Fixing house progress - painting the pool...

Doesn't the empty pool look YUCKY? Gross!
See his lid headlight on his head? He loves this thing for working at night. He also bought the spotlights a few months ago so he could work in the dark! He is nocturnal!

Here it is with a pretty blue color! Much better!

A few weeks ago we got the pool ready to paint. I tried to drain it one afternoon by myself and couldn't figure out the filter thing. I spent HOURS trying to get it to drain and finally gave up. Tim comes home and turns this valve I never knew was there and poof! It drains in a couple hours. The next night we get the paint and tape and other stuff. I put the kids to bed around 9:30 that night and was getting ready to watch a movie. Tim had taped off the tile earlier that evening and he asks if I want to sit on the swing while he does all the cutting in. Then he was like - or do you wanna help me get this painted and done in a few hours? What? It is like 10pm! I decide what the heck. Might as well get it done. We started painting around 10:30pm and and were done between 1am and 1:30am. It was actually a great time to do it. It was cool out and the kids were out of the way. We had a lot of fun getting it done too! Tim said he wished he could do all the house projects at that time of night. Too bad it isn't always practical. Now the pool is a pretty blue color. I went to vacuum it this week and broke a piece of the filter. Tim is going to ban me from touching the filter ever again. Hopefully, he will fix it this weekend and it will be all done!

More house stuff...

I realize I posted about buying a house and never really came back with what happened next. I don't know if anyone is really dying to know or not, but I felt like I had to post it here. We put in a bid on the "older" home. When I called to tell my very nice realtor, he didn't sound like he loved our really low - trying to get some super deal - bid. Fine. I told him I knew it was really low, but I thought we could try and see what they came back with. He said he would call me back with more questions and get it rolling. He did call back, but he had news I didn't want to hear. Somebody else put a bid on the house. My brother-in-law had told me he saw 3 people go there on Sunday. The one guy got out of the truck with BEER in hand to walk around the house. Yes, my brother-in-law was so very happy to see that! NOT! I have to wonder if when I spoke with the neighbor across the street about possibly bidding - she thought of someone who was interested too. Or maybe I am paranoid. It is very possible. Anyway, our realtor couldn't tell us the other bid amount, but he could say ours was too low. Fine. How low? Did they bid $1000 more than us or $10,000 more. He didn't know. I talked to Tim when he got home and he called the realtor. He asked him how much of the "high low game" could be play. He said he would call and see if he could get any hints. That whole evening we talked and talked it to death over what we should do. Should we bid more? Tim would ask me how much I wanted the house. I just didn't know the answer to that. It is all so emotional. I feel like I could hide in my bed for weeks and not think about this. Part of me wanted that new house. Then I saw this one and I couldn't help but wonder if that was exactly what God had planned for us. I know I talk/write about my sister-in-law, Debi, a lot. Some people may think I write or talk too much. I don't care. She was such a huge part of my life and to be looking at a house right next door to her family is huge. Tim's sisters Karen and Jennifer moved into the house across the street from theirs only 5 months before Debi died. I have always believe that God knew Debi's time and he put them across the street for a very good reason. Now I have to wonder if this house is where we are supposed to be. I just didn't know. I told Tim that I needed him to decide and that we would go with that. He said he felt like we should bid higher and give it a try. The next morning, the realtor called and gave us pretty narrow range to shoot for. We submitted a bid. Yesterday, we heard from the bank sellers and basically they wanted us and the other bidders to submit what they call our "highest and best offer". Our realtor told us that the other bidders did not put down hardly any earnest money and that could be viewed as a problem. They also will finance, where we will use a home equity line of credit that comes in as a cash closing. He told us he felt comfortable with us keeping our bid price the same and possibly upping our earnest money. That is what we did and that new offer went in this morning. Of course, we didn't get an answer today and will have to wait through the weekend. At this point, I feel like we did what would could and now it is just up to God to decide if that is where we are supposed to be. It has been really tough this week. I am nervous about another house without selling this one and nervous about so many other things! I am just going to try to forget it about it for the weekend and see what happens on Monday. Pray for the right thing to happen.

I am back... FINALLY...

