I have started a new blog at the following address; http://mynewlife-andrea.blogspot.com

I like the format

Andrea

I am going to be starting a food log in order to remain accountable about my food choices.  I'm not sure if I will continue recording it on here but I will start here because I'd rather not have to create a new blog just yet and I'm comfortable with this set up. 

Anyhow this morning for breakfast/lunch I am having (I slept in, I LOVE saturdays)  a mango, a bagel with cheese and a coffee.  YUM!

I have no idea what I will be having for snack or dinner.  I understand that planning helps aviod making poor choices and binging.

Last night I did well, I did have two molasses oatmeal cookies but that's all.  Normally I have tons of food and go to bed feeling ashamed and frustrated.

It has been suggested that our eldest son, and second born child has A.D.H.D.  I find this amusing, I have know he had A.D.H.D. since he was about two or three years old.  It has also been suggested that I get Mooey to a pediatrician and have him tested.  Hmmmm can of worms there.  Do I want to have him labelled?  I thnk not. 

In my experience getting labelled as learning disabled gave me permission to be stupid and stop trying.  When I finally stopped caring about wether I was disabled or not I earned a place on the honour roll during my last year in high school. 

I know that Mooey has impulse control issues, he goes form idea to done is half a second.  Sometimes this is fun, often it is annoying, occasionally it can be dangerous.  My job as a parent is to watch, train, protect, and pray for my children.  This includes dealing with each of their idiosyncrasies (sp?) and personal difficulties. 

Our dd has had social issues, we worked on them, prayed, and practiced and now she does well, and fits comfortably in with her peers.  It did not happen over night and it was not easy. 

I know A.D.H.D. issues are and will be tougher to deal with but I know my Lord will equip me for the challenge.  Mooey has already shown a great improvement in his impulse control and will continue to do so as he matures (he's 7). 

I don't mean to suggest that ADHD and other genuine behavioural issues are easy and should be taken lightly, on the contrary, take every training issue with you child seriously, their future is at stake.  Most of all I have learned to pray for my son and for myself.  I actually look on Mooey's ADHD as a blessing now, it has taught me patience I never would have learned without going through so much with him. 

The Lord sure knows what we need.

I am grumpy irritable and want to be left alone.  My poor husband has had to deal with a very grouchy wife today.  I've tried to keep a lid on it but it slips through a little here and there.  Sorry Honey :(  PMS is not the most fun.

We went into town today, the two oldest children went to cyber camp at the library. Today the topic studied was Greek Mythology, that will lead to an interesting conversation or two I'm sure, once they are finished processing what they heard. Insert rolling eyes emoticon here

Dh, the youngest two and myself were going to the second hand store but found it was closed so we ended up having lunch at the restaurant.  Not my favorite way to waste money, I would have much rather saved the money and gone to the park. See, I sure am grumpy.  Shame on me. Hormones or not I should be nicer about things.

I have had the hardest time logging into this blog!  I am so frustrated that I sent a letter to the administration asking them to delete my blog.  Talk about an adult tempertantrum.  Embarassing.  Sometimes the speed of email is not a good thing.  BLUSH!

Update on Dh

Anyhow, it's been a month since my last update so I'll fill you in;  Dh is doing so mcuh better now that we have found the right medication and the right dose.  Praise the Lord for our medical system, if we were in the US we would have been much worse off I'm sure.  No offense to and US readers, I love ya'll but your medical care stinks. ;)  His moods are under control, and his panic attacks are gone with the wind.  I am so thankful!

School

The children have been doing very well with their school work, as usual.  I am really pleased with Sissy's continued progress in creative writing.  I was so worried about her creativity and if it would ever imerge, well now it seems to be and I am so relieved.  Sometimes this relaxed homschooling takes ALOT of faith, not to mention patience. 

Mooey has now been moved up to grade 3/4 math.  Teaching him with Sissy is great for me, I'm just wonder how Sissy feels about it.  I've spoken to her and she has said some things about feeling frustrated about how easily it comes to him but not much more.  

We have received  Mymy's curriculum for September and I am really excited about him starting school with Sissy and Mooey.  I know Chay will want to be doing school as well, I'll have to make sure that I have an amount of organized curriculum for him as well. 

