy!) It's only for 6 weeks and this Friday will be the fouth week. I volunteered in the 4 and 5 year old class again - I love that age and it is so easy to come up with stuff to do. Last time I was the 'helper' so I didn't have to plan anything. This time around I am the 'teacher' so I have to come up with activities and stuff. I was a bit nervous because my helper was somebody that I didn't know very well and for those who know me, I am not about the 'sit-at-the-table-and-let-me-teach-you' crap - a lot of homeschool Mom are. I like to have fun and play and I didn't know what kind of Mom my helper was. Some classes at co-ops are very structured and even the pre-schoolers get sat at a table and they do busy-work. I love the playground and games and art stuff. The first day of co-ops my helper came up to me and asked what we were doing and I told her flat out that we were doing playground time and an art thing. She gave me a big smile and said, "Great!" and I instantly became much more comfortable. So it has been much easier since then.
Brenna, on the other hand, isn't having that great of a time. She does not like it at all this time around. After the first day she told me, "Mom, it's sooo boring! They say the same things over and over!" This is coming from a child who has had about a total of 4 hours of "school" work in her life and is not used to the classroom setting at all. LOL Last week we were a little late and I took her to the room they were in and I opened the door and walked in and all the 2nd and 3rd grade kids were sitting at the tables and the teacher was in front holding a poster board with animal habitat stuff on it, talking in a really mono tone voice, very 'school-like', and right then and there I realized how right Brenna was. How dreadful!! Talk about making animal habitats boring as hell!
Well it's late and I am ready for bed. I have so much more to say though so hopefully it won't be as long between posts. I really do need to start being better about posting. Maybe this will be the beginning a a very long spurt. :) I do miss blogging and letting all my thougts (and opinions!) out. I'm sure a lot of people have given up on my blog -- maybe I'll have to send another email out soon.
Good night all!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
John Holt
John Holt was an amazing man and somebody that I greatly respect as an unschooling parent. I've read about half his books and he is one of the reasons that I started looking into a more relaxed approach with Brenna. He was the "grandfather" of unschooling, as they say. I wanted to share some wonderful quotes from him that I find very powerful and inspiring....
“It is as true now as it was then that no matter what tests show, very little of what is taught in school is learned, very little of what is learned is remembered, and very little of what is remembered is used. The things we learn, remember, and use are the things we seek out or meet in the daily, serious, nonschool parts of our lives.”
“Children do not need to be made to learn to be better, told what to do or shown how. If they are given access to enough of the world, they will see clearly enough what things are truly important to themselves and to others, and they will make for themselves a better path into that world then anyone else could make for them”
“To parents I say, above all else, don’t let your home become some terrible miniature copy of the school. No lesson plans! No quizzes! No tests! No report cards! Even leaving your kids alone would be better; at least they could figure out some things on their own. Live together, as well as you can; enjoy life together, as much as you can.”
“It’s not that I feel that school is a good idea gone wrong, but a wrong idea from the word go. It’s a nutty notion that we can have a place where nothing but learning happens, cut off from the rest of life.”
“…the anxiety children feel at constantly being tested, their fear of failure, punishment, and disgrace, severely reduces their ability both to perceive and to remember, and drives them away from the material being studied into strategies for fooling teachers into thinking they know what they really don’t know."
“What children need is not new and better curricula but access to more and more of the real world; plenty of time and space to think over their experiences, and to use fantasy and play to make meaning out of them; and advice, road maps, guidebooks, to make it easier for them to get where they want to go (not where we think they ought to go), and to find out what they want to find out."
“True learning – learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action and further learning — can arise only out of the experience, interest, and concerns of the learner”
“It is as true now as it was then that no matter what tests show, very little of what is taught in school is learned, very little of what is learned is remembered, and very little of what is remembered is used. The things we learn, remember, and use are the things we seek out or meet in the daily, serious, nonschool parts of our lives.”
“Children do not need to be made to learn to be better, told what to do or shown how. If they are given access to enough of the world, they will see clearly enough what things are truly important to themselves and to others, and they will make for themselves a better path into that world then anyone else could make for them”
“To parents I say, above all else, don’t let your home become some terrible miniature copy of the school. No lesson plans! No quizzes! No tests! No report cards! Even leaving your kids alone would be better; at least they could figure out some things on their own. Live together, as well as you can; enjoy life together, as much as you can.”
“It’s not that I feel that school is a good idea gone wrong, but a wrong idea from the word go. It’s a nutty notion that we can have a place where nothing but learning happens, cut off from the rest of life.”
“…the anxiety children feel at constantly being tested, their fear of failure, punishment, and disgrace, severely reduces their ability both to perceive and to remember, and drives them away from the material being studied into strategies for fooling teachers into thinking they know what they really don’t know."
“What children need is not new and better curricula but access to more and more of the real world; plenty of time and space to think over their experiences, and to use fantasy and play to make meaning out of them; and advice, road maps, guidebooks, to make it easier for them to get where they want to go (not where we think they ought to go), and to find out what they want to find out."
“True learning – learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action and further learning — can arise only out of the experience, interest, and concerns of the learner”
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A Very Long Over-Do Hello!
Hello. My name is Brandi and I am a Facebook addict.
LOL Yes, that is why I have not written anything on my blog in a very long while! I created a Facebook account a few months ago and it has been consuming my computer life. 90% of the time that I spend on the computer is on that stinkin' website. For those of you who have an account, you might understand where I am coming from. For those who do not, my apologies. I will try to start keeping up a little better with my blog.
Wow! So much has happened since I last posted! I don't even know where to begin.....
