"Relaxing means a full datebook?"

I've been really busy since I last blogged!  School is almost finished!  The everyday stuff is complete for both the kids.  We just have a few loose ends to tie up and I need to do their portfolios.  However, since I won't receive their books for next year until the end of July, I'm putting that off until I have those.  Then I can sit down and finish all of it at once.  

Last week, we had a fabulous visit with my sisters!  We got to spend the entire three day weekend with them and my brother-in-law.  We ate, played games, shopped, went to the movies, and just hung out together.  It's awesome that in addition to being related to me, they are also my best friends!

We have planted our vegetable garden and put in one huge flower bed and one small flower bed.  Things have gone pretty much non-stop!  I literally have every single day filled up in my date book up until we leave for Virginia Beach next Friday!  I'm filling up the spaces in between everything going on with crafting, cleaning, and catching up on my reading.  

I have been reading "The Vampire Academy" series by Richelle Mead and the "Pretty Little Liars" series by Sara Sheperd.  I really am enjoying both writers!  I have gotten to the point that I really prefer authors who write books for young adults.  I like the stories and the fact that there isn't all kinds of useless profanity or sexual situations that seem to have no bearing on the story.  I really prefer books with really complex characters, and these two writers do a terrific job of that!

I am also working on several crafting projects....a couple of summer scarves with embellishments, a couple of baby blankets, a sweater, and an afghan.  I'm also working on my cross-stitch project here and there.  I'm not so sure its going to be completed by Christmas.  Staring at hundreds of little x's for more than an hour gives me a headache.

I have also decided to start cleaning houses!  I don't have a full daycare any longer and the kids that I have are all mostly in school.  So I can do the cleaning in the morning and have the kids in the afternoon.  I'm really actually looking forward to it...cleaning in quite calming.  At least for me!  I find it very therapeutic!  Also, doing something that's this flexible allows me to keep staying home with my kids and homeschool them.  I'm also building up some inventory so that I can open a shop on Etsy.  I'm hoping to get all of that completed by this fall.  I actually have a really good idea for a specialty item that I designed!  I'm going to make a bunch of them and see how it goes!

Jeff and I were in the church nursery this last Sunday.  I have so much fun playing with all the little munchkins!  It's a lot of fun to hang out with them and watch all the funny stuff they do!

Jeff and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary yesterday.  We didn't really do anything...he had to work and the kids have not been feeling great.  So, we just stayed at home yesterday evening.  I grilled some steaks and potatoes for dinner and we all sat out on the deck and enjoyed the sunshine.  

I have a lot of things to get prepared for our vacation next week!  We will leave on Friday, spend the night in Delaware and then head on to Virginia.  We are actually staying in Sandbridge.  We are really looking forward to the week that we get to spend with Jeff's family!  After we check out of the beach house, we made reservations for a hotel in D.C.  We are spending a couple of nights there and plan to go to the zoo and the Smithsonian.  I can barely contain my excitement!  It's a good thing that I'm pretty busy from now until then!  I hope your summer starts out as wonderfully as mine!  Until next time, God bless!

"Stressful Shopping, Inconsiderate Gabbers, and The End of the World {again}"

We are finishing up our last few weeks of homeschool and enjoying the winding down.  If only everything else us was winding down as well!  It seems like once one part of our life calms down, the rest of it goes crazy.  I'm not one to love to run around constantly...I'm really a homebody.  I like snuggling up on my couch with a good book, my kids, and my dogs and just hanging out.  Don't get me wrong...I also love running around outside, puttering in my garden, and lots of other stuff....but nothing makes me happier than being all cozied up with all my kids (biological and furry!)

With our Virginia Beach vacation approaching quickly, we took some time this last weekend to shop for swimsuits and some summer clothes.  Cebelle adores shopping and she tried on like 15 swimsuits.  Since her one from last year still fits, we only let her get one more. She would love to wear a different one everyday, but I don't really think it's necessary.  Hayden picked out two swim trunks that he liked and then tried on two different sizes to see how they fit.  Then he picked one.  It took him about five minutes.  Cebelle's swimsuit shopping was almost a two hour ordeal.  Jeff and I were going to spend a sizable chunk and get them swimsuits from Lands End, but they grow so fast it seemed crazy to spend $40 on something that they might not even be able to wear all summer.  I tried on a couple of swimsuits, which made me remember why I hate swimsuits.  I ended up trying on a few just to check sizing and then ordering mine online.  It will be here in a few days.  I'm hoping that it all works out because I really hate trying them on and wearing them at all.  I discovered in this process that internet shopping is just as stressful as regular shopping for me.  According to sizing charts, I should be wearing three sizes larger than I currently wear.  If I hadn't tried on different sizes in the store, I probably would have experienced a complete panic attack.  As it is, I'm worried that the suit and the clothes that I ordered won't fit anyway.  And while we are on this subject...can we talk about how I wear like six different sizes?  It's crazy!  I can buy a shirt in one size at Old Navy and then need two sizes larger at a different store, or two sizes smaller somewhere else!  Pants aren't much better.  I currently have four different sizes of jeans in my closet that are cut mostly the same way but from different companies.  I don't understand why women's clothing can't be a universal size.  It's ridiculous.  Thanks to all the pencil thin perfect girls we feel bad enough about ourselves as it is.  We don't need four inches in variation that take us from a size 18 one day to a size 26 the next.....it's crazy!

And while I'm complaining....can I just continue about people who talk behind your back?  It really irritates me when it gets back to me that people are talking about me behind my back.  And I know that I shouldn't care what other people think, and the truth is I really don't.  What I care about is when people run around behind my back, saying things about me to others that aren't true or are taken completely out of context.  I am not perfect by any means, but I don't say anything behind someone's back that I would not say to their face.  If I can't think of something nice to say,  you probably won't hear a word from me.  And I sure as heck don't run around gossiping about family, friends, or acquaintances. I don't appreciate it when it's happening to me.  Say what you want about me, but say it to my face before you go around telling other people about my life and my business.  I'm pretty much an open book.  I will gladly tell you almost anything.  It's not as if I'm parading around and pretending to have a perfect life.  Guess what?!?!  I struggle with life: I fight and argue with my husband, my sisters, my parents, my friends; I make HUGE mistakes, I make small mistakes, I annoy myself most of the time so I can only assume that I annoy plenty of people, my children are not perfect, my life is not perfect.  But it's MY life.  And I wake up everyday trying my best to do right by myself and everyone around me.  I work hard to be the kind of person that my kids can look up to and the kind of friend, sister, wife, and daughter that would do anything for anyone who asks.  I try to look for the good in people and overlook their bad moments, because those moments don't define us.  How we handle ourselves in EVERY moment of our lives is what defines who we are.  So give me the benefit of the doubt.  I'm doing the same for you.  And pass it on to everyone else.  We all deserve as many chances as God will give us.  And, Praise the Lord, His love and patience is infinite.
I have been reading so much lately!  We have had rainy weather for about a week and I have finished almost two books a day.  Since I can read almost a whole 300-400 page book in about an hour, it's not as if I'm spending every waking moment with my NOOKcolor in hand.  I'm just stealing a couple of hours while my kids are playing or the daycare kids are napping.  And with almost 200 books on my NOOKcolor right now, I still have plenty of hours that can be filled!  I am thankful for my awesome husband and wonderful sister for giving me this awesome gift that was a late Christmas/early birthday & anniversary present.  I have used it everyday.  Now my NOOKcolor is updated and it has apps!  Not that I really ever use them...but it's nice to know they are there!
Our new basset hound, Copper,  is fitting in remarkably well!  It's like he has always been here!  He is a very sweet little guy!  Lately he has decided to start chewing on shoes...so we are working on it.  So far, the only casualty has been one of Hayden's Mickey Mouse crocs that he got at DisneyWorld.  It's really sad because he loves those shoes.  They aren't completely destroyed...but they definitely are not wearable!
I read a story online about the world ending on Saturday the 21st.  Apparently, people have sold their homes, quit their jobs, and have been traveling around telling others to prepare.  Here's my thought on that.....if the world is really going to end, how the heck do you prepare for that?  It fascinates me that these people have given up everything for what they believe.  In a way, I admire that.  It takes great courage and strength.  On the other hand, what happens of you do all of that and it turns out you're not right?  What happens the day after when you realize that you have quit your job, sold all of your possessions, and given up everything....and then it's Sunday?  And who knows?  They could be right.  Someone has to be right about the world ending at some point..
But the thing that resonates to me through all of these things is this:  Regardless of what others say or do, I will continue to spend every day trying my best to be the kind of person that God wants me to be.  I will NEVER be perfect, but by His grace I will live out my days at peace with whatever comes.  I wish the same for you!  God bless!

