On Georgia's Mind

What If the Zombies Come?

2012-01-09T22:57:00.001-06:00

I'm getting jiggy with it. Getting healthy. Smaller. So I can do the thing I wanna do most: wear high heels without crying like a girl. (Also, less importantly, save myself from the inevitable zombie attack.) But it involves copious amounts of bacon. And steak. Goat cheese, too. Brian's custom omelets. You know you wanna see how this is going to play out. Getting healthy with bacon?

An Equal Number of Blueberries

2012-01-03T19:18:00.000-06:00

My response to an email I received from a woman who lost her brother last spring to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was a little painful to go back there, but very helpful, too. ________________________________________________________________________________ Rebecca, Thank you for writing me. The death of my brother has been very difficult, but it would have been so much more

My Brother Died

2011-08-09T10:56:00.005-05:00

*This post is written from a raw, gut-level, visceral place. It isn't for everyone.* On July 16, 2011, my baby brother, Paul Hickenbottom, Jr., known as Sam to most everyone, passed away. He was 25. Except passed away implies something peaceful, with soft music in the background, family gathered around, and then your loved one just drifts off into the afterlife. As if your family member had

My Dance Card...

2011-08-08T22:52:00.004-05:00

...is filling up. I'm not going back to school. And I don't know if I ever will. I just don't want it bad enough. Two girls in school. Another girl and a boy going to their "school" 3 days per week. One girl dancing. Two girls soccering. I've signed on to lead not one, but two Girl Scout troops. BSF begins in mid-September. My scrapbooking clubs still like to scrapbook from time to

July 8, 2011

2011-07-08T22:34:00.006-05:00

Everyone is in bed, asleep, except for me. I'm wasting time online when I see so many other things to be done. There's laundry piled on the couch, as usual. The kitchen needs to be cleaned, as usual. Junk piled on my desk I could sort. But I'm wasting time. Lots of folks like to give me a pass when I waste time. They say having 4 kids keeps me very busy and any time I find to read Dear

It's School Time Again

2011-05-19T12:58:00.003-05:00

It was 1985. Third grade. I was working on 2-digit multipliers. You know, 32 X 46. And I wasn't any good at it. For some reason, I just didn't get it. Could not understand the concept. At some point, I must have figured it out because I did successfully graduate from high school over 15 years ago. But the die was cast. From that point on, I believed I was bad at math. Until I got a job

It's A Morbid Day In The Neighborhood

2011-04-21T07:48:00.003-05:00

You wouldn't believe this, but I am extremely tenderhearted. My parents used to say I wore my feelings "on my coat's sleeve". I find myself to be moved by the plight of others. Never is this more evident than when I am at a funeral. I always cry, no matter whose funeral it is. I cry for the what-might-have-beens, and because the family is experiencing such loss. I can easily put myself in

The Spider

2011-04-12T09:09:00.005-05:00

Suffice it to say, I get little privacy. If I need to make or receive a phone call, it takes an act of Congress to keep the bedlam at bay. Right now, I'm sitting at my desk, writing, and 2 of my children are watching a movie a few feet in front of me. They have no immediate concerns or needs. And we could sit like this for an hour. But make an important phone call? In the bathroom? I am

A Day's Worth of Questions--Part II

2011-04-06T18:53:00.002-05:00

These posts do not constitute a whole day's worth of questions. In order to correctly record a complete day's worth of questions, I would need a scribe following me around all day just writing everything down. What a lousy job. These questions bring us to about 2pm. Can you turn on Sesame Street?Can you turn on a movie that's not Tangled?What colors do you use for a rainbow?What's after

A Day's Worth of Questions--Part I

2011-04-01T08:32:00.005-05:00

It's true; I get peppered with questions from the minute my kids get up in the morning, until they go to bed at night. Questions asked rapid-fire, like this:But unlike this situation, three of my children can talk, and therefore, ask questions without taking a breath. Sometimes they sound like an old record (yes, I said record!) with a needle stuck, with their over and over same questions. And

I Love The 80's!

2011-03-24T08:12:00.003-05:00

Completely random title for my completely random post. · I am thrilled to report that Brian received his promotion. There will be more travel involved but when he’s not traveling, he’ll be home. No more cube farm. No more Outage Widow. In return, I’ll (hopefully) have a happier husband who is expanding his technical knowledge by answering

Homeschooling, Again

2011-02-08T10:54:00.004-06:00

Once upon a time, I was going to be a homeschooling mom. I attended homeschool conferences. I joined a Yahoo! homeschooling group. I researched curriculum. I bought curriculum. I wrote lesson plans. I created a homeschooling organizer to help homeschooling moms, like myself, organize home and school at a glance. I even passed judgment on others not homeschooling. Then life happened. And

I Hate January

2011-01-31T07:54:00.003-06:00

And I'm not that big a fan of February, either.I probably owe a Life Update since that last sad, pathetic post. Friends helped out by bringing meals for 10 days leaving me room to breathe. Joshua's bronchoscopy procedure went well. There is nothing structurally wrong with his respiratory system and the bacterial infection found in his lungs was on its way out and no treatment was necessary.

