Wava the Wafflemaker did her job very well, again, yesterday morning!  I LOVE this wafflemaker.  This is the one I purchased from E-Bay.  I haven’t had breakfast yet and this is looking pretty yummy this morning!

Oops – bad news:
I just got off of the phone with Jesse, who left only 15 minutes ago to mow.  He said he was coming back home because he got to a homeowner’s house and found that last night someone had stolen an edger and weed eater off of his trailer.  He keeps things locked up with a metal lock and I asked how they got it unlocked.  He said they broke the lock.  He has more of the same equipment in our garage.  The two things that were stolen total about $350.00, and we have no money to replace the stolen items.  This also means he will have to unload his trailer every night he comes home to be sure it doesn’t happen again.  ESPECIALLY TONIGHT.  Thankfully, the lawn season is almost over.  He just arrived and told me someone sawed through the lock’s metal bars.  Doesn’t sound like prank children, but more like adults that needed some equipment; or, someone who needed something that can be pawned this morning for money.  Jesse doesn’t want to call the police – doesn’t want to mess with it.

I started a class last night.  Both Jesse and I should really be attending it, but we have no one to watch our children.  AND, it gives me a brief few hours a week to be with adults only.  The class follows a book and video called, “Growing Kids God’s Way” by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo.  Has anyone heard of them or the book?  We had an introductory video, only, because there are others who want to be a part of the group but couldn’t come last night.  I think one other couple has a babysitting problem (like us) and the wife will be the only one in attendance (like me).  I got a chance to get to know 2 more people in the church (very nice people, Laura & Ken) and spend some time with my friends Glenn & Reba, whom I always enjoy!  The video’s introduction talked about teaching the child’s heart so they develop a conscious for God.  EXACTLY what I have been pondering lately.

Dinner, last night, turned into fish sticks, macaroni & cheese, and black peppered peas.  I forgot about the class when I pulled meat from the freezer.  AND, I busied myself all afternoon, after teaching, with planning lessons up through Monday & Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.  Yay, Cherylyn!  I even got the Greek & Latin recipe cards edged in green (for Greek) and red (for Rome or Latin) and picked the word roots and wrote what was necessary on the front and back of the cards (times 4) for the next three lessons.  That’s part of our Saturday school.  I also planned and made copies of the Bible hand outs I will need.  Dinner became rushed, but I’m SO GLAD I accomplished my lesson planning.

Today, I don’t have many groceries to buy, so I’ll (hopefully) be home at a decent hour and can cook last night’s “supposed to be” menu.  Meatloaf (made with ground turkey & ground beef), potatoes, and broccoli.  JanaLyn will arrive later than usual tonight because her mother is taking her trick or treating.  We won’t even turn our porch light on to discourage children from coming to our house, as we don’t participate.

For years I’ve had a beautiful and favorite site to visit to look at photos.  I use this site’s pictures for my computer’s wallpaper.  They are by Bill Coleman and I love all of his work.  You should visit his site to see for yourself.

Since LauraLH has chosen to live vicariously through my seasonal pictures, I couldn’t help but giggle at Bill Coleman’s tree compared to the tree in my own front yard. 

Laurie, I hope you get a laugh as you compare “his” and ‘hers”!!!!

Bill Coleman’s tree (isn’t it gorgeous?) –
 

Not exactly very fall-ish or impressive, is it?  LOL!!!!  I’ll keep you posted, Laurie, on our tree’s progress!

To Do List for Today:
*  Get summer clothes up into the attic
*  MAYBE get winter clothes down
*  Teach quickie lessons in school (mainly tests)
*  Girls’ therapy appointment
*  NO LAUNDRY (I can’t believe it, either!)
*  Mail some cards & check P.O. Box
*  Pick up prescriptions at Wal-Mart while I do a little shopping (don’t need much this week)
*  Stop at other pharmacy to pick up other prescriptions
*  Make a better dinner than I did last night
*  Wait for JanaLyn to arrive

That should be enough to keep me happy!

Be blessed  ~

How much did I complete on my “To Do” list yesterday?  If it’s in red, it was finished!

Well, well, well . . . what happened halfway through that list?????

Bills:  I wasn’t exactly idle.  I paid bills and had some problems, so many
phone calls were made.  You know how long those take.  “For English,
push 1.  For Spanish, push 2.  Please enter your account number
INCLUDING the dash and final number.  Please enter your age and dress size!”  LOL!!!!  And, so it goes.  I find myself
punching “0″ and getting the response, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t recognize
that number.  Please try again!”  Or, with the voice response machines YELLING, “Customer
Service!” while carefully pronouncing every syllable.  So, paying the bills took
me 2 hours.  Yes, TWO HOURS!!!

Other Calls: Then I spoke with our banker.  I decided a call was easier than
dragging the girls and I to his office to ask the same questions.  He
said we look like we’re in a very good position, regarding the
declining economy.  We talked about the possibility of Jesse opening up
another pawn shop.  He gave good advice there.  He also said he thought
the mortgage rates (interest) would come down more AND the prime rate
would decrease with it.