I realize I have not blogged in almost 2 weeks! I felt like I was really missing something, but I just could not get it together to blog the week before we left to visit South Carolina. I was dealing with the end of Girl Scout cookies and shopping and cleaning and I don't even know what else. It was just so busy and I was so tired. We left for SC on Sunday evening after my mom got off of work. We drove halfway and got a hotel in GA. Miraculously, Sebastian was super quiet for the entire 4.5 hour drive. He was slightly terrified of the hotel room though. He didn't know what to make of it. I asked him if he wanted to get his jammies on and I got a very firm, "NO!". Then I put my jammies on and he sorta got the idea that we were staying there. He went to sleep pretty quickly too. The next morning we headed out with a short stop and Cracker Barrel. I even had them sing Happy Birthday to my mom and Timmy (it was their birthday that day). We got to SC around 4pm and I took the kids by the model house we are/were thinking about building. I thought they would really want to see the house - I was WRONG! They really didn't care. They just wanted to get to their cousins' house. I showed it to my mom anyway and she thought it was very nice. I chatted for a little while with the realtor. She gave me directions to the new subdivision and we were on our way to see our family. Now, my brother-in-law's family has 8 children living their with them (others live away from home now). There are kids and kids and more kids. My kids love this place. We spent the evening visiting and got up early the next morning. My mom, Sebastian and I headed out to look around. First we headed to the new subdivision. We didn't find it, so we headed back to the model. She took us out. The new subdivision is just land. No houses or models yet. I don't know what I expected to see. I live in Florida - on a peninsula - with NO buildable land. It is something very foreign to me. She said most of the lots were half acre, but there were three 3/4 acre lots going for the same price for the first buyers. It was interesting, but somehow just didn't feel right. It wasn't way out in the boonies, but it was a little ways out. Probably a little more than I was comfortable with and I am not really sure why. It was probably only 15 minutes from where the rest of our family is living. Why that 15 minutes seemed like a huge thing - I have no idea. We left there and went to look for a place my mom had saw as a possibility for her. When we found it, it was not what she wanted at all. That was another strike against building in that new neighborhood. Over the next 2 days, we drove and drove and drove and did I say drove? All over the place! Everywhere! They have lots and lots of manufactured or modular homes there. My mom was looking for something like that. We just weren't finding anything that screamed her name. During this time, I decided to look at the house right next door to my brother-in-law's house. It is in foreclosure. My sister-in-law had looked at it for me a few weeks back. She took a ton of great pictures for me. I didn't think it was what I wanted. First of all it is a bi-level. I don't ordinarily like bi-levels. Second - it needs work. Let's just say that there was not a paint can or color the previous owners did not like! Third - it has lots of unfinished things. Fourth - it is lacking all the beloved walk-in closets the new home has. There were lots of reasons for me to not like this house. I looked at all the pictures and told my sister-in-law thanks, but I didn't think it was for us. Then, all of a sudden, I was there and it was next door. It just made sense to look at it. What could it hurt? I walked in and you know what? I didn't hate it! Don't get me wrong... the colors are awful and the basement needs to be rearranged and redrywalled, etc. But, honestly, I didn't hate it. I loved the realtor and it is a lot for me to say that because I have never really liked realtors. He is young and very nice. My mom says I like him because he reminds me of Timmy. I walked around and found the very same problems I listed above, but I still didn't hate this house. Then I asked THE QUESTION... Just how much wiggle room is there on this price? The answer - quite a bit of wiggle room. Hmmm... very interesting. This house is 2400 square feet or so. It has an acre of land either touching the lake at the back end or at least very close. Not sure exactly. It needs work. Lots of work, but not like old work. It was build in 2000. It has good bones, just very bad decorating. The new model home has 24o0 square feet and either a 1/4 acre lot or a 1/2 acre depending on where you build. The 1/2 acre is the one that is farther out than I liked. The 1/4 acre lot is a couple minutes away. This foreclosure house could potentially be $40,000 cheaper than the new model home. You can do a lot with $40,000. Things like build the garage with the lift Tim would love to have, add a screen porch, redo the floors, paint, new kitchen and add the bath downstairs. Oh and furniture! I needed to talk to Tim, but he was working. I hated waiting. I thought he would think I was crazy. He didn't. I still thought and thought and thought. I went to bed with all this running around in my head. Have you ever seen the House Hunters show on HGTV? The girl on there will say something like, "Did our couple choose House #1 - the brand new home with walk-in closets, island in the kitchen, no work, smaller lot closer to family or House #2 same new home on larger lot farther from family or House #3 the fixer upper with great potential, huge yard, great price, next door to family? I wanted to see what the answer was in my dream, but of course I didn't get it. What do you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts! Some people think we would be crazy to live so close to family. My brother-in-law next door and my 2 sister-in-laws across the street. I sorta think it would be nice. Savannah is the same age as her cousin and they both are homeschooled. They could play all the time. Actually, I think we have made our decision to bid on this house. I just need to deal with the financial side of it. We could not put a bid in contingent on the sale of our house because it is a foreclosure. Tim thinks it is worth it to try to buy this house before we sell our current one. That scares the HECK out of me, but I do think it is what we should probably do. Tomorrow, I will make some calls and see what I come up with for financing. Then I will pray and pray and pray that my house sells quickly - well first that we finish the projects in the next 3 weeks and then it sells quickly. So, below are pictures. The first are of the new model home. The others are of the eccentric foreclosure home. Remember... the previous owners liked color - A LOT! I sure hope you all come back to find out what happens next! I am really sorry it took so long for an update. I have other "fascinating" things to share too.