What I Do

2011-01-13T12:59:00.005-06:00

Especially now that my kids are in their sick "season", people will remark, "Four kids?! I could never do what you do!" Or whenever they see me asking, "Is everyone well?" with their head tilted to the side, in their concerned voice. Well-meaning, I know. I really do know that. And it seems we're, ahem, sick a lot. But there are 6 of us. Four of them are slobbering, mangy children who

My Medical Team and Our Medical Records

2011-01-06T13:49:00.003-06:00

Recently I wrote about my medical staff. Today was a visit I had been waiting to come around for a while.Two of my children have infection-triggered asthma. Something as simple as a cold or the croup can turn into a huge issue for us, triggering a full-blown asthma exacerbation. Joshua has had wheezing and coughing for about 3 weeks now. Two trips to the pediatrician, three phone calls to the

Compassion, A Gift We Ought To Give Each Other

2011-01-05T16:17:00.003-06:00

A blog I follow had an interesting post recently whether or not Christian women were "allowed" to share marital issues with each other. I thought Compassion, A Gift We Ought To Give Each Other offered some good points.Tell me what you think.

Sound of Silence

2011-01-05T12:56:00.002-06:00

I am beginning to realize about myself that I would be content to stay inside my house and never leave. I would probably never get anything done, but I really don't mind if I don't go anywhere or talk to anyone, as long as I'm alone. Don't get me wrong: I don't want to stay permanently cooped up in the house with my 4 children. I like being alone. And when I'm alone, I like it quiet. I

Out of Place

2011-01-04T10:04:00.005-06:00

Yesterday evening, I drove to Fort Worth to see how long it would take, if I were going to class. I was hoping to do what I do, which is scope out where I'm supposed to go, ahead of time. Driving (or walking) around looking for where I'm supposed to be when I have time constraints causes me much anxiety. It was cold, the wind was blowing and I was not dressed to be walking around outside with

Marriage Update

2011-01-02T12:51:00.001-06:00

I am still married. Now you know.

Finished Projects

2011-01-02T10:57:00.004-06:00

Amazingly enough, I have finished 2 quilting projects in the last 2 weeks, including binding them, the part I probably hate the most. Making a quilt is much more involved than I ever thought, and I don't even quilt them myself. Initially, I wasn't drawn to quilting because most quilters are, ahem, older, and their tastes run a different road. But then I discovered there are all kinds of

Inspired

2010-12-25T21:06:00.005-06:00

I was recently inspired by someone I've known for a long time. I knew her in high school and when she thinks of me, she probably thinks of me by my maiden name and never by my married name. I'd call her a no-nonsense kind of gal, the kind of person where you never have to worry where you stand. Probably both honest and loyal to a fault. Like me. Traits I can appreciate. I admire her ability

Daddy's The Rock Star; I Just Work Here

2010-12-15T10:11:00.003-06:00

For reasons that can't be explained, or at least I'm too simple to understand them, Brian is the rock star around here. Every.single.kid. in this house prefers him over me. For everything. I mean, of course, I'll do, in the event he's not here. They do seem to prefer me, well, to strangers. Sometimes. And I guess occasionally, it works out to my benefit. The kids wake him up in the middle

Going To The Chapel

2010-11-30T11:21:00.013-06:00

Tomorrow, December 1, 2010, will be my 8th wedding anniversary. Much to my surprise, I have actually stuck with something for 8 years. Brian and I got married on St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands, a US territory. Which is a good thing. Marrying in a US territory makes our marriage legal and our many children legitimate. Not that it matters. We've been calling ourselves married for so long,

Ambition and Guilt

2010-11-21T20:14:00.005-06:00

Lately, my blog has been full of my desire and plans to return to school and become a nursing home administrator. It'd be a fair assessment to say that working with and helping the elderly is a passion of mine. Becoming an administrator is something I've had in my mind for 15 years. As I've reported before, I feel compelled, to do this. To finally be moving forward, well, my excitement isn't

A Slight Change of Plans

2010-11-16T09:01:00.002-06:00

Like most college students, I have changed my major. Actually, I have changed my major several times over the course of it all. I started out, all the way back in the Fall of '95,with a declared major of Political Science. Then it was English. With a French minor. Then it was Sociology. And more recently, Social Work. But now...now I've got it. Business Management. I've done a bit of