If you haven't found Candy's weblog yet then I definitely recommend that you read it today, she has alot of practical suggestions and advice for stay-at-home-Mums.  Check it out!  Here's the link; http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/

Andrea

I haven't read through the whole Bible. Shame on me, I can't believe that I haven't read it through.  I've been a christian for almost 20 years and I haven't read the whole Bible through.  That is my project starting tonight, I am going to spend atleast  20 minutes reading my Bible before bed and 10 to 20 minutes sometime during the day. 

Blessings

We've been really blessed today with some thrift store finds.  I was able to get 6 paris of pants for Moo, and nice sweater for Sissy and a set of flannel sheets.  All for $7.50! Yippee! 

Also Today

We had a good time in town today, we went to the thrift store as I mentioned, and the library.  We then went to my Mums for dinner and birthday cake (our border turned 76 today). 

Spring!

Wow, my children have been goofy lately, the last two weeks actually.  Since the weather has changed they have been far more active and, to be honest, a little irritating ;) 

It's so nice to have the snow almost gone, and the air not so frigid.  Now we have about 5 weeks before the bugs arrive.  Such an optomist eh?!

Hubbie

My darling husband is streadily improving, he has a long road but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  The Lord has been more than faithful, and has blessed us beyond what we could ask for.  I am so thankful.

The kids just came down, apparently their game is over, so I am needed.  I'll try to post again later.

Andrea

It was fun, fun, fun. I loved it, rare that you can watch something so uplifting on TV. The commercials were a diffent matter though

Oh well, I taped the show for the children and left out the commercials.

I thought it was great how Michelle kept saying what a blessing their new home was, shows appreciation for what the Lord has given them.  :)

Here are links to info regarding the Duggar's two new specials 

http://tlc.discovery.com/tvlistings/episode.jsp?episode=0&cpi=54951&gid=0&channel=TLC

http://tlc.discovery.com/tvlistings/episode.jsp?episode=0&cpi=54951&gid=0&channel=TLC

I watched their other special "14 Children and Pregnant Again" and thought it was really fun, they are a conservative fundamental christian homeschooling family.  It's so nice to see a family making it in this wacko world!

Also here is thier family site www.jimbob.info  pictures and links.

Andrea

We've done well today, the children both completed their math assignments without fuss at all! Yippee for that!

We enjoyed the library today, Mymy and Chay behaved really well and so were able to choose a movie to borrow.  I'm so proud of them!  We've had alot of trouble with misbehaviour with them in the van and the last few times we've gone to the library they have lost their borrowing privledges.  Yay for them!

Sissy and Moo will be doing seperate unit studies next week, they each want to study something different so I thought, "why not?!"  Sissy will be studying puppies and Mooey will be studying the ocean floor.  Fun!

again!    I did a big declutter a few months ago and I am doing so again.  Our children have WAY too many toys and I have WAY too many school related paraphernailia.  You know works books, craft junk, manipulatives etc.  I'm not sure how much I will be able to eliminate but I am sure going to do my best to be brutal!

We will be buying the boys some bins for their shelves so the toys they do have will be put away or thrown away.  I know, mean Mummy, but I can't be responsible for their "stuff".  Our Dd has been informed of the new rules, "you don't put it away, ya loose it".  Sissy is famous for leaving a trail of things behind her throughout the day.  Drives me bananas!

My Dh is improving, his medication is really helping.  We have a long road ahead of us with lots of uncertainty but we'll be okay. 

The Lord has been dealing with me regarding laziness during this past year.  I am embarrassed to say that I have not made any great strides in overcoming this tendancy.  I am still lazy, I still procrastinate far too much, I do the least yet expect the best and then wonder why I am so disappointed with the outcome.  DUH! 

Life sure can be tricky!  My dh has been diagnosed with a serious illness and we are moving 4 hours south of our present home to be better able to continue his care. 

School has been sporadic, but it's amazing how much the children learn just by reading and participating in gereral life.

The last few weeks we have been doing a unit study on the tropical rainforests. I have learned a great deal, the chidren have been talking about which animals live there what the climate is like and even where the rainforests are located.  Wow, smart little monkeys or what?!