First I have to brag about my smart, sweet daughter. She is absolutely amazing! She blows me away everyday with things that she learns and figures out. For those who say you need forced learning and that children need to learn things at a certain age -- I say "Phooey"!! lol Yeah, blogger is totally going to get me on the spelling of THAT word! hehehe But seriously, she's one smart cookie. Not just book smart either - she can really figure things out and she is very sharp. The things that she retains is awesome too. Spelling for example.... I pretty much just have to tell her how to spell a word one time and she remembers it. Her writing is getting so much better too. That was one thing that I was concerned about for a while but it has been improving drastically. Everything that I have worried about in the past, she has proved me wrong with and I am getting so much more comfortable in letting her go at her own pace. This whole unschooling thing is a very long journey. And yes, it's a tad bit scary and unfamiliar. It's definitely not easy and takes a lot of patience and tons of trust, but it gets easier as the weeks and months (and years!) go by. Right now I am a little concerned with her learning how to tell time but I am just being patient and waiting for it to "click" (and it will - I have learned that!!). I know that it will come in time and that she doesn't need to follow MY time-line and learn it when I think she needs to learn it. When it becomes relevant to her life, it will take about 5 minutes for her comprehend it. I'm not saying that she has no clue at all about time - that's not the case at all! She knows the hours and knows that a half hour is 30 minutes, AM vs. PM, ect... but if you ask her to look at a clock when it's 4:20 and tell you what time it is, then she'll have somewhat of a hard time. But that's okay. She'll get it eventually - I have absolutely no doubt about that. Just like everything else I have ever worried about. She ALWAYS comes through and always eases my fears. I'm actually getting better at not worrying so much. It's hard though when you are so used to the "school schedule" and with kids learning things at certain ages. It is in the back of my mind but as time goes on it doesn't bother me as much. Like I said earlier, it's all about trust and I trust my daughter to learn the things that she needs to learn.
So one funny thing that I want to share about the whole homeschooling thing --- I was talking to her Girl Scout leader the other night. Brenna had a sleep over last Friday for Girl Scouts and her leader was asking me if she had a good time. Brenna raved about it and loved it and I was telling her that, yes, she had a blast. Her leader then told me that she has had a few homeschoolers in her troop before and they have always been very shy and mousy and not very outspoken, but not Brenna!! Oh no! She was extremely surprised at how out-spoken and fun she was. I just laughed and said yes, Brenna is definitely NOT the quiet type. When people ask me about the whole "socialization" thing I have to chuckle a bit (and secretly roll my eyes). It's funny how people stereotype homeschoolers. LOL
So on to other big news!! I have a new nephew!! OMG, he is sooo cute and I am such a proud Aunt! He was born on Monday (1/11/10) and is the most perfect little boy you have ever seen! Very, very cute and such a good baby. It will be interesting having a little boy in the family, especially since we've just had Brenna and Keira thus far. I will have to take pictures and post them on my blog very soon.
Well hopefully I will post again soon -- with me, you never know! LOL
Happy New Year to everyone!
LOL Yes, that is why I have not written anything on my blog in a very long while! I created a Facebook account a few months ago and it has been consuming my computer life. 90% of the time that I spend on the computer is on that stinkin' website. For those of you who have an account, you might understand where I am coming from. For those who do not, my apologies. I will try to start keeping up a little better with my blog.
Wow! So much has happened since I last posted! I don't even know where to begin.....
First I have to brag about my smart, sweet daughter. She is absolutely amazing! She blows me away everyday with things that she learns and figures out. For those who say you need forced learning and that children need to learn things at a certain age -- I say "Phooey"!! lol Yeah, blogger is totally going to get me on the spelling of THAT word! hehehe But seriously, she's one smart cookie. Not just book smart either - she can really figure things out and she is very sharp. The things that she retains is awesome too. Spelling for example.... I pretty much just have to tell her how to spell a word one time and she remembers it. Her writing is getting so much better too. That was one thing that I was concerned about for a while but it has been improving drastically. Everything that I have worried about in the past, she has proved me wrong with and I am getting so much more comfortable in letting her go at her own pace. This whole unschooling thing is a very long journey. And yes, it's a tad bit scary and unfamiliar. It's definitely not easy and takes a lot of patience and tons of trust, but it gets easier as the weeks and months (and years!) go by. Right now I am a little concerned with her learning how to tell time but I am just being patient and waiting for it to "click" (and it will - I have learned that!!). I know that it will come in time and that she doesn't need to follow MY time-line and learn it when I think she needs to learn it. When it becomes relevant to her life, it will take about 5 minutes for her comprehend it. I'm not saying that she has no clue at all about time - that's not the case at all! She knows the hours and knows that a half hour is 30 minutes, AM vs. PM, ect... but if you ask her to look at a clock when it's 4:20 and tell you what time it is, then she'll have somewhat of a hard time. But that's okay. She'll get it eventually - I have absolutely no doubt about that. Just like everything else I have ever worried about. She ALWAYS comes through and always eases my fears. I'm actually getting better at not worrying so much. It's hard though when you are so used to the "school schedule" and with kids learning things at certain ages. It is in the back of my mind but as time goes on it doesn't bother me as much. Like I said earlier, it's all about trust and I trust my daughter to learn the things that she needs to learn.