New home

Foreclosure home front


Back

Small deck

Part of backyard - looking towards lake

Master bath

Master Bedroom

Possibly Sebastian's room

Hall bath

Possibly Savannah's room

Dining room

Living room

Kitchen

Steps

Basement - sort of an odd mudroom - like I said... some of the walls would be moved.

Playroom in basement

Possibly Timmy's room in the basement

Sort of a laundry room

Unfinished family room in basement

A recap of last week...

We did some interesting things last week. At least WE think they were interesting. I guess if you are a celebrity or jet setting person - this will NOT look interesting. You know what is interesting now? Every time we go somewhere or do something out of our ordinary, I think I must blog about it. I am wondering if this is a new part of my existence that will always be with me now or is it something that is a novelty and will someday wear off. I am not sure, but for now - I feel compelled to come home and tell you all about it. One of the things we did was go to a park called Moccasin Lake. It is close to our house, but I had never been there before. Savannah does a science class with another homeschool mom. She is using Considering God's Creation to teach it. She has Savannah and her daughter Elizabeth who are both 8 and then she has her older daughter who is 13 with other girls her age. This past month they have been learning about animals. This park we went to had some reptiles and amphibians to look at. We also got a guided tour. It was a perfect day to go walking around the park. Sebastian even walked the whole 1 mile loop!



This is Elvis. When we walked to look at the other bird in a cage, Elvis came over and fanned out as if to say, "Hey! Get back here and keep looking at me!"

This was our tour guide. She was very informative and gave them lots of interesting details.

My little field trip trooper!

We also started a new homeschool co-op recently. It is called Co-op of the Arts. It is basically the same bunch of people from our other co-op, but they started this one dedicated to the arts. It is closer to my house and had better options for Savannah. Timmy decided he didn't want to do the other co-op anymore and then Savannah ended up being the only girl in her pe class again. That helped me decide to just switch to this one. At first, I told her she could just do two classes because that is what we were paying for at the other one. With my pay ending soon, we are trying to be frugal since we don't really know what the future holds yet. When my friends heard she would be coming to that co-op, some of them offered to let her come into their class free of charge! How awesome is that? My friend, Susie - the one who teaches science, also teaches art there. She was one that offered and I told her she could raid my arts and crafts closet anytime! Less stuff to pack, right? So, as it turned out, Savannah has a full day there now. She is taking art, baton (she already takes baton on another day - so this is a refresher), hip-hop, mime, and drama plus she has an hour to run and play for lunch. When I arrived to drop her off this Tuesday, I found that her art class was outside and my other friend Vickie is outside all morning. There is a wonderful big sandbox used for volleyball and a basketball court that is all fenced in. Sebastian had a BLAST running and playing there all morning. So much, that I am planning to stay every Tuesday morning until it gets blazing hot outside. It was so nice to get to sit and chat with my friends and let him run and play. It reminded me of how much we used to love our homeschool park day from years and years ago.

The girls are working on their "hot air balloons" in art class! Doesn't that look like a wonderful way to learn? Standing out in the sunshine with friends - not stressing over a STUPID FCAT TEST! Just another thing that makes me so happy we homeschool.

Can you see Sebastian in the background - playing with a ball in the gigantic sandbox?