Mooey has really been making great strides with his reading, strange he hates the readers (too babyish) but he "reads" the science books and doesn't mind the struggle of not knowing 75 % of the words.  That says alot about his determination, that's for sure!

Life sure can be tricky!  My dh has been diagnosed with a serious illness and we are moving 4 hours south of our present home to be better able to continue his care. 

School has been sporadic, but it's amazing how much the children learn just by reading and participating in gereral life.

The last few weeks we have been doing a unit study on the tropical rainforests. I have learned a great deal, the chidren have been talking about which animals live there what the climate is like and even where the rainforests are located.  Wow, smart little monkeys or what?!

Mooey has really been making great strides with his reading, strange he hates the readers (too babyish) but he "reads" the science books and doesn't mind the struggle of not knowing 75 % of the words.  That says alot about his determination, that's for sure!

lots of intense family stuff going on right now, I'll blog when I'm ready.

Andrea

Apparently I'm a RED!
Reds are motivated by POWER, seek productivity, and

need to look good to others. Simply stated,

REDS want their own way. They like to be in

the drivers seat and willingly pay the price

to be in a leadership role. REDS value

whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it

be at work, school, or in their personal

relationships. What REDS value, they get

done. They are often workaholics. They will,

however, resist being forced to do anything

that doesnt interest them.

Reds need to appear knowledgeable. They crave

approval from others for their intelligence

and insight. They want to be respected even

more than they want to be loved. They want to

be admired for their logical, practical

minds. REDS are confident, proactive,

visionary, and can be arrogant, selfish, and

insensitive. When you deal with a RED, be

precise, factual, and direct.


http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=57&url=http://quizilla.com/users/rosemckay/quizzes/What%20Color%20Are%20You%3F"> What Color Are You?
brought to you by Quizillahttp://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=56&url=http://www.quizilla.com">Quizilla>  Interesting, I never thought of myself quite this way but it's true!  Weird

Finally, employment!

My dh called me early this afternoon, he had just come out of an interview and he was offered the job!  Yahoo!  The drought is over!  I knew the Lord would look after us, He always does.  Dh will be working 4 hours south from home which means he’ll be staying down there during the week and only home on the weekends.  That’s a bummer but how can I possibly complain.  God has provided a wonderful opportunity to start with a growing company, my dh is so happy to finally be working. 

School

We had a more relaxed day today, we spent a lot of time cleaning and straightening to prepare for Daddy’s homecoming. Can you tell we are excited?!

Kids

Sissy has continued to show a real improvement in responsibility.  I am pleasantly surprised with how quickly she is growing up. She did a great deal of work today with very little complaining.  After I spoke to her about those little attitude errors she corrected the immediately and went on to show a good attitude.

Mooey spent the day with Granddad today, apparently Mooey impressed more than a few people with his intelligent questions and conversations.  It’s so nice when your investment of time and love etc. pay off!

Mymy and Chay have been watching a bit too much TV lately.  With the cold damp weather we’ve had lately it has been really easy to put off going outside until tomorrow.  Well we all know what they say about “tomorrow”, it never comes.  Bad, bad Mummy, outside you go! Ha ha ha J

Headcovering

I wore a head covering most of the day yesterday, it felt comfortable, and sort of comforting in a way I don’t quite understand.  Hmmm, I think I’ll post on the shed and ask if any of the women there wear a head covering and how they feel about it, etc.

Selfishness and Wasting Time

I wondering how many of you are not interested in reading my blog but are because of boredom.  I have spent hours surfing because I was avoiding my house work or children.  This avoidance is part of the selfishness I have written about on this blog before.  Spending SOME time apart from the children is healthy and makes me a better mother but wasting time and procrastinating harms myself, the running of this house and most of all my children.  Ignoring them has caused problems, when they are fighting I have found myself yelling at them instead of talking with them, rebuking the instigator and helping them work out the conflict.  The more time I spend with them, working with them, teaching them to share etc. the better they get along and the more restful the 1 hour of personal time I have each afternoon is. 