So one funny thing that I want to share about the whole homeschooling thing --- I was talking to her Girl Scout leader the other night. Brenna had a sleep over last Friday for Girl Scouts and her leader was asking me if she had a good time. Brenna raved about it and loved it and I was telling her that, yes, she had a blast. Her leader then told me that she has had a few homeschoolers in her troop before and they have always been very shy and mousy and not very outspoken, but not Brenna!! Oh no! She was extremely surprised at how out-spoken and fun she was. I just laughed and said yes, Brenna is definitely NOT the quiet type. When people ask me about the whole "socialization" thing I have to chuckle a bit (and secretly roll my eyes). It's funny how people stereotype homeschoolers. LOL
So on to other big news!! I have a new nephew!! OMG, he is sooo cute and I am such a proud Aunt! He was born on Monday (1/11/10) and is the most perfect little boy you have ever seen! Very, very cute and such a good baby. It will be interesting having a little boy in the family, especially since we've just had Brenna and Keira thus far. I will have to take pictures and post them on my blog very soon.
Well hopefully I will post again soon -- with me, you never know! LOL
Happy New Year to everyone!
Monday, December 07, 2009
Facebook Post
I'm so addicted to Facebook! Wanted to share a post on my wall that I thought was relevant to my blog. Comments are welcome.
(My Status) "When I hear people say that if we don't control what our kids learn/do/wear/eat/etc. that things will fall apart, I can't help but think that they don't have a very high opinion of children". ~ Rue Kream
(A comment from someone....) Wow there's a thought but.....if you truly love your children you will give them guidance and direction, which they will follow and grow to be responsible adults. Control is a harsh negative word, yet rules are control? Something to ponder.....
(My reply) There's a huge difference between rules and control though and I think a lot of parents have a very hard time differentiating between the two. They think that they have a child and they have to tell them EVERY single thing that they can and can't do, how they should feel and act - that's sad and does not show a child how to 'grow'.
I don't control my daughter - she's her own person. She does have rules and guidance which she follows, like not crossing the street without looking both ways (which we ALL follow), flush the toilet when you're thru (LOL), ect.... As for telling her what to wear, foods to like and how to feel - that is a personal choice whether you're an adult or a child. It's BECAUSE I respect her as person that she does listen to me when I try to guide her and and show her direction. If I constantly bossed her around and told her how to feel and act then most of what I would say would go in one ear and out the other (like most parents complain of). And it only gets worse the older they get. I feel that most problems adults have with trying to express their feelings have to do with how they were raised to SUPPRESS their feelings. ("You shouldn't be so upset." "There's no reason to be mad." "Get over it...")
My daughter, who is 7, does not have many rules and is hardly ever told how to feel or what to do, yet she is a very thoughtful, compassionate and cooperative child. I feel that sometimes a parent makes it worse when they are constantly on top of their kid, expecting way too much. Just because a child is smaller and younger doesn't mean that they are any less of a person with feelings and opinions.
(My Status) "When I hear people say that if we don't control what our kids learn/do/wear/eat/etc. that things will fall apart, I can't help but think that they don't have a very high opinion of children". ~ Rue Kream
(A comment from someone....) Wow there's a thought but.....if you truly love your children you will give them guidance and direction, which they will follow and grow to be responsible adults. Control is a harsh negative word, yet rules are control? Something to ponder.....
(My reply) There's a huge difference between rules and control though and I think a lot of parents have a very hard time differentiating between the two. They think that they have a child and they have to tell them EVERY single thing that they can and can't do, how they should feel and act - that's sad and does not show a child how to 'grow'.
I don't control my daughter - she's her own person. She does have rules and guidance which she follows, like not crossing the street without looking both ways (which we ALL follow), flush the toilet when you're thru (LOL), ect.... As for telling her what to wear, foods to like and how to feel - that is a personal choice whether you're an adult or a child. It's BECAUSE I respect her as person that she does listen to me when I try to guide her and and show her direction. If I constantly bossed her around and told her how to feel and act then most of what I would say would go in one ear and out the other (like most parents complain of). And it only gets worse the older they get. I feel that most problems adults have with trying to express their feelings have to do with how they were raised to SUPPRESS their feelings. ("You shouldn't be so upset." "There's no reason to be mad." "Get over it...")
My daughter, who is 7, does not have many rules and is hardly ever told how to feel or what to do, yet she is a very thoughtful, compassionate and cooperative child. I feel that sometimes a parent makes it worse when they are constantly on top of their kid, expecting way too much. Just because a child is smaller and younger doesn't mean that they are any less of a person with feelings and opinions.
Friday, December 04, 2009
How To Find Your Bliss
"How To Find Your Bliss" - I stole this from my friend, Tara's, blog. She's always got great stuff!!!
1. Be grateful for being alive. A lot of people are too busy grumbling about things to be happy for life. Life is precious and daily recognition of your luck in being here is a must.
2. Count your friends. Whether you have two or twenty, every friend is precious. Let them know how much they mean to you - with compliments and kind words. They are an important part of your bliss, just as you are a part of theirs.
3. Read biographies. When great people who have impressed you have written about their lives, or someone else has written about them, you will get lots of tips and information on how to live life right.
4. Seek bliss deliberately. Don't let life's knocks squash you. Things are not always going to work the way you want to. Deal with that and don't lose your calm. Seek the silver lining and remember that you are wonderful and deserve your bliss.
5. Be a kind and fascinating person. When you are kind and listen well, others will gravitate to you. Practice kind thoughts everyday. If you feel anger, irritation or frustration, it is time to seek ways to deal with these feelings. Let the calm of life blow through you.
6. Be blissful. When you are happy, you are attractive, fun and enjoyable to be with. You are content with your lot and you are stable in your life's choices.
1. Be grateful for being alive. A lot of people are too busy grumbling about things to be happy for life. Life is precious and daily recognition of your luck in being here is a must.
2. Count your friends. Whether you have two or twenty, every friend is precious. Let them know how much they mean to you - with compliments and kind words. They are an important part of your bliss, just as you are a part of theirs.