She Works Hard For The Money

2010-11-04T18:33:00.000-05:00

My very first job ever was in a nursing home. I was 16 years old. My dad got it for me. I wanted to work at the pool. At first, working at the nursing home was very uncomfortable. I was a kid. Everyone else was grown. And smoking. Oh, the smoking breaks these people took. I made $5 an hour, which was way over minimum wage, and I got to work in the air conditioning. Not too shabby for a

Lamentations of the Father, Repost

2010-11-03T19:08:00.003-05:00

I found this a few years ago and thought it worth reposting again. Laws Concerning Food and Drink; Household Principles;Lamentations of the FatherOF the beasts of the field, and of the fishes of the sea, and of all foods that are acceptable in my sight you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the hoofed animals, broiled or ground into burgers, you may eat, but not in the living room. Of the

Smells I Don't Like and My Medical Staff

2010-10-29T08:49:00.003-05:00

I've been mulling this over for a while now. There are just some smells I cannot tolerate. One of them is the smell of fermenting garbage. Back home, years ago [name that reference!], I was the backdoor receiver for a major grocery store chain. I loved that job. It had great hours for a single girl in her 20's. I was responsible for overseeing and checking in vendor deliveries at the

Ketchup

2010-10-25T20:08:00.009-05:00

It's been a while since I posted and not because I haven't had plenty to say. I have just been busy. Busy to my eyeballs. To the top of my head. Busy. A brief recap:1. Bubba finally got into preschool. After being placed on the waiting list last April for his class and being denied entry in August because of his inability to walk, he is now walking well enough (holding a hand) that he can

My Territory

2010-10-07T09:58:00.004-05:00

Or, another character flaw brought to light. Some people who have tried to get a recipe from me are well aware of my irrational need to be the keeper of my good recipes. I am extremely territorial about my recipes. It's a family trait and it's completely unattractive. My mother did exactly the same thing. In fact, there's a rumor I may have resorted to stealing recipes from her...I do

A Discussion of Flaws

2010-09-20T09:45:00.005-05:00

For some reason, I feel compelled to write about one of my character flaws. Not that I couldn't fill a book with them all. But I had to rethink the title. At first, I was going to call this Character Flaw-No. 1. But I didn't want to send the message that I believed this was my Number One Character Flaw, The Worst of a Long, Bad List. Clearly, not writing thank you notes is no one's Worst of

Slow News Days

2010-09-12T23:01:00.004-05:00

I've been having a slew of slow news days. Or else I am just uninspired. Running here, there and yonder has left me tired. Listening to my children alternately scream, wheeze, sneeze, cough and argue with each other has left me very tired.Knowing that Brian is going to be home full-time for a while now, that I like. But I'm still tired.I did attend Session 3 of the Love and Logic class. Now

Baby For Sale--Motivated

2010-09-08T09:20:00.005-05:00

We've always been very lucky, fortunate, blessed, graced, what have you, with the kids. All kids were great nursers. Not one second's worth of trouble there. The babies slept through the night very early on, thanks in part to our dedication to sleeping through the night. I'm a fan of a loose schedule, but not for the reason many books suggest. Several back-to-back years of parenting babies

My Future New Boots

2010-09-03T00:56:00.005-05:00

I love shoes. I really, really do. But I have a pretty large foot and since I'm the mother of 4 children, all of whom I have carried in my body, my feet are even harder to fit than they used to be. All that aside, I want these boots. The burgundy pair. I was very nearly panting over them. Not "panting" as in putting pants on so I could run out and buy them. No. I was breathing hard.

The Opposite of Rockin': Melting

2010-09-01T15:48:00.006-05:00

The opposite of rockin' is probably melting. As in melting down. Just like the kids do! A cold dared to invade our home. In and out, like a thief, taking with it, my happy, well-adjusted children. Oh, a sly cold, indeed. Making itself known while Brian is out of town and there is only me to do Every. Single. Thing. A diabolical, evil cold that left me with a baby who has cried very nearly

Meeting Brian

2010-08-31T22:02:00.005-05:00

This fall, we're closing in on 8 years of marriage, 9 years together. Hardly seems possible, unless you do the math. It's a long time for people like us. We met in November 2001, which I can only remember if I remember when we got married: December 1, 2002. For a long time, I had a hard time remembering what year! When I finally realized the year we got married was the same backwards and

Why I'm Not Homeschooling

2010-08-27T22:12:00.005-05:00

Putting Little People into school is not as easy as checking a box and it's over. There was a time when I thought homeschooling was the perfect answer for my FEAR of exposing my children to God knows what at the junior prison they called a school. I can say with 100% certainty that I was operating out of a place of fear and a desire to keep bad things away from my kids. Certainly after all the

