Well, I've officially decided on the day after Labor Day as our first day back to school. I usually pick that day, but since it was so late this year (the second week of September) I had contemplated moving the date up. But...well...I just don't want to let go of summer this year. Am I alone in the thinking that it has been one of childhood memories? The kind that seems endless and fun-filled. In spite of having to work two days a week, I have managed to get to the beach a few times (plenty for me and my fair skin), had a few dinners out with friends, been to the Cape, managed to purchase ALL of the curriculum I'm going to be using, and will soon be on a last ditch attempt to squeeze out the rest of the summer when we go on vacation.
My kiddies are less than happy about the fact that the count-down has begun. I guess I, too, am a bit sad. This will definately be a summer for the scrapbook. Well, onward and upward they always say. Who knows? The rest of this year will most likely fly by and before you know it, we'll be preparing for Christmas festivities. Ok Ok so I won't rush it! Maybe this year I'll actually start my gift shopping early (as I usually threaten to do but somehow never seem to get around to).
Well, that is all my news so far, I'm patiently waiting for my cousin (Mal) to get on facebook and tell the world about her day! Can't wait!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Lots of "Stuff"
Ahhh...life is good! I've finally wrapped up all my shopping for next year's schooling. Suz is going to be taking Pre-Algebra (Lord help me), Writing and Composition, Japanese (again, Lord can you hear me calling?), Spanish, Civics, History, Geography, Biology, Health, Spelling, Bible, Music Theory, Art (we didn't end up having her take that college course...money was to tight, but maybe next year). Ian will be tackling the usual elementary classes, Math (he BETTER learn his multiplication tables this year), Spelling, Handwriting, Language, History, Geography, Science, Health, Art, Music Theory, Spanish, and Bible. Whew! This year will be a great one I can tell already!
On another note, we are still looking at houses and trying to find a mortgage. It seems this economy is making it harder and harder to get a loan for anything! We have pretty good credit so I'm not sure what to think. Oh well, guess the timing isn't quite right for us. Someday. I just keep telling myself that. Positive thinking and all ya know?
On another note, Suzy has had a chance to go into a real recording studio and have her songs recorded professionally. I'm not sure if I want her to go down that road. She has all the making for a Diva as it is...lol. We'll see.
I made plans for our family vacation. We are going to be staying in a cottage in Maine near Old Orchard Beach. I am looking forward to this. We can only get away on family vacations every other year. The last time we went away to speak of was to Hershey Park. We are planning on going to the beach, an amusement park near by, and for mommy, to the outlets in kittery! Yipee!!!
Definately turning out to be a wonderful summer so far!
On another note, we are still looking at houses and trying to find a mortgage. It seems this economy is making it harder and harder to get a loan for anything! We have pretty good credit so I'm not sure what to think. Oh well, guess the timing isn't quite right for us. Someday. I just keep telling myself that. Positive thinking and all ya know?
On another note, Suzy has had a chance to go into a real recording studio and have her songs recorded professionally. I'm not sure if I want her to go down that road. She has all the making for a Diva as it is...lol. We'll see.
I made plans for our family vacation. We are going to be staying in a cottage in Maine near Old Orchard Beach. I am looking forward to this. We can only get away on family vacations every other year. The last time we went away to speak of was to Hershey Park. We are planning on going to the beach, an amusement park near by, and for mommy, to the outlets in kittery! Yipee!!!
Definately turning out to be a wonderful summer so far!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Summertime
Wow! What a summer we are having so far. It reminds me of my childhood. All those long HOT days that seemed to go on and on (Insert countrytime lemonade commercial here). I had a great morning/early afternoon with the kids at Webster Lake. The water was just cool enough to be refreshing. I didn't want to get out to tell the truth. Alas, commitments and obligations forced me to pack up and leave shortly after 1pm. I say that jokingly, cause I'm actually ok with the reason we had to leave.
So, we get home, unpack, and settle in to lunch and wonderful air conditioning. I started a load of laundry, sat down on the couch and flipped on the tv...moments later BAM!!!! Darkness!! Oh no! I blew a fuse. I trudged down the stairs with the key to the basement only to find the land lord changed the lock and my key didn't work!!!
Poor guy. I called him and he had to come all the way over here to bring the key for me to go down and do something that only took a minute. He gave me a key though so he won't have to deal with that again.
So, here I am typing away in climate controlled comfort. Hoping everyone out there in blog-land has a way of staying cool too in this unbearable heat!