School Progress

Sissy has really developed a good work ethic with her school work lately, she is accomplishing a great deal more with a lot less fuss.  I have instituted a reward system, when the children do their work with a good attitude and little fuss they earn a piece of  a snowman.  There are 14 pieces, when the snowman is complete they can choose one of three things, a trip to blockbuster, an afternoon with Grandma, or a day off school. They both have one piece so far and Sissy has earned another today, she just hasn’t put it up yet.

Mooey has been really frustrated lately, he’s bored and unfortunately there is not a lot that I can do about it.  Other than offer some new activities he’s  just going to have to adjust to the slower pace of winter up here.  I will try and read to him a little more, he does love that.  I’ll try some new books and maybe some of the science books of my Dad’s that he like to look at.  It really will be nice when he can read on his own.  It will come I know, he just needs a little more time.

Beef stew

We had a really wonderful stew yesterday I made a rich broth from some beef bones.  After straining it I added potatoes, onions, celery, carrots and barley.  Wow, was it good!  I made a large pot (not my biggest though) and between Dad, Phil, the kids, and I we finished the pot.  So Yummy!

Home Sweet Home

I have realized that I can either drive myself crazy trying to keep the house perfectly clean or I can keep it clean enough to be healthy and just relaxed enough to be comfortable.  The children are not going to remember how clean the house was but they will remember how much time I had for them. 

Perhaps that also encompasses part of the selfishness I have been dealing with, MY desire is to have a perfect house but really how important is that.  Christ spoke of this when he addressed Martha and Mary’s conflict.

Freezing Rain, Ick!

We have freezing rain today, yucky weather!  Granddad took the kids outside to haul wood this afternoon just before the rain came.  Because the kids were busy, I was able to do a deep vacuum in the living room.  It gets very dirty with our woodstove, bark and ashes all over.  I love the heat from our woodstove (and the low cost!) but the mess is a little frustrating. 

Hubby Coming Home!

My dh is coming home this weekend, he’s been down south job hunting.  He has a solid lead on a job in Aurora.  I know he needs to work and the opportunities seem to be south and not up here but I am sad that it may be so far away.

School

The children have been doing well with their school work this week, we’ve kept a pretty casual approach to school and it seems to have helped with their attitudes, they’ve been less stressed and as a result have accomplished a great deal.  Rebekah has shown a real improvement in her mental math.  That’s so great to see.

 Matthew is still reluctant to learn to read, he wants to but because it doesn’t come as easy as math does he is frustrated with the process.  I know he will get it and that not all children learn to read at the same age, still I worry that he won’t read by next year when he goes into the higher class, when the other children will be reading ( I assume).

Created to be His Helpmeet

I have read this book through once and now I am going through it again and doing the study.  I know this book is controversial (as most of the things the Pearls do is) and I may not agree with all the suggestions and ideas but there is A LOT of wisdom and Godly advice given.  I know I will learn a great deal from Debbie’s wisdom. I appreciate the way things are presented simply and very clearly; I have read other book, which seem to make things quite complicated. 

Catholicism

I still am curious and wondering about weather they are THE church or not.  I don’t know what the Lord has in store for this family, but I do know that I must leave the decision to stay at this church or not has to be up to my husband.  It might sound strange to hear that knowing that he is not saved but the Lord has shown me that Ron will be saved and that He is in control, and has a definite plan for this family, something in missions.  Weather that mission will be a domestic mission or foreign I have no idea.  It may be something as simple as helping in a soup kitchen or as wild as moving to Africa (Ha ha!) I have no idea.  Normally that would drive me crazy but I have been given such a peace about this.  I don’t have to be in control and that is very freeing!

Going out to church this morning it was so cold that our van nearly didn’t start then the side door jammed and then I didn’t want to shut (the lock mechanism froze).  Yikes talk about cold, it was about –25 degrees Celsius.  I must be crazy, I love the cold, makes you feel alive!  The bright blue skies help of course. It’s been really cloudy the last while and the sun is very welcome. 

Missions

Several weeks ago I felt impressed of the Lord that He has a plan for missions for this family, I don’t know when or where in what capacity but definitely something in missions.  This is really interesting considering that my husband is not yet saved, but God is faithful.  I am learning to trust more and leave the decisions up to Him and Dh, tough for an independent minded woman