Sep. 14, 2008 - Moving...

No, thank the Good Lord, not to another house. Not yet anyways. The owner of the home we are currently in did call and he may sell, so a move in our near future is not entirely out of the question, but for now..today, we are staying put.  Just moving my blog.

My husband worked really hard for me and made a very pretty new blogging home for me on Blogger...Come on over and take a look.  I hope to try and move my archives (not an easy task, they will not move as a whole month, so instead I will be moving them one.at.a.time. *sigh*) so if you see some posts that make you think, "Hey, haven't I read this before?" You very well may have. 

Unfortunately, my comments won't transfer over, so if they delete this blog, your witty contributions will be lost forever.  Please some on over and leave your mark on my new blog so I will know that you all still want to be inspired and informed by my aimlessness.  I live to serve, you know.

Speaking of serving, I have just been informed that there is nothing to eat here.  So I need to go forage up some food for the natives.

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Sep. 1, 2008 - Free Chicken Strips at Chic-Fil-A!!

Just for today, Sept 1st, Chic-Fil-A is offering free chicken strips (a new menu item) to anyone who comes into the store (or through the drive-thru even) wearing their favorite football team logo gear.  It can be a professional, college, even a highschool team!!

We were thinking of going ourselves when we realized, sports fans that we are, we do not own any logo emblazoned clothing.  Actually, we have a few sweatshirts, but who wants to wear that when it's 90* outside?  So our conversation is going something like this...

Hubby: We could go by the dollar store and see what kind of stuff they have.  Sometimes they have sports stuff.  Or that little outdoor store...they have $2.00 licensed wear.

Me: You guys could just wear your sweatshirts just to order, then take them off, that way we don't need to get everyone a t-shirt.  Or we could just print out LOGOS and pin them to our clothes.

Hubby: We can't do that..I have an old Tampa Bay...oh wait, that's baseball.

Our son:  Do we really NEED chicken strips THAT BAD?!

I laughed out loud.  I guess if you have to buy the logo t-shirt to get the free meal, it's not really free anymore, huh?

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Aug. 4, 2008 - Six Quirky Things

Let me just say, the Heart of the Matter Conference was just sensational. But, after five days of workshops (yes, five.whole.days.) I am on information overload.  Add to that the PMS factor, and you've got one very frayed woman. 

So, instead of posting about all the terrific things I learned or scriptures that encouraged me (those are coming my friends, soon) I decided to play along with my friend Dianne (who was also at the cyber-conference and now knows my deep seated need for attention...perhaps my first quirky thing?) and post Six Quirky Things about me.  It's a lighter, less serious way to make sure I put up a new post for my one groupie and a few others who pop by now and again.

In no particular order...

• I am addicted (like, I may need an intervention addicted) to the card games on my cell phone.  This is perhaps a direct result of the fact that poker cards were not allowed in my home as a child.  I'm not kidding.  I think I know now why they [cards] are sinful.

• I absolutely loathe and detest morning.  I firmly believe that mornings would be better if they started later...so around here they do.  Please don't call before 9 am.  Seriously.

• I am a 'frugal failure.'  I have tried and failed multiple times to clip coupons and save money.  I have joined coupon clubs, the grocery game, buyer clubs, etc.  The know-how just eludes me.  I have been reading frugal/couponing blogs lately, perhaps with some handholding and step-by-step instructions, I'll actually 'get it' someday.  Whose blogs do you read?  Where do you find your best tips?

• I am a direct sales junky.  I love parties and meeting new people and shopping.  Direct sales makes all this possible in just one night!!  I have currently become intrigued with health and wellness and I think I represent the best company for meeting new people, having fun and making money while helping people feel better and make money too.  And it's CHOCOLATE....Healthy Chocolate.  I'll bet you didn't think those two words could happen in the same sentence...neither did I.  Drop me a note if you'd like more information.  =)

• I love make-up.  Sometimes, when I am positively down and out, a few minutes in the make-up aisle looking at all the pretty new colors makes me feel happier. It's even better if I can come home with some new nail polish or some other sparkly.  =)

• I desperately desire to be organized.  I am such a resource gal that if you come to me with questions about how to better organize your life/kitchen/children's chores/laundry room/meals/homeschool I will rattle off suggestions like nobody's business.  I read books on this stuff like they may not be here tomorrow...heck, I consume books on this subject...yet...there are no systems/routines/organization/plans/standards around here.  What is the disconnect?! 
  

Just so you know, I do not, nor do I pretend to have it all together.  Be comforted my friends. It's just after two in the afternoon here and I am curled up in my favorite cotton PJ's blogging from my bed.  It's good to be me.  Even when PMSing.