Okay, the last interesting place we went to was an antique flea market. Tim was up in the northern part of our county on Saturday morning when he came across this flea market. He thought of my mom and gave her a call to see if she would like to ride back up there with him and look around. He didn't think I could go because Savannah had a birthday party. Luckily enough, her birthday party was up that way and we were able to drop her off. He wanted to show me a possible house thing I might have wanted. We dropped Savannah off and were on our way to the flea market. It was so much fun! I got 7 DK Picturepedias for $10 and I got a Clayworks piece for $10. I put that away to be packed, but maybe I will snap a picture of it later. My mom found all sorts of odds and ends that she loved. Tim got Timmy a dragon figurine to go with his other dragon stuff. It was such a pretty day to be out and walking around. We have been working almost every weekend on the house and it had been a long time since we just went and had fun. After we walked around, we stopped at a little diner for lunch. Sebastian was so good! He was up way past his nap time, but he just kept on walking around. It was such a nice surprise outing! How come these things are so fun, but we hardly ever think to do things like that? We really gotta remember to take a little time out to just do fun, out of the ordinary stuff!

Friday Feast

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Two
Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?

I have a scar on my eyebrow. When I was about 5 years old (maybe I was 7, I really don't know) I was playing with my best friend Patty as I always did. This time she had somehow gotten a teacup my mom had given me. She lied and said it was hers. I knew it was mine and I wasn't going to let her keep it. We argued and she threw the teacup across the room at me with a "Fine, take your stinking teacup" fit. It smacked me in the eyebrow and cut it wide open. I ran home to my mom and when I took my hand off of my eye, all she saw was blood. It scared her to death and she worked in the ER. Once cleaned, it was a small cut, but it left a scar. I don't know what happened to my teacup. I still love Patty (now goes by Tricia) and don't hold a teacup grudge!

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?

This is a hard one. I can't think of anything specific. Off the top of my head, since I just posted about how Tim and I came together to make a family - maybe that is a small miracle. Gosh, I don't know. Corny, huh? I don't have one of those life or death miracles like what was on Grey's Anatomy this week with Meredith surviving a near drowning.

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.

I don't really like Regis. When everyone was in love with that Millionaire game, I hated it because I couldn't stand him. Tim has a thing for Kelly and used to watch Regis and Kelly in the waiting room at work sometimes. Occasionally, I would try to watch it because I knew he would watch it sometimes. I couldn't stand Regis.

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?

retility room = utility room
Yes, another Patty story. They had a utility/laundry room off their kitchen. They always called it the retility room. We didn't have that kind of room in our house. We had the "downstairs bathroom" that also housed the washer and dryer. I grew up thinking that laundry room off a kitchen was called a retility room. It didn't occur to me until I was a teenager that they were saying it wrong.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought chocolate was a main food group.

Where does the time go?

Timmy's birthday is in exactly 10 days. He will be 18 then. Today was a sort of interesting day in my mind. You see, Timmy was born 10 days before Tim's 18th birthday. So, today marks the day that our first son is the same age as his dad was when we had him. That was a tongue twister, huh? I asked Timmy how he felt today. At first he said fine. Then he told me he knew what I was going to say. He had told one of his friends earlier today that his birthday was in 10 days. He said when he said it... he instantly remembered hearing over the years that he was born 10 days before his dad's 18th birthday. He said it was sort of odd realizing that was how young his dad was when we had him. I don't think I have completely shared the story of Timmy on my blog. Some people know the real story, but many more just assume they know the story. When most people find out we have an almost 18 year old son, they almost always say I look too young to have a child that age. Sometimes I just smile and say something like we started young. Sometimes I tell them more. It just depends. The real story is we did start young. Obviously. There is really more to it though. I met Tim when I was 14 and he was 15. He lived with his grandma. I didn't really know why for about the first 3 months. I didn't even know he had siblings. One day his brother called. I asked who he was talking to and he said his brother. Ummm... I decided that maybe there was something more I needed to know. He went on to tell me that he had one brother and 3 sisters. He then told me about all the pain and sadness he had with his parents and how he moved out to live with his grandma. It was hard. It was sad. It was his reality. Over the next 2 years, I became his family. My family became his family. I absolutely fell in love with him and he with me. One day he asked me to make a family with him. Now, this is a family blog, so there will be no details! He was serious. I felt his need for his own family. I loved him and wanted nothing more than to help heal some part of him. Of course, I was scared. I am a logical person. I always was logical. I was the 5 year old weighing the pros and cons of playing on the monkey bars, etc. I have always analyzed everything. Something would happen when I looked into his eyes. I could push all the logic aside and get lost. I still do that sometimes when I look in his eyes. I jumped and grabbed his hand to see where it would lead us. Before I knew it, we were expecting. This boy of 17 took me to every single doctor's appointment, went to Lamaze, took expectant parent classes at the clinic, and even took a required C-section class. When my labor came, he was right there with me for 36 hours of it. When it was time to go off to the delivery room (yes, back then you went to a sterile delivery room) the nurses weren't going to let him go because he was too young. My mom - who worked at the hospital - about tore the nurses apart. She informed him that he had done EVERYTHING and more than the average older father would do. They let him go and he held my hand. He was there. He has always been there. I know we are unique. I know most stories of high school pregnancies don't end up our way. I knew lots of girls that had babies and none of them stayed together. We have always told Timmy we were not the norm. We have always told him that he shouldn't look to our past and think that makes sense. It probably doesn't make any sense, but God must have had a plan for us. I just can't seem to get a grasp on how quickly it all has gone by. I guess I will just take it all in and be glad that I looked into his eyes and took that leap of faith.

