I quit!

Gone is my Christian *peace* and *joy* and mild mannered, gentle speaking voice.

I'm on the verge of screaming at and physically thrashing three young girls.

I know it's the end of the school year.

I know everyone is impatient and wants to be finished with school YESTERDAY.

But the law says my children have to be educated.  If not in a public school, they should be educated at home.

They don't listen to me.

I've repeated myself (this morning alone) about 92 million times and they still look at me with blank stares.

Worse than the stares - the crying and meltdowns.

I think *they* think, if they cry enough and complain, they won't have to do their school work.  They won't have to learn ANYTHING, in fact.

After explaining the NEXT task, I threw my pen and books down in frustration when one child said, "Wait a minute, Mommy, I did this all wrong."

The story of my day.  Their paragraphs in their history book are no more than 5 sentences.  Two minutes after reading, they have forgotten everything they were just taught - by me.

"The blacksmith also pulled teeth with a pincer."

I'd think that would be a sentence a child would remember.  How horrifying!  But let me ask you, how does "The blacksmith also pulled teeth with a pincer" translate into

"The blacksmith made furniture," ??????

Every subject, every minute of this day (and it hasn't been the greatest week, either) has been accompanied with crying, whining, and wails of "This is just too haaaaaaaard!"

I run this school.

I say when it's time to quit. 

*I* quit!

I'm getting an early start on my weekend.  I'm making a simple dinner that can be thrown together quickly and still look appetizing.

I'm going to go to the bed, lie down with my cat, and try to finish the book I've been reading, and then start on another one.

It's all about me.

Nanny!  Nanny!  Boo whooooo!

There now!

I feel ALL kinds of better!

Be Blessed ~

My desk proves it!

I barely have room for my breakfast fruit and my cup of coffee!

I have a list of things to do before I leave the house, too. 

Once I complete my list, many of the things surrounding my desk will be gone.

I have books to mail, a pair of Jesse's shoes to return by mail, and some invoices, for Jesse, need to go out.

Of course, I have to *prepare* those invoices first!

Jesse also asked that I stop by the bank for some cash. 

I promised Stephanie I would take her to lunch while the little girls are in their appointment. 

Then there is the weekly basic groceries to pick up . . .

The new school books for this summer and next fall are beginning to arrive - covering MORE of my desk!

I definitely feel covered up!

SO WHY AM I SITTING HERE INSTEAD OF WORKING?  (lazy morning???!!!!)

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be Blessed  ~

Yesterday, we found furniture for the den!!!!!  You can click

It's chocolate brown with pillows in tans, golds, browns, and a bit of red.  PERFECT for the new gold walls in the den!  All we have to decide, now, is decide if we want a sofa and love seat, or two sofas.  This set is smaller than our current furniture, but, because of an ill placed floor vent, we aren't sure a second sofa will fit in the den.  I have a very ODD shaped den.

We are getting two pieces for less than I thought possible.  We prayed first.  Jesse wanted to spend $xxxxx and no more.  He asked God to show me something in that price range, but he didn't tell me about his prayer.  Afterward, he said he was sure we'd found the right one, and *then* he told me how he had prayed

They are going to scotch guard it, AND it has a 5 year protection plan if it rips, gets punctured, if you spill liquid on it, etc.  I asked, "Basically if you do something dumb, they'll fix it?"  The sales clerk said, "Yes!".

Jesse brought up the fact that our current set is almost 7 years old and none of those things has happened to any of it, but we bought the "insurance" anyway (since the furniture was priced so reasonably).

I feel settled.  I'll be able to start enjoying my den again.  Right now, the sofa cushions pull on my back and I can't sit there very long.

We looked at new mattress sets.  We haven't been happy with our last 3 beds!  The one that looked the most promising was $1000.  We are a  bit gun shy of buying something that feels okay at first, and then doesn't feel so great a month later.  It could be that we are just too old and sleeping will never be like it was when we were younger!!!  Old bones and all . . . . LOL

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Today's chores are Rissy's and Annamarie's bed linens.  Rissy was quick to strip her bed, but I don't hear the washing machine running!! 

The chores and Chore Pack system are still rocking right along smoothly.  I'm pleased.  No more nagging or anyone saying, "I always get that job," or "it's not my turn" - it's clearly written down, and "the cards don't lie!"  LOL

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Last night, I didn't fall asleep until after 1am.  The girls were great this morning, they closed my door and remained quiet.  I woke up a little after 9am.  I'm not sure when the girls woke up.

Most likely, the reason the bed is unmade and the washing machine is silent it because Rissy is still trying to wake up!

She definitely has a bedhead this morning!

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I told the girls to remind me this morning to make orange rolls & cinnamon buns for breakfast. 

I didn't need a reminder. 

*I* woke up craving something sweet! 

And, they are almost ready to come out of the oven!

I hear some breakfast buns calling my name! 

Be Blessed ~

Well, let me tell you.

                      
                                               Chirper enjoyed the sketches, too!

I became interested in pencil drawings of portraits, when I was in the first year of high school.  Waaaaaaay back when!

I sat next to a friend in my English class who sketched (so easily) portraits of faces.  I quickly became consumed with a passion for portrait sketching.

I mainly drew them in high school, but after moving to Oklahoma (and bringing my art supplies with me) I did a few more, when I was a little older.  Then, the high powered job came, and after that - the new babies, and the drawing stopped.

Most of my "models" were from magazines.  The cosmetic ads were the best because of the glamorous make up and the interesting depth the make up gave the model's eyes.  That was in the days of B-I-G hair, which was also fun to draw.

That said, I recently came across my bent up and ripped art work, when we moved the bedroom furniture so the painter could paint.  There is was . . . under the bed. 

I carried it to the formal living room sofa with all of the books from my bedroom shelves.  The mess sat there for almost a week. 

The girls looked through it a bit and said, "Oh Momma, this is really good!"  But, coming from a child, I didn't pay much attention to the flattery.

The painter noticed the drawings and was very complimentary, not believing I'd never had lessons.

                          
                                 Actor Robert Wagner - the man I had a crush on for 30 years!!!

After putting the furniture back, I figured I needed to find a better way to store my ancient drawings.  So, all of them have been sitting on top of my dresser, waiting for me to create a safer place for them. 

This weekend, friend (Margaret) and her daughter (Shannon) stopped by to pick up some books I was giving Shannon.  While showing Margaret the newly painted rooms, she noticed the artwork on the dresser and asked if it was mine.

                  
                                                                         I Dream of Genie
                                                                           Barbara Eden 

She told me Shannon's artwork had placed 5th out of hundreds of entries. 

I explained I never had art lessons and my confidence level would keep me from ever being competitive. 

The artsy things I create, I do for enjoyment - not for competition.

                     
                                       My mother's portrait of my cousin, Claire.
                                The cousin Rissy's is named after - Marissa Claire.

I was always very relaxed when I sketched, even though I bent over the paper for hours and hours. 

My Mom helped me a bit.  She *had* taken art lessons.

And, my friend in high school, Janell, also helped me a bit. 

However, most of my learning was by trial and error.

                                      
                                                                 My friend from high school, Janell.

I looked at the art again, this morning, and can't believe I did the work I did when I was younger. 

I'm not sure I could come close to making a portrait come to life, if I were paid millions of dollars to do it today. 

Who knows maybe I could.

       
                                Davey Jones from the music rock group, The Monkees

Be Blessed  ~