3. Read biographies. When great people who have impressed you have written about their lives, or someone else has written about them, you will get lots of tips and information on how to live life right.
4. Seek bliss deliberately. Don't let life's knocks squash you. Things are not always going to work the way you want to. Deal with that and don't lose your calm. Seek the silver lining and remember that you are wonderful and deserve your bliss.
5. Be a kind and fascinating person. When you are kind and listen well, others will gravitate to you. Practice kind thoughts everyday. If you feel anger, irritation or frustration, it is time to seek ways to deal with these feelings. Let the calm of life blow through you.
6. Be blissful. When you are happy, you are attractive, fun and enjoyable to be with. You are content with your lot and you are stable in your life's choices.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Ready, Set...Christmas!
Last night we put up the Christmas tree and decorated the house all up. We have decked our halls and are jingling our bells. LOL We also spent about 3 hours outside putting lights up and I have to say, it looks mighty pretty. :) We haven't put up lights in a couple years. Brenna was so giddy about it and thought it was wonderful. I love having a kid during Christmas.
This year's a little different for us then it has ever been. We decided to use the money that we had set aside for Christmas to help a family who really needs it. We talked to everyone in our family and told them to please not get us anything because there would be no presents from us.
Brendon works with a girl (and knows her father) who really needs our help this year. Her brother (19 years old) was in a terrible car accident about a month ago and they didn't think he'd make it - they spent two weeks wondering if he was going to live or not. The same day they got the good news that he was going to be okay, they were hit with another tragedy - their house caught on fire and they lost just about everything.
Now on top of medical bills, they have a whole house to refurnish and are without things that most of us take for granted. People at Brendon's work have really come through for them and they have received lots of clothes and furniture. The son who had been in the hospital came home to a hand-me-down couch to sleep on and has been sleeping on it for a couple weeks. He's still in pretty bad shape and told his Dad that the couch is really hurting his body (it's one of those fold out couches with the bars you can feel through the mattress). When we asked Elias (the Dad) a few days ago what they needed he said right away, "A bed for my son." Well I went out today and used our Christmas money to buy him a new bed. This week we will also be shopping for kitchen things as well as some toys for the 7 year old daughter. Some of the women in my home school group have been awesome too and we are getting two dressers, clothes, a night stand and a stove to give to them as well. Today I went to my Grandma's and got some more clothes for the mother, towels, wash clothes, hangers and blankets.
I just feel in my heart that I have to do all that I can to help these people. They are a good, hard-working family and the times that I have talked to Elias on the phone, you can just tell that he hates asking for things. I just couldn't imagine losing everything I had.
So I think this year is going to be a really good Christmas for the Spear house. It's going to be all about giving to a family who really needs it. I think that that's what Christmas should really be all about.
This year's a little different for us then it has ever been. We decided to use the money that we had set aside for Christmas to help a family who really needs it. We talked to everyone in our family and told them to please not get us anything because there would be no presents from us.
Brendon works with a girl (and knows her father) who really needs our help this year. Her brother (19 years old) was in a terrible car accident about a month ago and they didn't think he'd make it - they spent two weeks wondering if he was going to live or not. The same day they got the good news that he was going to be okay, they were hit with another tragedy - their house caught on fire and they lost just about everything.
Now on top of medical bills, they have a whole house to refurnish and are without things that most of us take for granted. People at Brendon's work have really come through for them and they have received lots of clothes and furniture. The son who had been in the hospital came home to a hand-me-down couch to sleep on and has been sleeping on it for a couple weeks. He's still in pretty bad shape and told his Dad that the couch is really hurting his body (it's one of those fold out couches with the bars you can feel through the mattress). When we asked Elias (the Dad) a few days ago what they needed he said right away, "A bed for my son." Well I went out today and used our Christmas money to buy him a new bed. This week we will also be shopping for kitchen things as well as some toys for the 7 year old daughter. Some of the women in my home school group have been awesome too and we are getting two dressers, clothes, a night stand and a stove to give to them as well. Today I went to my Grandma's and got some more clothes for the mother, towels, wash clothes, hangers and blankets.
I just feel in my heart that I have to do all that I can to help these people. They are a good, hard-working family and the times that I have talked to Elias on the phone, you can just tell that he hates asking for things. I just couldn't imagine losing everything I had.
So I think this year is going to be a really good Christmas for the Spear house. It's going to be all about giving to a family who really needs it. I think that that's what Christmas should really be all about.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Cardinals Game
Brendon and I went to the Harlingen Cardinals playoff game this past Friday with his Dad and Nan at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio. We had side line passes and had a great time!! They lost but they did such a great job going as far as they did in the playoffs! GO CARDS!!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Freedom Wall
Friday, November 20, 2009
Busy Day
Oh geez! I don't write a post in forever and now here I am posting for the fourth time in two days. Talk about sporadic!!
Anyways, today was a VERY busy day!! Seems like I've been having a lot of those lately. You should see all the stuff I have written on my calendar! People think that because we homeschool, we are home all the time. HA!
We had our last co-op with the homeschool group this morning. Most moms in our group are so happy to see co-ops come to an end but I actually enjoy them and wish they were longer than 6 weeks or more often then just twice a year. I think a lot of the Mom's are happy when they end because they are so caught up with school curriculum and anything extra just throws them off course. I guess if we did school at home it would be the same for us. Some families blow off field trips and stuff because of all the curriculum they do. I just couldn't imagine that. What's the point of homeschooling if you can't just stop and do fun stuff?