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Jul. 30, 2008 - You SOOO Should Check This out!!

Remember the other day when I mentioned that there was an online homeschool convention coming up?  And I hoped to win tickets?  I WON!  And let me tell you, if today is any indication of the rest of the conference, you should be there too.  Seriously.  I was so blessed today by the presenters and the information.  It was a as good as any I have ever heard.  They had their act together and presented well, with PDF handouts and everything!  All from the comfort of my couch...coffee, chocolate and popcorn all nearby.

There are FOUR days left of this stellar conference and all the workshops will be fully downloadable in about 10 days, so it is still very much worth jumping in now.  Girls, for the cost...you just can't beat it.  I am that impressed.

Check out heart of the matter online. 

You will be so glad you did!!

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Jul. 25, 2008 - Addiction and Affirmation

First, let me just say that I blog in my head all. the. time.  It's really too bad that there isn't a way to immediately download the witty banter I entertain myself with to the internet to share with you, my pretend bffs.  Alas, it just speaks of my deep addiction great love for all things internet.

I was just sharing with my husband the other day that this sweet pink laptop that he and the boys got for me for mothers day last year (?) is possibly the greatest gift ever.  I mean, I have a whole hard drive that's all mine!  To store music, photos, articles, school resources...anything I want!  ANd i have NO IDEA HOW TO USE IT.  I am by nature a piler, not a filer.  My home reflects this when I let it get out of control (those darn 'hotspots' as flylady calls them) but my computer...oh my friends...a veritable maze of information here.  You see, this lovely laptop is really just  a portal by which I check my e-mail, and feed my addiction, blog when I am inspired and in front of the computer ( a rare occurence), and generally play online...twitter, facebook, myspace, blog hopping, shopping, trivia, youtube, recipes,etc.  If I see something I like, I either e-mail it to myself (only to have it be lost in the hundreds thousands of emails piled up in my inbox) or just save it.  Do you know how HARD it is to find something you just know you've saved if you are not using a system of some sort?  Yeah, something I need to work on...

But I digress...all this time online has had me pondering the interconnected-ness of my little corner of the world/internet/blogosphere and how small it seems.  I love that by reading other people blogs, I feel like I know them in some small way.  Their struggles, their kids, the recipes they share...layer in twitter and what they share there and they really are my pretend bff's.  In some small way, I feel as if I know them!  My people-person personality would love to be known like I feel like I know these gals.  I was born for the stage (my children are a diversion...I will get my spotlight someday) and I have thought that blogging could be my ticket to that elusive Jr. High popularity that I have oft dreamed of.

So think of my delight and surprise when yesterday lounging by the pool at the local Y, someone walked up to me and said, "Are you Phyllis?  I read your blog."   Granted, she didn't recognize me on blogging alone...we had been to the same homeschool meeting last year and she remembered me from how chatty I was (evidently I am very memorable in group settings...loud clothes, loud laugh, big mouth...see I told you, public speaking is sooo in my future).  At some point, I had mentioned (or more likely~ posted) that I had a blog and she has been surreptitiously reading ever since.  She totally made my day!  And layer that with the sweetest compliment from the author of the new curriculum I have selected for this year (that I am a gifted writer?!) yesterday was a truly good day for the internet.  And it totally fed my addiction...

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Jul. 15, 2008 - arggghh...Homeschool Burnout

I just composed a really long piece on burnout and encouragement...blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada...and I lost it.  One wrong click...poof! 

Suffice it to say, I really need to attend the Virtual Heart of the Matter homeschool conference.  They are having workshops on both bloggings and burnout.  Sounds like a true fit for me.

Head on over to see Dawn at HomeSweetHome.  She is giving tickets away.  If you miss out there, check out the Homeschool Blog awards.  Or, you can always just check out HOTM directly.  It looks like they have really pulled together a stellar conference for those of looking to save a few bucks on gas and just attend from home!  =)

Maybe I'll cyber-see you there?

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Jun. 23, 2008 - Fitting Room Phobia

Feeling the need for some groovy new summer duds, I decided to go out and pick out a few new tops.  I was on a mission though as I wanted something special to match hubby.  Yeah, I know...we are one of those creepy couples that actually LIKE to dress alike...or at least in colors/shirts that are complementary. 

We were that couple in college that had matching shirts and wore the same colors...all. the. time.  LOL  A few babies later and my clothes don't really fit and well, my fashion tastes (and his) have changed somewhat.  But, occasionally we still like to indulge in that fun fashion statement that says, very definitively, we are a couple...of fashionistas.

So, back to my mission.  I have heard so many great things about TARGET and their flair for fashion.  And lucky for us, we just got a bright shiny new Target here in our little corner of the world.  So with no children in tow, I headed off to find just the right top to match my man...at Target.

