I just love winter in Houston. Guess what the temperature is right now. Go on, guess.
...
Nah, you'll never guess. It is 74 degrees!! The sun is shining. It has been like this all week. I love it. I absolutely, positively love it. Sure, it's December 29th. Sure, it should be cold. But it's not. And I'm thrilled. We're working in the yard. The kids are playing on the swingset. We are wearing shorts. I love, love, love Houston in the winter.
It may be 30 degrees next week, and I will survive, because I know another warm spell will be just around the corner.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
March of the Penguins
Have you seen the movie "March of the Penguins" yet? If you haven't, and you are a parent, you need to see it. Any sacrifices you have made for your children will suddenly seem insignifigant. Goodness! Going four months without food in order to protect your offspring? Walking for a week to get to a food source? I don't even like going to the grocery store that's five minutes from my home. And I get to travel in a cozy car. I'm just pitiful.
After watching the movie Christmas Eve, I told Griff, "You are a great father, but those penguins have you completely beat." His response? "Right back at ya'!" (well, not exactly, but close enough)
After watching the movie Christmas Eve, I told Griff, "You are a great father, but those penguins have you completely beat." His response? "Right back at ya'!" (well, not exactly, but close enough)
Friday, December 23, 2005
It's All About Me
I was tagged by sprittibee months ago, but I'm just now getting around to doing this.
Things I want to do before I die:
1. Go to Europe
2. Live next door to my best friend Linda
3. See my children happily married
4. Get down to a size 8 again and STAY THERE
Things I can do:
1. Sing the bass part of four-part harmony
2. Make great birthday cakes for my kids
Things I cannot do:
1. Cure my sister's MS
2. Keep my house clean (I'm trying!)
3. Figure out what to get my husband for Christmas
Things that attract me to my husband:
1. His beard
2. His cheesy grin
3. His strong work ethic
4. His love for our children
5. His strong feeling of right, wrong, and absolutes
Celebrity crushes I've had in the past:
1. Tom Selleck
2. Sean Cassidy
Thelast thing I was supposed to do was tag others to do this, but there's noone I know well enough in blog-land to call on for that.
Things I want to do before I die:
1. Go to Europe
2. Live next door to my best friend Linda
3. See my children happily married
4. Get down to a size 8 again and STAY THERE
Things I can do:
1. Sing the bass part of four-part harmony
2. Make great birthday cakes for my kids
Things I cannot do:
1. Cure my sister's MS
2. Keep my house clean (I'm trying!)
3. Figure out what to get my husband for Christmas
Things that attract me to my husband:
1. His beard
2. His cheesy grin
3. His strong work ethic
4. His love for our children
5. His strong feeling of right, wrong, and absolutes
Celebrity crushes I've had in the past:
1. Tom Selleck
2. Sean Cassidy
Thelast thing I was supposed to do was tag others to do this, but there's noone I know well enough in blog-land to call on for that.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Okay, I Feel Better.
As of yesterday, I had bought 2 Christmas gifts. Two! And neither one was for my children. I was actually beginning to get a little panicky about not being able to find what they wanted. So, I decided today would have to be the day.
I went to Wal-mart, Target, and Toys R Us. I found their "big" gift item and a couple of other things on their lists. Even though there are other things I still want to get for them, I feel that even if I don't get any more shopping done, we're okay.
Whew!
...
Oh, wait. I forgot about stocking stuffers. Dang.
I went to Wal-mart, Target, and Toys R Us. I found their "big" gift item and a couple of other things on their lists. Even though there are other things I still want to get for them, I feel that even if I don't get any more shopping done, we're okay.
Whew!
...
Oh, wait. I forgot about stocking stuffers. Dang.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
A New Chapter in Our Lives
Life is ever-changing. Just when you think you are settled, it has a habit of throwing a wrench in the works. We are in the middle of a mjaor "wrenching".
With two children in a private school, we have been falling further and further behind financially. Our heads are above water, but only with the help of the Mastercard, which has a balance higher than it's been in years. Neither of us are comfortable with that, but we have not seen a way to cut many more expenses. We had begun talking of me returning to work, hopefully at the very school our children attend. This is not something I want, but we also do not want to put our children in public school, so it seemd our only option. I did bring up homeschooling, but Griff was opposed.