"Copper, Television, and {Improbable} Signs of the End Times..."

This has been another week of mostly the same stuff for the Hull family...with the exception of a few very exciting things!

The first of which is that we added a new furry family member to our brood!  He is an eight month old basset hound and we re-named him Copper.  

Isn't he absolutely adorable?  He has the best personality and is a very snuggly little guy.  He has fit in beautifully with us and we are so excited to have him!  

Another exciting thing was that Jeff and I actually got to go out Saturday night!  We picked up our friends and went to see the movie Thor!  Got off to a bit of a rocky start when we accidentally backed into someone (who was parked mostly in the middle of the road...but oh, well...) but what's the point in dwelling... It was an accident.  Nobody was injured.  We have good insurance.  It's already taken care of.  

The movie was pretty good.  Getting out and getting to spend some time with grown-ups was even better!  It's really nice to have friends who have similar interests and who are very loving and kind and terrific people that you enjoy spending time with!  In all fairness, I don't get to spend time with adults very much....I might have talked their ears off.  I spend so much time dealing with small people who always want something from me...it's a little difficult to transition sometimes.  Thank God that I didn't speak about myself in the third person.  I would have been mortified.  

I have been reading books like crazy.  Books that I bought for my birthday... books on my NOOKcolor...I need to get my priorities straight as I have now not crafted for like two weeks.  *gasp*  I know I just caused several people who know me to pass out with that sentence.  Me...not crafting....?!?!  It is sure to be a sign of the end times.....Honestly, I have just been really busy.  And if I only have 20 minutes or so, I won't pick something up because then I won't put it down and get done what needs to get done.  I promise after this week is done, I am not so crazy busy and I will post some pictures of the things that I have been working on.

We have also been spending as much time as we can outside!  It's been a bit difficult lately, and I would like to complain about the rain, but it's making our flowers bloom so beautifully!

The kids and I only have three weeks of homeschool left after this week.  Maybe another week to finish up some projects, but we are nearing the end.  Hayden has earned himself some summer school this year with Math because he is really slacking off.  He hasn't dropped below a B grade...he is still doing well.  But he is definitely not applying himself or doing his best.  Cebelle will be practicing her reading all summer.  She is reading some pretty big words now!  I'm very proud of her!  I am very proud of both of them for working so hard this year and accomplishing all that they have!  But, as their teacher, I am also very definitely looking forward to some downtime!  

I had to call and make eye doctor appointments for both of the kids.  There has been a lot of squinting going on here.  I am guessing that Hayden needs a better prescription for his glasses and I will be very surprised if Cebelle doesn't end up with glasses.  I had hoped that they would be spared that, but I guess they didn't have very good odds considering that everyone in the family has glasses!

Jeff and I have been using the evenings after the kids are in bed to try and catch up on our shows.  We have this new policy where we record almost an entire season of a show and then wait to see if the show is renewed before we watch it and get involved.  I know...its awful...but I would rather not waste my time watching something if it's only going to last for a few episodes and never a finished story.  I find that unbelievably obnoxious!  I can't tell you how many times we would watch a show and love it and then the show would get cancelled.  I hate that.  And it's a waste of time to watch something that goes nowhere.  So there really aren't many things that we watch on TV now.  (One of the exceptions is a show on ABC called "Better With You".  It stars one of Jeff's former students, Jake Lacy, who we have always loved and adored.  I hope his show stays on the air because Jake deserves to be really successful!)  And we are watching Stargate: SG1 from the beginning on Netflix.  

Jeff's last play will be opening on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend.  I love what he does and love that he is able to offer so many kids the awesome opportunity to do work in theatre....but I am definitely looking forward to having him home with us for a couple of months!

Well, that's about all the excitement that has been happening here!  Not actually exciting by nearly any standards...Just a normal, everyday life filled with lots of ups and downs.  But by the grace of God, the downs never last long and they teach me valuable lessons.  I wish the same for you!  God bless!

"Math, America, and Why I Don't Love Bathing Suits..."