Soccer for Savannah

If you click on these pictures, you should be able to read what the tract says. At least I think it will make it big enough! I hope... who knows... just try it!

Savannah played soccer at a local church this year. This was her second year playing. Last year she somehow got put on the wrong aged team. She did okay, but it was a bit intimidating because they were all really good players with experience. They won just about every game last year. This year... she was put on the right aged team. All of the girls were new to soccer except Savannah and I think one other girl. As you can probably guess, they didn't win many games - okay - they didn't win any games. BUT... BUT... BUT... here's the thing... Savannah had the BEST TIME! She didn't feel intimidated at all and had so much fun. She loved going to every practice and every game. I am so happy she got the chance to do this and I am so pleased that she found out that it was so much more important that she was having fun. Her coach was great with them. There were days I would think he would have wanted to get a little ticked off because they just didn't seem to "get it". He didn't. He was so patient and kind. Anyway, they had their last game and an awards ceremony on Saturday. In the past, they have always gotten a trophy. Timmy used to play basketball there and he got a trophy for that too. This year, they did something different. They gave out a soccer ball - a colored soccer ball. The colors represent Sin, Jesus, Forgiveness, Growth. Tim and I were really pleased with this idea. Not only did we not have another trophy to sit on a shelf, but what a great idea. Savannah was sorta hoping for another trophy! Oh well! She happily took the ball.

My friend, Michelle, and her toilet paper roll...

I have this friend named Michelle. Once a month I go to her house for a scrapbooking night. It is a highlight of my month. It is the only real night that I am sure I will go out without kids each month. I called Michelle way back in December of 2004. I had just had Sebastian and was feeling a little bit of postpartum depression coming on. I kept thinking that I just needed *something* to make me feel a little better. Then it came to me... Michelle had this scrapbooking night. It took me a little while to get the courage to just call her up and INVITE myself, but I finally did it. I have been going ever since. I think I have only missed one month since then. Anyway, Michelle and her hubby have been adding a bathroom to their master bedroom. It is a very nice bathroom. I should have taken a picture of it, but I didn't. Sorry. It is cozy bathroom so there was not a lot of space for the traditional toilet paper holder. They opted for a stand alone one to put under their sink to save on space. She brought it out to show us and insisted this was something I must blog about. See... she found a compromise to the question of which way should the toilet paper hang - over or under? She believes - as do I - that it should hang over. Recently, she knew that she had put the roll on the "correct" over way. She came in on to find it the "wrong" under way. She was like, "Huh, who the heck changed my roll?" AHA! Then she realized that with this free standing pedastal that you can turn it around to go either way. So, whichever way is your "correct" way - just flip it around and you can be happy. Clear as mud, huh? Here are my first pictures with my camera phone. The first is a little blurry... sorry.

A phone for Tigger...