So after co-ops today Brenna went to Grandma's house to play with her cousin, Keira. She sure does love her little cousin and she's one of her favorite people. While Brenna was at my Mom's I went shopping for a birthday present for Brenna's buddy and then came home and got some cleaning done. I picked up Brenna a couple hours later and took her to her friend's birthday party, went to HEB, picked her up and off to Girl Scouts we went. Brenna left this morning at 9:15am and did not get home until 6pm!
Tomorrow morning at 8:30am she has basketball pictures and then her first game at 9:30. GO SAINTS!
Brendon is in Kingsville right now with his Dad and Nan at the Cardinals play'off game (local High School). They are kicking butt this year and are undefeated! At half we were up 14-0 against an undefeated team from San Antonio. That is big!! We NEVER beat S.A. in play-offs!! GO CARDS!!! Next weekend, if we win, we will be playing in San Antonio so I am hoping to (maybe) go. Mom? Brenna? Sleep over? LOL We'll talk later... :)
Ok, time to send Brenna's friend home - we have an early morning with basketball. Wish Brenna luck! I'll try to remember my camera and take pictues. Don't hold your breath tho....
Anyways, today was a VERY busy day!! Seems like I've been having a lot of those lately. You should see all the stuff I have written on my calendar! People think that because we homeschool, we are home all the time. HA!
We had our last co-op with the homeschool group this morning. Most moms in our group are so happy to see co-ops come to an end but I actually enjoy them and wish they were longer than 6 weeks or more often then just twice a year. I think a lot of the Mom's are happy when they end because they are so caught up with school curriculum and anything extra just throws them off course. I guess if we did school at home it would be the same for us. Some families blow off field trips and stuff because of all the curriculum they do. I just couldn't imagine that. What's the point of homeschooling if you can't just stop and do fun stuff?
So after co-ops today Brenna went to Grandma's house to play with her cousin, Keira. She sure does love her little cousin and she's one of her favorite people. While Brenna was at my Mom's I went shopping for a birthday present for Brenna's buddy and then came home and got some cleaning done. I picked up Brenna a couple hours later and took her to her friend's birthday party, went to HEB, picked her up and off to Girl Scouts we went. Brenna left this morning at 9:15am and did not get home until 6pm!
Tomorrow morning at 8:30am she has basketball pictures and then her first game at 9:30. GO SAINTS!
Brendon is in Kingsville right now with his Dad and Nan at the Cardinals play'off game (local High School). They are kicking butt this year and are undefeated! At half we were up 14-0 against an undefeated team from San Antonio. That is big!! We NEVER beat S.A. in play-offs!! GO CARDS!!! Next weekend, if we win, we will be playing in San Antonio so I am hoping to (maybe) go. Mom? Brenna? Sleep over? LOL We'll talk later... :)
Ok, time to send Brenna's friend home - we have an early morning with basketball. Wish Brenna luck! I'll try to remember my camera and take pictues. Don't hold your breath tho....
Pictures
It's been a while since I posted pictures so here's a bunch!!
For some reason blogspot is not cooperating with me and I can not line up the captions with the pictures so here's a brief explanation of the pics........
For some reason blogspot is not cooperating with me and I can not line up the captions with the pictures so here's a brief explanation of the pics........
-Our silly little (BIG!) kitty, Taco, taking a nap (he's so like Garfield!!!)
-Halloween Pics (Brenna (cat), Nanny (clown), Brendon and me)
-Stack of books that Brenna read in ONE week
-Camping at Choke Canyon a few weeks ago (tent site, Brenna doing dishes, walking by the lake)
As always, you can click on the pictures to make them bigger.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Hello again..... finally
Wow. It's been a while. I looong while since I posted. That seems to be my opening sentence in quite a few of my posts. I'm not very original huh? LOL I do think about posting on my blog every day but other things just seem to come up and before I know it I'm off to bed and another day has passed without any word from Brandi. I have good intentions though - I just don't follow through. I get on the computer quite a bit to check my email but then it turns into researching things that have been my 'obsession of the week'. I have found myself being very curious about things lately and wanting to just know stuff. The past few weeks has been an obsession about vaccinations. It all started with this stupid H1N1 vaccine (horrible stuff! please don't get it!!) and then just escalated. Some of the things I have read just make me cringe. The saying, "What you don't know won't hurt you" is very true. LOL If I ever have another child there will be much more thought put into vaccines then there was with Brenna. I'm not so much anti-vaccination, just a more delayed schedule I guess. But I could go on and on about it so I'll just leave it at that.
Well we finally got Brenna into a Girl Scout troop and she is lovin' it! She's only gone to one meeting and we just went camping this past weekend. She had such a good time and gets along with all the girls. When I was little all my best friends were from my Girl Scout troop and I have such wonderful memories. The troop that she's in this year is pretty big and it seems like they do a lot of stuff. In a few weeks they will be having a Cookie Kickoff and celebrating it with a big sleepover at the school's gym. Everyone who reads this and lives in our city - beware! We will be hitting you up for cookie sales soon! :)
Camping this past weekend was a little different then what I remember and some things kinda made me open my mouth in disbelief. I had to work extra hard at biting my tongue (not easy for me by the way!). That was tough. LOL Apparently the Girl Scouts have now decided to start using Boy Scout juice! For those not savvy with Girl Scout terminology that is another word for lighter fluid. That used to be unheard of! Taboo! To say the least, I was very disappointed. Almost sad. They also had their own little twisted version of the "buddy system". It was mentioned at the beginning of camp but was never enforced. That was a jaw-dropper too. During the first few hours of camp I was constantly getting after Brenna and Kayla (her BFF and "buddy") - they finally got the point and didn't go anywhere without each other. I was very proud. But that's how it's supposed to be. I think I might be sending an anonymous letter to the Girl Scout Council very soon. That will be my way of opening my big fat mouth. And yes - I DO have a big fat mouth. LOL
So basketball season is now in full swing in the Spear household. Brenna has had practice twice a week for the past month or so and her first game is this Saturday. I love, love, love going to games every Saturday. They are very stressful though. Those poor girls hear all kinds of instructions from both sides of the court - parents and Coach. It gives me such a headache! Parents yelling, coaches yelling, girls looking all over trying to figure out who to listen to...... I just smile and watch and think to myself, "These poor girls are only 7 and 8. Give them a break!"