I have to say, I was a little disappointed in my choices, maybe because we are a small town, maybe because everyone else in town had the same idea and they were cleaned out.  Never-the-less, I was on a QUEST.  I needed to find a shirt.  It was for a date night...and we don't get to many of those.  Time was short, so I found a couple shirts and headed to the fitting room. 

Checked in at the desk, got my little tag and headed around the corner.  Safe in my little mirrored room, I started changing.  I am used to overhearing conversations in the fitting room.  You know, us gals like to do things like use the potty and shop in pairs.  But when I am stripped down to my skivvies, the voices I hear in the room next to mine should definitely be of the female persuasion!!

Immediately, I rewind to the signage in my mind...did I go the wrong way?  Am I on the wrong side?  Did she point me in the wrong direction?  Is that a man's voice?!  I am not a quick dresser, more of a prissy preener, but I set a world record in those moments.  I would have made my mother proud.  How many mornings did she complain about my lack of speed?  But I digress...

I whipped open the flimsy fitting room door to see the backside of a male form leaving the fitting area.  Now I don't know about you, but that is NOT what I want to see when I am trying on clothes.  I hurried out behind him, anxious to ask the woman at the desk which one of us was in the wrong area. 

Her answer, "This is a uni-sex fitting room.  Anyone can try things on back there." 

We've come a long way, baby.  I gave her back my selections and left in a daze.  While I can state with some certainly that I will not be purchasing (or at least trying on) clothes there, I have to wonder is this the direction all places are headed?  What would make them choose to go this route.  Are there that many folks confused about their gender that we need to make it easy for them and hard on the rest of us?  Or am I just a prude?  Would it have shaken YOU up to hear a man on the other side of your wall?

Anyone...

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Jun. 6, 2008 - Summer Fun and Kisses from God

Don't you just love 'God Kisses?'  You know, when you really want something, but it's not really a need and you don't have the $$, but then God gives you one? 

I started out the day yesterday perusing the online selection of water toys...mostly slip and slides, the deluxe models.  Sadly, my husband just lost his supplemental income job...the one that pays for extras and groceries, so money is going to be a little tight around here until he picks up something else.  So my perusal was more wishful thinking than anything else.  "You know, maybe if I can find a really good deal..."

Later in the morning, while taking my kids to FREE Tennis Camp, I passed a garbage heap that had something on top that looked a lot like something I had seen online that very morning.  Girls, I am not proud.  I exclaimed, "I think I am going to be a garbage picker today!"  My three year old said, "I wanna be a garbage picker too!"  (this caused some problems for me later in the day...she said it all day long...made for some interesting conversations...heehee)  So, I dropped off the boys and doubled back by that house.  I threw the whole contraption in the back of my van deciding to wait until I got home to see what was wrong with it. 

I stopped by my house and threw it on the porch and went on to run my errands.  When I picked up the boys, they were so excited to see it on the porch.  Ian took it to the back yard to unfold it and see what was wrong.  Here is what he found...

And here is how I fixed this simple problem...
Larger view of my creative solution.

Clamped off with a rubberband and a twisttie, the hose part worked like a charm and will provide many hours of summer fun, courtesy of God.



Isn't God good?


Hope you are all having a great summer too!!

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Jun. 5, 2008 - WOW!

You already know how I love give-aways.  I enter with the vain hope that one day, I might actually win something.  Shannon over at RocksinMyDryer has an awesome giveaway going on right now and I hope one of us wins...because she's got twenty prize packages to give away!! 

I am positively dying for some new music in my cd player/MP3 and her give away is the solution to my dilemma.  Check out www.WOWonline.com  That's where you'll find a list of some of the greatest Christian artists/songs ever.  Why is this link important?  Because that's where your new music is coming from too!  So go check it out and give Shannon a holler.  What a great contest!

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Jun. 4, 2008 - Chocolate is a Vegetable

Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category. Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.

To go one step further, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy. So candy bars are a health food.

Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.

If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.

The problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.

Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.

If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves. (We're testing this with other snack foods as well.)

If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?

Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger. Therefore, you need to eat more chocolate.

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.

A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Now, isn't that handy?

If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?

If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?

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May. 30, 2008 - FPEA ~ and my FL trip

I have had a blog post rolling around in my head since I came home from FL.  Before I could even post though, life just kept happening, you know? 