About a week before Thanksgiving, I decided what I needed was God's input. (I know. I'm a little late to the game.) So, I prayed that God would show us what to do. Should I get a job? If so, help me find one that is family friendly. And, oh, by the way, could you make the answer really obvious? (I do so love obvious answers from God!)
Three days later, I received my answer. Well, okay, it was actually a letter from the school. They were requesting a meeting to discuss Robert's future at the school. I did not have a good feeling about this, but I did try to be optimistic. And what a waste of optimism it was. I figured that with school registration for next year starting in January, we were going to be told that our son would not be allowed to return. THAT was optimistic. They actually, basically, gave us 2 weeks to find a new school because he would not be allowed to return in January. I felt that I had been kicked in the stomach. It was terrible. Words cannot express the feelings we went through during and after that meeting. The one thing that has given me peace is that prayer I prayed a couple of weeks before. I know that leaving this school is God's will for our family.
So, Griff and I started discussing our options:
1) another Christian private school - well, we already know they won't take him
2) a special school for high functioning autistic children - at triple the current tuition rate, we just cannot afford it
3) public school - the mere idea of the bullies that he would encounter is enough to knock this off the list
4) homeschooling - what I've wanted for awhile now
Griff realized our best option at this point is home schooling. I, of course, am thrilled. Well, yes, but also scared to death. What a huge responsibility! But I am ready for the task before me. Then, Griff mentions he wants me to homeschool Ruth, as well.
Wait a minute! Back up the train! Homeschool 2 children at one time? But I've never done this before! How can I possibly...
But, we are a family. We do things together. We stand united. So, that means, if Robert is homeschooled, so is Ruth. So, Robert will be coming home for school after Christmas. I am going to take a month to get him used to it, then bring Ruth home at the end of January.
Please pray for all of us during this time of adjustment. We need all the prayers we can get. Do be careful, though, about asking for obvious answers. God does give them at times, and they are not usually what you are expecting.
With two children in a private school, we have been falling further and further behind financially. Our heads are above water, but only with the help of the Mastercard, which has a balance higher than it's been in years. Neither of us are comfortable with that, but we have not seen a way to cut many more expenses. We had begun talking of me returning to work, hopefully at the very school our children attend. This is not something I want, but we also do not want to put our children in public school, so it seemd our only option. I did bring up homeschooling, but Griff was opposed.
About a week before Thanksgiving, I decided what I needed was God's input. (I know. I'm a little late to the game.) So, I prayed that God would show us what to do. Should I get a job? If so, help me find one that is family friendly. And, oh, by the way, could you make the answer really obvious? (I do so love obvious answers from God!)
Three days later, I received my answer. Well, okay, it was actually a letter from the school. They were requesting a meeting to discuss Robert's future at the school. I did not have a good feeling about this, but I did try to be optimistic. And what a waste of optimism it was. I figured that with school registration for next year starting in January, we were going to be told that our son would not be allowed to return. THAT was optimistic. They actually, basically, gave us 2 weeks to find a new school because he would not be allowed to return in January. I felt that I had been kicked in the stomach. It was terrible. Words cannot express the feelings we went through during and after that meeting. The one thing that has given me peace is that prayer I prayed a couple of weeks before. I know that leaving this school is God's will for our family.
So, Griff and I started discussing our options:
1) another Christian private school - well, we already know they won't take him
2) a special school for high functioning autistic children - at triple the current tuition rate, we just cannot afford it
3) public school - the mere idea of the bullies that he would encounter is enough to knock this off the list
4) homeschooling - what I've wanted for awhile now
Griff realized our best option at this point is home schooling. I, of course, am thrilled. Well, yes, but also scared to death. What a huge responsibility! But I am ready for the task before me. Then, Griff mentions he wants me to homeschool Ruth, as well.
Wait a minute! Back up the train! Homeschool 2 children at one time? But I've never done this before! How can I possibly...
But, we are a family. We do things together. We stand united. So, that means, if Robert is homeschooled, so is Ruth. So, Robert will be coming home for school after Christmas. I am going to take a month to get him used to it, then bring Ruth home at the end of January.
Please pray for all of us during this time of adjustment. We need all the prayers we can get. Do be careful, though, about asking for obvious answers. God does give them at times, and they are not usually what you are expecting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)