Draggin' It

2010-08-26T08:55:00.005-05:00

Last week, I was rockin' it. This week, I'm draggin' it. All in all, I still feel like I'm doing pretty dang good. I'm just tired. Exhausted. Bone-weary. I've had several very late nights in a row and apparently, getting very little sleep takes its toll on the body. Yesterday, after a late night trip to the ER, I was "newborn mom" tired. Bedtime last night was 9pm. For me.But I've had a

She Who Must Be Obeyed

2010-08-18T20:55:00.005-05:00

I am rockin' it. I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself. It's hard to tell people with a straight face that I don't "do" kids. That I am not a kid person. They roll their eyes to the heavens and sigh with disbelief that a woman who birthed 4 children in 5 years could not be a kid person. But it's true. I am actually a person who loves volunteering with nursing home residents. Even

Grateful

2010-08-17T10:52:00.002-05:00

I don't know why it's so hard. To accept help, I mean. I don't know why it feels so. . .uncomfortable. Even writing about it is hard. I'd rather just pretend that things are just fine and dandy and there are no problems. *insert big, fake smile here*I don't think it's a control issue. I have realized about myself that I'm not the kind of person who has to be in control. I work well within

Some Women Shouldn't Be Mothers

2010-08-08T18:40:00.008-05:00

I recently heard this statement applied to some women I know. And in academic theory only, I could agree with this assessment. Those women made the lives of their children miserable or continue to do so now that their children are adults. They emotionally and physically torment their children even into adulthood. Hugs and kisses and "I love you's" are virtually non-existent. There are

Parenting Outside the Box

2010-08-03T10:05:00.002-05:00

We used to be very punitive. Poor Lily. That child got a spanking if she took her barrette out of her hair. If she took off her shoes. If she resisted getting into the car seat. If she did anything we didn't want her to do. Anything. At the time, that seemed appropriate. We had an us versus them mentality. Children were to obey their parents. Clearly, we needed to punish for

Is It Only Wrong to Kill People?

2010-08-01T17:47:00.003-05:00

I really want to do vile things to our dog. Things that will cause her to limp for a while, at the very least. I'm not really an animal lover anyway. I tolerate that smelly, poorly behaved mongrel because my husband wanted her and most of the kids seem to like her. But on this day, I have had it. I have had it up to my eyeballs. To the top of my 5'10" frame. To the sky even. I have had it

Calm

2010-06-16T11:31:00.002-05:00

For the last 6 years, I have either been pregnant or with a young baby. This time last year, I was very pregnant and begging my doctor to take this baby EARLY, when I still had several weeks left. It seemed we could never go forward in our lives because we were always starting over with a new baby. But more often these days, even in the midst of complete and utter chaos, I get the occasional

Mid-Way Through May

2010-05-17T11:15:00.003-05:00

Last weekend with Auntie Jo was great, even though I was completely unprepared. Recital portraits were taken, for the most part. (A couple of costume snafus...will still have to do one set of retakes, after the recital.) The experience wasn't so terrible that I'm giving up on dance, and I know my girls are pleased. Of course, they may not have known their dance futures were in jeopardy.

Wasting Time....

2010-05-06T10:21:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow starts an incredibly busy weekend for me. My dear friend who I recently went to visit is coming to visit us and I really should be fumigating, scouring, chiseling, hanging up pictures, etc., etc. Visiting her home is a visit to an oasis where it is quiet, peaceful and clean. She always has a drink at the ready and there is no schedule or demands. Here, it is quite different. I know

Gone And Done It

2010-05-05T19:07:00.004-05:00

For the 2nd time ever, I have signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. A 60 mile walk over 3 days for the fight against breast cancer. Sixty miles. Walking. With my feet. In whatever weather. In November. November weather in North Texas could be anything. Sleeping in tents on the ground and showering in the back of 18-wheelers. I couldn't make this stuff up. I've registered twice now

Just As Busy

2010-04-16T22:20:00.005-05:00

I realize that I tend to write in my blog when I am at the end. The final straw when I can't even complain to Brian any more. Not that Brian wants to hear the complaints during the day anyway. He of the compartmentalized brain. So I write. I get it out and sound pathetic. I know I feel pathetic. But it does tide me over until the next time.I am feeling better even though my life is just as

Seasons

2010-02-23T10:32:00.004-06:00

I'm sitting here, watching a big snowfall for at least the third time this season. It's predicted we'll receive 4-6 inches this morning. I wish I didn't have to get out, but Bubba has an appointment in Fort Worth this afternoon, Lily needs to be picked up and Reagan needs to have her glasses replaced. It seems I always have to go out when I'd just rather stay in bed and do nothing.Except

And Furthermore...