First I had to catch up on all the sleep I did not get over the weekend.  I am a gal who requires a lot a beauty sleep and while I did not have roommates who snored, we did enjoy talking deep into the night and the wee hours of the morning.  =)  Secondly, I dislike flying.  I don't have any morbid fears or anything, but I do have extra fluid behind my eardrums.  This is generally something taken care of via 'tubes' in the ear, however I was past 30 when they recommended this particular surgery/procedure to me and was not feeling like it was really in the budget.  What's a little extra fluid now?  After all these years, I am sorta attached to it!  haha  But it does make flying terribly miserable.  Think of having your head in a Hoover and the pressure of your brains being sucked out your ears and you will approximate the feelings I have while on a flight.  See why I don't like it?  After I get back on the ground, it takes a few days for my ears to normalize again.  They are still a little stopped up, even today.  So with all my ear 'issues' I couldn't possible post a new note for you all...

Upon arriving home, I found that my husband had upgraded his phone (and changed our cell numbers) to a shiny new palm centro.  I was instantly feeling a little jealous as I love new toys and this is a COOL new gadget when in a burst of "I have missed you so much this weekend" goodness, he uncharacteristically, spontaneously suggested I upgrade too!!  So I have had a new phone gadget to figure out and play with and transfer all my details to for a couple days now.  I think when I get it all ironed out, I will really love this organizer/phone.

And I can count it a business expense because I just started a new business over the FPEA weekend too.  I adore chocolate and good chocolate especially.  Some of my best Christmas presents from Eric and the boys have been when they went to Godiva and splurged a little. Imagine how I felt when I started reading all the recent research that suggests that dark chocolate is really a super food and actually very good for you!?  Justified in my craving, that's how I felt!  =)  My happiness knows no bounds now...I am the proud new distributor for Xocai~ Healthy Chocolate.  Let me tell you, this is GOOD chocolate and it is really good for you.  Look for posts in the future with regard to this exciting new chapter in my life.  I am learning soooo much about chocolate that it would never fit in a simple single paragraph. Plus, the business oportunity is AMAZING!!  If you just can't wait, explore my new website www.healthychocolatejunky.com 

And lastly, FPEA did not disappoint.  It was a great year.  Maybe it was just because it was the first year in a very long time when I just attended and took it all in instead of working at the KONOS booth.  While working at the booth was always a highlight of my year, truly both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time, I was in desperate need of some encouragement myself this year.  I am an encourager at heart, but after eight years of homeschooling (and knowing highschool is just around the corner) I am tired, friends.  I hesitate to even say it, but I may have even lost my passion.  (*gasp*)  I was greatly encouraged by Sally Clarkson's workshops this year.  I stopped at her booth and just wept and she was so gracious and wonderful.  She both counseled me and prayed with me. She is my new pretend BFF. If you happened by her booth saw a cute gal in black and white with a great haircut (smile) crying her eyes out, it was probably me.  Look for more posts about finding your strength in the middle of the journey from me soon...

Now off to the Riverwalk with my kids and neices and nephew.  It's too pretty to be inside anymore.

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May. 21, 2008 - Bangs are for decoration...

Moving stinks for a variety of reasons.  Some of our moving woes I have posted about...see here and here.  But really, after you are somewhat settled in and able to get around with our getting lost, there are still things that are unsettled.  Like finding a new hair salon and stylist. 

I thought I had found one.  I asked around for recommendations and went in a met the gal.  She seemed nice and her hair, although long, was not "dated."  I made an appointment.  She cut, we chatted...it was nice.  She followed the lines of my previous stylist in FL, so I was pretty happy with the cut.  I made another appointment.  It was only a few weeks later, a little trim and color.  I decided to take the plunge and do some fun color (red and blonde highlights).  The red was a tiny bit in the pink side, but overall I was happy.

It was just before the holidays when I last saw her.  I waited a while.  I was desperately in need of a cut.  I made an appointment.  It's amazing how not keeping up with your style makes you feel frumpy.  I wanted a little change so I asked her to cut the length a little and "go a little heavy on the bangs."  You know, hair terminology is a tricky thing.  Often, clarification is in order. 

I have worn my hair in variations of the popular 'Jennifer Anistion' shag haircut on and off for several years.  The shag is cute, versatile and trendy.  I cut it short during my pregnancy and during my daughters infancy (my profile pic), but even that is a modified shag cut.  My husband would love for me to time travel to the early 90's and have very long curly tresses, but you know that's just not the look for an almost 40 something mother of four.  But my friends, I have NEVER, even in childhood wore bangs like I received in the chair that day.  Oh yes, she did.  She cut a semi circle of very short hair right into the front of my head!!  She called it giving me a pivot point.  "...this way you can wear the bangs down for decoration."  Decoration???!