This week has been full of the same stuff as every other week!  I'm not complaining, I enjoy almost every minute of it!  But I would like to take this opportunity to get a few things off my chest.
1.  How the heck do you motivate an extremely intelligent 8 year old child to do school work that he dislikes?  Hayden really enjoys most of his school work, but he HATES math.  I understand that completely.  I was the same way.  I understood it very well, I could do it very well....I just hated actually doing it.  The difference between he and I is that I would do it really quickly to just get it over with while he takes the route of whining and complaining and taking an hour to do each problem.  And with a two page worksheet everyday...you can see how this is not fun for me in any way, shape, or form.  I love that kid with all my heart.  But there are days I want to whack that math textbook right upside his head.
2.  Why can't Americans just get along?  The wonderful thing about our country is how we have the opportunity to make anything that we desire of ourselves.  We can say what we want, live how we want, and decide who makes all the important decisions.  I think that some people forget that there are other human beings out there who are not so lucky.  Having lived in a third world country, I have a unique perspective on how terrific it is to be an American.  I wish people would stop taking it for granted.  I'm not saying my opinions are right and everyone else's are wrong, I am saying this:  you are lucky you get to form  your own opinions, America!  Stop using them to crush other people into the dirt.  I am sick of all the negativity and complaining.  I am sick of people abusing their rights and privileges.  I am sick of people thinking that their opinion is the only one that matters.  I am sick of people taking outright lies and spreading them as truth because they read it online, so it has to be true.  I am just generally annoyed at the American public right now.  I know that some people are in really bad situations and that it's easy to hand out blame to those making the laws.  And I absolutely do not agree with a lot that has been going on.  But-along with all of our freedom (which is provided because men and women like yourself and I are out laying down their lives everyday without question or complaint) comes responsibility.  People need to own up to it.
3.  My body is a temple.....but it doesn't work worth a crap.  I have been trying to lose weight.  I started keeping track of calories and on the advice of my doctor cut down my calories to 1700 a day.  I kept track of these calories.  Even without exercise, I should have been dropping about a pound a week.  I have lost and gained the same 3 pounds about eight times now.  It doesn't matter what I do.  It's not that I hate my body...I am perfectly happy with who I am.  But I would like to feel great in my clothes.  I would also like to walk around and not feel like people are looking at me and judging me for the way I look.  It's endlessly frustrating.
On the flip side of my ranting, I am also thrilled about several things that are going on!  I got my NOOKcolor updated and now it has apps.  Not that I will use a ton of them or do a lot with it...I got my NOOKcolor because I love reading, not because I wanted to play games.  But it's still pretty neat to be able to use it for something else.
Jeff and I are hoping to go to the movies this weekend.  We would really like to see Thor.  Hayden desperately wants to go, but I really don't want him to see it until we have screened it first.  I figure it's rated PG-13 for a good reason and I don't want to be surprised by something in the middle of the movie that I wish he hadn't seen.  Kids grow up way too fast as it is.
We got to spend this last Sunday outside for most of the day.  Jeff tilled our garden and Dad burned a huge brush pile that we had in our backyard.  Mom cleaned off our hillside and got rid of all the brush and salt from the plows this winter.  If it doesn't rain all weekend, I'm hoping to put in another flower bed out front and start a few plants for our vegetable garden.
We went to a book fair yesterday and purchased all the kids' school books for next year.  I know that some people homeschool without spending a dime, but we wanted books that would be similar to and better than what the kids would get in a public school, so our investment is pretty sizeable every year.  But we don't begrudge a cent of it.  It is for their future, after all.  We use Abeka books and this year decided to go with the entire grade package for each of the kids.  It cuts down on a considerable amount of lesson planning and book ordering for me, which is really nice.
We only have about four weeks of homeschool left after this week.  It will probably take one more week to finish up portfolios and tie up loose ends, but the kids are very excited to be done.  They are so excited about our trip to Virginia Beach that they talk about it almost constantly.  At least once a day it comes up.  I'm really looking forward to it as well.  Even if it does mean that I have to wear a bathing suit....
Still not a terribly exciting life, but it's mine and I love it!  Talk to you next week!

March 7 & 8 or "Let's talk about what a slacker I am....or not"

Sunday evening, while Jeff was on the computer looking at fun apps we could get for us and the kids,  (Macs have apps now that transfer to iPad, iPhone, and iPod-you can share all of them between devices and it is wicked cool!)  I was struggling with how to go about losing weight.  To be honest, I have tried nearly everything.  I had some terrific success with Weight Watchers a few years ago-I lost almost 50 pounds.  Then I went through a four month period where I gained and lost the same 5 pounds about fifteen times.  And that isn't an exaggeration.  No matter what I did (how much extra I exercised, how much less I ate) I could not break through that plateau.  Eventually, I ended up gaining all the weight back even though I tried really hard not to.  So I had decided Sunday that it was time to get my butt in gear and do something about it.  I am not getting any younger and as I get older, I know this struggle is only going to get more difficult.  So-I found an app for it!  I downloaded the Calorie2 app to my computer (I had to pay for it) and I have been using it to keep track of my diet and exercise.  It's really simple.  I just type in what food and when I ate it or what exercise and the app tells me: the breakdown of my intake (carbs, protein, fat), how many calories I need to consume, how many calories I burn by the exercise I do.  Then it goes even further and has things like weight loss graphs, breakdown of nutrients and vitamins consumed based on the foods you eat, and a lot of other neat things.  So I got on the ball with eating healthy and exercising.  As it turns out, I was once again eating about half the food I needed to consume.  Essentially my body is starving, so it stores everything as fat when I eat.  Over the last three days, I have consumed the amount of calories that my body needs and I have lost 6 pounds.  I'm sure a lot of that is water weight-but I don't care.  I'm just praying that I can continue to do well.
In other news, Sunday night and all through Monday we got a massive snow storm.  It was coming down about 2 inches an hour.  So of course, there was no school Monday morning.  I was supposed to have a house full of daycare kids.  We spent the day doing school work and then a couple of hours in the afternoon shoveling.  I burned a ton of calories....shoveling is great exercise!  We ended up with over two feet of snow.
Tuesday was sort of a nutty day as well.  I had daycare kids, which doesn't normally happen.  Jeff has One Acts opening this weekend, so the missed day of school and rehearsal messed up his tech week.  We signed up for a marriage class at our church which was meeting Tuesday night. So it was a pretty busy day.  I had the daycare kids all day, Jeff had school, rehearsal, p/t conferences and then we met up at marriage class.  When we got home it was time for bedtime for the kids and we watched a couple of shows before crashing ourselves.
It's been a crazy couple of days and I haven't actually had the time to sit down at the computer.  I did finish reading a book on my NOOKcolor yesterday that I borrowed from the library.  We also watched "Let Me In" which I actually really liked.  I put the book on my NOOKbook wish list because I am positive that since I liked the movie, I will love the book even more.
I don't mind all this snow at all.  But for the first time in several years, I am really looking forward to Spring.  I love taking my morning cup of coffee out on the deck with a book and enjoying the morning sunshine before anyone else gets up.  I love letting my kids play outside for half an hour before we start school.  I'm looking forward to puttering around in my flower beds and putting in the new one we planned this year.  But for now, there is still snow on the ground and things to be accomplished inside.  I guess I should get back to work on accomplishing them!  Have a great day!

March 3 or "Playdate mania"

Cebelle woke up at 7:20 this morning.  She was so excited about her playdate this afternoon that she had to get up and tell me how excited she was.  She got in bed with me and snuggled up and was almost back to sleep....when Hayden came in at 7:35.  Hayden is anything but quiet in the mornings.  He has this thing where he shouts.  Constantly.  Even if you are sitting right next to him.  Or even if your ear is right by his mouth.  I have had his hearing checked multiple times, but there is nothing wrong with him.  He only has one volume:  obnoxiously loud.  So of course Cebelle did not go back to sleep.  It was mostly impossible, considering that Hayden was shouting at her about the book that he is reading ("Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief") and that she can't read and then he proceeded to tell her about everything he had read thus far.  Cebelle was not thrilled.  She is very much like Jeff and she is NOT a morning person.  She said, "Hayden!  I don't care!  Stop shouting and trying to be smart and leave me alone!"  Which then caused a fight because Hayden felt the need to explain that he wasn't TRYING to be smart because he was IN FACT, smarter than most adults and he was DEFINITELY smarter than Cebelle because mommy said yesterday that age brings wisdom and he was almost two years older than Cebelle.  So, I diffused the fight and got into the shower, hoping to brighten my day a bit.  Turns out I had to shower with my eyes open while staring at the light/vent fan in the shower because a wasp was in there and trying to get out.  In case you have never tried it, showering while keeping eyes open and tilted upward is not an easy task.  You are, in fact, more prone to get shampoo, conditioner, and face wash in your eyeballs while showering this way.  Even when your head is tilted upwards.  I don't know how it's possible, I only know that it is.
So we had our breakfast and did our school work.  Cebelle had a phonics assessment and a math assessment, both which she scored perfect on.  Hayden had a Language Arts test, which he scored 87% on and a Penmanship test, which he scored a B+.  That's the first time he has gotten above a C on Penmanship and I'm very proud of him.
After lunch, I was able to work on my cross-stitch.  I actually finished 3 sections of it and started the next section up.  I was really excited.  Cebelle played "Eye of the Tiger" very loudly on the stereo and danced and sang.  My favorite part is when she sings the lyric "rising up to the challenge of our rival" because she says, "raisin up to the chillin of our rye-ho"  I have no idea what that even means, but I find it hysterical.
It was finally time at 2:30 to pick up Cebelle's friend from school.  The kids who are here during the week are all younger than Cebelle, except for the boy who is Hayden's age.  So, Cebelle ends up playing either tiny girl stuff or big boy stuff if she wants to play with someone.  She doesn't really have someone her age to play Barbie or Littlest Pet Shops or Zoobles with very often.  Of course, she was unbelievably excited to have her friend come over. They have been doing girly-girl stuff all afternoon.  And Hayden has been...complaining.  I tried to explain to him that Cebelle doesn't really like to play all that other stuff like LEGOS and Bakugan, she only does it so she has someone to play with.  He just doesn't really get it.  So I had him do homework and his reading for his book report while the girls played.
We are getting ready to have some pizza for dinner and then we are running our friend home.  Hopefully, I can get my kids in bed a bit early because they got up so early.  Jeff has been texting me all day that he isn't feeling very well, which is very unfortunate because he has parent/teacher conferences tonight until 8.  I hope that he isn't coming down with something.
Once I get the kids down, I will either watch some Netflix until Jeff gets home (probably "Secret Life") or I will read my book ("The Queen of Attolia").  I haven't really decided.  Not sure what I'm in the mood for.  Whatever it is, I will most likely be curled up on the couch with the dogs at my feet and enjoying the life that I have.  Despite the daily ups and downs, not a moment goes by that I am not thankful.

