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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Patience Little Puppy; The Internet Will be Online Shortly

Today, I have made technological history. I, for the first time in my life, am posting a blog entry from a laptop. I've had a laptop before; fourteen years ago. Those were my college days. Dad Dick gave me a laptop for my use in college. I remember this particluar portable computer being much smaller than what I'm using now. Color screens were a luxury, and public access to the internet was in its infancy. By the way, Windows 3.1 was advenced technology.

After my one year of college ( I decided having kids was a higher priority at that time.), Dad Dick took the laptop of old on a trip. Coming back, explicative Dick decided it was a good idea to check the computer in his luggage. He never did bother replacing the newly cracked lcd screen. Apparently, it wasn't worth his time to replace something that he didn't choose to own.

Please note, this computer situation is not why I strike out the word dad. That is for another post; waiting for a most opportune moment. This is a story about computers, not about why I disown Dick Fife as family relation.

With several factors to consider, including the growing internet needs of our family, Bigboy felt inspired to treat me to my very own laptop. After much consideration and shopping, we came to a life changing decision. Not only did I need a laptop, we needed a new desktop as well. The computer we've owned for the five years couldn't handle supporting the router for my computer. It's a well experienced machine, and probably be replaced.

The laptop came home Thursday. The new desktop came home Friday night. Today, Bigboy has been playing with his new toys. I honestly believe testosterone gets its kicks out of playing with things invloving cords and plugs. His side of the story may be slightly different. In his world, I was more excited than him. I can't say that is completely true.

However, I can say I wanted to take a short break from filing. The new desktop was connected to the internet. The perfect opportunity to check my hit counter had arrived. Bigboy would say I was more excited than he was; something like the dog in this:


This video has been provided by Disney Tube, the exercising of my skill in copying and pasting code, and my newly learned skill in inserting YouTube video into my blog. You can find this video my searching "Over The Hedge" in YouTube.

He caught me redhanded online, on a brand new desktop with no antivirus, firewall, or spam protection. Honestly, I didn't know. I figured that kind of important stuff was done already.

Eventually, he did tell me to calm down and turn on my laptop while he installed the printer, and a few other things for the network between all three computers. I turned out to be one happy puppy.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

One Day At a Time

Craving for sugar come, leaving me two choices. Do I accept cake, and candy? Or, do I refuse over processed carbohydrates? Today is Day 23, and I’m refusing sugar cravings again today. I have to take this one day at a time. I have 25 days left until Easter. I know I can get through this.

I thought I was through the cravings stage. My first week found not only a horrible state of depression, but a mountainous slew hazing and personal torment from family and friends. Being the good sport I am, I took all of this in stride, and laughed right along with them.
I love my friends dearly. All the hazing I’ve taken from them has given me a good opportunity to laugh at my sugar fasting. By the third day, the razing from the family, I was in tears. Never before this had I realized I was using sweets as a cover for depression.

Needless to say, I cried all the way through my second week. Short tempered was the pleasant description for my behavior. I was vocal and angry enough to make a sailor blush. I managed to come out of that second week completely sugar free. Remaining days shouldn’t have been any problem. Yeah, right.

This last week, I’ve wanted everything I can get my hands on with sugar. I have forced myself into denial of temptation. Grocery stores carry candy and ice cream isles, bakeries, and soda displays. Beadgirl caught me as I tried to ask her to share her skittles. She reminded me again a few days ago. Certain trail mix contains candy.

I’ve faired much better over yesterday and today. I know I can get through this. Taking a sacrifice like this works best when you take each day one at a time. I also know that come Easter, I’ll be a much healthier person. Each day is a today. As long as I remember this each morning, I’ll be fine. Today, I’m not having any sugar. Tomorrow will be another today. I believe I do have it in me to make it to Easter.

One day at a time.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Tackle It Tuesday

Tackle It Tuesday Meme


I finally got around to putting progress binders together for the kids. They aren't bulging as much as they should. There should be much more history and science in there. Oh well, we'll have that ready for our consultation next month.