I'm sorry.  Bangs cut in that fashion do NOT fit with a shag style.  They do not remotely fit with MY style!  I have tried for a month to find a way to make it work for me, but girlfriends, I truly hate it.  HATE. IT.  Even so, I had another appointment scheduled and in desperation I called my former stylist in FL.  I wondered if she could help me with terminology so that I can communicate more clearly my wishes.  I was also  looking for tips or styles she might recommend to cover up or make them (the bangs) blend in.  Sigh. 

Her response~CANCEL THAT APPOINTMENT RIGHT NOW!!!  "If she doesn't GET you after three times in her chair, she's not GONNA get you."  Ummm, well I still need a haircut though.  Her advice was to look around everyday for someone who has a great cut or style and ask where they get it done.  That's a great idea and all good and fine, but I need a cut NOW!!  But hey, I happen to be traveling to FL for the homeschool convention and have some free time on Thursday.  Hallelujah!  My stylist is free too!!

So, I get to go to FPEA, see all my friends from FL and get my hair cut and colored by my friend and stylist...God is good. I will post pics of the after when I get home.  Oh praise the King, I am so very excited.

And I will eat all the Chevy's salsa I can possibly get into my system.  I might even swim in it.   That was totally unrelated to hair in any way, but another very exciting thing about going to FL none-the-less.  Because I love me some Chevy's salsa.

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May. 6, 2008 - Because who doesn't like to win stuff...

My husband laughs, but you know, you can't win if you don't enter.  =)  So do you see in my sidebar those two buttons for a great blog called Five Minutes for Mom?  Check them out, because the giveaways there are just fab-u-lous!! 

There are lots of other great give-aways out there.  One of my favorite ways to find new blogs to read is to participate in blog carnivals and one of the most fun carnivals is Bloggy Giveaways.  It is a great blog because they are always hosting a giveaway of some sort, but then when the bloggy giveaway carnival kicks in...there are so many contributors and it is just so fun!

You should check these out...and leave me a note in the comments section of your favorite give-away blogs or spots.  Or your best hauls...you know, the best prizes you have won.  I would love to hear about it.  =)

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Apr. 30, 2008 - Why I Love the UFC

What, you don't know what UFC is?  It stands for Ultimate Fighting Challenge or Championship...maybe Club?  It doesn't really matter in the whole scheme of things because I don't really love it, but my husband does.  He loves all things martial arts.  Since he was a wee one, he has wanted to be Bruce Lee.  So back to UFC... naturally, what looks to me as two men beating the living snot out of each other is really a mixed martial arts competition.  I am learning to have an appreciation for it, partly to enjoy something my husband enjoys...but there has been a side benefit as well.  One I could not have anticipated.

Hang with me here.  We are the proud parents of three boys (and one princess...but we are talking about the boys now)  and anyone who has boys knows...boys like to roughhouse.  It is just how God made them.  I remember when they were much younger and they were horsing around in our schoolroom.  Ian (who was 5 at the time) was spinning Reagan (3 yr old) around and around and got the bright idea to let him go and see what happened.  Well, I am sure you can imagine what happened next.  That's right.  Reagan was propelled across the room with such super-sonic force that even though he hit our cushy upholstered couch, he hit with such force it split his head open.  Who knew that even a somewhat soft surface could do such damage? 

It's worth noting here that my husband gets freaked out by blood... especially if it comes from his family. And head wounds bleed.  Profusely.  So, after hearing not-your-normal screams from the other part of the house, we both rushed to the scene.  Hubby arrived first.  and FREAKED OUT.  He wanted someone to call 9-1-1.  I arrived just seconds later.  Reagan was already holding a wad of paper towels over the gash so I could not appraise it, but I felt that 9-1-1 might be overkill.  So, while my spousal unit hyperventilated, I called a paramedic friend of ours.  He gave me specific instructions to tell if the wound needed stitches and a trip to the ER would be in order.  I removed the paper towel to assess the site and almost passed out myself.  I could see the BONE girls.  I get shivers now, just thinking about it.   

Well, long story short, boys usually equal roughhousing which could equal blood and in our case, six stitches (so far).  As I mentioned, my husband has been pretty freaked out at the sight of blood in the past.  Here is the UFC connection.  After a couple years watching these guys in the octagon beat the living daylights out of each other, he is a lot calmer.  He has seen that it is possible to get hurt and live to tell about it.  You can actually bleed, from the face/head and after a little superglue, be good as new.  I know it seems to be an oxymoron, but it is true.  Used to be, at the very sound of boys thumping and yelping, hubby would be like those dogs on linoleum who can not get traction.  He could not get there fast enough.  Now, it's more of a holler in their general direction.  "Everything okay?" 

Yep, it's all good.  And that's why I like the UFC.  Which, by the way, stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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Apr. 22, 2008 - Outsourcing. Is it really worth it?