Now off to drop Suz at her practice (a mother's work is never done) and that's the way it should be I guess :)
So, we get home, unpack, and settle in to lunch and wonderful air conditioning. I started a load of laundry, sat down on the couch and flipped on the tv...moments later BAM!!!! Darkness!! Oh no! I blew a fuse. I trudged down the stairs with the key to the basement only to find the land lord changed the lock and my key didn't work!!!
Poor guy. I called him and he had to come all the way over here to bring the key for me to go down and do something that only took a minute. He gave me a key though so he won't have to deal with that again.
So, here I am typing away in climate controlled comfort. Hoping everyone out there in blog-land has a way of staying cool too in this unbearable heat!
Now off to drop Suz at her practice (a mother's work is never done) and that's the way it should be I guess :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
In Memory of My Mother-In-Law
This is just going to be a short blog to mark the occasion of the one year anniversary of the passing of my mother-in-law. One year ago today, right around this time of the afternoon, she was saying her last good-byes. I know that people seem to think better of a person after they have passed on. But for me, I don't know, I always got along with her. She was a strong-minded, loving, but frail lady.
She had suffered from rhuematoid arthritis for over four decades. Added to that was Parkinson's Disease, Cancer, and Osteoperosis. The woman carried on through it all until the last few years of her life with grace and very few complaints.
I named my daughter after her...it is spelled differently (she was Raffaela, and my daughter is Raphaella), but it was only because I didn't know how to spell it at the time...lol. BTW, my daughter's middle name is my mom's name.
Tomorrow we are off to the Cape to visit my father-in-law. He has decided to sell his house (though he still lives there now) and move in with a friend to share expenses. Sigh, I remember being about 12 or 13 and thinking, "I can't even imagine my life when I am 30." Now I think, "what is my life going to be like when I am say 50? or 60?" Will I even still be here? Nobody knows when our time will come. That is why it is so important to make the most of what you have and be thankful for it as well. I am so greatful to God for everyone in my life. They are there for a reason, my friends, family members, those with us and not, all for a reason. Mine is not to question the why only to make the best of it all I guess.
Well, here is to you, Raffaela may you be in peace. You were a great mother-in-law to me, mother to my husband, and grandmother to my children. You are still missed deeply.
She had suffered from rhuematoid arthritis for over four decades. Added to that was Parkinson's Disease, Cancer, and Osteoperosis. The woman carried on through it all until the last few years of her life with grace and very few complaints.
I named my daughter after her...it is spelled differently (she was Raffaela, and my daughter is Raphaella), but it was only because I didn't know how to spell it at the time...lol. BTW, my daughter's middle name is my mom's name.
Tomorrow we are off to the Cape to visit my father-in-law. He has decided to sell his house (though he still lives there now) and move in with a friend to share expenses. Sigh, I remember being about 12 or 13 and thinking, "I can't even imagine my life when I am 30." Now I think, "what is my life going to be like when I am say 50? or 60?" Will I even still be here? Nobody knows when our time will come. That is why it is so important to make the most of what you have and be thankful for it as well. I am so greatful to God for everyone in my life. They are there for a reason, my friends, family members, those with us and not, all for a reason. Mine is not to question the why only to make the best of it all I guess.
Well, here is to you, Raffaela may you be in peace. You were a great mother-in-law to me, mother to my husband, and grandmother to my children. You are still missed deeply.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Nightmare
My "Monsters"Ok, so this blog is definately going to be one that I need to vent on. So buckle up buttercup! My "new" neighbors are continuing to make my life a living hell. I worked a nine hour shift on Saturday, drove home in a scorching car (my a/c died a few weeks ago), and climbed up three flights of stairs to be greeted with a note taped to my door. I warily took it and went into my house.
Once I took a shower and settled down in my room in the air conditioning, I opened the letter. It was from the chick who lived under me. She started out by saying I'm a bad mother, then she proceeded to tell me why. My daughter called one of the kids on the first floor (this gals' mother lives on the 1st floor with her foster kids) a name. I had heard her do it and told her to stop and she did. Then my son keeps "touching" her kids toys...yeah! To put them away so they aren't strewn all over the yard at my order!
Then she went on to say how loud we are up here and there is to much banging and slamming of doors...that is rich! I purposely DON'T slam my door because I can hear how loudly it echos in the hallways!
The bottom line to all of this is those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones! She is every bit as loud if not more so (hammering at 9pm, moving and dropping furniture at 10 pm, driving her mothers car without a license and getting into an accident with it, locking her kids outside all day long (yeah..for real)..ect ect ect)!
But I don't choose to call her a bad parent or call the landlord every other day to complain! But I have to admit I was in tears after reading that letter. Why do people have to be so mean?