The caseworker called again yesterday and asked if I had ever heard anything about our home study.  I told him I hadn’t heard a word.  He made several calls to me (of course, WHILE I was paying bills, then again WHILE I was eating lunch, and, finally, WHILE I was teaching!) and said his supervisor would start making calls today to get things moving.  He said she was upset that it had taken this long.  Sooooo, we’ll see!

The Turkey:  I’ll get creative later on, when my brain is awake, and use some of
that ground turkey for dinner tonight and package the rest of it up for
the freezer.  Soon, it truly WILL be too late to freeze.  Then, I’ll have to make a 6 pound turkey meat loaf!!!

Master Bathroom:  Rissy did the girls bathroom and I “may” ask her
to clean ours today. 

Chore Charts:  I’ve seriously thought about work charts for the
girls, but I’m not so sure it’s necessary with the way our family
runs.  We clean when things need to be cleaned.  And, everyone pitches in
at the same time.  Sweeping tile floors, cleaning litter boxes, dishwasher
emptying, trash emptying, and bathroom clean-ups are pretty much a specific person’s job
and those same people are responsible for their own rooms.  The
Pine-Sol’ing of the tile floors, dusting, vacuuming, and glass cleaning
jobs are up for grabs.  We trade off between those jobs.  Although Luci
hits more furniture than she does pick up carpet dirt when she vacuums!  

*My* biggest jobs are teaching & lesson planning, cooking, doing dishes, dusting the high places (pictures and door frames, as well as using glass cleaner on the tall mirrors), laundry, dealing with bills and business calls.  I’m also the one to do those huge projects that occasionally come along . . . like changing clothing from summer to winter clothing.  Since it’s pretty much delineated in everyone’s minds, a chore chart doesn’t seem necessary.

Speaking of my children, I found two more pictures (not sure how I missed them) to show-off our family.  They were of the girls.

Picture #1

BTW, the caseworker was very pleased with the pictures I sent yesterday.  Maybe when he showed them to his supervisor and explained, these were former foster children we had adopted, that helped to light a spark under her.  Who knows?

We’re doing well in school, keeping caught up.  I didn’t hold school Saturday – the girls were too hyper!  I told them Saturday would be a play day.  They actually asked me, “What does that mean?  What are we supposed to do?”

LOL!! (rolling eyes)

I told them “Just be children!”  So, they went outside and got dirty and stinky!!!

There’s a lot I don’t know.  Except . . . my girls love school and, for that, I’m grateful.

I took these this morning.

This is Rissy, teaching Luci to write different words.  Rissy the “boss” is always leading the others!

Be blessed ~

Jesse is mowing today.  This week and next will be the times he cuts lawns for the last go round this season.  Maybe he’ll get some calls for leaf clean-up jobs – we’ll have to see.  There are no prospects of any income that amounts to anything this winter.  A little difficult to contemplate.  But, we were in a similar position this time last year. 

Last year, I was still visiting a “new” doctor through December while I tried to recover from my bout with pneumonia.  If you had told me last November 1st I would feel so good this same time a year later, I wouldn’t have believed you.  I was sure I had something fatal that everyone was missing when examining me; and, we had no money for me to see a specialist.  Glad I was wrong! 

Last year, we had the added expense of Luci being in daycare ($400/month out of pocket expense) and a friend we paid to clean our home (since I couldn’t be around chemicals).  Instead of those expenses, we have a new truck payment that equals the same amount!  We’re not going to look at the circumstances this month, but the fact God has, and will again, always provided for us.

Still no word from anyone wanting to set up an appointment to do our home study.  Our caseworker called last Wednesday afternoon while I was teaching school.  He asked, “Has anyone called you yet?”  My reply, “Nope.”  His remark, “Well I’m getting ready to call them right now!”  And that’s the last I’ve heard from anyone! 

Besides teaching, I have quite a list of “To Do” things today.

*  Transfer money into our personal account from the business account
*  Pay bills (there goes that deposit into our personal account!)
*  Empty the dishwasher (Annamarie’s job) and fill it with dirty dishes in the sink
*  Divide the ground turkey I bought on Friday before it rots
*  Laundry – not sure whose, but *someone* has something to be washed – that’s a “given”
*  Get those warm clothes down from the attic
*  Call PetSmart and order another case of Chirper’s food
*  Clean the master bathroom

I’m sure there are other things, but that’s what I have written down so I don’t forget.  My poor mind, these days!