Frankly, this is the one part of homeschooling through a district sponsored coop I look the least forward to. For some reason, I have this horrible procrastinating urge to leave meeting prep for the very last minute. The whole concept of organizing all schoolwork into a presentable form draws all types of desire to put it off. Besides, there are plenty other chores for an ADHD hectic homeschooling mom to worry about. Suddenly, the laundry has to be completely pressed and put away. The kitchen must be cleaned. I can't sort out papers in the living room with all these dirty dishes in the kitchen. Mending must be done. I haven't done the mending in almost six months. But, I have an in office meeting tomorrow (which was actually today by the time I get it posted). I have all these other things to do before I can do anything in regards to presenting school work.

I'm using K12 this year. This should be fairly easy. Actually, it's much easier this year than it was last year to do all this. I don't have to write out each day's lesson plans. My days of worrying about getting behind or Bigfoot working too fast are over. Everything is numbered and named by subject. It's just that my ADHD, which, by the way, all moms have, gets distracted. This job ends up getting put off until the very last few hours.

But, it did get done. Now, all those papers I put categorized into binders can come out, get stuffed in a folder, placed in a box, and stashed in the basement. Why? So that when my kids grow up and have kids, this hectic homeschooling grandma of the future, can show off all their work.

Now do yourself a favor, and Tackle It Tuesday. Find more at 5minutesformom.

Date Night! Well, Almost, Twice

Each third Saturday of the month is our date night. Bigfoot and Beadgirl are at our local YMCA for their monthly kids party/play night. Upon dropping off minor aged children, Bigboy and I take off for dinner. Our date night excursions have been invaded, for the past three months, by a three year old toddler.

I babysit this darling child on what is usually an on call, last minute, late night (her parents work retail in the mall), her grandmother is traveling out of the country, basis. I babysit her as a favor, and on a favor basis. Babysitting is how I managed jewelry for Valentine's Day. Her mom bought it on her employee discount. You can read about that experience here. On the nights we do end up babysitting, we take this child everywhere we go. Sunday School is no longer an unfamiliar scene. She is very familiar with the kitchen and banquet room of the Masonic Center in downtown Bremerton. Often, she is mistaken as being one of ours.

For the past three months, this toddler has had dined with us on these third Saturdays each month. This last excursion out, on the sixteenth, found a new experience- Indian. I've never had fresh authentic Indian food. Bigboy passes this place from the Bremerton ferry; he's always making comments about how good everything smells coming from there. So, we went Saturday night.

WOW! I'm amazed at how delicious everything is. I'm not a big fan of anything extremely spicy, but this stuff was marvelous. Even our "borrowed" three year old was enjoying our samplings. We almost had a date last week. Enjoyable as it was, I prefer having only Bigboy for that time.

This last Saturday impulsively gave us another chance at the Saturday date scene. Bigfoot was off to Hockey night with DeMolay. One of the families planning on attending couldn't make it, therefore allowing Beadgirl a spot in the group. How did we manage that?

Dinner was "roadkill" at the Steadfast lodge in Bremerton, where my Little-big brother happens to be in charge of food this year. I have to admit, my brother does an fantastic job at buffalo and venison. Two of the guys working with him came up with lemon roasted flounder and salmon. Yumm. Avoiding desert wasn't hard with everything available.

Fortunately, we made it home in time for Knight Rider. That is, after our trip to Fred Meyer for the shelf we need for our living room. Walking in the door at precisely nine was Little-big brother for the show. On a personal note, I LOVE the new KITT car. Whoever decided the new car should be a mustang has my approval. As much as I love my Little-big brother, I love my Bigboy more.

I almost had a date night, twice.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Wordless Wednesday-On the Boardwalk

Give yourself five minutes, and play more wordless Wednesday at 5minutesformom.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Family Update Time

Ah, children are doing schoolwork, the dog is quiet, socks are in the washer. Am I feeling okay? Besides the fact that I have a nicely stuffed up sinus and I'm sneezing constantly, I may be ill. These conditions are not normal in my house. I'm taking the time to update on our lives.