Ummm.  Where to start.  Outsourcing supposedly saves money...what it boils down to though is that big corporations are more concerned with their bottom line than customer service.  Take what happened to us since we have moved here.

We are serviced by both the gas and the electric company.  The local utilities are truly local, I drive by and drop off my payment there periodically. I have met the sweet receptionist there.  I like them.  On the other hand, the gas is serviced by a huge conglomerate based in Atlanta, GA.  There are no local numbers or contacts listed in the phone book or on the website and when I call customer service, I am really calling INDIA!

And I have needed to call customer service because they have not been able to get my bill correct from the moment we moved in!  My first bill reflected the deposit and connection charges.  I paid it promptly.  the next bill I received was almost $500!  At this point I called the number on the back of my bill, not so much to dispute the charges, but rather to clarify what caused it to be so high and is this the kind of bill I was to expect every month.  If so, I could see making everyone bundle up since I would be keeping the thermostat at  a chilly 65*  to save money. 

The answer I first received should have tipped me off that I was not dealing with anyone local.  Her answer to "Why is my bill so high?" ~ "Well, it's cold where you live."  Uh, duh!!  She then asked what appliances we have that are serviced by gas (pay attention, this will be important later).  Not only is our home heated by gas, but we have a gas fireplace, gas stove/range, and gas water heater.  She suggested that the size of my family could be a cause as that's a lot of hot water.  HUH?  While I am certain that the hot water heater gets a lot of use, I can say with some certainty that we did not work it that hard!! 

It was only after going round and round with her that I finally got the answer I needed.  We moved into this house in October, I had the gas switched over in November, paid the first bill in December and received the astronomical one in January.  The bill in January was for two and half month of service.  For some reason, they could not read the meter one month, so I was billed for the first two readings at once.  Well, I suggested a reasonable solution.  Since I was being billed for more than two months of service, it seemed only fair that I would have two months or more to pay it.  I was told this was not an option, however I could sign up for budget billing so that I wouldn't have an excessively high bill again. 

Even though I pushed back, she was pretty adamant that there was nothing she could do about my bill.  So I agreed to the budget billing and made it very clear that even though she wasn't making arrangements with me, I was only able to make a partial payment.  I did pay a partial payment and she assured me that my gas should be fine.  As long as I paid towards the balance each month.

I have called every billing cycle since to clarify why I have a past due balance, to have them make note that I am making my payments in a timely manner and to remind them that this whole mess is their fault in the first place.  I would have been caught up this month...

We went to a friends home for dinner Thursday (April 9th) night, came home and gave the toddler a bath and told my boys to take showers.  When they were complaining of it being too cold, I figured that we had overloaded the hot water heater...but when hubby got up the next morning to shower, there was still not any hot water.  That's when I figured out...THEY'VE TURNED OFF OUR GAS!!!

I called the same number.  Again I talked to someone in India, I should have just asked to immediately be connected to someone on this side of the ocean because the next hour was almost enough to make me spit fire and curse like a sailor.  Although he had my account pulled up in front of him, he told me that my gas was shut off for non-payment (I have been paying every month) and that to reconnect I would have to immediately pay the past-due balance (remember I was going to be caught up this month anyways, I was just waiting to pay in the second half of the month due to hubbys pay schedule) as well as a $50 reconnection fee AND an additional deposit of $270 since I don't pay my bills and they would need a reserve to draw from when this happened again. 

AFTER I agreed to those ridiculous terms, I got to talk to someone in AMERICA.  She asked for clarification as to why I was transferred to the "escalation center."  The reason that she was given was that I did not want to agree to the additional $270.  Which was only partially true!  The rest is of course that my bill has not been correct since the beginning and that I have never missed a payment (I just haven't paid as much as they have asked for as I was stretching out the initial $500 over a few months).

Although she was gracious enough to recognize my problem (it was about time) and reverse all the extra charges, we were still with out gas all weekend...which meant no hot water, no cooking except in the microwave, and no heat. The heat shouldn't have been a problem as it is spring-time, but of course, we had a cold snap that weekend and my house stayed at a chilly 64*. 

I have a feeling that if I had been able to call someone local in the first place, this could all have been avoided.  What do you think?!

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Apr. 12, 2008 - TOYS!

Those girls over at 5 Minutes for Mom are at it again.  I participated in the Ultimate blog party and have been both blessed and inspired by many of the new blogs I have found.  =)  I have also enjoyed all the new traffic thats been through here.  I love having new comments...it's all about the comments girls.