March 2 or "The day of the squalling...kids and snow!"

Today was one of my 5:30am wake up days.  I really don't mind getting up that early.  It's another chance to enjoy blissful quiet and a great time for reading.  I actually spent most of the morning watching Disney Junior, as that is what my daycare girl loves to watch.  She sings the theme songs from all the shows, which I find totally hysterical.  She cracks me up, especially when Special Agent Oso comes on and she sings, "He's Oh So Special!"
Hayden woke up at about 8, after a really restless night.  Jeff and I gave him Claritin last night because I think his sinuses have been bothering him.  Hayden isn't really terrific at pinpointing a problem when he doesn't feel well, so most of the time it's a guessing game.  But he was up three times last night after we put him to bed, so he didn't get a good night's sleep.  Cebelle finally got out of bed at about 9:15.  I really think she is in the middle of a growth spurt, so sleep is exactly what she needs!
Everybody had breakfast and we started schoolwork.  It's actually the first day this week that I haven't had to fight or argue with anyone about school.  And...it was the only thing that I didn't have to fight or argue with my children about today.
Lately, my children have been obsessed with a book that Hayden got two years ago for his birthday that shows you how to make all kinds of paper airplanes.  So, my house is filled with paper scraps, staples, tape, scissors, and rubber bands.  This book also teaches how to make slingshots out of paper and rubber bands.  So for the last three days, my kids have been folding, cutting, stapling, taping, flying, flinging, and running all over the house.  Normally, this would not bother me.  But the airplanes are getting bigger and more dangerous (we have already slammed several into the television and computer and glass cabinets in the kitchen and dining room), the supplies are a total mess everywhere (I stepped on a staple, caught a dog chewing on a rubber band, found a wad of paper in my bra because they had been aiming the slingshots at me, and ran out of tape when I needed it in school because it was used for the 300 various airplanes that are lying around my house), and the kids are fighting and whining constantly.  Over paper airplanes.  In addition, I have repeated the phrase, "No running in the house!" about five million times because they are barreling through the house at ninety to nothing with the stupid airplanes, thinking that it will make the airplanes go farther and fly faster.  We have had several near mishaps involving airplanes and cooking food in hot pans.  Needless to say, I am nearing the end of my patience with this latest fixation.  I threatened to throw all the airplanes away if Hayden and Cebelle didn't start listening better and they bawled and squalled and threw fits.  And now...Hayden is making some MORE airplanes.
The weather today wasn't very helpful, either.  We went from having a beautiful, sunny day to experiencing snow squalls on and off.  So it's not like I could bundle them up and send them outside to run it off.....though I was seriously considering it at one point, squalls or not.
I was able to finish a book today.  "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner.  Its the first in a series.  I started the second this afternoon while I was showering the kids.  It's called, "The Queen of Attolia".  I am really enjoying her writing.  I borrowed the ebooks from the library and I am waiting for the third one to be available.  Barnes & Noble has been offering some great NOOKbook deals. I got a couple of books I had been wanting to read for 99 cents.  They feature different authors every once in a while and make their books a little cheaper so people will read them.  This is one thing I love about my NOOKcolor.  I can always find something interesting to read!
I was also able to get some more of my cross-stitching finished today.  I have learned that I can only work on it during the daytime.  There is a lot of natural sunlight in our living room during the day, but we don't have a ton of lights in here for evening.  If I try to stitch all those tiny squares or read the pattern at night, it makes my eyes cross!  So, I work on it during the day and I work on knitting or crocheting in the evening while I am watching television with Jeff.
I put a pork roast in the over for dinner.  We are having that and some mashed sweet potatoes and salad. I didn't feel like making too much of an effort and mom and dad and I had big salads, baked potatoes, and garlic bread for lunch so I really am not very hungry still.  I thawed out some zucchini bread that I baked this summer with zucchini from our garden and had a slice of that with my coffee this afternoon.  I will probably have some with a cup of tea before bedtime tonight and I will very likely eat some for breakfast in the morning.  I went through several different recipes of it (our zucchini plants went wild this year!) and this one is definitely my favorite.  It's moist and delicious, and not overly sweet.
I am once again looking forward to putting my kids to bed.  I assume that all parents get to this point in the day.  I know that once my kids hit about 6pm-they are pretty much done for the day.  The listening doesn't work, they are crabby, they are just irritated by everyone and everything.  I have come to realize that it's probably genetic.  Jeff and I hit about 8pm and we are pretty much useless for the rest of the evening.  Sometimes I feel awful for being so glad that my kids are in bed and I can enjoy the peace and quiet with Jeff.  But on the other hand, it's probably not good trying to interact with them when they are done for the day and my patience is at its limit.  So I will put them to bed tonight and I will be glad that I made it through one more day without clotheslining someone for running in the house, or throwing someone outside in the middle of a snow squall, or burning that damn paper airplane book and all the stupid crap that goes along with it.  And I will go to bed tonight and get up tomorrow, ready to face all of  it again with a little more patience and able to appreciate my children's joy in something so simple before it starts to drive me crazy again.  After all, snow squalls don't last forever.  And paper airplanes will eventually be recycled.  And a child's life never stays simple for very long because they grow so awfully fast.