I didn’t feel well yesterday.  Kind of nauseated.  Felt not so great Saturday, too, now that I think about it.  I found time to read in my book yesterday afternoon and (gasp!) fell asleep again for a couple of hours!  This is becoming a habit – one that I like!  We had leftovers after church (ham casserole was fought over!!!) and I wasn’t hungry last night, nor was I up to fixing a roast leg of lamb.  The rest of the family decided on popcorn and, though I was in our bedroom, the smelled found it’s way to the back of the house and made my stomach feel less than settled.  I had some vanilla Activa yogurt I had bought for the cats (who refused to eat it), and an apple for my dinner.  I ate in the bedroom.  I had to force the small carton of yogurt and small green apple down.  After my 2 hour nap, I was afraid I wouldn’t fall asleep at night; but, I picked up my book, read a chapter and a half and was out like a light. 

I don’t think the book is my reason for feeling sleepy, it’s a book I’m finding very enjoyable.  Maybe reading IN BED is my problem.  Or, maybe the fact I never slow down.  When I do (to read) I crash.  Who knows?

So, dinner tonight is leg of lamb and some other stuff I haven’t thought about yet!!

This is one Rissy took while sitting down.  I’m not sure we’ll submit it as her low position and my sitting on the arm of the sofa makes me look like “Gargantu-momma”!!!!

We were waiting for Rissy to take the picture and tell us to smile and  he looked a little . . . um . .  . intimidating!  He’s such a friendly and nice person but absolutely DETESTS having his picture taken!  He panics and ends up looking a little gruff.

So, what do you think? 

Do we look friendly or scary?

Please visit her website and wish Nikki a happy birthday!

We pray you have a wonderful and enjoyable day celebrating your special day and that God touches your life and fills it with blessings for the next year!

We ended up using the
fireplace for the first time this season.  I started a fire around 4pm as temperatures outside were beginning to drop.  My friend, Tangi, laughed and said she had her
windows open.  She must have been dressed more warmly than we were dressed.  Everyone here was dressed to cover their flesh and even the
pets were huddled up in blankets.  But, remember, the fall/winter clothes are still up in the attic!  We’re all happy for our electric blankets, that’s for sure! 
And, Chirper sleeps UNDER my electric blanket with me!  Just purrs and
purrs and stretches over and over again, rolling from side to side all night long.  It
must warm him to the bone!!! 

I baked a cake during the afternoon to help boost the warmth in the
front of the house, which is where we stayed most of the day.  Luci wasn’t in a very good mood
and missed the school classes held AFTER lunch.  No big deal.  She can
learn about Wyoming in another book and at another time!  Her taking a nap was more
important – trust me!  We did history and Bible and then called it quits.

I was surprised that yesterday afternoon our new school books arrived.  I ordered them less than a week ago!  The girls were so excited!  So was I.  I
guess it’s always refreshing to get something new.  We are very close
to finishing 4 text books and what I ordered was science, health, and history.  The “Community Helpers” book we’ve used for two years isn’t offered in the higher grades.

I sat in front of the fire going through the box of new books.  Just Stormy,  me,  and the fire!

I did that this morning when we first woke up.  I was amazed at how many words she knew.  She has trouble remembering some of the same words I remember giving me trouble, when I was learning to read/spell.  Like:  how and who.  That large stack on the far left is actually TWO sets of words because the backsides also contain words – sometimes two words together.  I’m impressed and not sure where she picked up such a vocabulary for reading – it certainly hasn’t been taught to her in school by me!  She’s not as good at phonics as Annamarie.  Annmarie can sound out a word, but still can’t grasp what she is really saying.  She’s so very close to reading – it makes me itch!

Rissy has been reading textbooks (stories) at night and has made it to the second set in the series.  I believe those books may go with these flash cards and that’s how she’s learned the words.  I’m not sure if there is a list of how many words a child of 7 is supposed to know – but she knows more than I ever guessed.  She stumbles on a few words and some of those words are person’s names, like:  Levi and Rachel.  I don’t expect her to know names, not yet.

Then again, it could have been the smell of the ham casserole cooking in the oven.  Where there’s food, there’s Sampson!

Guess I should move from typing to getting myself ready to go this afternoon. 

We only have a few tests to give in school today – not our biggest school day.  I’m thankful that we accomplished so much in such a short amount of time this week.  The girls hung in there through those grueling catch-up days and long hours of schooling!

Be blessed  ~

                                                           “Thirteen Things
                                                      About Our Wednesday”

but, I extend my apologies to the “real” Thursday Thirteen people who created a format.

1.  Jesse worked all day Wednesday hauling firewood home and then unloaded it and chopped/sawed some pieces into a size that will fit in our itsy bitsy fireplace.  Quite an impressive amount for one day!

7.   I think I overworked Luci.  She bent over from her chair and just hung there.  Maybe she was hoping the blood would rush back into her brain, so she could think more clearly! (???)

8.  Annamarie and Rissy taking a break.  Notice Rissy’s poor teeth?  4 missing and 1 growing in sideways!!!  Annamarie’s grew in even more crooked;, but, as you can see, they straightened out by the time they all arrived.

“M-I-S-S”

So that, my friends, was my yesterday!