My sister, Leann, (Hi Leann!) got Sebastian this outfit for his birthday. I love this outfit. Not because I love Tigger - though I do. Not because of the color, decoration, etc. Why do I love this outfit? Well... because it FITS! It 100% fits without having to roll it up in the waste or swap out a different size bottoms to go along with the top of a set before we buy it - not that I would ever, ever do that... well maybe occasionally. I don't know how she did it, but I have yet to find anything that fits him that is a set. He is like a 3T on top and about 18 months to 24 months on bottom. He is so skinny that all his pants fall down. I bought him 24 months and 2T bottoms only to find they were a bit too long and droopy. Of course, I lost my receipt. So, I improvise. I roll them over at the waist. This way they don't fall down and they aren't too long. That is why I love his Tigger outfit and I love it because I love Tigger. Who doesn't love Tigger? I got Sebastian a toy cell phone for Christmas. It was really cool for about two days, then it died. I figured I was out of luck since I threw away the package. Then I asked Timmy's friend who works at Target if they would exchange it since I still had the receipt. He told me they would. I really should not disclose that I was at Target 3 nights in a ROW this past week. Yes, two nights I went to fill prescriptions for Tim and last night I went grocery shopping at Super Target. Did I manage to remember to bring the phone in from the car on any of those 3 trips? Of course not! I also managed to forget to buy baby wipes 3 times. Today, after I dropped Savannah off at co-op, I went back to Super Target and exchanged the phone (and bought baby wipes). He had a black one to begin with because I thought he would like it better if it looked more real. They didn't have a black one, so we chose the Tigger looking one. Honestly, I didn't realized he matched until we got home. I really wasn't trying to make my 2 year old BOY be that good at accessorizing that I got him a matching phone. Oh... Leann... woohoo... I wanted to get a picture of him in his outfit to show you how well it fit. He was not in the mood to have his picture taken. I chased him from the living room, to his room, to the garage rec room and finally cornered him in my bathroom. This was the best pictures I could get! Oh and Savannah even posed to try to make him jealous that I was taking her picture and not his. He didn't care today. Tomorrow, of course, when I want to take pictures of her at her Soccer Awards - he will INSIST it is his turn to get his picture taken!

This is my mom...

My mom came by before she went to work today. She brought us all Valentine's gifts. When she walked through the door, I thought she looked so nice in her new outfit. She just had her hair "blonded" as she calls it. I told her how nice she looked, but I didn't think about taking a picture of her till after she left for work. So... I made my sister bring her by after work! My mom thought I was nuts! I don't care! She looked so nice and Valentinish! So, this is my mom. Ummm... her name really isn't mom - it is Lynn or Grandma.

A winter garden...

Tim likes to try to grow veggies and flowers with Savannah. Sometimes they actually succeed at growing something. When it happens the way it is supposed to, Savannah lights up like she and her dad just did the most amazing thing on Earth! Right now they are growing radishes, cucumbers, carrots, corn and tomatoes. I think that is it, but I could be missing something. They use a pond shell - of all things - to grow stuff in. It works pretty well as a container garden. You kinda forget it is February when you live in Florida. If you never watched the news or read the AOL screen, you would have no idea that there has been 10 feet of snow in upstate New York. Here are some pictures of our first radish and the rest of the garden. We have a bunch of stuff piled around it to keep the dog and Sebastian from climbing into it! That is why it was kind of hard to get a good picture! You do what you have to do with pets and toddlers!

Friday Feast

Feast One Hundred & Thirty

Appetizer - Have you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am SICK right this very minute! I have a head cold. It started a few days ago, hit its worst on Wednesday night and seems to be going away today. Thank you GOD! I know exactly where I got it... remember the Chick-Fil-A play place I posted about below. Where I got to make a phone call while my kids played. Everytime we play in a play place we come out sick! I know this because I rarely go into play places or fast food places. Sebastian has been sniffling all week, but hasn't seemed to gotten really sick.

Soup - What colors dominate your closet?

I don't think I have any specific color anymore. When I was a teenager it would have been black. Now, I have lots of colors. My favorite color this past year has been like a lime green! I got two t-shirts this year with that color! It is so happy!

Salad - How would you describe your personal "comfort zone"?

Routine, routine, routine. No change! I like things to be neat and in line. Checked off on a list. Organized! Unfortunately, my life it not looking like it will be going that way for quite sometime. I will be way OUTSIDE my comfort zone for awhile.

Main Course - On which reality show would you really like to be a contestant?

I honestly can't think of one. See above for my comfort zone reply. That would mean I don't like risk, adventure, eating bugs, etc. I would be a huge wimp with anything remotely athletic or scary. Martha Stewart had that one Appretice show... I liked watching everyone trying to outcook, outdecorate, etc. I just don't think I happen to have great skills in any of those areas. I guess I am just meant to watch reality shows - not participate.

Dessert - Which holiday would you consider to be your favorite?

Christmas! I love almost everything about it! Halloween is second. I love dressing my kids up and taking them trick-or-treating.