2009-10-21T10:06:00.003-05:00

Why does everything have all these fundraisers? Between the actual classroom and the PTO, the school sends something home every week. See my previous post for those details. For soccer, there was cookie dough to sell. Ten dollars for a 2 pound tub of cookie dough. No one had any idea when the cookie dough would be in so many people who might have bought some didn't. Let's not mention that 2

PTO: A Rant

2009-10-20T08:30:00.003-05:00

Stopping my "One Month" series for the now. It will be a work in progress as I sort through feelings and questions concerning my mother's death.Today, though, I am feeling strongly about the PTO. In short, I am annoyed. I understand that every week I'm going to receive a notice that I need to send money (or items) for this thing or that. Since the beginning of school, I've paid for lunches,

A Month-Part 2

2009-10-13T09:52:00.007-05:00

Just joining in? Start with Part 1.Then all of a sudden, after days of improvement, she was in the hospital again. Doctors go on and off duty all the time and the transition is smooth. In this case, a doctor going on vacation led up to a mix-up at the pharmacy and the one medication keeping ammonia levels stable, was reduced by 2/3. Whose fault it is in actuality, I don't know, and at this point

A Month-Part 1

2009-10-12T10:10:00.008-05:00

It's been a month since my mother died and I'm still processing through everything. One thing I can say for sure is that this has been harder than I anticipated. I'm surprised by that because our relationship from as far back as I can remember has been...strained. That's the word I use to describe it anyway. It sounds polite and doesn't convey years of feeling not good enough, unwanted and

My Dog, Pinto

2009-10-11T22:16:00.002-05:00

I really do not like dogs. They are slobbery, messy, and smelly. The things they chew up are unrecognizable afterward. There is no love lost between me and them. I do not like dogs.Except we have one. She's a Catahoula, a breed of dog that Brian has wanted to own for a long time. Not only is she a high-energy dog, but she's a puppy as well. A six-month old puppy who weighs over 40 pounds. A

With Four Kids

2009-10-08T22:20:00.005-05:00

Since this latest addition to the family, I've been asked what it's like to have 4 kids instead of 3. For some reason, making the jump between 3 to 4, is a leap from what's considered "acceptable" to "excessive". If that's not what people think, it certainly feels like it. Lots of people report that they couldn't do what I do, although I don't think it's that hard to ignore laundry, not clean

Must....Update.....Blog

2009-10-06T11:44:00.004-05:00

Although I don't know why. Does anyone even read this thing anyway?I see the last time I updated was describing Brian's eye dilemma. Since then, we've had issues with the house, a new baby, and my mom passed away. Joshua Peter was born Monday, July 20, 2009 at 11:11am. No unusual complications for mom or baby. It's hard to believe and amazing that we are only 2 weeks away from the 3-month

I Am Jack's Detached Cornea

2009-06-22T18:47:00.004-05:00

Brian finally went back to work this week after being home the whole of last week with a detached epithelium, the first layer of the cornea. This is the 2nd time this has happened. I hope we don't have a 3rd time. The first time this happened, we treated it as pink eye for 2-3 days, with no improvement. Finally after days of suffering, we saw the opthamalogist who took a Q-tip and scraped the

Late Night, Early Morning

2009-06-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

I am a night owl. I have always preferred to stay up late and sleep in. The more our numbers increase, the harder it gets to indulge. It doesn't help that I take big naps in the afternoon with the girls and just can't go to sleep until the wee hours.Last night, it was 2:30am. Why? I was watching my newly arrived Netflix DVD, Grey's Anatomy. I started with watching only one and felt

Neglecting My Blog

2009-06-10T11:52:00.003-05:00

I admit it. I've neglected my blog. Facebook is more compelling and requires less work. Since my last update:I signed up to become a Close To My Heart scrapbooking consultant because Brian and I were convinced we would be moving back to the Beaumont area. I thought that would be an excellent area to introduce people who didn't know how much fun scrapbooking could be. The new job didn't happen,

Adventures of Toad

2009-05-04T13:12:00.003-05:00

Once, some girls went out to play. They came in to tell me about a toad...said they needed a basket to catch him. So I gave them one. "By the time we got the shovel", Lily reported, "that toad got away! He was just too fast!" Lily is sad because she wanted frog legs for lunch...She said they might be good. She said, "Maybe Daddy has had them and he thinks they're good." Darcy chimes in, "

The Dark Side

2009-01-22T10:06:00.004-06:00

I am so tired. Pregnancy is hard on this body. When I'm not pregnant with my hormones wreaking havoc on the entire system and when I'm not fighting the same effects brought on by my IUD, I do very well. I get up early (like 5:30am), shower, exercise, read my Bible all before the kids get up. I teach a little and we look at books together and we operate on a schedule. I try to have dinner ready or

It's Another Monday...Hold the Mania

2009-01-12T10:55:00.002-06:00

I've just returned from a 4 day weekend of scrapbooking. I am exhausted. Hour after hour sitting in a chair and trying to be creative with my limited number of supplies is tiring! I brought all my supplies and I probably had a third of what everyone else had. In my defense, I've probably been doing it less than everyone else, too. I'm proud of my pages, however time consuming. I even had a