So this week is the last week for co-ops with our homeschool group. It has been a pretty successful 6 weeks and everything has been running very smoothly. Mom's chats have been much more helpful this time around then in the past (1/2 the moms chat the first hour and the other half have a class and then we switch for the 2nd hour). We've talked about recipes, kitchen tips and books we've read. I've acquired lots of wonderful information! In the past the conversations have mostly revolved around curriculum, which does not pertain to me at all. It's rather difficult being the only unschooling Mom in the entire group. I would give anything to have a relaxed (unschooling) homeschool group here. The closest one I have found is in San Antonio, which is about 4 hours from here. I am a member of the Yahoo Group and really hope to attend one of their park days or field trips someday soon. I just think it would be so awesome to actually meet other moms who do what I do. I have TONS of friends on Facebook and through email who unschool and that does help a bunch but I think it would be kinda cool to actually get together with some of them.
Speaking of unschooling - something kinda cool happened at Girl Scout camp this past weekend! The girls worked on a few badges and were in groups and did little activities. One activity they did was learning about habitats. They were given some little books and were told to pick an animal and draw a picture of it on the front of an index card. They had to get up in front of everyone and tell a little about the animal. As I was observing the girls I saw that Brenna had flipped over her index card and was writing something on the back. She had taken it upon herself, without being told, and jotted down a few sentences about the orangutan so that when it was her turn she was very prepared to give her "speech" about the animal she had chosen. None of the other girls had done this. The leader of the group had to probe the other girls for information and my little Brenna just stood right up and read her card and gave her presentation perfectly. I thought that was pretty darn cool considering she'd never been "taught" to do that. For a kid who doesn't do school that sure was a pretty clever (and schooly) thing to do.
Things like that is what solidifies my decision to keep doing what we are doing.
I was a very proud Momma. (ok, so secretly, yes... I wanted to shout to the world - "Yep!! She's unschooled! See! See how they can actually think for themselves and do things without being "taught" how to do it!? LOL)
Well it's about dinner time so I guess I better get off the computer so I can feed my family. :) I'm hoping I have the bug now to post more often again. Tonight I will post some pictures I have if I have time.
Till fingers and keyboard meet again......
Well we finally got Brenna into a Girl Scout troop and she is lovin' it! She's only gone to one meeting and we just went camping this past weekend. She had such a good time and gets along with all the girls. When I was little all my best friends were from my Girl Scout troop and I have such wonderful memories. The troop that she's in this year is pretty big and it seems like they do a lot of stuff. In a few weeks they will be having a Cookie Kickoff and celebrating it with a big sleepover at the school's gym. Everyone who reads this and lives in our city - beware! We will be hitting you up for cookie sales soon! :)
Camping this past weekend was a little different then what I remember and some things kinda made me open my mouth in disbelief. I had to work extra hard at biting my tongue (not easy for me by the way!). That was tough. LOL Apparently the Girl Scouts have now decided to start using Boy Scout juice! For those not savvy with Girl Scout terminology that is another word for lighter fluid. That used to be unheard of! Taboo! To say the least, I was very disappointed. Almost sad. They also had their own little twisted version of the "buddy system". It was mentioned at the beginning of camp but was never enforced. That was a jaw-dropper too. During the first few hours of camp I was constantly getting after Brenna and Kayla (her BFF and "buddy") - they finally got the point and didn't go anywhere without each other. I was very proud. But that's how it's supposed to be. I think I might be sending an anonymous letter to the Girl Scout Council very soon. That will be my way of opening my big fat mouth. And yes - I DO have a big fat mouth. LOL
So basketball season is now in full swing in the Spear household. Brenna has had practice twice a week for the past month or so and her first game is this Saturday. I love, love, love going to games every Saturday. They are very stressful though. Those poor girls hear all kinds of instructions from both sides of the court - parents and Coach. It gives me such a headache! Parents yelling, coaches yelling, girls looking all over trying to figure out who to listen to...... I just smile and watch and think to myself, "These poor girls are only 7 and 8. Give them a break!"
So this week is the last week for co-ops with our homeschool group. It has been a pretty successful 6 weeks and everything has been running very smoothly. Mom's chats have been much more helpful this time around then in the past (1/2 the moms chat the first hour and the other half have a class and then we switch for the 2nd hour). We've talked about recipes, kitchen tips and books we've read. I've acquired lots of wonderful information! In the past the conversations have mostly revolved around curriculum, which does not pertain to me at all. It's rather difficult being the only unschooling Mom in the entire group. I would give anything to have a relaxed (unschooling) homeschool group here. The closest one I have found is in San Antonio, which is about 4 hours from here. I am a member of the Yahoo Group and really hope to attend one of their park days or field trips someday soon. I just think it would be so awesome to actually meet other moms who do what I do. I have TONS of friends on Facebook and through email who unschool and that does help a bunch but I think it would be kinda cool to actually get together with some of them.