Anyhow, they are hosting a great giveaway right now.  Two weeks of toys has some terrific prizes and my mantra has always been, "You can't win if you don't enter!"  So head on over and take a look.  They will be closing the contest on May 7th, so make sure you visit and take a look soon.  This month will pass before you know it.  You know how allergy meds make you sleep forever....haha.  (Get it?  the month will pass cause you'll sleep through it?  Oh, maybe that's just me.  Spring is beautiful, but pollen is evil.)

Happy Spring!

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Mar. 31, 2008 - Handy Answers to "Fitness Sermons" Just in time for Summer

Okay, okay, we all know that for optimal health we should exercise and watch what we eat. But over the past 20 years, the “healthy lifestyle” issue has taken on a distinct patina of MORALITY. Do you walk a mile a day? Guaranteed, you know someone who will smirk at that—they walk two. And someone else gives them a pitying stare: They run two miles a day, not counting the 15-minute warming up and cooling down periods. And so it goes. Never before has virtuous action been so guilt-laden. (Note to my Catholic and Jewish friends: Don’t start.) That’s not particularly healthy, now, is it?
So here’s an idea. Prepare yourself for "Fitness Sermons" with these handy answers:

FS: Don’t you know that cardiovascular exercise can prolong your life?

A: Careful of media-inspired urban legends! Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it. Don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

FS: You should cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables.

A: Clearly you don’t grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism for delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. And by the way, a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of all food groups.

FS: Fried foods are bad for you.

A: Let’s go over it again. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil—in fact they’re permeated with it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

FS: Sit-ups help prevent you from getting a little soft around the middle.

A: Look how funny you are! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. Ergo, you should only do sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

FS: Well, swimming is definitely good for your figure.

A: (Stifle a laugh) If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me?

FS: Hey, is getting in shape important to you or not?

A: (Explode in affectionate laughter) HELLO! ‘Round’ is a shape!

Taken from the HumorRULES® Gazette

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Mar. 28, 2008 - Singing the praises...

First, Easter has come and gone, and while so many thoughtful bloggers used this lovely technological platform to remind everyone of the great Truth of the spring holiday, my blog did not sing His praises.

So today, I wish to say, Praise the Lord!!   We serve a Christ who is not still in the tomb, but has beaten death and is victoriously seated at the right hand of the Father.  He is ever interceding for us and has gone ahead to prepare a place for us.  I am so grateful to be a part of the Family of God.  And I am privileged that He has entrusted to our care, four little souls to look after and to train up.  I pray I can do the job well.

On to my other 'sing the praises' news.  You may remember that my children were down with a terribly virulent flu bug.  For those of you just joining us, the time line went something like this...first boy down for several days w/ fever and general malaise.  Checked out mom recommends rest and fluids.  Second boy begins complaining of same symptoms four days into first boys illness.  Mom begins to suspect something is awry because first boy is not getting better yet and now another one is down.  Still, seeing that they are both 'good' patients, mom administers immune system boosters and lots of chicken soup and begins lysoling the entire house.  SIX days into first boys sickness (he's still sick), 2yr old begins to run fever as well.   Mom snaps to attention because her days are really sunk w/ a pre-schooler strapped to your leg. 

So, for the details here, read my last post.  The doctor recommended Tamiflu for the little one.  However, I prefer more natural alternatives and I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT WE FOUND!!!!!  Only a tiny bit of research convinced us that TamiFlu wasn't the best option for our daughter.  I still didn't want her strapped to my hip for the next week.  The boys were good patients (in that they stayed in thier beds with the portable DVD player/gameboy/book w/a minimum of complaining) but two years olds are not...

SO, we tried (insert drumroll here) Ocillococcinum.  It is a homeopathic flu remedy.  My daughter went right to bed the day we got home from the doctor.  It was early in the evening, but she was feverish and cranky.  I went out and picked up some Ocillo that night.  I gave it to her the next morning and her fever broke almost immediately.  She was her normal cheery self for the better part of the day.  She had another dose that evening and the again morning and evening for two more days.  Friends, can I tell you, that stuff is nothing short of a miracle medicine.  She never suffered from the flu at all.  If anything, she may have exhibited mild cold symptoms.  It was truly amazing.

If the flu is still in your neck of the woods, run, don't walk, to your nearest drug store (it's even at  Wal-Mart and Target!!) and get some TODAY!  Bonus, the website has an instant coupon for $1.50 off any package, any size.  You won't regret it.  And you won't get sick either... And that's something to sing praises about!

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Mar. 13, 2008 - You should have seen his face...

So, what's a mom to do?  After a fever for seven days straight, I gave in and made a Dr. appt.  Not just for my sickest child, but for the other two who started exhibiting the same symptoms.  Being in a new town, I was not an established patient anywhere and trying to get someone to see three children at once was, shall we say, not an easy task.  Fortunately, I know someone with pull  who made some calls and got us all in.