"That's What I Heard"

2009-01-06T11:36:00.004-06:00

The news is out. We're expecting Baby#4 in early August. I am beginning to realize this very interesting thing about myself: I am a secretive/private person. Even with a blog. There are just some things I like to keep to myself until I am ready to talk about them. Like this newest baby. It's not that I was surprised, I just didn't want to discuss it because I wasn't ready for the barrage

Further Ranting

2008-12-10T10:49:00.004-06:00

I'm just boiling over today, mad at the whole world:1. This house is freezing. It's insulated terribly with gaps and crevices for the wind to blow through. Everyone dresses in layers at night and has several blankets on their bed.2. The kitchen is always a mess. I've cleaned it up this morning, but by the time lunch is over, it'll be a mess again. At meals, I am too busy being a waitress to put

Downright Mean

2008-12-10T10:20:00.005-06:00

What can I do about a girl who is just plain ol' mean? Who is mean-spririted just to be mean? Is this a birth order problem? Is this a personality disorder? Is this a result of my less than stellar parenting? That's my biggest fear; that I am directly responsible for this hateful side of my child that barely tolerates me, at best.I can already report that spanking her into submission is futile.

I Made This!

2008-12-08T16:52:00.005-06:00

In case there was some person who was remotely interested and did not see this on MySpace or Facebook, I made these: I'm very proud of myself because I came up with the idea all by myself, and quite by accident, too. I had purchased 2 hangers when school started thinking that I would paint them and put the older girls' names on them and hang them low so they could be responsible for their own

Rusty Yates Is Back In The Saddle Again

2008-11-18T16:27:00.007-06:00

I have always felt sympathetic toward Andrea Yates and now, as a mother of several small children, I have an overwhelming amount of compassion for her. I can't imagine a worse scenario than the one where you come out of a postpartum-induced haze to learn you have murdered all of your children. I stand by my opinion that the kindest thing that could have done for her was to leave her to her

Better

2008-11-12T10:20:00.004-06:00

I think things are getting better. I'm not sure, really. I don't feel so overwhelmed, but I don't know if I'm doing anything differently. This is Brian's last week of school for this quarter so he'll have more free time. Or at least things will be back the way I remember them.Brian's younger brother got married this past weekend and Lily was one of the flowergirls. Everything was so nice and

The Things I'm Talking About

2008-10-29T11:10:00.002-05:00

I set down to write a big, whiny post about why my life is so hard at home, hence the title. I was going to cite specific examples, taken from this day alone. How in the world can I possibly get anything accomplished because every time I leave the room disaster ensues? But then I was reminded of something I read this morning in my Bible. Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no

Contentedness v. More Discipline

2008-10-29T08:13:00.005-05:00

I believe I have finally come to the crux.My husband assures me that I am not a failure every single day, all day, as I believe. I made him promise which in this house means you cannot lie. Period.But I look around and see all the things I know need to be done and don't get done. Except monitoring my children in some meaningful way makes doing things even in the next room difficult with their

The 101st Post

2008-10-26T21:27:00.005-05:00

I've seen it done on other blogs. It's not a bad idea. I'm going to do it here.One hundred one things about me:I am named after my grandfather.My mother, my oldest daughter and I all share a middle name.It's Kaye.I am 5'10".I wear a size 11 shoe.Buying shoes is hard.I love shoes.My parents have been married nearly 34 years.I am the oldest of 2.My brother is 9 years younger than me.Today, I am 31

Praying For the Patriarchal "gods" To Fall

2008-10-23T15:48:00.003-05:00

A blogger whose discussions on grace-based parenting and the patriarchy movement really cause me to think and at the same time, soothe my heart, has written something new including links to articles by Michael and Debi Pearl. Be sure to read the articles. Here's the post: Praying For the Patriarchal "gods" To FallI don't know how I feel about some of this. I'm still taking it all in. I will

Personality Test Analysis

2008-10-21T21:40:00.007-05:00

A while back, I took at personality test and was mesmerized by the results because they were absolutely accurate. I want to celebrate the person I am, instead of the person I wish I were. Anyone who reads this will have great insight into how I think. I encourage others to take the test. It's definitely eye-opening. Feel free to post your results in a comment! The following information gleaned

Organizer Update

2008-10-16T15:53:00.002-05:00

I actually sold one of my homeschooling organizers. I am very excited because my customer seems to be pleased with it as well.Using the organizer helps me to see what might be more helpful and I've had some ideas. On the weekly pages, I have little monthly calendars that show the previous and next month at a glance. Using my own organizer let me know that it would be helpful to have the