Well, I feel a bit better for now anyway!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
One Week Left
Yep. That's right. We are on our last week of school for the year. Wow. It always amazes me to see how fast these years fly by...I remember when I was young it seemed an eternity! So I'm swamped with catalogs pouring over them to find what I'm going to be teaching NEXT year! lol A homeschooling mom's work is never done!
I'm getting excited actually becasue Suzy is going into 7th grade. Now is when all the "fun" electives start to kick in! I say it in quotes, becasuse she isn't looking forward to them, but I sure am! Foreign languages (she wants french, I want her to learn spanish), home ec., American and British lit., yes! These really are the things I am looking forward to! I enjoyed them when I was learning them (I had to pretend not to like them cause it wasn't cool back then). But in my heart I knew someday I'd have the chance to really invest the time/effort into them and now here it is! Yea me! Poor Suz! TeeHee.
Ian is going into 4th/5th grade next year. He's still in the tedious "memorization" mode. For the life of me I don't know why but both my kids hate memorization. Multiplication tables are going to kill me! I had to finally BRIBE Suz to learn hers at the beginning of 5th grade!!! She ended up with an American Girl doll for Christmas that year. I just keep thinking how much is Ian going to cost me? He's been eyeing a Wii. I haven't gotten him one yet cause he didn't take very good care of his game cube.
Well, anyway, I'm back from my tangent...one week left and I am already looking forward to next year! EEE!!! Come on September!
I'm getting excited actually becasue Suzy is going into 7th grade. Now is when all the "fun" electives start to kick in! I say it in quotes, becasuse she isn't looking forward to them, but I sure am! Foreign languages (she wants french, I want her to learn spanish), home ec., American and British lit., yes! These really are the things I am looking forward to! I enjoyed them when I was learning them (I had to pretend not to like them cause it wasn't cool back then). But in my heart I knew someday I'd have the chance to really invest the time/effort into them and now here it is! Yea me! Poor Suz! TeeHee.
Ian is going into 4th/5th grade next year. He's still in the tedious "memorization" mode. For the life of me I don't know why but both my kids hate memorization. Multiplication tables are going to kill me! I had to finally BRIBE Suz to learn hers at the beginning of 5th grade!!! She ended up with an American Girl doll for Christmas that year. I just keep thinking how much is Ian going to cost me? He's been eyeing a Wii. I haven't gotten him one yet cause he didn't take very good care of his game cube.
Well, anyway, I'm back from my tangent...one week left and I am already looking forward to next year! EEE!!! Come on September!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
What to do now
A few days ago, our cable/computer/phone went out. I had noticed the tweedle dee and tweedle dumb cable guys outside climbing up just about every telephone pole in our neighborhood as my cable kept going on and off all morning. Finally it went out completely and being the absentminded person I am, I thought maybe my bill was past due...nope...it was all paid up. So, a few hours later the kids were playing outside and apparently all of the neighborhood was out.
Fine. Okay.
So now what am I supposed to do? My kids have some of their schoolwork on the computer. Ugh!
I called on my cell phone later that same day and they told me, "we are aware of the problem it should be fixed in 12-24 hours".
Yeah. Uh huh! Sure.
Two DAYS later they were saying that all of the people have had their stuff back on for a full day...all but ME!!! They were saying that their computers were showing no problems...that my cable/computer/phone were all on and working...Hmmm....well they AREN'T!!! Oh, we'll have to schedule an appointment and get a field tech out there are you going to be home on Saturday between 8 and 10 AM???
There is a serious monopoly in my area folks. There is only one cable company here so I have to put up and shut up with all of this dumbness!
FINALLY, they got everything in working order. After 3 days! All I can say is I better have a credit on my next bill. I'm still thinking of complaining too, but what good will that do? I seriously need a piece of chocolate! :)
Fine. Okay.
So now what am I supposed to do? My kids have some of their schoolwork on the computer. Ugh!
I called on my cell phone later that same day and they told me, "we are aware of the problem it should be fixed in 12-24 hours".
Yeah. Uh huh! Sure.
Two DAYS later they were saying that all of the people have had their stuff back on for a full day...all but ME!!! They were saying that their computers were showing no problems...that my cable/computer/phone were all on and working...Hmmm....well they AREN'T!!! Oh, we'll have to schedule an appointment and get a field tech out there are you going to be home on Saturday between 8 and 10 AM???
There is a serious monopoly in my area folks. There is only one cable company here so I have to put up and shut up with all of this dumbness!
FINALLY, they got everything in working order. After 3 days! All I can say is I better have a credit on my next bill. I'm still thinking of complaining too, but what good will that do? I seriously need a piece of chocolate! :)
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