What she did not know, was that while I am not a full on granola girl, I do not immunize my children.  As sick as they were, I decided to risk public flogging and go to the pediatric practice she was able to get us appts at.  After a veeeerrryyy long wait in the waiting room, we were ushered back to the smaller waiting room...for another equally long wait.  While my two year old daughter entertained herself by drawing all over the paper that is on the examining table (and herself...and her pants), I mentioned to my boys that this must be what hell was like...waiting, being shuffled from room to room with no resolution in sight.  They were pretty lucid for fevered children and quickly corrected me.  Hell would be much worse they assured me.  "It's very hot and you burn up and die," said my younger one.  The oldest quickly said, "Nope you don't die.  You just burn up, forever."  This lead to some interesting theological discussion which we had time for because we were, you know, w.a.i.t.i.n.g....

When the nice Doctor finally made time for us came into our little room, we had to do a history of each child since he had no records and we were not established patients.  We started with my oldest and worked our way down.  Because I was a young mom and did not know any different, my oldest received all his vaccinations at least through 18 months, maybe even to two years.  My second son had some complications at birth (a 21 day hospital stay from meningitis caused by Strep B.  We are very blessed that he is still with us and suffers no long term problems at all) , so his vaccination schedule was not as 'on date' and I suspect I did not keep his shots updated due to switching insurance carriers and a move during his first two years of life. 

It was during this time that a friend recommended that I read
A Shot in the Dark.Since I deeply respected her, I took the time to read it, but dismissed the books message at the time, because this book seemed inflammatory and centered on just one vaccination.  There were many others that were helping families?  Weren't there?

A seed had been planted.  When our next son was born, we were in a new area and I had another friend who challenged me on vaccinating.  When I pressed her for answers though, she blithely mentioned that her chiropractor told her not to, so she didn't. 

Since I need an answer with substance, I decided to do some research on my own. First,  I read The Virus and the Vaccine.  This book reads like a medical thriller, but it is all true.  (okay, a little slower, but a page turner none-the-less)  This book convinced me that researching vaccinations further was worth it.  My goodness, the very thought that there was evidence that suggested that some strains of the polio vaccine were contaminated and the government worked to cover it up made me wonder who was looking out for me and my kids? ! The answer, ME!

I read a great deal of other information when we found we were expecting baby number four.  There are six years between boy three and baby four.  These ideas had begun to take root.  I read everything I could get my hands on...Since we were homeschooling I had never needed to get the boys booster shots and we never needed proof of immunizing for our co-op.  So, I had kinda relaxed on the subject, but I was up for the challenge now.

There is a LOT of information out there.  Much of it is mis-information disseminated to us 'en masse' by the Health Officials...or completely inflammatory anti-establishment rants by the dyed-in-the-wool hippies and granola folks.  Since I try to stay balanced, I am not really in either camp...

Probably the BEST book I read, and one I would heartily recommend to you, is Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives

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Mar. 11, 2008 - Does anyone else feel this way?

Okay, for those of you just joining me...I have four children.  My oldest son just turned 13, the next two will have their birthdays this month and will turn 11 and 9.  Our daughter (who is still peeing in her pants people!) will be three in May.  I hope she gets the potty training thing by then...

Although I am a rather relaxed person and despise hate loathe am not very consistent with housework and chores, I married a man who likes his home to at least 'appear' clean.  To help you understand my relationship with housework...a recent dinner conversation in our home.

Me:  I think I was supposed to be a queen.
Hubby: A queen?
One of the boys: What do you mean, mom?
Me:  You know.  Having people waiting on me, bringing me stuff, doing all the work around here...A queen!
Hubby: (snickers) ...or an invalid.

You see how much I don't like it?  I was also thinking of the shopping that must be associated with Queendom.  Because they are always well dressed, but I digress.

So keeping the house straight, well, it's the least I can do for him really.  He does make sure we have enough funds to feed the children... In an effort to do less, I have worked hard to train them to do more!!  It has taken many years of diligence (and we are FAAR from done, friends) but I do see the rewards. 

Here is my dilemma and the reason for the title to this post.  My kids have been soooo sick.  I mean, since Christmas gals, someone has been ill.  A couple times, it's even been me!   Anyways, when they are sick...they don't work!  Am I a bad mom for wishing them well...so I can stop doing the dishes?  I never do the dishes anymore...or laundry (theirs) or vacuum or sweep.  I delegate as much as possible to them.  I miss their help!! 

Chime in ladies...do you miss your little ones chipping in when they are down for the count?

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