February 25

Ahhhh...another Friday, another snow day, another middle eastern country in turmoil, another Charlie Sheen debacle.  *sigh*  What is the world coming to?
In all seriousness, I think that the things going on in the middle east are something to be concerned about.  Not because I believe that the end of days is drawing near or anything like that....but because whenever something like that is happening, innocent people get caught in the middle of the turmoil and as human beings, we should all be concerned about that.  Just like Egypt, just like Somalia, just like the public workers in Wisconsin.  Things are happening in these peoples lives that they have no control over and they may very likely suffer for it.  Ignoring it because it doesn't touch our lives right now is foolish.  As for Charlie Sheen, well, he is on my list...(no, not that kind of list, people!).  This is my list of:
CELEBRITIES WHO NEED TO LEARN TO KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT BECAUSE WHEN THEY OPEN THEM STUPID IS THE ONLY THING THAT COMES OUT
1. Kanye West
2. Lindsay Lohan (disclaimer***this name includes anyone in the Lohan family)
3. Miley Cyrus
4. Jon & Kate Gosselin (disclaimer***these are not really celebrities!)
5. Michelle Bachman (yeah, I know...not really a celebrity, either.  But she certainly makes a public spectacle of herself often enough)
6. Camille Grammar
7. Charlie Sheen (the newest addition.....)
In all fairness, these are only the latest people on my list.  Which means that they are the ones annoying me lately.  This list is subject to change at any point during the day.  Especially if I have occasion to see clips from Fox News.
Jeff had a snow day this morning, so we got a call at 5:15.  I had daycare kids coming at 6:30 and I ended up not being able to go back to sleep.  The kids only stayed for half a day because the weather was getting bad, but Hayden and Cebelle had a blast playing with them.  I gave Hayden and Cebelle the day off school as well since their friends were here to play, with the understanding that we will make the day up next week.  We will probably spread it out over a couple of days so it's not so overwhelming.
I got so much accomplished in my cross stitch today.  I almost completely finished one whole section.  My shoulders and back are killing me now....but it looks awesome!
Hayden and Cebelle have been playing their video games since their friends left.  They are only allowed screen time on the weekends.  They have a total of  6 hours that can be used on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  We have beads in jars and they have to 'pay' me for every 15 minutes of screen time.  It's an attempt to teach them time management as well.  Apparently, we are going to need to think of a different tactic because they have used up 4 hours this evening.  But, it has only been a few weeks, so maybe they will figure it out.  Jeff has spent the majority of the day playing with his iPhone.  It's a good thing nobody limits his game time.....
Barnes & Noble gave two free NOOKbooks this Friday.  I love getting stuff for free!  I started reading "Gossip Girl" today.  I have never watched the series, but I'm almost finished with the first book and I am really enjoying it.  I always planned on watching the series when I get a chance.  Maybe over the summer sometime....
It is still snowing outside and we have a good amount.  If I had to guess I would say that there is probably half a  foot or so out there and as far as I know we are under a warning until midnight tonight.  I don't mind it....Roger will plow us out in the morning and we will play and shovel the sidewalks.  It's good exercise and always a lot of fun.
We just finished our dinner and are getting ready to settle in for the evening.  I'm looking forward to getting a decent nights rest tonight (fingers crossed...I did drink a lot of caffeine today!) and hopefully sleeping past 6 in the morning.  I hope all of you have peaceful dreams and a wonderful weekend!

February 24

I woke up with a sinus headache again this morning.  I was contemplating sleeping in when Jeff got up and got in the shower at 6:45.  But, much to my surprise, Cebelle came and crawled in bed with me at 6:55 wide awake and ready to go.  Since she normally sleeps until 9, you can imagine my concern.  I was worried she wasn't feeling well, but she was just well rested and ready to wake up.  She has been going strong all day long.  Hayden woke up at about 7:30, apparently on the wrong side of the bed.  He has been a bit of a cranky pants today.  He has complained non-stop.  About everything.  I'm actually getting pretty sick of it.  I could understand complaining when he doesn't get his way-but complaining even WHEN he gets his way?!!  Ridiculous.
Regardless of his crabbiness, he finished his schoolwork AND the homework that is due tomorrow because he wanted to watch Prehistoric Planet.  It is one of his favorite all time shows.  He has a DVD of all the episodes that originally aired on the Discovery Channel.  He can pretty much recite the narration line by line.  It's pretty impressive considering that it's over two hours long and he doesn't get to watch it very often-maybe once every three months or so.
The kids have been playing "Eye of the Tiger" pretty much non-stop on the stereo system all day.  They know every word and they have made up dances.  It's pretty entertaining.  That doesn't mean that I'm not going to take the iPods and delete that stupid song off as soon as they go to bed tonight because if I have to hear it one more time I'm going to gouge out my ear drums with my knitting needles.  But it has been pretty funny to watch them.
In other disgusting news, I went to check Cebelle's bed today because she got up so early, I was worried that maybe she was hiding toys or there was a mite infestation (old house-we have dealt with that before) or that her heater was just being too loud.  What I found was that one edge of her beautiful white bookshelf headboard was the home of (please jump to the next paragraph if you get easily grossed out) a crusty, dried up collection of boogers.  I still get dry heaves when I think about it.   When I called her to question her about it, she yelled at ME and said it was because I didn't put tissues in her bedroom.  I pointed out that there were tissues and toilet paper down the hall in my bedroom and bathroom and that she could have gotten up and used them.  Then she said, "But I get in trouble when I'm running around after bedtime!"  Touche'.  And as mom, dad, Andi, and Jeff said, "At least she wasn't eating them."  Ick. So.  Gross.  I think this is going to be an awesome story for future prospective boyfriends, however.  Between that and all the naked baby-butt pictures I have of her, it's possible that I can blackmail her into not dating until she is 21.
I actually had lots of reading time today since we got out of bed so early.  I finished a book by Juliet Marillier today and then had enough time to read "Witch & Wizard" by James Patterson.  I was interested enough that I will probably read the rest of the series.  Especially considering that I read this one in just over an hour.  Have I mentioned how much I adore my NOOKcolor?
I also worked on my cross-stitch project while the kids watched their shows and played their music.  I am going to work some more on a baby blanket this evening.  I'm in the process of making some spaghetti for dinner.  I took some sinus medicine and am not feeling particularly munchy.  The kids wanted spaghetti, so that is what I'm fixing.  They are both pretty tired this evening because of the early rising, so there is a lot of bossiness and grumpiness in the still going on "Eye of the Tiger" choreography session.  I'm thinking that it might be a good night for early bedtime.
On that note, I need to go drop the pasta and get out the salad!  I hope you all have a peaceful evening!