High School Musical or Thriller

I saved High School Musical to our dvr a few weeks back. Lots of kids we know are absolutely in love with this movie. Then I read another hs mom's review of it and she said it was pretty cute. Savannah loves to watch movies with us and I gotta say that we actually like a lot of the Disney Channel movies. Last night, I finally sat down and watched the movie. It was very cute. Not the best picture of the year, but cute. It reminded me of a cleaned up current version of Grease. I loved Grease when I was a kid. We had the whole 2 album set with picture cover. We would sing and dance in front of this wall that had tiled mirrors all over it. I gotta say that when we got to the end of High School Musical and they did the "We're All In This Together" dance routine - it reminded me of the end of Michael Jackson's Thriller video. I was telling Savannah as if she had any clue who Michael Jackson or Thriller was. Not a single clue! Thanks to the wonder of You Tube - we can bring both dance routines together. Okay, they are not EXACTLY alike, but you gotta admit there is something similar! Or maybe it is my brain turning to mush again!

"We're All In This Together" Video from High School Musical




End of "Thriller" video by Michael Jackson

Something my mom has taught me...

My mom has taught me so many things in my almost 35 years. Most are just very simple things that I use everyday. Today, I used one of the lessons my mom taught me. I have a nice neighbor named Bev that lives across the street. She and her husband moved in about 3 1/2 or 4 years ago. When I saw that particular house go up for sale, I LITERALLY prayed a homeschool family would move it. Okay, more specifically - a homeschool family with a little girl Savannah's age. I told my sister-in-law, Debi, that I was praying for that and she laughed at me. I was so serious. As it turned out, it was Bev and her husband. Their children were all grown up. I didn't really meet Bev until we both happened to end up at our other neighbor's Home Interiors Party. I had been wanting to go over and introduce myself, but I felt nervous about that. Debi had told me how to make this really nice soap dispenser and add a handtowel - perfect housewarming gift. I didn't do it though. Too shy, I guess. So, anyway, we were finally introduced ourselves at this home party. The first thing she asked me was, "Are you the one that homeschools?" I was a little surprised she knew that about me. I told her yes, that was me. She went on to tell me that she homeschooled her kids at various stages and that her daughter homeschools now. Wow! How interesting! I later learned that her daughter lived in another part of Florida and had 2 girls around Savannah's age. Even more interesting. Over the next few years, we would talk on and off. Nothing very regular. You know - maybe if we both were at the mailbox or getting the paper. We would stop and chat for a little bit. When her daughter would come to visit, our girls would play together. All in all, a very nice friendship, but nothing really, really close. One day around this past Christmas, we met outside by our mailboxes. We went though the "How was your Christmas? Anything new?" routine. I told her about my job and our decision to move. She was genuinely sad to hear we would be leaving. Then she told me that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would be having a mastectomy in January. When she told me, I just felt myself go numb and I felt tears coming. You know I don't wish cancer on anyone, but it struck me at how much this hurt me. It was like a very dear friend was telling me, not the casual friendship of meeting at the mailbox. I told her that I had chosen Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" to focus on to get us through this change in our lives. Then I told her that if she needed anything to just let me know. I gave her a hug and we went back to our houses. I had picked out a cross for my wall that had my verse on it and my mom bought it for me for Christmas. I decided I had to get her one. I took it over to her the next day and she almost cried. I was so glad I took the time to do something for her. She had her surgery and I saw all of her family coming and going. I didn't want to intrude. I asked my other neighbor if she had heard anything. Nothing. Then her daughter came to stay with her. She came over with her girls and asked if they could play. Of course they could stay over and play. Finally, there was something I could do to help. I got out beads and they made necklaces one day. The next day, they shaped and modeled clay. I was glad to help. I asked her how she was doing and she said it had been a rough surgery and she was pretty tired. Her daughter went back home yesterday. I decided to make some chili and take it over to her. My mom had made some homemade chicken soup for me to take too. Again, I was nervous to go over and knock on the door. Maybe she was sleeping or didn't want company. Maybe she hates chili! I didn't know. When she opened the door, she was so happy. I instantly knew that I had done the right thing. I am NOT, NOT, NOT trying to pat myself on the back. Please know that is not my intent. My intent is to share my story in case somebody else is out there that is nervous about reaching out to somebody else and helping in whatever way they can. This is where the lessons from my mom come in. My mom taught me to find whatever your gift is and use it to be kind to other people. My mom has always been a caregiver. She cared for her family, worked on hospital floors, in the Emergency Room, nursing homes, caring for an Alzheimer's patient and taking care of my dad when he was so sick. She had that gift. I don't really have the caregiver gift in the way that she has it. She can deal with a lot more illness and medical stuff than I ever could. I can cook. I am not a gourmet chef by any means, but I do make a pretty good pot of chili. I can make awesome brownies too. I can put them in a dish and take them across the street. I can keep giggly girls busy with beads and clay for hours while their mom helps their grandma to feel better. My mom taught me that. I ended up going in and visiting with Bev for a good hour. I felt a little nervous being in her home, but you know what she told me? She told me that she "so appreciated me" and would miss me when I moved. I knew I had done the right thing even if it was a little out of my comfort zone. If you know somebody that is having some sort of trouble and there is anything you can do - no matter how small - just do it. It is so worth it. And pray! I have been praying for Bev since I heard. It looks very good for her, but she still has to do a round of chemo just to be sure.