Rope's End

2008-10-15T12:46:00.003-05:00

I guess I'm tying a knot and hanging on. I am frustrated, aggravated and annoyed at a level that can't possibly increase. I feel lazy, unmotivated and uninspired to do most of the necessary things that need doing. There are other areas that I am motivated in, but I can't seem to transfer that motivation from one area to another. It's like I've become a man and my brain has suddenly, without

Part 3-Our Quiver, Or What The Lord Has Done

2008-10-10T21:42:00.004-05:00

We were finally allowed back to our house after Hurricane Rita, but it wasn't liveable and wouldn't be for months and months. I was a stay-at-home mom with a toddler and a newborn feeling both out of place and in the way, living in a garage apartment belonging to kind friends. I was withdrawn, sad and depressed.Before moving into the apartment, we had spent 2 weeks with our friend in Houston and

Sunday Sundaes

2008-10-09T11:12:00.002-05:00

I found this trolling the internet: Sunday Sundaes I like this guy; I think I'll keep tuning in. I want to think about what I'm doing and be deliberate. I want to be purposeful.Posted using ShareThis

At My Funeral...

2008-10-08T14:57:00.005-05:00

I have decided that when I die, I want "How Great Thou Art" sung at my funeral by a real-deal soprano who can hit the high notes, Sandi Patty style.

Surrendering The Secret

2008-10-06T10:24:00.002-05:00

There are statistics that report nearly 50% of women of child-bearing age are heavy with the secret of past abortions. Even God-fearing, Christian women. They remain unhealed and deeply burdened because of the shame of the act itself and the fear of sharing such a secret.LifeWay has released a Bible study called Surrendering The Secret: Healing the Heartbreak of Abortion by Pat Layton. Melinda on

The Voice of My Teenage Angst

2008-10-01T12:20:00.003-05:00

The other day, I heard a song that hurled me back to my freshman year of high school (1991). That song put music and words to that year's personal angst. That song was Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". I was heartbroken over a boy that I liked that didn't like me. Who started dating my friend during this. When I heard that song, was I ever reminded of that unhappy time. The passing

Choosing Joy

2008-09-30T12:41:00.004-05:00

It's been a tough day and it's only lunchtime.There is milk spilled in the kitchen waiting to be cleaned up, my plant is leaking coffee and needs to be cleaned up. The children are clamoring for the next course of their lunch.The truck needs some work done and Brian is in the middle of an outage, the bane of my existence, and does not have the time or energy to work on it. To that load, add his

Part 2-Our Quiver, Or What The Lord Has Done

2008-09-10T15:09:00.004-05:00

The first days of being a stay-at-home mom were a trial by fire. I was not good at it and I didn't enjoy it. I was not bathed. I did not cook. I did no laundry and did not clean. I struggle through pregnancy and could barely manage to haul myself around. I did not go anywhere. I was miserable.Despite the bleeding, the baby was doing well. I was getting big and uncomfortable and desperately wanted

Part 1-Our Quiver, Or What The Lord Has Done For Me

2008-09-09T14:44:00.013-05:00

I find it so fascinating to compare where my life has been to the place where I am going. The Lord is doing mighty things to me and for me, and subsequently, to and for my family. This is not the first time I have touched on this topic of childbearing. I originally discussed it nearly 2 years ago, but my views have changed from even that perspective. Previous post here.(I keep typing and deleting

Hesitant

2008-09-08T14:10:00.005-05:00

I want to put forth my thoughts on the quiverful thinking, but my thoughts don't and won't just stop there. They spill over into many areas and to cover it well, I think I have to tell my story, and I'm hesitant to do that.I'd have to explain my original thoughts concerning children.I'd have to explain how it feels to have a broken nurturer.I might have to explain my newfound freedom in trusting

A Topic Never Broached...

2008-09-06T14:28:00.004-05:00

Quiver full.I don't tend to shy away from discussions. I am definitely interested in and love hearing about people's explanations of how they come to decisions. Especially decisions that could have only been influenced by the Lord. I want to know how things worked out and the end result.I found a very nice discussion on the quiverful movement and thought I'd link to it here. It's a blog post

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-09-04T14:29:00.002-05:00

Last year we didn't do anything. Actually, I take that back. I waddled around, waiting to birth the elephant we named Reagan. It was all I could do to haul myself out of bed in the morning and tend to the "big" girls throughout the day. Lily didn't go to preschool, Darcy wasn't old enough and we barely darkened the door of any church. We had no discipline to do so and no interest. Now,

Definitely An Illness

2008-09-04T14:14:00.003-05:00

I missed the premiere of the new 90210.Lily has soccer practice on Tuesday and Thursdays at 6:30pm. By the time I remembered it was on, it was 9:30pm. *insert sad face here* I am Jack's broken heart. So far, I cannot even watch it online. What kind of crummy show isn't available online to watch? We are so dark age here on Park Street that if I want to record it, I'll actually have to set the VCR

A True Confession

2008-08-27T16:26:00.003-05:00

I am anxiously awaiting The New 90210. I wish I owned all 10-years worth of the original on DVD. I have none. *insert sad face here* I love.love.love 90210.