February 23

Today has been an okay day.  The kids did a great job with their school work, as usual.  Cebelle is eating up a storm and she has been since yesterday.  She is also having some joint pain and she is sleepy and grumpy.  All those symptoms = growing.  At least I hope so.  Cebelle has had some problems with growth.  She dropped down to the fifth percentile after her first year.  Then when she was two and having horrible asthma problems, she plummetted down to the third percentile.  We have had numerous tests and visits to many specialists but everything always checks out just fine.  She doesn't eat nearly enough most days because she is extremely picky.  So, she has some trouble growing.  She still sees an endocrinologist every six months because they want to make sure all is well.  After everything they have put her through (blood tests, examinations, etc.) they have come to the conclusion that she is a mostly healthy child who does not consume enough calories.  In kids, calories=growth.  Let's face the facts, she is never going to be six feet tall.  Truthfully, with ALL the short women that are in Jeff's family and in my family, she will be lucky to top out at five feet when she is fully grown.  So anytime I suspect she is growing, I am thrilled.  We have been through discussions of putting her on appetite stimulants, using human growth hormone, and on a roller coaster ride of health concerns.   But at the end of the day, she is healthy and growing and has no issues that would say to us that anything is seriously wrong with her.  Her asthma symptoms are improving,  we have been able to lessen her medication and hope to wean her off of it soon.  I'm sure any parent out there knows the drama that I go through.  We all just want our kids to be happy and healthy and anytime there is something wrong with them it's very stressful.  And Jeff and I are generally very cautious about medicating our kids.  I don't hesitate to do it at all if I think they need it.  But giving her appetite stimulants to help her gain a few pounds when she is already a very healthy child? I question that and the reasoning behind it.  If she eats as much as she wants and is full, why would we start messing with her body's natural signals?  I mean, I have struggled with weight my entire life.  As I was growing up, I didn't know how to be healthy.  It wasn't something that people were really aware of at that time.  And now that I'm an adult and very overweight, I face tons of social stigma.  People look at me and automatically assume things like: I must be lazy.  I must eat junk food all the time.  I must not exercise.  I must not care about my appearance.  None of which are true.  I would like to be lazy and eat junk food all the time.  That would be nice.   The truth of the matter is:  my body doesn't work right.  Even if I drop my calorie count to 1200 calories a day and exercise an hour a day, it is still a struggle to lose weight.  My doctor and I have explored so many options, including gastric bypass.  I think it's a last resource option.  So you can see why I'm hesitant to mess with Cebelle's body telling her that she should stop eating.  I would never wish the issues that I have on anyone, especially my children.
On a brighter note, I was able to borrow two books that I had requested from the library and download them to my NOOKcolor today.  I got an email when they were available, which is just unbelievably awesome.  Anyone who knows me well knows that there isn't very much I love in life more than books and reading and the pursuit of knowledge.  So I'm sure those people can imagine my girly screech at 6am when those emails came through.  Unfortunately, I had other responsibilities to attend to before I could sit down and get lost in some books.  But I honestly relish every second of it.
Cebelle and I started dinner as Jeff should be home soon.  We decided on lemon-rosemary chicken breasts, garlic mashed potatoes, peas, and salad.  The chicken cooking right now smells absolutely amazing.  We've been eating a little bit later of an evening because Jeff doesn't get home until 6:30 or after.  One of the benefits of homeschooling is that I can adjust my kids schedule so they get to spend lots of time with their daddy!  If we were a traditional two working parent family with kids in public school, I don't think we would ever get to spend time together.  I thank God everyday for being able to be here with my kids and for them being able to spend so much time with their daddy.  I don't know how all my friends do what they do.  I have so much respect for the parents that work all day and then come home and squeeze in family time and kids activities and time with their spouses.  Honestly, I could do it if I had to.  But I would probably be an emotional wreck constantly.
There are a ton of other things on my mind, especially dealing with the state of our world and the state of affairs in our country and even our hometown.  But that would be a discussion that would take all night...and I have dinner almost ready and a husband due home any moment.  So we will save those adventures for another day!

February 22

So, today was a pretty great day!  Hayden got almost 100% on his spelling trial test.  He left the 'r' out of approximate so I gave him the chance to spell it orally and he got it correct.  Therefore, he does not have to take the test again tomorrow.  He also took a math quiz and got 100% on that.  He did extremely well today and was very excited and proud of himself.  Cebelle did wonderful, as always!  She is starting to read nearly everything!  She is doing really terrific!  I woke up this morning with a ridiculous headache.  Actually, I went to bed with it last night.  I figured I was just really tired and I would feel better once I rested so I didn't bother taking anything.  However, the stupid headache kept waking me up because it hurt so bad and at that point, it hurt too bad to get up and take medicine.  Then Cebelle had a bad dream and came and got in bed with us and I really didn't sleep well at all.  So I got up this morning and took medicine.  When I get headaches like this, they almost always turn into migraines.  And I have taken different migraine medications (including injections) and not really had any of them be successful.  I try as much as possible not to take very much medicine because I want it to work for my body when I really need it to.  But this is the combination of medications that will get rid of this kind of headache within an hour or so and not let it become a migraine:  400mg of ibuprofen, a decongesting nasal spray (like Afrin), 500mg of Tylenol, a saline nasal spray, and a dose of Sudafed.  I don't take them all together.  I take the ibuprofen and sudafed first with a dose of saline nasal spray and then about an hour later I take the rest.  About twenty minutes after that, I am headache free.  I have tried tons of other things and this is the only combination that works.  Any less of these medications, or skip out on one of them, and I'm still getting the migraine.  Thankfully, this doesn't happen very often.  My kids knew that I had a headache this morning, so they offered to rub my neck while we were all sitting on the couch this afternoon.  They are so sweet and thoughtful.  Cebelle offered to rub my head for me, but mostly she just ripped hair out of my head.  But  her heart was definitely in the right place.  Even if she did make my scalp bleed.
I worked on a baby blanket today and the cross-stitch that I've been working on for a while.  It's a slow process, but I really enjoy it.  I also read some of a book that I borrowed from the library on my NOOKcolor.  I am loving being able to get library books online and delivered right to my device.  It means I don't have to comb through shelves...or comb my hair for that matter....
The kids are winding down while Jeff sits in here and plays on his iPhone.  I swear the money that was spent on his iPhone and my NOOKcolor was the best money we ever spent.  We are like kids with the bestest toys ever!  We have tons of stuff to read and do (I have started storing knitting patterns on my NOOKcolor so I don't have to print them out) AND as a bonus, playing with either device will calm our children and make them forget whatever they were throwing a tantrum about.  Miracles......that's what they are.  Except now, both of the kids want iPhones and NOOKcolors of their own.  Thankfully, their birthdays aren't until September and October so we won't have to deal with any of that until the end of the year!  That was my adventurous day!  I'm going to end it by curling up on the couch with my hubby and watching some TV.  I will probably knit a little more of the baby blanket before I head to bed.  I hope you all have sweet dreams and a wonderfully adventurous day tomorrow!

February 16

So, I'm feeling much better today.  Much more calm and relaxed.  Daycare kids got here at 6:30 this morning.  I was able to start and finish a book that I borrowed from the library on my NOOKcolor  (I honestly cannot explain to you HOW excited I am about this newfound option)  It was called "Stange Angels" by Lili St. Crow.  It was a really good story.  Meant primarily for young adult readers, but as I have said before.....I enjoy reading those type of books because the writers have to be better to hold the readers attention!  I finished it and started another book called "Wildwood Dancing" by Juliet Marillier.  I'm on the fourth chapter and I'm really enjoying it as well.
We had a mostly laid back day today.  Hayden and Cebelle did their school work (and after a long talk with Hayden this morning...)  They both did a remarkable job.  I have decided that it's my goal to get Hayden to do his absolute best everyday.  The approach I am taking to this is not discipline of any kind or loss of privileges if his work isn't perfect.  The approach is about me reminding him how special he is and how right now he has the potential to be anything and everything he wants to be.  But if he starts thinking and acting like a loser (slacking off, not caring about his work, not being proud of how smart he is, complaining that he has to learn) that he will probably end up that way.  The flip side is if he starts thinking like the winner he is (doing his best everyday, being excited to learn new things, thinking that he is awesome for being so smart, taking pride in how well he can do work that is way above most kids his age) then he will always be a winner.  Clearly, my other tactics weren't working very well, so I thought it was a good idea to switch it up.  I started pressing those ideas on Cebelle today, too!  I want my kids to believe in their potential and to know how terrific they are.  This world knocks us down often enough-they don't need me to join in and beat them down.  It's my job to build them up.  So that's what I'm going to do.
Right now Hayden and Cebelle are watching Veggie Tales.  I love these shows.  First of all, they are completely hysterical.    Secondly, they are really terrific at explaining how important it is to be a good person so that kids get the message.  And third, the musical numbers are really great!
I am sitting here at the computer with the dogs underfoot and texting three people at the same time.  What can I say, I'm a multitasker.....
I will put the kids to bed when their movie is over and watch a couple of episodes of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"  It's my newest guilty pleasure.  Jeff is at opening night of his show.  Mom and Dad should be home just about anytime now.  When Jeff gets home we plan to eat some cheesy breadsticks and watch "Glee".  Since I have been up since 5:40 am, I have consumed a Diet Mtn. Dew in order to prepare me for these extremely late evening plans.  Otherwise I will be dozing on the couch in about an hour.  
Today is our cousin Molly's birthday.  She turns 1 today!  She is such a beautiful little girl.  Since she and her family live in Missouri, we don't get to see them as often as we like!  But we are wishing her a very happy birthday and many more to come!  And we are so looking forward to spending some time with them in June!
Well, I think I'm going to go snuggle on the couch with my little monkeys.  The day is coming too soon when they will wipe away my kisses and be embarrassed by my hugs.  But right now they are my little snuggle bugs and they are freshly showered.  So I'm sneaking those kisses and hugs while I can.