Max and Ruby... Ruby and Max

Have you seen Max and Ruby or as the song goes - Ruby and Max? It is a show on Noggin or Nick Jr. It is about a big sister bunny and a little brother bunny. My kids started watching it about a year ago, I guess. I was laying in bed last night thinking about - you guessed it - Ruby and Max. Why? I guess because it is easy to think about. Not stressful or hard to think about. I was wondering how old Ruby and Max were supposed to be. They remind me of Savannah and Sebastian. I was teasing Savannah last week because they don't seem to have any parents just like the Charlie Brown gang. Today on our way to the soccer game, I told Tim about how I was thinking about Max and Ruby last night. Yes, I do seem to tell Tim about every single thing that pops into my head. I really do talk A LOT! He didn't know who Max and Ruby were. That got me to thinking that lots of people probably don't know who they are. I also have to admit that this past week I had to stop and ponder my new official "stay-at-home-mom" status. You see there was this morning last week when Sebastian and I were watching Max and Ruby. Savannah was busy doing something that I can't remember at the moment. In this particular episode Ruby wanted to take a bus to her friend's. The bus stops outside their house, but they need to be waiting for it. Max (in his stubborn toddler way) does NOT want to quit playing with his toys to go. They miss the bus and Ruby comes in to look at the schedule on the fridge to see when the next bus is coming. She finds it will come in exactly one minute. She packs up Max's toys to take with and tries to get him to take the bus. He won't go. He just as quickly gets other toys out and they miss the bus. It all repeats again. Savannah comes in to get me to do something for her (again, I don't know what now). I actually told her that I HAD to see if Max and Ruby got on the bus! Me - a 34 year old mom - had to see if a cartoon got on a bus! This makes me wonder a bit about myself! Sebastian was quite sure he wanted to know if they got on the bus too. Of course he is 2 and the show is aimed for him! I don't want to leave you hanging - they did NOT get on the bus, but their friend arrived on the last bus because she was tired of waiting for them. You know I am certain that there is no place I would rather be that sitting on the floor with Sebastian watching Max and Ruby, but I do have to wonder if my mind is going to mush! And since I was pondering the question of just how old Max and Ruby are, I went to the Nick Jr website and found out. Here are the answers directly from the creator.

• Q: Would you describe for us the relationship between Max and Ruby? How does it work?A: Ruby is seven and Max is three. Their relationship is based on my two kids when they were seven and three. Even though they love each other, Max and Ruby have very different ideas about everything. Max is mischievous and disorganized. Ruby is bossy, determined, and very organized. In each story Max wants one thing and Ruby wants something entirely different. As in most other classic stories, we don't see Max and Ruby's parents, because I believe that kids resolve their issues and conflicts differently when they are on their own. The television series gives kids a sense about how these two siblings resolve their conflicts in a humorous and entertaining way.

That explains why Ruby (a year younger than Savannah) and Max (a year older than Sebastian) remind me of my kids. Savannah - could she be "bossy, determined, and very organized"? Quite a bit of the time! Sebastian - could he be "mischievous and disorganized"? Absolutely! What about Savannah wanting one thing and Sebastian wanting another thing? Yep, perfect description! I guess that is why I find the humor in the show! (Or my brain has just turned to mush!)

Whew! What a temper!

In case anyone was wondering what I am been busy doing... this is exhibit A on my list of things that keep me very busy. I cannot exactly recall what led to this particular "terrible two" tantrum, but I can assure you it was a doozy! And then he acts as if I was the one that put his arm in his shirt that way! The nerve! I don't have a picture, but he also has been known to take his pants off during a good tantrum. Anyone know why? That was a new one for me! He sure didn't like momma laughing and running to get the camera. Do you think he will end up in therapy because I did that? Can you hear him now? "My mom was the wicked and evil person that ran to get her camera during my meltdowns!" Good thing he is such a cutie!