Speaking of unschooling - something kinda cool happened at Girl Scout camp this past weekend! The girls worked on a few badges and were in groups and did little activities. One activity they did was learning about habitats. They were given some little books and were told to pick an animal and draw a picture of it on the front of an index card. They had to get up in front of everyone and tell a little about the animal. As I was observing the girls I saw that Brenna had flipped over her index card and was writing something on the back. She had taken it upon herself, without being told, and jotted down a few sentences about the orangutan so that when it was her turn she was very prepared to give her "speech" about the animal she had chosen. None of the other girls had done this. The leader of the group had to probe the other girls for information and my little Brenna just stood right up and read her card and gave her presentation perfectly. I thought that was pretty darn cool considering she'd never been "taught" to do that. For a kid who doesn't do school that sure was a pretty clever (and schooly) thing to do.
Things like that is what solidifies my decision to keep doing what we are doing.
I was a very proud Momma. (ok, so secretly, yes... I wanted to shout to the world - "Yep!! She's unschooled! See! See how they can actually think for themselves and do things without being "taught" how to do it!? LOL)
Well it's about dinner time so I guess I better get off the computer so I can feed my family. :) I'm hoping I have the bug now to post more often again. Tonight I will post some pictures I have if I have time.
Till fingers and keyboard meet again......
Thursday, October 22, 2009
M.I.A.!
Geez, I was so good there for a pretty long while with posting on my blog regularly and now I'm back to being a little sporadic. My apologies to all those who check my blog on a regular basis and have been seeing very few posts recently. Brenna has really been hogging the computer lately and I can hardly even check my email! We subscribed to this very awesome website called brainpop.com and she's on it all the time. There are tons of videos on science, math, social studies, ect.....very schooly with quizzes and everything but it's something she really wanted to get. Then there's Club Penguin of course, which is her alternate life. LOL
We've also started co-ops again with the homeschool group and that's every Friday morning for the next month or so. Brenna's group has been playing kickball and this week they are going to start on dodge ball. She's also taking an art class, which she looooves! It seems like this year she has really formed a little 'clic' with some of the other girls. I see lots of play dates in our future. :) Don't know if I can handle many more.....LOL
So this weekend we are going camping! Yea! We're going to be meeting Dea Jae and Dave at Choke Canyon State Park and staying for only two nights. I looked at the forecast and it's supposed to be in the 50's at night and around 80 during the day. Beautiful camping weather! Nice warm camp fire to keep us toasty. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to post when we get back. Today I have been getting things ready. Every time we go it gets easier and easier and the less we have to buy. Actually this time that's all we have to spend money on is food. Camping is so cheap for us now and I love it!
Okay, well Brenna is pretending to play ToonTown in real life and it is getting very difficult to try and keep up with her and type at the same time. So I will end with a quote tonight......
"When we adults think of children there is a simple truth that we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life; childhood is life. A child isn't getting ready to live; a child is living." John A Taylor
We've also started co-ops again with the homeschool group and that's every Friday morning for the next month or so. Brenna's group has been playing kickball and this week they are going to start on dodge ball. She's also taking an art class, which she looooves! It seems like this year she has really formed a little 'clic' with some of the other girls. I see lots of play dates in our future. :) Don't know if I can handle many more.....LOL
So this weekend we are going camping! Yea! We're going to be meeting Dea Jae and Dave at Choke Canyon State Park and staying for only two nights. I looked at the forecast and it's supposed to be in the 50's at night and around 80 during the day. Beautiful camping weather! Nice warm camp fire to keep us toasty. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to post when we get back. Today I have been getting things ready. Every time we go it gets easier and easier and the less we have to buy. Actually this time that's all we have to spend money on is food. Camping is so cheap for us now and I love it!
Okay, well Brenna is pretending to play ToonTown in real life and it is getting very difficult to try and keep up with her and type at the same time. So I will end with a quote tonight......
"When we adults think of children there is a simple truth that we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life; childhood is life. A child isn't getting ready to live; a child is living." John A Taylor
Saturday, October 10, 2009
It Works!
As most of you who read my blog know, we don't "do school" in the Spear household. There is no curriculum, no tests, no quizzes, no sitting at the table and doing worksheets or writing spelling words. There is no assigned reading and no unwanted lectures. But yes, this is still learning happening in our house everyday!
When I first started on this journey of natural, child-led learning I was very nervous and very apprehensive. I worried that she wouldn't learn anything unless I forced her (and THAT surely wasn't working!). I worried that she would be 10 years old and not know what a noun was (not the case because she's 7 and knows what a noun is as well as an adjective and a verb LOL)or know how to write properly and spell or do difficult math. I loved the whole idea of unschooling and it made so much sense. I just poured myself into books about it and read as many on-line articles as I could get my hands on, but I was afraid to put it into action with my own child. I did take baby steps and did find myself doubting things but the more I stepped out of my comfort zone and just let go the easier it became and the more I started realizing, "Hey, this does work!" The brainwashing that I had succumbed to that says children will only learn when made to or that children have to know certain things at a certain age flew out the window and I was finally able to relax and feel at peace with our life. Which brings us to the present time....
Brenna has really been amazing me lately, especially with her spelling capabilities. She learns how to spell a new word just about every day and has been requiring less and less help from us these last few weeks. It's like she's really starting to 'get it' and this thing just clicked in her head. But the thing that I love the most about this is that she's doing it all on her own and learning how to spell not only because she wants to but because it is actually a very useful thing to know! She loves to make books and cards and chat with her friends on Club Penguin. In doing those things she has picked up the art of spelling wonderfully. Brendon and I were gone this past weekend and she stayed at her Grandma's house. When we got home she had home made cards for both of us that she did all by herself. The inside of mine said something like, "I missed you Mom! You are the best Mom in the whole world!".