February 14

Happy Valentines Day,  everyone!  We have had a pretty laid back day here at the Hull household.  We slept until a little past 8 this morning, which was really nice.  We brought the kids downstairs and gave them their Valentines.  Jeff and I got them cards and some candy.  Ninny and Papa bought them some new hooded sweatshirts and some more candy.  We did school, though Hayden had quite a bit of difficulty today.  He usually does on Mondays.  He is not a big fan of getting back into school and he was supposed to have this week off, but we are two weeks behind our schedule.  I didn't feel like doing school at all the week that my Aunt Skeeter passed away.  I was in so much turmoil and suffering from so much heartbreak that I just couldn't focus on teaching.  Then a few weeks ago Hayden and I both had strep throat which put the both of us out of commission for another week.  So instead of having a break, this week we are trying to get back on track.  We are still going to be finishing a week later than we planned, but that's no big deal. I won't get rid of any more breaks or anything like that.
Jeff has a show going up at the Paramount Theatre this week in the Brick Box.  It's a small venue that seats about 50 people.  He is directing a one act.  They are doing a series of them by Alan Ball ( the guy responsible for "Six Feet Under", "True Blood" & "American Beauty")  So even though he is here every day, he has to be gone in the afternoon and evening.  Mom and Dad left earlier to get their car serviced in Burlington and decided to go out to dinner, so it was just me and the kids this evening.  Our fancy Valentine's dinner was leftovers.  They had macaroni and cheese and I had some potatoes and some kielbasa.  Barnes and Noble also offered a free NOOKbook today even though it's not Friday.  "Pride and Prejudice: The Wonton Edition".  I guess they took the original and added in steamy love scenes...I suppose that it's appropriate for Valentine's Day.  And I'm just curious enough about it to probably read it at some point.  And it was free.  I rarely turn down anything that's free.....
So now, Hayden is finishing up his homework.  And Cebelle is playing with the dogs.  She keeps running through here and giving me kisses and telling me that she loves me so much.  I suspect that's because I gave her chocolate this morning and then let her eat candy most of the day.  I know that it's awful and I really don't do that kind of thing very often.  But most of the fun of being a kid is those days when you get away with things that are definitely not allowed in a normal day.
I put five seasons of "Secret Life of the American Teenager" in my Netflix instant queue.  Unfortunately, "Dawson's Creek" is only available on disc.... I figured Jeff isn't going to want to watch too much of that show, so I'm probably safe in enjoying it while he's off doing what he needs to do.
First I need to get around and get my kids ready for bed.  Which I suspect is going to be extremely difficult considering all the candy that I let the both of them consume today.  I  have a dentist trip tomorrow to get a couple of cavities fixed.  Luckily for me, my dentist is big on early detection, so we caught these tiny little blips before they even gave me any discomfort.  But they are on opposite sides of my mouth-so I am betting that my entire face will be numb when I return home tomorrow.  I'm sure that my children will find that hysterical.  But for tonight, I'm going to tuck my babies in and tell them on this day of love (just like I do every other day) how much I love them and how special they are and how blessed I feel to be their mom.  Then I'm going to curl up on the couch and wait for my Valentine to come home.  And I'm sure on this day of love (just like every other day) he will be glad to be home and talk with me and we will feel blessed to have found each other and to be spending our life together.  I hope that you are all snuggling up with your loved ones and counting your blessings, too!

Weekend!

We have had a really nice weekend.  Yesterday we didn't have to go anywhere so we spent most of the day just laying around and reading books and spending time together.  I'm proud to say that the television didn't even get turned on until last night after the kids were in bed.  It might surprise people to know that we really don't watch very much television.  Most days, unless I have daycare kids that really want to watch cartoons (and those are carefully picked and chosen), our television doesn't come on until after the kids go to bed. And then Jeff and I either watch a movie with mom and dad, or we catch up on a couple of shows on our dvr.   Last night we watched Inception.  I really liked it, though I was a little bit disappointed.  There was so much hype about this movie and its twists and turns and how people couldn't figure out what was going on that I guess I expected too much.  However, I did really enjoy it and it's nice to see a movie with orginality because that is so rare these days.  Everyone is taking old ideas and trying to make them new again, and I imagine that I am not the only one that finds this annoying.  Doesn't anyone have original ideas anymore?
Anyway, I got some new books for my NOOKcolor and I read one last night/today.  "Dead in the Family" is the latest installment of the Charlaine Harris written Sookie Stackhouse series.  I love this series.  Its original and funny and full of thought provoking ideas.  I have only seen the first season of "True Blood" and would like to watch the rest because I really love the characters.  Maybe I will get to that this summer.  The next book that I will be starting on my NOOKcolor is "Awakened"  which is the 8th book in the House of Night Series by P.C. and Kristen Cast.  I love reading series of books because I really like seeing characters develop.  I love vampire stories, too.  Ever since Ann Rice and her vampires and witches, I love reading about the supernatural.  I think if you are going to read and suspend disbelief and immerse yourself in a different world for a while, why not make it one where just about anything is possible and the characters are larger than life.  I also loved the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.  My sisters got me reading those.  Actually, there isn't very much that I won't read.  I love stories of just about any kind.  I just love reading.  I always have.  I still own books that I read and treasured as a child.  Most of them are worn from so much reading.  My copy of "Charlotte's Web" is barely held together and if you opened it, I think that most of the pages would fall out.  I hope my children will treasure their books as much as I have every one of mine.
We were eating dinner last night and the kids were talking about stuff that they learned, especially about monuments around the world.  We were quizzing them about famous landmarks and monuments and Jeff asked them what was in China.  Cebelle shouted very enthusiastically, "Food!"  I guess that since we are fans of Chinese food and she hasn't gotten to that part of the world in her history yet, that was the first thing that came to her mind.  It was pretty hysterical.  We finally got them to say the Great Wall of China after referencing Mulan.....
The kids are mostly just running around and enjoying being kids.  Jeff is out of school this week for break, so we are all happy about that.  It's unfortunate that he has to be gone every night this week because his show at the Paramount goes up on Wednesday.  But we are all happy to have him here during the day.
I finished knitting the two wristers that I was working on and I had enough yarn left over that I decided to make a matching cowl to go with them.  So that's what I'm working on now.  It's about a third of the way finished.  I'm sure I will be able to complete it in the next couple of days since we don't have much going on.  I've been looking at some new patterns and I ordered a couple of new books.  I always love to learn new techniques in knit and crochet.  And truthfully, I use patterns mostly like a recipe...as a kind of guideline.  I take something that I like and usually make something different out of it.  I just like to be inspired by other peoples' creativity.
I'm getting ready to put some dinner on the table.  Kielbasa and macaroni and cheese for dinner tonight.  It's pretty much the kids favorite.  I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes last night for my dad.  He's a big fan.  Then the kids are off to bed and I think that Jeff and I are going to watch "Going the Distance" with mom and dad.  It's the last Netflix movie we have here and since Jeff will be gone every evening this week, we need to watch it tonight.  I was watching an episode of Fringe a few nights ago and Joshua Jackson had this line that reminded me so much of his Dawson's Creek days that I was thinking maybe I should get all the seasons of that on our instant queue and watch it while he's away all week.  Should be good for some laughs at the very least!  Anyway-I will let you know how it goes!  Have a wonderfully adventurous week!