Overheard From My Children

2008-08-27T11:14:00.004-05:00

My girls say things that cause me to go into hysterics or clench my teeth and sigh. I'm going to start keeping track. The first is a little anecdote:A couple of months ago, I loaded all the girls up and took them to meet Brian. They were all heading away for the weekend, but I didn't want to tell them they were visiting their grandparents. So I told them I was taking them to the gypsies. Lily was

More Housewives Analysis

2008-08-24T14:23:00.003-05:00

I finished reading the book this morning. The authors make some good points about depending on God, finding contentment and the fact that "women's work" isn't lesser work.However, I don't find much practical advice in getting from malcontent to content. Just that I should be there. Or maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.They dispel the necessity of finding a block of time daily to spend with God.

Passionate Housewives Desperate For God

2008-08-21T09:51:00.007-05:00

I am reading Passionate Housewives Desperate For God. It's been a tough read for me, and I can't quite figure out why. Is it because I truly disagree with what they're promoting or is it because I am weighted down with conviction?If I were to be honest, I think it may be some of both.At this point in time, I am only giving it a surface read. I'm not reading it with my Bible out, checking

More Babies

2008-08-21T09:23:00.003-05:00

While getting dressed this morning, I was given the once-over by my oldest daughter. It always makes me uncomfortable when I see her looking me up and down because I know some question is going to come from it that I'm not going to like. This morning's embarrassing question was regarding my lack of breast pads. Why wasn't I wearing them any more? It actually started out with her wondering where

Homeschooling Organizer....Complete

2008-08-18T22:36:00.011-05:00

For my immediate need, my homeschooling organizer is complete. I have the binder I want to work with, which is not a cheap piece of flimsy, ugly junk. Oh no. This is a very cool binder with an interior pocket, three tabs and a elastic cord that keeps it closed and together. I have ordered some additional tabbed dividers that have pockets. I expect those to come in handy. The first tabbed section

Calgon, Take Me Away

2008-08-13T11:31:00.006-05:00

Break UpdateI have heard that the more time someone spends away from home, the more time they want to be away. I think there is some truth to that. After my weekend away, I remember thinking I could get used to hanging out with my friends until the wee hours, experiencing a tour of food pleasures, and sleeping until my bladder, not my children, wake me up. No laundry, no responsibilities. All

Deep Thoughts

2008-08-06T11:12:00.005-05:00

Rocky MountainsAfter watching the very fantastic Pure Country yesterday (that I own), I wondered something. Are Rocky Mountains still the top choice for girls glamming it up with their Budweiser and George Strait and line-dancing? Wait...do they even play George Strait at country bars anymore? You'd think I'd know the answer since I live in the "Cowboy Capital of the World". I am definitely

Getting Organized

2008-08-03T22:20:00.005-05:00

I am, what some people might refer to, as an organized person. I asked Brian and he agrees this is true. I am detail-oriented and like to have a plan. Unlike some people, I am not obsessive about it. There is one area to my life that I am obessesive about: finances. In that regard, everything must balance to the penny (I am not kidding about this!) or I will find it. I am the type of person who

What Joy (?)

2008-07-17T08:14:00.005-05:00

I'm doing a Beth Moore Bible study on faith and the impact in my heart has been HUGE. It's causing me to think and examine my heart and God in an entirely different way and the results are astounding. It's funny; I initally decided to do the Bible study so that I could meet people. Instead, I've met God.This morning, however, I was getting my daily dose of Stuff Christians Like and I read this.

The Hidden Star Quilt--Update

2008-07-16T12:08:00.013-05:00

I have been furiously working on my newest quilting project. Here is the opening discussion. I did buy the new sewing machine and am glad to see that there was actually a real difference in quality of my sewing. My teacher remarked last night had I not used the new machine for this quilt, it is likely that I would have become so frustrated that I would have quit the project altogether.Nearly 30

The Death Of My Blinkies

2008-07-10T17:03:00.004-05:00

I am sad.Mother's Day weekend, the weekend my husband so selflessly took all 3 of our children away so I could have time to myself, I spent hours and hours looking for blinkies to decorate my blog. I will not say exactly how many hours were spent because of the embarrassingly high number.And now they have been deleted.All of them!I just wanted to replace the one that said I was the Mother of a 3-

A Bottle Of My Tears

2008-07-10T16:52:00.004-05:00

I stumbled across this last week and it so perfectly exemplifies what I go through in my Christian walk. I like to put God in His cosmic corner where He is far too busy to notice that I AM DROWNING HERE!But He does notice, doesn't He?