Yes, she still needs quite a bit of help with bigger words but then again, she's only 7.
And the math that little girl can do in her head is so cool! She has this shirt that says "60% Angel 40% Stubborn (or something like that). Brendon made a comment the other night when she was wearing that shirt and told her that he thought it was the other way around. They both laughed and Brendon kept teasing her with different percentage combinations. It then turned into asking her things like, if she was 80% Angel then what would the other percentage be? She was getting them all right just by doing it in her head. She even figured out 85%/15% in about 5 seconds. We thought that was pretty cool. :)
Every day I become more and more convinced that natural learning really works. How can a child NOT learn?? It's impossible and I've had that proven to me over and over.
(Since you've read this post, you may find this one interesting to read again. I went back to last year and found it. Kinda neat to see how much things have changed and how far I've come......
First post on contemplating to unschool or not)
When I first started on this journey of natural, child-led learning I was very nervous and very apprehensive. I worried that she wouldn't learn anything unless I forced her (and THAT surely wasn't working!). I worried that she would be 10 years old and not know what a noun was (not the case because she's 7 and knows what a noun is as well as an adjective and a verb LOL)or know how to write properly and spell or do difficult math. I loved the whole idea of unschooling and it made so much sense. I just poured myself into books about it and read as many on-line articles as I could get my hands on, but I was afraid to put it into action with my own child. I did take baby steps and did find myself doubting things but the more I stepped out of my comfort zone and just let go the easier it became and the more I started realizing, "Hey, this does work!" The brainwashing that I had succumbed to that says children will only learn when made to or that children have to know certain things at a certain age flew out the window and I was finally able to relax and feel at peace with our life. Which brings us to the present time....
Brenna has really been amazing me lately, especially with her spelling capabilities. She learns how to spell a new word just about every day and has been requiring less and less help from us these last few weeks. It's like she's really starting to 'get it' and this thing just clicked in her head. But the thing that I love the most about this is that she's doing it all on her own and learning how to spell not only because she wants to but because it is actually a very useful thing to know! She loves to make books and cards and chat with her friends on Club Penguin. In doing those things she has picked up the art of spelling wonderfully. Brendon and I were gone this past weekend and she stayed at her Grandma's house. When we got home she had home made cards for both of us that she did all by herself. The inside of mine said something like, "I missed you Mom! You are the best Mom in the whole world!".
Yes, she still needs quite a bit of help with bigger words but then again, she's only 7.
And the math that little girl can do in her head is so cool! She has this shirt that says "60% Angel 40% Stubborn (or something like that). Brendon made a comment the other night when she was wearing that shirt and told her that he thought it was the other way around. They both laughed and Brendon kept teasing her with different percentage combinations. It then turned into asking her things like, if she was 80% Angel then what would the other percentage be? She was getting them all right just by doing it in her head. She even figured out 85%/15% in about 5 seconds. We thought that was pretty cool. :)
Every day I become more and more convinced that natural learning really works. How can a child NOT learn?? It's impossible and I've had that proven to me over and over.
(Since you've read this post, you may find this one interesting to read again. I went back to last year and found it. Kinda neat to see how much things have changed and how far I've come......
First post on contemplating to unschool or not)
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Video on kids and food
It's been a while since I posted and this will just be a short one. We've been pretty busy but I will post another longer one soon.
I just wanted to put a link to a video that I found on a board that I frequent. Very good video and I suggest anyone with kids or grand kids to watch this.
Video - a must watch!!!
I just wanted to put a link to a video that I found on a board that I frequent. Very good video and I suggest anyone with kids or grand kids to watch this.
Video - a must watch!!!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Life is good
Things are going pretty darn good in the Spear household. This week I have really been realizing how grateful I am for everything that we are able to do and everything and everybody we have in our lives. I think it's important for people to re-evaluate their lives every once in a while, to realize all the good things. A lot of times people, me included, focus on all the things they don't have or all the stuff that's going wrong but I think that's human nature, really. I tend to do that a lot.
But I am grateful for so much right now. Especially Brendon. :) What would I do without that guy? We've been married almost 10 years and and I'm still madly in love with that handsome man. :)
Tomorrow we are going to the beach for the day. My Dad and my brother are in a fishing tournament and we will be going to the weigh-in and then spending some time on the beach and maybe going out for dinner. I tried looking for a hotel today, thinking we could stay the night but everything is so expensive! I just can not justify spending $90 for a place to sleep when we live only 30 minutes away. I guess it's the frugal, tight-wad person coming out in me. I wish that sometimes I could just say "Who cares!" but it's so hard. LOL
Hopefully I'll have some beach pictures to post next time. Those are always my favorite. I guess it's the sun and the sand and the water - they always come out so perfect.
But I am grateful for so much right now. Especially Brendon. :) What would I do without that guy? We've been married almost 10 years and and I'm still madly in love with that handsome man. :)
Tomorrow we are going to the beach for the day. My Dad and my brother are in a fishing tournament and we will be going to the weigh-in and then spending some time on the beach and maybe going out for dinner. I tried looking for a hotel today, thinking we could stay the night but everything is so expensive! I just can not justify spending $90 for a place to sleep when we live only 30 minutes away. I guess it's the frugal, tight-wad person coming out in me. I wish that sometimes I could just say "Who cares!" but it's so hard. LOL
Hopefully I'll have some beach pictures to post next time. Those are always my favorite. I guess it's the sun and the sand and the water - they always come out so perfect.
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