February 4

I had a great Friday!  I had a daycare kid who I always have tons of fun with today.  The kids got up and ate good breakfasts and did their school work with no complaints.  I was able to read some books and knit some.  Jeff got to come home right after school.  And then we listened to a bunch of 80's and 90's music.  So much fun.  It's funny how so many of those songs bring back so many memories of friends and good times.
It's also really funny how much both of our kids love that music!  They were both sitting in here shouting, "put that on my ipod!" while we were listening to stuff.  It's really hysterical.  Hayden was doing his math today and listening to his ipod.  All of a sudden, he is singing "U Can't Touch This" word for word.  I was snickering and giggling.  Then he started dancing in his seat and I literally almost fell out of my chair.  I love that my kids love music.  It has always been such a huge part of my life and I hope it will be in theirs too.  I'd say they are already off to a pretty good start.
I spent a lot of today reading on my NOOKcolor.  I adore it.  I don't think that anything will ever replace a real book in my hand.  I know its weird, but I love books.  We have hundreds of them.  Our kids have hundreds more.  I love the way they look, they way they feel, the way they smell.  I think books are really special.  I LOVE my NOOKcolor because I can keep thousands of books in it if I want.  (Right now there are 60 books-most were free- and I think I have about the same amount of knitting/crochet patterns on it)  I read really quickly.  I can read a 300 page book in a little over an hour on most days.  Sometimes it will take me closer to two, but rarely.  I'm not trying to brag....I'm just trying to explain why a NOOKcolor is a really good solution for me.  I have plenty of things to read and lots of choices.  I even have a copy of the Bible in mine.  The ESV or English Standard Version.  I think that my NOOKcolor is awesome, even though I don't think I will ever be able to completely replace books.
The kids are in bed and I'm getting ready to settle down for the evening.  I wish all of you many terrific weekend adventures!

February 3

Today was a pretty normal Thursday for us!  Schoolwork was first on our priority list as always.  Our Thursday school load is pretty light except for every 6th Thursday when we have Chemistry labs.  I got some reading done.  I am re-reading the entire In Death series by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts).  There are 32 books in the series and I own the first 27.  I intended to purchase the last 5 sometime in the next few weeks so I decided to read them all again up to that point.  I love this series because its mystery, sci-fi, and a little bit of romance....mostly I love Nora Roberts as a writer because she writes very compelling character driven stories.  I won't deny...some of her romance novels are a bit schmaltzy, but the characters are amazing.  I am also reading a few books on my NOOKcolor.
I also worked a bit on a baby blanket today.  I have several pieces of it finished and I really think its going to be beautiful.  I'm getting ready to start some wristers and a hat for myself made from this gorgeous silk/bamboo/wool mix yarn.  I hardly ever make stuff for myself.
The kids spent their day listening to their ipods mostly.  I'm glad that I don't have to hear Alvin and the Chipmunks fifty times a day with the CD player.  I do have to constantly remind them to turn them down, but they are pretty good about not listening too loudly.  They are cracking me up with their eclectic taste in music.  Hayden has been grooving to "Another One Bites the Dust", "Mission Impossible Theme", "Eye of the Tiger", and "Imma Be".  He sings the lyrics out loud to most of them.  It's completely hysterical.  He has now decided that someone needs to put "Toxic" on his ipod.  I told him that I firmly believe that ipods should be Britney Spears free zones, but he said, "But I really like that song!"  So I will probably cave and let him have it.  Heck, I like the song too.  But it gets stuck in my head.  Right now, I'm humming the chorus.  Crap.  There goes my night.
Cebelle is still grooving on Taylor Swift.  She also loves Lady Gaga.  She doesn't really like any "boy" songs.  I suspect this is because they are out of her extreme high soprano that only dogs can hear range.  I love it when she sings out loud with her earphones on too.  I asked her earlier what she was listening to and she said, "Mom!  I'm shuffling songs and I don't know all my letter sounds yet!  How am I supposed to know what song this is?"  Fair enough.  She has a point.  She's also a diva, so I keep the arguing with her to a minimum.  You can't argue with divas.  Even if you win, you lose.
The kids also spent some time outside this morning shoveling the walkway.  We got another four inches or so after we shoveled yesterday.  It was really too cold to spend too long outside.
All in all, we had a pretty terrific day.  I'm getting ready to go wash my face and tuck the kids in.  Jeff and I will probably watch a couple of shows before we head off to bed.
Thanks for sharing the adventure with me!

January 21

Today was a really long day for me.  Daycare kid here at 6:30 am and until 5:30 pm.  I don't mind getting up early.  I really actually enjoy the quiet before everyone else is awake.  I also don't mind the long day.  I love the daycare kids and I get a huge kick out of them!

I am so glad that it is Friday because that means I will get to sleep in tomorrow snuggled up to my husband!  (meaning that we will sleep until 8...but hey, we will take what we can get!)  We will get to have some great family time which I always look forward to.  And I am hoping to get some crafting time in.  

I have been working today on a few ideas that I have for some jewelry designs.  Right now I'm in a process of trial and error trying to figure out how to get everything to work and look the way that I want it to.  As soon as I have that figured out, I will make a bunch of these designs to sell.  They are nature/vintage/punk rock inspired.  I know it sounds weird-but if it looks like I want it to I think it will be amazing!  And if it doesn't....it will never see the light of day!  

I'm also hoping to get some reading done.  My NOOKcolor has a Free Friday book every Friday and today's free download was Septimus Heap Book 1.  I have been wanting to read this book for a while, but our library never seems to have the first book in.  I have read the first couple of chapters and I think that I'm really going to love this series!  Since it's supposed to be really cold here tomorrow, I'm thinking that I will spend the day like this:

Clean the house

Throw some dinner in the crock pot

Shower and put on my fuzzy pants

Read, craft, and play games to my heart's content

I think it's a pretty good day as far as Saturdays go.  That's the plan anyway.  We shall see what adventures tomorrow brings!