I didn't get the job with Alpine Access. I wasn't turned down due to lack of qualifications. Virtual customer service is a very competitive market. I have my applications out there with several other companies. I just have to make a few phone calls for voice samples. I'm hoping to get over this cold thing soon. I don't like the idea of submitting a voice audition with a stuffed up nose.

In the mean time, I quit working with ASI. I feel very misled by these people. I thought I was being hired for a position working with discount health care. Since I live in Washington, and the company's health care savings program is blocked from being sold in my state, I could work as a Human Resource Agent. I have a background involved with interviewing and hiring people. This should have been sufficient for our needs. ASI quoted me $200 per week minimum working in human resources. Funny how in three months, I came out with no more than $22. I was not told at any time that HR Agents work on strictly on commission. Over the course of three months, I found out that not only was human resources paid only on commission, but this company is moving into multi-level marketing methods. In no way am I opposed to multi-level marketing or private franchising programs. We operate one already. I took this "job" to supplement our immediate income, and provide for the needed overhead we incur each year. Form the ASI standpoint, things started feeling unnerving beginning the first of the year. Now I know why.

Beadgirl got her new bed, along with new bedding, the matching curtain rod, and curtain. I'm waiting until after her birthday for the paint. She's getting something from my mom for her "new" room. I'd like all the colors to work together, so paint will have to wait, a whopping four months.

Bigfoot has not yet grown into another shoe size, much to the surprise of his parents. We bought him his first pair of size twelve shoes last September. Shockingly, we replaced them in December with size twelves. Just to let you know, he's twelve years old. From his ninth birthday, we've replaced shoes with the next size up every three months. Foot growth of this rate is not easy to afford. Making it even harder is the presence of his very flat feet. His flat feet have gotten to be a problem. I'm not sure, but I think his ankles may be dislocating from his legs.

We took him to the local Shriner's hospital evaluation day this last November. We are expecting to have an appointment sometime in June at the Portland Hospital. I was hoping for an initial visit sooner, but June works just fine for us. We'll have time to finish the k12 school year before we head down.

Our school work is progressing, unfortunately, not as well as it should be. For some reason, I have a Beadgirl who decided it would be a good idea to spend six weeks reading Charlotte's Web. I wish I knew what made her tick, and why she messes around as much as she does. Bigfoot has decided he doesn't like being under grade level. I'm not sure why, but k12 placed him very below grade level in math and language. My hunch is he may have been messing around with his placement tests. I'm hoping both of them will be up to grade level before the beginning of next year.

Bigboy is fairing well. the fishing trip yesterday faired well. I keep waiting for the fish tales to come home when the fish tails don't. He did come home with supplies for our worm farm. For having the day off due to the celebration of the Presidents of the United States, he kept himself quite busy. Not only did he go fishing, he finished raising up Beadgirl's bed, built a worm farm, found dozens of gardening education websites, moved fishing poles from one location to another. Bigboy decided I need the laundry room for planting more than he needs the wall in there for hanging fishing poles. I'll figure out what he's thinking with that eventually.

On the gardening note,. I started my herbs this weekend. I should be able to pot them outside in a few weeks. Produce gardening is something I've been pondering starting for the past few years. I'm tired of hearing about this food or that toy being recalled. The best way I can overcome our commercial farming issues in America is to begin raising my own produce. We've come to learn our property has much work to be done, leaving most of this year's planting season lost. There is some good news of that situation. Now we know what we want to do, how we want to do it, and what we need to do to get it done. I'm excited about this endeavor. I've never seen Bigboy so enthusiastic about anything as he is about vegetable gardening.

Will someone please pinch me. I think I'm dreaming.

Very cool Homeschool Giveaway-Lyrical Earth Science

I found this giveaway at MamaArcher's Blog. I've never seen or heard of this program before. The concept of learning science to music sounds wonderful.

DETAILS FOR THE GIVEAWAY:

1. Included is the complete kit plus an extra workbook.
2. The final day for entries is March 15.
3. Please place a post about the giveaway on your blog.
4. Return here and leave a comment with the URL of your blog post.
5. This post will remain listed in the sticky link above the daily postings for easy access.




















Don't forget, you have to visit her MamaArcher's Blog to enter.